Welcome to Paradise

(someone having a little fun with their garden plot!)

(Our plot, as it appeared recently)

(the first ripening fruit/veggie I have seen!)

(Annie, age 2, walking among the garden plots)

I was finally able to put in some significant time over the past two weeks, finishing putting up the chicken wire, digging rows, building a wigwam for the beans and peas, and of course planting seeds and plants. I know it's silly to be planting seeds in early June but I'm really in experimental mode as this is my first vegetable garden EVER. The kids were sick for about 2 weeks straight and I was getting frustrated at not being able to get to the garden...then I decided we'd just have to do the best we could.

We went to the Flower Bin in Longmont today and bought some strong and healthy vegetable plants to fill up the empty space in our garden. Part of the "deal" in participating in the garden is that I will donate a portion of my produce to community food banks, and I want to make sure we have lots to share! So we got some sweet peppers, broccoli, butternut squash, lettuce and cucumbers, and that should fill up the last few empty rows we have. If not, we still have pumpkin seeds to plant. ;) We're in the midst of three solid days of storms (with heavy winds and hail, at times) so I'm anxious to get out to the garden once the sun returns and see where we stand. Right now it feels like it will be wonderful to get to the point where we just have to water and weed, as it's pretty darn tough to plant with two children (ages 2 and 4) in tow. :)

I'll just share a few things I've finished up in the past few weeks. I have been pretty productive lately. :)

1. Very Hungry Caterpillar Dress and Tshirts -- I am a guest for the June 18th Grand Reopening of Nacho Dipes on Hyena Cart.



2. Newborn Booties for the shop:


3. Silk and merino shawl for myself!

Walking down the trail, picking up pearls of wisdom.

I feel like writing kind of an introspective post here, more like a journal entry than my typical blog posts, maybe. The last eight months have been an exceptional period of change in my life. As this period comes to a close, I guess I feel more reflective than usual. During this time I have been taking a leave of absence from my job as a university librarian, and staying home full time with the kids. I knew I would love it, so that was no surprise. I just never knew that it would be such a remarkable period of learning and growth.

This blog essentially represents the two things that are now major components of my life, that were not before my leave started. The first is the Etsy shop. I had the urge to open it in late 2009 and did so on Valentine's Day, 2010. The second is Flatirons Church. I can't even put into words right now what a positive impact this has had on our entire family. I want to say a bit more about each.

First, the shop, Revolutionary Woolens, represents my (relatively) new-found passion for creating. I've only been knitting for a year and a half now and didn't really do anything "crafty" before that. I dabbled in knitting, painting, etc. from time to time but never with such a passion. Around the time I opened the shop, I also started teaching myself how to use the sewing machine and do some hand sewing. So one thing has led to another, and now I am enjoying trying all different types of crafts, most recently doll making. It is such a thrill to look at something and have no idea how it is made (in the case of the Waldorf doll) and then do it! This is so personally rewarding. And, as for the shop...this is certainly something I never saw myself doing, and I am quite proud of how far Nona and I have come in the 4 months since we've opened shop. We have learned so much, and our skills have really progressed significantly. We're both really looking forward to this winter, when we can finally go full-blast knitting cute baby hats and sweaters for the shop.

And now on to Flatirons Church. At the beginning of 2010, my husband and I did our annual list of aspirations for the year, something we really enjoy doing. Kind of like new years resolutions but broader, maybe more like a Bucket List for the year. One thing I put on the list is that I wanted to find a church that would preach the same type of positive messages that we had been enjoying from books such as "The Secret" and Wayne Dyer's books (which especially resonate with me). It really seemed like a pipe dream at the time. I had never been in a church even remotely like that, in my entire life. I was raised in the Catholic religion, even attended Catholic school for a few years. My husband and I were married in the Catholic church, by a priest we both had a special relationship with. A few years later that priest transferred to another parish and we drifted from church to church, never feeling anything that compelled us to return. We started talking about trying a non-denominational church to see if it would be more energetic -- we knew there were churches out there with live bands and dynamic messages but were hesitant to go outside the Catholic church. It kind of felt like a betrayal. Chuck mentioned Flatirons Church, which he had heard about somewhere, and we went to check out their website. We thought it looked pretty cool and so Chuck went on to a service on his own. And we haven't missed a single week since. Around Thursday of each week I start anticipating Saturday because that's the day I go. It thoroughly energizes me, and it gives me fantastic spiritual food for thought. I am deeply inspired by the musicians, the energy I feel there, and most of all, the richness of the messages. The messages are wholly applicable to my LIFE, which is something that, sadly, was rarely true in all of my former church-going experience. Needless to say, I have found the church of my dreams and it has totally blown my mind. Due largely in part to finding Flatirons, I feel like I am well on the road to understanding fully, why I am here and what I was meant to do with my life. That is pretty wonderful, isn't it?!?

It's pretty amazing to realize that during this leave of absence I have found myself, on a whole new level. And it's not just about me, it's about me reaching out to the world, living beyond myself. Contributing to my community, being a positive presence and most of all, being supremely grateful for all of the little blessings that are part of each and every day.