In the Thick of It

Our house and hearts are full. Friends and family streaming in and out. Just the way we like it. Home all day and outside just as much as possible. These kids of mine, they run outside at 7 in the morning and play until the sun has set. They walk to the garden with me, ride their bikes, swim, imagine and play. Thankfully they have friends willing to do just the same things and when their cousins came after a very long car ride, they taught them to shed their shoes and get dirty. It only took a day to convince everyone that mud and bare toes go together.

9 on the 13th

This girl... Wild, fun-loving, vibrant, happy, thoughtful, kind, sweet... My heart is full. Today my heart bursts with love and pride for all that she is. I am so thankful that she chose us on that day nine years ago. I am humbled by her presence, words, and creative crafty ways every day. We gifted her a special handmade doll cabinet from our friend Vance to use for her doll. The cardboard box is something she has been using since our November citrus fruit delivery as storage for all things doll. Did I say creative and crafty? Yes... So I designed something on a napkin and sent it off to our friend Vance who created our beautiful vision. So thankful today for so many and so much. Life if precious, this girl is the only AnaSofia created in the history of this world, full of stardust and sunshine, and I am so grateful to celebrate this day with her. Happy Birthday my sweet daisy.

Soft Animal

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

- Mary Oliver

 Alone. For the first time in eight years. Just me and some sweet friends of mine and a group of like-minded women. I cannot explain my need for outdoors, fresh air, hands in the dirt, sitting and staring for too long at something small and explainable (a bee, a crab, a bird, the wind in the trees and the list goes on...). I came to the beautiful gardens late because Kasper was crying and had a hard time letting me go. Magnus just waved and carried on, AnaSofia gave me many deep, meaningful hugs, but surprisingly, Kasper clung and pulled at my heartstrings the most. Still I set off on the three hour drive and let the stress, homesickness and responsibilities peel away. I arrived and everyone else had already set up their tents around one another in a glade surrounded by flowers and I was told to either join them or choose the last spot set back in behind the big oak tree. I could not believe my good fortune and quickly set up camp in the quiet circle alone behind grandfather oak. That night I woke at 11 pm and came out of my tent to gaze at the fireflies circling my circle. The next two mornings I awoke at 4:30 am, kissed the oak and gained a deep respect for the need for silence for the next two hours as I walked, watched and soaked it all in. They say you need to be still and quiet for awhile after you awake to allow your soul to come back to you from the dream world. It is quite true.
These days of learning about herbs, herbal medicine and myself were just what this witchy mama needed. So very thankful for those friends of mine for pushing me to jump on board...