changes...

 the temperature drops...

 my connection to the river...

a sad goodbye...
february throws us some cold snowy weather, very different from last year where the snow was pretty much gone by this time... i have wanted to hike the forest trail to be close to the river, but it is far too treacherous at almost nine months pregnant, so i can only view it from afar on my walk... we had to say goodbye to mischief as the baby is soon to arrive and we just can't handle too many things, especially since our lives are really up in the air right now...she went to a very very happy home, to one of her best friends, so, although it is sad for us, she is going to be one very happy and lucky girl...
baby has been moving lots lately, getting bigger of course, and less room in my tummy! i still feel that there is just SO MUCH to do, but the baby will bring with it a whole new energy, which will probably flip my list upside down anyway...
i have found out that you just can't prepare for a new baby, no matter what! i just have no clue to what our lives will look like ahead...what a trip!

darkness and light...

today is the february full moon... this is a view from through the dome of the yurt... the dogs have been extra active, and my mind has been a puddle of mush... it is a beautiful sunny day today, but i woke up not feeling very good... something i ate the night before perhaps? the agitation of the unknown of having a baby? the many ideas running through my mind of where we will be this year? just the overall hormonal changes that are happening as the birth approaches? yup, many things going on, it is difficult to stay sane no matter what i do... honey has been a beautiful rock this week for me, i am truly blessed... and i am excited for the babe, it just this leading up to the birth that is so nerve wrecking... ah, the unknown...life

blessingway day...

 honey's specialty: sliced grapefruit and whole wheat pancakes...

 blessingway with friends...

 blessing altar...

birthing necklace...
i had a beautiful mothering ceremony called a blessingway... rachelle put the whole thing together for me: we had munchies; i got a body rub and foot bath; we did a yarn activity, where we each ended up with a yarn bracelet in anticipation for the birth; and each person brought a special thing for the altar as well as a bead for my birthing necklace... it was all very simple, meaningful and beautiful... thanks for all the special souls in my life.

the sweet and the sour...

 caramelizing onions with garlic in olive oil

 organic coconut milk and sweet potatoes...

the soup...

clouds on our first spring-feeling day! and can you believe the sky breaks the day that our own black clouds part...yes it has been quite dark emotionally here the last week, and last night they parted, bringing in the sunshine...mother nature also had a surprise in store for us with our first truly spring-feeling day (yes, despite the five feet of snow on the ground)...i woke up with haikus in my head this morning, maybe it was from the sweet potato soup i made last night...the soup is one of my faves, even though it did give me heartburn last night, but what doesn't lately? baby is feeling better now that the sunshine is in my head and heart once again...and i did a major clean up of the yurt, perhaps to rid of the negative energies, or perhaps because i was heeding the spring-like feeling in the air...

sweet potato soup...

2 sweet potatoes (or yams, whichever you prefer)

1 large onion

4 cloves garlic

2 large carrots

water to cover over all the veggies

salt, to taste

splash of soy sauce, to taste

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 can coconut milk

Dice all the veggies.  Saute onion and garlic in olive oil.  Throw in the carrots and sweet potatoes and stir.  Pour in the water and wait for it to boil.  Season with salt, soy sauce ad parsley.  Let veggies cook until very tender.  Mash the soup.  Add coconut milk until just about to boil. Serve!

the black clouds parted

clearing my feverish mind

bringing in spring-time

february crawls

as cabin fever rises

awaiting the spring

haikus must be light

flying in the cool night breeze

like wild butterflies

little thoughts... you must jump out of the nest to truly experience life's beauty (imagine birds who are too scared to do this, they would miss so much!)...it's not whether you have intuition, but whether you put it into action!

creating...

 busy with baby blankets...

above is our new (used) car, thanks to honey's papa, who generously helped us out with the payment, and voila! our newest (2003), and safest feeling car yet! can't wait to snuggle the baby into it, it just feels so new and wonderful compared to our '86 toyota tercel (which was fuming up an engine storm in its latter stages, and only making 14 minute rides)...
and yes, i have been busy sewing baby blankets with Fabricland's organic wool fleece, so soft and affordable for my empty pockets! i know baby will love these! and i am going to buy a whole bunch more of this fabric to make the bedding sheets, and who knows what else! i am just excited to swaddle baby in soft organic material that won't break my nil of a budget!
emotionally, i have been riding a not so good rollercoaster...lots of icky stuff coming up, and after last night's break down, which is maybe what i needed, i have felt the need to let go of all the icky stuff and just be...our life is truly wonderful (we also just got a new mac with our meagre savings so i can start on our websites), we have great love and peace, and we have a baby coming! we always have grand adventures and we follow the same path...what more could i dream of?  time to let the icky stuff go...

eight months...

 new sewing station...

 knitted baby toque...

here we are, eight months officially! i am feeling much better the last few days, i was having the blues for awhile there, but now i am back feeling healthy... it seems like there is SO MUCH to do before the baby comes, i just can't believe how soon the little one is coming! we watched a video called "birth as we know it" and it was really beautiful, renewed my confidence... plus i had free acupuncture on my lower back which was really nice, although i would probably have to have it everyday to really help my back! i have always had back issues, so i am just being extra careful, with the extra weight of the babe... we also have about five feet of snow outside which is beautiful but also disconcerting, since the car is not doing well, i guess no car does well in such snowy conditions! did i say i feel like there are tonnes of things to do!? when you are on a super budget especially... as you can see i knit another toque, plus i have been sewing blankets and will soon try to sew the crib mattress cover to save money (since organic material is so much cheaper than to buy already made organic items!)... we are excited!

date night...

i forgot to mention that fridays now have been date night, thanks to honey's loving ideas... so we take a bath, give each other a foot or back massage, watch a movie and have a special treat...like the organic chocolate ice cream we once had, which was divine! and this time we are putting together the baby crib, which is a simple wooden one from ikea, thanks to my mommy!  we also do birth/baby exercises to connect with each other and baby...ah, love...

winter continues...

it has been a challenging week this week... our car went kaput, overheated until the engine shut down, and now it is truly wonky, can only just make it to the store, a ten minute drive...not only that, but at the same time that the engine shut down, honey found that the laundry that we had just done in town was on fire! yup, some of my favourite pieces burnt to no return...very yucky...and overall i have just been feeling down, heavier, less able to do things, and just a whole lot of thoughts going through my head... as i approach my eight month, i really need to clear my head, smile, feel good about things...the only thing is that when i get down, it goes from personal issues to universal issues, so that the whole of life comes under my critical eye and it is hard to get out into the fresh air of happiness...but i really need to since baby is coming into the world soon, and i so want the little one to feel my love, warmth and happiness...

highs and lows...

 the finally finished baby blanket!

 crafting these days...

yup, highs and lows this week... highs: honey helped me set up an absolutely wonderful sewing/crafting station, which has inspired me to craft more! went to the midwives yesturday and baby is healthy and most likely in the right position, and only six weeks until i am full term, yikes! i finally finished the baby blanket in baby alpaca hair, so so soft! now i am working on another baby toque, this time in peruvian wool.
lows: yesturday our car over-heated to perhaps the point of no return, which means no driving anywhere except maybe to work, yuck!  we did laundry yesturday and when we were driving we smelt something burning and just thought it was the overheated car, but when the car died, honey looks at the back and the clothes are on fire! yup, lost some of my wardrobe, and it all just sucked!  luckily we got home safely after it all, but my emotions are still very wonky from it all...just not feeling good...
just got to keep it happy and healthy for when the baby comes, oh, i am so looking forward to that day!
and the crib is almost all set up!!