The first day I worked in the Bakery Candy Kitchen at Harry & David, we were making the Traditional Fruitcakes. I wondered who on earth was still eating these things. We made thousands, in an assembly line, and it moved fast. I could barely keep up. I felt like Lucille Ball on the chocolate line, only…
Category: Seasons or Holidays
Full Moon, Valentine’s Day, Werewolves and Baby Goats
This Valentine’s Day was a Full Moon. We couldn’t see it because of the outrageous downpour of rain we are experiencing, but Ben felt it. He has been a little obsessed with werewolves lately. I made the mistake of explaining that the moon actually has a pull on us – same as the oceans’ tides…
Of Cycles and Circles and Seeds and Beginnings
This morning, I read again from the gorgeous gardening, meditation, living life book, “Gardening at the Dragon’s Gate: At Work in the Wild and Cultivated World,” by Wendy Johnson. She writes in a way that makes me want to go out and kiss my garden and hold the dirt in my hands and whisper…
Majestic Heights of Soul Force
Today, we celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday with a couple of videos* specifically tailored for children’s understanding. When we were done, my six-year old announced that he was going to color a picture of Martin Luther King, Jr. Ben joined him in coloring on the living room floor, and I printed out the “I…
Christmas Elf
In addition to all the Christmas presents Ben made out of paper and tape, and the tree itself, and all the decorations, he didn’t think the living room was quite festive enough until he created a life-sized Elf. I just sat back and watched him create this in a matter of minutes. His creativity totally…
Winter Storm Driving
It has snowed a whole bunch in our area. (I am so cheating with this photo. It’s from a photo site and not one I took of our current storm.) Our snow is bad, but not this bad. It’s packed, it has stayed on the ground for almost a week, in six to eight inch…
Gnomes and Christmas and Coffee Tables for Daydreaming
It never occurred to me how very Christmas-like is the world of Gnomes. The gorgeously illustrated book of Gnomes was something my dad and mom had out on their coffee table when I was younger. I remember pouring through the pictures and spending hours daydreaming about life in the forest as a Gnome. Perhaps, that was…
The Sucker Punch of Moving
We get to see my little sister and her family tomorrow, as they drive through our area on their way to their new home in Portland, Oregon. She has been in the San Francisco Bay Area all her adult life. She has had the most terrific views, and walked to everything she loves doing….
Dwell in the Glory Days
Sometimes it hits me, how beautiful life is right now. My husband and I watched the Season Finale, the Epic Finale, of The Office tonight. We have watched this show our entire married life. When the Writer’s Strike interrupted production, we went back to old DVDs of previous seasons, and even checked out the…
Grateful that my Kids Comprehend Gratitude
This year, more than anything else, and of course, there is so much to be thankful for always. But this year, it is the fact that my children understand the concept of gratitude. That my little Bean, at five, wants to write thank-you cards to anyone who does something nice for him. He dictated…
