eye heart ira glass

seriously. i have loved for a long long long time, this american life. its my favorite show. yeah, i dont have a tv... so for me, radio is how i get my media fill. i listen to the radio as much as a teenager would watch tv if left unsupervised. a lot. talk radio. amy goodman. local radio, reggae fridays, prairie home companion, mountain stage, morning edition, car talk, wait wait dont tell me, calling all pets....oh yeah...im in the thick of it...i love radio, especially talk radio and i love ira glass the best! last night i listened to a show (from the archives) about the rubber room. Teachers that do something...questionable, like yelling at their students, or throwing a chair. They dont get fired but they get sent to the rubber room, to wait for their "hearing" sometimes they wait for years!!! It was a great show...here are some of my favorites:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=350
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=370
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=104
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1249
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1226

enjoy!!!

ps
last night i reestablished my love for nina simone by listening to her for 2 hours!!! I love pandora...i created a station under nina simone and after "eliminating" anyone but her...the station ONLY played nina...live, old, more recent,etc...it was great!

still here

yes...been thinking about so many different things...unable to post...too many ideas all at once..warp flood...but soon...this weekend, if it be a sun shining in that there sky...we will go to the beach or run in some grass, and ill finally upload some more photos...we had a sweet valentines day, breakfast with dear friends and grandma and grandpa sent the girls valentine cards! Scarlett was very excited...ripped it open while informing me she was not tearing it, just opening it. "is that a cat floating with a balloon in the sky? a heart balloon? is that me, floating in the sky with a balloon? to go see grandma and grandpa with a heart for my birthday?" sweetest 3 yr old dreams! meanwhile, india tasted her card, and bit off a little to chew with her new teeth...(all four of them). Scarlett has been singing her abc's everyday...especially while washing hands..but she enjoys changing the words, and now i think she has forgotten the original version. She prefers to sing her friends names into the abc song...like abcdefghi..caleb...lmnopqr etc etc....and with other songs too, like: you are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skylars grey. its pretty funny. well we love you all...see ya soon...with more pics, too!

bikes to the beach

ohhhh beautiful sunny winter days. bike trails right next to the beach. we are grateful for beach picnics and beautiful trails and sandy discoveries. Scarlett is getting so fast on her bike, im about ready to pack india into a jogger so that i can catch up! Its perfect...lord knows i need a little jog here and there...ha! India is crawling crawling...faster and pulling herself up to standing on chairs, tables, her sister...you name it. More fun for scarlett who now loves to call her over to play, or run from her laughing, screaming and yelling..."aaaaah she loves me, look mommy, she tries to get me!" and she is teething, big time...poor girl...4 teeth at once, just like scarlett...couple of tops-couple of bottoms...soon im sure she will be trying out her new power:the bite! look out scarlett! and sweet india is getting bigger...now wearing mostly 12 month size...some of which scarlett just outgrew last spring...oh my! i have been using bits of my spanish and french with the girls...hey who knows, maybe they'll catch on? we are also loving the winter greens and veggies, thank you lovely friends and local market!!

crack attack

see the three birds?

joan miro?

sweet gesture...or pure evil?

well who knows why, but when i stood in the pantry gathering ingredients for "muffins" i had more cocoa and chocolate chips, less carrots and raisins.... um chocolate muffins? okay okay...they ARE cupcakes...not one bit healthy...just pure sugar crack. so flippin' addictive and good, that i sent them to a friends house...as a gesture...a 'thank you' if you will...but is that really very kind? Demented, maybe? I mean, they have kids...and this is just like a bomb waiting to go off...did I really deliver to their doorstep a recipe for kids screaming, running through the house yelling "NO!! I wont go to bed...more cupcakes!!!" bouncing off the walls, pushing, wrestling, crying, smiling, laughing...more screaming... ohhh dear...i think an apology is in order...but at least I warned them...and unlike their mail carrier who just left some candy...i put the plate of sugar crack in a boring paper grocery bag...was tempted to label it...but then i thought, well, do the kids read? Undoubtedly, i bet they can read the word 'chocolate'...i know i could at an early age...and 'coca cola' (another form of legal crack) was recognizable to me years before I could read...in fact, when i was tiny, I drank disgusting chemical infused water from a "coca cola" glass that held flowers at the floral section in a safeway cooler...just because I recognized the brand. gross. the floral departments used to keep flowers in glasses of water...with some kind of "do not eat" package of chemical poured in for "freshness" i wonder how many other kids drank that gritty water? Anyway...im sorry about the delivery of sugar crack to your house friends, it'll never happen again!

I had fun making the cupcakes...designed with chips for polka dots...and i drizzled batter on some parchment and baked for a few minutes, let it cool and made cool designs...that part was super fun...scarlett helped me make the birds...and she made a few faces, but before i could get a picture, tiny fingers had already smeared and dipped their way through the icing, o well.

rhythm, baby

rhythm...i kept looking at the typed word, thinking that it was misspelled. But thats it, I guess. We like rhythm...we thrive on it...if we skip a beat...we feel like square blocks in a round peg world, and nobody want to be that. Our day usually looks like this:
(or you can skip right to pictures of the week)

6:30-7:30 Scarlett wants breakfast...mommy blinks with heavy lids (because i was up too late reading, again!) and stumbles into kitchen, lights fire under kettle...first thing is first! i cook up some oatmeal with raisins or frozen mangos or chocolate chips...wait those looked like raisins, dang!! No wonder she's so excited for breakfast. Mama drinks yummy mate
8:00 baby wakes up. nurse. potty. crawling time...straight to the pile of wool or dollhouse, her favorite place in livingroom. mama washes dishes and gets dressed (maybe a shower if im lucky)
8:30-9 chase scarlett around to get dressed. bribes of visits to museums and beaches if she gets dressed. ill give you vitamins!! "ok mama, ill get dressed"
9-9:30 dress sweet baby who smiles and laughs at me while i wiggle her little body into whatever...maybe give her a little bite of rice cereal after nursing.
9:30-10 make pb&j's throw apple, orange, water bottle, crackers into bag with diapers, wipes, etc and head out! Park, hike, beach, appointment (drat!), friends house, playground, etc
play and run and enjoy outdoors...or if rainy: museum or library or grocery store or thrift store or zoo (which is actually great when rainy), or pet store (fun) or any other option that sounds fun. nurse..hand out snacks, etc
2:00 home, for resting! baby needs a nap in a bed, even if she has been sleeping at park or in car or in carrier...scarlett needs a book, snack and paint or playdoh or handwork (wool, water, sand)
3-4 depending on weather and energy...out again for 30-45 minutes, maybe just in grass...or on an errand...listen to music and dance...sing abc's read books
4:30-5:30 making dinner. nursing. scarlett helps measure and mix...makes a big mess while im in kitchen...India crawls around grabbing scarletts toys that she just made a mess with
5:30-6 light dinner candle...thank you...eat dinner, yum!
6:30-6:45 bath, brush teeth...baby in pj's and nurse...mama reads good book while nursing (yay!) scarlett plays quietly until she crawls in bed for a book (7:30)
baby out (yay)! Read Scarlett a book with no pictures...3 pages and shes out! Double yay!
8-midnight or longer (oh my!) mama reads, cleans, check email, blog, talk to a dear friend if lucky, make lists, put clean clothes away, toys away, great ideas for crafting, spin some yarn...or process some wool for spinning...read again then zzzzzzzzzzzzz
masterpiece...scarlett is drawing great spirals, eyes, mouths, noses, faces, polka dots, etc...this is her and her daddy...he has a beard.

yay! fun with wool!

yummy peace dove tartlett!

mercury direct

January is coming to an end. I will forever enjoy my cousin's birthday (31st) because it marks the end of one of the most difficult months for me. January is full of cold winter days, sagging desires...and saggy guts...all that holiday feasting just wears me out! January is my month to reflect and manifest greatness for the whole year to come...i dream about spring summer and fall more in january than any other time of year. Today, we hiked for 2 1/2 hours in the redwoods...it was amazing and supernatural. Surrounded by giants, mushrooms and sharpened senses. Trailing in and out of the shady fungus covered nitches and basking in the sunny, clover covered bends. While India slept, Scarlett and I shared unspoken gazes and giggles. I love it when i feel face to face with her soul...we stare at eachother and laugh. We celebrated mercury turning direct- in our own way...and blessed our year with grandure, grace and satisfaction!

orange you glad i love chocolate?

winter citrus...oh thank you! When its cold, and rainy, and you've got no place to go, or friends to call on...a beautiful ball of sunshine is at its peak of perfection and the market is overflowing with every variety of citrus right now...a sphere of bliss awaits us in these cold dark months. The satsuma, or seedless mandarin, is my favorite. Easy to peel fleshy, oily, beautiful smelling skin, with large aroma popping pores...mmmmm so perfect! I was inspired to eat the skin, loaded with bioflavonoids...to ward off that common cold, right? and truth be told, it was really tasty! So, to celebrate this bit of heaven in winter, i sliced up the peel and dipped it in melted dark chocolate, and ate it up...yum.

ode to joy

aaaaaahh sisters!

how sweet and cute they are together, playing. Now India is beginning to crawl (o dear me!) and what fun, thinks scarlett...who is enjoying her permanent playmate. some of you may already know...but in case you dont...scarlett has been at odds the past few months...wondering why this baby is hanging around for so long...she has finally accepted the fact that India is here to stay, and is ultimately happy about that.

meanwhile...mommy is frantically clearing lowland clutter and tossing "chokables" into shoeboxes and stuffing closets! mopping floors, carpet cleaning, rearranging pantry...mental note: shallow garbage pails and root baskets are no longer acceptable. shes roaming...brave and open mouthed, ready to "test" anything in hand...sigh

and also....thinking about starting another blog...just for yarns...so will have that update soon, until then i will post them here. only one more week until mercury corrects itself, lifting this invisible burden, and relaxing the flow of communication. hooray

new yarn: meloncolony...hand dyed and carded merino, polypay and hampshire lamb cross...some sparkle...55 yeards of peachypink, candystriped combos of pinks, blues, browns, greys, etc....greens with lavenders...some big poofy puffs, too.

crazy batt channel

love this batt...its merino, sparkle and this crazy kinky super gold wool that we got in the fall at the fiber festival in redway...some new sheep or something...but the kink is off the hook...and it looks like dolly hair, lovely!

we still love pizza...and the greatest thing is...scarlett eats more veggies now...i have been putting spinach, chard, squash, onions, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, even beans (yeah i know sounds weird, but twas good) and im still crazy about the pizza...the crust, really, its a charmer!
4 cups flour (unbleached white and wheat mixed is my fav)

1 1/2 cups warm water
yeast packet

pinch salt

2 TBS olive oil

throw the salt in with the flour, add yeast to water, when yeast bubbles add olive oil then add to flour and salt mixture....wooden spoon in bowl or food process...knead a bit on floured board...split in two...make pretty balls...place each ball into a Ziploc for 45 min or an hour...then roll as thin as possible...viola! (thank you ellie for recipe and tips)

AND....i have been washing, dying, drying, teasing, blending and carding a fleece of lovely merino and a polypay blend....oh boy it smells like sheep in here...but its been so fun, and scarlett has been helping me "tease, not break" (her words....my little spinner in training) the locks and crank the drum carder....such a great introduction to color theory! we have created every color of the rainbow and then some...about 20 batts down, 20 to go...then we'll dye some roving and get to spinning...cant wait! Scarlett also gets to help with the dying because i let her dye with kool-aid and vinegar...super fun.......and she agrees that kool-aid is pretty weird because it dyes fiber. she finally quit asking me for a taste.

India started eating food this week...avocados...yum! (thank you jessie for the yummiest avocados ever!)

we have also tripped to the beach with our friends...and have enjoyed all things sand and surf.

with mercury still in retrograde we are focusing on appreciation and fortune, of which both we seem to have in abundance....a photo montage for you:

digging a tunnel to china

the babies, dylan and india

india so happy to get that stick by herself

yummy avocado...exciting first food!

playing in scarletts kitchen...sushi and peaches!

eating plastic sushi

blending the perfect peachy pink...with sparkle!!!

helping to card wool...of course she is without any clothes!until its time to go outside she refuses to dress....and as soon as we come home, the clothes come off. "i love naked, mama"

grocery outlet...20 for a buck...really pretty!

dye pot...kool-aid colors

i love pizza

now that scarlett is 3...she is changing...here come the wild and wonderful years. it seems like shes so much older now and a totally free thinking person..we have full blown conversations. i am loving it. im witnessing her spirit define itself and grow increasingly more detailed as her vocabulary and personality explode.
India is growing so fast. she sits up on her own and rolls over, scoots and gets all around! She laughs and squeals at her sister...and they love entertaining eachother...they are a sweet match.

ohhhkay. so, the sun is still a shinin' and were out in it everyday (its been in the 70's)...riding bikes, playgrounds, grass splashing (something new to me...its warm like june, but the grass is soggy...no puddles but lots of grass to get the job done) which keeps me busy. winter = the pile. the huge pile of stuff by the front door. I have baskets, bins, bags, hooks...tried it all...cant keep that pile from creeping up...whats in it you ask? muddy boots, the shoes we need when the boots get muddy. and still more shoes. longsleeves, hoodies...more hoodies we need when first hoodies get wet and muddy. extra socks. more socks when cant find pair. extra pants, yup you guessed it, MUD. bike helmet, knee pads, hats hats and more hats, jackets, scarves, bags...water bottles, popcorn (hmmm still tastes good after a week hmm)

nevermind...onto more interesting things. Ive been staying up late dying wool...start massive carding of wool after weekend. sweet accomplishments.

pizza by scarlett

i love pizza. one thing i love about being me is my predictability for phases. im now in pizza phase. last night good friends made pizza from scratch...cant recall when i even ate pizza last, but im hooked. got recipe for crust, made some...well actually let scarlett roll it out and top it...it was delish. am making more on sunday. will most likley make about 5 more pizzas until im so sick of pizza i wont eat it for a year. phases im currently enrolled in: mate no coffee, stevia no sugar, baskets not bags, library books not movies, and in staying up late with yarn phase, awhile ago was in quiche phase, that was fun.


today after scarlett was ordering around all the wild pony pirates at the park with her big stick we stopped off for frozen yogurt. such a treat. i dug up the 1.50 from my center console and she got a huge cone. i love redwood yogurt...i love that its a buck an 4 bits. i love that they have couches and a piano. scarlett played piano and rattled through her repertoire...the traditional nursery rhymes...about 10 of them. people clapped...i tried to make like i wasnt laughing myself into a stomach cramp. mental note: bring video camera next time.

i still dont have a calendar for january...and lately ive been feeling stuck...apprehensive and slooooow...i know the moon is waning...but feel disconnected with out knowing all the phases and sure enough mercury is retrograde...could have guessed that. mental note: get calendar by new moon!!!

mini-mantle and zoo-poo

I haven't even made the time to organize MY photo album to include the memories of this past year...but I sure-have-made-sure that the new dollhouse makes good use of its mantle with photos of aunties and sisters! I don't know about you, but i adore index prints...those little itsy bitsy pictures of your pictures...so cute. but really, what to do with them...clutter much? S likes to cut them out...so I put them in her dollhouse, real cute like!

and this week we went to the zoo...dollar Wednesdays make me feel obligated to go, come on...a buck? its always a lot of fun...and s likes to brush the goat, who wants to eat my camera. its a great day as long as I don't have to go into the petting zoo (where all the poo is) and we "forget" to go to the gift shop, ha! on a side note: the tiny one is getting big...not even 6 months old and a whopping 18.3 pounds, no wonder my arms are aching...she gets around just fine, scooting and rolling and sometimes getting a "ride" from her sister, who likes to pull her around on the blanket. This makes everyone laugh outloud for a few minutes, especially India...so we add years to our lives daily!