Whispers Of Green

Best Dinner Ever!!!!

2012-01-27T22:13:00.002-05:00

Roasted Brussels sprouts with caramelized onions and turkey bacon!

{this moment}~Indoor Fairy Village

2012-01-27T07:14:00.001-05:00

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - Amanda Soule

Just for Dad~

2012-01-19T11:57:00.000-05:00

Captain Jean Luke Picard commanded it and it was so! I hope you are having fun out there with your rare washingtonian snow days!

Beyond Beautiful~

2012-01-18T09:48:00.000-05:00

She who surprises me daily with her thoughtful insights into this busy world.

She who has a way with all living things animal, human, or otherwise.

She that can can speak volumes with only her huge doe-like brown eyes.

She the very reason that I strive to be so much more than I ever feel capable of.

She is the light in this life that I am blessed enough to have helped create.

She is a friend like no other that I cherish more and more as she grows.

She is all feeling and depth and spirit that dances across this earth with magick in her soul.

She the believer that anything is possible and that all exists if only you can but imagine it.

She is beyond beauty in my eyes and will forever be my reminder of what it is to truly live.

She is my Raine and I am so very proud to be called her mother~

{this moment}

2012-01-06T09:14:00.000-05:00

(Final Christmas Packeages Sent)

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - Amanda Soule

My Morning Glory Muffins

2012-01-05T07:11:00.000-05:00

My recipe adapted from Pam McKinstry's Original Morning Glory Muffins (mine's healthier)

Ingredients
11/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup all purpose wheat flour

2 tablespoons ground flax seed / flax meal
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
3/4 cup raisins
1 large apple, peeled and grated
8 ounces (1 cup) crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
How to make it
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Sift or whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.

Add the coconut, raisins, apple, pineapple, carrots and nuts, and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the oil and vanilla.

Pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients and blend well.

Spoon the batter into muffin tins lined with muffin cups, filling each to the brim.

Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Cool muffins in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling.

Note

May also be made in a loaf pan for a coffee cake loaf.

They freeze extremely well.

O Christmas Tree

2012-01-02T20:22:00.000-05:00

This year we were lucky enough to be given a beautiful 7 foot tall tree by some wonderful friends, which was much more extravagant than we had originally been thinking of getting. It took up the space by the window so beautifully and has to have been one the the best trees we've ever had!

Raine has really been into christmas this year and as I was pretty sure this is the last year that she will still believe in the big guy, I really wanted to make it a special one. Needless to say, Santa must have heard her wishes because he really went all out! There were presents galore, stockings stuffed to the brim, and magick in every corner of the house.

Even the fairies stopped by to leave my darling girl a special gift and oh was it wrapped pretty!

The cats got into the festive spirit,

and the chickens followed suit.

All was merry and bright,

and the warmth of a gifted fireplace added toasty light.

It was a completely wonderful and busy holiday season and we are all happy and exhausted and ready for the slow shift into the sleepy winter months to come. I hope that all of you had an equally lovely holiday and happy new year!

Laundry Robot

2012-01-02T19:19:00.000-05:00

I asked Raine today if she would please match and fold the socks out of the clean clothes basket. A few minutes went by and in walks this funny looking character...

She then informs me in a monotone robot voice, " I am a laundry robot and I don't fold laundry!" This kid watches way too much sci fi! LOL

{this moment}~Believe

2011-12-30T10:11:00.000-05:00

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - Amanda Soule

From the Kitchen~

2011-12-29T15:16:00.002-05:00

(Homemade gifts for a few that have done so much for me this year)
Also just a little frugal tip on Christmas gift baskets: A few years ago I got fed up with both the cost and wastefulness of bottom of the basket filler. You know the kind, the shredded bits of paper/raffia that comes in a myriad of colors and costs about five dollars at a craft store per tiny bag. Well, I still wanted my baskets to look beautiful, but I didn't want to spend 5 dollars per basket on something that gets thrown out and adds nothing to the overall gift. Solution you ask? Christmas tree! Yep, that's right! Just snip a few pretty sprigs from the overgrown bottom of your Christmas tree and lay them in your basket! It creates a wonderfully fragrant and festive look, costs you nothing and you can;t get more biodegradable than that! I promise the lucky recipients will be charmed and you couldn't ask for a more frugal and stylish way to make them your own.

(My famous Orange Cranberry Walnut Cake)

(Raine's Teacher Gift)

(From the Chickens)

(Goodies to Go)

Rainebow the Red-Nosed Reindeer

2011-12-29T15:08:00.000-05:00

(A silly little something found in her stocking, and yes it blinks)

Christmas Eve Fruit Wreath

2011-12-29T15:01:00.001-05:00

Well I am sure I am not the only mom this week that was cringing at all the goodies being consumed by my little one. In fact I will totally admit that at the end there, while Raine wasn't looking, I started throwing some of those said goodies into gift baskets set to leave the house to go to other families and holiday homes! As Christmas eve rolled around and I was in full on baking mode trying to finish those last couple homemade gifts before the big day, Raine popped in the kitchen and asked what she could have to snack on while she watched a Christmas movie before bed. I could easily have given her any number of treats lying around and though this magickal time right before the big guy comes certainly called for something that would light up her eyes, I so didn't want the last thing she ate that night to be filled with sugar and who knows what else.

So thinking quickly, I grabbed for the two oranges I had just zested and started to slice. Before I knew it this simple fruit had been formed into a Christmas eve wreath of sorts and with a few on hand raspberries and blueberries to round it out and fancy it up, I was ready to present her with a healthy masterpiece of mama made proportions. It was devoured with glee and any visions of sugar plums that may have been on her mind the moment before evaporated when she caught site of this colorful creation. I think that this may become a new tradition that both mother and child can enjoy!

The Archer~

2011-12-29T14:24:00.000-05:00

One of the items under the tree this year from Santa was a big girls u-curve bow and arrow set. It was completely unexpected by it's receiver and has already gotten lots of action. See girl and here bow below...

(See, she's already a pro)

I braved the windchill to take a little video of here in action, so with out further ado...

Christmas Dinner~

2011-12-29T14:16:00.000-05:00

Per Raine's request this year we had a lovely meal of rotisserie lemon and thyme Cornish game hen with steamed green beans and scrumptious roasted sweet potatoes and onions tossed in olive oil, brown sugar, cinnamon, and thyme. It was to die for and we will definitely be putting these cut little birds back on the menu again!

Popcorn, Pumpkin, & Pie~

2011-12-22T13:56:00.000-05:00

A Chickens Thanksgiving

Lemon pie anyone?

Why yes, thank you!

How about a little pumpkin?

Of course!

And last but not least, popcorn chicken!

Gotcha didn't I!

What's for Lunch Wednesdays: Week 9 - Thanksgiving Edition Belated

2011-11-30T12:41:00.001-05:00

Today we went turkey with a twist! To get into the spirit I wanted to send Raine in with a lunch that gave a nod to the famous meal that what was going to hit tables across america the very next day.

The main course is a sweet and savory turkey burger stuffed with onion, apple, heart of celery, and some simple spices. I made the mix up the night before so all the ingrediants could really "get to know" each other. After a quick bake in the oven the morning of, I put this masterpeice of goodness on a whole grain sandwich thin, romaine lettuce, and topped it with a quickly whipped up cranberry mayonaise. I am going to pause here in remembrance for a second. I also packed myself this very lunch and well it definitely derserves a minute of worship....Ok, now on to the sides! A fast garlicky tomato and corn salad and two mini lemon apple blueberry pie bites make it perfection and barely took a second to put together. Finish it with a hot cup of marmallowy cocoa and she was in heaven. Her mama definitely made this a day to stand out.

All Hallows Eve~Part 1

2011-11-04T10:47:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween everyone and boy was it ever this year! For the last month and a half or so it has been all Halloween, all the time for us around here and though it has been a wild ride, we are not sorry to see it go! In a word we are both exhausted and looking forward to the shift that this lovely season provides as we all begin that magickal slow down towards winters stillness.

I decided early on, to take on the Annual Halloween Bash at Raine's school this year and have been planning, shopping, emailing, talking, baking, flyer producing, and setting up for what seems like forever! It went pretty well, with about 250 people showing up that night. The kids all dressed in costumes got to trick or treat to each classroom door and them report to the gym/cafeteria for games, contests and prizes. They all seemed to have a blast and I will definitely be doing this again next year with just a few modifications. One of the main events this year was a giant indoor leaf pit (awesome right?). It was supposed to be set up on a 12x25 ft heavy duty tarp that covered gym mats and be surrounded by hay bails and decor to "keep" the leaves in. Well, we ran into a huge problem while setting up the night before, when we were informed last minute (grrr), that there was a kid in the school with a severe hay allergy and that the hay had to go! Now I would not have minded this so very much if I had not sent out several flyers, and preapproved it through the principal several times during the weeks prior! An allergy however is still an allergy, so we scrambled to call the hay man back to pick them all up pronto and then proceeded to sweep, vacuum, and mop every hay dust particle from the place late into the evening. The day of we ended up just piling the leaves into a corner of the gym and letting the kids go wild. Yes, there were leaves everywhere and it was quite a cleanup, but the kids a blast and that's all that matters.

Another idea I was crazy excited about was my harvest bowling alley! I lined three lanes with cornstalks, used festive colored 2 liter soda bottles for pins, and had a harvest basket filled with pumpkins and gourds at the start of each lane for the kids to bowl with. It came together great and looked fantastic! The kids loved it and seemed to be having a ball, as a side note though, I think we will switch out the real pumpkins and gourds next year for fake ones because they started to break apart midway through. Gym balls were brought in as a back up to save the day and the kids played well into the night.

A few of the other things we offered that night were...

Mummy Wrap

1.Pin the nose on the Pumpkin (middle)

2.Helium Balloon Ghosts, Goblins, and Jack o Lanterns (right), the kids got to pick the color balloon they wanted and then sit down on the floor with it between their legs and use a sharpie to draw a spooky face on it. This was neat because not only was it an activity, but they got to take their balloons home at the end of the night.

3. Professional Face Painting (left), we have a lovely teacher at the school that volunteers to do this for certain events. She is also a professional clown.

4. Cake Walk (Will do a separate post for this!)

5. Witches Brew (Above). We filled this giant cauldron with apple cider and a little green food coloring and dropped in 25lbs of dry ice. The kids faces at a smoking punch were absolutely priceless! Action shots to follow at a later time.

(My lovely little bride of Frankenstein)

Fun and festive music and a costume contest rounded out the night and after an impressive clean up by all we were off to fall happy and exhausted into our beds!

{this moment}

2011-11-04T08:23:00.000-04:00

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - Amanda Soule

What's for Lunch Wednesday: Week 8

2011-11-02T08:04:00.000-04:00

Chef Salad with a Twist

Today I went for simple and healthy with a sweet finish. This is just a prettily displayed chef salad with ham roses, cheese leaves, and lots of fresh vegetables. Raine is a big salad lover so these usually go over really well and are so fast to put together. A bit of ranch to dip, some grapes and a tangerine pull it all together and make a filling, colorful and healthy lunch for my girl. Oh and a little homemade caramel popcorn to end on a sweet note never hurt anyone!

Chickens first snow!

2011-10-30T15:08:00.000-04:00

We had a little snow storm last night and when we got up this morning, the very first thing we did was run out to check on our girls and silkie(our rooster). They had fared well through the night but we wanted to see what they would think about going outside a playing in it. We threw opened their wee side door, now let me pause here to explain that this usually this would result in 11 chickens all trying to get out at once to go out and explore, and to our amazement only our bravest, Henrietta, would jump down! We grabbed the camera so you could see too!
Also just in case any of you were worried about silkie shaking with cold, let me assure you that he was fine! Raine is quite the "mama" to these birds and was just being a good mother hen, if not a little over protective ;)

{this moment}

2011-10-28T11:55:00.000-04:00

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - Amanda Soule

Wicked What's for Lunch Wednesday: Week 7-Halloween Edition!

2011-10-26T09:07:00.001-04:00

There is trickery afoot this week as Raine's lunchbox has been a scary sight!

All of her regular foods have been discarded to make room for a freakish delight!

Now I don't want to scare you, but if you're squeamish look away,

for what you are about to behold could be a cause for great dismay!

If you are still with me at this point, well there's no going back now,

so peak through your finger, take a deep breath and furrow your sweating brow.

Did you scream? Well you should have, because my gosh what have I done!

I have transformed such lovely food into something gross but oh so fun!

On a bed of shredded bandages, with a bucket of blood as a gruesome dip,

There lies an ancient artifact that is sure to make her tummy flip!

It's a mummy made of low fat crescent rolls, wrapped around a somewhat healthy dog.

Ready for her to eat, all warm and yummy, if the cockroaches don't finish the job!

Next comes a spunky pumpkin that is sure to please the pallet,

filled to the brim with a spooky purple and orange potato salad!

Last but not least is a smuggled out specimen from area 51,

an extraterrestrial brain(steamed orange cauliflower) that oozes green gooey fun!

What's more is that it's a vegetable that has been turned into a tasty treat,

for it is smothered in a concoction of butter, cinnamon, and green sugar so very sweet!

A cute little coffin hides a piece of candy that for Raine is ever so rare,

and though this lunch is not all that healthy it is Halloween to be fair!

So get out your witches broom and put on your thinking hat,

and send your pumpkin in with a spooky lunch just like that!

What's for Lunch Wednesday: Week 6

2011-10-20T14:29:00.002-04:00

Fancy Fondue

One thing I love about my kid is that she is a veggie enthusiast! Now that is not to say that she will eat them all but as long as you fancy them up a bit she is always willing to give it a shot on good faith;)

This week at the market I came away with some amazingly colorful vegetables and all I could think about this week was for a way to display them in all their glory! I came up with a rainbow like arrangement and a fondue that would really show them off. They all got a light stream and set aside for later consumption. The fondue was made up of half n half, apple cider, and three types of cheese-pepper jack, mozzarella, and a slice of american. It came out great and was kept warm all in her thermos all day.

Fruit salad as desert and she was good to go. This one was a big hit and "so fun", even though it freaked out a few of the more picky kids at her lunch table. I will definatly be doing a different rendition of this one in the future.

{this moment}

2011-10-14T12:28:00.001-04:00

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - Amanda Soule

What's for Lunch Wednesday: Week 4&5 Belated

2011-10-14T12:26:00.001-04:00

Fabulous Fajita Salad!

Week four's lunch was a spin on the traditional taco salad. It contained cucumbers, ttomatoes, ccarrots, marinated sirlion, and jack cheese on a bed of shredded romain and spinach, with a side of low fat sour cream to mix in. This one really packs in the veggies and is so good that she doesn't even realize that I left out the chips! A side of sugar free apple sauce and a little homemade cupcake bite sends her off smiling and looking forward to lunchtime.

Asian Flare
I had some whole wheat soba noodles just waiting around in the back of the pantry and decided it was time to give them a little love. With a little left over steak (not much, just enough to taste), I sauteed it up with garlic, shredded carrots, green onions and snow peas. At the the second tossed in a dash of stir fry sauce and the noodle and called it done! This dish is great cold and goes well with just about anything. Paired with a side of green grapes and blackberries and a "mama made" fortune cookie that also came out of the pantry that I just jazzed up with a quick chocolate dip and some sprinkles. She loved this ensemble and told me that this lunch definitely needed to be done again!

A New Journey~

2011-10-03T12:27:00.000-04:00

Front

Back

Darkness

2011-09-27T12:29:00.002-04:00

Yesterday my world was shaded pitch black, as the turbulent seas of my emotions crashed down upon me and threatened to swallow me whole. Today dawns a sky light gray with whispers of purple and pink that streak vibrantly through my horizons, letting me know that the effervescent sun is ever rising and soon will banish the shadows away…

{this moment}

2011-09-23T07:44:00.002-04:00

(Through the looking glass)

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - Amanda Soule

What's for Lunch Wednesdays: Week 3

2011-09-21T09:48:00.000-04:00

This week I decided I wanted to do a pizza party in Raine's lunchbox! I recently came across this neat product called Thomas' 100% whole wheat bagel thins that are only 110 calories, low fat and packed with fiber. These are not only a great option for making healthy breakfast combos, but also can make some rather awesome lunches while still keeping things healthy and nutritional! Since I picked them up 2 weeks ago I have been itching to turn these puppies into pizzas. And yes, you heard that right, they stay fresh for quite awhile and freeze well too, nothing will be wasted and you really get a bang for your buck! I think maybe I should become a spokes person for this item the way I'm going on :) Anyway, Raine and I are pizza lovers (who's not) but do not have it that often and I knew this would make a great surprise for her this week.

Pizza is by all means any ones game and can be made in a million different kid friendly ways. This one is definitely a keeper and will be repeated several times throughout the year all dressed up in different topping. For the maiden voyage I chose turkey meatballs, steamed broccoli, and mozzarella with a Newman's tomato and basil sauce. My kid LOVES meatball pizza and with them being turkey, I can feel good about giving them to her.

(Sorry about the picture quality, the lighting stinks at 5am)

I solved the whole hole in the middle, potential sauce disaster by just placing a piece of sliced meatball over it and then adding sauce. See below..

You can make these up ahead of time with leftovers and have them all ready to bake off the morning of. Typically I bake them at 425 until the cheese is slightly browned.

These are great cold but I usually bake them off right before we head out the door, wrap them in foil and put in a Tupperware container in the non cooled part of her lunchbox. To finish the meal I added some sliced carrots, cucumber, and a little broccoli with ranch. She didn't even notice that dessert was missing ;)

Well that concludes this weeks lavish lunchbox, be sure to to check back next week for another What's for Lunch Wednesday!!

What's For Lunch Wednesday: Week 2

2011-09-14T09:40:00.000-04:00

This week started out on a bright spot but by Monday afternoon had taken a turn for the worse. I got the call from the school a little after noon that Raine was in the nurses office feeling terrible. I left work shortly there after to go pick her up and she was still running a temperature this morning. I think she is starting get a little better and should be able to go back to school by tomorrow. Poor thing! Talk about getting the short end of the stick on that one, she only got to attend 4th grade two days this year before she got benched on the account of "flu-like" symptoms!

I pack all her breakfasts and lunches for thew week, dad's days included and even though she won't be going in today I wanted to make sure that when I dropped her off at grandmas for the rest of the week she had some mama made goodness to get her through. I decided to whip up a batch of my vitamin C strong chicken and vegetable soup for the next few days and loaded her to go bag up with fruit, yogurt, and some granola. Hopefully with a little more rest and these healthy goodies she'll be up and running in no time. Here is a snapshot of her lunch today sans lunchbox. I repeated the soup for the rest of the week and varied the fresh fruits.

{this moment}

2011-09-09T17:03:00.000-04:00

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - Amanda Soule

What's for Lunch Wednesday: Week 1

2011-09-07T18:05:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is Raine's first day of school as a brand new fourth grader and I wanted to be sure to make her an extra special lunch full of love and nutrition to get her through her BIG day.

One of the things that I have found that travels well in the lunch box and can hide a lot of nutrient filled vegetables in a healthy, but very kid friendly package, is a quiche. And since we now have an unlimited supply of happy chicken eggs right outside our back door, I thought this would be a great way to kick off the new school year.

This particular quiche was filled with shallots, spinach, brussel sprouts, zucchini, turkey sausage, and cheddar & mozzarella cheese. So while it is packed with healthy ingredients that she may not eat by themselves, disguised this way it will make my girl very happy. Laid out on a bed of spinach(which she loves) and accompanied by a butterflied apple and some strawberries with caramelized walnuts for desert completes the fare.

I may not always get this fancy, but the first day of school always calls for a little more magick to get her started off on the right foot! Well that concludes the first installment of what's for lunch Wednesdays. Be sure to tune in next week for some new ideas...

{this moment}

2011-08-26T11:38:00.002-04:00

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - Amanda Soule

A ceremony for moving forward, written for a friend~

2011-08-26T11:00:00.003-04:00

Our path is set, our vision clear,

As this time of great change draws ever near,

We have pin pointed the place(s) that we wish to be,

Though are open to that which we cannot see,

Let Career be the vehicle that leads the way,

And with our hearts fulfilled, all fear falls away,

I will go first, and I will soon follow,

And as each dream is realized, we will fill that left hollow,

From city to suburb, apartment to home,

In this new place of being we shall make it our own,

As the leaves fall to winter, and the winds give way to spring,

A new life into this family we will be ready to bring,

So we send thanks to each light that has touched us this far,

And acknowledge that you were there to guide us on our journey and forever raise the bar,

Our love be the center from which this spell is cast,

And with that comes forth our future let the past be now past…

To be repeated thrice together

Needs:

Matches - you will each need three

Fire proof bowl – for center to burn your written aspirations/dreams/map

Map – to mark where you wish to go

Sage
Candles
o Black: Black candles, which are ruled by Saturn, can be potent in all forms of banishing magic, for leaving behind old sorrows and redundant relationships, for acknowledging grief and for rituals of parting. Black, like brown, is the color of acceptance, whether of a restriction or of the frailties of self or others, and so it is a candle color of forgiveness. Black is another earth color, containing both male and female energies. Rituals using these candles are best practiced on a Saturday. Use with jet, obsidian, tourmaline and onyx.
o Blue: Primary spiritual color; for rituals to obtain wisdom, harmony, inner light, or peace; confers truth and guidance.

o Orange: Creativity, ability to speak one's mind, ambition, career matters and the Law, self-confidence. Solar color and also stands for Leo
o Emerald Green: Important component in Venusian rituals; attracts love, social delights, and fertility.

o Purple: Power, success, idealism, psychic manifestations; ideals for rituals to secure ambitions, independence, financial rewards, or to make contact with the spiritual other world; increases Neptune energy.
Sea Salt-Pour a circle of sea salt around the center space In the living room large enough for you both to sit inside it facing each other.

To Cast a Circle-

We cast this circle in trust and love.

As we call forth guidance from above.

Nothing unbidden shall enter here.

No unwanted spirits, shadows, or fear.

Together we will hold this space of wisdom and light.

For the ceremony to take place this very night.

As we step within the circle may our own worries fall away.

As they have no place here and it is our will to say,

By the elements of Air, Fire, and the Sea,

As I will it so shall it be.

{this moment}

2011-08-19T09:30:00.000-04:00

(My beautiful funny freckle faced girl)

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - Amanda Soule

We have Eggs People!!!

2011-08-18T16:06:00.000-04:00

On Saturday morning at about 9 o'clock our beloved Penelope was the first of our ladies to lay and egg!

As you can see she's a humble mama and just went on about her day as soon as she gave us this amazing gift.

We couldn't have been more proud of her and Raine made sure to sneak her a few extra treats.

The egg was a beautiful golden brown and was the size of a petunia.

Since then our sweet Penny has also started to lay and we are up to 5 eggs! Too say that it has been an exciting week would be a major understatement. Coming soon...Rainey Day Farm Eggs from our coop to you...

Mother Natures Fury~

2011-08-18T15:51:00.000-04:00

We had the mother of all storms sweep through Duanesburg while I was at work on a few weeks back. It managed to drop 2 1/2 inches od rain in a half hour and declutter some serious trees! Upon arriving home Raine and I immediately noticed one of our neighbors tree had been assasinated and lay bent and broken on the ground. It was a big and beautiful old tree that was home to a rustic wooden swing that our neighbors grown children used to swing on when they were just little ones.

I'll admit I got a little teary when we saw it all bent and broken. It's so sad when something that holds so much history and memory falls back into the earth so suddenly. I find this to be true for all living things.

The Lavish Lunchbox

2011-08-18T11:58:00.001-04:00

As we draw closer to the first day of school this year and I once again find myself pouring through websites and cookbooks for inspiration, I am inspired to do a little showcase of my own creations in this department. I used to be quite diligent about keeping track of all Raine's lavish lunchboxes, but in recent years have gotten too busy to bother to take any pictures before shipping them off in her backpack. I will admit that last year we fell into to the all too familiar rut of lunchbox repeats, a sort of groundhogs day nightmare of the same ingredients and display day after day turning into week after week. This year my friends will be different! I hereby declare that from this day forth I shall aspire to be creative in my lunchbox creations, vibrant in my viable vegetable options, festive with fresh fruit, extravagant with edible artistry, and warrior like in my quest to keep things not only appealing to the young palate, but healthy and fun for even the finickiest of eaters! I have decided to document this and bring you all along for the ride with a weekly "What's for Lunch" Wednesday post starting in September. I hope to that all you moms out their will chime in from time to time on what you do in your families to keep things funky and fresh! So without further ado here are some of my masterpieces of the past...

Please note that we have gotten a lot healthier since then so you will see a lot more whole grains and fresh ingredients and lot less of the packaged and processed.

(You've got to love the Snowman Salad)

(The Candy Cane Pasta rocked her world)

View from the Farm...

2011-08-12T09:02:00.000-04:00

Our beautiful and unexpected rooster Silkie

How to properly share a window seat...

Lovely Violas

Free Range Ladies...

{this moment}

2011-08-12T08:50:00.000-04:00

(Our monster Tomato Plant! P.S. Raine's happy about it too just tired of mom taking pictures :P)

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - Amanda Soule

{this moment}

2011-08-05T07:46:00.000-04:00

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - Amanda Soule

Light Lunch...

2011-08-04T19:03:00.002-04:00

Raine and I decided to have a fancy lunch on saturday just for fun. You should have seen her eyes light up when I handed her the plate. Jazzed up maple and brown sugar barbecue drumsticks with a side of homemade potato salad! Yum!

{this moment}

2011-07-29T09:42:00.000-04:00

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - Amanda Soule

Fairy Tale Endings...

2011-07-26T08:29:00.000-04:00

(not mine but someday soon a place very much like this will be)

Let me begin by saying that there are so many things that I want to be when I grow up! I have so many interests and varied talents that my problem has always been that big commitment to just one, or to finding something that encompasses enough of those interests to meet my needs. I have been yelling at myself for years to "JUST PICK" already and get going on it, only the problem is that I am 14 years into my current career and rather stuck. I am good at what I do and make enough to get by, but this was never supposed to be permanent. I am a single mom and a very hard working one at that, and with all the time and money that this requires, I just cannot seem to find time to fit myself into the equation.

As most of you know I LOVE to create with food. It has been a passion for years and I have been leaning towards making this my chosen career path for awhile now. I want so very badly to go to the CIA to be trained as a classical chef/baker, but alas it is an impossibility. I only live an hour and a half away, but for the life of me I just can't seem to figure out how to fit it in without everything else falling down. I didn't go to college when I was younger, having taken a job right out of high school instead. I didn't even consider it at the time, not understanding how very important that stretch of life could be to your overall career. Well now I am ready. I have finally "picked one" and decided what I'd like to do going forward. I have these huge dreams and aspirations of being the owner of a bakery/cafe/catering business that I will call Fairy Tale Endings . It is crystal clear in my mind and I can feel within, that this is it, this is the one! There are of course a few obstacles that I must overcome to get anywhere near this magickal place of mine, but I think I am finally in a place that they are feasible. So here is were I'm at...

1. I need to build enough time into my schedule to go to a local culinary program at night, while still working full time and not taking that time away from Raine. Yes, I realize that this is a tall order and will not easily be accomplished, but it is possible and I can work with that.

2. I need to really get my finances in order, both to afford school and make sure that all the added pressure of outstanding debts are no longer weighing on me. I'd also like to sack a little away for emergencies, so that should my lovely car break in the midst of this crazy schedule, it won't bring everything tumbling down.

3. I'd also like to start up the catering portion of my company, get the name trademarked, a few supplies and monogrammed aprons, and begin taking on some gigs to get the name/taste out there. This hopefully will help supplement some of my day job income and make the transition smoother as I get close to graduation. I'd like to be in business before I finish my degree and be able to make the catering company my full time job shortly after I get out of school.

This being said, there are a great many things that I have to do in the next five years (my proposed timeline to leave GE) and though it is scary to think of being self employed I am so very ready for this! For the first time in my life I feel like this dream is possible! And though it will take a lot of work and determination to bring to life, it already feels real, like the magickal little cottage in the picture above, it is there just waiting for me to come and turn the key!

Over the next few years I'll bring you all along for the ride as blog about what it takes to accomplish my dream. I'll write about the trials and tribulations of this amazing journey and what will hopefully result in Fairy Tale Endings for us all...

{this moment}

2011-07-22T08:30:00.000-04:00

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - Amanda Soule

Rainy Day Pirates and Tattoos~

2011-07-21T17:19:00.002-04:00

Monday Raine and I got to enjoy our first weekday off of the summer, and while it was rainy, we both basked in the warmth of our special time together and simple flow of the day. Raine had received a special package a few days before from a very well loved grandpa Jeff. It contained a crafty stained glass pirate kit and was immediately voted to be one of the things we did together that day. We got out all her brilliant color markers and set sail on the high seas of creativity and adventure. We laughed as we imagined what it would be like to live in such a world and what we'd be like as swashbuckling sword welding scallywags. I of course would be missing a leg and have a wicked temper while Raine would be sporting an eye patch and lurking in the galley(for were the food be so too will she)!

All of this silliness led way to some beautiful pictures and talk of tattoos and we decided right then and there that it was high time we both got some! Oh yes, you heard me right! For the next half hour those washable markers came in handy as we added vivid color to our lily white skin. Take that you untanable pasty palate! We drew ships and bones, serpents and hearts, an ocean, a cherry, and a blueberry tart. It was whimsical and heartfelt, a great start to our day. Funny how sometimes it is they little joys in life that simply carry you away...

Dancing Queen...

2011-07-15T12:46:00.002-04:00

This past May Raine took part in a play about different cultures and countries. Her class was responsible for representing Mexico and one of the things that they had to learn was a dance. She worked hard on getting all the steps down and got to be right up front at the performance! It also might have helped that she happened to be paired with her current freckled boy crush ;)

(Here she is practicing the at home)

(The Grand Performance)

Rainebow's Room Remodel

2011-07-07T13:58:00.000-04:00

Awhile back I just happen to be sitting around on a rainy Sunday afternoon when inspiration struck me in the form of my daughters messy bedroom. She is on average, pretty good at upkeep, as long as things have a have a place to go and lately her room has seemed to be in shambles more often than not, which made me think that the layout just did not seem to be working for her (or me). She was due to be home the next day so I decided right then and there that I'd surprise her by rearranging and sprucing it up a bit.

She has a bright and bubbly personality and I am a true believer in your own space being a reflection of who you are. With that goal in mind, into deep cleaning mode I went and an hour an a half later I was loving the results! I moved furniture around to optimize her space making it as open as possible and reorganized all the drawers and shelving so all items just seemed to flow.

Her bunny's cage was reposition and all it's accessories tidied neatly below. Even the kitten gave me the thumbs up on that one!

Raine is a lover of all animals both live and stuffed and her bed had started looking like a cramped zoo leaving very little room to fit the one who should be sleeping in it, so I sorted out her favorites and made the top shelf of her bookcase a new home for the rest.

Linens were washed and her pretty bed made up all inviting, dolly was treated to the same, and flowers and butterflies were put up to bring life to the dull beige walls. When finished all I could think was that this is definitely a Rainebow Room!!!

Update: Upon seeing it the next day Raine gave me a huge hug and said so seriously, "Thank you mom. It's beautiful!" Love that kid!!

34 seconds of peace...

2011-07-07T10:09:00.000-04:00

Be sure to turn up your volume to hear the soothing sound of the falls...

Falling in Love~

2011-06-30T21:27:00.000-04:00

Have you ever fallen in love? Have you been so simply struck by the beauty of someone or something that you see them in a new light and fall madly in love with them all over again?

For me that someone is Raine. She is this magickal little being of light and love that never fails to surprise me with her depths.

She is a beautiful beating heart that just when I think I've seen all of her and know every part, she shows me something new, something more, and I fall again.

She is grace and flow defined, so very much deserving of her name. A part of this world and yet so far beyond it. She feels everything and understands that it is a gift yet selflessly accepts the heartache that can come with.

I love that I cannot hide from her, that she sees me as no other ever has. That we speak a language all our own.

She is not like any other that I have ever come across and yet a kindred spirit to so many. She sees the things that lie within, the very potential in all the people she meets.

When left to her own devices she can bring about that potential before your very eyes, though you may not notice it happening until until you have forgotten what it even was before.

To watch from afar as she works is like seeing a field of fireflies dance across the twilight only to realise that they are faeries at the last second. Breath taking. Spiritual. Magick.

I am so blessed to be her mother and a guardian of her light. She makes me smile everyday and remember who I am, what I am here to do, and to never allow that sense of self to fade...

What a beautiful gift she has given me by being exactly who she is~My Love.

Strawberry Pickin~

2011-06-30T08:48:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago Raine and I headed up to Bohringer's Farm to do some strawberry pickin. It was a beautiful (and hot) day out and we just felt like getting the heck out of dodge for awhile.

Every year we go to Bohringer's to pick blueberries in July/August, but this is the first year that we went for strawberries.

We spent about an hour in the fields before heading back to the little fruit stand that they have at the entrance to pick up a few extra goodies to bring home with us. All in all we ended up with a little over 10 quarts, enough to freeze for winter and to can a few jars of homemade strawberry shortcake sauce!

Can You Coop? We can!!!

2011-06-29T11:24:00.001-04:00

Well as some of you may know we are now the proud owners of 12 beautiful chickens!! We have done a lot of research over the years and finally decided that this was going to be the year to do it! One of the biggest decisions we had to make was all about the Coop. Which kind was right for us? What one would be able to house our precious girls in the heat of summer while keeping them cool, and still offer them enough space to be warm and happy come winter? We also had to think about cost or how to get the best bang for our buck while not breaking moms bank! With all of this in mind we shopped around and decided to go with a Lancaster. This company makes em tough and the model we went with boasts a coop with nesting boxes 72x54x74in. Red siding, white trim, and black shingles. Quality Amish wood construction direct from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Duratemp plywood siding. Sturdy plywood panels surfaced with tempered hardboard resist damage and weather degradation. 25-year asphalt shingles. Now don't get me wrong this little beauty was still a bit on the pricey side at 1352.00 plus tax, but overall it had everything we were looking for to keep our new editions safe and happy!

(She's is such a good chicken mama)

Well now that the decision making was over and with the not so little anymore chicks living in the house! it was well past time to go and pick up our coop! My lovely and always truck willing friend Laura drove us down to the local Agway and with a forklift and a little patience it was loaded up.

(Wow it just fit and I mean just!)

I got the pleasure of driving it home and let me tell you that potholes and chicken coops don't mix! It was a fun slow ride with a a lot of funny looks, but hey that just made it all the better. Half an hour or so later we made it home safe and sound and it was time to unload. Now let's take a pause here in remembrance. This coop is SOLIDLY built. What it weighs I may never know, but if it takes a forklift and three guys 45 minutes to get it into the truck, why did I think Laura, myself, and Raine would have no problem getting it back out! (insert forehead smack here) I will admit that I sometimes have a bit of a superman complex and am simply baffled when I can't do something by myself. So when I say that it took us 2 hours, a car jack, several sturdy pieces of wood for leverage, and girl power (both brains and brawn) of the likes you've never seen to get this bad boy on the ground, listen to me when I say, "do not try this at home!" Get help people! Don't let that independent stubborn streak of yours put you through something like this! I will always remember this because now it's funny, but at the time I almost threw in the towel!!! I am sore just thinking about it :)

After we got it on the ground, I fed Laura cupcakes (so much for the promised fancy dinner) and bid her farewell with a huge I owe you one. Raine and I then retired for the night to "recoop" until tomorrow!

As the next morning rolled around we got straight to work laying out landscaping cloth and beauty bark from a local nursery, and with the gracious help of our neighbors were able to get it situated on it's plot (Thanks Joe & Val!!). And finally a fairy rose, an artemesia plant, and a few stones were put in place to give it a whimsical homey look!

Raine and I through in the pine bedding, feeder, and watering jug for the girls and welcomed them home. They were seemed to be thrilled with their new digs if all the happy chirping they were making was any indication.

We spent most of the day out there with them, just enjoying their company and all the excited exploration of our curious chicks. We also put up a temporary chicken run while we save enough to build a proper one later in the summer.

All in all it has been a wonderful experience and we are both madly in love with our first foray into being farmers.

Solstice Twilight~

2011-06-22T12:28:00.001-04:00

Soltice~

2011-06-21T13:30:00.000-04:00

During Summer Solstice, on what seems to be a day of endless glorious light, it is important that you take that light into yourself and illuminate who you really are. Emerge from this day "lighter" and with a deep knowing of that true self, and allow him/her to be present from here forth. I hope each of you takes the time today to immerse yourself fully in the sun and draw upon the strength and joy that comes from just being you...

My Oh My...

2011-04-25T18:35:00.000-04:00

Say hello to a few new family members...

She Rocks!

2011-03-14T14:51:00.001-04:00

A few weekends ago Raine and I attended the James Campbell Memorial Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show at the NYS Museum. (She was thrilled. Don't be fooled by the face, bad photo timing on moms part)

It ended up coinciding with New York Blooms as well, so really we got two great shows for the price of one. Admission cost for adults was 6.00 and kids were free, which I happened to think was great.

They had quite a few interesting flower displays and the place smelled heavenly, but my nature girl was all about the rocks! It was crystals and minerals and fossils, oh my!

(Look at the size of that fluorite)

She was in her element and we had to do two full circuits around the floor just to be "absolutely sure" we didn't miss anything!

(Yes that's candy that looks like crystals)

The delighted look on all the older gentleman's faces at Raine's complete amazement and rapture in their displays was priceless. I kept hearing things like, "What a lovely young lady" and "It is so great to see someone her age so interested in rocks"! It was pretty darn funny to behold. I'm not sure which one was more enamored of the other, Raine over the crystals or the old gem collectors over her!

Now this child of mine did not only come to gaze at all these beauties, she came to buy! She brought her shiny visa card that she got from grandpa for her birthday and informed me that she was not leaving until she owned a big crystal all her own. And boy did she get one! That is an 8 pound rose quartz crystal that just "called" to her! A love rock for a love bug, so it surprised me not one bit at she ended up with this.

She also found a few dyed geode slices that she thought would be a great addition to her collection.

I even found something to call my own...a pretty little fluorite sphere that I though had nice energy.

We had a great day and will definitely be attending again next year!

My Office ~ A Space to Write

2011-02-03T00:19:00.001-05:00

In January I finally finished my bedroom/library remodel and now have a beautiful creative space to find peace in and write a few novels while I'm at it. Take a look...

I hope that this will bring about a lot more blog entries, poetry, and creative writing in the coming year.

It has been a long time since I dedicated a space for myself and I am coming to realize that this is just as important as making sure others have what they need.

It is frustrating how often in life we put ourselves last on "the list" to make room for everyone and everything that crosses our paths. Why is it that we feel so unimportant, so unworthy of our own caring? How is it that we find it acceptable to neglect our own well being in lue of everything else? In light of this I have decided to make it a priority this year to undo that habit. I am not saying that I will put others aside or pay less attention to their needs, but by meeting some of my own and being a little extra careful with myself, I will be a better version of me and thus more capable taking care of others.

So the first task on "my list" was to give myself a beautiful space to simply be in. I realized late last year that I always threw everything that didn't have a place into my room, because of course, as long as the rest of the house looked good, what did it matter that I resided in a mess. Well, no more. I am officially my own project and that starts with cleaning out and beautifying of my space. Consider this Check one off the list...

Coming Soon...

2011-02-01T12:21:00.000-05:00

OK, so I completely fell off the blogging wheel and haven't posted for months. I am sorry about that and will make a huge effort in February to get back in to the swing of things just a soon as I can find my camera and dust her off ;) So look forward to a dazzling amount of posts coming your way...

Beautiful Views...

2010-11-17T15:11:00.000-05:00

Some great shots of our trip to Washington last year...

Solduc River

Olympic National Forest

Salt Creek State Park

Solduc Falls

Sunset from Dad's Porch

Woodland Park Zoo

Bald Eagle on My Island

I've got the brains or Halloween belated...

2010-11-16T14:35:00.000-05:00

This year for Halloween Raine and I went to a party at a friends house that is all about putting in the effort to make it spectacular, or should I say spooktacular. We of course dressed up for this event as a Retiring Fairy Godmother (Me) and a Fairy Godmother in Training (Raine). A lot of thought and creativity went into our outfits so that not only would they be original, but also not cost us an arm and a leg. For mine, I recycled my old gypsy/witch (I've used this dress many times) costume and used fabri-tac to glue on some fabric patches that I cut out from my old sewing scraps. I then added my own pretty pearl necklace and the amethyst earrings that my dad got me a few years ago because I thought that any retired fairy godmother worth her salt ought to have a few sparklies. I purchased black and silver wings on clearance from a local craft store for 5.00 and bought some gray hairspray and gold granny spectacles in the costume section for just as cheap. Old black nylons and some gold slippers out of my closet completed the ensemble. Raine's dress was the one that we had gotten for the renaissance fair earlier this fall which we tricked out with some spunky black boots and fake silver spectacles. Finally we tied little see through pouches full of glitter (fairy dust) to our wastes and made wands from a cut branch off our birch tree. I loved how we looked and the gray hair for me was a hoot! The costumes got rave reviews and made all the effort worthwhile.

There were lots of other great costumes there as well like a levitating vampire and good old father time.

Plenty of friends that we hadn't seen for a very long time.

Everyone was instructed to bring a dish for the huge ghoulish feast and I who just so happen to love any reason to pull out all the stops in the kitchen and have this awesome brain mold that is perfect for this type of occasion was thrilled at the request. Now a few years back I threw a Halloween party and catered it myself so I spent an obscene amount of time and research on scary and gross recipes of every kind. One of the ones I came across this shrimp pate' that I have used ever since, because not only is it completely real looking but it tastes fantastic too! I got it from an equally enthusiastic Halloween lover by the name of Britta (http://www.britta.com/hw/hwr.html). So without further ado here it is in all it's g(l)ory!

Completely fantastic isn't it! Here is the recipe courtesy of britta...

Bizarre Brain Pate

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

8 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, softened

1 (.25-ounce) envelope unflavored gelatin, softened in 1/4 cup water

1 bunch green onions, chopped

3 pounds cooked shrimp, coarsely chopped

(or 1 pound crab meat)

1 cup mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Tabasco or creole seasoning to taste

Heat soup, undiluted, and mix in the cream cheese. Stir in softened gelatin and blend well. Fold in remaining ingredients and pour into a lightly-oiled mold. Chill until firm and serve with your favorite crackers.

Since the brain mold is only about 3 cups, I halved this recipe except for the amount of gelatin, left out the green onions, and finely chopped the shrimp in a food processor (a rough chop will do) into more of a paste for the sake of making it look more smooth-textured like a real brain.

Why being messy can save a life!

2010-11-14T21:02:00.000-05:00

Take a look. See that bird up there in my birch tree. Now look a little more closely. See his tail feathers or should I say lack there of. Well let me tell you a little story of pride and triumph, of terror and freedom, of quick thinking and action, but more importantly of the towel on the floor that saved a life!

There was once a sweet kitty that went outside on a fall day. She was called Tiger Lily and went looking for pray. She was out but an hour before coming back into the house. Though you would be wrong if you were thinking that she had brought back a mouse. I let her in without knowing that in her mouth she did carry, a wee little bird much smaller than a canary. So when came from the kitchen an odd sort of flutter, I was shocked and appalled at the sound of her kitty like stutter. Oh no I thought running, because I recognized that cry. It meant she was stalking a bird that was trying to fly. I was off the couch in a hurry afraid of what I might see, only to find a cat in hot pursuit and a bird desperate to flee. So I looked around quickly for something to throw, in hopes that the kitty might let it go. Within my reach was a towel that I had dropped just that morning, which I threw across the room to startle and give warning. It fell down upon them and tiger lily an away, which left the bird under the towel and me with nothing to say.

So I scooped up the wee one and brought it outside with me, and uncovered his body in hopes of setting him free. Away did he fly straight into my birch tree, none the worse for the wear minus a few tail feathers you see. So never let anyone tell you to hang up your towels right away, because leaving them on the floor may save a life some day...

Birthday Flowers

2010-11-14T18:50:00.000-05:00

These arrived for me at work on my birthday.

They were a great surprise from my dad.

I say surprise because it is very hard to do that to me and I had no iea that they were coming!

They were beautiful and colorful and just what I needed.

Thanks Dad for a great gift!

Ode to Raine's class parties...

2010-11-04T22:25:00.000-04:00

Oh, seasonal classroom parties how I love thee...

You bring my martha stewart soul to life and allow me to throw a party without ever having to stay and socialize. You make it ok for my very shy self to pull out all the stops, sneak in under the cover of darkness(I have to be to work very early in the morning) and tranform Raine's classroom like some magickal decorating/baking fairy.

You let me buy adorable frankenstein candy cups and turn them into a spooky treat.

You help me make applesauce with green sugar sprinkles into a completely awesome party favorite that kids will be dying to eat.

You give me the chance to break out my mini fall cookie cutters and make my cupcakes a little bit wild.

It is because of you that I can turn tiny pumpkin erasers into super fun confetti and use green glitter to highlight my menu for all to see. Though the thing I like best is the huge hugs I get from a special little girl that was on cloud nine all day!

Autumn Action Shots...

2010-10-25T12:30:00.000-04:00

Renaissance Fair

2010-09-24T14:09:00.000-04:00

Sunday we went to Beardsley Castle to attend our first renaissance fair.

It turned out to be a dark and dreary day that I kind of thought was perfect for the whole affair.

We where dressed to the "times" and I payed special attention to Raine's magnificent tresses. Her curls fit the style so well that people kept stopping to comment on her locks much more than our dresses :)

The inside of the castle was beautiful and gave a real feel to the atmosphere of the event. It is even said to be haunted by some unfortunate warriors of Indian descent.

There were shops that took you back to a time of magick and intrigue. Where one could easily get lost in all the treasures befitting of a queen.

There were many lords and ladies in attendance, a court jester, even an odd bird belonging to a woman in blue.

Although the most amazing of the lot was a knight that could ride his mighty steeds by standing between the two!

At midday we dined in the main hall on a simple peasants fare, but found it hard to focus with all that was going on out there.

(Side note-Raine took this picture as my ax was flying through the air-so cool)

After lunch we felt fortified and ready for battle or so to speak, so we travaled across the grounds until we came upon the training keep.

It was destiny I tell you, because our dear Raine was hiding a seasoned warrior in princess clothing! The boys were so startled by our left handed archer that they stared at her with loathing!

(Look at that face)

After this triumphant feat, it was off to slinging rats and battle axes, with a look upon her face that said, "I'll get medieval on your asses"!

Lots of friends were made, I even think at some point there was a rabbit on a leash, and in closing all I can say is that it was a day beyond belief...

Our Maine Vacation

2010-09-13T09:56:00.000-04:00

I got really close to this bird!

Gift we left behind for the next campers at 7S

Comorant

"You can't see me"

Water Girl

Surprise from mom for the looong car ride!

The View from the top of Mt. Battie

Down the trail she goes like a mountain goat!

Lobster Lover

Driftwood

Ready to get on the road

Raine on the windy beach at Lincolnville, Me

Our pretty table

I love this shot!

Fearless

Tower at the top of Mt. Battie

In Awe!

Camden Hills Campground's rocky shoreline

1st Day of School

2010-09-09T11:09:00.000-04:00

Lobster Lover

2010-08-18T15:27:00.000-04:00

My Big Backyard~Wildlife Edition

2010-08-12T10:35:00.000-04:00

A newt on my tiger lilies, pretty good camo considering he is the same color as the flowers.

Oh Mama! Look at all those babies! She had about 15!

I see you! Sly little fox that was stalking the above turkeys!

Look very closely. Can you see it?

How about now?

See it yet? Isn't she brave to hold it!

It's a giant prehistoric looking Dobsonfly!

Garden Eater!

Let's play a game...Name that Bird!

How about now? Need another shot?

Here you go, I ran across a field in high heels to get you this shot! Give up?

It's a turkey vulture and it was HUGE! See he is even looking at me! I am pretty sure he was thinking he can take me! I saw him throw a mouse up in the air right before I stumbled over the hill to take this picture. Was I intimidated of this modern day pterodactyl, of this you can be sure!

My Crazy Girl!!

2010-08-11T07:45:00.000-04:00

It started with , "Mom, get the camera and record me"! So I got the camera and this is what took place...

She is such a nut!

New Do...

2010-08-11T07:39:00.000-04:00

Sundays

2010-08-10T14:44:00.000-04:00

Slept in and had a healthy brunch...

Discovered gifts left behind and enjoyed being in the company of my amazing daughter......

Lounged around...

Enjoyed the view...

Mowed the out of control grass...

Got a little crazy...

Enough said.

Happy Half Birthday!!!

2010-08-10T14:31:00.000-04:00

So yesterday was my daughter Raine's 8 1/2 birthday. Now I don't usually celebrate something like this, but I decided to completely throw her off by doing just that! Here is a look at how I pulled off my sneaky surprise...

First I picked her up from the babysitters and we went to the market to pick up the fixings for dinner. I asked her while shopping what would be her ideal dinner, though I did outlaw lobster as a choice because the kid is a serious food gourmet! She chose Salmon, Herb & Butter Rice and a Salad with LOTS of tomatoes from our garden (My kind of girl:). While we were in the baking aisle I slyly asked her that if she could have any kind of cake what would it be? Now Raine is really hard to trick due to her ornate sixth sense and was immediately suspicious! I told her that I was just curious for future reference and after one more what is she up to look she shrugged and played along. For any of you that know her to say she is a food girl is putting it mildly, so when she said a yellow cake with chocolate frosting I was almost shocked! So simple and yet it just sorta felt right.

When we got home I sent her out to the garden to pick tomatoes and had her go play with wren (neighbors dog) thereafter so she wouldn't see me whipping up some crazy 1/2 birthday cupcakes. I made a yellow cake batter but dyed it deep purple (one of her favorite colors) and poured it into my giant cupcake pans. While she was out I quickly made her dinner choice and through a bottle of organic sparkling apple cider into the freezer. Thirty five minutes later dinner was served and the awesome purple cupcakes were secretly cooling on the porch!

She came in and goes, "Mom, what is that smell"? "I think I smell hot marshmallows". Ya, I know so random! I quickly covered that with a small fib and told her I was baking cookies for our camping trip this weekend:) We had dinner on the coffee table and she was pretty excited over the "fancy" spread. I put on a movie (The great outdoors), we are in full camping theme mode this week and we dug in.

Half an hour or so later while she was distracted with the show I snuck back into the kitchen to decorate and frost the cupcakes. I went with the traditional chocolate frosting but tricked out the tops with some wild designs in green (her other favorite color) piping.

I put a candle in one and walked into the living room singing Happy Birthday, and you should have seen the look on her face! She held the cupcake so I could take a picture and then still in shock and a little appalled goes, "Mom, my birthday is February 9th, you should know that (this was said in a whisper LOL)". I then explained that it is her 1/2 birthday and that she is exactly 8 1/2 years old today! She looked at me like I was nuts (I so am) and then cracked up laughing! She blew out the candle and with a smart little smirk asked if I got her any presents just joking and when I smirked back and said I did she smacked her forehead. I was loving that she was thinking I am crazy and yet enjoying every minute of it!

Later while she was downstairs in the basement switching over the laundry (can I tell you how much I love this kid!) I decided now was the time to give her her present. I had gotten her a sky ball, it's like a big air filed bouncy ball that goes 75ft in the air, and thought that throwing down in the basement while she was down there would be a great way to "give" it to her. Well, wait for it....let's just say that I will not be getting the mother of the year award this year! I failed to look before chucking it down the stairs and she just so happened to be coming up those stairs at same time I "let it fly" (see where this is going). That's right I hit her smack dab in the forehead and all I heard was a "OOOHHH"! Ya I know I suck, but thank goodness she has a hard head and a great sense of humor because when she came out of the basement holding the offensive object she was rubbing her head but laughing. Anyway everything went sort of smooth and we had a great night! She is an amazing kid and I love her to pieces! Happy 8 (and a half) Birthday Baby!!

Bad Day ~ Bake Cookies!

2010-07-29T07:25:00.000-04:00

There is nothing like homemade chocolate chip cookies to end the day snuggled on the couch with your little one watching So you think you can dance! We even brought over a bakers dozen to our next door neighbors Joe & Val right out of the oven. Spread the love I say!

Sweet Messages from Raine...

2010-07-28T09:57:00.000-04:00

Our communication board is an new addition to the household. It is for any random thoughts, conversations, or secrets that you may want to tell. The rule is that anything written on it will be discussed between the two of us and nothing written can get you into trouble. This is a new parenting technique that we are trying out to see if it makes it a little easier for her to say some of the things on her mind as we have had a small problem with lying by omission. So far it is being regarded with enthusiasm and a lot of message surprises for the both of us :)

What's for Dinner...

2010-07-28T09:49:00.000-04:00

Lemon Pepper Chicken with Steamed Broccoli, Fresh Tomatoes, and Sauteed Zucchini

(Both the zucchini and the tomatoes are from our garden!)

(The broccoli should have been! Stinking Rabbits!)

What's for dinner...

2010-07-27T10:34:00.000-04:00

Chicken Stroganoff

(Raine was so interested in the food that she didn't even notice the new dishes!)

Proud Mama

2010-07-25T18:14:00.000-04:00

These lovely fruits where homegrown without chemicals or pesticides, simply put into the earth with love and a great hope that they will grow. They where watered and protected and watched as seeds turn to sprouts, sprouts to plants, and plants to food, that will in turn nurture and take care of you. It's alot like raising a child in the simplist of ways. Isn't the connections in the circle of life funny...

Tonight...

2010-07-23T09:45:00.001-04:00

Off to the Rodeo..YeeHaw!

The Lovely Laura

2010-07-23T09:14:00.000-04:00

Well it's official, today Laura turned 33! In honor of that and the fact that she has lost an amazing 61 pounds over the past 3 1/2 months we decided to do a fun photo shoot last night, so without further ado...Will the new slim Laura please stand up!

No, I said stand up!

That's Better! OK, now pretend your a lion!

Wow, that's good! Be Serious!

Fantastic! OK, go commune with nature!

Beautiful and that says it all...

Tent Trials

2010-07-22T15:40:00.000-04:00

Raine and I decided on Saturday night to test out our beautiful (it's green) new tent (thanks Dad).

We wanted to make sure that 1. I could set it up (I so rocked it :) and 2. It had no rips or seam damage, so that we don't end up with any surprises on our great Maine adventure of 2010 that's coming up next month. It was easy to set up and fantastic looking and yes I realize I am a complete dork for falling in love with a tent, but it is sooo pretty.

The air mattress we picked up that day on sale for 19.99 (6 dollars off! woohoo) at target was easy to blow up with our nifty Coleman rechargeable pump. We decked it out in the latest fashions :) and made sure it was extra comfy.

Raine added two brand new pink camp chairs and I even set up our fire pit on some cinder blocks to complete the experience. We even had the makings for smores and were ready and full of anticipation for our night out!

Well this should have been a clue! Everything had gone just a little too smoothly so when the skies opened up and let loose the fury of god I should not have been surprised. Let me first tell you that I have never in my life seen a storm of this proportion! It was awe inspiring and a little scary. Just look st her face as the thunder shook the ground she was sitting on!

We stayed in the tent to try and ride it out thinking that the way the wind was blowing it would move through rather quickly. It didn't! Raine was kinda funny saying things like "Mom, Do you think we should go in? You need to make a decision here because I'm a third grader!" She cracks me up!! When it got so bad that you couldn't even count to one between flashes of vivid strobe like lightning I made a command decision to run for the house. We stayed low to the ground and ran as though being chased by demons and considering the war that was taking place all around us I don't think this was far off. Back in the house with the lights out and huddled close we watched it unfold like an epic Greek battle between the gods. It was Awesome and Raine though a bit nervous caught some of the excitement of the moment and even oohed and aahed as forks of lightning came down on all sides of the house. It took about 40 minutes before moving off into the distance and being that we were still up we chose to go back out to the tent to give the overnight one more try.

We played a few games (bullspit / tic tac toe) and had just settled down to sleep when the torrential rain began again and the sky started flashing. The look on her face was priceless as she said, "Mom, that's it we are calling it a night! Let's go in right now." Haha I sometimes forget which on of us is the parent ;)

So it was off to bed with a promise to have smores for breakfast if the weather had improved (Hey, you only live once!)

Sunday morning brought sunshine and the promise of a beautiful day, even the cats came out to join us. We lit the pit, caught some marshmallows on fire, and then had a healthy breakfast (farm fresh eggs, turkey ham, and zucchini) fireside.

All in all it was a great "dry" run that we will never be forgotten and will be bringing us smiles long after the the vivid storms of this season move past us and make way for the long nights of winter...

Hot New Dress sparks Photo Shoot!

2010-07-20T09:57:00.000-04:00

Let me just start by saying that I Love this Dress and that I have been waiting for it to go on sale for what seems like forever! On Saturday on our way to pick up a air mattress for camping we just happened to swing by the girls section and Hot Damn it finally was. Raine gave me a look when I asked if she liked it like I had possibly lost my mind, but I said "trust your mother honey" and man am I glad she did. So without further ado...

Isn't she and it beautiful!!

It's sophisticated in an under the tree, read in the sunshine sort of way.

It stands out and yet blends in to it's surroundings.

It makes a point.

It can even pull off serious.

Vanna White eat your heart out!

It's goofy and a little Popeye Esq.

It definitely means business!

It makes you ponder all the possibilities.

It's visible even in the Dark!

And last but not least...It so fits the personality of the kid wearing it!!!

Another View from the Garden

2010-07-20T08:51:00.000-04:00

One week later...

The Magnificent Rubharb

Gets Bigger!

She Spies

Baby Squash!

The Zucchini is harvested,

and new ones grow...

Back in the Saddle

2010-07-16T11:02:00.000-04:00

Well Hello Everyone! Its been a long time since I have really ocupied this space but I think I missed it and am glad to be back. Ok, where to start? How about the garden....

This years garden is a great improvement over any other I've every done! We put in 4 raised beds and brought in soil to really give it a go. The results, well come on in and let me give you the grand tour...

Meet the rhubarb!

Look how big just a leaf is...that is my size 9 shoe!!!

Raine's favorite: The Tomato Garden! Look at that Smile!

She's on the Prowl.

First Harvest.

Zucchini

Squash

Herb Garden

Full View

Chasing Fireflies

2010-04-17T12:12:00.000-04:00

Twilight descends across the land painting the sky a deep indigo blue,
As mother earth sets the stage this evening just for me and you,
You lay on a blanket watching in awe as the stars slowly come awake,
I lie besides you and secretly smile at the wonder on your face,
There is a moment of complete silence, as the twilight turns to night,
You whisper that you can hear the fireflies getting ready for their flight,
The moment passes quickly as a summer serenade begins,
A chorus of frogs, an orchestra of crickets, all accompanied by the wind,
It's the music of the season and tells a story all its' own,
Of a kindom filled with faeries that sit upon an ancient thrown,
I tell you that they travel by night, sprinkling dust on flowers to make them bloom,
That the sing and celebrate their joy under the light of the brightest moon,
You ask me how they see when Luna forgets to turn on her light,
I remind you that it is by firefly that the faeries will then take flight,
You gaze at the field below us just as they appear,
And can barely contain your excitement as they draw ever near,
You wonder aloud that if you chase them is it a fiaerie you will see,
I say that anything is possible if only you believe,
So off into the meadow you run with arms open wide,
A peel of delighted laughter surfacing from deep inside,
I watch as the magick takes you and your dreams come to life,
And I remember myself chasing fireflies on a not so long ago night...

To Raine with all my love~Mom

St. Patrick's Day Party

2010-03-18T10:05:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was one of our favorite holidays of the year! It all started with a visit from our friendly leprechaun trickster Lucky. He always comes while we are sleeping or out for the day and this year was no different.

An Amazing Grace

2010-02-16T23:30:00.000-05:00

I am but a single drop of rain, falling down from the heavens, in search of a body of water to become one with, to belong to, to learn from. I am but a simple spirit in awe of the world around me as I float once again down to this great earth’s painted landscape below. I am as always stunned by her beauty and the contradiction that makes up her very soul. She is both powerful and weak, made of water and stone and petal and leaf. She is violent in her fury and yet so soothing after its’ peak. She protects what she must to keep us all safe and forgives all that is; no matter how much of her resources it takes. It is my hope in life to be this great, this kind, this forgiving. Not just to be one drop of water by itself but to become an integral part of the whole that brings about a greater change. I aspire to be the one that completes what already is instead of trying to defeat what already was. I am a dreamer from a far off place that has been touched by the sun, transformed to a different body and brought back by the very same cycle from where I once began before. I once thought that I was something so small and insignificant that I could not possibly change what is, but I have been to the heavens and back and am all the wiser for it. I have discovered the secrets of beyond and understand the way of this magnificent gift called life. I once was unto myself and wanted to be apart from the rest of this world, to be on my own and accomplish my triumphs without any of my fellow travelers to lay claim to my glory. What I have realized from my past journeys is that it is not about the trail that you burn up and consume on your way to the stars, but about the hands that you hold and the hearts and minds that you touch along the way that matter the most. It is how you live this life and the paths you take to get there as opposed to how far you actually go. It is remembering that we are together for a reason and that to overlook what is so simply before us is to completely miss the lessons and life that we were set here to experience in the first place. Hold not to the pain and suffering but to the love and joy that you have the ability to give. Remember that any one of us can choose to strike back at those that have left us ravaged and broken in their wakes, but that it takes a scarred heart filled with an amazing grace to forgive and love those that have yet to figure this out. Choose not to avoid those before you but to leave this life having truly touched everyone you meet. Be known for the gentleness of your voice, the kindness of your eyes and the way that you freely give of yourself. Let the powers of your heart guide you and heal you along your way, and teach this way of being to as many as you can…

Melanie

Thoughts

2010-01-29T08:50:00.000-05:00

A space in time to light the way,
Simple thoughts to guide my day,
After these moments may my soul receive,
The energy of well wishes that I need,
Shadow of doubts be cast aside,
As my very being be filled with pride,
Know thyself and trust in my sight,
And my inner most dreams will be brought to light,
Choose your path and walk it’s way,
Each step to strengthen me and bring what may,
Accept this journey and hold nothing inside,
And as this is done the earth will provide,
For I am water and she is me,
As I will it…so shall it be~

Off to Baltimore...

2010-01-22T13:59:00.000-05:00

I'm off to Baltimore this weekend to visit Nik & Tony. I'll be back on monday...

Whirlwind

2010-01-21T14:29:00.000-05:00

This year and the end of last have been a frantic ride on a whirlwind. I am just starting to get into the new rhythm of things. The blog has been silent for a while and I hope in the next months to make it a priority again because it is a release that I have missed. So hang in there and be on the lookout for updates and some more glimpses into the life of Melanie and Raine...

Birthday Surprise

2009-11-09T09:58:00.000-05:00

Well let me start by saying that it is very hard to surprise me. I am one of those people that just kind of picks up on things if not outright knows them beforehand. So when Laura showed up on Saturday with all the makings for a special birthday dinner including live lobster to say I was shocked is putting it mildly!!! I think that was the best part. I had one of my favorite dinners made for me in my own kitchen by a great friend and my food loving daughter, she even had Raine make me a from scratch birthday card (the best kind). There was mashed potatoes, lobster, baby yellow carrots, and a chocolate birthday cake with rainbow colored candles to wish upon. I am officially thirty and loving it!!! Also a dinner like this in my cute little farmhouse on the ridge makes me feel very grownup!

Our Halloween Story

2009-11-02T13:23:00.000-05:00

It twas a dark and stormy night (literally) and my sweet daughter was acting a little strange, she was putting on a creepy dress and asking for her hair to be artfully arranged. As the evening wore on I noticed a startling change, her face had drained of blood and she was growing a pair of fangs. Her eyes were vacant and looked rather glassy, and when I asked her if she was all right and her reply was quite sassy! She said' "I am fine mother" and I replied, "I do not like your tone!" She them look at me rather wickedly and said, "You'd best leave me alone!"Well I looked up to reprimand her and had to stifle a scream, because my little girl was no more and before me stood a vampire queen! Oh no! I yelled, "Please do not bite!" and she told me all would be well if I took her trick or treating tonight. I agreed right away and off into the night did we go, to find witches, werewolves, and big giant gnomes. There were a few scary moments but they quickly came and went,
And by the end of the night my little vampire was spent. So it was straight to her coffin with a kiss to this little vampire's forehead, and a prayer to up above that she would wake up as Raine instead!

I awoke with the sun and breathed a sigh of relief because the last nights events were simply beyond belief! I went downstairs to find my little girl all back to normal and watching TV, and our Halloween night a creepy memory...

Moving On...

2009-11-02T11:24:00.001-05:00

Sometimes the universe surprises you, by giving you something that you didn't even realize you needed in the first place. It can be as simple as a breath taking sunrise on a Monday morning that just makes everything seem ok, or in turn can be as complicated and vast as a new friendship or 2 that develops overnight and becomes so much a part of you that you forget what life was like without them. These gifts are rare and beautiful and make life so much better for having seen, found, and experienced them. A little less than a year ago I was giving two of these gifts in the form of Nikki and Tony. They came as a package deal and though at the time I was not looking for even one new friend I instead was given two. Both together and separately they have become my very best friends and so much more that it is hard to even put a name to it. In the last year I have watched them grow and morph into super versions of themselves and though this is something I expected of them from the beginning, what I did not expect was to be taken right along with them. I usually walk into peoples lives at a crucial point and help clarify things to push them forward as this is one of my gifts to give this life, but it is not very often that at the end of that journey I am asked/demanded to stay in their lives as a permanent fixture and find that it is an equal partnership. I have found myself growing and changing along with them and becoming a better person for having known them, and as I asked more of each of them I found that I was in turn asking more of myself and could share in our journey and not just watch from the sidelines. I knew when I began that they were not long for this place and would be moving on to greater things within a year and though I tried to keep myself at a distance it was impossible. So as I helped pack them up for this new chapter in their lives I could not help but be proud and delighted at how much they had accomplished and yet at the same time be saddened that my new found family was moving on without me. My time in this place is still slowly winding down and it will be a while before I can officially move on. In the mean time I will make do with emails, phone calls, 6 hour drives and the occasional plane ride but will very much miss the Thursday night visits to the house to get harassed and watch modern family on the TeeVee with them. I am so excited that they have made it out and if the 5 phone calls i received yesterday have anything to say about it I am sure that even tough they have moved on they have not left me behind. ..

Fond Mememories...

2009-10-15T12:54:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite memories from childhood is of Joyce General Store located in Joyce Washington about a mile or two away from salt creek state park where we used to camp every summer. My brother and I and any friends that we brought along would get to go there at the beginning of our trip and fill up a little paper baggie of penny candy for 1 dollar (that's 100 pieces of candy) to snack on over the course of our vacation. This was a big thing and we looked forward to the sour patch kids and swedish fish every year. I will never forget it and was hoping to make it a memory for Raine as well but alas times are a changing and they no longer have penny candy anymore. Oh well we will have to make new memories and just cherish those of the past...A Replica of the store made from candy that resides on site greeted us this time when we visited and I found it to be fitting all considered...

By the Sea...

2009-10-15T12:26:00.001-04:00

A few pictures from my recent trip home...

Autumn Home

2009-10-13T12:43:00.000-04:00

Here are a few of the touches we made this weekend to celebrate the turning of the wheel. I hope to find all of you enjoying this beautiful time of year...Enjoy

Autumn Home

Mudroom Door

Front Door

7 year old mowing :)

Autumn fire under the stars - Sleeping not so little one who couldn't quite stay up

Autumn Wynter ;)

Very cool neighbors yard...

Autumn Wisdom

2009-10-13T12:00:00.000-04:00

We took a short walk through our trees yesterday to sort of soak in the late fall leaves and let go of some of the less than lovely energies that had carried over from the rest of our day.

It was overcast and quiet, cold enough to keep most at bay but just right for our two restless souls.

I have not been feeling well lately and my heart being conflicted and focused inward has longed to be away from everything and everyone (Raine being the exception). Part of it is the season that almost begs those that are tuned in to walk away from the busy and begin the process of storing, gathering and settling in for the long winter and the other part of it is this deep feeling of self that says I am wasting my time with certain day to day things and ignoring my true path.

It has been a longing to use my creative side, my talents to support my family and not just work at a job where I make enough, but find no fulfillment. I need to enjoy once again all that I do and not feel like I have to always fit in the good stuff.

I want to look back at my life in ten years and know that the example I set for Raine is one that I am proud of. I want her to follow her dreams and passions because they are right and not worry about how much money that it may bring. I want her to leave behind footprints that tell the story of herself defining life with each turn of the wheel and not let life and modern day expectations define it for her.

I also want this for me and what better way to teach her this lesson than by first living it myself.

I will be making some major changes in the coming year to both my physical person and how I spend my time and energies. I am going to try a few things that I always wanted to succeed at and make them work for me and hopefully by next time this year the way I make my living will be exactly that...By Truly Living.

That Girl!!!

2009-10-07T08:57:00.000-04:00

At bedtime last night we cuddled for at least fifteen minutes and as I kissed her goodnight and was leaving the room she said to me with a completely serious and earnest looking expression...

Raine - "Mama, tomorrow I am going to need all the love you can give me!"

Me - "Ok honey, ok"

She is something else that girl of mine :)

Unexpected Rainbows

2009-10-06T08:51:00.000-04:00

I received a call on friday from a certain someone asking me to pick her up and after calling Tim to confirm, it was determined that I would be taking her for the whole weekend!!! She had come down with the flu and was pretty sick for most of it but we still managed to fit in some pretty great things...There was lots of kitten snuggling on the couch while watching movies and getting some much needed cuddle and rest... There were great bouts of laughter at that same kittens crazy antics... There was even a little bit of kitchen witchery to be had by turning last week's hand picked apples into some yummy apple butter to take us through next year (I can hardly wait to make an apple butter smothered pork roast)... There was an unexpected monday off and a day filled with sunny rain showers and warmth plus an invasion lovely ladies (there were at least 25 and they came out of nowhere)...And last but not least an evening rainbow over our autumn fields to spark a last second desire to bake a fall treat for our lunches this week...Sometimes life throws you stormy weather but I can't help but be pleased when a few rainbows are the end result...

We Have Popcorn People!!!

2009-09-30T14:07:00.000-04:00

Our new favorite thing...

THANKS DAD!!!!