warm & toasty

Today was a beautiful day. Waking before the sun I got to witness a brilliant orange and red sky as the sun burst forth to sine upon a new day. And though I am not generally an early morning person (before 6am makes me make sad face), watching the breath taking sunrise made it worth every groggy moment. The Fall sun shone bright and warm through windows as we chatted over breakfast and giggled over new lessons; we are learning French with using Beth Manners CD's (fun french for kids and magic french for kids) and it is fun to try to sing along.

Today was a calm day, a cozy day, a moving slow and enjoying each moment day. There was crafting to be done; we started making toilet paper roll race cars. We had a blast but will have to finish them another day because we ran out of cardboard for the wheels. Oops! But no worries. The sun was calling us outside to enjoy sweet rays on our faces and damp earth beneath our bottoms. I sat back across the yard watching my Bodhi play with the chickens and the dirt, allowing him to experience his own thoughts. I wonder what makes him suddenly squeal and make thinking face then suddenly look up and catch my eye as though he knew my thoughts. Such a big little man.

ZOOM! Loki speeds by in his cardboard slice of heaven...a silver race car with turning steering wheel and shifter. It's his pride and joy and I must say it is a nifty little creation. He takes such pride in his crafting and I can't help but smile as he runs past like a box of lightening, a group of chickens in hot pursuit of this darting shimmering creature.

All too soon the air gets chilly and the little islands of sun puddled on the grass get smaller and smaller. Our cue to head in for dinner. A yummy recipe flitted across my facebook today, made by a Mary Bogue, called Broccoli Goddess Soup. It looked delicious but as always I couldn't resist putting my own little spin on it. And wowza! So good I surprised myself. Not a drop of dairy but boy the flavor was just like creamy cheese and broccoli soup. This goes into my little stash of delicious goodies.

Green Garden Goddess Soup

Ingredients:

-1 whole zucchini sliced into circles

-2 red potatoes (1 red 1 yellow) halved and sliced

-1/2 a bunch of kale

-4 cups of broccoli florets

-3 or 4 cloves of garlic left in the skin

-olive oil

-2 cups vegetable broth

Tools: 

-Blender

-Medium Sauce Pan

Directions:

Set the oven to 350 degress. Place the zucchini, potatoes, kale, broccoli, and garlic (still in the skins) onto a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. (I am a liberal user of olive oil and drench more than drizzle at times...go with what looks good to you.) Roast in the oven for 15-18 minutes; or long enough to have the broccoli be just a little tender. The kale will be krispy like kale chips this is okay.Pour the vegetable broth into the blender and place the roasted vegetables into the blender (remember to remove the garlic skin now). Blend until soup is the consistency you desire. I left ours a little chunky. You can heat the soup further on the stove in a sauce pan. Top with seasonal herbs, cheese, or whatever speaks to you. I paired the soup with yummy buttermilk biscuits and topped with cheese and hot sauce.

What a delicious way to end a gorgeous day. 

How do you spend your cozy slow going days?

What yummy meal ends the perfect lovely Fall day for you?

yummy fall and w.i.p's

This beautiful season of golds and reds and yellows bursting brightly from around every bend always makes me want to stop throw my arms up in the air and spin around in circles grinning madly!

I can't help it, it's Fall!

It just gets under my skin and rattles my leaves like a brisk breeze through a tiny tree.

I dream of this time of year as the other seasons meander by.

Summer is a buddy definitely; all warm and cuddly.

The freedom to roam that is Summer gets under my wings and I fly; but soon roaming becomes dull and I seek the comfort of my cozy home.

Spring is glorious with her brand new babes taking first breaths.

Flowers and fruit and all things living seem to puff up in the super glowing attentions of 

springtime kisses.

Plump is the word for Spring; plump fruit, plump babies.

Everything seems so shiny!

But the newness begins to quickly fade and the springtime high only last but so long.

And our dear friend Winter.

The renewer and bringer of much needed rest.

Yes winter and I have had our love affairs of snow ball fights and hot cocoa by the fire.

Winter is the place I eat cookies til I pass out and come back for more.

No shame lots of love that is my winter friend.

But no matter how much I love these other seasons, again and again I return to Fall.

Fall is the love child of Spring and Winters wild love affair!

It is the warm coat I gently caress in the warm months like and old flame.

It brings introspection with a child's style of delight.

Both daring you to explore and folding you in safety; fall is the Gemini of the seasonal family.

It is books read til the pages begin to fall out and hundreds of soup recipes to experiment with.

It is nuzzling red cheeks and noses of friends new and old in the ancient dance of warmth and affection.

It is the surprise balmy day that takes you to the lake or the beach for one more hurrah before winter sets in.

And it is the early snow that has you diving for your gear and heading for the slopes

before the ground can even turn white.

Fall you are perfection!

And as always, with Fall pressing sweet rays of sunshine on my chilly window panes, I turn my eyes towards projects left to be dealt with later. Sewing and writing and building and cleaning waiting with baited breath for me to pick the winner of my attentions for the day. All of them equally important and all of them making my fingers itch with anticipation!

What to choose, what to choose what to choose?!

Maybe today will be for cutting out patterns and sewing up merchandise for my Etsy store;

Mindful Explosion. Can share my goodies with the world from an empty shop.

Maybe today will be for finishing the rag rug for the kids reading space or getting clothes sewn for the kids; there were some mighty growth spurts this Summer!

A giant piece of me wishes it was the day to finish the chicken coop! Our girls are getting restless and so am I. But this is a multiple person project and I am but one mama (*sigh*).

Do I hear the gentle calling of books being written? Words spilling from my pen and onto pages once starkly blank. Such a satisfying sensation. It's like birth; sometimes rough, sometimes intimidating, sometimes exhilarating, and always at the end something amazing and beautiful to show for your hard work. But which book to choose? Which one calls loudest?

Oh well, maybe today is just the perfect fort of day to be a cozy cuddly mama. To embrace my little ones and take long strolls looking for gnomes under rocks and seeing dragons in the sky. From the rambunctious (and minorly deconstrucionist) sounds coming from my living room, I think I know what the choice will be.

Enjoy these yummy Fall days and all the folks you get to embrace within them!

What are you up to on this wonderful morning?

Give me a shout; I love to hear from you!

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.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. (Inspired by Amanda Soule of Soule Mama)

what a trip

After being away from home and computer for 6 days,

I am ready to share the fantastical experience that was the first Sacred Pregnancy Retreat with you.

I have done many things in my life. 

I have become certified in many wonderful fields.

But never has my mind been so blown in only four days!

There is so much to speak about that it is hard to find a starting point.

I guess the best place to start would be with the ladies themselves.

40 beautiful, amazing, intelligent, and gifted women showed up expecting nothing and accepting all.

40 women with the desire to bring the conversation of birth back to a place of love.

40 women who believe that birth does not need to be feared.

40 women who hold the body, mind, and spirit of women to be Sacred and cherished.

These women came crashing together

to create what is the beginning of the change of birth in this world.

Each of us came to Sacred pregnancy with our skills to share.

Never knowing that we would be given so much.

It is not easy for me to explain the Sacred Pregnancy Retreat because, to me, it is so many different things.

On a technical level we had wonderful speakers and one very gifted musician.

We were honored with the sweet, strong, soulful, and fierce music of Nina Lee.

A woman by whose presence, voice, and songs, we were roused to fire,

quieted to stillness, and brought to tears.

Her creation of the Sacred Pregnancy song is,

in my opinion, a gift of self affirmation for women as they birth in all their power.

We heard the passionate words of Gena Kirby.

A woman who has changed how I look at the beautiful Mexican scarf/shawl called the Rebozo.

Because of her passion, intelligence, and fierce spirit, I can not see myself ever going to another birth without my trusty Rebozo close at hand.

We enjoyed the joyful spirit of Mary Oscategui.

A strong and gentle woman who guides parents through the birth preparation and sleep consultation among many other things) and who is the Founder, CEO, and  President of the International Maternity Institute.

We learned from the fantastic, intelligent, and funny Dr. Robert Biter.

A man who believes in the sacredness of birth so deeply that he has risked his career to make birthing a safe and Sacred experience for all women through his work with Midwives and through his birthing center(s); Babies by the Sea.

And we were all brought together by the dream birthed into reality of Anni Daulter.

A woman who can not be categorized beyond being called a true gift to the world.

She is blessed with so many unique gifts.

An author many times over, a loving mother, the creator of the organic baby food company Bohemian Baby, and now the creator of the Sacred Pregnancy Movement.

Because of Anni's dream to bring trust, intimacy, self love, beauty, and deep sacredness back into birth...

Because of her focus and dedication to changing the conversation and the language around birth...

Because of her shining heart, her keen mind, and he tireless work (day and night, sick or well), we now have in this world the Sacred Pregnancy Certification Retreats.

Following her heart and through her guidance,

we are creating a whole new style of Pregnancy and Birth Education.

Imagine the bliss of a meditation practice, the healing and growth of being with dear friends, and the helpful knowledge of a birth class wrapped up in beauty, sweet smells, and the gift of knowing you can do anything!

This, and so much more, is what the Sacred Pregnancy Instructor Retreats is training us

to bring to the world!

I now return home a Certified Sacred Pregnancy Instructor and I am setting up classes to start in January of 2013 in both Marin and Sonoma County.

Do not fret, though, if you can not make it to one of my classes because we have 39 beautiful and righteous women from Southern California to Finland just waiting to bring you into this

brilliant "whoa-mans"community!

Now prepared to take this to every woman that I meet, all I can say is thank you.

Thank you Anni Daulter, Christy Funk, Sylvia Poareo, and Krista Miracle for everything that you have taught us not just about mothers and birth but about our deepest selves.

Thank you to the Ojai Foundation for the use of the sacred and ancient land, so filled with beauty and strong energy, from which to do our work and Gay for all of the delicious, nutritious, and nourishing vegetarian food that she so lovingly catered to us lunch and dinner for our entire stay.

And finally thank you to all of the "Whoa-men", most especially the "Whomb Warriors". 

Ladies each and every one of you are a special gift to the world and I have the deepest gratitude that I can now call you all sister.

Cindy, Nina, Danielle, Lisa, Amy, Sylvia, Trisha, Maggie, Ivonne, Kim, Kelly, Kristen, Jennifer, Sara, Gabrielle, Kristen, Sara, Amanda, Crysta, Lindsey, Nina, Tnah, Andrea, Katherine, Lauren, Paivi, Melissa, "Tree",and Mary, my Sacred Pregnancy Elders sisters, I will carry you with me forever. 

All I can say is WOW what an experience!

I am ready for Level 2 training; I truly can't wait!

Any one who wants more information let me know. 

This is an experience, these are people,

and Sacred Pregnancy is a phenomenon that should be shared with everyone.

off to epicness

Today's the day!

I am super excited!

After much planning, and waiting, and nervous pacing, I am off for a week to complete my

Sacred Pregnancy Training!!!!!

Off to the Ojai Foundation for some beautiful women connecting!

This retreat is going to be 6 days of educating, thought sharing, and growth for myself and my birth work.

I can not wait to share this experience when I return!

Until then be well and have a beautiful week!