Rosh Hashanah

We are far from being Jewish, but we celebrated this (glorious) day in the best way possible: meeting new friends and playing with them on the farm. Naked and muddy, and sticky from watermelon juice, we brought in the Jewish New Year in high fashion!

Roses

We stopped to smell the roses today. Fall is around the corner, but summer does not seem to want to leave (or perhaps I am in denial). It has been a fabulous summer so far, and we have photos to remember it by.

Edible Flowers

A salad almost too pretty to eat with edible flowers and greens all grown from people we know. It tasted as good as it looked!

Rainy morning

NPR didn't have very happy news to report this morning, partly due to today's date, nine-eleven. The sky was cloudy, the fog was heavy. Rain was imminent. I felt a bit blue.


I parked my car, turned off the radio, and looked at Blue Heron farm. I felt an instant sense of relief. It got better when I saw Ellery and her smile. I was put to work right away, but really, it was more like therapy. Earth Therapy. Is there such a thing yet? Is someone going to steal my idea and mass market it?


The farm had a different mood today. We deperately needed the rain, so when the drops fell onto the parched soil, I could almost hear the vegetables sing. The butterflies were gone and even the bees were not humming (the rain makes their wings too heavy to fly). So today was the plants' day to celebrate!


My friend Megan came out to help, too. She is a very wise young woman who is studying to become a chaplain. We were making bouquets together when she said: I am so happy right now. And I love it when I know that I am happy when I am still experiencing it!

I am telling you - if Reiki works (which I have not experienced so myself), Earth Therapy has got to work just as well.

Creatures

Who needs to go to the zoo when we can go to Blue Heron. Ellery found a baby snapping turtle today. Though it is very cute as an infant, the real deal is apparently vicious.


Momo and Claire found a catepillar that later becomes quite a mean pesty hornworm moth. We also caught a frog and attempted at catching more butterflies. There are always potato beetles and Mexican Bean Bugs in the field. Wildlife at its best!


We didn't get to sit in the back of the truck today as it was occupied with some pretty things!

Vermont Weekend: Camping

A week ago today we were in Vermont, sitting around a camp-fire with marshmallows at the end of long sticks roasting away. Randy played the guitar, and Amy played the flute as Carly slept in her lap. Haley bumped her knee on a rock but recovered like a champ! When it was time, I said good-night to Momo, Claire and Jim. I returned to the house and the three of them slept in the tent, under the stars. It was to be the kids' first camping experience.


It felt a bit strange to go to sleep alone that night. I kept thinking that three little bodies would find their way into bed with me during the night. It was a completely clear night, and rather cold. I fell asleep hoping that the children would be warm enough in the tent.


The next thing I knew, the sun was shining brightly into my room. And I was still alone. My first thought was, great, they made it in the tent all night! With that in mind, I spent a moment relishing the big bed, the sunlight, the peace and quiet of rural Vermont. No sooner had I begun to sink back into the pillow than I heard footsteps on the stairs. The door swung open, and two little people climbed into bed with me, their cheeks red and cold from the outside air. Hi guys, I greeted. How was camping? Good, Mommy, they said as they searched for warmth. Jim came in seconds later to report on their successful camping experience. He was (rightly) proud. I was impressed.


They did it again the second night. This time it was just Claire and Jim. Momo opted to stay warm in bed with me. We tried to convince Claire to do the same, but she was determined to sleep in the tent again, with her Daddy. Momo and I slept uninterrupted that night, as did Claire and Jim. Refreshed the next morning, Jim even went as far as to say that he slept better than he had slept in a long time. Wow. We have some campers in the family!


Never underestimate a little girl with a lot of love for her Daddy!

Good Friends

They are each other's best friend, that is for sure. How lucky they are to have each other!

Friday at Blue Heron

We have spent the last few Fridays at Blue Heron with Ellery. I am sad to say that next Friday, it will be just me, as the kids will be at school. The good thing is that I will be able to help out more with the farm work. The bad thing is that it just won't be as much fun without the goobers.


We spent the whole morning picking, loading, arranging, riding in the back of the truck. It has been very dry here, so a lot of vegetables are not productive, but the tomatoes and watermelons get super sweet as the flavors concentrate to the max without water.


As we were gettting ready to leave, Ellery asked if I could do her a favor. Of course, I said. Could you take some of these plum tomatoes home? They are really ripe, and they need to be used up NOW. Okay, I said, I will make you some tomato sauce.


I was busy catching a butterfly for Momo as she picked out some tomatoes for me. When I returned, the back of our car had a WHOLE FLAT of plum tomatoes. Guess what our home smells like right now!


The kids were so good, and so helpful today. And they had so much fun. I can't think of a better place for all of us to be on a Friday morning. We are planning to bring Jim next time so he could help with the potato digging!

Birthday-Addendum

Our tummies full.
Our children asleep.
What a lovely day it was.

Birthday

You may think it's the kids' birthday. It might as well be since they are as excited about it as I am. Kids change everything, people told us that before we had them. And it is so true, and it is so very wonderful.























I have had a wonderful birthday. The kids gave me three presents this morning: they dressed themselves, they walked to (their first day of) school, and they did not cry when I left. They also helped me make cupcakes and tonight we are all going to celebrate at our favorite Korean restaurant. I am one lucky duck!

Butterfly Hunt

You are a good butterfly-catcher, Mommy. Or so they say.

Our kids are sweet, aren't they? They like to compliment us when we make them happy. Another one I like is: You are a good cooker, Mommy. But that's another story.


There are a few spots at Codman Farm that the butterflies (and bees) adore. These are spots overgrown with cosmos, zinnias, snapdragons, daisies, and several other flowers that just attract these beautiful creatures like honey for the bees.

Our destination today: Codman farm, for a picnic lunch and a butterfly hunt. Today we caught a bunch of different ones, including two Monarch Butterflies. Back in Santa Cruz, there was a Monarch Butterfly Grove at Natural Bridges State Park where thousands of them congregate in one place at the same time. Here, they are not as common, so when we see one, we get quite excited. And for me, a little bit nostalgic.


I am particularly proud of this photo of the butterfly AND the bee. I can't say it was on purpose, but I am glad Mr. Bee came by as I snapped the shot. It adds a little drama to the picture, don't you think?

Sharing and letting go. Our lesson of the day. The kids understand now that they can only enjoy the capture of a creature for a short while before letting it "fly south" as Claire would say.

Our Girl

She is not quite four.
She has more shoes than I do.
She also has blouses and purses for her bear.
She is our Claire!
We love you so, our little girly girl.

Vermont Weekend: Luck

When we left Vermont after our last visit, we knew we needed to return soon. Labor Day weekend would be perfect, we thought. It's a long weekend, it's harvest season, it's prime time in rural New England. We made sure that our friends did not mind our self-invitation back to their home.


We would have gone regardless of the weather. Good friends make up for any rainy day. But luck had it that we hit the jackpot. Big time. It could not have been a more splendid weekend. Enough said.


Because of the weather, the location, and the friends, everybody enjoyed the experience in every regard. The four kids were usually off playing together while the adults chatted, or got chores done. A few times, I did not even know where my children were, except I knew that they were close by and safe. One time I had finished doing something, checked in on the kids who were being entertained by big sister Haley (telling a story of the giant beet). Jim was breaking down camp with Randy. And I was, well, free. So I grabbed my beloved new toy, and wandered around the property to catch some neat moments in time. Imagine the joy!



Claire rightly blurted out one time during the weekend that it felt like California. Yes, we said. Enjoy it, we said. This will not be here in a couple of months time. We were indeed very lucky to be in a beautiful place, with wonderful friends, and the best that summer had to offer.

Vermont Weekend: Prelude

A little glimpse into our weekend spent in Vermont. Many more stories to come. Stay tuned!