Category Archives: family

back and forth


When my little ones were truly little, I had a favorite chair
a rocker that I found at ‘The Giving Spot’
(a place where things were left that needed a new home)

I’d just birthed my son and I wanted a rocker for nursing him
This chair was old, an antique
Some chips in the paint, one arm a bit loose
But it still had life left in it

We rocked and we rocked.

Probably an hour or more together per day
Not to mention my solo rocking as I read and crocheted
and dreamed

We gave that chair away about five years ago
There just wasn’t room for it anymore
And it was more than a bit shabby-looking
and in need of fixing beyond my dabs of wood glue

For some reason I was looking at some ads on craigslist yesterday
And I happened upon a photo of a rocking chair
Not the same chair, but the same chair

And now its mine. For my porch.
When I first sat in it this afternoon
And rocked
I sang my special (made up in my head and sung just for them) lullabys for the kids
Watching with delight as they remembered
what they’d not even known that they had forgotten.

Making do

For various reasons, we didn’t leave our house as fully prepared for our ‘home away from home’ adventure as we had planned to be. Part of it was the last minute rush. Part of it was that both John and I tried ‘earmark’ the food to be packed in our own ways, which resulted in much of it being left behind.

And we also didn’t want to go to a grocery store and buy a ton of food (trying to eat locally and all). So this is what we had for dinner tonite:

Pasta that was supposed to have some fresh tomato & basil sauce. Only we forgot the garlic (oops) and there were very few ripe tomatoes in the garden. So we had pasta w/mysterious sauce (satueed in a bit of olive oil and simmered until kinda mushy) of a few small tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, tomatillos, yellow squash, and chocolate peppers. With a few shavings of freshly grated parmesan on top. And a side salad of sliced cucumbers tossed w/a bit of sea salt. And a slice of bread toasted w/butter and bit of parmesan on the side (yum). All in all, hearty and good.

For dessert I sliced up the rest of the peaches that were nearly too ripe and tossed them with a sprinkle of sugar and a bit of butter. Then I crumbled some TJ’s vegan cookies on top. Except for the fact that the cookies burnt ever-so-slightly on top, it was super tasty!

The one thing I like best about our temporary home: I can see my garden from my bedroom window. What a gift. Despite all of the inconveniences of being away from our ‘stuff’ for a few days (and having limited internet access), we are enjoying ourselves immensely. 🙂

Saw It!

Despite the fact that the 5th Harry Potter movie was advertised for release on Friday, it opened early (midnite last night) and we saw it this afternoon. Wow. Good stuff.

It’s hard for me to completely collect my thoughts on this one, I’m actually hoping to go back and read the book again and think about a few of the issues that are raised. It’s certainly darker and less whimsical than the first two, and the director does a fine job of building Harry’s anger and frustration to the boiling point. The ending was full of gee-whiz special effects and again it came down to a battle between Harry and his nemesis. Definitely worth watching on the big screen. Especially sitting with kids who can point out any deviations from the original text and whose resemblance to the main characters is more than just superficial. 🙂

Oh, and Helena Bonham Carter really stole the show as Bellatrix. The actress playing the Luna character also did well. It’s fun to see this batch of kids grow up and mature in the span of the films. Neville is hardly recognizable, looking more like a young John Cleese than his child-self in film #1. Harry’s hair is shorter and his jaw is squarer, perhaps fitting given the adult responsibilities that he now carries. Hermione seems the one character who has changed the least physically, though she’s certainly no longer the rule-abiding priss of the first film.

Can’t wait for the final book to be released. And at the same time, I’m a bit sad given that my kids have grown up alongside Harry & Hermione and I hate to see that end! 🙂

The trailer for those who haven’t seen it yet:

Platform 9 3/4


Platform 9 3/4, King’s Cross Station, originally uploaded by karanmisra.

Back in the year 2000, our family traveled to platform 9 3/4 and found nothing at all to commemorate that very important space. I’m so glad to know that they’ve remedied this situation now! 🙂

We’ll definitely have to return again soon!

H/T to John for the photolink!

Today

Today is Aunt Suz’s Birthday. She just got a spankin’ new job as a librarian for Utah State. Woohoo Susan! This video clip is dedicated you to [Note: perhaps Pete the dog can pinch hit for you in the wild animal department as needed].

Note: tomorrow is someone else’s birthday. She is getting something that’s purple and something that’s yellow (at least that’s what she thinks she’s getting….)

Pilgrimgirl classic: Our house is a very, very , very fine house…

Just for fun, I’m ‘reprinting’ this classic post from last year. Enjoy! 🙂

For your viewing pleasure, I’ve created a brief house tour video. This is for all those folks who are shocked/amazed/mortified that our family lives in ~750 sq ft of space. Of course, if we were in Japan, we’d probably have half this space and call ourselves lucky. But here in SoCal, our ‘living small’ lifestyle is definitely an anomaly.

The tour is limited to half of our home, so you’ll miss about five bookshelves (primarily the kiddoes’ books and our magazines and journals). TobyJoy decided not to make an appearance in the show (EllyCat is the star) and John, CatGirl and GameBoy were at school during the tour, so the house is pretty quiet. One note: I mention that the table in the LR is “my desk,” well it’s also the heart of our home. We eat meals, watch movies, play games, read books, pray, and entertain guests around this table. Even as I type this post, John and I are working on our laptops at the table, and CG has a whiteboard that she’s drawing on at the table.

Our home is my very favorite place. There is a lot of love within these walls. It’s not fancy, but it’s home. 🙂


PS: kudos to John for helping me to compress the video for youtube!
PPS: Did you notice my oh-so-vintage-cool record player?? I’ll play some of my 80s record collection for you the next time you drop by for a cup of tea 🙂

pilgrimage


canterbury cathedral & me, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

Today in Meeting I thought about my life’s journey. So many unexpected twists and serendipitous surprises! I think I’ve always been curious, a seeker, the type of person who relishes life and who savors each moment .

At lunch today with Friends we spoke of our family’s trips to Europe. I shared the deep connection I feel to places like Paris and London. CatGirl added her insights from our various journeys abroad. Such lovely memories!

As we talked I thought about how my travels are a pilgrimage of sorts–yes I’m sightseeing, but I’m also feeling to places on a more metaphysical level, using my imagination to get a greater sense of the people who inhabit these places now or who have lived there in years past. Canterbury cathedral was such a powerful space that my bones nearly vibrated with the thoughts, hopes, and dreams of the many pilgrims who had trod its well-worn steps. Our wizened guide opened our minds to the legends and lore that surround each stone in the structure. Our visit to the petite hospital where the infirm awaited their anticipated healing was heavy with the hopes of thousands of pilgrims, as was our cruise around the river running through the town. Such a holy place. And such a privilege to have experienced it with my loved ones.

Someday I intend to make a pilgrimage journey on foot–to somewhere old, ancient and meaningful. But for now I navigate this path of my everyday life and I attempt to imbue each step with the fervor of my convictions. For I desire to live each moment as if in expectation of the miraculous, or as if a prelude to divinity.

PS: Kudos to John and the many lovely photos that he’s taken of me during our travels together!
PPS: Do note the presence of my favorite black sweater in this photo. 🙂

my cowboy


cowboy weejeeham!, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

Dear GameBoy:

So tomorrow is a big day for my big boy. Another birthday! I’ve loaded up a few fun pictures here for you to enjoy, to tell part of the story of how special you are to me and to our family (click on the photo above to see more pics).

You have many passions, but the one that seems to override all of them is your love for other people. You’ve been a devoted big brother and a joy to your Dad and me. Above all, your smile can melt away any grumpiness around you. You have the gift of making others feel happy. And you tell great jokes, too!

One of my favorite memories of you happened when you were just a wee one. You appeared one afternoon in the living room with a cowboy hat and vest on and announced that you was no longer yourself, instead you were “Cowboy Weejeeham!” We soon discovered that the cowboy had many adventures. He appeared often and shared his stories, some of which we’ve recorded in a book. Cowboy had a sidekick, a young boy named Kree, and a horse, and a bird that followed him everywhere. When we relocated from Utah to California, Cowboy Weejeeham and his posse went on ahead of us to clear the way of any potential dangers. We felt so happy to have the brave Cowboy as our loyal family friend!

One thing that makes this birthday year particularly bittersweet for me, is that I can’t help but reflect back to when I turned your same age. Just five days before my birthday I was diagnosed with bone cancer. The day before my birthday I received the news that my leg would be amputated soon. When I was released from the hospital on my ‘special day’ I came home to a house full of balloons, gifts, and friends who’d gathered for a surprise party. What I remember about that day was that I was so ill (having already started chemotherapy) that I was unable to even take a few sips of 7-Up, much less eat cake or any other treats. I couldn’t open my gifts because my arms & hands were bandaged with thick layers of gauze (the chemo caused swollen red lumps and sores where it had leaked from my veins into the surrounding tissue). I appreciated the attention of my friends and family members, but what I most wanted was to rest, to be away from the celebration. To have time to make sense of how my world had completely turned upside down and would never be the same.

Many years later my world completely turned upside down again when you were born, Buddy. It has never been the same again and that is precisely what brings me so much joy now. On the day you were born your father and I learned just how big love can be. And we continue to learn that each new day we spend with you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 🙂

Love,
Mom

on the streets of paris


on the streets of paris, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

Catgirl took this picture. She is an extraordinary artist who’s taught me many things about ‘seeing small’ and using the macro setting on the digital camera. I am so lucky to have her in my life!

FYI, today is the last day to TAKE THE SURVEY. Don’t delay, because prizes await a few lucky respondents (I’ve decided to increase the number of prizes to three, because I’ve been so thrilled by your replies. You people are so cool! 🙂

repeating events

On Sunday John cooked up a French breakfast for us–complete with soft-boiled eggs, freshly-toasted baguette, ham (for the meat eaters) and steamed milk beverages for each member of the family. Really it tasted so much like we were in Paris, I was almost fooled for a moment.

So hats off to French breakfasts–what a pleasant way to start the Sabbath. And, FYI, I think that repeating event on John’s monthly calendar, the one that says “be extra nice to Dilly* this week,” is really paying off.

It’s nice to be so loved.

*Did you know this is John’s nickname for me? If not, you do now. 😉