About to Begin

 

Well, it has been a while!

I won't recap, except to say that Christmas was wonderful this year - calmer than most, surprisingly, given the toddler in the house - and filled with just the right balance of making, eating, sharing, giving, eating, receiving, visiting, and eating.  Yes, just the right balance.  Yum.

And now I'm starting to think of the new year about to begin.  I actually love this time of year, starting with the grand gesture to close a year that is Christmas and finishing up with a beginning.  At the risk of sounding culturally simplistic, I love that this whole part of the world celebrates together in our own homes and in our own little ways.

The start of a new year, for me, is a full embrace of the cliche of it all.  New beginnings, new ideas, new hopes.  I make resolutions, not because I think I should be better and January is the only time to make that happen, but because I like the setting of intention and the focusing of energy on some aspect of my life that I think I can enjoy even more.  Because let's face it, it's a bit ridiculous how much I get to enjoy my life.


So this year, my intention is to focus our home and family on less consumption and more production.  More bread will be made, more recycling of materials into new things we can use again, more creating.  Less buying.  This last one is really about me, not this family, since I'm the shopper, and it's a hard habit to break.  I don't expect this will be the last year I make this resolution.  But I do expect to have a good time trying.  And you know I won't do it if it's not fun, right?

My second intention is to make more time for myself.  I'm putting it in writing now - I plan to get away by myself for one overnight at least every couple of months this year!  A recent trip to Seattle with Emma made me realize how much I need this time.  I came back with so much more patience and energy.  I think this is the one thing that's hard for me about having embarked on this whole partner and family thing so quickly and fully.  (and really, it is just one thing, so I'm not actually complaining...!).  But for someone used to being on their own, suddenly being so entirely connected to the wellbeing of others can be kind of overwhelming.

So, more bread and time away.  What a good year it's going to be!

For the Love of Basil

Last week, we held another Flavour Bible Sunday.  My sister was our guest.  Basil was our flavour.  And with no further ado, here is the menu...

Basil Martini - Blended ice with vodka, 1 whole lemon, about a teaspoon of sugar and some basil leaves.  Mixed about half and half with tonic water in a short martini glass.  Delicious!

Appetizer - fresh baked egg bread, homemade mozzerella balls, tomatos from our garden and basil (bought, not grown, since we just used all of ours to make pesto!), drizzled with balsamic and olive oil.  Yum yum yum.

 Main Course - ravioli we made ourselves, stuffed with mushrooms (crimini and portobello), goat cheese and...basil, of course!  Topped off with pesto (ours was basil, Kasari's was red pepper).  Both fantastic.

And for dessert....blueberry and basil compote with ricotta cheese.  Guests were suspicious, but won over in the end.

I really do have to work on my photographs - they're always a case of "oh no!  we didn't take a picture!  stop eating!"  Hopefully next time, I'll do the food justice.  In the meantime, you'll just have to trust me.  It was fan-friggin-tastic.

How unimportant

I just read a lovely little blog post that I want to share.  Actually, I can't decide if it's entirely lovely, because it points up something that disturbs me, but also comforts.  It's an odd thing.  The post is about how nothing in the writer's life is actually important, including plastic, his car, his tv, etc.  Which is disturbing at face value.  When he explains why, of course, it's not really the object, but what it enables in his life, and the things that "really matter" come shining through.  But still, he is left realizing that it's all important.

It got me thinking. 

Anyway, read it, if you have a minute (it's short), and see what you think.

http://shavingsanddust.blogspot.com/2010/07/importance.html

Not enough days on the beach

Coming to the end of the summer as we are, I am only just now realizing that we have spent far too few days at the beach. Today, at least, we were there. And loving it. Happy birthday Cole!

A couple kinds of First Steps

So, Jaya took his first steps on Friday!  We were in the doctor's office for his immunizations and he just let go of my leg and took two and a half steps forward. He was probably trying to make a break for it, but still, it was very exciting.  He did it a couple more times through the day.  And hasn't done it since.  Oh well.  I'm still thrilled.  I figure he was probably distracted by the fun of folk fest and all that dancing (which he does brilliantly and at every opportunity), so we'll see what the week holds now that things have settled a bit.

The second first step was mine and Kasari's.  I haven't talked about it here before but my sister's kidneys are failing her and she is going to need a transplant sometime soon.  We don't know if it's a matter of months or a year or more, but we do know she'll need one.  Actually, we know she'll need more than one, since a transplanted kidney only lasts 8 to 15 years (ish...it's hard to nail anyone down on this one), but that's for the future.  For now, we're on the hunt for a healthy kidney.  So I went for my first compatibility test a couple of weeks ago and found out yesterday that we're a blood match.  Which is wonderful news. 

There are still a million steps, or so it seems, to take before we know if this will work, how it would work, and what our other options are, but this first one was kind of a deal breaker and I am so glad it means our doors are still open.

So, first steps all 'round.  And you can be sure that updates will follow on all fronts...

The View From Here

Another new theme. Just a photograph and maybe a word or two about the view from here. Whereever here is today.



And where better to start than on the front porch couch, under the cherry tree, in the sunshine...

Flavour Bible Sundays

No, we haven't found god over the weekend.  Although, if god was to be found, I'm quite certain it would be folded into beautiful fresh food and hiding behind excellent company. 

We have a book called the Flavor Bible that we pull out every once and awhile, although strangely always on a Sunday, open up to a random page, and choose a food to build our menu on.  The beauty of this book is that is provides an extensive list of ingredients, each followed by a long list of flavours that go well with said ingredient.  There are no recipes, although a few sample menus and photographs sometimes help stimulate the imagination, but the flavour combinations are all the inspiration we need. 

Yesterday's food was figs.  Completely random and completely perfect, since the fresh fig is just coming into season and had just arrived at our local grocery store that day!  So, we invited my sister and Kelsey's brother and this is what we ate:

• Fig Supreme Cocktails to start
• Fig Salad with goat cheese, raspberries, walnuts, proscuttio (for the meat eaters), and arugula (although I actually forgot the arugula - but I think it would be good!)
• Pear and Ricotta Pizza with caramelized onions
• and Roasted Figs (in butter, brown sugar and a dash of wine) with Creme Fresh (mixed with maple syrup and Grand Marnier) for dessert

Yum!

We call these Flavour Bible Sundays, but I think we need a slightly catchier name, so I'm working on that.  I think this requires a new label, don't you?

Bringing some order to bear....

I've been labeling things lately. It's very satisfying and helps me feel like I know what's what. Or at least, if I don't know what it is, at least what to call it.

And as I've been thinking about this blog, which I've also been doing lately, I realize I keep coming up with good "labels". Things like, "loving where I live" or "people are weird". Of course, you may have noticed that I'm not actually writing the blog entries that go with these labels, but I could. And I'm thinking I will try.

So, as you may notice, I've decided to give my posts some labels.  And I hope to add a few more grand themes over the coming weeks.  Stay tuned for more labeling madness, coming soon, to a blog near you...

Dad's Day

Today I thought a lot about my dad. How much he would have loved to know Jaya and see me being a mum. I spent some time today being sad, and missing him. I imagined a few of the conversations we might have had over the picnic lunch we usually went in for. That always helps, because no matter how sentimental those imaginary conversations start out, I can never quite ignore the sardonic comment he probably would have ended with. And thankfully, that makes me laugh.

And of course, we managed to squeeze in a bit of celebrating for Kels today too, before he went off to tell the world (or at least, Main Street) about his new bikes. And I definitely also thought, today, about how wonderful Jaya's papa is and what a lucky boy he is to have Kels in his life.

So happy dad's day to all. Hope you all had reason to celebrate or remember or both.

Lickety Split

And then, home.

From Edinburgh, it was train ride to Glasgow, then a plane ride to Vancouver. Jaya took it all in stride, especially loving all the kids on our flight (although I'm not sure the child-less passengers were quite so thrilled). So, I would say a successful traveler, this one.

Of course, it's taking us a few days to get our sleep legs back. Thought we were on track, but last night was a bit of derailment, so we'll see...And so, home again and all the same preoccupations.

June marks the beginning of a different time though. Although I'm not going back to Cap U until September, I'm considering myself back to work part-time (the lack of a paycheque is no deterrent...at least, not yet) and so busy trying to arrange childcare and figure out how I'm going to define my days. I'm excited, though, and very ready, to own a part of my day again. So, some new preoccupations are on the horizon and they're looking pretty shiny from here.

Being away was wonderful, but coming home is, in the end, the best part of all. This life is just simply a great one to have.

If it's not Scottish, it's CRAP!

We spent the first afternoon in Edinburgh taking advantage of Lois' excitement to see Jaya...leaving him with her for a couple precious hours on our own.

On our way up the Royal Mile we took in the ridiculous amount of touristy tartan trash and the equally ridiculously beautiful stretches of seriously old style...and then just happened to bump into the Tarbottons on the corner and had tea. Of course.


The next day, we headed to the island of Lismore for a couple of nights of slow and cosy farm living. We joined Archie, his daugher Ann, her husband John, and her sons. Archie's other daughter Sarah was there as well, with her sons, for lunch, and the moment we walked in we felt like part of the family. Bread, cheese and tea on the table, sheep and furry cows wandering around outside the window. Absolutely perfect. It felt like more than just a day and a half, but we managed to cover a good part of the island...having a tour of Sarah's lovely studio on the sea (during which I happily adopted one Lavinia), taking in the one general store and the one cafe on our travels (of course), along with most of the sights (which are surprisingly plentiful for such a small island, I might add).






Despite hearing that the airports might close again (go volcano go!), we did have to head back on Tuesday, but we took a meandering route to allow for a tour of the Oban distillery, a scenic drive through the highland moors, lunch and a charity shop in Callender, a drive-by wave at two of the castles that appear in the Monty Python movies, and a self-guided tour of the Falkirk Wheel. Jaya was a road-tripping star, which was really what made it all possible.



That night was one of the much-anticipated highlights. An evening out. Even though we didn't get out of the house until 9pm and only managed dinner, it was still everything I had hoped and dreamed. We went to the recommended David Bann (thanks Zoe!) and were suitably thrilled by everything. Super yummy flavours, awesome combinations, gorgeous looking plates. We had wine, we talked, we canoodled. It was like a real date. With a curfew and guaranteed middle-of-the-night wakings by small screaming child, but still.

On our last day in Edinburgh, we managed to combine quite a number of city highlights with a leisurely pace, which was just right for a last day. We headed up Arthur's Seat with Lois and Archie, romped on the grass in the gorgeous sun (our first really warm day the entire trip), had lunch at the Sheep's Heed (just the oldest pub in Scotland, don'cha know), took a tour of Edinburgh's secret garden (I'd tell you where it is, but then I'd have to, you know, kill you), went downtown to one of the national galleries, wandered through Princess Gardens, took a double decker bus home, ate dinner, packed our bags, and crashed.

Last Days in Holland

In which we covered the northern part of our Netherlands trip, returned to Amsterdam for one last hurrah, headed over to Edinburgh, spent time on the Island of Lismore, headed back to Edinburgh and then jumped a plane.

Our time with Harriet and her family in Zeijen (tiny tiny town in the mid-north of Holland, pronounced kindof like Zion) was wonderful. They are such welcoming people! After "Venice", we visited the biggest zoo in Europe (seriously huge and pretty impressive...my mixed feelings about zoos aside), and Jaya saw his first baby moose - just born and taking it's first steps. Very cool.

Then it was back to Amsterdam for one night at Henk's (Kelsey's uncle). Henk's place is gorgeous...right on a dyke, and including two extra lots that he leases from the city as an extended garden. Fantastic. Henk's pretty great too.

And then it was time to go. Sad to say goodbye, knowing we're not likely to be back for five or six years...but I really felt like I got to know the people who populate that part of Kelsey's life, and I know Kelsey felt renewed. His Dutch is pretty incredible for someone who spent just six months learning it when he was 14. People constantly commented that he sounds like a native speaker. And I really notice now how must more fluent he is with Jaya, with just that little bit of practice. I think Kels misses the linguistic company though (Jaya's conversational skills are fantastic, of course, but perhaps a little less nuanced than Kels is looking for), so any of you Dutch speakers (Marijke?) are welcome for dinner any time!

Happy Moeder's Daag!

Okay, so a bit belatedly, but still, it was my first, so I'm pretty excited about it. Hope all of you who are, or who have, mother's, enjoyed the day! Jaya started out the tradition in good form - playing nicely downstairs while Kelsey brought me breakfast in bed, and then handing me a lovely card his new friends helped him make. I look forward to years of macaroni cards and bad coffee in bed!

As for our dutch travels, they are progressing quite nicely. We spent a few days in Utrecht with Kelsey's dad's cousin and her family.

Utrecht is a beautiful city - more laid back than Amsterdam and in some ways, more historic. Gorgeous canals that just sing out to be sat beside in the sunshine with coffee. Unfortunately, it was raining, and Jaya doesn't drink coffee, but still, very pretty.

Kelsey also got to see his 97 year old great-aunt, who was thrilled to see him.

Oh, and there was a parking lot for bikes. With space for 40,000. And that's just one of several. Did I mention they like their bikes here?

Then it was on to Zeijen, a village of about 800 - a pretty big change from the big cities. Our hosts are the family that Kelsey stayed with when he came to the Netherlands at age 13. They are super happy to see him and it's been lots of fun getting to know them all.

Yesterday, we went to the "dutch venice" and today went for a cycle through the countryside. Jaya whined through most of it, but I know he's secretly having a great time.

So, we will explore the country some more over the next few days, and let you know how it goes. Hope all's well where you are.

A bicycle built for two, or three, or four....

So, we're really starting to get into this whole holiday-ing thing! We spent the first five days at Kelsey's cousin Reuben's house, and now we're at his cousin Iris's place. The street they live on (a dijke) is too narrow for two cars to pass, but bikes ride past at a rate of about 1 every 30 seconds, at least. I suppose it goes without saying, but the bicyling culture here is simply fantastic! There are a million different kinds of kids seats for the back and even the kids bikes have seats for dolls...

And, in case the millions of bike paths weren't enough for you, you can even bike vertically -

So, we've toured Amsterdam by bike (of course), on foot, and by boat.

It's a city worth seeing as many ways as possible. Especially the red light district...

A few days ago, we did our touristy duty and checked out a recreation of a traditional Dutch village - complete with working windmills. Japanese tour groups aside, it was very cool.

I'm not sure we could fill the shoes of those old time dutchers, though...

And finally, today, we went to a festival in Haarlem that Kelsey's cousin Anneke helped organize - a pop festival for peace...or so we think! It was mega crazy with people and Jaya enjoyed the sightseeing...

So, that's us caught up to today. Tomorrow we head to Utrecht for more visits with family and a whole new city to shop in...I mean, explore...