SouleMama

days of summer :: 30

Driving down the camp road last week, this branch full of red leaves popped out in front of us. Fall! A shocking contrast against the greens and blues in the background that have made up the colors of summer. And yet - every day I'm finding more and more signs like this - sights becoming a little less shocking each time as the transition really gets underway. The leaves are changing color, the acorns are coming into the house in little fistfulls, the root vegetables are beginning to be harvested, the apples on the trees are ripening. Oh, fall is full of some wonderful things!

This wraps up my Days of Summer photo series. Thanks for walking along with me, and sharing in the joys of my favorite season. Looking at all of the photos together, I feel satisfied with how our summer was spent, and the little ways it was captured with my camera. A sharp contrast and balance to the 30 Days of the Everyday in winter - and yet - still full of many things that are important to us all year long.

It's been a very good summer.

days of summer :: 29

This has been the summer of:

• trying out Little League - and loving it
• late night Sea Dogs games and the day-after play-by-play report
• the daily search for a Red Sox baseball shirt, because nothing else will do
• and the precious baseball hat
• baseball trivia, baseball math, baseball history, baseball geography...oh, the homeschooling opportunities abound
• playoffs, world series, and home run derbys...in the backyard with two very obliging siblings
• the discovery of Mama's (yes, Mama's) pile of baseball cards from the late 80's. Hello, Wade Boggs.
• the hokey, funny and much-loved rentals of Home Run Derby from Netflix
• a daily game of pretend-figure baseball, and the day-long commentary as it progresses
• the promise and plan to be a catcher for the Red Sox as soon as possible (there's a shortage, you know)
• far more sports radio, and visits to ESPN.com than this Mama can take
• the unearthing of Papa's soft, worn, and loved glove from years ago
• a father-son shared loved of baseball as cliche and beautiful as it could possibly be.

There will be many little details of this summer that I forget with time, but there's no way I can forget the way that my little guys passion has woven baseball right on into our everyday lives. A summer of baseball, indeed.

days of summer :: 28

When this blanket is finally ready for warming a baby later this fall, I think it's going to have a bit of the summer season knit right into it. It's been everywhere with me - with it's soft, nubby organic cotton texture blending right into the environments around us. Beach sand, lake dock, and now - hammock.

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Now that it's September, I want to say hello to the new sponsors who have recently joined us here - all makers and sellers of beautiful things! good-ness, the Little Travelers, The Handmade Dress, and Bamboletta - Welcome and Thank You!

days of summer :: 27

There's so much I could say about the great time we just had - together with friends in the woods. But I think the best mark of how the weekend went is evident in how we arrived home - dirty, tired, and very, very happy. Ah, yes...just the right note on which to end the 2008 summer camp/camping season.

I hope your weekend was lovely too! Hello, September!

days of summer :: 26

skipping rocks

We're headed into the woods for a few days - I'll be back here mid-week. Wishing you all a lovely weekend!

days of summer :: 25

Some favorite and familiar sights in these last weeks of August: a few more tomatoes and cucumbers each day from the garden (gathered in the apron/skirt carry that she learned from her Mama); the constant little pile on the kitchen counter that grows and shrinks and grows again all day; and the ultimate summer lunch for me - sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, with a little bit of vinegar and sea salt. And some iced tea, too. Perfection.

I think I say with each new crop that is harvested as the summer rolls along, that it's my favorite of the season. But really and truly, I think cucumbers and tomatoes - together - are 'it'.

Oh, but soon the apples come...and then there's all the squash...

days of summer :: 24

We're savoring the picnics these days, squeezing in as many as we can before the weather shifts, and school and fall schedules pull our friends in other directions. There's time left, though for a few more summer picnic dinners at the beach. Arriving just as the beachgoers from the day are leaving, and just as the parking fares go down to 'free'.  Swimming, eating and laughing, we'll linger at the beach, watching the sun go down. And when it does, and the chill comes up, and the bugs come out? We slip into pajamas for the sleepy drive home. Such a good way to end a summer day.

days of summer :: 23

Steve snapped this underwater stumble and subsequent Mama-catch - one of many at each beach visit by this little one who loves the ocean waves with no worry or fear yet. Coming up for air, her face is full of shock, replaced quickly by thrill and then a huge surge of energy that fills her entire body (and sends her running for more). It's familiar. Especially this late in the season, it's the same feeling that being submerged in the cold, cold ocean gives me too. A sudden, powerful and joyful reminder of being completely alive.

days of summer :: 22

From house reorganization to ....ice cream consumption. The important things in life. Here you can see my strategy for tricking myself into thinking I'm not eating all that much ice cream in one sitting, by placing an entire pint of gelato (cappuccino, topped with freshly picked blueberries) in an extra large bowl. Magically, it appears to be less than it really is. Oh so tricky.

days of summer :: 21

All feels right with the world at sunset on the beach. Oh yes.

Last week was just the week I needed to get a little more grounded in the here and now. I feel refreshed and a little bit reinspired. It's amazing what comes when we leave a little extra room for quiet and peace. I must remember to do that more often.

Huge thanks to Steve for filling in here so beautifully last week...among all the many other things he does. I'm a very lucky girl.

A happy Monday morning to you all!

SoulePapa Blogs :: Days of Summer :: 20

Wake up early.  A quiet walk on the trail before work.
Warm.
No talking.  No being talked to. 
Listening.

days of summer :: 19

I'm feeling the pull to embrace some quiet this week. The sounds and sights of summer and my family are so very full and alive right now, and I want to spend some time just really watching and listening. 

Thankfully, SoulePapa is feeling more chatty - he's going to step in for a bit!

Have a lovely week!

days of summer :: 18

It appears that the five hours of bliss we had for the birthday celebration were all the sun we're going to see this week. Sometimes - even in my precious sun-filled summers - we get thrown a week like this: one full of so much rain, cool and dark days, and life events and moods to match.

I wanted to share a Mary Oliver poem today, but couldn't find quite the right one. As I was sitting here uploading this photo, I overhead this breakfast-table conversation coming from downstairs that felt more fitting for me today than any poem I would find:

Calvin: It's raining AGAIN. I don't want to get wet today.

Papa: Well, when it rains like this you have a choice. You can stay inside all day. Or you can just go outside, know you're going to get wet, plan on getting wet, and enjoy the day anyway.

Of course. Sometimes it really is that simple. Thank you, my loves.

Happy Weekend to you!

days of summer :: 17

My least favorite household chore becomes so much more pleasurable once it's taken outside. I love the silence that comes with hanging clothes on the line, especially in the morning when my time is shared with the chatting birds, and my chatty helpers...one who insists on dragging out a stepladder to 'do it my ownself'.

days of summer :: 16

A perfect night at the ocean with dear friends - complete with melty, slippery cake topped with snowmen. In August. It all seems fitting for the guy we celebrated - wonderfully balanced, very sweet, and so much fun. Happy Birthday, Steve!!

days of summer :: 15

There's been a flurry of knitting happening here this summer. Some for Nest (submission deadline at the end of this month!), some for me (in an overambitious urge, I cast on for February Lady, which might, coincidentally, be finished just about in February...of 2010), and of course - there's been lots of knitting for baby (in the photo is the beginning of a February Baby Sweater - because I figure it's only fair to right away introduce this little one to their fate of a Mama-matching handmade once in a while).

I love the way the wool feels such a sharp contrast to the needs and carefree nature of the summer moments. And the way it keeps me focused in the moment, and also preparing for what is to come. Providing balance, and always a little bit of peace - no matter what the season may be. It's amazing what two sticks and some string can do.

days of summer :: 14

An inside tent made of bedsheets, a thunderstorm outside to break the humidity, and a fresh stack of picture books from the library (thanks to all your wonderful comments, we had a fresh list of illustrators!).

Ah, summer peace and comfort for everyone (especially the mama on the couch).

Have a great weekend, everyone!

days of summer :: 13

There's so much flotsam and jetsam to be explored at the sea!

days of summer :: 12

Random little things from the antique stalls this weekend. The pickings, admittedly, are much slimmer in the high-traffic, and higher-priced summer months. But regardless of how much or how little I come home with, there's nothing like a day spent with dear friends laughing and wandering the aisles full of old, lovely, sometimes bizarre, and beautiful things at the flea market.

Just like nearly every other trip there, I left with a vintage frock (or, um, three, this time). Someday, I realize, there's going to come a day when none of my babies will fit into or agree to wear my finds. It will be a sad day, indeed. And likely, it won't stop be from bringing them home (a little strange, perhaps, but I'm okay with that). For now, I'll keep bringing the treasures home, and cross my fingers that I can squeeze them in, and that they'll think it's as fun as I do. So far, so good.

days of summer :: 11

Friday night found us somewhere we typically avoid in the busy tourist rush of the summer season (only because of the busyness, not because of the tourists...you're all very lovely). But this baby belly of mine was calling out, 'Two Lights!". Or more acurately, "fried clams!", and so we obliged. The waves, the rocks to climb on, the mist on the ocean? Always the best icing on the cake. So good.

{You can find an interview I did - along with a chance to win a copy of The Creative Family - over on Simple Mom today. The rest of the site is full of great ' simple living' parenting information, so if you haven't discovered it yet, be sure to look around at her wonderful offerings!} hmmn...the site appears to be having some troubles this morning - thanks for letting me know, and do try it again later!

days of summer :: 10

My little ones have been waiting so very patiently to peek at what's going on below the surface, especially in the 'crop' in which they each took charge. Yesterday, we could no longer resist the temptation of those beautifully tall, now many-times-hilled potato plants. So, with much anticipation, they ever so gently peeked. And my gardeners were delightfully rewarded by what they found, in awe at the magic of the earth, and incredibly proud of their work.

Ah, that's just the yield I was looking for.

Have a lovely weekend, friends! Here's hoping that  - even if only for a moment, and for whatever reason - your hands meet the earth today.

days of summer :: 9

Summer Soup...eaten outside, of course. Yum. This one - a new family favorite - has the kids stalking the vegetable garden beds, hoping each day for more squash, carrots and potatoes to make it again. I think this weekend...

Summer-Squash Soup with Parsley Mint Pistou (Gourmet, September 2006)

days of summer :: 8

Just after filling three bowls with oatmeal - none quite the same with all the specially requested combinations of fruit, syrup, and cream - I step outside and away from the pre-breakfast, three-kid flurry - still in my pajamas. Walking barefoot in the wet morning grass with a mug of tea balanced precariously in my hand alongside an empty mason jar and kitchen scissors, I gather flowers from around the yard. When it's full, I slowly walk inside and place it and all its randomly colored beauty in the center of the already-messy, and waiting to be cleaned up table full of empty bowls. And so a summer day begins.

days of summer :: 7

A night out with a few dearest girlfriends, a ferry to the Island for drinks and dessert, a gorgeous sunset, and a walk on the ocean. Oh yes. Summer bliss.

days of summer :: 6

Kid camping...in the backyard.

I remember so clearly doing this in the summer as a kid. Dragging out Dad's old red canvas tent from his boyhood. Setting up camp all day long, and snuggling in at night with flashlights and a book - just outside of the house door. The perfect testing of independence for a child.

The boys set up these pre-kid tents of ours this week (yes, Steve and I had matching tents before we even met). Then they spent the day pretending and preparing. They started out sleeping in separate tents, and by dusk were in one. And by 9:30 pm? Asleep in their beds...inside....with promises to each other to try again the next night, which I'm sure they will do.

Love that.

Have a wonderful weekend!

days of summer :: 5

I'm wrapping up our weekend adventure here with just one more photograph (okay, two). It might look familiar. These two little guys, quiet and at peace with each other on the dock, casting over and over again is surely one of my favorite sights. Adelaide - the early riser in the family - had her own fishing-with-Papa schedule. And you know what they say about the early bird, and the worm, and therefore the fish. Her boys were mighty proud of her.

days of summer :: 4

Just like at home, when we're away, the 'busy work' of parenting is how most of our time is spent, and I dare say, maybe even a little bit more than at home. Cleaning up from one meal just in time to begin another. After someone's scrape, searching and scouring the bags for the calendula and band aids I was so sure I packed. Making sure that everyone gets to have their special kayak cruise, tractor ride, fishing at the dock, or whatever it may be. Distilling arguments, and trying to help solve the challenges of sibling life. Picking up bathing suits and towels from the pine needle-lined ground where they're about to be covered in sap, and placing them on the line for the next swim, at which I'll hear, "Mom! Where's my....?"

And then, just like at home, and maybe even more than at home, there are the in between, rare, precious and treasured moments of still. Sitting by the campfire one early evening, I could hear two of my loved ones voices echo from the other side of the lake, as they slowly made their way back from a little after-dinner canoe journey. Their voices were soft, but in the stillness of the woods, I could hear them. My dreamer was laying in the hammock on his back, looking up and looking out. Sitting, thinking, dreaming. And my baby - not much of a baby these days as she babbles away - sat beside me talking and singing and talking and singing, telling me all that was on her mind, as she continued her work of lining up the pine cones on the logs around her. The setting sun in the woods made everything glow orange - unlike anything I see at home just a few hours south - and I just listened. And marveled at the beauty we are all so blessed to live amidst - together.

And those little moments? The moments where the ever-fleeting time stands still for us for a bit amidst the unfamiliar, the new, the out-of-the everyday living that we do? Well, they're some of the very moments that make the long hours in the car with kids, the days worth of packing, the many more days spent unpacking, the extra money, the extra effort, the extra time to get away - even for a few days - all worth it. All so very worth it, indeed.

 

days of summer :: 3

Same boy, same spot, and the same exhilaration and sense of freedom that comes with doing something loved on his own - in January.

days of summer :: 2

strawberry smoothies

(The podcast I did with The Parents Journal is up and can be found here.)

We're headed out the door right now to play in the woods for a few days. I can't wait to be there.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

days of summer :: 1

First up, thanks for the nice words on the Gratitude Wrap! I'm pretty psyched about it as a project (I'm fully enjoying catching up on my 'thank you's'!), and do indeed have some plans of making a few wraps to add to the shop. I also have a new embroidery hoop project I've started for the shop. My hope is for a mid-month update, but July's a full month, so we shall see what happens. I'll let you know!

Yes, July. A 'full' month indeed - camping trips and hikes, parties, and travel plans, and then the regular daily living of summer. Full in every regard. And I'm finding myself spending more moments playing with my camera than sitting at the computer to write. Ever since I completed the 30 Days of the Everyday photo project in February, I knew I wanted to do another one, one that would be a seasonal balance to the living in that project. An attempt to capture how daily living here changes so much from season to season, and yet - how some things stay constant.

And so, today begins my partner to the winter project - 30 Days of Summer. But I'm going to do things a little differently this time - "summer style," if you will. A few less self-imposed rules. It won't be 30 days straight in a row, but rather 30 days interspersted with other posts here and there. And I'm not restricting myself to 'just' photos - if I have words to share, I'll share them. So all that really means is that things might look a little less 'regular' around here for the coming weeks. But shaking things up once in a while is part of the game, right? It's definitely part of summer living.