This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. An idea from Soulmama.

Feeling Groovy

** We are experiencing technical difficulty in the form of the blog having a mind of its own creating weird font patterns.  Paragraphs not saving as I typed them.  Anyone ever have that happen? **

"Slow down, you move too fast.

You got to make the morning last.

Just kicking down the cobble stones.

Looking for fun and feelin' groovy."

Simon and Garfunkel

I love my new job as a homeschool coordinator.

I love the rhythm of the homeschool day.  There is no rushing to get things done.  There is time for play and play can be work.  I love being able to share cool science lessons that I used in the classroom like the force and motion study using this kit.  I love that I understand how children learn and help families gain confidence in their process.

I love that learning can happen based on the child's energy, taking breaks to eat homemade bread when focus wanes, and the excitement of a child knowing that when the lessons are finished, Lego play can resume.

The rhythm of the homeschool day is a rhythm that i cherish and hope to incorporate into my teaching whether it be in or out of the classroom.   Doot-in' doo-doo,  Feelin' groovy.....

I don't love that the fonts on this post will not stay the way I type them and that they keep changing as if they have a mind of their own.  Doot-in' doo-doo,  Feelin' groovy.....

You Need a Budget

Living in 720 square feet has its challenges.  We have become painfully aware that we are at capacity.  This means that in the near future we will need to expand our space.  Adding on is not an option, long story too dull to explain.

In order to plan for the future larger house we decided we needed a strict budget.  I found a great program YNAB, You Need a Budget.   YNAB has a free 7 day trial which was just long enough to input my finances, and realize that we are pretty much spending all that we make.  We are really buying just the basics, food, bills, food, bills, the typical American Dream.  Work hard, work often, work for years and have enough to just get by.

We are now on a strict budget thanks to YNAB.  I took out cash for all our gas, food, and fun $ (not much fun going on with $40 each a month).  I then put the different budgeted totals into labeled envelopes.

Good bye ice cream at the gas station, and lunches out.  Hello future.

Until the dream becomes a reality I will continue my hobby of picturing myself in other people's spaces.

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. An idea from Soulmama.

Interruption

We interrupt this regularly featured blog to go to a week of meetings.
Will return later this week.

A week in meetings, inside on a chair makes me feel like a pile of rocks.  Heavy!!!

Road Trip

Leaving your home for a day is so necessary sometimes.  Especially when the fog blanket is thick and low.  It puts it all in perspective.  Life is not as good stuck in the house on a gloomy day, outside always clears the cobwebs in the mind.

We had such a perfiect day today.  It started with a walk on the bike path where we saw lots of fall leaves and a few lone flowers.

We then travelled about 52 miles south to the town of Moose Path to reconnect with a good friend we see less than we would like.  We drove over Turnagain Pass which always takes my breath away.

When we arrived we were suprised to see a few other old friends had joined us.

Toddlers are so creative in their play.  Dmitrii and his friend Austin found a pile of saw dust and played for hours.  Toddler ax play.  Really the ax was in nice and tight into that stump.  They invented a game of putting saw dust on the top of the ax.  So fun to watch their invention of play.

Our little guy has always been interested in music.  He dances, and is intrigued by most instruments.  Our good friend treated him with an old bluegrass song so Dmitrii could get his groove on, and boy did he.  Old friends, fire, food, toddlers, such a great way to spend a day.  

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. An idea from Soulmama.

Photos and Berries

 I watched the documentary The True Meaning of Pictures: Shelby Lee Adams' Appalachia .  I was intrigued by the photographers staging of his subjects, and in my very beginner technique I set out to photograph my handsome husband to appear different than he was.  That sounds confusing, but if you watch the documentary you might understand this quest.  Photographs can define a person, even if it is not defining them in their true form.

My sister posted this photo on her facebook page, and a friend of hers commented     "I need to know more about Jonathan!  Does he live in WV too?  What a stereotype.  I have a few relatives like that too and they are so much fun to be around"

I thought to myself.... like what?

Although I set out to create a photo that had that effect I instantly realized that a person can create a whole stereotype of a person from the setting of a photograph.  I need to watch the documentary again and see how the photographers settings and poses defined the people in maybe of a lesser light then is real.

What made these photos even more fun is that my favorite berries to harvest are the much underrated High Bush Cranberries Vivurnum edule.  They are so satisfying to pick, and are oh so red, a sharp contrast to the fall colors.  I also really like photographing them, and turning them into jelly, or syrup depending on my success in that area.  

Bring on the berries!

Our Yurt

"Nature" is What We See

"Nature" is what we see—

The Hill—the Afternoon—

Squirrel—Eclipse—the Bumble bee—

Nay—Nature is Heaven—

Nature is what we hear—

The Bobolink—the Sea—

Thunder—the Cricket—

Nay—Nature is Harmony—

Nature is what we know—

Yet have no art to say—

So impotent Our Wisdom is

To her Simplicity. 

Emily Dickinson

We own a yurt, and I miss it with its lack of plumbing, electricity, and obligations.  It sits on 9 acres of old hay fields.  We mean to go often, but time flies by.  This photo looks unreal to me, but it is real, and fall is coming, and once again I will bring my camera and capture many moments to make the feeling of the crisp air and the magical colors stand still.

Homeschool

After working as a classroom teacher for the past 11 years I have a new job.  Well two 1/2 time jobs that were put into one full time job.  I work as a homeschool coordinator for my school district 1/2 time and on an Early Childhood Grant 1/2 time.  I love my new job, although  I surely do miss my students.  I am growing to love the parents who care so deeply about their children's education that they choose to homeschool.  So different from what I am used to.

Today we had a gathering in the park to celebrate the start of the year.  We ate, played games and the parents laughed about how cute our children are.  The day ended with the dads playing frisbee golf with the children, while the women talked about health, learning and life.

I forgot my camera today, so here is a parting shot of just something worth celebrating.

The low tide on a warm day 3 hrs south of where we call home.  

The Sun Changes Everything

This summer has been a bit of a challenge due to the intense amount of rain that we have received.   Throughout this wet, wet summer I have found myself thinking that this place where we have rooted ourselves for the past 7 yrs is just not the place for me.  Then like always, the sun came out, and yes the sun changes everything.  Instantly the rain filled summer slips from my mind and all I can think about is how I am so lucky to live in such a beautiful place.

Moose Meadows, one of my favorite places

I mean really, how could I ever talk down about a place like this. So beautiful.
We spent the entire weekend outside playing at the park, gardening, and visiting with friends.  So many firsts for our little man this weekend.

The little guy discovered peas.

He helped us water our birch seedlings.

So today, I am here and for a bit the wanderlust is pushed away by the beautiful day.

I remember

I do remember where I was on September 11.  I was teaching on a small island in Prince William Sound. A student came to me outside and said "It was really scary when the plane hit the building."  I had no idea what he was talking about, as I had not seen the t.v. and we did not have a radio.  I asked questions about which movie he had seen.

I remember how scary it all seemed, my husband was away, I could not get ahold of him because the lines were so jammed. I wondered about friends who worked in New York, and I wondered about our world.  I felt safe on the island and more thankful than I had ever been to be living a remote life.  The images of the television broadcast, the panic, and sorrow are seared into my brain.  I will always remember.

720 Square Feet

Welcome to my blog 720 Square Feet. Pull up a chair, oh wait our house is too small to fit another chair in.

Yes my husband, our toddler and I live in a small A-Frame, and yes in my head I do live in an old farmhouse on 10 acres.  Someday I will live that life, but for now we are here in this life.

I am starting this blog to remind myself of the good things that happen each day.  This is my second blog, the first being about my husband and my journey to adopt our son form Kazakhstan.  I found that while keeping our adoption blog, the act of celebrating at the end of each day, the little things, made me happy.  I hope to find inspiration through this practice of reflecting on all that is good, and laughing about all that is not good.

So sit back and enjoy the ride.