Just Delicate Needles

Just Delicate Needles

It's so delicate, the light.

And there's so little of it. The dark

is huge.

Just delicate needles, the light,

in an endless night.

And it has such a long way to go

through such desolate space.

So let's be gentle with it.

Cherish it.

So it will come again in the morning.

We hope.

--by Rolf Jacobsen

Translated by Robert Hedin

Happy Winter Solstice!  Tonight will find me drinking Swedish Glogg and singing carols and reading books like The Longest Night to the children.  I'm not really sure how that will go, with the glogg and all, but we'll see.  We are VERY excited.  We'll also be decorating a Solstice Tree outside with bagels dipped in peanut butter and birdseed, and exchanging homemade presents.  And then the children will crash, and the moms will too.  I just love my homebirthin' hippie friends that I can share these things with.  Makes me VERY happy.  We get so damn giddy about it.  And there is snow on the ground, making it even more special. 

Oh, and in case I remember to look back next December, let this be a reminder to maybe get the Christmas Tree sooner than six days before Christmas? 

vintage krista and 'i'm just a dork with a camera'

So i picked up a handful of vintage photos of me when I was down in the basement supposed to be getting out christmas decorations.  it's high time these surface on the 'net, isn't it?!  Lily wears the nightgown that I have on in the photo just above.  Wild.

I just got back from a 3 mile run.  It's 23, 15 windchill.  I felt like cursing the whole way, i'm sure i muttered several curse words, but in the end i'm always glad i went.  very grateful for my little ipod that helps get me through it.

so, this is me, pre-run.  no idea why i took these.

One of the most beautiful songs ever

I recently found out about this song, Snow on the Sahara, by Anggun.  I heard the french version first, then when I searched youtube to see who Anggun is, I saw the english version.  What's amazing is, even though Anggun is huge in Europe, this song came out in 1998.  I could have had this song in my life for 12 years now, and i've only just heard it.

Every time I have a new song obsession, I think, wow!  I've heard it all now.  how can it get any better than this?  And yet it does.  We'll never come to the end of great and inspiring and gorgeous music.  Wow.

Snow on the Sahara lyrics
Only tell me that you still want me here
When you wander off out there
To those hills of dust and hard winds that blow
In that dry white ocean alone
Lost out in the desert
You are lost out in the desert
But to stand with you in a ring of fire
I'll forget the days gone by
I'll protect your body and guard your soul
From mirages in your sight
Lost out in the desert

If your hopes scatter like the dust across your track
I'll be the moon that shines on your path
The sun may blind our eyes, I'll pray the skies above
For snow to fall on the Sahara
If that's the only place where you can leave your doubts
I'll hold you up and be your way out
And if we burn away,
I'll pray the skies above for snow to fall on the Sahara

Just a wish and I will cover your shoulders
With veils of silk and gold
When the shadows come and darken your heart
Leaving you with regrets so cold
Lost out in the desert

If your hopes scatter like the dust across your track
I'll be the moon that shines on your path
The sun may blind our eyes, I'll pray the skies above
For snow to fall on the Sahara
If that's the only place where you can leave your doubts
I'll hold you up and be your way out
And if we burn away,
I'll pray the skies above for snow to fall on the Sahara

messing around w/ my camera

I spent some time reflecting (ha ha) with my camera today.  Gee, this is just like the post I made 6 months ago!  I hate to say I am no farther along.  I haven't put in the time, honestly, and I'm still intimidated and I have this mental block.  It's like me + math I guess...I feel like I just can't 'get it.'  Luckily I have a couple of photographer friends that have offered me some tutorials.  So...I hope to make some major progress in the coming year.

Night Air

I was introduced to an amazing song this week:  Night Air by Jamie Woon.  I was so captivated by it that of COURSE I had to hoop to it.  A lyric search turned up these lyrics (posted on someone's blog, the song is pretty new).

Night Air

Night air has the strangest flavor

Space to breathe and time to savor

All that night air has to lend me

Till the morning makes me angry

In the night air

The night air

I've acquired a kind of madness

Daylight fills my heart with sadness

Only silent skies can soothe me

Feel that night air flowing through me

In the night air

The night air

I don't need those car crash colors

I control the skies above us

Close my eyes to make the night fall

Comfort of a world revolving

I can hear the earth in orbit

In the night air

The night air

I've acquired a taste for silence

Darkness fills my heart with calmness

And each thought like a thief is driven

To steal the night air from the heavens

In the night air

The night air

Here is the hooping video I made to this song

the yellow leaves stretch out like a canopy.

I love this tree.  These leaves.  This time of year.  Gorgeous.

This is my song obsession du jour:  Dog Days Are Over, Florence + the Machines

hoops up in my etsy shop, for the locals...

If you live in the greater Indy area, I put some pretty and shiny new hoops up for sale:

Check them out here.

Be an Aunt Edna

Saw on facebook this morning a lovely quote from the page of one of my favorite authors, Clarissa Pinkola Estes. 

"Dear Brave Souls: The world is yours. Be, if you like, the one who stands out. The one who goes where others do not. The one in the picture to be circled in red as "not likely to be found here." Like any Aunt Edna. Anywhere. Any time."
--CPE

This is what I aspire to.

Autumn Equinox and Harvest Moon Celebration

My friend Michelle took most of these photos, though I took the ones of her and Joni hooping.  I need to work on my camera skills.  We had a glorious evening--truly.  We ate autumn foods (the edible gifts of the Three Sisters)--beans, corn, and squash, hooped under the rising harvest moon, had music and wine...the kids played and played, and we made corn husk dolls.  Beautiful.

Happy Autumn Equinox and Harvest Moon...and hoops

I've been makin' and tapin' hoops for the Potter's Bridge Festival coming up Oct. 2nd.  Tonight we're celebrating the equinox and harvest moon with friends.  We'll definitely hoop!  I wrote a column about it here.

my tomatoes...

so here are some pics of the tomatoes I so lovingly grew from seed this year.  They did so, so well, especially in this drought (and I haven't watered them, either.  I'm a lazy gardener!).  I love my little garden.

reusable bag giveaway!!

Psst--all you treehuggers out there.  My latest column is about avoiding those ubiquitous plastic bags, and I'm giving away a cute little reusable bag .  Enter to win here.

more hoopsession!

right now it's hooping...

I've found that I can only go in so many directions at once.  I might be on a sewing kick, or (once upon a time) a knitting kick, or a house project kick, or this or that...right now it's hooping.  In a big way.  I'm making hoops too, for a fall festival where Cachet Hoops will be a vendor!  Lots of exciting hoop stuff going on, more to come...

harvest.

We went out this morning and picked and dug in the earth.  We came up with tomatoes, almost all are heirloom and of course organic, potatoes, carrots, and beets.  There are four beautiful pumpkins on the vine turning orange.  Today I'm going to be freezing some of these tomatoes, and next year I want to have it together enough to can.  Nothing better than eating homegrown produce in the wintertime.

And now I need to eat a toasted tomato sandwich.

helping fellow humans in need

I’m a huge champion of local foods, supporting small, local farmers, and of community and helping each other out. If you are too, here’s a chance to make a difference in the lives of some local farmers who are in need of help.
Slow Food Indy is the central Indiana chapter of Slow Food International (an organization that counteracts our fast food nation) and is raising funds to help local farmers Kelly Funk and John Ferree of Seldom Seen Farms, a vegetable, herb and flower farm located east of Danville. Kelly was working in the fields on July 8 and was tragically struck by lightening. She survived, and is now in a long term acute care facility in Indianapolis. Her recovery will be long and slow, and so much isn’t known yet about the extent of her injuries. She and her husband have a one year old daughter, Laila.

Now the community is coming together to raise funds for the long and expensive road ahead, as well as to volunteer to work on their farm. Slow Food Indy is hosting a benefit dinner for the family on August 22nd at Apple Farm in McCordsville. To find out more information on the dinner and how to purchase tickets, as well as how to donate online to Kelly Funk’s recovery fund, visit http://www.slowfoodindy.com/ or http://www.seldomseenfarm.com/. There you can also find links to the blog with updates on her recovery, as well a link to their facebook page. While you’re at it, http://www.goinglocal-info.com/ is another resource to be connected with local food producers and artisans to find fresh, local and in-season foods, as well as information on CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture). There’s a whole world of community revolving around food, and it’s worth seeking out. Many prayers for Kelly’s recovery.

i sew capri suns, and, in the garden, verbena bonariensis

I ventured out into the world of sewing capri suns this week--easy and fun!  We've been hanging on to these and cut the tops off just enough to open and rinse them.  Then I got 9 in. zippers and we made pencil pouches. 

First I sewed 2 capri suns together with the tops facing each other, repeated, and then sewed the zipper in the middle.  Perfect!

Then I folded in half and sewed the 3 sides closed.  This all took maybe 5 minutes.

Voila!

I made 2--one for Grace and one for Eric.  They LOVE them.  I'm sure I'll make more.  They're nice and crinkly too. I plan to sew some larger bags at some point, and am working on a lunch bag for Grace.  Grace wove a pop can tab belt and it's a hit.  Her friends and classmates think it's pretty cool.  Love recycling, especially making something funky and fun.

So this is not a great pic, but I have this awesome verbena bonariensis growing in my front flower beds.  I love it so much.  I must have planted one at some point (I can hardly remember year to year) and now it's reseeding.  It's so light and airy.  My flower beds are going crazy, and it's been so hot I don't like working out there.  But I need to suck it up, because the weeds are taking over.

a sweet couple

Last evening I took the kids for a walk downtown--it was First Friday/Jazz on the Square, and we hit Alexander's for ice cream cones, then walked down to Seminary Park for Shakespeare in the Park.  While we were there, who else but Mr. Arbuckle of Arbuckle's Railroad Place, and his wife ride up on their bikes.  I discovered Arbuckle's RR Place shortly after we moved to this town when my (then) neighbor Sarah told me about it.  It's billed as 'the greatest fabric show on earth'.  Mr. Arbuckle fixes sewing machines (and vacuums).  I've taken my girl in there to be fixed, and wondered what I will do when Mr. Arbuckle isn't there anymore.  And what will happen to the place?  It's a very cool old RR station, I hope something wonderful is done with it in the future.

Anyway, when they rode up, I asked to take their picture.  I only had my camera phone (SO bizarre, a 'camera phone') so the quality isn't great, but I'm glad I had it.  So here is the couple, watching Shakespeare in the park.

wednesday rewind

It's fun to occassionally re-read posts I made last year in the month we're in.  I just happened to blog exactly one year ago today about dining al fresco.  We ate outside twice yesterday--it's one of the best things about summer.  I have visions, when the kids are a little older, of walking downtown to Matteo's with Rob and dining outside there, they have wonderful seating on the sidewalk.  Rob is going to Matteo's today actually for a lunch meeting.  Mmmm.

Here's to more al fresco dining this summer!

Land's End Hooping

Land's End Hooping

This photo of me hooping on the Maine Seacoast was published on hooping.org today!  And, my hoopin' friend is moving right near me!  She teaches hoop classes and I can't wait to partner with her to bring more hoopin' love to Noblesville (plus I can pick her brain about tricks...)

blissful summer days

It's been a great summer and we'll continue to celebrate it for as long as possible.  i'm writing about our trip to the Jack Johnson concert, it will publish in the paper and on my writing blog next Tuesday, then the following week about our Summer Soiree.

Here's some of what we've been up to:

We made homemade playdough, which is the BEST.  We our batch with natural dyes--one with beet juice, one with blueberry juice.  Cool!

On a lazy Sunday we walked downtown and had a treat at Alexanders Ice Cream...

And stood on the vent eating it.  In the pink leotard and tutu!

The kids picked flowers and let them go fly over the vent.

We also saw Jack Johnson Friday, and had our Summer Soiree Saturday.  A beautiful weekend!