Ensoul Arts

Full Moon Drift

“We are all wanderers on this earth.

Our hearts are full of wonder, and our souls are deep with dreams.” 

― Roma Saying

where we are

Goodbye January. Hello February.

Good morning sun.

Beckoning.

Strolling through the green.

Melting it all away.

Connecting.

Looking ahead.

 

Happy Lunar New Year

Finally, I'm finishing a painting that had been put away for too long. I wasn't always sure I'd finish it. Definitely, I will. Almost there. The sun came out today, which shifted the energy here dramatically. Following a long walk in the sun, and dinner with friends, I am home cleaning up my studio and office spaces while thinking my life forward. I'm taking a lot of deep breaths today. The office and studio have been been unpacked since September, but the last of spaces in the cottage to be organized with intention. It feels good to be working on this today, and I hope to share this corner of my home soon. 

 

second snow day west

 

island sky

I glanced out of my studio window upstairs to see this sunset. I remembered. Very early this morning, as I was hitting the snooze button for the third time, Indigo was standing at the studio window telling me to come and look. It was "pink and bright and really cool" he said. I didn't rise in time to see much, but I do remember opening my eyes wide enough to see the light on his face as he looked out. I'm now here at the same window with evening computer work ahead of me. I'm thinking of the hours in the day, the moments that slip by, and how much I adore my little lover of all things magic. He teaches me to slow it down and take notice of what's most important, especially if I'm looking at a screen instead of the sky.

I also remembered the last image above, from a winter morning two years ago. He was sitting in the large window of our artist loft in Minnesota, looking at the very urban winterscape, and missing Seattle. He would sigh, "I miss the rain." Well, here we are. Back where he wanted to be, with the rain and so much more.

ensouled new home

Our life hurdled over the mountains toward the ocean in three parts. It's been about five months since we arrived just ahead of our life-in-transport. Churling through the air, we were leaving behind everything familiar. It was an enormous transition, and though we were nervous, we were ready for it. I knew in my heart and soul we all needed to land right here to start new chapters. Doubts and worries did creep in, but a steady faith washed over those, and what I really wanted to do was just sink myself into the other side of the leap. I closed my eyes and visualized warm nesting and resting on a winters evening in our new place of home. 

We deplaned at SeaTac on a cloudy September day, exhausted, with a few suitcases and one freaked out cat. Within just a few days, both boys were experiencing brand new schools, which was quite a switch from quiet homeschooling in our ultra comfort zone of South Minneapolis near lakes, parks, friends, family, favorite food co-ops, happy cafe haunts, and so. much. more...  Sweet Seattle friends ferried out to meet us with air mattresses, bedding, and a few pots and pans for the indoor camping. Our car was cruising its way through Montana, packed tight with precious kitchen goods and all of our musical instruments. Lastly, and at last, came the gargantuan portable storage unit that hauled the rest of our belongings. Hello new chapter of life. 

Though all three of us have felt settled in for quite some time, today felt especially groovy. It was so good to walk through our cozy cottage door after being outdoors at a festival most of the day. I turned on the fireplace and twinkles, put away some delicious groceries, pressed some coffee, and cuddled up on the new chaise. Placements keep evolving in every room here. With the clear goal of achieving ensouled simplicity in this sweet cottage, I'm gradually tweaking each room to find just the right fit, function, and flow. Here is a peek at the evolution of a cozy living/dining/kitchen area. There are a few placements I know I will change up again soon to accommodate more visitors, but right now we're enjoying the near perfection of everything just as it is.

Here we are. It is indeed a restful warm evening in a newly nested nook of our world, and we've unfurled a lovely chapter so far. It's good to be home.

back to the future

With both boys back in school this week, I've savored slow sips of coffee and quiet productivity. Every last holiday thing is packed away and space is made for a brand new calendar year. As always, there were so many responsibilities to carry and expectations to fulfill last month, but for so many reasons the recent holiday was...changed. Electrified sounds emanated from behind closed doors. Unplugging used to be our thing. In between flashing back to early 90's mosh pits and threatening to set a kitchen timer, I wondered if I would ever be able to focus for five minutes again! Indeed. I can. I did not actually lose my mind in the dark chocolate covered almonds, brie, and wii, yet this I can declare: Last year was nothing short of a disorienting catapault into the future that can only be defined as time traveling...

I landed in a teenager's room today. It's his first room of his own. I folded his new green comforter and I stripped the sheets to launder them too. I had been careful not to vacuum up the little colorful plastic bits in the rug, because I know those are oh so important, and parts of something I'll never know how to pronounce. I was careful and grateful. He's a pretty tidy creature for the most part, and very helpful. I won't complain. It's just that the vacuum cleaner cord can hardly compete with an amp cord, a laptop cord, an alarm clock cord, an ipod dock cord, a cell phone cord...and when did all these cords arrive in our home?!

 He turned 15 last week. Fifteen.

If you've heard it once, you'll hear it again: It goes...sooo fast. Long gone are the days of wooden play stand magic shows and knight costumes. The once high pitched voice of a sweet little boy has slowly but surely transformed into an ever deepening manly kind of sound. The other side of the wardrobe and Neverland seem to have slipped right through my hands. You know, I can hardly open my eyes when I think of looking directly down any road at a driver's permit, but it's coming. The future is here. Things just don't feel as "someday" as they once did.

I decided to sit down for awhile. Breathing. What else could I do but breathe, smile, cry, and gaze around me?

I guess I could hold a little green gnome that appeared, mysteriously, from the past...and just feel as proud as I am. This is the room of a young man I will love throughout all of time...however lame that makes me.

 

Love ya kid.

~Mamarazzi

warm :: soft :: snug

Living on an island certainly makes it easier to resist any temptation that may creep in to join the shopping mobs. When I do head down to our little mainstreet, it's simple and enjoyable, even when the ferry "crowds" are in. In this small town you can see the main bakery from wherever you are on the main drag. Most everyone running errands lands there for treats, and there is plenty of chatting going on in the long line (and gossip, yes). There's time for it. 

Plenty of time is such a very good and rare thing. There's been plenty of time for us to be home near the twinkles and the fire this season. There will be a bit of travel in our plans, but we'll land right back here for the best parts. My work and business will creep in early next year, but for now...it's all about the warmth, the softness, and the snug.

Happy twinkles.

Summer Days :: Changes

Summer Days :: Ordinary Storm Beauty