SouleMama

The rhythm of shifting gears {Steve}

I worked with a purpose because I had a long way to go if I was going to get both of the projects I had hoped to complete, done before Amanda got home. We were getting a rare warm day and the three youngest were occupied in the driveway re-routing the stream of runoff water with shovels and hoes to make a series of pools and rivers to float things in. I had been texting my brother trying to figure out what ailed the planer he had lent me for the job. I was pretty sure the planer was fine and the error was with the operator, this guy. It was also highly probable that my brother wouldn't check his phone for texts or voicemail for hours because...he just doesn't. So I switched gears to the shorter project which I should have started first. Then, when I had one in the bank, go on to the more in depth job and get as far as I can. Stupid hindsight, why do you ridicule me?!

The stair railing to the second floor in our house has been deteriorating quickly, particularly as the kids get bigger and heavier and still use it like a pommel horse every time they descend. I did the same thing to the railing in my house growing up and, unless one of us plays hall monitor all day to catch them in the act, it will probably continue. Rather than waiting for it to collapse on a budding gymnast, I went to work securing the wobbly rail and removing each baluster, sanding them smooth and resetting them in place. It was nice to sink into something and have my own head space amid all of these long days in a row on my own with the crew. I thought about how excited Amanda would be when she came home to a finished job or two, ya know, on top of handling life for two weeks while she was in like, Indonesia. Naturally, it wasn't too long before young Annabel returned from outside and I heard her talking in the kitchen but she is three, almost four years old and generally maintains a running dialogue of her own for the entire length of her waking hours.

I think she was saying something like, "the kids aren't 'cluding me, Papa, kids aren't 'cluding me!"

"Ok, sweety!", I yelled, "take off your boots if you're coming in, please".

I ripped three more balusters out and carried them to the workshop to be sanded. On my way through I passed Annabel sitting at the table by herself snacking on an apple.

"Hi sweety!"

"Hiiii Papa", she said dejectedly. 

I kept on rolling and when I came back through she was gone. Hmm, maybe she went to coax a story out of her Gram. Mom will keep her busy for a little while I figured.

"Oh, Hi Annabel!"

"Gram was having quiet time."

"Maybe you could have some quiet time. Can I set you up with some paper and pencils in the library?"

"I guess", she replied, pretty unenthused.

Man, I thought, all of these things are in bad shape. I'm going to have to sand every one of them for this to be done right...

"How 'bout I'll be Emily and you be the Papa. No, you be Santa and it's Christmas and you bring me this Mama dog and this puppy", stuffed animals in hand.

"Ok, Annabel - I'll play with you in one. minute. I just have to get three more of these done and I'll take a break."

"Uhhhhhhhh. I'm not Annabel! I'm Emilyyy."

"Sorry Emily, I'm almost to break time, k?"

"Can you step back please honey? I'm trying to take some pictures of the stairs as I go."

A tiny hand crept into the shot. Barely perceptible. Almost invisible.

I looked up the stairs and there she sat, in real life, looking right at me with big blue eyes. Patient. Gentle. I slipped the phone into my pocket and looked right back at her.

"Hi Annabel".

"Hi", tilted head, more eyes and a smile.

Suddenly, I felt exactly like the dad in the old Church of Latter Day Saints commercials that pretty much ignores his kid because he's too busy doing his own thing. And the kid repeatedly asks for attention and eventually, after being beaten about the head and shoulders with the obvious needs of a child, the dad snaps out of it...mmm hmmm, I'm a sappy religious commercial straight out of the 80's. Remember those? Guilty as charged, I guess.

So, I put down my tools just like the Mormon guy from the commercial. We sat on the couch and she made me a phone from two magnetiles stuck together and then she called me on my magnet phone and I was Santa. Each time she called it was Christmas Eve and she told me exactly what she wanted and even sort of brought the gifts over so I didn't have to work too hard coming up with ideas. Then she would pretend to go to sleep and I would kind of "hohoho" quietly so as not to wake up Emily and I'd deliver the gifts to her house made of couch pillows. 

Before long it was mid-afternoon and the other kids were rolling in, wet, muddy and ready for some nourishment. Once a snack was complete and picked up it was time to start dinner, eat, then farm chores etc etc.

On the way up to bed, holding Annabels hand as she was replaying her version of what we did that day and she stopped in mid step, "Huh. You shouldn't leave your hammer on the stairs Papa, somebody could get hurt!"  

By the time I got to my own pillow I had about two minutes before my eyes were closed for the night and I traded texts with Amanda. It was late morning in Bali and she was out and about but thought about me at bedtime and checked in to send her thoughts and love. She'll be fine if my projects don't get done...but maybe I have enough time to finish. At least one...

* incoming text sound *

from my brother - "the planer was fine the last time I used it"...

That figures.

Another day catalogued with the rest of history. Come home soon Mama. 

 

 

 

The best tool a mother can give {Stacy}

I am, by all accounts, completely floored by how welcoming you were last week. It is so much fun to have you confirm the universality of it all, love, friendship, relationships, self-doubt. I was feeling so good about life yesterday, I decided to try out our new table saw and lo and behold…. I built the cutest little medicine cabinet. (I'm not much of a builder). Our last ancient table saw made me feel like I was going to lose a limb. There is nothing like a good tool to get you inspired.

 

The best tool I’ve ever come across is by far the placenta. I know, you’re like where in the heck is she going with this…. (While I tell you this little tale, I'm going to walk you through morning chores at the farm. I always have plenty of time to think up a blog post while doing chores. And there are plenty good tools involved in morning chores.)

 In my years as a midwife, I spent some time in Lancaster County attending the home births of Amish and Old Order Mennonite women. 9 times out of 10 these women would go into labor at night and give birth before the sun rose. They always  preferred if our cars were gone before the children woke and before the neighbors looked out their windows. Most of the time, this was accomplished. These were some of my most formative days. Being with families in the intimacy of their bedroom, on their bed, welcoming their newest soul meant the world to me. The trust they offered me and the honor of it all is still not lost. All those kiddos are teenagers now.

 

Part of what I loved about it was watching the hum of the family and farm life. I had always wanted to be a farmer but growing up as a suburban kid, farming was all romance, all Little House on the Prairie. During the labor, we midwives would be sitting around the farmhouse kitchen, charting vitals, labor progress and I would be noting just what makes a real farm kitchen. I balanced the work of labor support with hard core house voyeurism….the kind of voyeurism that draws me to look at house and design websites, except this felt like it was tailor made for me, an aspiring farmwife. How do they organize their bulk goods? What are they doing with that baby lamb by the woodstove? Did they build that drying rack? I loved their homes.

 

The men would move in and out of the house during labor. They would busy themselves in the barn, checking on the livestock, feeding the baby lamb by the wood stove who had been rejected by its mother. They were doing the things men do to putter away their unease about the unknown. They were doing the prayer work of everyday farm life.

 

When the time came for the birth, all of us, husband included, would circle around the mother and wait for her to help her new baby into the world. And then, the placenta would come. I always inspected the placenta closely to make sure it was intact and normal. Baby’s first home, created by all mammals, is pretty interesting to examine, if you’re a scientifically curious person. Once mom and baby were all tucked in and nursing away, we would send dad outside to bury the placenta. This burying the placenta ritual, completed 1000 times over all around the world with a variety of meanings attached, is how everyone present played their part.

Fast forward 7 years and I was having my second baby. I now had a farm of my own and a farm kitchen too, complete with my very own puttering farmer husband. On the first birthday of our daughter, we decided to pull the placenta out of the freezer and bury it to celebrate her. It was stored in the freezer because when she was born, we were between farms and we did not want to leave her placenta behind. (we also brought along an urn of dog ashes but that’s an aside). John was intent on planting an elm tree over the buried placenta. A special, new variety of elm resistant to Dutch elm disease. We headed off together to the local nursery. All of the elm trees were a little out of our league, financially. We were strapped for cash often in those early farm start up days. The nurseryman, a neighbor, CSA member and friend offered us a year old seedling he had been tending in the greenhouse. He commented that he wasn't really sure why he'd held on to it but then realized at that moment that it was suppose to be for us. We were touched. We took it home, dug a hole, dropped the frozen placenta in and planted our new year-old elm sapling, a tree with the same vintage as our daughter. It all felt so right.

 

In the morning, the sapling was gone and there was the largest pile of dirt and a big hole right where we had planted the tree and buried the placenta. The dog had been in the barn all night with the livestock so we knew it was not her. Our family legend has it that it was a coyote. We like to think whenever Flora’s showing her wild side, which is quite often, it is because her spirit is running wild with the coyotes around Broadturn Farm. In the Hmong culture, it is believed that the location of the burial site for the placenta must be known because the soul returns to put the placenta on as a spiritual jacket necessary to get to the afterlife. Hmong traditionally bury it under the floor of their home. Hopefully, Flora won’t be stuck between worlds because some coyote is running around wearing her placental jacket.

While we still don’t have an elm, or know where Flora’s placenta ended up, or any of ours, for that matter, we have seen lots of them on the farm after the birth of calves and lambs. I still hold that it is the best tool we have, the one we mothers make, the sustainer of life before breath. And, what I am most amazed by, is that we grow it, with our strong bodies, our healthy diets and our love. Can’t get that on Amazon.com.

Happy week to you all-

Stacy

 

Christopherus Homeschool Resources {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Christopherus Homeschool Resources! 

Since 2003 Christopherus Homeschool Resources have been creating a range of friendly and empowering publications and services designed to help every homeschooler with an interest in Waldorf education. We offer full Homeschool Curriculums for PreK through 5^th grade, FREE Rough Guides for 6^th-8^th grade, plus a abounding array of audio and educational materials that will enrich your homeschool journey.

Browse our bookstore, join our Facebook Group: Christopherus Homeschooling Families and sign up for our monthly newsletter: Homeschool Journey.

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed? 

Donna: A seemingly straightforward question – what is new with Christopherus these last couple of years? On the one hand major changes: completely new staff and premises! On the other hand nothing has changed: we continue to offer pretty much the same materials as ever. This is our 12th year as a business – the first 7 or 8 especially were years of constant work, of creation of curriculum materials, consulting with people, extending our presence in the Waldorf homeschooling world.

But when we turned 10, it was time for a rest. I needed to step back and evaluate my position with Christopherus and how I imagined it continuing into the future. One possibility was for me to sell Christopherus…I explored that with a particular possible buyer but in the end I decided that no, I hadn’t finished my time with Christopherus, that I still had more to offer.

So really, a better way to phrase this question is not in terms of how have things changed in the past couple of years – but how do I imagine they will change over the next few years. That’s where it could get exciting! There are many possibilities….For sure, more curriculum materials need to be written. Our books need updating and those that I wrote before creating the various Syllabuses need to be brought in line with them.

We have taken steps toward providing handwork kits – we would like to extend that further and be able to provide a full range of handwork and craft kits for children from earliest years though 8th grade. Many Waldorf homeschooling parents are adept handworkers and crafters – but many are not. If we can provide simple and satisfying handwork kits to enable those parents to create something with their children, to do something they have never done before, then we have accomplished a great deal! This is also the philosophy behind our approach to drawing and painting which we outline in detail throughout the Syllabuses – neither my drawing nor my painting skills are particularly noteworthy. But what I can do is break the process down and help parents who feel that being asked to draw or paint is like being asked to take wing and fly that they can actually achieve reasonably successful results! 

It has been many years since I have had the opportunity to speak directly with our friends and customers. I used to run homeschooling conference; I used to consult via the phone; and I used to run a very lively online forum. As I said, I needed a break from all this. Now it is time to see what new possibilities – thanks to new technology – there are to ‘meet up’ with our many faithful and interested customers across the globe.

We hope that many of you will subscribe to our monthly email newsletter or join our facebook group so as to be able to keep in touch with new developments at Christopherus.

This weekend, Christopherus Homeschool Resources is generously offering the following gift to TWO lucky SouleMama readers:

A package of three Audio Downloads of Donna Simmon’s Talks

Topics range from “Talking Pictorially And Living Actively With Your Young Child” to “Waldorf Highschool at Home”

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST on Monday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after.  Comments closed. The winners are...

Really like the way Donna approaches things. Thanks.
Posted by: Jennifer

We're big fans of Christopherus! A great giveaway!
Posted by: Rita

Kelbourne Woolens {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Kelbourne Woolens! 

Philadelphia-based Kelbourne Woolens is the North American distributor of The Fibre Co yarns and the two companies work together to create and distribute The Fibre Co's beautiful yarns + the Kelbourne Woolens line of knitting patterns and notions.  

We, Kate Osborn and Courtney Kelley, founded Kelbourne Woolens in 2008 when we were working at a local yarn shop in Philadelphia. The company has grown tremendously over the years, and we have too! When we started we were a brand new mum and a college grad student - and now we're both full time mom's and currently employing two other women full time. We're proud of the work we do, proud to be a women owned business, and we strive to work hard to create a happy work environment that meets the unique demands of working mothers. 

Our webmistress and jane-of-all-social-media trades, Leah McGlone, has recently been improving our online shop by adding mill ends, odd lots and discontinued yarns available for sale to the general public. She and Kate have also worked together to develop our line of Kelbourne Woolens notions.

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed? 

Courtney: We have been busy this past winter, and just in time for spring we released two new collections of knitting patterns, one with fellow knitwear designer and friend Laura Nelkin entitled The Pathways Collection. The collection coincided with the release of our new yarn, Road to China Lace - a luscious blend of baby alpaca, camel, cashmere, and silk. The other collection, Little Things, was a follow up to our very popular Baby Collection, which readers may recall from last year.

This weekend, Kelbourne Woolens is generously offering the following gifts to TWO lucky SouleMama readers:

Winner #1: All four patterns in The Pathways Collection and two skeins of Road to China Lace in their choice of color

Winner #2: A copy of Little Things and a Kelbourne Woolens Knit Check

In addition, Kelbourne Woolens is offering all SouleMama readers 15% off an eBook version of Little Things using the code LITTLETHINGS by purchasing our book through Ravelry.

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST on Sunday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winners are...

A perfect gift for my knitter husband.
Posted by: Hannah

Fab! These notions look lovely and the packaging is great! Thank you....
Posted by: Sophie

{this moment ~ Stacy}

 

 

. . . . . . . . .

 

{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.

 

. . . . . . . . . . 

 

Exposed {Steve}

After our second straight winter with dozens of days below the fahrenheit zero and weeks on end without it creeping close to a thaw we seem to be(i'll try not to jinx us here)...on the cusp of spring. Now, I think we northeasterners have a bit of a reputation for complaining about the weather. In fact, until I moved to some other places, I didn't know there were actually places where people didn't complain about the weather. It's a learned thing. And it's not that you have to be a negative person to complain about weather, It's more of a cultural ritual. It sounds like this(apply your own version of a Maine accent 'cause it's wicked tedious to try and type it as it sounds...thank you):

Me: Geez, we finally got a warm day to beat back some of this wretched snow.

Bruce(the neighbor - he's 80, lifelong Mainer): Ya got that right.

Me: My driveway's already a mud pit 

Bruce: My wagon almost disappeared in that pothole at the end of it.

Me: I was reading the ticks actually thrive on these cold winters and it's supposed to be a nasty year for ticks.

Bruce: oh yeah? huh.

See how we're already planning in advance toward future weather related things to complain about? Ticks! Now this type of dialogue goes on throughout the region and throughout the year. If it's a rainy spring that's a real conversational goldmine because we'll go from a super cold winter - boOM! - right into a rainy spring:

Me: The kids are going nuts today, I can't get 'em to stay outside for more than a minute.

Bruce: All this rain, they probably forgot what the Sun looks like.

Me: Ya got that right(some of my best phrases come from Bruce).

Bruce: Weatherman says it's supposed to clear up a little on Sunday.

Me: I'll believe that when I see it.

Bruce: I know it.

Keep in mind that my wife considers me a nearly annoying optimist. I love heaps of snow, cold weather, rain and I can even handle a little bit of heat for short periods. While she was planning for this Bali trip I was planning the Papa payback vacation trip to the Kamchatka Peninsula in far eastern Russia where the summertime temps peak out at about 50F. Now that plan kinda fell apart so Calvin and I are hitting the water for a week long canoe trip in one of the most notorious mosquito hotbeds in the state. Point being - you don't have to actually hate the weather to voice your gripes. Ol' Bruce, he goes ice fishing nearly every day of the winter and there is not a hobby, habit or sport colder than that one. As soon as that ice is thick enough to hold any weight at all, he has a team of fellas out there setting up so many ice shacks it looks like a hobo town. 

Bruce: That wind was so bad out on that lake this afternoon it blew Cecil's shack right into the cove! I thought Bud and I were gonna blow right in after it so I tied the whole friggin' rig right on to the bumper of Buddies truck.

Me: No kidding.

(He thereby continues to talk about wind and lake weather for ten minutes or so)

Me: So, did you catch any fish?

Bruce: Couple a little ones...

Bruce: Oh geez I almost forgot(laughing to himself for a minute before he regains his composure). Ol' Johnny caught a 9 pound Cusk! It's head was as big around as a coffee can (holding out his hands to show me how big a coffee can is). Well, when he got it up through that hole it came off the hook. You shoulda seen Ol' Johnny diving around on the ice trying to keep that fish from sliding back into the lake. I thought Bud was gonna wet himself from laughin'.

Mom: I wish it would snow again just to cover up these dirty snowbanks.

Me: Oh, really?

Mom: Well, no... they're just filthy to look at.

Now, plenty of people actually do despise the weather here. My Aunt Clementine was born and raised in Virginia and she has wanted to move back there for nearly fifty years. The woman hasn't been warm in 50. years. Now that's something to complain about. There's a whole army of people that would have nothing more to talk about if they moved someplace more hospitable. 

Typically, at this time of year, we praise the sunshine and strip down to t-shirts if the thermometer even approaches 40 degrees and genuinely give thanks that we survived yet another winter. There will be plenty of things to complain about soon enough. For instance: mud, rain, black flies, mosquitoes, black flies and mosquitoes together, tourists, heat, short summers...

(fall is very lovely though - not too hot, not too cold, all the tourists have gone home)

not enough wood split yet, advertising for Christmas before Thanksgiving, chickens stopped laying and so forth and so on until soon enough we come full circle to winter and we can just complain about the damn cold again...and frozen pipes.

Me: Hey Bruce how's it going?!

Bruce: 6 feet up is better than 6 feet under.

Adelaide: Ya got that right. 

The Grass is Always Greener {Stacy}

Every year, in about February, I wake up in the middle of the night and start frantically crunching numbers. It’s usually around this time that we have hired a big crew for the season and the credit card bill with all the seed purchases and supplies arrives. UPS is at the door everyday, which is nice because besides him, we don’t get many visitors in the winter. I start to stress out about the business. Being a small business owner is, at times, a major roller coaster. Will anyone sign up for a CSA share? Is our summer farm camp still fun? Are our flower designs unique, lush, inviting? Will our seeds even germinate?

I think all small businesses dance the tango with cash flow. But then there is the flexibility of being a small business owner that I’d never have if I gave it up. And, we’ve worked so hard to create this business, this empire of sorts. How could I possibly let it go?

After I crunch the numbers, I usually embark on a job search, thinking a steady paycheck is what I need. Forget this farming thing. Forget being a small business owner. ...my nurse midwifery degree,my fall-back: Google “midwifery jobs”. 

Luckily, as my family regularly reminds me, I’m not handicapped by perfection.I just need enough to get by. After a long, dark night, I wake up after only a few hours of sleep. My period has started. I come down to breakfast and John serves up the most delicious plate of fresh farm eggs and bacon with a big cup of coffee topped off with thick cow cream. I tell him about my sleepless night, my stressful state. And then I tell him about the my dream from the night... where I thought I was going through menopause only to realize that in fact we were actually pregnant again. This would make all of our children 10 years apart, giving me a hearty 30 years of active mothering. Needless to say, I was panicking. 

Alas, the voice of a sound business partner, a sound life partner comes along to settle all that. He gently ushers me into the day, reminds me of all the goodness that is our life, our business, our family. He reminds me that the hard work and anxiety are balanced by flexibility and control.

We work together, live together, love one another every day. We eat all our meals together and lay our heads down to rest together and we soak in the hot tub together. It is, by all accounts, exactly what I want and what I have worked for. I appreciate the reminder, the settling moment, the focus on setting my compass to true north. We regularly trade whose losing it. Each of us in turn, tucking aside their own stuff to make room for the one with the issue at hand. This patience, it brings us closer and raises us up. He reminds me why we left steady jobs for this farming gig, to eat well, work hard and have plenty of time to be together.

(This is all far more personal than the 4 other blog post drafts I wrote and tossed aside. I guess, all those loving comments on Monday made me sweet on y’all. I feel so welcomed and after a long winter, that is just what I needed. Thank you.)

I abandoned the off farm job search after that sleepless night. And, the presence of my menstrual cycle, which I assume to be numbered, clarified I’m not, indeed, pregnant. We fired up the wood boiler to heat the greenhouse, filled some trays with soil and seeds and away went the season. Off on another turn of the sun, our years marked by the inaugural load of wood into the wood boiler for the first time each March. Once those seeds sprout, its like magic.The whole thing, once again, feels hopeful. 

-Stacy

While she's away {Steve}

I have to admit, despite all the planning and the talking it through and the schedule shuffling and general pomp and circumstance that accompanies a trip to the other side of the globe, it kinda snuck up on me when she left. I have never been heli-skiing but I can imagine that it must be a similar feeling when that chopper peels away and you are left standing silently at the precipice with only one way down...over the edge. Of course I felt a little bit lonely on that edge, despite having five kids and my mom to keep me company for the next two weeks, I was surely going to miss my lady. But it was also a bit exhilarating, like we were having our own little adventure.

"You guys wanna get something to eat?!" I called out to much cheering from the back of the family traveler. And magically having all of them in a loud and busy restaurant by myself was almost easier than when we are all together. From the oldest to the youngest they sensed that, with only one of me, everything was sort of tenuous and if somebody went into a high speed wobble it would all come apart very quickly. And so we've been navigating this line between things fresh and exciting and a sense of normalcy with our regular routine. It's normal with a twist of, what's going to happen next?!

So far spring has not sprung in these parts and with wind chills below zero since Mama left we've been feeling even further from Bali. The sap is running a tiny bit when the Sun warms it enough to go but we've had it freezing in the pails a couple of days when I didn't think it had run and left it overnight. So, the next day we bring it inside to melt on the kitchen table and the kids drink sap by the spoonful pretty much all day! 

Saying yes. This is a staple in the diet of the best parents I know and is not always as easy as it sounds. So when the kids dig out an oldie but goodie like the wood burning kit I am trying to put my own agenda aside to get them rolling. The rules are simple - don't burn yourself or anybody else and unplug it when you're done. Naturally it requires constant parental oversight for the littlest and pretty much a never ending supply of clean wood but they are so happy to have a new tool to master.

It's the little things. A great holiday gift of 2x4 blocks which had been banished to the barn as an 'outdoor only' toy gets brought back in for a little treat on a cold day. The wooden equivalent of a great cardboard box (aka - the best toy ever) and you can also play in the empty bucket carrier!

Goodwill. $5. Shoot the Moon, a toy from my youth thrifted at the local Goodwill and has already paid itself off a hundred times over in entertainment value. Especially for Harper who hides the ball on his big sister while she's playing just to send her into orbit...it's not all roses all the time - don't get the wrong idea. 

One for the Papa. Cracking into an overdue project just to keep things interesting and maybe give Amanda a little boost when she gets home and there's still 18" of snow on the ground. Plus the kids are getting to be expert nail pullers, unscrewers and vacuumers. Harper is the foreman and boss of keeping the tool batteries charged. Ani is in charge of ice for everyones drinks. Ezra is either reading or looking for arrows in the snow from his new archery habit (sometimes he misses the hay bale). Calvin is either skiing, skating, dancing or dreaming about one of the three with his headphones on. Ada is either working on a fabulous craft project, talking my ear off or playing Heart and Soul on the piano. Again. (Note to self - teach Ada new song for piano ASAP). My mom is either reading to the kids, making them snacks when I said no snacks or looking up obscure conspiracy theories on Youtube. Amanda is in Bali!! Life is good.  
  

 

Long End of the Straw {Stacy}

As I approach the place in my mothering life where my children need me differently than they did in early childhood, there is this slow but gradual sense that I need something bigger than my family to keep me afloat. It doesn’t come in a wave or as an epiphany, but rather a nudging along, a nagging feeling sometimes. It’s been really present since I’ve passed the 40 mark. And, I realize that what satiates the feeling is time with friends.

 

 

In midlife, I am acutely aware that I have all kinds of friends: childhood friends, high school friends, college friends, colleagues. After you’ve dipped a toe into a few worlds and you know a little more who you are even though you still wonder where you are headed there is the special friendship that grows. In the years after you have done all that formative work, as a momma, you make momma friends. There are no superimposed limits like graduation, on these friendships. They are allowed to grow, unfettered by a deadline.

 

What I know about growing up in middle age is that I need these friends. I need them at dinner time, to send texts to, with silly comments about the day that I don’t need to censor. I need these friends to go out to dinner with and laugh and dance and stay out too late, only to text again the next evening about how tired I am. I need these friends to talk about my children with, to work out a career path with, to brainstorm a hairbrained idea with. I need these friends to normalize me, my heartaches, my fears and my loves. I need these friends to text a photo to when I’m shopping (most often at 11 PM online) for a second opinion. My husband, by all accounts the best of all my friends, will always say we don’t need it. This is why these friendships are paramount.

 

 

So, in the last few years, I’m making time to be with my friends. And it is paying off in spades. I still have the same fears, I still struggle with the narcissism of wondering if I have already done all my best work before 40...the midway point, and I still dance with imbalance in all parts of my day to day life. But, the time when I am allowed to be saturated by these friendships means the world. It allows me to come home to my family, the one I have chosen, and feel like I have myself to give to them.

 

I count Amanda as one of the dearest of these friends. I have, on more than one occasion, roped her into helping me go off on an adventure. The first time, I convinced her to live at my house with her family for 3 weeks and farm sit while my family traveled to Nicaragua. The second time, with a farm of her own, I talked her into letting me drop off my dairy cow for 2 months so we could go to Ecuador. We have talked about travel adventures for so long and I am beyond thrilled she has made the leap to take one of her own. Adventures, like friendships, are enriching beyond compare. I would have to say blog-sitting over farm-sitting or cow-sitting…I do believe I got the long straw. Maybe I’ll offer to buy drinks on our next night out. Of course that will be awhile as she will have certainly used up her nights out through April :) (Just looking out for Steve here).

I’ll be by to share a bit of spring at Broadturn Farm in the coming weeks. I'm really looking forward to showing you all a little of the mud season goodness at our farm. I’m dubbing it 50 Shades of Brown.

Till Then-

Stacy

 

 

Upstream Field Guide {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Upstream Field Guide! 

Who are you? What’s your purpose? And how do you live in a way that makes sense for you? Where all those little decisions about time, work, money, and relationships actually propel you towards a greater good? Living upstream means paddling against the flow of culture—a well-meaning, good-intentioned culture that, frankly, has gotten it wrong about a few things. But paddle we must, using our well-trained arm muscles and a good compass… because it’s the right thing to do.

From Tsh Oxenreider, author of Notes From a Blue Bike and founder of The Art of Simple, Upstream Field Guide is an eight-session, self-paced e-course that leads you through the process of discovering who you are, what’s your purpose, writing your personal (and family) purpose statements, then putting it all to good use.

You get specific insight to make a game plan for simplifying your life: unique-to-you ingredients that make up your reality—and how to make 1 month, 3 month, 1 year, and 3 year goals. It includes podcasts featuring Tsh’s candid and practical teaching style, with downloadable worksheets you’ll use to create a journaling notebook as you work through the course. There's also extras, like printable (and frameable!) art, Spotify playlists to get your journaling juices flowing, and audio interviews with other people sharing their wisdom about stuff they love: decluttering, personality tests, saying no, and more. It's like therapy, only cheaper.

Tsh's main site is The Art of Simple, she writes an occasional newsletter, and she shares her love of worldwide travel on Instagram.

SouleMama: Welcome to sponsorship on SouleMama! Please tell us about the beginnings of your business, and how you've come to be where you are now?

Tsh: I started writing my blog back in early 2008, as a creative outlet for my life as an expat in Turkey and as a mom to two littles. It found a loyal audience, and ever since, I've loved spending my time encouraging and sharing the joys (and challenges!) of intentionally choosing a simpler approach to life. The Art of Simple has evolved in to a community of like-minded people in search of permission and inspiration to live unconventionally—not because we’re in the mood to be rebellious, or because we’re better than our neighbors—but because it’s the right thing to do.

In early 2015, we (finally!) launched our first e-course, Upstream Field Guide. It's been so gratifying hearing from Upstreamers how the course is changing their lives, and we look forward to meeting the many more people to join us along the way. All are welcome.

This weekend, Upstream Field Guide is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

One lifetime membership to Upstream Field Guide! (Each membership provides Upstream access to all household members.) 

 

In addition, Upstream Field Guide is offering 10% off all memberships until April 15, 2015. Use code "SOULECANOE" at checkout.  

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST on Monday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

I love the concept of paddling against the culture.
Posted by: Amy

The Vintage Pearl {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from The Vintage Pearl! 

The Vintage Pearl began in 2007/2008 as a creative outlet for a stay at home Mom of 4, Erin Edwards. Over time it evolved into something bigger and faithful friends have jumped in to help. We handcraft each piece in our studio in Tulsa, OK (local Garth Brooks purchased Trisha Yearwood's Mother's Day gift from us in our retail store a couple of years ago!) --  all made in the USA! Our designs are unique and meaningful, our pieces make great gifts for many, especially Moms and Grandmas! Most of our pieces can be custom made with any names, dates or words of inspiration, handcrafted just for you, making them a true one-of-a-kind!

Visit The Vintage Pearl on Facebook and Instagram.

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed? 

Erin: In the past several months our wholesale collection has grown tremendously -- we are currently in over 1,000 stores/boutiques across the USA!

This weekend, The Vintage Pearl is generously offering the following gift to TWO lucky SouleMama readers:

$50 gift certificate

In addition, The Vintage Pearl is offering 20% off through 3/31/15. Use code "SOULE20" at checkout.  

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST on Sunday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winners are...

Love vintage pearl!
Posted by: Kimberly

So lovely! Vintage Pearl is one of my favorites. Thank you for the giveaway!
Posted by: Raven

{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.

. . . . . . . . . . 

one more, for the road

Fresh off the sewing machine and straight into my luggage, this one! (After a brief stop on the wall for a photograph, that is.) This is another Wiksten Tank, made in the tunic length and sewn with April Rhodes voile. I adjust the pattern slightly this time (since the last ones I made), using one size at the top and grading it down to another at the hips (I can't fault my hips - they've been good to me!). I do think next time I should try a full bust alteration (another Mama body part that has been oh so good to me, and therefore deserves some properly fitting clothes, I'm thinking), but I just didn't have time to try that for the first time on this one. No matter, I am thinking that this is going to be just perfect over a bathing suit, or with a tank underneath and a skirt. Bathing suits, tanks, skirts, sandals...I can hardly believe all this talk! There is so much snow outside my door right now, I can hardly remember green. I think my body will be in complete shock when it encounters the sunshine of Bali....in just a matter of hours (well, a lot of hours....because, after all, it is all the way on the other side of the world! Not exactly a hop, skip, and a jump as we say).

I'm excited to share this adventure with you here, upon my return (though I might be popping onto Instagram from time to time while I'm there). And Steve is eager, I think, to share his own Papa adventures here at home, flying solo while I'm gone. Expect to see him popping in once in a while in my absence. And wish him well, would you? Though I know he's got this. 

Ah....to adventure!

dressmaking day

Another ski day for the big kids, another dressmaking day with Ani! Though the calendar tells us this season is winding down, the snow outside says we've still got a bit more time. Spring skiing is so good.....and spring dressmaking? Also fabulous. There's no better time for making summer dresses!

This week, we found our pattern in Linen, Wool, Cotton Kids by Akiko Mano. It is such a delight to see these Japanese patterns and styles we love so much translated into English! Oh, the sewing becomes so much easier when you can read the words, yes! Annabel chose dress B - the Dual Yoke Dress. We used a Robert Kaufman chambray for the main dress, with a vintage print from my stash for the yoke and inside bias. 

It all came together smoothly - it's just the right kind of pattern for dressmaking day. Not too fussy, and with fairly quick results for my young helper. And at the end of the day, just like every other time before, she stood at the door waiting for everyone to come in and notice her new dress. The one she made, of course. The routine seems to never get old....for either of us.

a barn sweater

Friends, I think I've found the perfect sweater. That is, if having finished it last Wednesday and hardly taking it off since then is any indication. I happened to see a dear friend three days in a row in that stretch, and on the third day - with me once again wearing this sweater, I saw the look on her face - amusement and love and understanding (she's a knitter too). "Yeah," I said " so I kinda LOVE this sweater!"

The funny thing is - it's been on my needles for nearly a year. It was just about this time last year that Carrie Bostick Hoge submitted it to us for the pages of the fall (2014) Taproot issue, MEND. Just the very moment it came in, it immediately made the rounds of all the knitters on our team (which is most of us), and my order for yarn was placed within hours. I cruised ahead on it, and was excited to have it ready to wear for fall. And then, I don't know....a weird but totally normal knitting thing happened and it got put to the back burner. Or rather, in a project bag, in the bottom of a basket full of works in progress project bags. I kept intending to get back to it. And I kept seeing other people's finished barn sweaters and being excited for my own. But it wasn't until last week that I picked it back up again....and cruised on through to the finish line. 

I was skeptical of the reverse stockinette stitch, fearful I would just feel (and look) like I was wearing my sweater inside out. But no, I love the stitch on this sweater. The whole fit just feels perfect, and the sleeve length so practical for actually working with my hands. And pockets! I'm glad I went with the Owl yarn - my first time using it. The pattern is found in MEND, and also now available from Carrie directly. 

I think Shalom is the only other (adult) sweater that I've knit more than once. But I have a feeling there might be another barn sweater in my future. It's a good one.

 

Alewives Fabrics {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Alewives Fabrics! 

Established in 1978, Alewives Fabrics is located in beautiful Midcoast Maine. The shop is owned and operated by the mother/daughter team of Barbara Neeson and Rhea Butler, who purchased the shop in 2004. In 2010, we opened our webstore, and we now sell fabric all over the world!

Alewives Fabrics is on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed? 

Alewives: Recently we've become addicted to sewing with knits. We've been making a lot of Linden Sweatshirts (pattern is by Grainline Studios), and also Lemon Drop Tunics (pattern by Anna Maria Horner).  Both projects are fast and easy to sew, and we absolutely love the finished results!

And speaking of Anna Maria, her fabrics continue to be one of our best sellers here at the shop. We've just begun sign-ups for an Anna Maria Horner Monthly Color Club, where for one year we will send 10 fat quarters a month straight to your door. Each month will feature fabrics all in the same general hue, with no fabrics repeated, for a total of 120 gorgeous Anna Maria Horner fat quarters. It's like getting a bouquet of flowers every month, only better because it's fabric and it won't go bad!!!     

This weekend, Alewives Fabrics is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

A fat quarter bundle of the new "Folk Song" collection from Anna Maria Horner. The bundle includes 14 different quilting weight cottons: perfect for a quilt, bag or any patchwork project! 

In addition, Alewives Fabrics would like to offer SouleMama readers FREE SHIPPING with their online purchase through Sunday, March 19th by entering the code "soulemama" into the promotional code field at checkout. Local customers who visit our shop in person can mention the SouleMama giveaway at the checkout counter for a special "locals only" promotion! 

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST on Monday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

Wonderful offerings. AMH is my very favorite.
Posted by: misty

Bee's Wrap {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Bee's Wrap! 

Bee's Wrap began making our sustainable food wraps a little over two years ago. We started very small in my sewing space in our home, melting wax and painting fabric. After about six months we moved into a workshop on our property and brought on some help turning Bee's Wrap into a business that was growing quickly. After another year passed of exciting growth we moved into a larger space in the nearby town of Bristol, Vermont where all of our Bee's Wrap is now made.

Bee's Wrap is a sustainable food storage alternative to plastic wrap. It is made from all natural ingredients- organic cotton, beeswax, tree resin, and organic jojoba oil. Bee's Wrap is great for wrapping cheese, bread, and veggies- like celery, greens, carrots, half of a cucumber, pepper or lemon. Bee's Wrap is reusable for up to a year. Wash in cool water with a little dish soap and hang to dry. When it has reached the end of its life compost or use as a fire starter for camping or a wood stove. 

Bee's Wrap is on Instagram and Facebook.

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed? 

Sarah: We are very excited to announce our NEW Sandwich Wrap. Bee's Wrap is made with organic cotton muslin, beeswax, jojoba oil, and tree resin. The Sandwich Wrap has the addition of a hemp cord and wood bee button for making sandwich wrapping super easy and environmentally friendly. Build your sandwich, fold in the corners and wrap the string around the wooden bee button, then use as a placemat. Use again and again. Our sustainable sandwich wrap is perfect for grownups and kids!

This weekend, Bee's Wrap is generously offering the following gift to TWO lucky SouleMama readers:

a Sandwich Wrap

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST on Sunday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winners are...

Sooooooo want to try these!
Posted by: Bianka

been curious about these, would love the chance to try it out.
Posted by: MNP

{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.

. . . . . . . . . . 

SONG

I am so happy to tell you that Issue 13 of Taproot, SONG, is now available! It's our first issue of this, our fourth year....and our first issue with Phoebe Wahl as our cover artist. Phoebe has been with us in every issue from the very beginning. While putting together SOIL, I was scouring art school websites looking for new artists to feature. I found Phoebe from RISD, and she's been with us ever since - as a supporter of Taproot, as a contributor, as a shaper of what we're doing in the pages, and as a friend. It's an honor to have her work move from inside the pages to the front of the pages with this issue. And would you look at all that COLOR! Such a treat for the eyes, and such a pleasure to embrace, especially this time of year.

Inside the pages, you'll see some familiar faces and names and plenty of fresh ones too. We're so thrilled that Natalie Merchant and Elizabeth Mitchell could join us for this issue, writing about their musical community in Hudson Valley. McKenzie E. Ditter shares instructions on how to make your on mbira (so incredibly cool -the kids and are going to do this soon!), and Jerome Sevilla shows us how to deconstruct and old sweater to upcycle the yarn. And of course .... so much more in the 96 pages of this issue. Colorful, fresh, and fun is how I'd certainly describe this issue. Maybe, hopefully, even a little bit funky? 

We couldn't imagine creating an issue called SONG without there being any SOUND to accompany. And so we sent out SoulePapa and our friend at Gray Ghost Productions in search for just that. They found it, in the middle of the woods on an old blue bus. Yes, yes. There they joined past Taproot contributors and friends for a jam session. I'll let them do the rest of the talking....

A Blue Bus Session from Taproot Magazine on Vimeo.

It was a way to "find a way to get together with some friends and be creative and do something really wonderful, like sharing music." Yes, that! 

Head on over to Taproot to check out more of the SONG issue. And thank you, as always, for your support of this adventure in ad-free, independent print publishing! 

hot rollers & hay

Cleaning up my photo library for the month of February (I'm just a few days late this month, but mostly keeping up with my system), I found these gems that I had forgotten about. Taken during the last storm, when Adelaide was snuggled in and cozy by the fire with her new love of hot rollers in her hair. When it was time to feed her sheep, she hopped up, put on her jacket and went. I followed, with my camera. And I'm so glad I did - what a capture of her right now these images are! Oh, my sweet girl. 

It's Time!

 

Ah, there's no surer or more hopeful sign of spring than sugaring season! Our taps went in this weekend on our small backyard operation. Forty taps in total. The old timers are saying it's going to be a fast and furious season this year. Bring it on, we say. We're ready!

Quince and Co. {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Quince and Co.! 

Pam Allen and Carrie Bostick Hoge, yarn addicts to the core, started Quince & Co. with an owner of a historic Maine mill in 2010. Together they created a line of classic, beautiful yarns from wool sourced in the US. With those yarns they designed a line of modern knitwear patterns for sweaters and accessories lovely in their simplicity, which echoed the “upgraded essentials” nature of the yarn.

Quince makes its products as locally as we can, sourcing and spinning its yarns in the US, as much as possible. Quince’s wool and wool-blend yarns are spun in historic American mills from territory wool. By sourcing its wool in the US and manufacturing yarn locally, Quince minimizes its carbon footprint and helps keep American ranches from turning into parking lots.

If people would like to follow us, they can follow our blog, and on facebook. We’re also on Instagram.  

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed? 

Quince: So much has changed since the last time we were featured on SouleMama! First off, we have a brand new website (let us know what you think!).

We have new yarns, including Piper, a lace weight 50% Super Kid Mohair / 50% Superfine Merino, sourced entirely from Texas ranches, and spun and dyed in the US. 

New colors in our 100% fine American wool range, including natural brown heather shades, called Audouin and Caspian.

And, of course, lots of awesome new knitwear patterns and collections. We recently released Home, a collection of homey knitwear, designed by Pam Allen with comfort and simplicity--two of the essential elements of a great home--in mind. Our most recent collection, released at the end of February, is Scarves 4. The collection features a great range of knittable neckwear from up and coming designers. It is currently available in PDF and pre-order for the print book. 

This weekend, Quince and Co. is generously offering the following gifts to TWO lucky SouleMama readers:

Grand prize: A copy of Home and Scarves 4, with the yarn to knit any one of the projects, and a Quince tote

Second prize: A copy of Home or Scarves 4, and a Quince tote

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST on Monday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed! The winners are...

Oh, such luscious yarn! I'm going to have to follow Quince and Co!!
Posted by: Sharon

Quince is tops on my list of yarns-to-try-when-budget-allows! This is a great giveaway.
Posted by: Chrissy

Imagine Childhood {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Imagine Childhood! 

Imagine Childhood is a family owned and operated company specializing in earth-friendly goods, craft and activity tutorials and educational supplies that support and nurture the magic of childhood. Our carefully curated collection focuses on products that inspire children to create, imagine, and explore. With an emphasis on quality materials, our toys and tools are made for real kids and real adventures.  

Browse our 2014-2015 Lookbook for over 170 pages of inspiring and thoughtful gifts, our largest collection yet! We’ve spent the last seven years combing the globe for unique heirloom quality toys, tools, games, and craft projects, many of which are $25 or less.  We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

In addition to our shop we also share free crafts, activities and recipes on our blog here and our recent book, IMAGINE CHILDHOOD: Exploring the World Through Nature, Imagination, and Play- 25 Projects that spark curiosity and adventure, can be found here.

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed? 

Sarah: After so many years of business and blogging we’ve built up quite a catalog of beautiful products and a pretty massive collection of free crafts, activities and recipes. This spring we’ve been busy at work organizing all of those tutorials into a new, easy to access index that we’ll be sharing with you later in the season. Perfect for homeschoolers, teachers and crafty parents alike, your days of scrolling through page after page are over. With our new layout and categories, you’ll be able to quickly find a project for every season and occasion.

This weekend, Imagine Childhood is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

A $150 gift certificate to the Imagine Childhood shop!

In addition, Imagine Childhood is offering 10% off all orders placed between now and March 11th, as well as free shipping for orders over $100. Use code "soulemama" at checkout.  Discount expires 3/11/15.

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST on Sunday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...

Such a generous and wonderful giveaway. All kinds of fun things for my grandchildren!
Posted by: Gay

{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.

. . . . . . . . . . 

Tuesday's Dress

Thank you, truly, for the incredibly kind and generous words you left on my last post! What a gift those are, and a beautiful reminder to me of what this is all about. Thank you, thank you! 

As expected, and as demanded by the little miss, we made a new dress on Tuesday while the big kids were playing on the mountain. We went for a Suzanne, a dress I've made so many times over the years. She picked out this yummy fabric - Briar Rose Strawberry Green by Heather Ross. And though the pattern doesn't need buttons, button searching and button selecting is an important part of the process of 'making a dress' for Ani, and so we put two buttons on there just because. I altered the pattern just a bit to include elastic at the shoulders, which helps keep them in place a bit better. 

There are only a few more ski days left, which honestly is a very good thing. This little girls dresser drawers are overflowing with her dresses! Ah, but I do so love our Tuesdays together. And despite those dresser drawers, I don't think I could ever say no to "Let's make a dress, Mama!!". 

ten

(March 2005)

The Pool Shirt

Yay! The Pool Shirt is done. I used the fabulous Munki Munki Pool Party print--so adorable. The pattern was a bit more of a bear than I expected--particularly the collar. Originally, I had a plan to make one for Steve and Ezra too, but now I'm not so sure! Here's the shirt, almost done (click to enlarge), and a closeup of the cute fabric....I think I'm going to send the shirt off to Nana--the professional seamstress!--to do the buttonholes for me (my machine doesn't seem to like to do buttonholes, and neither do I. Hee Hee).

  

..............................................................

That was ten years ago, almost to the day. Last week marked ten years of blogging for me. Ten years! Forever ago and yet it feels like yesterday all at the same time. Ten years ago, I was a twenty-eight year old stay at home mom of two young boys, ages 4 and 2, and pregnant with my third. Steve was working each day for an engineering firm, and my days were filled with the things that make up life at home with little ones. There were stories and games, blocks and puzzles, food and naps, and a little bit of Mister Rogers for good measure. We took trips to the beach and to the library, to playgroups and the museum. There was a lot of breastfeeding, babywearing and co sleeping and long and tiring days. Days, I remember, sometimes blurring one right into another. Also in those days, in whatever little pockets of time I could find, I was discovering my creative self, and nurturing it more than I ever had in my life before. I was sewing things for my children and my home, and knitting for friends and family both. And, in the late hours of the night when the kids were asleep....I was documenting those pursuits. A whole world and community was opening up in blog land, and we were all excited to connect with likeminded people all across the world. We shared stories and patterns, swaps and parenting tales. None of us, I do believe, had any idea where it was all going. I certainly didn't predict that not only would I stay real and true friends with so many of those women, but that the very thing that connected us all to begin with - these blogs - would, for some of us, take on a life of their own. Opening doors for us, and creating careers and amazing opportunities for more and more creativity to flourish. And more connection to happen. And more ways in which we could share - and spread - our love for motherhood, home and hearth.

Well, all of that did happen. And along the way it has been something incredibly special. Of course, it isn't all roses in this virtual world. There have been, I will confess, moments where I felt obligated to the blog. Moments where I doubted what I'm doing here, and questioned the effect it has. Moments in which my feelings were deeply hurt, moments in which my heart was healed. Moments where I thought about stopping all together. Times when I wanted to pull the curtains to give us more privacy. Moments I thought about turning this space into something else entirely - something wider and larger than just my words. Or even fancying things up (well, I still could do that a bit, couldn't I? Change isn't so bad). But all of those growing pains are normal for any ten year long relationship, even the healthiest. And at the end of the day, I always come back to my love for this space, and my deep gratitude for what it - and you - have given me. I still love the daily ritual of documenting a piece of my days. I love taking pictures and sharing words. I love hearing from you. I love that I am able to support businesses I believe in by hosting them here as sponsors, and that that relationship in turn supports my family. In short, this space - and connections made here - make me feel as though the world is small, that we share more in common than we do in difference, and that people are good hearted. What a gift that feeling is! And most importantly, I love that this space helps me to remember the small moments, to hold onto the things that matter in our days, and to celebrate family.

In ten years a lot of things in my life have changed. There are five children. A farm. A business and career that have changed the way my days are spent. There has been unexpected loss and heartbreak, joy and celebration. That little boy pictured above is taller than me, and about to embark on high school. And it's been many years since I've seen him wear barrettes in his hair! So much looks different now. But today, in just a few moments, I will usher my four oldest children out the door for their weekly trip to the mountain to ski with their Papa. My little girl will stay here with me, and as she declared at the breakfast table this morning, "we're gonna make dresses ALL DAY LONG! Hooray!!!". I will likely snap a photograph or two along the way, and surely I'll share it here. Just like I did ten years ago.

Ten years later....this blog, this space, and even some of you, are still here. And for that I am so grateful, as it has meant more to me than I can say. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for sharing this journey with me. It has been an honor, and a pleasure...

Pink in February

 

I think it's an official rule for all knitters, isn't it? Only knit COLOR in February. When everything out of doors is white, white, white....break it up with color in your hands. This February, I did just that, with the brightest, loveliest of pink yarns! I walked into the yarn shop earlier in the month and picked up four skeins of this, knowing I wanted color in February and that the results would be for Adelaide, whatever pattern I found. This is Malabrigo Rios in English Rose, and the pattern is Little Buds. I made this once before - for Ani - but this is the first time I've made it for Adelaide. It's such a sweet pattern, I really enjoy knitting it. Adelaide isn't a fan of long sleeves, as they get in the way of her work, she says. Even "almost long-sleeves" (also known as three quarters length) are not desired. So I stopped these just before the elbow. And the buttons! They're from IrisDesignSeaglass and are stones found along the shores of Maine. I love that, and so does she. She loves the whole sweater, in fact, and that pleases me so very much.

And well, since March is starting out entirely like February was, I'm thinking maybe this color rule should be extended a few weeks or so, don't you?

March 1

Hello March!

And welcome (and welcome back) to the newest Sponsors here at SouleMama...

Crafting Connections

We are obsessed with creativity! We eat, breathe, and talk about it a lot, and over the years we’ve found that we’re not alone – many of you share our obsession! Yours are the families who love to DIY what they can, who encourage creative and critical thinking in their little ones, who, as adults, work to continue developing your own sense of wonder, curiosity, and yes, creativity. Crafting Connections is based on three main beliefs: that everyone can be creative, that crafting doesn’t have to be hard to be meaningful, and that creativity is a necessary part of life. We offer practical inspiration such as DIYs, tutorials, and recipes; creative support for beginners to the world of crafting with kids, artists now working to bring art to their little ones, and anyone working on raising a creative family; and real glimpses into the lives of creative folks and families, all different but beautiful and successful in their own ways. 

 

Because we really love SouleMama and her readers (and are so very excited to be able to sponsor her again), we've created a little something special just for you! Please visit our site for two FREE mini-magazines that we think you'll love - just the thing to help us all get through these last months of winter here in the US!

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12 Steps to a Healthy Family

'12 Steps to a Healthy Family' is a 12 Step Digital Workshop for busy Mums that want to transition their family to a healthier lifestyle. In 12 self paced steps you'll be guided and motivated by Occupational Therapist and Health Coach Nicole Beardsley from The Happy Parent Project and learn how to: 

 

Boost your immune system naturally

Make fermented foods rich in probiotics and gut healing properties

Make 100's of meals using whole foods

Bake supercharged sugar free snacks

Educate your children to love healthy food

Remove bloating and digestion issues

Have energy all day long

Curb sugar and caffeine cravings

Spend quality time connecting with your family

Get back your spark for life

 

March orders are now being accepted

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Tall Earth

At Tall Earth we’re committed to designing and manufacturing effective, affordable wood treatment products for home, garden, construction, marine, and pleasure use. We believe in environmental stewardship, but want products that really get the job done. You won't find our name on anything that doesn't work and work well.

Tall Earth is a small, family-run company that has been in business since 1990. We've sold and distributed our goods to businesses and agricultural users, and have recently started selling direct to consumer.

We've developed our non-toxic Eco-Safe Wood Treatments® to be environmentally friendly, kid-safe, pet-safe, and soil and groundwater safe, yet highly effective and affordable. There's no need to sacrifice quality or value in order to preserve, protect and beautify your wood project while staying green. From bird houses to people houses, we've got you covered!

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Check out all of their handmade, natural, and creative offerings - and those of our other Sponsors - in the days and weeks to come. I thank them and you both for your presence and support here. And if Sponsorship is something you're interested in for your own business, please be in touch!