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.