Lunch Date

we had a quick little weekend together in Salt Lake City

i've been waiting for weeks to take ceej out to lunch here.


that lemon cream tart was oh so perfectly lemon!

feeling oh so happy to have moments like these!

update: we're eating lunch here at tulie bakery in salt lake city. it's on about 900 east and 700 south...just west of trio.

Manifesto Monday: Relax

photo by me 3.15.09 down by the river

As a yoga instructor, I often find myself repeating to the other students, "relax into the pose...you'll go deeper by relaxing rather than forcing." I say this aloud to others at least nine times a day throughout the different classes I teach.

Today I took a bit of my own medicine. I met with one of my professors to go over a rough draft of a term paper. We went over it, and I receieved some good direction on my project. However, the best part of the meeting was when I relaxed and surrendered...I spilled my guts. I exposed my heart, and let down my defenses. I sighed into relaxation, letting go of what I thought I was supposed to be in front of my professor. She gave me the best advice ever--which was what I already knew about myself, but was just afraid to let go and let it consume me.

As we let go of trying to be something else, and give in to be what we were meant to be (human!) then all things take their natural path. The grass never worries about being as tall as the trees. So I will not worry about being something I am not. I will relax. And I will find peace. This I believe.

"so often, men trip by being in a rush"

another beautiful drive we took last week. this time through countryside that makes me remember east of eden and angle of repose. enjoy these photos over the weekend...and make time to stop the car and take pictures of beautiful things...have a slow weekend!

there's something about orchards...

and empty roads...

that make my heart swoon...

and my spirit wonder...

how we live together in such a beautiful place...

where the skies and the trees talk together...

and they let me come for visits...

to learn of how they grow slowly...

with light and breath...

and we get to watch it all...

when we slow down to notice.

all photos by me...except the ones of me, which Ceej took. 3.22.09 Davis, CA

pretty to think so...

today i'm feeling a little blue...so i opened up my folder entitled "pretty things", and here's some images that have cheered me a bit. would welcome any links to other pretty things you might suggest!

pretty flowers {unknown source...my apologies!}

pretty house in a pretty field {again, unknown source. i really ought to pay more attention}

what pretty hair!
{via nygards anna}

just pretty.

{unknown source}

what a pretty simple bed with a pretty little heart!

{unknown source}

pretty flowers indeed

{unknown source-really sorry!}

hope you have a pretty day!

mine is already a bit prettier. thanks to lovely images.

Point Reyes Drive

i LOVE driving through Marin County. it's such a beautiful and peaceful place.

i took so many photos...it was hard to choose which to share with you.

there's a lot of photos. enjoy!

i couldn't get enough of these pretty yellow blossoms. there were fields and fields of them!


i couldn't believe how many wind-blown trees we saw like this. how powerful the wind is!

the rain and the fog moved in...i couldn't have been more giddy about it!

in the city of point reyes station there is this lovely little general store. i usually just "window" shop and look at all the pretty and yummy things.

just pretty. love the dismal weather more than anything.

beautiful trees, yes?

how would you like to live in this barn in this little valley? what a dream!

i wish this drive could have lasted forever!

ceej brought along his graflex...it makes the most wonderful photos.

more yellow flowers. just so pretty.

can you see the ocean there in the distance?

we took a walk down to the beach.

at first the rain was simply a mist...

no need for umbrellas yet...

as ceej set up his camera the rain wasn't too bad, but as soon as he was ready to take the photo it started to come down in a mad fit...we continued on with the photoshoot nevertheless. we'll see how the photo turns out (it takes 10-15 minutes just to get the graflex ready for one shot!)

if you come visit us, we'll definitely take you on this drive.

hopefully the weather will be perfectly rainy for you!

i took about a bazillion photos from the car window...there wasn't enough time to stop every 10 feet as i would have liked to.

sigh.

and, of course, we took a picnic along.

hopefully next time you can join us!

tune in tomorrow...

photo by me. 3.21.09 california coast

tomorrow i'll be posting photos from our weekend drive through beautiful coastal scenery. you'll love the irish-like landscape...if your heart is anything like mine.

My Own Personal Therapist

he listens

he reads my poems

praises my songs

edits my school papers

holds me when i cry

tells me i am beautiful

& brilliant

loves me

even when i am horrible

smiles when he sees me

teaches me about photography

tells me that i can

love you, c!

Manifesto Monday: Shadow

photo by me. 3.22.09 Davis, CA

I believe in the shadow. Sometimes I think we don't pay attention to our shadow. We're so used to it being around that we hardly notice it. Growing up we used to laugh for hours as we watched how the sunlight distorted our bodies. We played shadow tag, and tried to run from our own shadows. But, of course, we could never quite get away from our shadows. We're stuck with them.
I am grateful to be stuck to my shadow. I am grateful for the not-so-bright parts in my person. I am thankful for my weakness. I am also thankful for the deep and sometimes unseen shadows that are part of me. I am thankful to be "stuck" as a human being...a person with capabilities as well as limitations.
Our shadows remind us that we are indeed human. That all of us are human. Each of us have beautiful bright spots as well as beautiful "shadow" spots. This is how we learn to have empathy, and this is what moves us to learn more, and to dig deep. This I believe.

Spring Equinox

photo by me...capitol park...3.18.09

at 7:44 am today the vernal equinox arrived

you can be expecting an equinox party very soon...

until then, enjoy this excerpt of a mary oliver poem

spring in the classroom

So spring surrounded the classroom, and we suffered to be kept indoors,

Droned through lessons, carved when we could with jackknives

Our pulsing initials into the desks, and grew

Angry to be held so...

happy spring weekend!

one hundred years old

Matthew Turley is the most beautiful photographer.
No question.

He shoots with a really old graflex camera...

and a lens that is one hundred years old.

you can't fake this. no digital will ever match.

visit his website.

breakfast

this morning i made my own ghee.

i love the process of making it...

smells delicious, and the sound is soothing.

best of all, the taste is unbelievable!

happy friday morning!

Return of the Swallows

photo via agincourtjim's fly tipping extravaganza photo stream.

In case you didn't believe me...I did a little research for you. And my mom is right. The swallows ALWAYS return on March 19th to Capistrano. Read it here. I think it would be lovely to be able to go and join in the celebration. Maybe one year our family will go together!

I wish we would celebrate more things that happen in nature like this.

Happy Birthday Little Mikey!

Yes. That IS who you think it is...my famous little brother...MIKEY! He's standing back-to-back with his good friend, Tony Hawk--you may have heard of him.

Anyway, this post is for the best little brother in the world! Mikey is number 7 of 7 kids, I'm number 6. So we stuck together as the older siblings slowly left us--first, for their friends, second, for school, and third for their own families.

best memories ever

01. creating the "john rambo" club: using large and dangerous knives to make our own bows & arrows, and building underground forts.

02. me protecting mikey from the new bullies that moved in at the end of the street

03. playing outside EVERYDAY

04. Basketball competitions in the backyard.

05. Our basketball collection likely to hold our fortune.

06. Selling home-grown tomatoes in brown paper bags at the end of the street.

08. me watching mikey & friends skateboard for hours on end.

09. listening to Mikey drum "sprit of the radio" and "two step" for hours on end.

10. going to Mikey's jazz concerts...his drumming is SOOOO good!

11. bullet sledding

12. trips to the green cabin and exploring the hidden ponds and rivers

13. summer days at the pool, with grape welch's soda, and our wet bellies on the hot cement

why mikey is so cool!

01. he's the most logical kid in the universe...every parent wants a kid like him

02. he's always done his own thing...which has always been the right thing

03. he's smarter than smart

04. he has facial expressions that would rival jack black's.

05. his sense of humor is always far ahead of its time...he's hilarious

06. he's got dance moves you would never expect

07. his mad music skills are a result of endless, dedicated practice

08. there's no procrastination in his world

09. he has an enormous heart!

(the woman who marries him is lucky indeed!)

happy 25th birthday little mikey!

p.s. the swallows ALWAYS return to Capistrano on his birthday. Mom reminds us every year.

we L-O-V-E picnics!

One of the best things about living in California is that the weather usually permits daily picnics. Glad to be back to our daily routine!

We love meeting for lunch at either McKinley Park or the Capitol Park (where you can see one of every kind of tree that is in California...our favorite is the cork tree!)

I LOVE how Ceej comes up with new ways to be "green"...he re-uses EVERYTHING! No more zip-lock bags here...no buying new fancy containers. He's pretty smart.

We had a St. Patrick's Day picnic by the river last night. We watched ducks skid across the water at full flying speed. We watched crows fly and listened to them caw. We watched the sunset, and the water move on the river. Perfect.

So happy!



by the way...

i posted on my food blog!

i'm back!