nuggets :: redirect yourself before you wreck yourself

nuggets :: little bits of the season in photos and words about the last week

I get a bit melancholy at the end of January.  We certainly didn't get our usual winter weather and the transition from December to January was less than eventful.  No major storms, flooding or power outages and I found myself a little wistful about it all.  However, I still had February...

February is my favorite month of the year.  The hills are usually such a bright, fluorescent green and the trees are bursting with plum, peach, cherry & magnolia blossoms.  Driving on Highway One is a show.  The daffodils reach skyward and happily dot the landscape around our plot of land.  And the mustard.  Oh, how I love the sea of yellow I spy on my drive to and from Tomales to pick up the boy from school.  Yes, February is my favorite month and this year we get a bonus 24 hours for Leap Year, helping to extend this lovely month another day.

nuggets.

Doran Beach, Bodega Bay, CA

I took myself to the beach on Friday with grand plans of reading and playing with my camera.  I ended up talking for over an hour on the phone with my best friend.  Our phone date got postponed earlier in the day and I'm so glad we carved out the time to catch up about life and the kids while I stared out at the sparkly, vast ocean in front of me.

I always have these grand plans of reading when I get to the beach, but the pull of the ocean and the natural beauty surrounding me makes me pause, pay attention and want to savor the experience.  I could read later.  It was a nice punctuation to my week and a great way to start the weekend.

February 2012

Emotions have been running high at our home and the boy has been challenging me at every turn about his clothing, bedtime, book choices and the like.  Struggling to get through the emotions and setting boundaries has been a bit of a challenge for me this week and I realized I needed to step back and look at what was really going on.

Control.  I had it and he wanted it.  Motherhood 101 was just about to teach me another lesson.

When I told him the Harry Potter Book #4 was off limits, he resorted to sneaking it into his backpack.  Oh, dear boy, are you new?  Did you really think you would get away with that?  I majored in sneaking during my childhood and, as my grandma used to say, this was not my first rodeo.  When I found the book and took it away from him, hot tears fell and mutterings of the meanest mom ever left his little chapped lips.  I wasn't forever banning the book but, upon the recommendation from a friend, merely postponing the emotional roller coaster and mature content of this Book #4 until the boy was a wee bit older and I could read it with him.

This book confiscation unleashed his stubborn streak and every. little. thing. became a battle he wanted to wage and win against me.  I ended up taking away books, his favorite hat and desserts.

The funny (and wonderful) thing that occurred next was that he started the Percy Jackson series and was devouring the first book.  He also got resourceful unearthed a never worn skull cap he received from his grandfather from two years ago and could care less if he gets his other favorite hat back.  He received a set of used roller blades and is mastering the art of staying vertical.

Redirect thy child.

Yes, my motherhood lesson of the week was that I had to listen to myself and not give in to the wailings of an eight year old boy.  Book #4 was off the table for now and it was my job to help open him up to new authors, experiences and hobbies.  It was a tough, tearful week and we got through it just fine in the end.

The Russian Diplomat, Mac the Knife, Former Bodega Bay Sheriff & our very own Lady Gaga wannabe

Well, it's a good thing we got through all of the hard stuff during the week because we had big, fun plans for the weekend.  We attended the third annual Bodega Bay Cabaret and it was a hoot!  I previously participated back in 2010 and channeled my inner Tammy Wynette!

Laughing it up for the crowd onstage with Natasha - Photo of me courtesy of Grady

Grady was called up by the Russian Emcee, Natasha, and was real proud of himself.  He even asked to stay for the second show and was called up again to perform, if you will.

Steve did the sound for this show, which is a community fundraiser and the acts were funny and good-natured.  This event helped to kick off a string of events leading up to the 39th Annual Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival.  This year we are celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Russians landing in Bodega Bay on their way to build Fort Ross.

I have a friend that loves to celebrate all of life's important occasions with a little party and some ice-cold bubbly.  She throws an annual Oscar Pajama Party every year for her girlfriends and it is not to be missed.  We donned our evening wear, a little bling and shared our definite opinions on the fashions of the night.  I left with a list of movies to put in my Netflix queue.

The warm spell from last week has left us and the clear, cold nights and frosty, crispy mornings are reinforcing the need for flannel sheets to stay on the beds a bit longer.

Daffodils are coming up all around us, so we set out to cut and display over 100 blooms this week.  Bringing that hint of spring into the house has elevated my mood and beautified my daily surroundings and it didn't cost a penny.

Grady had the opportunity to meet a wonderful woman last week that was born in 1907.  He brought her flowers and took notes while we chatted about her life.  He learned that she is an artist, loved to take photographs and her favorite color is green.  She also once held a bear cub on a train ride and was nicknamed Little White Flower by local Blackfoot Indians.  She had a horse named Fly and her father was a blacksmith.  It was a beautiful afternoon and he is going to turn his photos, words & copies of her artwork into a presentation for his third grade class.

Have you listened to the interview of Maurice Sendak by Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air?  You should.  It's so good.

Live your life.
Live your life.
Live your life.
- Maurice Sendak

this moment

{this moment}

{this moment} - 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.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

nuggets :: february reflections

hump day nuggets :: little bits of the season in photos and words from the last week

nuggets.

This is what $14 gets you.  I'm just sayin'...

To the naked eye the above photos probably look very much the same.  However, the one on the left is the before haircut image and the one on the right?  You guessed it.  The after haircut image.  Really?  Yes, really.  I love his long hair, but we did get the dreaded lice notice sent home last week from school - so his long, lock-loving days could be numbered.  He was offered up to $200 to cut his hair and he declined.  This boy loves his hair and so does his mama.

The boys had smiles plastered on their faces for over two hours straight

We spent an entire day with our friends eating really good mexican food, hitting a few new thrift stores and watching our boys ice-skate at Snoopy's Ice Arena in Santa Rosa.  

We even popped into the Charles M. Schulz Museum long enough for the boy to sit down and draw a quick comic strip before they hit the ice.

Night and Day at the Ponderosa

G hosted a little hotdog, popcorn, ice cream, marshmallow extravaganza last Friday night at our place.  He really likes the relocation of our fire pit and couldn't wait to invite our friends over to enjoy it with us.  He sent an email out earlier in the week requesting their presence and helped me shop for the food and set up for our evening fireside.  He gathered wood, set out candles and made paper cones from the pages of old magazines to hold our freshly popped, buttery popcorn.

Winter Footwear & My Handmade 2012 Calendar

The boy is still very into listening to books on tape and set-up a Lego making station out on the front deck over the weekend, alongside his dad's old boom box.  He designed and redesigned make believe aircrafts for the bulk of Saturday and Sunday.  Finally settling on his master creation...the Hover Pod H26.

Living Room Art Wall & New Acquisition from Clare Elsaesser

I recently purchased a few new pieces of art to add to our art wall.  The very talented artist, Clare Elsaesser of Tastes Orangey, painted Undertow (pictured right) and I absolutely love it.  Visit her etsy site for a glimpse at her beautiful body of work.

Fallen Tree & Grady urging me to JUMP from said tree

A package from Grandma Gigi arrived on Friday and had the requisite sweet tarts and Twix bars stuffed into various articles of clothing, along with this very cool red sweatshirt.  I had to pry it off of his body Monday night to get it in the washing machine.  H is for Hecht, right?

We had grand plans of heading out to the beach for the negative low tide on Sunday, but Mother Nature had other plans and a cold wind kicked up mid-afternoon.  We decided to put on our boots and venture out back, behind our house in the cow pasture.  Oh, I'm so glad we did.  The change of perspective was a nice surprise and looking at our house and the valley from a different spot was just the kind of metaphorical jolt I needed.  I was refreshed and inspired by my surroundings.

My chives have come back to life after several months of playing dead.  Shadow hunting was a silly way to experiment with my camera settings.

It's funny how changing your perspective helps you to see things differently.  I know this in theory, but loved how a small shift in the way I walk around my property changed how I viewed my very own home.  I noticed all of the plants just about to bloom and the ones that needed a little future pruning TLC.  This was an exercise in slowing down, paying attention and stopping long enough to log it all in my mind for a future garden to-do list.

Our art studio has been quiet lately.  It seems like the days of February have gone so quickly and we have not made time to just be and create.  We must make time for this in the coming days.  I'm itching to make something, anything.

When work and life obligations start stacking up, I like to attack them like a taskmaster.  I feel good being productive, checking things off my list, juggling work, home, volunteerism, family and friends.  It's this wonderful combination of everything that I care deeply about and it fills me up 95% of the time.  The other 5%?  Well, that's what I refer to as hitting my wall.  Yesterday I met my wall head-on and slammed right into it, slowly sliding down its face and into a puddle of emotions.  While the husband shuttled G to basketball practice, I stayed home and was witness to one of the most incredible sunsets.  I shook me up an ice cold martini, bundled up and watched the fiery show from my back deck.  Ahhhhhh.  I then picked myself back up, declared breakfast for dinner and salvaged the evening with my guys.  Perspective had hold of me again and gently nudged me back into the groove of my life.

All of this self-reflection and recording of our life has been strangely cathartic.  At times it feels really narcissistic and other times it feels like I'm cataloging real life.  Our life.  And who better to do that than me?  By way of veto power, Steve can weigh in about what I share.  Grady has been approving all photos as of late and likes reading what I write about us.  Stopping every week to work on this exercise in family preservation via this blog, photos and words has challenged me in ways I didn't know it would.

I'm grateful for this space.

I'm grateful for this life.

this moment

{this moment}

{this moment} - 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.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

nuggets :: hands + hearts

nuggets :: little bits of the season in photos and words about the last week

Our home has been humming with activity lately.  I've been cooking pots and pots of soup for friends, sending out overdue thank you notes & presents and getting caught up on lots of handwritten correspondence.  With Valentine's Day upon us, we have been making lots of handmade goodness to mail to friends near and far.  My love of fine paper products, coupled with magazines, glue, glitter & red thread has equaled the sweetest end result.  It was a good week.

   

nuggets.

The event of the season happened over the weekend and we were oh so grateful to be part of the action.  The Pastures Preschool Art Show + Open House was a beautiful success.  With hints of hot pink and floating disco balls, the decor, original artwork and children were absolutely precious.  The director of this little red school house has oodles of style & her influence and curating of the show was spot on.  We scored a few one-of-a-kind goodies that we can't wait to gift or use ourselves.  It was a treat to see all of the new little artists dress up for the occasion in capes, tutus, feathers & sparkles.  I spotted many of them running through the yard with giggles & laughter trailing behind them, climbing trees and perfecting their hang-drop.

These beauties were found at West County Design in Valley Ford

Quotes from the week:

Me:  Would you like me to rip that magazine page out, so it's a little easier to cut out your hearts?
Grady:  No mom.  Life is a challenge.  I like it this way.


***


Grady:  If I wasn't that in to parties I would just call my birthday an anniversary.


***


Me:  What do you want to be when you grow up, Grady?
G:  Oh, that's easy.  A painter.


***

Hot pink Russian script adorned the bottom of a new dress I acquired from the free clothing swap.  My friend translated it for me:

Drinking tea is not like chopping wood.  Hmm.  I better have a cup of tea and think about that one.


***

We've had a string of dark, grey days and it finally feels like winter.  Blossoms and bulbs are bursting all around us and serving as a gentle reminder that spring is coming.  We have a lot of cleaning up to do around here and getting the potting shed in order is definitely on the list. A seed catalogue arrived last week and there is so much hope packed into those glossy pages.  For now, I'm putting it aside and trying to savor and enjoy the slower pace of the season we're in right at this very moment.

So the January purge has crept its way into February.  Just when I thought I couldn't purge anything else, well, you know the story.  There is always something to get rid of and organize (or reorganize, as the case may be).  My Real Simple and Sunset magazine hoarding is at an all-time high and making the drawers that I store them in (read: hide them in) too danged heavy.  So it's time to pour that tea, peruse those mags one more time and then pass them along.

Stopped to capture these shots on the drive home from Cotati

Grady groans every time I pull off to the side of the road and grab my camera.  I'll be just a minute, okay?  I can't help it.  There is so much beauty surrounding us and I find that my camera never quite does it justice.  As evidenced by some of the mundane pictures here in this space, I am practicing my photography, playing with the settings and apertures.  Yes, it may seem silly to see a stack of Sunset magazines strewn across my floor (why is she photographing that?), but I'm really just playing with the light, texture and composition of every day items.   I'm learning a little more each week.

I read a really interesting article on French parenting this week.  I discussed it at length with Steve and how instant gratification plays such a big part in our American culture.  Check it out if you're into that sort of thing.  It was enlightening and shared some new parenting techniques and views.

Yes, in case of emergency push here.  A fun emergency.

Speaking of instant gratification...

Uh-huh.  Yep.  We were the lucky guests at yet another ice cream social this week after school.  Our friends who are seasoned parents or grandparents really know how to spoil a child, as evidenced above.  Fresh, handmade cones and on-the-spot whipped cream (and pink to boot!).  Grady had three cones, I had two and Steve had one.  Well, someone had to do it and I'm so glad it was us.  We left with a bag of surplus cones and the urge to go and purchase our very own whipped cream dispenser.  I definitely see more ice cream socials in our future and perhaps you will be invited. 

Steve went to Pebble Beach with some friends for a few days and that afforded me the opportunity to have a Friday afternoon mother-son date with the boy.  First on the agenda - new shoes.  We trekked out to the Converse outlet store, picked up a new pair and donated the sad, old ones.  Obviously, it was time.

Do you see how super cool he is now?  Taking his picture is getting harder and harder.  We rounded out our afternoon with a trip to the bookstore, a quick bite to eat and then a movie and ice cream at home.  Because we clearly hadn't had enough ice cream this week.

Do you see the form on player #2?  Whew.  It takes a lot of work to get that contorted, right?  As luck would have it, he jammed his left index finger just prior to the game on Saturday and was unable to play.  We had invited a few friends to watch and so this was very disappointing for him.

His finger turned a greenish-purplish-blue, but was definitely not broken.  We iced it, taped it and even gave it super healing kisses.  I think that's what finally worked.  The kisses.

Grady was gifted The Invention of Hugo Cabret from a dear friend this week and he was completely immersed in the story and rich, detailed illustrations.  He finished the book in three days, as well as finishing the second Harry Potter last week.  Again, he's on a reading binge these days and devouring books like they were candy.  

I've finally figured out how to get him going in the morning without a struggle.  I've been waking him up about 30-45 minutes earlier than usual and telling him that he can read until 7 am.  Why didn't I think of this sooner?  He slowly starts his day and is content to do his morning chores after all that reading, too.  We've been on time for the bus stop and no morning meltdowns.  Why didn't I think of this sooner?  I like a slow start to my day, so why wouldn't he?  I'm finally getting this mothering thing down after eight years - wink, wink ;-)

My husband is seldom pictured here on this blog, as he is not a fan of the posed photo.  He was a good sport yesterday and posed just long enough for me to snap this live crab shot.  Every year on Valentine's Day he makes his amazing crab cakes.  He even made a few in the shape of hearts for me and the boy (yes, the boy ate a wasabi seasoned crab cake!).  This is such a labor of love and I look forward to it every single year.  Thanks, honey.

Steve's interpretation of a "heart" valentine (left) and my edible interpretation (right)

We had such a sweet Valentine's Day around our household.  Handmade cards, notes, delicious food, drink and sweets.  I say I got off rather easy this year and just hand-dipped some fresh strawberries in dark chocolate.  I have to remember to make these more often!

Hope you had a beautiful and sweet week, as well.

this moment

{this moment}

{this moment} - 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.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

nuggets :: superbowl, sundaes & swap

nuggets :: little bits of the season in photos and words from the last week

Rhythm is a funny thing.  When I'm in a good rhythm, life is good.  The house is clean, the fridge is full, dinner is on the table most nights in a timely fashion, laundry is washed & put away, the bills are paid and I get a lot of quality time with Steve and the boy.  I get caught up on my reading, run errands in an efficient manner and make time for friends and a cocktail or two.  When I'm in a bad rhythm, I can't figure out what's wrong and I feel like I'm spinning in circles.  If only I could know how to stop the cycle before it starts.  I guess to do that I would need to just pay a bit more attention and have more intention to my life.  Yes, I'm a work in progress and believe it or not - writing it all down here helps me do just that.

I'm in a good rhythm this week and it's made all the difference in our work, home and personal lives.  I need to pay more attention to this rhythm thing.  It feels good.

nuggets.

"Sheep Valley" painted (left) & photographed (right) by Grady Salas Hecht, Age 8

Golden hour at the sheep ranch 

After a three month hiatus, Grady was scheduled to resume art lessons with his teacher on Sunday in Jenner.  After his first art show in November he was eager to paint landscapes, only to be disappointed by his own efforts.  His teacher suggested giving Grady the camera and having him take a few landscape photos prior to their lesson.  I emailed a few of his favorite shots and this is what they worked on in their first 2-hour art lesson of the new year.  Of course, I absolutely love them both (especially the titles).

"Backyard" painted (left) & photographed (right) by Grady Salas Hecht, age 8

The boy gave me permission to use his art & photography images on my blog.  I told him I would give him credit on this space, as well.  As he's getting older, he wants to have a say in what photos I post here and that seems fair to me.  His self-awareness right now is at an all-time high and he doesn't want any babyish pictures here.  He has approved all photos in this post.

Secret Beach at sunset

As has been our tradition, we spent Superbowl Sunday in Jenner with our favorite people.  We lunched at River's End, took a walk down to the beach at low tide, found various beach treasures and another little driftwood hut just waiting for us to use it.  Click here, here and here to see previous Superbowl Sunday shenanigans.

Hearts were all around us - we just had to look for them

The children found hearts all over the place!  Just in time for Valentine's Day.

Old Jenner Schoolhouse & the requisite "Silly" Shot

I love how a trip to the beach soothes and cures all that ails us.  Isabella had badly injured herself the day before in a mountain biking accident, but as soon as she hit the sand her mind told her body to climb rocks, do cartwheels down a sand dune, chase flocks of seagulls and bury her sister and god-brother up to their necks in the grainy, cold, pebbled sand.

Babylon Book Club's February selection was Tinkers by Paul Harding

Our house is so full with books right now.  I have ambitious stacks next to my bedside and Grady is leaving me dated notes with star ratings and quick reviews on post-its.  I'm record keeping for him as he advances forward on his 1,000 book quest for 2012.

The emotions of an eight year old boy are new too me.  We had an abundance of highs and we hit quite a few lows over the last week.

In his search for independence, we agreed that I would no longer stay in the car and watch him stand in the bus line on Highway One.  The agreement struck was that I will just drop him off, no embarrassing good byes, no photos, nothing.  Just drop him off and let him wait the two whole minutes until the bus arrives.  Solo.  Did I mention this is on Highway One?  Oh, I did.

He also wants out of his car booster seat.  It prompted him to come home one day after school, log on to his computer and research car safety laws.  He convinced us that he was tall enough and weighed enough.  Silly us.  We believed an eight year old.  Good thing Steve went online and researched California child safety restraint laws.  Little man, you will be riding in a booster until you are 4' 8" tall.  That's the law.  Nice try.

PTA-ELAC sponsored 3rd Annual Clothing Swap

I had the honor of co-chairing this amazing community building event at Tomales Elementary School for the third year.  I wrote about past swaps here and here.  It was a fun and easy event.  We drank coffee, helped our friends find the perfect outfits and watched as bags full of free clothing walked out the door to a new home.

In the end, we donated over 50 bags of clothing and shoes to local area thrift stores.  It was a win-win for all involved and I can't wait to do it again next year.

Our blonde hen, Kiki Larue, pictured in second frame was not the target.  I promise.

Yes, the boy got a Red Ryder B.B. gun from his father this year for xmas.  I know, I know.  It's funny how time changes you and this gun issue has finally settled in with me and I acquiesced.  It's actually been a really nice opportunity to teach Grady about gun safety and has allowed him to flex his independent muscles.  The one caveat of owning such a gun is that he is forbidden to shoot any avian creatures or wildlife of any kind.  He's a pretty good shot.

When I cannot bear outer pressures anymore,

I begin to put order in my belongings...

As if unable to organize and control my life,

I seek to exert this on the world of objects.

-Anaïs Nin

Sundaes on Saturday

A dear friend hosted a kid-friendly luncheon over the weekend and invited us to join in the fun.  She indulged the boys with cheetos, cherry cokes, spaghetti & meatballs and a grande finale of make-your-own sundaes with five different ice creams and a dozen or more toppings.  The boys played rounds of bocce ball and the new game see how you can get a basketball stuck in a cypress tree.  The ladies enjoyed a little bubbly, a bleu cheese tasting and chatted about our favorite books, the Kindle and world travel.  

When we left the festivities after five hours (!), the boy updated his statement from the week prior by emphatically saying:  Now this is the best day of my life!  Last week in San Francisco is the 2nd best day of my life.  So far.  

It just keeps getting better and better for him.  He went to school on Monday and started writing a short story about this day of decadence.  I can't wait to read it.

Self-portrait by Grady Salas Hecht

Christening the new area with a little flair

Fire Pit Vignette by Grady Salas Hecht

Needing a small excuse to unearth our fire pit and organize our garden seating area, I invited our friends over for an almost full moon fireside cocktail.  We popped a little popcorn, mixed a few drinks and sat out underneath the clear, star-studded, winter sky.

I've recently become addicted to Pinterest.  Have you tried it?  It's like magazine tear sheets, but online.  Kind of like bookmarking favorite websites, but better because you have a visual image to jar your memory and not just a web address.  I kept seeing all of these wonderful ideas and pins for fire pits and garden seating areas and was inspired.  I was initially invited to be a beta tester on the site a few years ago and never quite got the hang of it.  Well, I'm cured of that now and love visiting the site each night to add a few favorite images from the day.  Feel free to follow me on Pinterest here.

We've had such a mild winter here on the Sonoma Coast and our days have had a cold, often wet start to them and then end up warm and balmy.  With our longer days, our hens started laying again and we are so delighted.  Punxsutawney Phil indeed saw his shadow and said six more weeks of winter, but it sure doesn't feel that way to me.

Valley Ford is really on the map now.  After our town sign was stolen a few years ago, I decided to call and email our local Fifth District Supervisor and see what could be done.  His wonderful Fifth District Director helped make it all happen and facilitated its return with Cal Trans.

We have arrived.  All 126 of us.

Have a great week out there.