Happy Hallowe'en!

a visit to the farm...

watch when you receive sunflowers a few months down the road. they may have been planted by these young farmhands.

a perfect moment.

we spent the afternoon at our CSA farm. it was a perfect afternoon. and watching these kids plant sunflower seeds into this perfect soil under a perfectly blue sky was, well, perfect.

ready. or not.

the festivities begin tomorrow...

Happy Hallowe'en! (See you Sunday!)

these days

i'm not getting things done the way i'd like.
i feel like i left my groove someplace else.
time is slipping by too quickly.

and then it rains. and then the sun comes out. and then this song (or this song, or this one, or this one*) comes on the radio and we all start to dance. and there are pancakes with lemon zest and walnuts. mmmmm.




and i am so happy. and so grateful.

sewing marathon ahead. see you soon!




*this video kills me. i told d i am going to get an andy samberg tattoo. if he knew how to handle a chainsaw our marriage would be in trouble.

Yum!

Pasta with Butternut Squash, Sage and Pine Nuts... here.

home again home again :: soup's on

we are home. it was a fabulous trip.

it is cold and rainy. the days feel short. darkness arrives early.

i love it.



we are in full soup mode.

our favourite winter squash soup recipe includes apples and apple cider vinegar - but with E's newly diagnosed allergy to apples we had to make a few changes.



here is what I came up with:

Feel's like Winter Winter Squash Soup
about 40 minutes. serves 8.

we used the acorn squash we had on hand from the last of the summer CSA boxes! butternut would be really yummy too.

1/4 cup olive oil
2 acorn squash peeled and diced
1 large onion chopped
3 carrots peeled and diced
1 1/4 pint homemade chicken stock (it's what I had on hand - veg stock would be good too)
1 1/4 teaspoons thyme
1 1/4 teaspoons sage
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
salt and pepper as you like it

Pour olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add squash, carrot, and herbs and sauté until squash begins to soften. Add stock; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Working carefully, puree soup with immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)

served with a freshly baked loaf of soda bread. yum.

Soup's On!

We are in soup mode over here as well. Must be the cooler weather.

Our favourite winter squash soup recipe includes apples and apple cider vinegar - but with E's newly diagnosed allergy to apples we had to make a few changes.



Here is what I came up with:

Feel's like Winter Winter Squash Soup
about 40 minutes. serves 8.

We used the acorn squash we had on hand from the last of the summer boxes! Butternut would be really yummy too.

1/4 cup olive oil
2 acorn squash peeled and diced
1 large onion chopped
3 carrots peeled and diced
1 1/4 pint homemade chicken stock (it's what I had on hand - veg stock would be good too)
1 1/4 teaspoons thyme
1 1/4 teaspoons sage
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
salt and pepper as you like it

Pour olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add squash, carrot, and herbs and saute until squash begins to soften. Add stock; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Working carefully puree soup with immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)

Perfect for after soccer on a grey day - served with a freshly baked loaf of Soda Bread. Yum.

Gratuitous pic of Calvert's Girls Under 7 West Valley Soccer Team - Go Koala Kixx!

sunrise over the pacific

spoiled by sunsets over the pacific thought it would be a real treat to watch the sun rise over the same. i was not disappointed. i am so enjoying the morning light at the beach - so reminiscent of late afternoon light in SoCal. but fresher. if that makes sense.

north beach (wollongong NSW)

{last shot saltwater pool of my dreams - note the ladder - i'm going swimming here tomorrow.}

a day with the 'roos

Symbio Wildlife Park

par usual

you can find us at the sea...







we are south of sydney for the week. visiting my dear (14 year old!) nephew in wollongong.


we keep talking about how daddy is waaaaay over on the other side of the water. we wave. and blow kisses. we miss him. xo (and miss moxie too.)

down under

it's been four years since we've been here. so very good to be back.

blessings

temps in the triple digits drove us to the beach this weekend. as i sat amongst my neighbours and watched our kids play in the surf i silently said goodbye to summer. the girls and i are headed to australia. i am thinking by the time we return our beach days will be over. at least beach days like this. i am so grateful to live close to the sea. so grateful to have these friends as my neighbours. so grateful for these summer memories.





today would have been my dad's 69th birthday. i thank him daily for teaching me the value of community. and for leaving me so many wonderful memories.

and ::40::

We celebrated my 40th last night. We weren't going to do anything now - the girls and I are taking off for a couple of weeks - but I am glad we did. It was impromptu and informal and I was surrounded by people I love. I felt very very lucky.

I keep trying to think of something clever to say about entering a new decade. A list perhaps as before. (Nice to see I have checked off so many! 31. is my priority this year.) Something to celebrate where I've been, and guide where I want to go. But I am coming up empty. We are so busy. And I am so content. Things seem to be fitting nicely. I can't say that 40 will be easy. I have a feeling I will be challenged. And I am looking forward to that.

{thank you ang for documenting it for me. xo}

nine.years.old.

life is really full right now. i could write pages on how happy this kid makes me. instead:

nine wonderful years. the joy is more than i could have imagined. it is a gift to be her mama. i love you baby. xo

what we learned on our summer vacation.

10. i never get enough.

what we learned on our summer vacation.

9. a turkey can have more personality than I ever imagined. (and a day at the farm is always well spent.)

















Trincomali Farms (where the girls were riding this summer) also operates as part of Rest.Q Animal Sanctuary. It was an amazing experience for the girls to spend time with these animals. Harry the pig, and Gavin the turkey made an especially strong impression. The animals all had stories. Mostly of hardship. But luckily the stories end at this beautiful farm. You can read more stories over on their blog.

what we learned on our summer vacation.

8. gumboots make a fashion statement. (and can be worn daily.)

what we learned on our summer vacation.

7. days can be full.  with absolutely nothing.