I love the way that life pools in themes. This past month I chose a few books that had been recommended to me (by one of the few people I take books recommendations from) and they all ended up being based on mythology (two Greek, one Norse). Our bookclub book for the month was based on Greek mythology, and I listened to Neil Gaiman read his Norse Mythology while driving to and from a campground several hours away (it seemed fitting, as his retellings would not be unsuitable for a fireside gathering). My partner and I were also gifted an overnight date opportunity and part of that was spent watching The Eternals, which I was pleasantly surprised to discover was in the "origin of mythological characters" genre (one of my favorite tropes). My knitting projects for the month ended up all being for children (my own, and other's), between reading and working on my ongoing organizing project (I managed to practically double the size of our small kitchen, which feat I am quite pr...

I had enough yarn left over from last month's rainbow jumper commission to make a kid sized sweater, and an eager kid who ravenously watched me make the adult sized version and kept asking for one, so my first finished project was a mini Rainbow Sunshine Jumper . She is absolutely delighted (as you may be able to tell from the photo) and has very thoughtfully worn it as much as possible, but taken it off during meals and potentially messy tasks to avoid ruining it, which I honestly really appreciate. We then had a cold snap and my youngest had outgrown his sweatshirts from last year, so I gathered some leftover yarns in his favorite colors and ad libbed a little pullover for him. He is quite pleased and when I put it on him he immediately ran off to show everyone his new "fweater." It's just a top down raglan in DK yarn, with stripes to make the yarn run out gracefully. I found him a pair of black furry sweatpants so when he wears them together he looks like a Sesame...

In September, I sat down and created a daily schedule . We already had an extracurricular for each of the Bigs, so I mapped out a daily schedule (school for weekdays, unlimited screen time on Saturdays, no screens on Sundays). Last month I added in a Hello Fresh subscription to fill in three of the unplanned dinners (we already had pizza on Fridays and pick up tacos on Tuesday on our way home from ninja gymnastics). Also, since my oldest was born, we have had something every afternoon called "practicing peace" which is everyone in their own spaces quietly for an hour or two (as needed), which is great because it fills time and also helps everyone wind down from the morning, in preparation for the evening. It's been going pretty well. But last week was the test. One day last week I woke up and discovered that my youngest had thoughtfully shared the "snurfle" he'd had, and also I had started my cycle. And I didn't panic.  The Bigs are used to their routin...

Queen Anne's Lace The sky was blue, the air was crisp and clear. Huge mountains towered over me, sharp pointed and snow topped. I had just gotten out of the car, and I toddled toward a bed that had been planted with a wildflower mix. My mom pointed to one, a white circle as big as my face, made up of innumerable tiny white petals. "There's a carrot under there," she said. I stared at it in suspicion and disbelief. She grasped the stem near the ground and pulled. Lo, a carrot! I carried it around for the rest of the day, marveling. Dandelion I picked a handful of blooming weeds and carried them inside to my grandma. She accepted them less graciously than I wanted, busy perhaps with making lunch for everyone or cleaning up a mess someone else had made. Later, I was told, we would go visit my great grandparents. I knew Granddad was sick, as much as a three year old can understand cancer. I went back outside. Carefully this time, I made sure to pick the flowers close to t...

  I made it an entire month without using our heat or air conditioning, but one day last week I finally gave in, closed the windows and turned on the furnace. It's a twice yearly ritual - embracing the changing of the seasons by really feeling the shift. (I am alone in my enjoyment of this tradition and have to watch the thermostat to keep it from being surreptitiously switched back on). But now it's time to get cozy. I've got a (rewarmed) cup of coffee to hand, I'm wearing my favorite sweatshirt, and we had HelloFresh shepherd's pie for dinner and it was so  satisfying. I tend to be somewhat withdrawn during Scorpio season, preferring solitary campfires and quiet evening journaling to going and doing. It's kind of a gentle wind down from the energy of Leo, the determination of Virgo, and the airiness of Libra - before we dive brightly back in for Sagittarius and lights and gathering and delightfulness. So this month I'm looking at roots - the figurative kin...