hump day nuggets :: under the influence

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

Words are escaping me for this post, as I've procrastinated most of the day and found countless other things to do to occupy my time.  But my mom arrives today and I have many, many things to do before her plane lands.  Nuggets will be short and sweet.

nuggets.

:: Art acquisition.  All of the above images are from the home of a talented graphic designer in Tomales.  She oozes creativity.  The owl art on the right is now the property of little 'ole me.  I love it and not just because it's gold & shiny.  Those button eyes and real tree branch sealed the deal.  Not sure where it will find its final resting place at our house, but she can float around for awhile and figure out where she wants to land when the time is right.

:: Dia de los Muertos.  We created an altar for Molly this year.  Tears were shed and we reminisced about how lucky we were to have her in our lives, even if just for a little while.  We also talked about loved ones who are now gone and what they were like when they were alive.  I love this tradition.  It's such a nice and dignified way to remember those not of this earth any longer.  I think that's the point.

:: Art Show.  We had the privilege to attend a private art show at the home of Jeff King and his lovely wife, Kristina.  The above painting is an example of his work and his use of primary colors and flirty models!  Jeff sent Grady home with some artist grade pencils and made his day.

:: Styling.  This little man picked out a few new hats from Enduring Comforts in Freestone. I haven't met a hat that doesn't look good on this kid.

:: Old Fashioned.  We sat down for some good old fashioned family fun the other night and played a game of Scrabble with the boy.  It's only his second time playing the game, but he's really taking to it.  He started off the game with a newly acquired word "cob".  Steve has been reading the E.B. White novel The Trumpet of the Swan to him for the past few weeks.  Did you know a cob was the name for a male swan?  I did not, but I do now.

:: Ice.  I made good on a promise to take the boy ice skating on Sunday.  There were a lot of rules and signage at the ice arena, but my boy was too busy hanging on to the rails for dear life to get into any trouble.  He skated for close to three hours, slowly increasing his time around the rink and gaining confidence.  He loved when they turned down the lights and blasted the music.  He ended the day with the hokey pokey and I was reminded that this really is what it's all about.

:: Schizophrenic Weather.  We had quite a bit of rain over the weekend and today looked like this over in Bodega Bay.  There is a definite shift in the season and flip-flops are slowly taking a backseat to socks and shoes & my sweater collection is making more appearances.

:: Maintenance.  This time of year is the best time to mulch and put the garden to bed for the winter.  I usually completely skip this step and regret it come spring.  Not this year.  With the help of the husband and his trusty wheelbarrow, we put straw down on a few of the beds and mulched every single tree on our property.

Ear tag, pregnant spider, red leaves & lone fallen leaf

:: Intention vs. Attention.  I've been trying to have more intention with my days and pay more attention to the natural world.  The camera helps me look for those opportunities, to document all the beauty that surrounds me on a daily basis.  It also gives me the nudge I need when trying to find words to write about what I capture.  The image fuels the writing for me, but it's still a challenge.

 :: Art Studio.  Progress is being made within the walls of this funky, pink outbuilding.  More photos once we complete the painting, electrical and all that jazz.

Sunday morning at the table

:: Inspiration.  I really love the fact that Grady can find inspiration just about anywhere.  He can just sit down and bust out a drawing whenever the mood strikes him.  He has total confidence and is influenced by whatever it is he's reading (see above photo) or learning about at that very moment.  This is why I think it's so important to encourage little ones to experiment with art and expose them to museums, artists, good books, the natural world and original ideas.  Less screen time, coupled with blank paper and some pencils is all you really need to tap into the artist within.  I firmly believe that.

I also think it's equally important to surround them with positive people and adults or mentors that encourage creativity and celebrate their ideas, not squash them.  We had a teacher this week decline a few of Grady's art entries for the school paper before she even saw them.  He was crestfallen, but I encouraged him to submit them anyway and figured if she didn't select his work that it would be a good learning opportunity.  He was a bit embarrassed and just wanted to satisfy her, so he said he would would go home and draw something like a turkey or a xmas tree, instead of the drawings he had originally selected.  That didn't sit well with me.

The above interaction immediately brought forth a vivid memory from the last week when I was asking Grady some questions for his artist bio.

When I asked him about who his early art influences were, thinking he would name Charley Harper or Jackson Pollock, he instead mentioned his first and favorite teacher, Stacy.  She is a force of creativity & kindness, coupled with compassion & an incredible DIY attitude.  She introduced the children to artists like Calder, Cornell, Basquiat and created curriculum around those artists.  Age was never a factor with her, art and the beautiful world around that tiny red schoolhouse was for everyone to indulge in and appreciate.  The children thrived under her guidance and dabbled in painting, block printing, poetry & graffiti.  They left with a firm knowledge of the seasons, plants, animals, insects and the cycle of life.

We were so lucky that he was able to spend four full years with her as she guided him through nature, books and making lots and lots of art during his preschool days.  As newbie parents, she taught us a lot, too and we are forever grateful.

And so this reminded me that one teacher has left her mark and he is the kid he is today, largely due to her influences, love and encouragement in his first few years on the planet.  She is a special, special lady and the best teacher he's ever had.

She won't be able to attend his art show this week, as her father is ill, but she will be there in spirit and perhaps always with him as he matures as an artist.  Thank you, Stacy.

:: Whatever.  Grady's first solo art show is happening in a few days.  When we went to see the space and figure out how and where we were going to hang his artwork, he confided in me that he was both nervous and thrilled.  He then went on to elaborate and tell me thrilled was one of his vocabulary words for the week, so he knew exactly what it meant.

I'm thrilled, too.

Happy hump day.

hump day nuggets :: farms, friends & the food chain

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

October has been an incredibly beautiful month around here.  Mornings start with brisk temperatures, low-lying fog and the sun rising over the fields to the east of us.  Our first frost came like a warning last Thursday morning and whispered...get ready.  By mid-afternoon we have been shedding our sweaters, throwing on cooler clothing and completely relishing the warm, cozy afternoons.  Every night for the last week has been a show of epic sunsets up and down the Sonoma Coast.  We stop whatever it is that we're doing, pay attention, slow down and watch the colors blaze across the sky and color it varying shades of pink, aubergine and persimmon.  It's like church, only better.  

nuggets.

Steve's Winking Gourd, Grady's mini Cyclops & Tammi's Friendly Vampire

:: Victory.  Um, did I mention that we were in it to win it this year at the 12th annual Chute Pumpkin Carving Contest?  Well, we may not get invited back next year, but victory was most definitely ours.

You must have the tools of the trade if you are going to take first place.  I mean, c'mon now.  To show up unarmed is really an amateur move.  Steve's gourd was a last-minute decision and his design took first place.  Granted, there were a few people in the crowd that debated the use of a gourd in an actual pumpkin carving contest, but I think those were the same people that questioned my use of silver spray paint two years ago.  I call sore loser.

Grady and his Cyclops incarnation kind of look alike, with the exception of the additional eyeball on G's noggin, of course.  This annual party is really fun and the competition and constant ribbing is really all just good-natured fun.  Or at least I think it is...

:: Commission.  I commissioned a painting of my sweet little man about six months ago from his amazingly talented art teacher, Kai.  I asked him to take his time and paint our boy shortly after his eighth birthday.  I think he captured him beautifully, especially his mouth and hair!  Oh, that hair.

:: Going native.  We are super lucky to live near Mostly Natives Nursery in Tomales.  They have a wonderful plant sale during the month of October and we spent a few of our morning hours there this past Saturday.

We picked up a few flowering Penstemon (sour grapes varieties) to plant in front of our future art studio window and G finally got the Baumea rubiginosa he's been coveting since last year's plant sale.  Now, let's see if they make it into the ground...

Requisite jump shot & pumpkin head photo!

We rendezvoused with the Rangel girls and hit Peter's Pumpkin Patch at Spring Hill Cheese Farm in the tiny town of Two Rock Valley.

It was a really hot day and the kids immediately ran through the hay maze, milked a cow, pet the donkeys, fed the pigs and made fun of the resident Shetland yak(?).  We also purchased the dreamiest homemade pumpkin ice cream that just hit the spot for the kids and the adults.

With the surplus of all the free child labor we had on hand, we immediately put them to work digging up butterball, red & purple potatoes.  We steamed ours for Sunday night dinner and they were the best potatoes I've ever eaten.  G was real proud that he personally picked them for us and I'd love it if we could grow some next year.  Somehow, I think the resident gophers will have something to say about this plan of mine.

We rounded out our Saturday by attending a Pork & Pinot dinner at our good friend's home and ranch in Occidental.  He purchased this succulent pig and an auction lot of Merry Edwards 2007 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir earlier this year at a Sonoma County Farm Bureau fundraiser.  We were the lucky recipients of his kind invitation to partake in the sacred event of watching the animal cook, be broken down and revered by all those in attendance.  It was paired beautifully with the silky, smooth wine it was auctioned off with and I cannot think of a more decadent way to spend a Sonoma County evening than with good friends, fantastic wine and desserts from Mom's Apple Pie.  A true locavore's dream.

A Sunday morning phone call changed the direction of our day and we found ourselves face-to-face with 70 chirping little chicks at Hands Full Farm.  Correction, make that 69, as one was dead upon our arrival and fed to the farm dog, Max.  Another example of the food chain for my boy to see and understand.  What a weekend for all this farm and food education.

Speaking of which, I did attend an author lecture at the Petaluma Seed Bank earlier in the week.  The charismatic Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms (featured farmer and farm in Michael Pollan's bestseller Omnivore's Dilemma) was the guest speaker and he truly inspired the packed room with his ideology and passionate straight talk.  When someone from the audience asked him his hypothesis on how to educate people outside of Sonoma County, as to eating local and supporting CSA's and the family farm - he said this:  Lead by example.  It's the most powerful thing you can do.  Be the burning bush.  

Amen.  

This is the first year that Grady has not been an animal for Halloween, specifically, a canine in these most recent years.  Oh, he's been Clifford, Scooby Doo, Underdog, Shaggy and Bolt.  However, I do think he's just the sweetest pirate this side of Nim's Island.  Total cost of costume: $4.  Thrifted pants, shirt and earring.  Dad made him an awesome sword and he gathered the handkerchief, scorpion necklace and stuffed parakeet from his playhouse.  I loved his pirate creation and, better yet, I loved his creative license this Halloween season.

Grady with our neighbors, Nurse Rosario & Doctor Giovanni

Grady trick-or-treated on Johns Street and hit three of the four neighbors' homes.  Remember, we only have about 126 people in this town.  This was clearly a good percentage of our town's population!  After our Johns Street stroll we headed over to Tomales where the sweet village was ready and willing to hand out candy to all of the local children that made the trek through town.

:: Alone time.  We've taken to kicking Grady out of the house this last week because it's just been too beautiful to be inside.  However, he just wants to read.  He rode his bike around for a few minutes and then figured out he could climb our oak tree and read up there without interruption.  He's a clever one.

::  Hello, morning.  Kiki Larue likes to greet the morning with me on the front deck.  I can't get enough of these sunrises.

:: Ka-Pow!  How do you like this coming at you?  It's something else alright.  Yes, another awesome school picture featuring this year's hair helmet, cool braided wrist accessory and the fiery, exploding background.  It's just the kind of thing I love about paying Life Touch for their school photo service.  Oh, and Grady seems to be missing his left arm.  Nice, eh?

Happy hump day one and all.

hump day nuggets :: i heart october

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

This week was...
Filled with friends and family.
Monumental celebrations, amazing sunrises and sunsets.
Community meetings and school conferences.
A trip to the big city and visits to a few farms.
Cooking endeavors and fall yard clean-up.
Potluck gatherings, a small town flea market and a short trip to the much-loved bookmobile.
Computers were upgraded and girlfriends came over to download on my front deck.
This week was...full, memorable and absolutely lovely.

nuggets.

Fake flies on the butter courtesy of three little pranksters

:: Feast.  Let's just say that if I make boeuf bourguignon for you - it means I love you.  For real.  And if I make you homemade seedy bread and a flourless chocolate cake?  Well, then I really, really love you.

We celebrated three birthdays and a wedding anniversary with and for our dear friends.

The evening ended with a Beastie Boys dance party in the living room.  It was time to get ill...in a good way.

:: Plenty.  On my way to the bookmobile this week, I stopped to pick up my bookmobile buddy and couldn't help but admire her pumpkin installation on the front porch.  She grew every single one of them.

She even had a sweet little pumpkin shaped like a heart. We bought a few smaller pumpkins that were cone-shaped and will try to turn one of them into Cyclops (one-eyed giant in Greek mythology).  We'll see how that goes at the annual pumpkin-carving contest this year.  Um, for the record, I've placed twice at this party and can't wait to compete.  Remember my prize-winning cute, silver owl pumpkin from two years ago?  Check it out here.  Oh, and I'm in it to win it, friends.  Results in next week's nuggets.

Claude, the Albino Alligator

:: Hooky.  Friday was a half day at the boy's school and we played a little hooky and headed for the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.

The boys were so excited and ran from one exhibit to the next.  Grady even spent time petting the rainbow boa snake that was in the lobby.  I was totally shocked by his fearlessness and mildly freaked out at the same time, as I have a major snake phobia.  G was completely nonchalant and walked right up, asked to pet it and got the sweet satisfaction of seeing his mom cringe all the while.

The boys were also fascinated with this 1,700 year old Giant Sequoia that was cut down in 1917.  They quickly set out to count the rings, but gave up after they hit 56.  Did you know Giant Sequoias could live to be 3,500 years old?  Neither did I.  Absolutely stunning.

They offered up suggestions for making the planet healthier, as illustrated above, and added their handiwork to the ongoing installation about global warming.  Such wise young men.

:: Wordsmiths.  Our last stop was the Academy library and the boys bustled up the steps, grabbed the first book that interested them and lounged for a bit on the bean bag chairs.  This was my favorite picture of the day.

Half of the Babylonian Book Club of Bodega Bay

:: Celebrate.  Our dear friend had an open house and 70th birthday party all rolled into one on Saturday.  And while we never quite could grab the birthday girl for a photo op, the usual suspects gathered on the front deck.  We basked in the glow of a glorious October sunset, as the fiery orb slowly dipped behind Bodega Head and disappeared into the Pacific Ocean.  Downloading this photo made me smile and take note of the good friendships I've cultivated over the last decade we've lived here and called it home.

:: Soccer.  Grady ended the season on a high note and we gathered with the rest of his team for a potluck gathering in West Sebastopol.  It was so stinking hot here over the weekend, but that didn't stop the boys from running around and enjoying the three acre property.  G was awarded a certificate and acknowledged for his happy, jovial presence on the field and one of the most improved players of the season.  Remember, he did run the wrong way during his first league game!

:: Jamming.  Well, our freezer was just about to run out of room and the time was here to put all that summer sweetness into a mason jar and call it a day.  

My neighbor, Beula, was kind enough to come over and walk me through canning for the second year in a row.  You see, they were taking over almost half of my freezer and it is precious real estate around here.  I still have about four large freezer bags full of berries and some errant used milk containers full of summer strawberries.  So much happy work still to be done.

Beula has been canning for over 50 years and schooled me on the tools I need, organizing my kitchen for the task and timing it all out for me.  She was quality control, too.

:: Overabundance.  In the orchard next to my office, there is a sea of rotting Bosc pear soldiers.  The yellow jackets and flies are having a field day with the carnage strewn about the orchard floor and I wanted to gather what I could from the branches before they met the same fate.

I picked what I could with the extended-orchard-picker-thingy and gathered the last of my tomatoes from the deer-proof patch that was generously loaned to me this year by my colleague.  It's now time to put my summer garden to rest and start planting a few things for winter.  I'm so pleased with what I harvested from my little plot this year.  Tomatoes, chard, beets, carrots and more zinnias than I could shake a stick at.

Last Friday's sunset called to me like a siren and I pulled over on Highway One and snapped a few shots of the dried up fennel seed heads and some strange little creature with horns to the left of me.  Hmmm, where on earth did he come from?

Happy hump day out there.