angelbirdflies

Although I am not with my mama, brother and Grande' this year... I have some photos to share. This holiday has been so sweet... so perfect. My mama and my Grande' My family of four leggeds and two leggeds, My brother on his new guitar, looking dashing! What a gift this life is... to love and grow... to be loved and growing. The greatest gift of all is this.

A picture from the first night of hunnukah on December 21st... Burikh Atu Adoynoy Eloyhayni Melekh Hu-oylum Asher Kiddeshuni Be-mitsvoysuv Ve-tsivuni Lehadlik Nayr Shel khaniku Christmas morning... Opening presents with Daddy A new rocking horse and A new guitar. Such a mellow, sweet Christmas morning. Shane is in the kitchen making omelettes and we are getting ready for a big Christmas dinner with friends and family. Many blessing and well wishes for the year ahead... May the light within you shower the world with its radiance.

So where have I been these many days? Well you know that little handmade pledge I made... it turned into a lot of work and some really fun gifts: Here are a very few of the many gifts made this holiday season: Bodhi's annual birthday book... an altered board book, mixed media collage throughout... what a piece of work and how exhausting. Mojo's art piece for the holidays... Totally sewn on the sewing machine. A paper patchwork background and the foreground is tea stained muslin with a female figure "drawn" in black thread on the sewing machine. Some of Bodhi's felt gnomes The resident felt witch. And some of my handmade bath crystals... and that's just the beginning.

A dear friend just shared this quote with me and I loved it so much I thought I would pass it on: “For the true teacher, teaching is not a technique, it is a way of life; like a great artist, he would rather starve than give up his creative work.” Education and the Significance of Life , J. Krishnamurti

BRRRRRRRRRRRRR..... The weather outside is frightful...anything below zero is frightful... but the fire is so delightful. Owen spent all weekend reading books we gathered at the library...treasures and passports to far away lands. Bodhi and I baked our first tasty batch of gluten-free cookies, mmmmmmm. We decorated the house for Hannukah, Solstice and Christmas (minus the tree and electric lights). Everything looks so beautiful and minimal. I feel peaceful this Christmas, without the typical holiday insanity. Elijah is just happy that the dog didn't work out and he reigns supreme. LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!

You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting — over and over announcing your place in the family of things.

My heart is heavy and my throat tightens against a storm of sadness. We had to say goodbye to our beautiful dog. A visit to the vet brought to light a serious case of hip dysplasia with significant arthritis. Our little dog went back to her previous owner/breeder today and my heart is heavy with tears. I can't believe I could have loved that sweet dog so much so quickly... particularly because she pissed and pooped all over my home and I am not much of a dog person. We are looking for a puppy now, a friend for the family and a buddy for Owen. I can't help feeling like I lost an old friend. Silly, I suppose.

Why haven't I written in a while, well primarily because we just got a dog. Yes you read that right, a dog... Owen's Christmas present... my insanity... and a source of collective adoration. She is very skittish and we are hoping that she will fit into the wackiness of our family and begin to poop outside, eat kibble and play.. Meanwhile, Bodhi has adapted to the notion of doggie bowls with abandon and although he doesn't poop outside either, he is always ready to play! More soon...

A Thanksgiving too beautiful for words and too much fun to encapsulate in this blog, unfortunately I was lazy with the camera and only caught glimpses of a wonderful weekend. Here are a few: Ms. Mojo on the phone, directing the Thanksgiving festivities. Our cousin Melissa caught in mid laugh... Baba, telling us another wonderful story... Beauty on the trail.. Bodhi was positively smitten with the horses at Sopris Ranch... Ride em cowboy... Christina listening... Owen marveling over his good fortune at being surrounded by so many beautiful young women, all of them intent on playing with him....aahhh! Remnants of summer's luster... A magpie singing a love song to his equestrian sweetheart...