Ensoul Arts

May Goes On...

A festive celebration, rain or shine, graced our island Waldorf school this afternoon. Though I enjoyed all of it with my littlest, I was a bit tempted to miss the old days, way back when my big kid was...little (really not so long ago). I wondered if he would be disappointed that he was missing out on all the fun...until I discovered him walking home from big kid school looking like this! Clearly, he has his own thing going on (a handmade Japanese hat in celebration of Children's Day in Japan)... Good times all around!

Happy May!

fresh & live

Last Friday marked the 30th day of my seasonal cleanse, which evolved very naturally into all raw vegan foods and herbal infusions of nettle and dandelion root. I feel so much better that I plan to keep going with at least 85% raw vegan foods throughout the summer. Cheers to the season of fresh veggies aplenty!

dandy mandala

Happy Earth Day!

blooming

Spring Break is coming to a close for us, and we are ready to slip back into our usual rhythms tomorrow. Dear friends from Minnesota were in town for a wonderful visit, which helped us to feel that we "got away" while staying right here and keeping things simple. All the touristy fun of downtown Seattle and island beaches felt new to us as again as we showed our guests around these parts. What a treat it's been to re-connect, get some sun, and have a break.

Can you feel summer on the horizon? Goodness, I cannot believe it, but I certainly do. I'm thinking ahead to enriching camps for the boys and family travel while seeking to be present with what's here in our lives right now as we move through each day. The fragrant blossoms and sunshine are absolutely intoxicating, and we're just getting started with this long awaited breathing out. 

Happy changes!

pink!

Whether skies be grey or blue, I am grateful for this color right now. 

spring kitchen action

I'm still taking this seasonal purification diet one day at a time and tuning in my own personal needs. For over a week now, I've been reaching for the green, raw, living choices. It's pretty amazing how the taste buds adjust after the initial few days of a raw diet. In the mornings, I am actually *craving* some variation of the lemon/lime, parsley, pear, apple, and ginger juice. I blend it all up in the Vitamix and then strain it because I don't have a juicer. I'm not sure I need one because the Vitamix does such an amazing job of liquifying everything. I do green smoothies too, keeping the "pulp" in the mix, but some go down best for me as juice.

happy spring!

body wisdom

 

I'm noticing how my body has already started to crave purification. As I groove with the natural encouragement of the seasonal shift, I am choosing to explore my body's unique needs right now. I am not, for example, choosing to follow advice presently (however great it may be). I will not be joining a 30 day challenge, fasting, or consulting a nutrition guru any time soon. Those adventures have been part of my learning curve in the past, and I'm especially grateful for what I have learned about nourishing gluten free, raw, vegetarian and vegan choices. Right now, I'm simply waking up each day and re-affirming my intention to listen to and trust the intelligence of my own body. 

While I find it noble to eat strictly according my ethics, I've learned it isn't always what my body needs me to do. In other words, sometimes my body needs some animal products. When I feel this way, I make my choices with care. Currently, I am not eating any animal products, because that feels right for now.

I like it this way. It's a great reminder that I can really only have control over my own choices. Having flexibility and opennes with my choices is allowing me a more harmonious and responsive relationship with my body. Not only does that feel right, but it feels good. 

As for my boys, I do all I can to offer them a solid nutrititional foundation at home. Then, I let go of how they eat outside of our home. Especially during the teen years, they just want to blend in with friends. I find it's better to continue leading by example rather than launching into foodie lectures. Thankfully, they have huge appetites and enjoy eating veggies. I'll call it a job done well enough! 

The handmade recipe book here was created recently by my son Indigo in a class at Minnesota Center for Book Arts. I love it. He has a couple of his very own recipes in it, complete with hand drawn illustrations. Last summer he invited me to fill it with family recipes, to keep a record of the meals we all enjoy. I'm finally getting around to that. Five (more or less) Bean Soup with gluten free cornbread hit the spot this week, and I managed to scribble it in. 

If you're on a similar path with body wisdom, I'd love to hear about it!

 

ephemeral dusting

What we opened our eyes to this morning...

 

february woods