Cherie

 

“WHERE’S THE BOOK TO SHOW ME HOW TO DO THIS ???!!!” I lament loudly and frequently. With four young children to care for every minute of every waking and sleeping hour, ‘no such thing as a free lunch’ has become ‘no such thing as finishing a thought’. Motherhood is always on duty. Perhaps this illustrated diary is an attempt at a version of ‘that book’? There’s no right way to DO THIS, of course. But there is one tailored Astrid way to BE THIS .

Fashion makes it all so much more amusing. My closet is my sanctuary. 

On turning 40

 

Turning 40 is going nude rather than getting glam. Stripped down, not gussied up. We can still bling, but while baring it all. Stepping into this next chapter unconcealed — unconcerned !!

Bathed in love : On the Summer’s Eve of 40 with 4th and final bébé alongside lifelong friends who share childlike verve and zest for life. 

Call me a Dreamer

When visions of sugar plums - fashion and fun! - dance in your head.

 

A quick skip to San Diego, California after a decade away.

LISTENING - the lost art of truly listening is a rare skill and therefore a precious commodity. It takes practice. The word LISTEN is rooted in slava “splendor, honor,” and kleos “make famous”; behold - such considerate gifts to give your fellow orator!

rain or shine

No matter the 'weather', keep on keeping on. Because there is no other choice !!

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.