The Wisdom of Mother Earth

We have taken to paying attention to the Moon and to the change in the seasons. I am becoming more and more aware of myself in relationship to the earth. This is a picture of the trees by my home. It reminds me of this time of year, the autumn.
I have noticed as the moon changeds so do I, as the seasons change so do I. Each cycle brings a new energy to my beingness. To how I see others, to how I see myself. To how I am capable of doing and not doing, To what foods I crave to what foods I can't think of eating.
This time of year I want to retreat inside. I also feel the need to connect more to others, not in a do this or that, but in a deeper connection way. I feel the need to nurture myself and those that have made a difference this time of year.
This is the first year that we are following our tradition, our spiritual tradition of this time of year being the end of the year. This is our new year! I am excited about that. I am excited about the prospect that new year will bring. Yoga has become a big part of my life. I have started a home practice. I am going to take more yoga classes in the coming year and may do yoga teacher training. I am working on my business, which is exciting. I am claiming who I am. Who are you claiming to be this year?!

Sweetness, needing, cool and beauty

Tarasoulfia is her real name. This picture is so Tara. She is named after 2 goddess; Tara and Sophia. Soulful is what I called her when she was growing wombside. Looking at her sometimes, her beauty is Goddess like.

Jazper for sure is my baby. All the other ones couldn't wait to grow up. Jazzy likes being mamma's boy. This is those moments that I cherish completely. It's at these moments that I feel almost Zen like. I wish I could bottle up, times like this and pour the energy over those times I feel like I'm not going to make it. It always happens that after having one of those moments of dread, I get one of this Zen like feelings of gratitude.

Mr. Cool that's Gus man for sure. He can challenge me, beyond anything I thought possible of a child of mine. Ignorance is bliss! I use to think I had all the answers when I came to being a parent, before I had kids. HA! Was I put in my place. I have no idea what the answers are!!! ! !!!

Gus is sensitive, caring, very good at working out plans, very creative and talented. He is also very cool. Unlike, this picture, this cool is in his temper. Gus is a teenager. How is it .... I have a teenager, I can't possibly be old enough for that!~

Her beauty is so amazing. Her beauty is inside and out. Such a giving soul, sweetness and strength. How can I be so blessed and so lucky to have these kids and all the treasures they give me.

Reading @ the Thomas's

Everyone has taken this time for reading. While Jazzy snoozes everyone takes some reading time. Everyone is into learning more and more. Tara loves the Dick and Jane readers, Autmne is reading her favorite book, her inspiration, Jacques Pepin, the guys, who knows. Jerry is always reading something and lots of books. Gus, is having a hard time picking one to stick with

Dad and son sharing a learning moment. Jerry is showing Gus a location on the map.


Autumne again reading, Jacques Pepin.

Jazzy is reading about BMX bikes. I guess reading it upside down help if you are laying down on the ground fixing the bike. Than you know what you doing

Tara is reading one of the Dick and Jane series. She has some really old ones. Some are from the 40's originals, but in the shape you would like a book that old read by little kids would look like.

How to Totally RELAX

Jazzy propped himself up on the pillow and within seconds he was asleep. Tara, well need to say anything more!

We all need something to make us feel secure. Autmne has Joy and Joy has her frog. That big green thing is her unstuffed frog. Yes, she destuffed him.

A work of Art ----- A work of LOVE

I love the fact that Autumne has this special gift she shares with her dad. This is one of Autumne and Jerry's dinner's. They made homemade french onion soup. Jerry and Autumne are both reading," Jacques Pepin The Apprentice. They got the recipe from that book, they were inspired.


It was so tasty! It was a great work of art and love. We all felt loved by this masterpiece!

Advent Solstice has Begun

We are smudging around our circle.
For our Solstice Tradition we pick names: (someone in the house, someone outside the house. ) We become that persons secret fairy or elf. Than we do special things for that person secretly or at least try to be secretive. This doesn't always work. We do people that we want them to know they matter to us; Friends, family and people around us that have made a difference. We also choose something to add or give up. We each pick an attribute, that we are to focus on. I got harmony, Jerry got joy, Gus got respect, Autumne got gratitude, Tara got peace, and Jazzy got laughter. We all got what we needed to focus on.

This is our learning time. We all picked a book to read. We read a chapter a week. Here is Jazzy talking about Star Wars. He kept trying to stop Jerry from talking about his book. Not an easy task when you have so many who want to be the center of attention.

Gus is fulling involved here!

No matter what. Joy thinks she has to be involved, right in the middle of things. Everyday about 1:00 she starts her talking about what why she needs more attention.

Dyeing to Dye

I have 2 lbs of wool and I have so many ideas for so many things, if only I have as much time as ideas. I kool-aide dyed this wool. Very simple too; I boiled some water and added the wool to season the wool then added the kool- aide and let it sit in the water while I stirred. The water magically turned clear and it was done. Now I have to figure out what to do with it.

The finished product.

This is a Cati fruit. I used it to dye one of the treasures I got from my friend Jean. It was very easy to it, only thing is it can be painful if you are not in some sort of glove protection.

Here's the finished project. It was natural color with a L on it. I knew right away what I was going to do with it. My favorite word. I added a button for the O, a shell for the V and embroidered an E.

Here it is up in my guess bathroom. If you click on the picture you can see it better.

September has come and gone, but

Here is my beautiful Autumne on her b-day. It's so hard to believe 11 years ago she was born. She was so tiny. A bag of sugar that was our Autumne, 5 lbs when we left the hospital. I made her a carrot cake.
I feel like I am the luckiest woman in world. Autumne is growing and learning and becoming such an amazing and beautiful little woman. It's funny I thought I understood my mom and what being a mom was all about, after all I was a nanny for 14 years. I didn't really get it, until I became a mom myself. This is the hardest job, but the best job. I look at my life and think WOW, this is the life of my dreams! I am a mom. My dream has come true. I thought a would never have kids. Than in 10 years I had 7. Life is good!

This was Autumne's cake. I made gluten free carrot cake. I thought it could of been a bit better, but it was gone in a day! Guess, it couldn't of been that bad!