sperlygirl

a twist of color...

inspired by her journey, i added a bit of blue to my locks...a reminder of the color of the sea at twilight

(and a tune to accompany)

today...

am coming off a great weekend. spent it catching up with friends in the neighborhood; dining with friends one night at a favorite restaurant (and feeling good from laughing so much); loving a new twist of color in my hair; spending a long evening hanging out with our sweet new neighbors; walking to the market this morning with ryder and his stuffed otter; "little o"; squeezing in a short afternoon run today; sewing up some fun teacher gifts for kai's wonderful teachers; and loving the presence of summer on the horizon - welcoming her in like an old friend.

but more importantly, today as i enjoy every moment of being home and spending time with my little folks, i am grateful to all those who have/are serving and for the families who serve right along with them on the homefronts - thank you.

simple joys ~ gioie semplici...

i love this view. our little orange cat, marley, waiting to be greeted (or more likely, hoping to find the door left open just a crack so he can run out). when i leave in the morning, i always look back and either see a little ryder blowing kisses or the little orange cat seeking out a sunbeam - both make me smile as i drive away. 

a bundle of new fabric waiting to be sewn into thank you gifts

new projects on the horizon that make my heart really happy

the weather starting to finally embrace may with sunshine and warmth

the symphony of song birds that wake up with me in the morning

a couple of runs and moments on my mat this week

simply, cherries,  it is their season - and they are wonderful

our sweet new neighbors who delivered a plate of cake today

late afternoon seaside...

i picked kai up from school and we decided we needed to be down near the water today, so we headed to the sea.

a collection of random thoughts while sitting on the beach this afternoon...

::i will never tire of the sound of the waves meeting the shore, not even when i am 100...never

::the wind blew the flag lines against the poles sounding like little windchimes this afternoon and my mind pulled up memories of going over to a good friend's house in high school. his mom always had every window open and the breeze would blow through the house and ring a symphony of chimes by the pool. i loved how that felt to be there

::i wonder how many shores these little shells have found

::watching light play along the waves is one of the most magical things ever

::just how much sand has kai collected on his clothes...wait, is he still wearing his socks? kaiiiiiiiiiii!

love & light...

it seems italy has had a sad and challenging weekend, so today, i simply wish to send out light and love to all those who affected...

why i run...

it's been too long...recently, between pulling my back and reducing inflammation in my knee (seriously, 38 back off would you?!) my running schedule has been anything but existent. but today my stars were aligned.

i didn't care about the distance nor the speed, but simply savored the feeling of my shoes hitting the pavement. my neighborhood streets seemed to welcome me back with the explosions of color they exhibited in nearly every yard. my breathing found its rhythm and became deep and deliberate. i didn't even care that sunday's winds had carried the last of the pollen from the pines and my lungs grew fuzzy with each inhalation (the pollen count was seriously at OMG are you kidding me?!)

my soles needed the pace of the pavement, my thoughts needed the space that provides, and my soul needed the sunshine. a little ziggy on my playlist and my whole system felt the reboot. 

buon feste della mama...

dear kai & ryder,

thank you. thank you for allowing me to accompany you on this journey as your mama. you are my greatest teachers and each day you show me new perspectives, new ways of thinking, and teeny details that i may have otherwise missed. holding your small hands and hearing your laughter has expanded my heart in ways i never knew possible. and hearing you call me mama, is one of the most treasured gifts in my world. i love you both. xoxo

to all mothers today (and those who are like mothers)...sending you much love - and a sweet collection of tunes to enjoy. 

 

a green journey...

so i want to share a bit of a journey with you...i have always considered myself a health conscious person - at some points in my life, a bit obsessively so. for the past 6 weeks, i have been reading and following the Eat to Live lifestyle. i was interested in hopes of lowering some numbers in my blood work; weight loss wasn't my goal but have to say it's been a bit like icing on the cake. at first, i thought my cravings for a carb or a slice of cheese would get the better of me but all of those have gradually dissipated. my diet now is mostly plant based and raw. my energy is up and my body feels really nourished and clean. the other night we watched this documentary. let me just tell you, by the end i was nearly cheering. pure inspiration. and there is a line in the credits where joe cross says he lives 'for moderation not perfection' and it has rung true on a ton of levels for me. 

one from the tribe...

last week, a box arrived from my dear friend katy. inside was a book that she had made for me during misty mawn's class at artfest.

way back when, when katy and i first starting blogging we talked of getting to one of these art fests together. we imagined the creativity, energy and synergy that must be born there. life presented her with the opportunity to attend and i hung on every word as she recounted her time there - those she met (or was finally able to meet in person), the classes she took, the late night creating and convo sessions, the magic.

i saw on her blog that she had made a book for me - but would stop reading at that point so as not to spoil the surprise. i waited for her package. several others from her class contributed to the pages with an encouraging word or sweet note. i feel much gratitude as i flip through each page. to be honest, i had tears...to have a friend know me well enough to capture what i love most in such a beautiful, thoughtful and creative way.

grazie mille, amica mia!! xo

buon prima maggio...

happy may day! it is the celebration of the worker in italy today with most businesses closed, but it is also the day for the biggest market of the season where we are. so today, even though the weather didn't agree, we took advantage. 

we walked though the market, picking up some treats here and there and stopping to chat with friends we'd pass by. we stopped to have kai's portrait drawn by an artist. we made it home before the rain and brewed some hot tea. we read books with our best crazy voices, danced around the house singing at the tops of our lungs, dressed up as pirates and searched for buried treasure while speaking only in our best 'piratese' (careful, this is often followed by fits of laughter). outside it rained and we watched huddles of umbrellas shuffle by making their way over to the market despite the weather. 

the little guys and i deemed it 'the best day ever!' and i do believe it has been.