A Mindful Life

Today I have my surgical consultation for the discovery of atypical ductal hyperplasia. I’ve been waiting two weeks for this to discuss and schedule it. Up until today I’ve carried on normally, but today I’m as tense as an overstretched rubber band. I haven’t got more to share, although I do have another letter. Claire [...]

I’ve decided I need new ways to make couscous dishes. Plain couscous is boring and tasteless. The boxed mixes are ridiculously expensive. Fruity Couscous Salad 2 & 2/3 cups dry whole wheat couscous (or regular) 3 cups orange juice (or water, or a mixture) 1 cup packed dried apricots, chopped 1 & 1/3 cups dried [...]

Claire and I made this together. I set it up, she sprinkled stuff on it (confetti, sequins, jewels, feathers), squirted glitter glue, and I finished it off. Contact paper is wonderful stuff! A few days later I made a quick collage in a few spare moments in my art journal. I call it “Store Up [...]

We continue to create our way through the alphabet!

Piano and pennies…

Feeling quiet on the blog these days. Did a painting on a 24×36″ canvas — my first one. All that blank white canvas felt a bit daunting, but I did enjoy mooshing paint around. I also used oil pastel on details. Claire and I are getting into the spirit of the next holiday: And we [...]

About ten years ago — more than, probably — I found a fabric I loved. I didn’t sew then, but I bought some. When we moved in, I hung it in Claire’s room with push-pins as a makeshift curtain. There wasn’t enough to make curtains for the window, but it did block some of the [...]

From Recuerda Mi Corazon, read The Perfect Scent of Pine — a lovely, heartfelt, poetic tribute to Christmas. I hope that when Claire is grown, I will be able to grace paper with words in a similar way. Let there be light and joy in your heart; may you hear music that sends your soul [...]

I haven’t been knitting much this year. My last project I resisted — I just didn’t like how the yarn handled and was uninspired (it was a project for someone else). In late summer I made a wool-silk blend scarf, short and lightweight, to use as an accessory on cool days. It provides just the [...]

Today’s project! She ate almost as much candy as she put on the house. And ironically (is it?) she also had a dental appointment this morning (for which she was most calm and cooperative, and her teeth are just dandy).