The Second Camping Weekend Of 2012

Fourteen hours of solid down pour hurt, a little. Thankfully, our second camping weekend of the year had more than one night to go ahead and redeem itself. 

You know what? It did.

 *Photo by Jim 

We rolled up to our campground, after a beautifully sunny day (with 10% chance of rainfall predicted by the weather network - those animals!), as a lovely little sun shower began.

Jim put the tent up all on his onesie while I took the boys to the playground. Just as we strolled up after some serious swing-time, the rain really took hold, and as Jim was scrambling to chuck a tarp up, the rain was falling. Hard.

So much for 10%, you jerks. (Ya gotta blame somebody, right?!).

So, thoroughly water-logged 14 hours into our 2nd rainy camping weekend, the sun came out.
First it peeked - just a little. A teaser, if you will.
Then a touch more rain just to let us know who's boss.  Then, finally, the love.
Oh sunny sun! 

We finally received a little of exactly what we needed.
(Seriously, so far we were starting to question the whole thing. Our last few camping experiences have been very damp  - boy, are we persistent).

I love my camping crew.

We have been craving a pop-up tent trailer for quite some time. A couple weekends of trying to set up and take down camp with little people around, has given us a serious push in wanting this dream to be realized NOW!

Watching other families be packed up and off in 10 minutes - oh so jealous.

I do like sleeping in a tent, but simplicity is such a gift when you are a parent to two small boys. Sorry, I really and truly meant when you are a parent to any small being.

ps. these were the sweetest, yummiest strawbs ever.

pps. I never see these silly little green baskets, and sorta kinda fell for it. 

So, despite my hubby's rolling eyes, and shaking head, it cruised back home with us in our car, where it now sits in my sewing room. Oh the things we do...

The First Camping Weekend of The Summer

:: It poured rain. All. Night. (And sprinkled a fair bit both days, as well)

:: We donned about 4 layers of clothing to bed, and had about 8 blankets on top of us, and 3 below, to counter the sudden painful temperature drop at night.

:: Contrary to the 30 Day Vegan workshop I am currently taking part in, we ate hot dogs. Oh yes, and cheese. Those are vegan  foods right?? We'll call them "vegan junk food" to lessen the failure.

:: We had excessive amounts of everything being that we packed for a weekend, but the massive rainfall all day Friday, delayed us until Saturday morning. I suppose, being that it was only a weekend planned trip we probably shouldn't have had that much excess but, alas...

:: We forgot to properly secure our food, and were visited in the night by raccoons. There was a rather aggressive scrap between two outside of our tent door - likely regarding which of them got to take the score. Jokes on the winner of that fight because he may have gotten our cooler open, but speedy old me was on it so quick I had that cooler shut again before it could reap the rewards - then I encouraged my fella to bring said cooler to the car. Did I mention, they were HUGE!

:: I was awake nearly all night.

:: Both Jim and I were constantly re-blanketing our blanket kicker kids, for fear they would get too cold.

:: We remembered how difficult camping is with a little boy at the wonderful exploratory, grabby little age our dear Owen is at. Oh yes, we were busy.

Good times, camping.

It's a process, right?

By Labour Day weekend, we hope to be pros. A yearly aspiration.

Improve on what we must bring,
And cut out the excess.

This next weekend should be even better. Particularly, because it will count as a weekend! This past weekend all that set-up and take down, for ONE NIGHT!

No matter what though, it is all worth it when you are finally set up, and relaxing by that fire.

Right Owen? :)
I love those dangling feet, even more than he loved his little chair -  which is sayin' something!

*I nearly forgot to mention one of the highlights of this camping weekend, when my big-little boy Levi, had an incredibly rare, and brief afternoon nap, on my back, in the Ergo carrier - ahhh, magical. I love that he still likes chilling in that carrier.

Abundant WILD Life

My fleeting visits to this blog as of late are due to a number of reasons, most being no fun at all but, happily, there has been one saving grace for this lagging month of May!  An art workshop hosted by Squam, and led by Alena Hennessy has been an amazing treat (ahem. a gift to myself. Thank you, Me!) that I will be sad to finish.

Really, it has been more than an artful experience. The community with fellow workshoppers, as well as encouragement from Alena in opening up our creativity through both nature and our own emotions, has been incredible.

Starting each day by creating personal intentions, release through journaling, and reflection, is very uplifting. My current intention? Figure out a way to make this happen while two toddlers are climbing the walls (They would actually, if they could you know; and it seriously looks as though they may be trying at times)! (As you will learn below, I have already attempted to wake before them - note to self: must try harder!).

Forcing myself to make time for the creative release which I am always desiring, and have been seriously lacking lately, was very fulfilling. For myself, if I can make time for something creative each day, even just a few moments, I am a much happier person. I happen to currently be reading You Are Your Child's First Teacher, by Rahima Baldwin Dancy. How fitting that I just finished a section where Rahima talks about the importance of artistic activity in a mother's life. She states that "Artistic activity involves the same vital or creative forces that your baby is using, but it replenishes rather than depletes them." Mothering really can take a lot out of you, and I know from personal experience that art, in any form, helps balance me out.

Being a stay-at-home mom, actually visiting a Squam retreat is a dream that likely won't be realized for a good, long time. My "Aha!" moment? Discovering they were beginning to host online workshops!! Fabulous, fabulous idea! I can have a mini retreat without leaving my kitchen table, youngin's terrorizing around me while I escape into inks and gel pens.... or something like that.

In actuality, I woke at the break of day along with my man (true story!) to steal an hour or so from the day to escape with inks, paints, and pens. Sounds dreamy right? This (another true story) did not last long (*gasp*). It's time I embraced my true destiny as a 'night-person', but I digress, before long I was stealing my moments post baby-bedtime. Whenever, wherever, however!

Alena has been a wonderful guide, and teacher.  This course,  Abundant *Wild* Life, has led me to explore new creative tools such as india inks (which I love!!), gel pens, and wood panels among them. 'Hip!hip!' for india inks on wood panels - amazing. She encouraged us to find moments of peace in each day; embrace nature, and bring it to our art; embrace ourselves, and bring our whole self into our art. Really, *love*. Good, sweet times, with a whole pile of sweet, welcoming, encouraging chicks!

I am super stoked to have been given the second online squam workshop as a birthday gift from my hubs. So looking forward to a whole new artful experience with Sarah Ahearn Bellemare!

Also, SO looking forward to extending my workshop with Alena through her new book! If you are interested, Abundant *Wild* Life will be hosted again in the fall!

Isn't it amazing what we can accomplish through the internet?! Ahhh, what a cursed blessing it is...

Camilla Valley Farm

Are you a knitter/crocheter/weaver who has found yourself wandering the Orangeville area? I can definitely not call myself a weaver, barely a knitter (I'm workin' on it), and just a dabbler in crochet, but I can most definitely appreciate a lovely skein of yarn nearly as much as a beautiful yard of fabric. Okay, let's be serious, I'm beginning to hoard yarn nearly as badly I am fabric, despite how slowly I am to complete a project...
Anyway, if you do happen to dabble in one or all of these creative arts, and also happen to be in Orangeville, there is a gem of a shop only about 15 minutes drive out - and a lovely drive at that.

Camilla Valley Farm is a family run business, catering to weavers and knitters. 

Oh to run my own little creative shop, only steps from my front door - although, you'd probably catch me puttering in my shop sportin' jammies if that were the case.

They are specialists in Leclerc Weaving Looms - both in restoration, and the purchase of new and pre-loved looms. Just looking at these beautiful "machines" has me wanting to learn.

They carry a great selection of yarn, books, and accessories, including their own fiber line specific to weaver's. I picked up a couple of skeins from the Canadian Collection, a 100% Canadian wool yarn which I look forward to adding to my yarn shelf -  and even using in a project someday! ;) It just might be a good idea for me to start purchasing project specific yarn as opposed to stocking up for who knows what plan... But, then where is the fun in that?

Worth a visit!

{This Moment}

{This moment} is inspired by Soulemama, and beautifully done by so many. It reveals a moment from our week that is special enough to stand alone, without need for expression, or explanation.

xo

A little break

I don't know where this week went? For such a crappy one, it sure is speeding by!

But seriously, this week has been rough. My screamers, I mean boys, have been slightly miserable for reasons I cannot figure out. For my littlest I imagine it is teething (my most over-used guess), and for biggie, your guess is as good as mine. Poor guy has been a bucket of tears pretty regularly from Monday through Wednesday. :( 

I had a wisdom tooth pulled and have been pretty much fine, though it did add to my already present head-ache and made handling the emotional chaos in our house a little tougher. 

On a high note, I am thrilled to have that bothersome tooth gone for good. It has hassled me since 2007, but I have been traveling, pregnant, or nursing ever since which didn't allow for freezing and hey, I'm no superhero - clearly, as I seriously considered making a run for it during said extraction. 

Tonight, my man gave me a break and took the kiddos to the park, and then (bless him) put them both to bed. I could have gone anywhere, and I really tried to think of somewhere to venture out to with this bit of freedom. The fact is, when I have a touch of freedom I don't want to go out. I want to stay in and sew, and create, and do puttery house things. And so, as I shouted upstairs "pretend I'm not here!",  I realized that, oh yes, these words have been spoken before...  In times past, I always tended to wander up for a visit, a cuddle, or to lend a hand. Not today. After these past 3 days I was quite happy to stay out of the way and do a little painting. Wonderful, wonderful moments of art. Ahhhh. I feel like new.

{This Moment}

{This moment} is inspired by Soulemama, and beautifully done by so many. It reveals a moment from our week that is special enough to stand alone, without need for expression, or explanation.

xo

Yarn Along

Joining Ginny this week ~

Simple read & a "simple" knit.

The washcloth is from the very beautiful book The Knitter's Year by Debbie Bliss. Hilariously (but probably only to me), the book says "this textured washcloth takes less than an hour to make" and yes, I am only working on it during brief pockets of time but still, this would be my 3rd(?) day! 

The yarn is Debbie Bliss Eco Baby in gray. 

The magazine? Well... not exactly a read, more an inspirational viewing as my french language skills are sadly, worse than poor. If you have never looked at this mag, find it. It's something special.

Happy May Day!

xo

Hexagons

Something new, and lovely came in the mail last week. Possibly to steer me from my over-ambitious queen sized english paper-pieced quilt dreams. :)

I picked up  my copy of this Japanese sewing book here. It has 21 projects in it.

I love a portable project!

xo