Sperlygirl

warm wishes...

these lovely daisies grace our windowsill these days - their warm sunny colors echo the light of spring whenever i pass by. there is something so comforting in the color orange - such life. it is friday evening now - time to click off the alarms which ring me awake all week. time instead to sleep in, enjoy a leisurely cafe in the mornings, time for a couple weekend runs,to enjoy all the many moments with kai to play dinosaurs or cars, to stroll through a cherry festival, to spend time with dear friends over dinners - and to dream of the lazy summer days which linger just around the corner. wishing you a lovely weekend!

love in the cucina...

while making chocolate chip cookies this evening with the little guy- i realized how much love is found in the kitchen. i have so many memories of baking with my grandmothers - and this was always the sweetest part - licking the bowl! there are some dishes that just only taste best when made by my grandma. i would always ask her, "what do you do to make this taste so good?" and she would answer simply "it's because  it's made with love." happy love thursday.

'the tree' - spring...

so my scary tree has come out of hibernation now and is fully embracing the possibility of spring. his spindly arms and hands now reach with green leafy fingers as if to send out a generous hello as i pass by. his once scraggly body, now plump with new foliage, seems to just barely contain a hearty laugh. he gives me a slight smile now as i pass by on my way to work. may you find a simple joy along your way today.

to friends...

this weekend has been one of celebrations...of friendships and transitions. living overseas, i am discovering that you make friendships hard and fast. you do so in part out of necessity and the other part out of the simple magic that weaves bonds of friendship from strangers. your friends here become your chosen family - the ones you travel with, vent to, discuss life at home with, are homesick with, laugh about how well you're learning a language with,  dream with and depend on. many of our friends will be transitioning this summer - for some it will be a matter of relocation, for others it is more of a rite of passage into retirement. for all of us - it is change. and with change there is always that twinge of uncertainty - the unknown that lies ahead...but this weekend, i am only focusing on how good it feels to be surrounded by the warmth of friends and the comfort a familiar face can bring to one's soul. to friends....far and near, old and new -- may you always be reminded of the special place you hold in my heart.

a simple walk...

tonight we walked on an errand, just kai and i. as we walked, hand in hand, i closed my eyes -- to soak in every moment of it and to tuck it away in my mama memory. i tried to memorize the shuffle of his small footsteps along the pavement, the sound of his little voice asking me the same question over and over and over again, the way his hat kept sliding down over his eyes, the way he had to carry this piece of tree bark with us the whole way because he was certain it looked like a crocodile, the way his little hand felt safely wrapped inside mine as we made our simple journey. i smiled when he felt compelled to stop to pick up a leaf that he had to carry with him along with his crocodile bark.

a portrait of my life these days...

he's 2, he's small but oh so very quick, he loves to sort and line objects up, read books to himself when no one is watching, correct me on the ones i read to him, dance with wild abandon, wishes of chocolate at every meal - even breakfast, can't hurt to ask, right?,loves the luna, his Lucky Bear, the sea, all things pasta, talks to all that will listen, watches the trees blow in the wind, studies the ants scurring about the pavement, sometimes he tells me in the most tender of voices..."mama, i scared...the trees blow away.", some days he greets me with a giant bear hug and a sweet little voice saying, "mama, so happy to see you!", sometimes (thankfully not often) he must take a breath and sit on the 'simmer down step' to sort out his emotions and his world. he's 2, full of life, joy, love and light. thanks little man -- for just being you.

an ode to rainbow sprinkles...

when i was in college and life became stressful - my dearest friend, paige, would always suggest we run out for a frozen yogurt with rainbow sprinkles...it became our ritual. your day always feels a little brighter after a few of these colorful sweets. today was one of those days, and i was so thankful that kai had been experimenting in the kitchen yesterday with making these rainbow sprinkled treats! doesn't eliminate the stress but it does take me to my 'happy place'.

sources of inspiration...

it's been gray and rainy here all day - the kind of day where you just hole up inside and avoid going out if you can. looks like we can expect this weather for the next few days too. i was trying to come up with some inspiration today...what inspires me? kai's laugh, j's friendship, listening to the tide roll in on the beach, a good cafe, catching up with a treasured friend, finding mail in my box, my camera, new art supplies, a good run, travel...
so what inspires you these days? i'd love to hear your list...

unfold...

this butterfly was hovering near our compost pile. she stopped her flight momentarily to catch her breath on this branch. i was hoping to catch her wings outstretched and open but didn't make my move quick enough - but i love how she looks as if she is stretching herself upward towards the sun. i was talking with dear friends tonight and we were relaying stories of our lives. i reflected that in my wildest dreams, i never would have dreamed up the life i live - and yet in order to get here, become who i am now - i had to endure and survive moments of great sadness or pure joy (as do we all)- they were necessary circumstances for my own wings to be able to unfold.

a blur...

i have said it before - how fast time seems to fly these days - and having a little one only make it seem to fly faster. mondays blur into thursdays and i find myself thinking, "wait a minute, what happened to tuesday and wednesday?" i blink and kai seems to have grown another inch, learned a new word, strung together another sentence, or displayed a new skill. most days i feel like i can take in stride but every now and then i feel like i glance sideways and all that surrounds me is a blur.