exploring

I have been so busy as of late that there just isn't time to make a decent blog post. So, I decided that I will just post one picture and minimal words from now on ~ or just one word, even, because I do like to add bits and pieces of my captured moments to this space. In this above photo I am exploring the more than 170 year-old ruins on the property; the remains of an old barn and (still standing) silo. Very cool. I am wearing Ollie in the moby but he's tucked into my coat so he's pretty hard to see (:

desert monk wisdom

"Making spaces for stillness in our lives is neither selfish or self-serving. It helps us retreat from our usual responsibilities and patterns of activity in order to become better listeners. Today we are bombarded by the one-way and aggressive communication of the media and are losing our ability to listen. Conversation is threatened by increased polarity. Stillness guards our souls from over-activity and over-stimulation of mind and body that scatter our openness to God and our neighbor. Stillness helps our actions keep pace with our hearts, even in a few moments of a busy day. Rather than escaping from life, stillness reacquaints us with life and the Giver of life. Being in a place apart reminds us of the sacredness of life. Stillness is a fresh spring quenching our inner thirst for love of others, even our enemies."
"The desert monks realized the essential rhythm between solitude and community. Solitude and community were seen as complimentary, not competitive. This rhythm has atrophied in modern life. Our responsibilities and needs for productivity have pushed solitude and personal prayer to the margins of personal and public life. Solitude is seen as a benign option for the few, rather than an integral aspect of each person's health and wholeness. The lack of civility, genuine conversation, and desire for collegial approaches to the challenges in our world reflect the absence of solitude in our lives. The outside of our lives reflects the inside of our lives."

~ David G. R. Keller, Oasis of Wisdom: The Worlds of the Desert Fathers and Mothers

cute little guy

I'm pretty sure this cute (saucy) little fellow found his afternoon snack in the newly-created hole in the bottom of our compost bin. Oh well, we all have to get by when the snows start to blow. I can share (: When I watch the antics of these silly red squirrels, I imagine Beatrix Potter creating a story about them. I know that she surrounded herself with animals, much in the way that we do here (: Just this morning, Jude who is now two and a half, walked by Mabel's 'house' and saw that she was low on food. He said something like, "Oh no bunny, would you like some food?" in a sweet, sing-song voice. He made lots of conversation with her while he refilled her dish and then petted her head gently saying, "awwwww, cute. Nice. Nice bunny." He is not so easy on the cats though..but I suppose that is the general way of toddlers and cats. He chases them and tries to use them as pillows...hmm.

New in the shop ~ White Origami lanterns!

You might think that, with all this crazy mothering business I've been up to and living all hidden away in the woods, I don't have time to add anything new to my etsy shop. But I have! (-; Beautiful, simple, white, lovely origami lanterns. (: Hooray! I am really liking white lately. Simplicity in design. Open space..Sometimes even nothingness, which really just doesn't ever happen when you have three kids! There are always loys of toys everywhere, which I do my best to tuck into baskets on shelves, which I love (both the baskets and the toys, actually). But I divert. Here are the lanterns...

See them in the shop!

^__^

the evolution (de-evolution?) of our snowman!

I wasn't able to photograph every single stage in the life of this snow~fellow, but I did capture a few! He made it through many snowstorms, warm melty days, changes of attire, and now he has been replaced with an ice-skating rink; a project that Jason began a few days back. Isabella is the only kid in her class that doesn't know how to skate on the ice (not surprising as she lived in California for 4.5 years!). We thought she could practice here at home, if only just to get a feel for it and at least have fun. Not everyone needs to be a figure skater or a famous hockey dude, after all (: I think it will be fun to have a little ice rink out back. My dad made one for us when we were little and I have a very happy memory of an ensuing hockey game that included our neighbour and of course, hot chocolate in the snow (:

When the power goes out

Whenever the power goes out, everything stops. The busy-ness of living takes a deep breath as a family quickly looks for candles, eats all the ice cream (just in case it melts ~ what a waste!) and sits down in front of the woodstove, the only source of heat and main source of light. Never a day passes in which I do not look upon the blessed woodstove and think how grateful I am for its warmth and beauty. When the power goes out, we all take a moment to consider the lives of people long ago, living simply with no electricity, dependent on the aquisition of firewood during the warmer months in order to survive the winter. We are so lucky.