SouleMama

a board for kneading

There's this new piece of old wood in my home. It's a simple piece of wood, really - a flat 1 inch thick board, with raised sides nailed in, though worn down from the years of use. This was my great grandmother's baking board. I never met her - she died the year before I was born. I've heard stories of her for my entire life, I have some of her sewing things, I share her genes. But each time I stand at this old and worn board, I'm so grateful to know her a little bit more.

She was a mother parenting alone most of the time, deep in rural Maine in the depression. So very poor - struggling to clothe her children, struggling to feed them, and moving often because they simply couldn't afford to live anywhere. A mother of six children. A strong, spirited and brave mother of six children. Her moments spent kneading bread on this board were probably like the days of her life - likely full of much anguish and worry. I'd like to think - and I believe from the stories of her - that there were also moments of tremendous joy, strong faith, great humor, and deep love for her children. I can imagine her at this board, kneading the daily bread, rolling it, shaping it and providing sustenance for her family - through tears, frustration, solitude, conversations, and laughter all alike. Motherhood. Life.

This board is quite sacred to me, as is the act of making bread upon it.  Kneading the dough that will become my family's evening bread, I think about her. I think about her life and mine, and how different they are. How grateful I am for what I have and why it is that I have it. But I also think about how very much we share in common. The anguish, the tears, the joy and the laughter of motherhood and of life - I know these things, too. Making bread by hand - especially as a symbol for what I do as a mother - can sometimes feel like a chore that will never end, sometimes a respite full of healing, and sometimes, a gift I can't stop myself from giving to those I love. I imagine she felt the same way.

the sheep "on our farm"

(Looking for "Charlotte" at our CSA farm)

There are a lot of conversations around here that begin with "on our farm..." It's followed by any number of things, depending on who's talking. Because of course, our "someday farm" means five different things to all five of us. But we have so much fun dreaming about the possibilities, driving around perusing the possibilities (not yet! but it's coming soon...I can feel it), and talking about what we all do share in common for our farm plans. A near nightly conversation at the dinner table - always started by one of the boys - begins with "tell me the first three animals you want on our farm." Calvin's keeping track of it all on a pretty fabulous 7-year old version of a visual spreadsheet that I adore.

The chickens are a must (we all agree). A cow is a must (Calvin and I insist - Ezra's the swing vote, and we've still got some convincing to do with Papa). The donkey is uh, questionable (though Ezra is persistent on this one). As is the colt that Calvin wants to 'break' by his 8th birthday (just like Almanzo - his super hero). Adelaide will get her kitties. But sheep. Oh, the sheep are fast making their way to the top of my dream farm wish list.

Not helping has been the arrival of these two books in the past month. Shear Spirit: Ten Fiber Farms, Twenty Patterns and Miles of Yarn by Joan Tapper is a portrait of fiber farms in the US, with tales of their lives and animals, wonderful knitting patterns, and gorgeous photography sprinkled throughout. There's some knitting in here that I'm pretty excited to give a closer look at, but until then, this book sits on our coffee table for all to pour through the pages of farm life, and the amazing creative fiber works that come out of that (Calvin keeps stealing it away to his bed to look at the sheep -  I think I've got an ally on the sheep argument).

A Fine Fleece: Knitting with Handspun Yarns by Lisa Lloyd is another I've been daydreaming in the pages of lately. It has some great information about handspinning, wool, sheep breeds and other technical detals like that. And then 26 amazing knitting patterns - each featuring a handspun beauty as well as a more readily available commercial yarn. The designs are gorgeous - a little beyond my knitting skill, perhaps. But that hasn't stopped me from admiring them and scouting our yarn for a pattern or two that I'd like to give a go at.

For now and until the time is right, we're all quite happy to get our farm fix at our local CSA farm (where this new little one was born last week - just hours before we visited), where they're kind enough to let us hang out and pretend. Which is just what we do.

Polaroid Love

Did you see that last week was 'Roid Week 2008 on Flickr (I'm always at least a week behind on these things). Check it out.  Above are some of my favorites from the week (click on the photo for credits). There's also the upcoming For the Love of Light: A Tribute to the art of Polaroid, which I'm excited to see.

In a chapter on kids and cameras in my book, there's a bit about Polaroids - which was written, of course, before the sad news that Poloroid would stop producting it's film (check out Save Polaroid). Since hearing the news, I've been a little stingy with the film we have left. Though, admittedly, at $1 a pop, I was pretty stingy before. But up until now, I haven't been ready to deal with kids digital cameras, and I'm not a fan of all the disposableness with the disposable cameras. I keep intending to pick up a couple of point and shoot film cameras for the kids, and I suppose now with the Polaroid news that will be happening sooner rather than later.

But we do love our "one a day" Polaroid action so much. The kids really think about the shot they want to take, and the 'instant' result of watching the photograph develop in front of their eyes is quite magical. They rotate their photos in and out of display (above), and eventually they land in each of their own photo albums.

One thing I really love that they do with the Polaroids is create new art with them. Ezra often will take a picture of something, and then come inside to 'recreate' it on paper.

Can you read that? It says, "This is hard to make". I guess that was an important declaration for him to make about this one. It makes me smile.

Are your childhood albums full of Polaroids too? The camera the kids use was my grandfather's. And I remember my grandmother with hers in hand often - and her photo albums full of the little squares with - more often than not - her handwritten notes on the white strip below. Ah, Polaroid.

So, I'm curious. What are your children doing with cameras? Have you found "kids" digital cameras that you're pleased with? Is there a designated kids camera in your family? Or is film the answer for you/them? I'm all ears, as we think about expanding our options here!

beaches & books

A photo from an after-dinner walk along the shore with friends last week. Good friends, good food & the ocean - I'm not sure it gets much better than that. Except when you add the sound of squealing children, and a toddler laughing and running with all her might for as long as she could (which is a very long time) just because she can, and because it feels so good.

Before I give you all the wrong impression of Maine weather, I should tell you that the water is COLD. You wouldn't find me in it yet - not for months. But the kids? Well, they love it. And yes, it really has been warm enough to go the beach in 'spring' clothes, but you know, it could very well snow this weekend (but please don't) and I wouldn't be surprised, either. April in Maine - you really never can tell what will happen (this time last year). We'll take the sunny warm beach days and be grateful for them while they're here.

A little note about the book: You can now find signed copies of The Creative Family in my Shop! My apologies to those who would have liked this option earlier - It took me a bit to figure this part out.

And one last thing for the locals: don't miss the Food + Farm: Examining Our Access to Sustainable Food event at SPACE gallery this weekend (and co-sponsored by MOFGA). There are some great things going on throughout the weekend, including a kids event on Saturday we're pretty psyched about (see the schedule for details). It's farm season!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

a beach bubble dress

It seems as though suddenly the weather has shifted and it's really and truly spring! I've been finding myself in the basement often - sorting through the stockpile of thrifted and saved-for-later kids clothes scrambling to find shorts, sandals, and short sleeve shirts. Then figuring out where the gaps are, and planning some sewing. I've been looking for a comfy, easy-to-wear, simple dress pattern for Adelaide - something we can throw on over her swimsuit, that will cover her shoulders a bit, and be comfortable to play in, too. The new patterns at Oliver + S caught my eye, so I gave the Bubble Dress a go this week (I purchased the pattern at Sew Mama Sew).

The pattern is categorized "Advanced Beginner" which I think is pretty right on. There were a few things I hadn't done before (understitching, for example), or that gave me pause when reading through the first time. But the directions are clear and easy to follow, and I think these 'extras' make for a better quality garment. The pattern calls for a lining (I used a mid-weight muslin) which gives it a great weight, and the bubble - oh, I love that loose elastic bubble.

I used it with one of my all-time favorite prints, red-kerchief girl (which I also used on a shirt for her last year). A few colorways are still available at Superbuzzy here.

Miraculously this week, our last bits of snow have melted, and it was warm enough for our first real spring beach visit. Ah...it felt so good to be back. Adelaide happily sported her new dress, which she told everyone she made (she did help sew the buttons on, so yes, I'm happy to have her claim it as her own creation). It wore well, protected her sweet skin from the sun, and seemed just perfect for romping about, picking up and piling rocks, and rolling in the sand - all the important work of the beach.

So, let's see. About three more of these ought to make Adelaide's summer "uniform" official. Then, on to some shorts for the boys.  A sunhat or two. Oh, and sandals for everyone. How is it that they all need sandals this year? If only I knew how to make sandals.

Earth Day 2008

I'm a firm believer that one must truly know and love something in order to be believe strongly enough to protect, save and heal it. This philosophy guides the way we parent in so many different areas, and certainly our feelings and beliefs about the Earth are at the top of that. I truly want for my children to love and know the world around them, and as a byproduct, I know (and have already seen) that a sense of caring for it will evolve. I don't want to flood them with doom and gloom of the state of the world, but rather, mindfully give them information as they are ready - as they age, and as emotions mature. I think they know a lot about the state of things, but more than that, they really quite simply are in love with - and still getting to know - the Earth around them. I do think most children are...

So yesterday we celebrated Earth Day in a way that is similar to many days around here, I think - part action, part education, and a whole lot of living, loving and growing in the woods.

Their day ended with their first camp out under the stars. They prepared excitedly for it all afternoon - gathering everything they needed and playing out there. And when it was time for bed, they marveled at the mysteries in the dark around them, read a book by headlamp, and fell asleep.

We carried them in after that, because Mama has this silly little rule about sleeping outside without a tent when it's  only 35 degrees and there's still snow on the ground. But I do agree that Earth Day is, indeed, a wonderful night for dreaming under the stars. I'm glad there was some dreaming...

an extended weekend

{Before I get carried away telling the tale of our weekend, I want to let you know that Kathreen has posted an interview she and I did on WhipUp, and you can enter there to win a copy of The Creative Family! That ends later today.}

Well that was a longer trip than expected (and full of far more of the above than we expected). The last 24 hours of our trip started with a sudden car breakdown, waiting for repair shops to open (of course it happened on a Sunday), finding a hotel for one more night, and coming up with ways to spend 24 hours with three kids in a hotel room in the middle of a strip mall with no working car. Oh yes - an adventure in ingenuity and patience. Our bodies are all now full of chlorine, I'm quite sure, but thank goodness for hotel pools. And mechanics that work quickly (once they open). And cardiovascular workout equipment that fascinate small children.

(in the Mount Holyoke library)
But before all that drama began...we had a really wonderful time in Western Mass! Odyssey Bookshop hosted a great book event and Crafternoon - my favorite part (always) being the one-on-one chats and visits with you. It is truly such a treat to have an email name I've "known" and seen for so long come to life as a flesh-and-blood moving and talking person (more likely than not with a smaller, adorable one on the hip, too)! It was such a pleasure to meet so many of you on Saturday - thank you for making the journey on such a gorgeous day - and thanks to Odyssey Bookshop for a great afternoon. (And again, I come to you with no pictures of the book event. I seem to forget my camera - and everything else - when suddenly in front of a group of people.)

Some other (photographed) highlights of our time in the Valley (am I saying that right? Can I call it 'The Valley"?) - delicious dinner at Fresh Side in Amherst (and some great uh, "college" entertainment that followed), the reading room at Mt. Holyoke's library, and a really special visit and breakfast picnic to a farm with friends. (And oh, what a difference a few hours south makes in the seasonal growth. There was so much color!)

Sadly, our car trouble quite literally steered us out of the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art before we could go in, but we all left so enamoured with the whole area that we're sure we'll be back there soon. That is, after we've recovered from this little adventure.

remembering

{A quick note: We'll be at The Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, MA tomorrow at 3pm, for a reading and to be a part of their Crafternoon. I'm looking forward to seeing some of you there!}

Yesterday, I took a solo drive up the coast to visit a very special lady. I wanted to visit with her, and to hand-deliver a copy of my book to her - she, being my very first reader. The one who wrote me letters each week of my childhood (I always wrote back), the one who always told me I was a writer. I never really believed her, but I also never stopped writing to her. I'm so grateful for that - and so very much more, of course. She's given me so much. So yesterday, I went to see her, and being the way that Alzheimer's goes, she didn't know who I was. Insisted, in fact, that she did not know me. That's okay, I said. I know who you are, I said with as much strength and joy as I could, barely holding back my tears. After a half an hour of this struggle, I spied an old photo album out of the corner of my eye. Ah, yes. The rest of our afternoon together was spent there in those pages of photographs from the 1930's. She may not have known my name or anyone else from her shorter term memory, but she could tell me the name of everyone in that album - old boyfriends, schoolmates of hers, homes and cars and vacations (how amazing our minds are). And when she stumbled on the names, or when the stories got all jumbled up, as they all inevitably did, I finished them for her. Because I remember. This is what we did - on hot summer days at her farmhouse on the hill when it was just the two of us - open the trunk of albums and turn page by page as she told the story of each photograph and I begged for more. Yesterday, I told her some of those stories, as best as I could remember them. The story of being in beauty school in Boston and all the fun she had dancing with the Navy boys when they came into Port. The story of her handsome husband and how they met. The story of her sisters, her mother, her daughters and their loves and their losses. She was always the family memory keeper and storyteller - the one documenting it all in words and photographs. I've always loved them, but I don't know that I've ever felt so grateful for those photographs of hers as I did yesterday. At first, they were just a familiar comfort for she and I both as we struggled to have a conversation. But then, they took us both back - she, perhaps to the time of the photograph itself, and I, to her telling of the stories that meant so very much to me. There in those pages yesterday, I am sure we understood each other.

in the Spring Book Basket

While it's been officially spring for a bit now, it's only been these past two weeks that we've seen any evidence of it at all around here. But now, the spring book basket is active and full and pulled from each day for some springtime reading. (And my apologies to those of you in the other hemisphere! My "autumn" book list isn't done yet!)

Our Springtime Favorites

Spring - Gerda Muller
Always a favorite, especially in the younger years. Gerda Muller's four season board books are such a treasure - with no words, but simple illustrations full of all the wonder of the season for children.

Fruhling - Eva-Maria Ott-Heidmann
Quite similar to the Gerda Muller series in concept, this seasonal board book is full of watercolors slightly more dreamy. Paired together, I think they're a wonderful spring visual for the young ones. (Adelaide at 2.5 adores these books).

Spring Is Here - Lois Lenski
Another one perfect for the littlest ones. Sweet and simple tale of springtime treats - gardening, animals, flying kites - all in simple rhymes. And paired with Lenski's adorable illustrations. This is one I remember loving from my own childhood.

Under the Sun - Ellen Kandoian
This book is so wonderful for the way it explains the the path of the earth through the day - traveling with the 'sun' around the world in a day. I love it when science and nature can be explained in a fun story for children without getting too complicated or over their heads - and this does that. (I think this is out of print now - perhaps it's at your library?)

The Sun Egg - Elsa Beskow
I can't put a list together without including one Elsa Beskow. But this one is a favorite, and it's a perfect tale of spring. A young elf living in the northern forest discovers a mysterious 'sun egg' that has fallen from the sky, and the story is the tale of her travels to where it came from. This book has forever changed the way my family eats oranges.

A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox - Wendy Pfeffer
I really enjoy this series of seasonal books for the wide perspective of celebrations and traditions they provide. In addition to the science, historical and cultural tales of Spring, there are also recipes and activities in the back section of the book for doing your own celebrating of the season.

When Spring Comes - Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
I love this 'country' tale full of springtime adventures - sugaring, running barefoot, picking berries - all told from the dream of end-of-winter. A wonderful seasonal transition book - for when we're dreaming about the spring/summer which isn't quite here yet.

Spring's Sprung - Lynn Plourde
The spring colors incorporated into the illustrations here are stunning, and for that alone, this book is a gem. But I also love how these tales (she has one for each season) bring the season to life though a character, and this one brings to light a bit of sibling conflict - always a topic I'm happy to explore through story.

Inch by Inch: The Garden Song - David Mallet
Illustrations to go along with the sweet folk song, Inch by Inch - a favorite in our house.

Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots: Gardening Together With Children - Sharon Lovejoy
Such a favorite here. This book is full of gardening activities and wisdom for families - those with lots of gardening experience and those with less (that would be me). Her approach that encourages children to play and explore really appeals to me.

Paddle-to-the-Sea - Holling Clancy Holling
Not a spring book, per se, but there seems to be a springtime tradition forming of us reading this book. And it does fit in with the season, with it's telling of boats, and water melting and new streams forming.  We like to follow along on the map as Paddle-to-the-Sea takes his journey from the Canadian wilderness to the Atlantic Ocean.

Nature Field Guides -
This is also a time of year when our bags, baskets and pockets are full of nature field guides for identifying plants, trees, animal tracks and flowers. I pick up a lot of the small, vintage "Golden Nature Guides" while out thrifting. They're super handy, and beautifully illustrated. We also like a lot of the DK field guides, as well as the Fandex Family Field Guides.

As I was thumbing through the basket, I realized just how many were bird related! So, I'm saving those for a seperate 'Bird Book List' - look for that sometime in the coming week or so.

As always, we'd love to hear your favorite family Springtime reads in the comments!

Happy Spring Reading!

stencils for tv

It's been a while since I've done any freezer paper stenciling. There was a little stretch there - way back in the day - when I could hardly stop. Originally led to it by the ever-inspiring Chicken, and then all the gobs of photos in the Flickr pool Hannah started. Was that really all two years ago? Oh my.

I included instructions for freezer paper stenciling in The Creative Family, with a couple of stencils by Betsy Thompson. (It's fun to see some of that already popping up in The Creative Family Flickr group!)

A few weeks ago, as part of a local TV spot for the book, I needed some samples to do a quick tutorial with. Searching through our drawers and closets, I found LOTS of freezer paper stenciled things, and am happy to say that after two years of wearing and washing, the paint had held up pretty well (I use the Jacquard Textile Color, found here). But the rest of the shirts/skirts/totes? Uh, yeah...I guess we're pretty hard on our clothing around here. So these new things were worked up. I had almost forgotten how easy it really is. And fun. And yes, quite addictive.

(an aside: Bandage on elbow and mud on shirt - a direct result of yesterday's top photo. "Ah, it's part of the job, Mom" he said as I bandaged it up.)

So yeah, there was that little TV thing. I'm not really sure exactly why I'm admitting to this link, except that it's already out there (it aired last week), and it's over (thank goodness) and why not extend the humiliation a little bit longer?  It was a piece for our local WCSH 6 207 show, and I'm pretty sure I don't actually talk like that (confirmed by my friends, thank goodness, who all answer correctly when I've asked in the past week, "do I really sound like that?"). I do know one thing for certain now, though I do think I could have told you this before as well: In front of the camera? Sooo not for me. Behind the camera and crafting? Yes. In fact, I think there's some freezer paper calling my name right now...

bringing it back outside

The days are still mostly cool, and there are even still little bits of snow in this part of the world. The ground isn't ready for planting, and there's little cleaning up that can be done quite yet. But we're getting out there anyway in the brisk spring air not long after sun-up and staying out all day. After such a long winter spent inside, none of us wants to waste a minute of the sunshine and the chance to be outside for so much longer each day. Each time I open the door, I feel this outward spill of energy virtually busting the door open as everyone rushes outside to get as far away from the house - and sometimes, each other - as possible. Scattering to their respective outside work and play spots - taking up as much space as possible. Just because we can. Because it feels so good to stretch like this. Yes, it feels like we're coming out of hibernation.

And with us - also outside goes the 'making' of our days. From the wintry inside things of: sewing machines; drawing paper and pencils ; and blocks, to the tools and materials and projects of the outdoors: new bike rails out of logs; a hole dug in the mud; and searching for bits for the fairy houses.

It feels so good. And it's just beginning.

settling into home

We had a really wonderful weekend in Boston. Rock-n-Romp was lots of fun, and the city was full of all the things Ezra was expecting and looking forward to - namely "train, tunnels and bridges" - all the important "city" things when you're five.  Our weekend was also full of all the things that make a special "Mama - Ezra" date 'just right' - lots and lots of uninterrupted conversations and snuggles. As Ezra and I laid in bed together and rolled into our second hour of 'chit-chat', I was hit with the thought that this parenting gig - it just keeps getting better. Which is saying a lot, considering I think it started out pretty swell.

After a few months 'full' of work, I'm looking forward to a return to our normal family rhythm around here. This week, Steve returns to work after his winter break (he's been keeping things calm, fun and running smoothly around here!). Today I find myself looking forward to some pretty ordinary things: sitting on the couch this morning and reading books for hours with my babes; washing my floors (oh, yes...I'm looking forward to clean floors...it's been a while); 'making' for the sake of making; incorporating a comfortable amount of book work into my days; doing all the work and fun that comes with spring; and of course sharing bits of it here along the way. Ah...It feels good to be 'back'.

on a date

I've got a special date with my five year old birthday boy in the city for the weekend.  His essentials are packed and ready to go - namely, a hat for the drive down, and a hat to wear to the concert. It'll be just the two of us - a rare treat - and we're both very excited about the whole thing. (The negotiations for music in the car have already begun. Right now it's The Clash vs. Gillian Welch. Hmn...someone's going to have to budge.)

We'll be at Rock-n-Romp tomorrow (Saturday) - signing books and, well, rocking and romping, of course!
More details on the event here.
3pm
Great Scott - Allston, MA
(Harvard Book Store will have copies of the book for sale at the show)

I'm looking forward to meeting some of you in Boston!

five

Hello! Just popping in with a quick hello and a book event reminder (below). Yesterday, we celebrated Ezra's fifth birthday. Five? Oh my. Five feels like one of those big numbers to me - all day I looked at him and thought, "really? five? how can this be happening so fast?" and then in the next breath, of course, cannot remember my life before him, as if it's been years and years. One of those incredibly hard to explain, and yet so very real parenting feelings.

Anyway, it was a lovely day. A perfectly mellow kind of day, well-suited to my little guy. Bike rides (his birthday gift to himself? riding without training wheels!), lots and lots of music, a menu carefully planned out from breakfast to dessert, and a celebratory dinner with friends and family. Good times.

Part of his carefully planned out menu (food is very important to my little one - remember the mustard party?) included this request for a cake: "part strawberry cake and part blueberry cake, but not the parts mixed together. blueberry frosting, with strawberries on top." A little specific, yes. But I was feeling up for the challenge and it all worked out just right (starting with this recipe, but with some changes to make it lighter). A layer of strawberry, a layer of blueberry, with blueberry cream cheese frosting. Yum.

And a tiny moment from the day: Moments after Ezra opened his eyes in the morning Calvin ran to give him a little package he'd made and squirreled away nearly a month ago now - A set of handmade microphones. Ezra loved them .... and I nearly cried. Because these three little microphones just about sum up sibling relationships for me. They are inevitably the first to pound on each other (and they do - quite often); and yet, also the first to lovingly and quietly create and give a gift so absolutely perfect for the other that no other gift could possibly compare. Truly. Heart-swelling.

And last, a little reminder. I'll be popping out tonight for a book reading, Q&A, and signing at Books, Etc in Falmouth, Maine at 6:30 pm. (The postcard here). I'd love to see you there!

{Back to regular blogging soon...I have a few more days of 'vacationing at home' to do. And some cake to eat. And some microphone-singing to do. Oh, yes.}

catching our breath

Friday night was such a wonderful night. Thank you to all of you who came out in the rain, and especially to those who made the journey from far away! I was so touched by all of the kindness flowing around that room. Thank you. Unfortunately, I was so busy visiting and laughing and keeping my little ones from ingesting ALL of the 'pupcakes' that I have not a single photograph from the entire evening (did anyone else there get anything?). Above was right before the party started.

The show will stay up at Edith & Edna through April and May, and it consists of the small quilts, the embroidered hoops, and photography. As well as plenty of The Creative Family books, of course (did you know that Edith & Edna has the best stocked 'craft book' shelf in town? It's true). The photography I included was a selection of my favorites from the '30 days of the Everyday' set.  In addition to the prints, I also printed up some postcard sets (pictured above), and I've just added those to The Shop.

The quilts that are so near and dear to my heart sadly missed out on a good and proper photo shoot as well, though I did manage to snap this one only in my studio before they went to the gallery. May I introduce Lisa, 1971? The small quilts - all inspired by vintage sewing patterns, are made of entirely repurposed materials. I named each piece based on a young girl (in my head, entirely...that's okay, right?) of the era. They were such a joy for me to work on, and I grew quite attached to my six girls and their quilts. (When the show is over at Edith & Edna, I'll photograph them all better, and put any that are left in the online shop. Or on my walls. I'm not really sure yet!)

I had some small prints made of each of the quilts, and those, as well, are available in The Shop now. They're 5x5 prints - it was important to me to print something that's easy to find a standard size frame and mat for, so they could be as affordable as possible - framing can get so tricky (and expensive!), I've been learning.

Phew. I'm tired! Like that crazy feel-it-deep-in-your-bones kind of tired, you know? The next few days are the first real 'break' our little family has had in quite a stretch of time. At the end of the week, I'll have two more book events, and then I receive my second manuscript back for edits. Oh my. So we're going to soak up the next few days with lots of walks in the muddy woods, a celebration of my soon-to-be five year old's birthday, and as many naps as these three little ones will allow.

In the meantime, I must say thank you one more time for your continued words of support about the book - the emails, the contributions to the Flickr pool (I'm LOVING those!), the lovely reviews - all of it. I'm moved beyond words at your kindness and response to this little project that's now 'out there' in the world. It means so very much to me, and I'm so happy that it's finding a place in your family as well.

I'll return after just a little rest! Be well, friends!

 

tonight

Phew! The latest framing crisis was averted (Thomas at Artist & Craftsman is my new Superhero), the show is nearly all up (thanks to many helping hands - big and small), Edith & Edna has lots of books at the ready, and I think this introvert is as ready as she'll ever be.

I'm looking forward to seeing some of you tonight! And I do wish the distance weren't so far for the rest of you!

Edith & Edna
51 Exchange Street
Portland, Maine
5-8pm

for the show

A small set complete for the show tomorrow night. (I'll show you everything else after the show - we've got to keep it full of surprises for those coming in person, right?) Since first envisioning the show last year, I had hoped to include some little pieces like this. The sketches in my notebooks, the hoops and linen, have all been in a pile waiting for me for months. I had hoped - but wasn't sure - that there would be enough time. So thank goodness for my recent LOST addiction - putting the finishing touches on these embroidery pieces has been the perfect companion to watching. (I'm nearly through Season Two, and totally and completely hooked, having left Steve in the dust more than 8 episodes ago because I just. cant. stop. watching. I'm a bad wife.)

{Oh! And for those struggling with international ordering of the book, I would recommend ordering from the publisher directly - www.shambhala.com.}

a little more

Indulge me in just one more day of book talk, will you? Because today I want to mention a few really special people involved in the book. This is by no means an inclusive "acknowledgements" - as you will see, I did just fine rambling on (and on) in the book as such. Rather, I want to share a few people whose work I thought you might like to see more of, if you don't know them already.

:::::: First, the cover photography by Jessie Fields, who managed quite amazingly to get all four of us in one shot just the way that only she can envision. I respect her eye, her skill and her energy so very much that I am greatly honored her photograph was ultimately on the cover of my book. That she happens to be one of my dearest friends is just icing on the cake. (As an aside, lots of you have asked why Steve wasn't on the cover...we all joke that the fold out flap on the front should really have Steve - off to the side as he was - juggling sippy cups, clothes, props and dangling treats. Oh, and doing jigs to make us all laugh. So yes, he's there. You just can't see him.)

:::::: On the inside pages of the book, you'll find the beautiful illustrations of Portland artist Betsy Thompson. I was thrilled to have her work as a part of this project - both as chapter header illustrations and instructional illustrations for some of the patterns. I find her whimsical line drawings ever-so-charming and embracing of childhood wonder, and I'm honored they're woven into this book. Check out her amazing collage work if you haven't seen it before.

:::::: I also want to mention here, Jeffrey Yamaguchi, author 52 Projects: Random Acts of Everyday Creativity; and Zoe Weil, author of Above All, Be Kind: Raising a Humane Child in Challenging Times for taking the time to read the book in it's early form, and for so generously sharing their kind words about it in the form of the 'blurb' on the back of the book. I cannot tell you how thrilled I was that they both said yes (I'm still in shock, actually). Each of their books (they've each written additional books besides those I mentioned above) has inspired me - and inspired the writing of The Creative Family - greatly.

In other book news, I started a The Creative Family Flickr group. I'd love for it to be a place you can share your family creations and activities inspired by the book. It's also a great place to ask questions about any of the patterns.

Thank you for all your sweet emails and comments yesterday. How much do I love the image so many of you painted so nicely for me - curling up with tea and the book? Gosh, there are no words for the feeling that gives me. A little overwhelming. And definitely lovely. So, thank you. After all this talking, I'm going to quietly slip into sporadic photo updates for the next few days as I get ready for Friday night's opening and book launch (5-8pm at Edith & Edna - more book event details here). I can't wait to share the results of all of that!

April 1st, 2008

This weekend, I happened by a Waldenbooks in Massachusetts. I had to pop in - just to see. And right there in the parenting section, alphabetized just as it should be, was The Creative Family. My friend Jean and I stood there for a minute staring, with a tiny bit of squealing (on my part) and cheering (on hers). It was trippy.

When I came home, I shared the news with my family, who met me with equal parts enthusiasm and nonchalance ("the first book or the second book, Mama?" Ezra asked over his noodles). It perfectly captured just how this book - and the second one - has fit into our family life. Second nature, perfectly normal and yet - still really exciting.

Last night, I nostalgically browsed through a big file of photographs for The Creative Family that I hadn't peeked at in nearly a year, and found these early (unedited) attempts at the cover photograph (along with hundreds more). The cover photograph was such a process that in retrospect was symbolic of the whole book writing process for me. Lots of ideas, much heart and soul, a TON of learning, collaboration with a wonderful team of people, and most overwhelming to me of all - an enormous amount of help, love and support from friends and family, and of course, my four co-writers.

Looking at these earlier photos (taken by Steve and our friends Brandie and Jessie), I'm reminded of all the people that surrounded us and were an integral part in making this happen. SO very many friends and family who shared their time, their talents, and their love with us in order to make it all come together.  And you, dear readers, are a big part of that, too. Not only for the entire opportunity which came about from this little space, but also for your patience as I talked about a book that you couldn't see for over a year. For your inspiring comments and emails that make me cry, laugh and teach me so much about family and life every single day. And for - as you have done by reading here and supporting the work that  I do - making me a writer. A dream come true.

That's the trippy flood of ballooning gratitude I feel whenever I see this book now. There is an enormous amount of work and heart and "me" that I poured into this book. Of course. But there was also an enormous amount of work and heart poured into this book by so many others. I hope the book carries some of that collective energy as it heads out into the world and into the hands of families. I wrote the parenting book I wanted to read - the book I couldn't find when I needed one. I'm already a happy author, but I'd be thrilled if this book inspires just a tiny moment more of love, connection and creativity to your family's life together.

Thank YOU! And Happy April 1st!!