Being Thankful.

Last night's full moon marked significant change; this week's storm gates swung open like an invitation for winter to step in. Meanwhile the magic that surrounds a sleeping child is a wonder every parent can bathe in, rain or shine.

"Tell me, What is it you want to do with your one wild and precious life?"
 - Mary Oliver

I try to touch base with my environment to keep myself grounded, extend my feelers just beyond my well known sensitivities and I know in my bones that it changes the manner in which I perceive the world. Having moved and lived here in the last five years has changed my monsoon driven rhythm, it is oddly familiar yet different, more prominent in the change of its seasons and I just recently found myself craving for the richness and harvest of fall, and the hearty coziness of winter. I've become, wait for it,  festive. 

Taking it all in, is what it is. Just the simple things. Like a silver Reindeer made in India that I found for $6.00.  Cue the sparkles.  

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Now that I know it'll be raining for the remainder of the week, I'd like to take a brief moment for an inevitable face-palm for completely forgetting to buy a bottle of much intended weed killer for the front of our house.  Next week it'll be the Twilight woods of Washington. C'est La Vie. Life moves on even for the unsuspecting weed that survives through the toughest of conditions.

Meanwhile, this weather is making me dream of homey things to do like crafting (What!?) and putting together a quilt and staring at my white antiquarian (yet hardly vintage chic) stove, indulging in my seasonal and yearly fantasy of finally buying a Le Creuset or Staub dutch oven with an imagined passed-down from-generations-legendary rustic recipe of  Coq Au Vin. Of course, there is no such recipe but in my imagined world of things, I have an exciting eclectic foodie heritage.   

Thanksgiving week has come and gone and was unexpectedly held here at home, without much preparation. It was a smaller celebration, tightly knit around immediate family members including some who drove from Auburn, WA and in spite of the lack of a traditional Thanksgiving spread (Turkey and all ) it was probably the best and most meaningful Thanksgiving I've had so far. Our family has grown once niece bigger, Mandarin has blossomed into a little girl, life has unfolded wonderful surprises- especially for good friends of ours and the year that started out on a sour note is turning out to be memorably sweet.  

With the closing date of getting this house drawing near, we are incredibly thankful for a home we have already grown into and while there is much work to be done, life in itself is progressive. We move to keep things whole - time and again Mark Strand comes into mind and in the same regard, even Mary Oliver and how to make the most out of this one wild and precious life.

For now, on this rainy Friday morning, sipping a cup of roasted green tea while in my animal print jammies will do just fine. Wild.  

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Wonder Fall

This weekend we set sail for fall and went full speed ahead in seasonal bliss. In spite of warmer temperatures during the day, the evening moon brings the chilly cloak of fall into our doorstep with its train of crisp brown leaves from neighborhood trees and cinnamon-spiced air of baked apples and roasted pumpkins.  

I can sense it in the air - just like I did with Christmas in Manila as soon as the last quarter of the year rolled in. Growing up in the tropics pretty much meant that our four seasons were either heat, blistering heat, rain and apocalyptic typhoons. It was just either one of two: sweat or wet by fire or flood (It’s no surprise why I LOVE rain). Intuitively, every person on the planet can somehow relate to the motions that go into seasonal shifts; the essence of change within a full year’s closing transcends culture and geography. 

Nonetheless, it seemed pretty ridiculous to bulk up in cable knit sweaters, riding boots, and run around stacks of hay, schools of pumpkins large and small, pony rides  in 100 degree weather  - in the tropics! So we had ghouls and ghosts and all things paranormal instead and Halloween was a day’s event of tricks and treats and not a month long celebration of harvest and color and ultimately, thanksgiving in short, Christmas in Manila is what all the festivities of fall is for here. 

Tradition begins here for us. More than ever, I crave for shifts of color - the ochres, deep browns, crimson (lips and nails!) and all shades of mustard. Mustard, I covet you! I will slather anything with this color if I could. Hot dogs, pork chops but seriously, sweaters good enough to lick, scarves, bags, shoes, fabric. I want them all. And yes, there are ornamental gourds on my dining table and pumpkins on our front door because it’s the season to be jolly gourdy or as elegantly versed HERE. Classic. 

I am in shameless seasonal bliss. 

As far as family traditions go, this weekend’s Pumpkin Patch with close friends was a fabulous place to start. The journey of the year has brought us here, watching our children soak in the season where pumpkins aren’t (god forbid, vegetables) but an icon of fun and playfulness. Mandarin let loose and ran from one pumpkin to another like a little hummingbird, hovering for a moment and moving on to the next branch of curiosity fearless and free.  We chased after her at times, as evidenced by my tongue hanging out of my parched lips bullets of sweat dancing around in our brow .  

It is inherently human to crave change and this year’s journey into motherhood was nothing short of life changing. So much in you changes in motherhood. So much you don’t expect, like being capable of carrying a 22 pound toddler on your hip while you re-stock her diaper bag with one hand. While your left foot swiffers the kitchen floor. Also, being emotional (Psst...it doesn't end in pregnancy!) You’re heart breaks for the million things you cannot provide and afford for your daughter and then become reminded of the twenty things you can fully give her (such as the priceless commodity of love). 

Mandarin's First Pumpkin pick!

We crave change because we outgrow ourselves - and grow with our children, our husbands, and our friends. We unknowingly attune ourselves with seasons with almost primal conduct, as if a switch is flipped and all self-reflective wisdom is gathered, all things that have come into fruition are taken to make way for growth.

We all have reasons
for moving.
I move
 to keep
things whole.
- Mark Strand

Growing with my family is a blessing and I am all for the celebration of family traditions. Those that carry over from our family and unprecedented ones that my own family has yet to forge into being. Seeing this sign at the pumpkin patch was an excellent reminder of what is always most important in all things that we do.

Give thanks - for ice cream. 

Gratitude is always welcome guest in our home that comes and goes. Often times left out when the house is occupied with of loads of laundry, blatant routines, and things that simply need to get done.    Still, there will always be room for Gratitude.  Now that’s one guest that should definitely stay for good.  

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