this moment

 
this moment ~ a friday ritual ~ a single photo capturing
a moment from the week. inspired by SouleMama.

this moment

 
this moment ~ a friday ritual ~ a single photo capturing
a moment from the week. inspired by SouleMama.

scrabble challenge

It was his first game and he beat this mama by one point. He's quite a wordsmith, that Owen.

this moment

this moment ~ a friday ritual ~ a single photo capturing
a moment from the week. inspired by SouleMama.

walking the labyrinth

Typically, labyrinths are used for meditative purposes; the stones, dirt or paint outline a circuitous path to walk, allowing our minds to slow down and engage in a reflective or spiritual journey. Just a short walk through the woods from Mom and Dad's house there is a labyrinth at Crossroads College, but when we visit, the boys turn it into a racetrack, completing the route in record time. Good exercise and fun for the whole family.

piano man

After visiting Great Grandma Fitzgerald at her condo, Logan agreed to play in the atrium of Mayo Clinic, first on one grand piano and then another. To his delight, people stopped to listen in each location and applauded his efforts. Songs included: "The Entertainer", "Hall of the Mountain King", "Ecossaise in G", and "Evening Star". Way to go, Logan!

twilight of the triceratops

During our spring break trip to Rochester, we were able to catch the last day of a special exhibit at Quarry Hill featuring a replica of Kelsey, the most complete Triceratops skeleton found to date. At 22 feet long and 8 feet tall, this dinosaur was very impressive. Other fossils and replicas such as Psittacosaurus, Velociraptor and Pachycephalosaurus were featured in the same room. We also spent some time exploring the permanent exhibits of the nature center, including the aquariums containing fish and turtles, the hands-on tables with bones and pelts, and the pond.

taiko performance

This week, 4th and 5th graders at Logan's school participated in a Japanese Taiko Global Music Residency. The students learned about the "Japanese culture surrounding taiko, the proper standing stance, how to use the bachi (sticks), and traditional rhythmic patterns." Every evening, Logan shared his experiences with this new instrument and stretched his sore muscles, acquired by holding positions for long periods of time. We were treated to a performance yesterday and went home with a plan to make our own taiko drums.

this moment

this moment ~ a friday ritual ~ a single photo capturing
a moment from the week. inspired by SouleMama.

wool rainbow

Anticipating a visit with our good friends, the Goellners, I felted a few wool balls for Lucas John, who turns one later this month. Needle felting colorful designs onto each ball makes them just a bit more special and, frankly, it's just fun to do.

growing a scoby

After enjoying several bottles of store-bought kombucha, we were hooked on the fizzy, tangy beverage and it was time to brew our own. Made by fermenting sweetened tea, we are finally seeing the start of the scoby (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast) on top of the liquid. While I had expected the process to proceed at a faster pace, I think that the cooler temps in the house have slowed the growth. That's okay--if we are successful, we will have an inexpensive, delicious drink loaded with B vitamins, antioxidants, and gluconic acid to enjoy for years to come. It may take more than a few batches to figure out the combination of teas and sugars that we prefer, but I suspect that I will have willing taste testers on hand when I call.

this moment

this moment ~ a friday ritual ~ a single photo capturing
a moment from the week. inspired by SouleMama.

this moment

this moment ~ a friday ritual ~ a single photo capturing
a moment from the week. inspired by SouleMama.

sweet

This was the best kind of thing to find on my bed upon returning home from work yesterday. When the flap is lifted, it reveals a pink heart, cut out by himself and glued inside a folded frame. It's not even my birthday.


from my sweetest Owen

this moment

this moment ~ a friday ritual ~ a single photo capturing
a moment from the week. inspired by SouleMama.

celebration of life

This past weekend, we gathered in Appleton to celebrate the life of Grandpa Defferding, who passed away on March 3rd at the age of 93. He was a kind and generous man, a great teacher, lifelong learner and collector of things. While I was growing up, we made "stamp soup" together, split and stacked firewood, gathered gallons of blackberries, ate a lot of fish at Al-Gen's restaurant, painted many things with flat black paint. I am grateful that our boys knew him well and have fond memories of him: playing cottage rummy, saving seeds, building with legos, and working on projects at the cottage. I will always carry him in my heart.


at the cottage, July 2011

Marble fun with cousins:





Taking another look at the remainder of Mom's collection: brass, silver, seashells, plates, and glassware.




TnT portrait by Weska.

this moment

this moment ~ a friday ritual ~ a single photo capturing
a moment from the week. inspired by SouleMama.

playdoh fun

this moment

this moment ~ a friday ritual ~ a single photo capturing
a moment from the week. inspired by SouleMama.

leap day blizzard

Inside:



Outside:





Upside down:

bespectacled

newest neighbors

Finally, we have enough snow to create some snowmen! Logan rolled the base of his guy around the front yard himself and only needed assistance from Dad to place the middle portion.



Owen's guy resides in the backyard.

this moment

this moment ~ a friday ritual ~ a single photo capturing
a moment from the week. inspired by SouleMama.

this moment

this moment ~ a friday ritual ~ a single photo capturing
a moment from the week. inspired by SouleMama.

treats for my sweets

This is how we do Valentines Day around here. Raw brownie bites (dates, cocoa powder, nuts and extract) are easy to make and always a hit. New this year: handmade felt fortune cookies--I can see myself making these more often than the kind you can eat.

this moment

this moment ~ a friday ritual ~ a single photo capturing
a moment from the week. inspired by SouleMama.

doodle art

Owen's latest drawings caught on the doodle:

meet the family

Meet our new residents: Dr. Honeydew, Stalkeye, and Headless Joe. We'll see how long they stay with us, considering how unseasonably warm the temps have been this winter.

this moment ~ a friday ritual ~ a single photo capturing
a moment from the week. inspired by SouleMama.

drinking

Almond milk, that is. We are primarily a dairy milk drinking family. I do, however, purchase the occasional carton of soy, rice, or almond milk. Last year, I experimented with homemade rice milk--it was an unanimous flop. This week, I gave almond milk a try. After soaking the almonds in water overnight, I rinsed them and popped them into the blender with water (1:4 ratio). Next, I poured the milk into a fine mesh bag and squeezed until the milk had separated from the pulp (pictured below). Back into the blender for a spin with a few pitted dates and a splash of vanilla and we were treated to a creamy, flavorful, nutritious drink. We do prefer it chilled and it is crazy good in smoothies. It looks like this will become part of the weekly routine around here. Now I just need to figure out what to do with the pulp--dehydrated or incorporated into some baked good, perhaps?