Fresh Air

And sometimes my voice is only lyrical,
Thoughts so jumbled, they only fall out in rhythm.
Thought one, two, three.
One, two, three,
One,
Two,
Three,
The end.

Ok, that little exercise actually opened me up a bit.  Today was tough, but I made it through.  There's no epiphany waiting at the end of it, just the satisfaction that I have continued to meet the goal of making sure my sweet baby girl gets a good amount of fresh air everyday, even when its tough for me to get out of the apartment.

Ask and you shall receive

My husband isn't a big fan of vegetables, but he has said on a couple of occasions that one vegetable he does like (and would eat) are greens.

So...

In our garden, I grew some greens.  Click here for a before view of our garden.

With a little bit of sausage from the farmer's market, an onion and a half, a couple cloves of garlic, and a bit of olive oil, voila:

Tonight's dinner:

Collard greens with garlic sausage, creamed cauliflower (also from our garden) with a little milk, butter, garlic, and parsley, and a slice of homemade bread.  Delicious!

Starting to harvest

And we have been blessed. Our first harvest, more details, recipes, and photos to come:

In it's place

And sometimes my thoughts flow yearning for a place to rest (or hide).
And other times they circulate in my mind like air in a room without circulation,
Sometimes growing stale, while other times seeming fresher than the polluted mess on the outside.
When I'm angry they race, tugging at my emotions seeking to validate, temper, and check,
When I'm focused the questions and answers come before actions and words:
Is this just, merciful, a humble walk with my God?
Sometimes I feel the need to hide in open spaces, and I hope that isn't strange, silent reflections at once available to and ignored by millions

Master of her universe

With a smile and a strut
A squeal and a twirl
A stomp and a clap,
She is girl,
Person,
Alive,
Master of her universe.

In honor of my sweet baby girl and all the greatness that is within her, she reminds me daily through every new development and giggle that there is joy, ingenuity, growth, and love in the world and in me.

Long Time No See

So, it's been a while since I've posted.  We were on vacation and have finally made it back home.  I don't like broadcasting that we are going to be away from home for a month and since this is the last summer our baby travels for free, it probably won't happen for a while, but here's a quick recap in photos.

Good fun:

Good friends:

Good family fun:

 

Just Plain Old Goodness!

And sometimes...

Sometimes I'm afraid to be honest with myself.

(Why? because I'm afraid the next step 

will require more than I have to give).

Sometimes I make decisions that aren't the best 

for myself, 

for my family, 

for my life in general.

(It's frustrating, but at some point I'm going to have to form

new, better habits).  

Sometimes I pause when I should keep momentum going, 

and other times I race ahead too fast.

(I love planning, but sometimes fail to plan).

Sometimes writing, knitting, crocheting

is all that keeps me sane.

Sometimes I not only know, but believe my faults don't define all of who I am.

Too often I'm discouraged by narratives that seem on an endless loop.

Tomorrow I'm going to try something new.