sperlygirl

gioie semplici ~ simple joys...

the whirlwind of creativity i am finding in my little studio these past couple of weeks and the paintings it has produced

doing yoga and working into my first backbend (thx neesha@yogatoday.com!)

getting runs in 3x this week and the silence i savor after i get through the first mile

mid-yoga - having a crawling babe come over to me and hover only to giggle and laugh

an upcoming road trip to spend time with cherished friends

this tune

a dinner to catch up from summer with dear friends here

kai telling me, 'mama, i love you because you made me a big brother'

a small flock...

i feel so compelled to paint these little birds lately. they are sweet little families inspired by the mama swallow that i watch build her nest each year in the hallway at my school. i feel very much like the mama bird these days, tending and caring for those little ones in her nest. these have all been gifted to special family and friends, but i feel more are in the works (stay tuned).

kai came out the other day when i was painting. on his way past, he commented "ohhhh, that's a beautiful painting, mama!" (reason #5678 that i love him so) and he went on to ask me if i'd paint one just for him to hang in his room. my first commissioned painting ~ traded for a drawing of yoda with a light saber and a kiss!

twenty things i believe...

i read karen's post and it got me thinking a bit...what would my own list look like? something like this, perhaps. and you? what do you believe, i'd love to know...

1. i believe people are good ~ although some may become lost along the way

2. i believe in the power of connecting with another - not via a keyboard (although that too has power) but real, honest to goodness face-to-face see your eyes, touch your hands kinda connections

3. i believe you uncover a bit more of yourself and learn a whole lot about yourself when you travel

4. i believe creativity rests quietly in our hearts, some will hear her, some will listen, some will reach in and carry her out into the world, and some will never even know she is there...but she always is

5. i believe in the power of visual images

7. i believe learning a language later in your life is just plain hard - we should all start a second (or third) when we are children. bilingualism is a gift

8. i believe in the magic and serenity of stillness

9. i believe in the power and beauty of nature to heal a soul

10. i believe there is no other place i'd rather be than by a seaside somewhere

11. i believe children humble us to our very essence

12. i believe in wishing on evening stars

13. i believe children need to grow up with grass under their toes and not monitors in front of their face

14. i believe unexpected kindness is catching

15. i believe dreams can be born on road trips

16. i believe in always seeking out ways to help others, especially when it feels you have nothing to give, or the world feels corrupt and crazy

17. i believe a good night's sleep can cure much of what ails us

18. i believe fresh flowers scattered around the house bring with them a sense of calm to all who live or visit there

19. i believe wisdom is found when we take time to work our hands in the earth - it doesn't need to be a big gesture - wisdom is found in the teeny ones too

20. i believe love always resides just under the surface of things, the key is getting still enough to feel her

in the cucina...

the other night, i cooked. now mind you, j does the cooking in our house. i am not a cook. i find it stressful and anxiety ridden - especially when timing a whole meal. good night, that makes me break into a sweat. baking - that i can handle. it's one thing at a time and i don't freak out when referring to the recipe 800 times before moving on to the next step. but a whole meal - eeeeek-gads.

that confessed, i am bound and determined to at least give it a whirl a couple nights a week. so i tried a soup that was in an article in my yoga journal magazine- the recipe actually came from this gem. it was a charred zucchini soup with yogurt and pine nuts and it turned out so good (if i do say so myself!). i didn't even have all the ingredients and had to improvise a bit - trust me - the mere thought of that alone is enough to set off my cooking anxieties, but i was really happy with the way it turned out, it was delicious.

kai and i called it 'light saber' soup as the zucchini looked like mini spears and i wanted to 'coolify' the supper so he'd want to try it (which he did...okay, that was the proudest moment for me). i was really proud and am determined to tackle a few more now...

eleven months...

dearest ryder,

it is hard for me to believe that eleven months have past by since you were born. while at the beach yesterday, i recalled last summer when i would gaze out onto the water while resting my hands on my very pregnant belly and dream of who you would be. and yesterday it was your little body, wrapped snuggly in a towel, sleeping soundly on my belly - your hair matted and scented with the sea - that i held close while gazing out onto the water.

it is your sweet face that smiles up at me each morning, eyes shining, dimples calling, arms outstretched that i look forward to scooping up and holding. when you come in with me to wake your big brother, he will reach out when he hears your giggle to find and hug you. although quite particular with some things in your world; you do have a personality that causes folks to stop and smile as your little hand waves to every passerby from your stroller. i adore your raspy giggle, the way you snuggle your head on my shoulder when you tire, the way you have figured out how to crawl, and the infectious way you laugh at your big bro when he makes you laugh.

you are pure joy, ryder!

welcome august...

august brings with her - gazing up at trees, golden sunshine, a morning run (whew! it's been awhile), expanding myself on my yoga mat, the delicious feeling of a deep inhale surrounded by a quiet morning, a lazy afternoon at the beach, cool salty sea water, a studio full of projects in the making, the possibilities that linger in unscheduled time...

**a sneak peak - she isn't a brand new creation (those to come a wee bit later) but she is one who is ready to find a new home. she will be in the shop tomorrow**