celebrate the short lifts AND the axels

Acknowledge that you have arrived.

Goldie's 6th Birthday party was a quadruple lutz because we all had FUN. Keeping the IceSkate theme consistent over the years has allowed mama bear to smooth the edges each passing - and coming - Winter. Toe Pick !

magic

It's all magic. We are all clairvoyant. Nothing but pure LOVE in 2019.

commitment

Commitment : dedication, devotion, allegiance, loyalty, faithfulness, fidelity. 

Staying committed to ones values during the buffoonery and indulgence of this festive time I find especially tricky. "I will not succumb to senseless behavior!" I continually tell myself. Then I have a babysitter, and thus a few hours of risky freedom, and the practice of focus over folly becomes especially consequential. Take care of Astrid, connect with other humans and commune with nature - those are my essentials these days. But each morning, each moment, it is still a practice to prioritize these vital basics. Patience is therefore my current mantra and has been all through the Autumn. A first for me to stick to one maxim this long - now that's commitment!

May you enjoy a meaningful holiday season.

may your sight be auspicious

Augury is the practice from ancient Roman religion of interpreting omens from the observed flight of birds (aves). When the individual, known as the augur, interpreted these signs, it is referred to as "taking the auspices".

May your future be promising, may your present be rosy.  May today be felicitous.

hibernate

Colder, bleaker days? Give yourself permission to hibernate, hole up, escape, withdraw, retreat, cocoon. 

I have joined the rEVolution, you can too

Thus far, the most intriguing aspect of owning our new electric vehicle (impressive, life-changing, unbelievable, sublime ...) has been the attitudes of others. I am stunned by the onslaught of assumption and assessment from people who have never personally purchased, occupied, tried or even been inside of an electric car. They pronounce their opinions with such authority and passion I am astonished they have NO real first-hand experience.

How quick are we to believe what we hear? Do we confuse reading about or googling something with actually doing it? Why do we enjoy being naysayers? What makes us so threatened by innovation? Do we naturally block transformation? Why, why, why do we resist onward-moving, forward-thinking, revolutionary ideas that preserve our way of life and the planet ???

This being said, there are also equal numbers of fellow humans intrigued, interested, open and excited.

Not the first, nor the last - but another zero emissions ultraist household is here.

darkness begins to encircle us

"Darkness begins to encircle us."
"For our ancestors, autumn preparations were not a conscious political, environmental, and spiritual choice, necessarily ... but rather a necessity of life." -Amanda Blake Soule, The Rhythm of Family

"[Autumn] is the time of year of taking in the gifts of summer's work and warmth and making into something to last us through the long dark winter. This image of carrying light and warmth through the darkness will permeate all of our [days] ahead this fall. Autumn is a time of seeking the light within us, nurturing it, sustaining us through any and all dark times."  -Ms. Lisa, my daughter's Marigold Kindergarten teacher

paraphernalia

Do you have all your halloween affairs in order? Costumes should be comfortable, layer-able, collectible, and preferably either spooky or at least festive fall color scheme; semi-classic.

At our home, Mummy collects costumes throughout the year so that quality and cute can be taken into consideration without the clock ticking. The children use this arsenal for dress-up in all seasons. The true holiday attire (witch hats, cat ears, monster masks...) is then added to the trunk and rack for the duration of October or kept in the living room to prolong the fun and involve visitors, too. The little trick-or-treaters/party-goers can then pick the-day-of what they are feeling as they are already comfortable and accustomed to their guise.

If yours-truly has her heart set on a certain ensemble, I save it for the day of, betting quite predictably they will pick the new arrival. We are also known to run about in varied partial costumes (accessories) the whole week-of as well. What are you being for Halloween? Anything, everything!

All of this beats the stress of hunting and never finding and/or succumbing to purchasing the pure crap many are selling. By October 1, we have finished our Fall foraging.

flower child

Daisy: fresh, energetic, day's eye (the sun), darling.

Perennial; early Summer - early Autumn.

Aster, Marigold, Lily, Violet, Lavender, Sunflower, Bluebell, Daisy, Rose, Zinnia, Magnolia, Azalea, Chrysanthemum, Daphne, Jasmine, Ivy, Marguerite, Wisteria, Camellia ...

Names, decoration, motivation, muse, whim, notion, vision, introspection --- Look to Goddess Mother Nature's creations and you shall find it. When fancying inspiration there is no thing better suited than this natural phenomena. Flowers. Pure perfection. Heaven.

Violet, Aster, Marigold

(The baby has been channeling Daisy lately with her golden face and white hair; not to mention she often has bugs - even bees! - landing on her tresses, mistaking her for flora !!)

the face that launched a 1000 ships

Helen* ~ Bright, shining light.

Names are layered with meaning...
Having grown up with a very particular first 'title' - Astrid - I am ultra sensitive to names and considered designating them to my children an overwhelming task that I would ponder (obsess over) long after the birth certificate was ordered. I found it impossible not to daydream about other variances and still dwell on their first few days of life aiming to uncover what led me to my (our) ultimate decision. I still struggle with accepting their assignments. I am not one to choose the obvious option, either, and I wonder why I didn't go with more crystal clear family choices or blatant 'signs' while bébé was in belly. I fantasize about the monikers fictitous future children would/could have. It can be a preoccupation. My better half is not amused, and reminds me:
There is no right decision, there is no wrong decision, there is only a decision. 

*My grandmother's name was Helen, which served as the inspiration for our second daughter's name.

sacred lotus

Purity, beauty, majesty, grace, fertility, wealth, richness, knowledge, serenity.
Sacred Lotus Flower.

flair

The days are long, but the years are short. 

Lavish in the mundane, perpetual tasks of motherhood by adding your flair. This daily grind is, after all what you likely dreamed of and manifested when hoping and praying for offspring. Execute duties and chores with finesse and distinction!