Dreamy

We took a day away yesterday, packed a picnic, and went to Nojoqui Falls.  It was beautiful, and so peaceful.  We were the only ones there, so we sang songs as we walked out to the falls to let the mountain lions know we were coming.  When we got there, the falls were barely running, but still it was a beautiful sight to look straight up at.  All the little water droplets trickling over the ferns and moss were sparkling like diamonds in the sun.  


I thought the above photo might be inspiring for a future fabric print.  I love the colors, and the shapes of the roots.
Erin took this cute shot of Elliot and I walking down the tree-arched path.
This was the most exciting part of the day!  We saw a fox!  The picture isn't great because it was taken with a zoom, and then cropped way in on iphoto, but still you can see how cute he is.  We watched him climb straight up the trunk of this 20-something foot tree.  When we got home, we looked  it up online and compared pictures, and found out that he was a Gray Fox, endangered in the U.S., and the only canine that can climb trees other than some kind of Asian Dog.  We felt to lucky to get to see him!

Oh, the glory... we stopped at the cutest little organic farm/store.  They had the most perfect looking veggies lined up on display, and an old oak wine barrel with a slot in the top for you to put your money in.  The honor system.  Sprayers would come on automatically every few minutes to keep the veggies fresh, and there was another table full of winter squash of all kinds, and a sign saying you could call the farmer if you wanted to buy some eggs.
At the end of the veggie table, they had this watering can sitting strategically positioned to catch the water drips, which ran down against this ledge (from the sprayers), and off the corner.... drip, drip, drip into the can.  So so cute.  It made me wish I had some property to spread out on.  Everything seems so much cleaner and fresher when there is wide open space.  I decided if I ever did have some property, I would have a small walled garden.  One section for vegetables, one for flowers, and plant some random fruit trees around.  Let the dogs run loose, let the land be wild.  It would be........ so nice.

Ode to January

I remember when I was little, I had a mental calendar of the seasons, and my own ideas about when each of the four began. In my mind, it mostly centered around school and holidays, or that's what I always thought.... Summer began in June when school let out, Fall began the first day of school, which was always in September, Winter began the first day of December because that was the month of Christmas, and Spring began some time in January after school had started up again. This idea kind of stuck with me, and now I think rather than just a child's idea, it's really more of a California idea. I am so incredibly grateful that while other people across the country are still in a winter wonderland scene, spring is getting a foothold here.
Although in some ways it's not good (plants are waking up that might have benefitted from a bit more winter hibernation), it has been wonderful to be outside enjoying the sun and 70-80 degree weather the past week or so.


Elliot had been jumping in bed with me in the mornings to "get warm" with me.  He's so cute, and it's fun that he has been more snuggly lately.  He likes to get right next to me and throw his leg over me.  He usually starts out facing me, and then tells me my breath is stinky and turns around.  But me makes up for it by telling me "You're a really cute girl, mom."  And, "I'm so proud of you, mom."  He is so sweet!

We went to Guadalupe last week, and it was so beautiful.  I loved that even though it was a perfect day, there was hardly anyone there.  Elliot ran around in his own little world, and we even tried out his new shark kite right before we left, though there wasn't enough wind to keep it up for very long.

We took at walk on the beach this Sunday with Donna.  Walked all the way down the the caves at the end of Pismo.  Elliot was kind of scared that there were going to be animals in it, even though he could see the back.  He wanted to go in anyway, though.  I guess he's a thrill seeker.
This is my mid-January lunch, harvested out of my own back yard!  It's pretty cool that I can harvest lettuce, volunteer parsley, and radishes in winter.  No greenhouse needed besides the one hovering over California.  Ha, ha.  :)
Here's the little destructor.  He's not as bad as he seems, even though he eats food off the counter, drinks my coffee out of my cup, ripped up all the padding under the swing set, and has now TWICE attacked Miss Bennet, the nicest of the ducks.  She's okay, though.  Speaking of the ducks, they are getting more friendly, and now if I'm out gardening, they follow me around the yard quacking.  If I crouch down to pull weeds or prune, they come around and nibble the edges of my clothing and it tickles like crazy!  The are more tame, and if I'm sitting, they won't even run away if I try to pet them.  Yesterday I sprayed off the patio, and they thought they had a pond for a couple minutes.  Lady Tottington (the gray indian runner) kept running around in a circle and then plopping down.  She even tried to put her head under water.  Too bad it was only a puddle!  They need a pond!

Creative Day in Nappier Plaza

Erin is over here, and we are having a lazy morning.  It got off to a rocky start, with Elliot spilling beans out of his shaker, and the coffee maker not working (it would only brew pots of hot water with no grinding happening - I guess that's what I get for buying the fully automatic kind).  I guess I resigned myself to not having a plan for the day, and then things started getting happy.  We put on some music and both started drawing, and Elliot dumped blocks on the living room floor and started building his specialty, choo-choo trains.  I drew this duck with my new pencils.  It was inspired by Miss Bennet, my friendliest duck.  I can't figure out if she's the nicest because she's the slowest, and has therefore been held the most and gotten used to people, or if she's the slowest because she's just not as afraid of people as much as the others.  Anyway, she's the one that will eat from my hand and come over to say hello when she's roaming around the yard.  Anyway, I've had this picture of a duck holding and umbrella in my head for a while now, and it was satisfying to get it onto paper.  Happy day!

On another note, this poem came into my head the other night.  I had to look it up because I didn't remember anything but the first line, or who wrote it.  Once I read it, I really identified with the feeling of it.... but in the past.  I feel different now, but it was cool to find this, and I love it, so I will share it!

Acquainted With the Night

Robert Frost

I have been one acquained with the night.

I have walked out in rain -- and back in rain.

I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.

I have passed by the watchman on his beat

And dropped my eye, unwilling to explain.

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet

When far away an interrupted cry

Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-bye;

And further still at an unearthly height,

O luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong or right.

I have been one acquainted with the night.

A Whole Lotta Nothin'

For the first time in a long time, I feel like I don't have that much to tell about.  It has been great just having some down-time after the holidays.  We have taken a couple of trips to the beach.  Elliot loves playing in the sand and building sandcastles.  

Erik has a new surfboard, which is a copy of his old red one, but is really beautiful.  Baby blue on the bottom and white on the top with a really cool logo from the shaper, Russel Hoit.  If anyone wants to buy a board, we can get you a discount!  

I have been enjoying drawing with my colored pencils, and I have some schemes for doing some screen printing on fabric, and making myself some skirts for the spring.  And wearing them with cowboy boots.

Roscoe destroyed almost all the seeds I was planning to plan in my second vegetable bed.  I was so mad, I actually cried.  It was about $80.00 worth of seeds, and the packets were completely in shreds all over the yard.  Oh well!

Erik and I have been talking to our pastor, who is also an independent contractor, about adding on a room to the house.  It's starting to seem less like a distant dream, and more like something that could really actually happen.  It scares me to think about having another load payment, but I think we just might be able to swing it.

Well, that's what I sound like when I don't know what to say.  Now you know.  :)

We enjoyed Pismo in the beautiful weather we had the first few days of the new year.
In case anyone thinks we named our dog after Roscoe P. Coltrane, we didn't....  Roscoes Chicken and Waffles!  Yeah!
Elliot and his Auntie enjoying a morning round of the Kapla planks.  They are so much fun!
For some reason Erik likes to lay down on the floor.  So, Roscoe finds this the best way to get cozy.
And, I guess Elliot likes to get cozy as well.

Hopefully....

So much has happened in this past year, 2008.  Mostly, when I think about it, it just makes me feel tired, and I am happy to be moving on to a new year with new possibilities.  I am looking to this year with hope, to see what God has in store for us.  Hopefully, it will hold some good shipping jobs for Erik, maybe some family vacations.  Hopefully, it will be a good year for creativity.  Maybe some new songs, art, and AMEN stuff will come out of it, and be appreciated, and reflect not just the little creator, but the big One, too.  Hopefully, I  will make some new friends, and cherish the old ones.  I hope that everyone I love stays healthy and safe.  I know there will be change (that's one thing that is for sure), but hope it will be for the better, and that it will be by choice, not necessity.  All I can really do is make the most of what I have been given, and put my hope in God.  So, here goes... take this year, God, and make something beautiful of it, like you always do.  

:)

Happy New Year