A Work in Progress

Hey, look! It's a barnacle ring.

Some of you have asked what kind of class I'm taking. The answer is small scale casting for jewelry. Our first assignment was to carve a ring from wax and cast it. I can't say I enjoyed the carving process, but the finishing of the ring (once I got those darn sprues off) was enjoyable. And, while the stone isn't set yet I am pleased with it so far. I enjoy being in a classroom setting with a bunch of other folks who go ga ga over tools and fire. Is it an illness or a gift - depends upon the day, I guess. When this is finished I will begin working on my next project which is to design a personal talisman. I have chosen the image of HOUSE. It may make some of you snicker just a little bit. It's a good talisman for me. I'm always shopping for houses, thinking about de-constructing them or re-constructing them. I remember drawing floor plans when I was little. As well as elevations of my dream house(s). I guess it's still in me, houses. They represent so much; hope, comfort, family, security, love. The piece I'm planning uses houses to represent each member of my immediate family. They will all be held together by a chain. I'm still working on the details, but I'm looking forward to starting it.

Coleman and Max have both started carving their own rings. I'm looking forward to casting those and photographing them to put up here some day soon...


I would love to hear from all of you about what you think your personal talisman may be. Coleman's was a dragon wrapped around a samurai sword (Max said he'd like that too), Chris said his is the knuckle of a stalk of bamboo, Rose said a rolling pin (though I would have chosen an apple pie for her). I think my dad's would be a deck of cards. Yours?

Chris is off to Malaysia!

Chris left for Malaysia Thursday night/Friday morning, he's en route right now. We hope he gets this project, as it is $$. However, a fifteen hour time difference sure will make it hard to connect via phone. (Good thing we've got email). It takes about 22 hours of travel to get from SFO to Kuala Lumpor. Which doesn't include the travel up to SFO from Santa Cruz. Hopefully with a full course of sleep aids he will arrive well rested and ready to go! It should be rather hot there. I'm hoping for pictures of the city and surrounds soon so I can post them here.

While Chris is away we have things planned. I should say things are happening, we are going to do them. Friday October 2nd is Max's very first field trip. We are going to Live Earth Farm in Watsonville. It's an organic farm. While there we'll milk goats, pick apples and maybe pumpkins. Coleman's school has a Back to School BBQ Friday night. This weekend is open studios. I have four hours on Saturday to wander SC artists studios and view their work (soooo looking forward to that). Then Saturday evening we're heading over the hill for Coleman's and Max's favorite friend's 9th birthday. Sunday we're just going to chill in the hood, though if it's nice we'll wander to a good beach somewhere. Then it's back to the grind for the week and daddy gets home late night Saturday. So much to pack into a weekend, then regular life on the weekdays. . .

The last Sunday of September the family went to Seabright beach with Kitty. Here are some shots of the boys from that day:





Powerful ocean.

Hello Again

Been a while, eh? I have been dying to get back to writing this blog, catch up with you guys. We spent the summer in Massachusetts. School began for Coleman on August 26th and for Max and I on August 31 (Nana's b-day!). Here are some shots of our summer:

A picture taken at Monterey Bay Aquarium by Coleman.

Self portrait by Coleman.


Max at home in Soquel.

Coleman at home in Soquel.

Nana, Max, Kitty and Coleman at Rocky Woods in Medfield Massachusetts! We went for a hike/bike. Found a pond, mucked about in it and got bitten by many mosquitoes.

Brotherly love: I love it.

We visited The House of Seven Gables in Salem Massachusetts. It was the only thing about Salem Coleman liked; the rest was just too creepy.

We went with Tibor and Taylor to Concord and Lexington to check out some American History.

Walden Pond.

A hike near Nana's house.

Old Silver Beach near Auntie Mary, Uncle Walt and Ms Eva.

Max celebrated his 5th birthday August 7th down the cape. Tons of fun.


Nana and Papa came down for the special occasion.

We all sang to Max, including Max.

Coleman celebrated his 8th birthday here in California. No cake for Coleman, he's a pie guy. I baked two apple pies for the occasion with apples from our back yard! Since our house was already demo'd and we're living in a trailer in the front yard we decided to have Coleman's party off site. We went to a place called Jump Sky High. It's a trampoline place - tons of fun!

That's all for now. I've got things to do, I'm sure. Now where is my to do list?

Sweet Spot

Since we moved away from Boston, Chris and I have lamented the fact that there are few rivers near us, nowhere to swim in fresh water nearby. Well, our neighbors told us about a little spot on Soquel Creek, not far from us. Yesterday we took a quick ride up to the hills of Soquel to look for the creek. Quite a discovery. There's a sandy beach, water flowing over river rocks and lots of tadpoles and fish, even crayfish!

Today Coleman and Max's very best friends Kylie and Drew came to visit us and we went back to the creek. A good time was had by all!

Max was actually a little cold. I think Coleman had the right idea about wearing his wet suit. I thought the water was pretty cold in the deep parts. It's deep enough to jump off the rocks and into the water without getting hurt.

Happy Max with his pal Kylie! Now this is what good summertime memories are made of.

There are tons of tadpoles. Everywhere. And wee fish, too. We've got some of each on our dining room table swimming around in a big hurricane lamp/candle holder. Before we head back east we'll be releasing them back into their creek.


Look at that Cat...formerly afraid of the water, now swimming in the deep end! She really enjoys running after us all and romping through the water. She isn't really swimming because she wants to, only to be near us if we're on the other side of the creek. There were a couple other dogs there today and she enjoyed playing with them in and out of the water.

Bikes, Fruit and a Tree Fort

Max has learned how to ride his bike without training wheels! And he absolutely love to ride his bike now. He's doing really well. He even rides around the BMX track by the dog park with Coleman.

Our blackberries are ripening. The are so absolutely scrumptious. We've got more than we can eat out there - though it isn't very easy to pick them! It takes a lot of time if you are trying to get out of there with some flesh left on your arms and hands. Very thorny things they are, but worth the effort.

My first tomato, looks like they'll probably be in full ripened mode by the time we've been in Massachusetts for a couple of weeks! My only wish is that they will still be producing when we get back.

I'm amazed at the size and number of apples on our one of our apple trees. This is the one I trimmed this spring.

Here's a shot of the tree fort almost finished. It is finished at this point, but we've got some flags to put up and a little decorating to do. I'll post some more pictures later of the final product. Though, I'm sure it will be ever changing...


It's about two feet higher than I actually thought it would be. The carpenter/architect started the thing at the level I wanted the platform, but the platform is actually two feet higher.

I've got some packing to do and a dog to walk and kids to entertain, so I can't stay and chat. But there will be more soon. Nana is getting ready to come out here to assist in getting things ready to move and start construction.

Ciao for now!

The Beginnings of a Tree Fort: Finally

The Fairy Ring after Chris cut a few trees to make room for the fort.

Hmm, right about here.

Bob's schematic.

The beams go up.


Above you see Chris and our architect/builder, Bob putting one of the beams up for the first level of the tree fort (second level to come later). I think I may be more excited about it than the boys are. Bob said today it is like working in a cathedral, it's a very special spot. I have to agree. We've got a very special place here. It will have railings and we'll be able to have sleep outs up there. Now that's what I'm talkin' about.

In a couple weeks it will be finished if Bob's schedule will allow. So, we'll get a little use out of it before we ship out to Massachusetts on July 20th.

Summer

Summer has arrived. Coleman started Junior Guards this Monday. It's just the perfect amount of time on the beach, 3 hours spent stretching, running, swimming and learning about water safety and eventually life guarding (I think that comes in about four years). It is a little crazy getting there in the car because everyone and their brother or sister seem to do JG. Monday afternoon I dropped Coleman off so he wouldn't be late and I parked that car. Well, he was nervous and it took me a really long time to find a spot which was really far away from the beach. Anyhow, by the time I got there he was already settled in and having fun. But I found out from him later that day that he was so scared that he was crying and a kind parent helped him find his way to the right tent on the beach. I felt pretty badly that he was upset, but he seemed over it already so I didn't say anymore. So, tomorrow we are going to ride our bikes down there so we don't have to deal with parking. The trick will be riding home all the way up hill after a few hours exercising in the sun. I figure we can always walk the bikes up the really hard part of the hill. We'll see how we do. It'll be a chance for me to get some much needed exercise and to get the kids in super shape for their lives ahead. It's good for them, right? So far he has wanted to go to the beach each day after getting home from the Guards, so I think that's a good sign.

The waves were really big tonight at Capitola Beach. It isn't often we see them like this. The boys did a little body surfing at sunset.

Kitty is growing into a fine young dog. She's somewhere around 5 or 6 months old now. She's almost finished loosing her teeth. She's just lovely. We're looking forward to showing her off in Massachusetts this summer when we visit.

Compassionate Max

Rocking Horse Ranch has a monthly newsletter. I usually just skim over it, but for some reason, perhaps the simple opportunity to read uninterrupted, I sat this morning and read the whole thing. I found a paragraph about our very special almost five year old, written by the preschool owner, Nancy:

"When I was sitting on the grass, holding one new little boy who was crying at the top of his lungs, I was surprised when this almost five year old boy came over and sat right next to me...I mean it was loud! But this "big boy", Max was not the least bit deterred...He just looked over at my screaming friend and said "....I've got a dog". Well immediately, the screaming stopped and my little charge replied, albeit while sniffling; "...I've got a dog....her name is Ginger" To which Max countered with "My dog's name is Ginger-Kitty". Now I think he was just making that up, in an obvious attempt to "join with" my little buddy..."

Well, Max didn't make G. Kitty's name up. But he did make Edward, the "little boy" feel better just talking to him. I felt really proud to read this about Max. He's a really special big boy.

Ode to Black Coffee

There are nights when the anticipation of my morning coffee keeps me awake. The thought of the stillness of the morning sleeping house. The kettle making its special, not quite boiling noise. Scooping four heaping tablespoons into the French press. The Divine aroma. Holding a warm, nay, hot hand made mug that I made myself. It keeps a mind moving, anticipating. Last night was one of those nights. I almost got out of bed at midnight just to make coffee. It didn't seem prudent, though. So I stayed in bed and tried to think of something else. It wasn't easy.

The reality is I usually only get five or six sips before someone is up needing something. But those five or six sips are mine, all mine, all alone and quiet and quite delightful.

Then End of the School Year

Wow. How did that happen? We've only got a week of school left!!! Now there is just the next 11 years to get through for Coleman. Max will continue at Rocking Horse Ranch, where he is really happy. Technically he could go to kindergarten in the fall, but I'm holding off a year because I can and because I think he needs one more year to really play.

Here's a shot of Max on a regular ole day at the Ranch.


This week Max got TWO goose eggs. He's saving them for when Chris is home from Germany.


There's a bird of paradise growing at Max's school, these are such cool plants.


Peace out everyone.

A Couple of Shots from Yesterday

Porter's ears used to do that, one up one down. Anyone remember that? Kitty has the intense look in her eyes Porter used to get, but she's not as quick to learn. I think she's less interested in pleasing me than Porter was and more interested in pleasing herself.

Look what I grew! It's time to plant some more radish seeds and more lettuce too. I guess I should have done it a couple weeks ago, actually. Oh well, I'm learning.

Look at my little "angel". He is so sweet and not destructive when he's asleep.