mamaroots

This "pick an insturment" moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual via Soulemama that I was keen on doing this week- a simple sweet moment from the past week.

this pedicure moment

A favorite moment from this week- a long long time coming of my first pedicure!  My sis and her hubby and puppy got me a gift certificate a few months back and the day off today just to myself presented itself.  I haven't had much of those in quite a few months so I watched ghost hunter shows this morning and crafted, had lunch with my mama and my other sis and then went to have my first pedicure.

Let me tell you what, I am honestly really not one to splurge on personal indulgences like that, but it was a terribly lovely moment!  Mineral salt soaks, pumice scrubs, milk and honey treatments, hot towels, tea, foot rubs, lovely polish, and of course the stylish pink flip flops!

It was a delicious indulgence that I will have to do again-  it only took 40 years to get my first, I don't think I shall wait that long again.  So tell me, what have you indulged in lately?

this "chicken" moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual via Soulemama that I was keen on doing this week- a simple sweet moment from the past week.

Happy July

Wishing you and yours all the best picnics and adventures July will hold!  I look forward to sharing ours with you soon.  Keep cool- we are still hoovering around 100 degrees all week long!  We are headed to some water picnics to keep cool and drench ourselves with fruit and spring fed waters.  Have a good Sunday!

wow- is mom upside down

I am sure many of you who have grown your babies, birthed your babies, raised and or raised your babies are very much aware that WOW in MOM upside down.  So at the end of a pretty relaxing day and honestly pretty normal day complete with my monthly platelet donation in the morning, strawberry shortcake for breakfast (thank you boys), afternoon playdates for the boys and planting in the woods for mama, I was reminded and did my part to remind the boys that Wow- this is a pretty amazing trip we are on!

Sometimes I am wowed by the power of their temper fits, sometimes I am wowed by their intense energy, but always I am wowed by the chance to be their mom and learn from them as much as I hope they are learning from me.  Hoping yours was full of "wow" too!

40 Roots

So I entered the earthside world on this day 40 years ago and precisely 3:15 in the afternoon at a relatively high altitiude in the Rocky Mountains!  I have been of course pondering turning 40 for a while.  One of the college students I work with asked me if I was going to have a midlife crisis.  I had to chuckle!  Nope I said, I am just making sure to remember all the parts of my girlhood that I loved and hold onto them!

I dig birthdays quite a bit and as I may have mentioned my love threw me a surprise party that was so unexpected and so fun last weekend, hence the "surprise" part of surprise party!  But also a few months back I came across this print on Etsy and knew just how I wanted to honor turning 40.  I wanted to re-created this print as a photo of me.  The print represents so much of who I am.  Not to mention that the title is "Looking Forward"!  My dear dear friend Amy took the photos for me.  She has been my rock for the past few years.  A friend I know I will cherish and have for many of our years to come.  You local folks, she takes fantasic photos by the way!

The print, the photo- this is what I am holding onto.  What I know about myself is that I grew up barefoot, wearing dresses, playing with my dolls, under the trees in an old house with my parents and sisters that I love so deeply.  My parents are awesome role models and my sisters constant friends.  I can't really imagine my life without my family.  It is part of what keeps me rooted in the midwest instead of going back to the mountains.

I was taught how to make things, how to grow things and play outside.  Did you know my first playhouse was the old outhouse for the farm?  More on that in future posts- and no it had not been used in years and had been moved and cleaned!

I grew up in the country in the midwest.  I had cats often, my first was Sylvester.  I loved my dolls, Priscilla was my favorite and I think I always wanted to be a mama.  Mushrooms- well frankly they are food of the gods!  I have drank warm cups of tea since I can remember and cry at the drop of a hat.  Books are like candy for me!  It is all apart of my roots.

So when I imagine myself as a 40 year old woman, I still can't help but seeing this girl in the mirror. Trying to keep her near my heart.  Trying to learn from my mistakes- and oh yes there are plenty of them to learn from!  Trying to mother the best I can, and honor and love my partner in life.  

I am sure those braids will be turning grey (or silver as my boys like to say) but hopefully I will still be barefoot in a dress under a tree when I turn 50!  "Maybe" I will part with this heirloom doll I treated myself to when I become a grandmama- hmm maybe!

So when you get ready to hit those milestone birthdays, don't forget that little girl that is a part of all of you- she is so much of who you are as a woman.  

And as you know, I have a little tradition of gifting a present to one of you, my readers that I am so thankful for sharing this space with me.  Since books are such a part of my roots, I want to give away a copy of the new board book version of Root Children.  This is a favorite I know of many of you and now there is a board book edition.  

Just leave me a comment between now and Tuesday at midnight and I will draw a winner Wed!  Good luck my friends on this Friday the 13th!

I am . . .

I am enjoying a hot cup of chai and starting to read a little bit of Taproot- thank you so much to Nova Naturals who sent me a gratis copy.  Have you read it yet?  Tonight probably just a little peak before it is time to sleep.  

I am also enjoying the first walks in my little patch of woods- Tanglewood and finding that my elderberry survived the winter!

How about you- what are you enjoying right now?

this "fort building" moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual via Soulemama that I was keen on doing this week- a simple sweet moment from the past week.

project 365 oops I mean 366!

I am having fun thinking about what this year will look like.  I am enjoying the time to read, relax, and take it all in.  I do believe at the moment I am reading 4 books: Knitters Book of Wool, Complete Photo Guide to Knitting, and Guide to Nikon D70.  I am enjoying being out of my comfort box with photography. I recently bought a camera of my dear friend that is an amazing photographer.  I love to think of how I am going to grow with photography with her good vibes coming through!

I somehow came across the idea of Project 365 366.  A picture everyday for 1 year.  I think it will be a fun way to chronicle what will be my 40th year this year.  So I am not alway sure what each day will be, some days it might be a picture from my phone and sometimes from my camera, but either way it will be fun to look back on.

I wanted to also take a moment to share women photographers past and present that I greatly admire:

Julia Margaret Cameron- adore the victorian element to these early photos!

Vivian Maier- recently learned of her from my hubby- awesome!

Papillion Sky Photography- my dear friend with an amazing eye!

Bliss Ripple- another sweet mama who is about to welcome her second baby into her world!

Soulemama- always inspiring

Boatmama Cindy- just a joy to see the beauty of how she shares her life with her crew on their boat!

I love discovering all you amazing mamas out there on the other side of the lens!  

10, then and now!

A decade- seriously!  He is a decade old today.  A beautiful September day I can remember just like it was yesterday.  I kept feeling weepy and emotional this week that my oldest is getting so old that I had the idea to re-create a picture from when he was a baby to bring out the giggles!

It worked!  I have this really loud laugh that is odd and comes deep from within my belly and takes my breath away when something really tugs on my funny bone.  This set of pictures did it- you could hear me laughing down at the neighbor's house!

A little thing hubby did to both of the boys when they were little- a little way of measuring and weighing those growing boys!  So here is to first boy- I love him so much!  More pictures to come of some fun birthday times and a request for a special guest post on mama's blog this weekend too!  But till then enjoy your Friday, I am loving mine!