Buddy Rooster

music for a rainy day

We're on day two of bad weather here in Florida - last night there were huge thunderstorms outside our window all through the night.  Reminded me how much I love sleeping to the sounds of raindrops falling and thunder clapping.  Today the palm trees outside are blowing so hard they look as though they might topple over from the force.

When I was a kid, we once took a summer vacation with another family to Myrtle Beach the week that Hurricane Bob rolled through.  Mr. and Mrs. Krover were the kind of people who were never underdressed - they were always impeccably styled in that Southern way - think polos with sweaters perfectly draped over the shoulder and tassle loafers. I'll never forget standing out on the balcony in the midst of all that wind, and seeing that Mrs. Krover's hair, forever styled in a helmut like flip, didn't move an inch while the rest of us felt like we were going to be blown right over.  I cannot look at a wind-blown palm tree without seeing her in my head.

Since it's too gray for a photo, I've put one up from the film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, whose soundtrack has kept me peacefully entertained during the storms.  If you haven't already seen this film, I cannot recommend it enough.  Don't let the somber subject matter deter you (it's based on the true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, the former editor of French Elle, who at the age of 43 became the victim of a devastating cerebro-vascular accident that left him in a state of total paralysis, incapable of any verbal communication, in what is known in the medical community as "locked-in syndrome.") - it is truly a beautiful and inspiring film and is incredibly moving. Definitely one of my favorites of the year.   The soundtrack is equally amazing - worth if for the French version of Bobby Darin's "Under the Sea" alone.

another shade of green

Ever since I read about No Impact Man a few months ago, I've been slightly obsessed with reducing the amount of garbage and waste we as a family produce each day.  I long ago made the switch to reusable grocery bags, but I'm still guilty of using those little plastic bags to sort veggies and fruits at the market.  Yesterday I stumbled across this tutorial on how to make your own produce bags using tulle and string, and I can't wait to get home to my sewing machine to whip out a few.  I think this is such a great idea, and it seems like it would take no time at all to make.  I also love this idea of making reusable grocery bags out of old T-shirts.   

where we spent our day

not too shabby for a mid February day!

on another note, Elliot's room was featured on Apartment Therapy last week and this morning, our living room was there, too!

the other Hollywood

Sorry for the lack of posts of late - we're in Hollywood, Florida visiting Tim while he's down here shooting his latest movie and the internet connection has been spotty at best. 

We're staying in a condo right on the beach, which has definitely been a nice change of pace.  I've been struggling at home with trying to slow down and live life at a slower pace, and being here has forced me to do just that.  It's amazing how freeing it can be to be away from all of your things!  There's little to do here except swim and frolic in the sand, and the days are basically structured around meals.  Elliot is still on a west coast schedule, so his naps are quite late in the afternoon. We've taken to playing on the beach after dark each night, kicking a soccer ball and building sand castles.  It has become on of my favorite moments of the day.  There is no one out there but me and him, it's quiet and calm, and there's no need to worry about keeping him slathered in sunscreen!  There have been certain moments in my life with Elliot where I know that the moment I am witnessing will be imprinted in my mind like a snapshot of his childhood.  Last night on the beach, he was spinning in circles, making himself dizzy and then falling on his back to look at the stars.  We laid there together, side by side, and he turned to me and said "Momma - I love this!".  The look on his face at the moment will be with me forever.  Elliot - I love this, too.

tea party

starting our day off right.

Family

I love stumbling upon these scenes in my house, these little windows into Elliot's imagination.  Lately there has been a lot of talk about "families" around here.  About mommies and daddies and who goes with who. 

In the last couple of months, I made a conscious decision to really limit the amount of time I spend at the computer.  I don't know about you but I find that the internet can be a huge time sucker for me.  I'll come into the office intending to just write a few quick e-mails, and the next thing I know Elliot is waking from his nap and I've wasted two hours looking at random stuff.  I am trying to become more present in my day to day life.  Trying to devote entire afternoons to building train tracks, reading books,or searching in the dirt for worms without feeling like there is something more important that I should be doing.  Because really, what is more important that being fully in the moment of wonder and discovery with your child?  This is challenging for me in a lot of ways.  I like things in my house to be Just So.  And when the laundry is overflowing and the dishes are piled up, I find it very difficult to let it be.  Often I find myself trying to get everything in order before settling down to play with Elliot, when really it should be the other way around.  So the best solution for me was to give up the computer until I found a way to fit it back in the bigger picture.  I've missed being here, in this little space, but it feels good to be more grounded, and more focused on the everyday moments that make being at home so special.

from Elliot's point of view

Every now and then I remember to download the pictures off of our old digital camera - the one that Elliot likes to play with.  I'm always surprised at some of the pictures.  Most of them are blurry or have a finger in the frame, but every now and then I find one like this!

bonnet love

a bonnet to keep a certain birthday girl's ears nice and warm this winter.

I made this from Amy Karol's pattern, and it was one of those experiences where you think you will never be able to figure out exactly where you've gone wrong.  I just could not figure out the whole "turning it inside out" step on this one.  Fortunately, Amy was kind enough to help me out via e-mail.  As it turns out, I was sewing the lining to the outside fabric far too early in the process.  Once I got over that hurdle, it was a breeze to put together.  Now I think I may need to make one for all of the little girls I know.

fall nesting

As autumn slowly arrives here in Pasadena, I can't help but feel the urge to nest around the house.  I've never been much of a spring cleaner.  It's fall that makes me want to get the whole house in order so that we can spend the longer evenings indoors, all warm and toasty.   And nothing says "fall" like homemade apple pie!

Bounty

Both Tim and I love to cook, but we had never been that creative at coming up with new and inspiring vegetable dishes.  We tended to repeat the same things over and over again (sauteed squash with onions, steamed spinach, green beans, etc.) and we didn't often branch out to try new vegetables.  We also never bought vegetables just because they were "in season" and often cooked vegetables or ate fruit that was definitely not in season at the time.  It was something we never thought much about - until we started reading more and more about where our food comes from, and began to notice the fact that the majority of our produce was being shipped in from other countries.  Asparagus from New Zealand.  Grapes from Chile.  In the last year, we've been thinking a lot about ways to make our lives a bit greener, and when a friend suggested joining a CSA together, we decided to give it a try.  Each week we pick up a box of fresh, local, organic produce and we split the goods with the other family.  The picture above is what we took home this week.   We eat so many more vegetables now, and it's been fun to figure out the best way to cook things that you've never made before.  (Like kale - I'm still looking for a recipe to make that taste good!) It has really changed the way we eat for the better.