its the little things.

for lunch i went to the farmers market. Sure i needed things, but i knew some friends would be there and I was hoping to see them also. (and by friends i mean the ones i hang out with and would call in case of a family emergency - you'll get the distinction in a moment)

But is it normal to squeal with delight upon seeing your favorite Amish dairy farmer and wish instantly that you could run and pick up your daughter from daycare so she could pick out her yogurt flavor? Like many small markets - chit chat ensued with friends and vendors and the Amish Dairy Man said he was happy to see his local friends again. It made me smile. Friends. While i wouldn't use the term myself i certainly appreciate that he did.

I remember the last day of the market early this fall and he was wearing what i presumed to be his 'Sunday best'. He graciously thanked his regulars and handed out information for how to contact him through the winter. Today he said it was upsetting 'to see the [local] market close for the season. It just seemed like an abrupt way to say goodbye'.

Perhaps its sentimental and cheesy but i totally agreed. I so often think of things as a means to an end.
Organic produce + small business = farmers market.

but my dairy man reminded me its more like:
my family + your family + sustainable living + consciousness of chemicals + my health + your health + animal health + + + + ... = farmers markets.

and in that ~ i am a friend. thanks for the reminder.

Our FIRST Christmas

no really – seriously – OUR first christmas.  Peter and i have been together workin on 8 years now and this is the first christmas we’ve been able to call our own.  and it was WONDERFUL.  No where to go.  No one to dress up for, no meals to make you overstuffed and did i mention, no where to go?!?!  Of course we missed family – but thanks to SKYPE and perhaps being over 30, it didn’t really seem that bad.

For starters i had tried to get all interested parties set up on Skype so they could spy on our x-mas morning should they be interested.  Course no one expected that we’d have this to deal with for soooooooooooo long.  seriously kid.  WAKE UP.  I did everything but jump on her bed at 9am.

But that being said – it was all worth the wait.  This was truly and enjoyable day.  She LOVED it.  (duh, right!)  Unfortunately i didn’t pick up my camera till she had already swapped into new jammies, opened 90% of her gifts, had a new dolly that would not come out of her arms.  Despite the wonderful picture of peter – it was funny watching G open gifts with 1 hand. OK,  for about 5 minutes until i wanted to scratch out my own eyeballs from the slowness of it all.  However, i digress.  Next are the wings.  Ahh the wings.  The wings that were cause of WWIII should they come off for nap time (they did not) ~ nor for dinner either.  But it was good.  We sang and played all day long and no one got out of their jammies. 

I guess i’m pretty lucky.  Every day just keeps getting better!

Havin a cool yule

So clearly i’ve been lacking in the blogging.  but its all for good reason i promise.  DUH – i’ve been BUSY :P

So i’m going to try and pick up roughly where i left off and just get to the good parts.  i.e. like another pic of my new rug and our sofa :)

starting of course – with our solstice celebration.  As i grow up and learn more about Christmas, its true meaning and origin of traditions I wonder more and more why I feel the need to celebrate something entirely made up.  Wanna celebrate the birth of Christ– go for it.  Wanna celebrate the sun – go for that too.  Eight days of oil…game on.  I love latkes.  But what i don’t get…nor care for, to be honest, is when people do things just for the sake of tradition or because its what everyone else does.  Perhaps its the life stage i’m in as with Santa and parenting i’m testing out new waters as i teach and am actually responsible for a lil mind.  Or perhaps i’m just wierd as my father would tell me. 

So what do you do when your brain tells you to celebrate one thing, but your childish dreams  want celebrate something else? Well for now – we do it all.  :)

Starting with the solstice.  We decorate d sun cookies (ok really flowers as that’s the cookie cutter i have) tied up our yule log and made prayer poppers / wish crackers or whatever you want to call them.  G also received a little solstice present.  A nativity scene complete with gnomes, fairy’s and so i don’t get too dizzy when i spiral to hell --  a baby in a rocker. 

 

and just for giggles – here’s a picture of my favorite little gnome-ess in all her feminine glory :)