this moment

Joining SouleMama, and many others, in this moment. 

In Amanda's words: "A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

Please link to your moment too -- I love to see what you are enjoying this week!

Wishing you a weekend full of goodness!

this moment {squirmy}

Joining SouleMama, and many others, in this moment. 

In Amanda's words: "A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

Please link to your moment too -- I love to see what you are enjoying this week!

Wishing you a weekend full of goodness!

this moment {on stage}

Joining SouleMama, and many others, in this moment. 

In Amanda's words: "A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

Please link to your moment too -- I love to see what you are enjoying this week!

Wishing you a weekend full of goodness!

this morning, from above

Cup of coffee.

Breakfast.

Sudoku.

Making lunches.

Pre-bus card games.

Banging cake pans.

Homemade jelly.

Reading Dear Abby.

Dirty dishes.

Dead mouse. (Don't ask.)

Finding hats and gloves.

Re-heated coffee.

Miss-matched socks.

Bus stop in those miss-matched socks.

Yogurt on the floor.

Tantrum.

Some mornings are messier, louder, more frantic than others.

gathering

A trip to a farm over the weekend was just the right balance of roasted corn and ice cream, pumpkin picking and corn mazing.   So we are nearing a sufficient number of pumpkins on the front walk, and the countdown until they become jack 'o lanterns is underway.  But for now these pumpkins are gathered together with the mums and corn stalks.

The fall is bringing gathering of all sorts.  The leaves finally gathering on the ground.  According to our neighbors, our trees tend to be the last to drop leaves.  But it is beginning and it feels and smells and sounds like fall.

I've gathered some art supplies into a basket.  I've been finding them spread throughout the kitchen.  Seems they need to be there.  So I've gathered them into a spot they can stay, at least for now.

Every time we empty a jar of homemade grape jelly another is usually immediately opened.  A current favorite is a dollop of the jelly goodness onto plain Greek yogurt.  This year I canned more than double what I did last year.  I'm already scheming to double it again next year.

That yellow ball.  That yellow ball.  That yellow ball.  Munchkin has had it in near constant motion this week.  A one-man soccer game in the front foyer that lasts hours.  If I am understanding his running commentary, he plays for a powerhouse team called "The Dingos."  Seems they can easily score 1,000 points.

Of course planning for gladsome is well underway.  Now that will be quite a gathering.

In the meantime,  Honey and I are planning another special gathering.  This one at our home, to plant our Peace Pole.  Yes, Honey is the king of cool birthday presents.  The King.

There's been some tie dye.  A much needed late-night-Mama-date with a dear friend.  And night after night of Netflixing all five seasons of Parks and Recreation.  All.  Five.  Seasons.  Oh, hello life, nice to have you back again.

And hello to you all.  Hope you are gathering goodness of your own.

in my kitchen

:: Double batch of double chocolate chip cookies.  Packaged up for my sweet, talented niece who came to visit while on fall break from college.  (Yes, she is studying art.  And women's and gender studies.  She's cool like that.  Watch her in action here, amazing.)

:: A fresh stock of flour in the cupboard.  Eleven 5 pound bags in all.  I've settled into a pretty steady rhythm of baking bread once a week.  Eight loaves usually gets us through the week, with a couple to send out into the world with good wishes.

:: Art supplies have migrated from other spots in the house to the kitchen.  They've been here for days and seem to be multiplying.  Funny that our daily living in this space has determined where things belong, even more than were I unpacked and placed items.  Seems art supplies go in the kitchen.  So I'm thinking about ways to at least corral them a bit.

:: Enough chill is in the air that our chili season has begun.  After the long summer of not even thinking of the savory dish, it is when we cook our first batch of chili in the fall that I realize I've missed it so.

:: Some entrepreneurial spirit coming to life around the large kitchen table.  This craze has taken hold of the kiddos.  Creating is creating I say!

:: Some creating of my own.  My gladsome file is growing, and details are coming along so well.  The weekend is going to be simply amazing!  If you live in or near the Great Lakes Region you should be considering this gathering with other cool women.  Create a little, reflect a little, and connect a lot.

:: Been looking out the kitchen window trying to pick the perfect spot for my new Peace Pole.  Soon, it will be installed and we are holding a special gathering and ceremony.  Details soon on how you too can be involved!

:: Dancing.  There is always room for some music and dancing in our kitchen.

What about you?  I hope that you are having some warm, yummy, fragrant life in your kitchen too.

dispatch from my day {iPhone}

I'm settling in.  Sloooowly.  We've found a bit of rhythm, and have unfound it, and look for it again. 


I am getting used to the amazing view out of my kitchen window.  I have to remind myself daily that this in now where we live.

I've been listening to Kat Edmonson.  Really, what isn't beautiful about her voice?

I've begun baking bread again.  That is a rhythm I can get my head around, for sure.

I've been reminded that it is tricky to take three (not even four!) kids to the doctor's office at the same time. Thankfully I simply have the best (and cutest, ahem) doctor on the planet.

Visiting old chums has brought comfort and a respite from making new friends.

I am now on Twitter.  I kept reading Honey's Twitter stream.  So he signed me up for my own.  I enjoy its bits and pieces of life and laughter throughout the day.  Please let me know if you tweet too, I would love to follow you.  (I'm @bcomingclaudine)

Squirmy is everywhere.  E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E.  Which means I am everywhere too.

So, I'm off.  Squirmy is on the kitchen counter.  See ya.

this moment {baking}

Joining Soulemama, and many others, in this moment. 

In Amanda's words: "A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

Please link to your moment too -- I love to see what you are enjoying this week!

Wishing you a weekend full of grace and goodness!

while we wait

Baking.
Soccering.
Iced coffeeing.
Doctor Whoing.
Bluthing.
Dandelioning.
Sparkley shoeing.
Playgrounding.
(These are all real words, trust me, I looked them up.)

Seems busy hands, and busy bodies, help best to pass the time while we wait.  Wait, day after day after day, for word.  Word about the house we will be living in come summertime.  And likely for decades to come.

This is not your run-of-the-mill waiting.  Not quite like the anticipation of a birth when you have a pretty good idea of the outcome.  A baby, by a no later than date.

Nope, buying a house is a different kind of waiting.  Less predictable, less pleasurable, more wrenching.  I am sorry, dear reader, for the ad nasueum.

Nausea indeed I say.

So we are keeping busy hands and busy bodies to counter the anticipation (and frankly mama-grumpiness) of waiting for that good-news phone call from the realtor.