gratitude: for friends

even in the midst of their seemingly very unlucky weekend (getting turned down and slammed at a job interview, having their rental car broken into, and most all of the their valuable stuff taken, then getting a stomach bug!), it was really nice to have these guys around the house for the weekend.

gratitude: for friends

ahhhh. girlfriend time. exponentially nourishing on all levels.

lingerie shopping and decadent cupcakes savored in small bites.

wine and giggling.

stopping to smell the roses, processing about the thorns, planting and nurturing seeds and soil.

blurry, but the feel of this shot is perfect.

i love this photo!

Embracing Winter

A recipe, or, perhaps, a prescription:

The day is gray, the weather chilled.

Put on some music you can't help but dance to.

Dance.

Drink a little coffee if you must.

Walk outside long enough that your cheeks get pink, and breathe deeply so that you see the breath in front of you.

Come back inside and note how much warmer you feel for having been out.

Hug and snuggle with the loved ones around you, non-furry and furry alike.

Smile, even if at first it feels false.

Know that you are blessed.

photo: layers of gray.

Just Because

Because sometimes you just need a little something sweet.

I bring you: Anjali and the Cup of Yogurt.

Life with Roommie

Ahhh! The influx of fresh air and new energy. Gets our feathers ruffled and our creativity a boost. And, I think just a tad, we have to prove to our new roommie that we are indeed as cool as we made ourselves out to be. Kind of like putting on a smile on a day when you woke up grumpy: sometimes it works! We have been staying up "late" (ooo! 11pm!) sharing wine and conversation, showing Austin around town as if we knew the place, and introducing him to interesting-looking people whom we have secretly wanted to know ourselves. Just what we wanted. Some of our friends don't understand why we, a married couple with a kid, would invite a young gay guy from Kentucky to live with us in our little "single family dwelling" in Berkeley when we don't need the rent money. Some of his friends assumed things. Well, since moving away from our household of loved ones in Sacramento, we have longed for supportive community life ever since. Extended chosen-family life suits us. We have invited others whom we love to join us, and Austin just happens to be the first person to take us up on it. We're delighted!

Uncle Austin making an impromptu fishing pole for Anjali to catch chickens in the backyard.

A highlight that Sealion and I anticipated was ~ surprise surprise! ~ the food. Austin is a foodie after our own hearts. The communal family meal has returned. So far, we have eaten delicious Tiffie-n-Austin-made dinners 3-out-of-4 nights. And yesterday Austin and I had my food friend Ciara over to prepare a batch of kraut to ferment in time for holiday gifts. Fun! Canning, preserving, fermenting, all are tedious-but-simple labors that are best shared with friends ~ many hands make light work (and great conversation). This has been my dream.

We made a spiced, Christmas-inspired seasonal batch that included purple cabbage for color, tart apple slices, and spices like cinnamon, clove, and magical cardamom. "Christmas Kraut" has an easy ring to it, but Austin's "Wassail Kraut" is even better. With this, I am sneaking the time to write a recipe on my food blog, Food-a-File, which we have all forgotten. So happy to dust it off and add a tasty entry.

Sealion and I are banking on the idea that community and creativity beget community and creativity ~ a good deal for everyone. And just in time to weather the winter gray and chill!

Welcome home, Roommie!!

How is a sleeping baby so awe-inpiring? It seems I have to remind myself to breathe as I gaze at her, I am so mesmerized. The to-do list, poised for naptime productivity, lies untouched for a few moments as I sit, rapt. There is a belief that during a birth, the curtain between heaven and earth is opened up and remains that way for a while once the child is born, so that the baby is kind of in between worlds for a bit. Perhaps as they sleep, the curtain is drawn open an inch or two, so that the air around them glows with soft angelic warmth. A sleeping baby embodies peace. And innocence. She lets me, the viewer/voyeur, poke my head in and visit that place ~ untouched by schedules or hurry or expectations. For a moment.

red rover, red rover, send Austin on over! (or: more gratitude)

our new roommie arrives tonight!!!

photo: Austin at the rim of the Grand Canyon

gratitude: for friends

oh! so much to be grateful for!

today i send out a toast: for friendship that picks up where it left off (a *year* ago!) without missing a beat. so fortunate to have this sister in my life! and so glad she has an excuse to visit.

photo: a welcome playmate to all the creatures of our household!

AdVERtissment

Food is so important to me. It is happily central to our home life. I am fascinated with pretty much every aspect of food ~ from field to plate and beyond. Nutrition is the flip side of that same coin, or more appropriately, one facet of the beautiful prism ~ because ecology, social justice, politics... all are a part of the picture, too. Luckily when you eat Good Food, you care for all aspects at the same time. And once your body becomes accustomed to truly good food, excellent nutrition is easy (though not necessarily fast! [or maybe i should say necessarily not-fast..]) and delicious.

Especially once I began preparing for pregnancy, children's nutrition ~ hand-in-hand with pregnancy nutrition ~ has become one of my key passions. Don't even get me started! ;-) And now you don't have to because some of my associates in the San Francisco Bay Area have re-vamped their very informative site dedicated to children's nutrition. Its focal audience is parents, but I think it does a great ~ thorough yet concise ~ job of speaking to human nutrition in general. And shares resources if you'd like to learn more. Clicking on "For Parents" will take you to the nutritional info.

Check it out: Nourishing Our Children.