By the Sea...

A few pictures from my recent trip home...

Autumn Home

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

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!!!

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

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!!!

Our new favorite thing...

THANKS DAD!!!!

Wynter

Meet Wynter the newest member of our family...

Farm Faces

Here are a few of the friendly faces that we see at the apple picking farm every year...

Apples

Thrifted Finds

I have been lucky as of late in my search for thrifted treasures...

Garage Sale - 40+ year old camping coffee/tea pot (never used) - 3.00

Goodwill - A brand new floor model bookshelf from target (the exact match to the ones on my library) - 25.00

Gratitude

This year has been filled with lessons of acceptance and gratitude for me. I have been surprised again and again by people's willingness to be selfless, to give of themselves without being asked by the recipient which in many cases has been me. One such gift I received though it did not cost the giver much gave both me and my whole family something that I could never have been able to afford on my own. It achieved the very thing that I have been trying to do for the past 5 years and that is get home. Two priceless airline tickets were handed to me by a friend with no strings attached, a sort of pay it forward because others had done great things for her in the past, and I cannot explain how much this meant to me. I was able to introduce my daughter to my family which for many of them was the first time ever having seen her! I am touched and so deeply affected by the very heart of this gift! I being a giver myself will undoubtedly give more often and whenever I see the opportunity because I now have seen firsthand just how much you can affect a person's life by the simplest thought or action. I only hope that others will take what I have from the experience...