25 random facts indeed...

I made this list about a month ago, prompted by a facebook trend (-: The truth is, I have always loved making lists, especially about my inner workings. My sis, Mom and I used to create interesting lists just for fun, and if I was brave enough to sift through the many sketchbooks and journals I have filled, I would be able to find them. It would be so great to read those older lists, To see how I have changed.. Anyways, here is the list.

25 random facts about myself ^__^

1. I'm pregnant at this very moment, with a baby boy (-:

2. I wish my hair would grow as long as the floor. I love the medieval look.

3. I wear a dress or skirt nearly every single day.

4. I homeschooled my daughter Isabella off and on until she reached third grade.

5. When Isabella was a year old, I shaved my head and have been growing it back ever since. I recommend that every one do it at least once in their life (-:

6. I have an amazing gift for finding free stuff, from clothes, gardening supplies, antiques, art supplies, furnature, toys, beautiful things to decorate with, baskets, books, ornaments, etc etc etc... I just say that I need something and within days I come across it (-:

7. I have been able to feel/sense/see spirits and other various mythical beings since I was a teenager.

8. My Mom and sister are my best friends in the world and my heart aches with wild abandon each day I am apart from our woman-circle.

9. I love to bake and make bread by hand.

10. I am happiest when I am gardening.

11. When I'm not pregnant, I am hugely addicted to tea of all kinds and drink cup after cup all day long.

12. I love motherhood and I'm so glad it happened to me (-:

13. My husband Jason and I met on a snail mail penpal site that doesn't exist anymore and wrote letters to one another off and on for six years before we decided to get married, having met only twice - Once in 2000 and once on 2005.

14. I love to write letters with pen and paper.

15. I get lost in historical fiction novels and children's books; I have very little interest in the reality of the world and prefer what is imaginative, creative and beautiful.

16. I spent a summer of my childhood stirring a barrel full of slimey old brown water, adding leaves and grass and whatever else I could find, making witches brew. It was one of the most satisfying experiences I've ever had.

17. This past summer, Jason, Isabella and I drove from Ontario all the way back to California in our tiny little car. It took two weeks to do properly, sleeping in motels, hotels, camping, and visiting all the cool stuff along the way.

18. I did horseback riding when I was in fourth and fifth grade, and so wish I could get a horse of my own and take it up again.

19. I love wild places; forests, abandoned buildings, solitary lakes and such..

20. I have been pregnant four times (including the pregnancy I'm in right now)

21. I love foraging for wild herbs, foods and flowers.

22. I have made tons of toys and clothing for Isabella over the years.

23. I attended Catholic school until I was 18 years old.

24. I'm watching Isabella belly dance beside me right now.

25. I have profound respect for so many cultures, religions and teachings of wisdom, including but not limited to; Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism, Wicca, Tribal wisdom, Native American/Canadian wisdom, Nature, Yoga, New ageism, etc etc etc...

...and a picture of Tasha Tudor, just because I love her (-:

many thoughts of many moments...

The day is a sunny one; A welcome shift after countless rainy ones. I do love the rain, The dark wildness of storm clouds, But after a week or more I do crave for the brightness again.
After this post is finished I will venture out onto the sidewalk to stroll. I try to walk each day, weather permitting, even though this pregnancy is limiting me in ways of mobility.. Aching pelvis, loose hip bones, shortness of breath...It is rather fun, I tell you! With my first pregnancy I had none of this drama until the last month, but then, those expert-types do tell you that your body changes with each child you carry. While the pains do frustrate me on occasion, I also see them for the blessing that they are; the relaxing and opening of my body in preparation for my baby's entrance to this world. It really is such a beautiful thing.

For me, someone who never can justify an afternoon nap or an idle moment without floodgates of guilt pouring over me, this pregnancy has been a profoundly humbling event.
The first four months I was exhausted, nauseous and generally blah and had no drive to do anything at all, Not even think,, And of course in retrospect I wish I had been wiser and listened to my body's promptings; Taking naps and relaxing fully, reading on the couch and calling my mom more frequently but of course I didn't. If I had known that it would not last and that I would be feeling more like myself in a short time I may have been able to grant myself a bit of slack. But instead, I made myself miserable, feeling bad that I was feeling bad. Ha ha! So silly. Of course, I was in the midst of profound hormonal/physical/emotional shiftings so I really shouldn't think on it too much. Only so much as to honour this new stage of growth that my sweet baby and I are experiencing, where I feel vibrant and healthy, intuitive, connected and centered.

I know that I need this time to prepare for my little one's birth and life here on earth. This is my time of rest before action; My sacred moments of peace and solitude, Soon to be traded for all-encompassing motherhood. I am trying my very best to remain in this moment, Not looking too far ahead, for I know that this time is vital.

We took these lovely pictures at lake Chabot on Monday afternoon. As we were driving towards the lake, the closer we got, the darker the sky appeared and rain started to fall but we didn't turn back (-: And when we finally arrived, we were met with a beautiful rainbow...

This regal prince swam close to us and so of course we
were obliged to capture his great beauty on camera

And this is Isabella doing one of her favourite things (-:

The weekend was lovely; Valentine's day was spent first enjoying homemade apple scones for breakfast, exchanging handmade Valentines, watching 'Coraline' in 3-D at the AMC theater (Jason and I came away with some pretty dandy headaches after wearing those 3-D glasses for an hour and a half!), lunch at the India Palace restaurant, a quick zip to the library, and then a quiet evening at home, for indeed, all three of us were feeling a bit under the weather..

By the way, this movie was really something; Creepy as anything but amazing in that it was created by hand, like The Nightmare before Christmas. I love that not everyone falls prey to the specifically digital world.. I was worried that Isabella would be scared or at the very least, distubed by it's overall theme, But of course I am the sensitive one (-: She was fine.

Sunday was spent shopping;; a luxury we don't usually indulge in, but in the case of my ever-expanding Buddha-belly and the fact that I have been running out of clothes that fit, We spent the afternoon at Target. I found five pieces of clothing that will do just fine and I am tickled pink about it. Maternity clothes in general are hideous abominations, Not to be imposed on any pregnant woman, Especially considering the fact that, in this state they are the embodiment of the fertile earth mother, A truly sacred vessel, The living womb of creation, Powerful, life-giving goddesses. Hmmph. Had I not found something suitable I would have gladly sewn up a few dresses, and I may still do that (-:

It is time for me to greet the sun. Be well (-:

Valentine's Shhhtuff...

Sooooooooooo, tomorrow happens to be Valentine's day and I thought perhaps I might blog a little bit on the subject..
I don't know why exactly, but I just plain like making Valentines. Since moving to California I have made a different style of Valentine with each coming holiday. I suppose because it's a simple holiday; Not so much fanfare as Christmas or a birthday..
Anyway,, Isabella is celebrating at school today with a 'Valentine Tea'. She finished making her Valentine cards yesterday and has picked out a white and red checked-patterned dress, pink pants and pink socks to wear. I painted a heart on her cheek this morning too. ^__^
The children were encouraged to bring a stuffed toy to attend the party also, and so Pipo donned a red African-print dress, two red skirts, two red aprons, a pair of red pants and red moccasins. We also perked up her cheeks with blush.
My mom and sister put together a package for us too and sent it out on Monday,, I do hope it gets here today!! My mom has always made sure a sweet card and treat of some sort greeted my sister and I on Valentine's Day as we were growing up. Such a nice mommy (-:
For me, I am pretty tired. I have been battling a silly cold for three days now and it has sucked the energy out of me, but I am going to make some sweet little felt fortune cookies today, and tuck Valentine wishes inside (-: That is the plan.
Here is a collection of our past and present Valentine's frivolity and such::

Isabella and Pipo this morning, all decked out in Valentine style (-:

And here we have Isabella, painting pink and red ink onto the Valentine cards for her classmates.
Unfortunately, I neglected to photograph the final result. Oh well (-:



Jason made this for me last year (-:

And I made this guy for Isabella last year! His name is 'Hearty' I think.

This one I made two years ago. Fun!

Happy Valentine's day!

^__^

Yay Isabella!

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my little girl-child??
She has blessed my life in ways I cannot even express. But most of all,
it is her creativity and ingenuity that inspires me..
I often reflect back on my life before she came to me, and I really cannot identify with the person I was then. Such change and growth has blossomed in me and I am eternally grateful.


The weekend was lovely. We spent Saturday at a birthday barbecue with some friends. The honoured one was a three-year old girl, and as you can imagine, there were a bunch of happy children running around (-: Isabella looked huge in comparison to the little ones, and this reality always takes me by surprise, as I remember that time in our lives as though it were just yesterday. There was a pinata, which was hilarious to watch in action as Jason had the honour of pulling it up and down on its string draped over a tree branch in the park, attempting to give all the children a chance to give it a goodwhack before it burst open with a multitude of candies.
The food was delicious and the cake divine,, and we all came home well fed and content after a day of frivolity.

Sunday morning was a particularly creative time for Isabella and I photographed her various activities as she went about her way. She is such a lovely girl; I have been supremely blessed.

She composed a three page (both sides) letter to her Grandma Jude,
including a story written in cursive, just for fun..

Then she finished colouring the picture she had drawn the previous morning,
which will be included with the letter.

Next, knitting!

After that, we zoomed to the art store in Berkeley. I needed more paper for art prints and Isabella bought herself a bran-new sketchbook; the perfect travel-size one. We went to a cafe and she promptly drew in it while Jason sketched beside her and I worked on a pen pal letter. Fun!

Since we're on the topic of Isabella, I should add a picture of the giant Totoro I made her for Christmas.
He's big, He's squishy, He has a huge smile and he is very Totoro-ish!


I've actually never sewn anything quite like him before;; Never worked with faux fur or duplicated a character of any kind but Isabella wanted a giant stuffed Totoro more than anything in the whole world, or so she's told usover and over and over again for the past year and a half! I quite like him myself and often invite him to hang out on the couch in our family room (-:

This below would be a picture of Pipo and Daffodil, Isabella's two favourite dolls. Pipo is a rather old lady now, over six years old (She's the one playing the guitar). She has been through adventures other dolls can only dream about,, and during one such adventure, when we had returned from a month-long camping/traveling trip up the Caliofornia coast into Oregon and back we thought we had lost her (She was really just behind the couch in the family room, having been knocked down by accident by one of the kitties) and Isabella was beside herself with grief. I offered her one of my new PipoDolls and she picked Daffodil, and of course we discovered Pipo a few days later, looking smug in her hiding spot! So now they are sisters, and very mischievious. Just this morning I caught them jamming on Isabella's bed! Lucky for me I caught the action on camera.
Isabella will be pleased.

^__^

goody goody gumdrop

Whoa!! I just discovered that I was in a feature at Funky Finds a few months back!
That's a great thing, although I am a bit late (-; Oh well. Here is the link::

Other good news of the day::

1. I talked to my Mom on the phone. This always leaves me cheery and optimistic

2. The etsy treasury I made a couple days ago made it to the Front page!!!!! Yay!

3. I feel so happy in general that I baked up a loaf of banana bread. Yum. It should
be done in about 15 minutes and I can't wait..

4. It's Friday which means it's the weekend and I get to spend time with my loves!

5. I absolutely, positively, completely and whole-heartedly love being pregnant (-:

^__^

silly

Yes, I am a bit silly, Because one of my illustrations was featured on a really
spectacular blog just a wee bit ago and have neglected to post such a thing!
Lookie here::


http://prettylittlethings.typepad.com/lori_marie/2009/01/ambrosia.html

yay!

domestic goddess thoughts

Ahhhh, I just smudged myself and the apartment and I am feeling lovely and freshly cleansed. Joanne Shenendoah is playing, singing women's Native American chants and a tamale is happily steaming on the stove. Lunch will also consist of a big spinach salad with tomatoes and oranges and a glass of water. Downstairs I have commenced the washing of baby clothes, which up until this day I have wanted to do but didn't, Perhaps from some deep-seated fear that there may be no point, or perhaps because I have a tendency to "save" certain activities until later. I'm not sure why I do this,, but I am aware of it and plan to change this silly pattern. What I do is this; wake up and I'm excited with some great creative idea and I'm itching to do it, but instead of just going ahead with it, I do a million other menial tasks instead and of course, never get around to doing it. WHY?? Perhaps it is a fear issue. Perhaps it is an issue concerning my ability to accept gratification in my life. I don't know. But I am going to change it.

Baby one is busy bopping around in my womb, beautifully reminding me of his presence. He will probably be a tamale lover, as I eat one for lunch every day - a new pregnant obsession. It's better than chocolate or ice cream though (-: The day is beautiful, and after the laundry is dried and folded and my lunch has been had, I would like very much to venture outside and partake of the glorious sunshine.

By the way, have I ever mentioned my great love of aprons?? It's true, I have quite a fetish, although it happens to be in a somewhat dormant state. I own a few beautiful vintage aprons, which I have lovingly packed away in a safe place in the closet, but truly I would love to hang them all over the walls, as they bring me such joy, Just the sight of them. Funny that. In a world where everyone is expected to be equal and share the roles of parents/money-makers I would have this love of aprons, which to me symbolize the beautiful dying art of women's ways,, of the biological and ancient ways of women to birth, to raise children and feed her family...
Just a thought.

What happened on Saturday

I thought I would take a sec to load the pictures we took on Saturday (-:

We went to Muir woods first, to hang out with the giant redwoods...

And I saw another nature spirit. This one lived in an old felled log.

We went to Muir beach next...

Jason and Isabella went searching for starfish while I sat on the sand and contemplated..

And Isabella played in the waves (-: