sperlygirl

portrait of my day...

my life these days consists of dodging little toys that are sometimes laid out like little bits of bread marking a trail of kai's journey around the house. along the way, i may pass a line of cars which are neatly lined up side by side along with other little bits and pieces or it could be a structure of logs or blocks which perhaps shelters a train. and as i type this post, i hear cheerful tunes of a song in the room next door as kai sings some type of song to all the toys who are so patiently listening as he holds court in his little tent (when our hopes were really more along those of a nap!). truly, all that i cast aside when this little man comes running full force to jump into my arms to give me a bear hug and kiss.

a second chance...

remember the garden shots i posted earlier?? well, it didn't exactly make it. so we gave it a second go (after some pointers from a trusted friend). although planted a bit late in the season, we are beginning to see the red skins of ripening tomatoes, heads of lettuce filling out, and cucumbers growing from teeny yellow blossoms.

such is life isn't it, flourishing from a second chance and a tender dose of nurturing.

the pull...

it is a tender balance - a quiet juggling of priorities and dreams - the dance of motherhood, work, and the pursuit of a creative life. there are those lovely moments when all seems to fall into place and feel possible yet they  contrast with those other moments when the rotation of the earth seems to make the pull of gravity feel like a struggle. and then there are those gray in-between moments - the ones where you just wish for more hours in the day, time to ease-up a bit, your dreams to formulate a bit more clearly, and  possibilities to unfold. such is the dance...

"the present is the ever moving shadow that divides yesterday from tomorrow. in that lies hope." ~frank lloyd wright

sunday morning...

a perfect lazy morning - a last deep inhale before the schedules become busy, the routines form, meetings are penciled in, classes begin, guests arrive, projects stack up, trips are planned, and time speeds up. it has been a quiet summer, a restful season, a reprieve in the wake of a heavy year. and as much as there is always a touch a sadness when passing through one season to the next - i always seem to welcome fall and all the colors she brings with her.

had i not run this morning...

it took all that i had this morning to get up and run. this being my last day of summer it was tempting to turn off the alarm and dream a few hours longer. but i did get up and did make it out the door. i soon stopped nagging myself about not putting on sunscreen and forgetting my sunglasses. have you ever realized how beautiful the morning sunlight is when you squint up your eyes? had i not run this morning, i would not have noticed how gentle the breeze sounds as it rustles the highest leaves on the tops of the trees. had i not run this morning, i would not have passed the father holding and quietly singing to his tiny infant nestled in his arms – and i would not have remembered how small and warm kai felt when his was this teeny in my arms. had i not run this morning, i would not have passed the elderly couple whose pace may have been slow, but i could tell by the loving way they linked arms their history together stretched far behind them for miles. had i not run this morning, i would not have noticed how each breath i took would ease my mind and my body just a bit more. had i not run this morning, i would not have seen the kind man with the warm smile who called “buon giorno!” to me at the end of my run – little did he know his greeting gave me the inspiration to run just a bit farther than usual.

i don’t run to set any records or train for a race. i used to try and log my miles and my time but by day 3 i’d forget and then nag myself that i forgot – and for not being organized enough to do so. but then i realized perhaps my head isn’t supposed to hold all of those numbers, miles, or times. perhaps i need to free up that space in my mind to simply collect the images of the world that i notice as i run by. i don’t run for any other reason other than to speed up my pace in order to simply slow down my world.

don't think - just sew...

sewing is a fairly new skill for me and i have really enjoyed the several sewing lessons my dear (and very patient) friend katy gave me. this weekend i decided to give it a go and made this cheerful skirt from some fabric i found at the market last week. i am proud to have done so completely on my own and in a matter of hours. of course, i could list the several little mistakes along the way, but i think right now i will just focus on the fact that i enjoyed making it and look forward to the next. of course, i must give many thanks to my "sewing jedi master". :)

**an inspirational tune to sew by for you

seeking stillness...

the last few days of summer are unfolding and i find myself in a tender place reflecting on all that has transpired this summer - the travels - the goodbyes - my mom visiting. i feel like i need a rainy day. you know the kind where you can just curl up on the sofa and watch the rain fall outside the window. where the world around you falls silent except for the music of the rain greeting the earth. one of those days where you can completely pull yourself into your shell for a bit. wishing you a lovely weekend - in sunshine or in rain.

the marvel of animals...

 

yesterday we spent the day at the zoo. it is so amazing to experience it through the eyes of your little one. kai talks of animals all the time and often plays 'jungle' spotting various wild animals that roam the likes of our garden or pass us on the side of the road (somewhere out there - there is a groovy hippo running in sneakers along side the highway!).

so to be able to see something like a giraffe or elephant up close yesterday - well, it rocked his little world. i had to put my conflicted feelings about zoos aside and just embrace the experience of a little boy meeting his most beloved imaginings up close and for real. pure magic. and to have an elephant eat right out of your hand - could you ask for more?

meeting half-way...

there is a teeny pet store we pass on our walks and kai loves to peer into the windows to watch the animals. this day, a little prairie dog (that's what the sign said anyway...best i could translate) decided he too must have a closer look. he climbed all around that cage to get a better look and kai couldn't have been more pleased. there is something magical that is shared when you're eye to eye with an animal - an exchange that is difficult to articulate. me? i believe it is love.

tenderness...

this morning on my run, i found a teeny baby bird along side of the road. i knelt down to be sure she was alive - she was - but her location was a bit precarious. i decided i would check on her on my way back and figure out what to do then. when i came upon her again, she was fast asleep. her little head tucked safely inside her wing. i feared leaving her there. i found a little can in hopes of scooping her up and relocating her to a safer location. but she startled and fluttered her own way back to the tree line of the woods - a much safer spot. i am always amazed at the details i discover when i run. this photo reminded me of the sweet moment this morning with the little bird - a moment of tenderness - when a beloved stuffed animal is carefully arranged on kai's little chair with such care and deep concern. may you never lose sight of your tender heart, little man.