Winter Solstice 2012

Today is a day that has special energy. It has been a day labeled by the prophecy of several different ancient cultures. All eyes are on this day. For some it is just another day. But maybe in the back of your mind you still wonder, what was it about this day that is happening?

I woke feeling more alive and energized than ever before. For one, in the Northern Hemisphere today is the day when the tilt of the Earth is at its greatest in one direction, creating the shortest day of sunlight and longest period of darkness in the year. It is opposed by summer solstice, which gives the Northern Hemisphere the longest hours of daylight, shortest hours of darkness. Having come from a place way up north (Maine), I am reminded of how dark these deep days of winter are. Now living in the tropics, I am only reminded of the darkness when I look into the night sky and watch the vastness of the stars and planets twinkling so brightly. Whatever this day means to you, it does have some significance. I was reminded to light a candle in the darkness, as I woke up just before sunrise this morning and set my intentions for this day. We have come a long way this year (physically, emotionally, spiritually,  relationships)- so much has changed and evolved. There are so many things to be thankful for, so many amazing people whom we have been able to spend special times and share life with. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

My idea of writing today was maybe to share in the simple, yet special acts we have made today, and plan to make for the rest of our waking hours.

James made a fantastic smoothie this morning. There were goji berries, frozen strawberries, and almond milk involved- but I am not sure what else. It was excellent! While James made the smoothie I did my foot waker routine, which always feels oh-so-good, and then rolled down my hamstrings with my silver ball.....delicious! I rode my bike across town to Zumba class, where I got to sweat until I was soaked while shaking it to some rocking christmas music and more. I have just become a Zumba enthusiast in the past month- it is something I have been wanting for a long time- and it fits in perfectly to how I want/need to be moving my body right now. I always make sure I do my foot waker work and as much rolling on my balls (I know this is laughable) as I can before going to Zumba, it seems to keep my body limber and pain-free during and after!! After Zumba I bought some lovely organic fruit and vegetables from a local farmer in town, and then brought my booty home to my family.

 Parula made us a lovely guacamole, and I made salsa that we topped on some corn tostadas for lunch. The kids are now taking a nap! James is off to a job site to prep for building/planting a grey water system.

This afternoon we will work on making gingerbread dough and shaping the pieces to make a house. This will be our 3rd year of making a gingerbread house before Christmas, always different, and always so much fun! The kids will probably work some more on making ornaments for our tree, as we have no ornaments with us here this year (they are in our storage unit in the states), and our landlady gave us a plastic tree to use. So I decided we should just make all of our own ornaments. It is coming along quite beautifully! We will eat a nice dinner to the candle on the table that has been lit all day. I'm sure the dogs would love to play outside with us somewhere in there too :)

Ornaments made from toilet paper rolls,  paper cut-outs and clay

That is our day, very similar to other days we have in Todos Santos. No snow pants, just a t-shirt and pants, maybe a sweater this evening!


 Dogs are sleeping, fountain is dribbling, incense is burning and now I am done typing!

Enjoy your special day and the energy it brings into your life!!!

October Moons

It has been nearly an entire moon cycle since I last wrote. Our adventures continue. We are still in California, USA. For the past 2 ½ weeks me and the kids have been staying with our friend, Ryan, in Capitola, CA. Ryan was the catalyst for James and I meeting. We were both friends with Ryan, and eventually started hanging out just the two of us together, and then well, ya know, babies and marriage and that stuff.  Ryan has a dog named Harmen, who was one of Pia’s best dog pals when she was a puppy and we all lived in Prescott at the same time. They had lots of slumber parties the past few weeks, Pia mostly ditching us to sleep on Ryan’s awesome sheepskin at the base of his bed with Harmen. River spent most nights cuddled up at my feet on a bed from the van on the floor, and the kids slept in a queen size air mattress. We all fit into Ryan’s massage room, which he let us occupy while James was in the desert.  I rented a car for our stay, as James had our wheels that he camped in while at his workshop.

So on to James’s workshop. Please visit www.calearth.org   for more information about the place and people he was working with. His workshop was a combination of learning how to build “superadobe” or earth bag domes, interwoven with a permaculture course.  The workshop was just shy of 2 weeks, and I know he learned a ton! He is spilling over with enthusiasm about both permaculture and earth bag building. We have grand visions of buying a piece of land near/in the mountains near to the coast and building our permaculture, superadobe inspired retreat and home. These are dreams we visioned and wrote down in the cold depths of one Maine winter a couple of years ago- and we are so close to actually making it happen- wow! The power of intention, the law of attraction, I don’t know what it is, but it IS and I am loving it all!

Steam Engine thru the Redwoods 

Now back to our time on the coast. We had a really fun time hanging out with the dogs, going to the beach, visiting the aquarium, walking a lot, seeing cousins, seeing the lovely Mary and sharing body rolling with her (yeah!), riding through the redwood forest being pulled by a steam engine and exploring giant old  hollow trees with Faye, and watching a Harrier Hawk stalk toe dunes around a beach where a naked man played Frisbee with himself (and the kids didn’t notice him as they were too busy digging in the sand!)

Giant Redwood exploration with Faye

Beachin it with Mary!

 Ryan’s house is in a great location- we were within walking distance to a great playground/community park and also very close to the beach, and right around the corner from Whole Foods, an art supply store, and a sewing center! We ended up with lots of sewing projects that we completed by the end of the week. Sorrel made a necklace for Ryan, and one for James. He also made a mouse finger puppet. Parula made a handbag with a Llama on it, and a tooth pillow for when she begins to lose teeth. She also made Sorrel a star from start to finish (cutting, pinning and sewing it all herself!) I made Ryan a potholder because he did not have one in his house! We were very productive, and it seemed like a necessary project to keep everyone’s minds engaged with creativity. Now I have a little craft bag started in the van…the things we can make!

The skies. The cloudscapes that were constantly shifting over Ryan’s house were so phenomenal. There were several mornings that it was raining, or very grey and foggy. Inevitably by about noon , the sun was out and there were amazing sights to be had in the sky overhead. There are certainly some amazing weather happenings and cloud patterns that are more prevelant along the Pacific coast that don’t appear so much on the Atlantic coast….

Ryan had a lovely fall party with a live jazz band playing in his carport on Sunday. James returned later that evening, after the band finished playing, and the kids were ecstatic to see him. We had a day of reconnecting and enjoying each other with an oil change for the van on Monday, and we spent the last day and a half packing up the van and then cleaning Ryan’s house. We are currently camping at a KOA just outside of Fresno, CA. We are heading to CalEarth in Hesperia, CA. Since we are going to be building structures of the same lineage of what they have there, I want to experience them! I am told that it is a giant play scape for kids- should be fun times for them to run around tomorrow, and James also left his favorite sweater there… but not the main reason we are going. Going to CalEarth is actually not out of our way at all- we will probably miss most of the SoCal congenstion by going mostly through the desert. Our plan is to enter Mexico via Tecate probably on Friday. Then on the Ensenada and south! I will try to post on the blog before we arrive, but if for some reason that doesn’t happen then hopefully soon after we arrive, and I will have a whole report of the last leg of our giant roadtrip. We have about 1,000+ miles to travel until we reach the final destination. Funny I was just looking at pictures on my computer and came across a photo that was taken of Parula and Sorrel playing in full snow suite winter attire IN THE SNOW on October 30 last year in Belfast, Maine. Glad that’s not my situation right now- a snowy winter person I am NOT! Onward to the tropics!

Belfast, Maine, October 30,2011

Arizona moon

I think it has been quite some time.....now it is time for an update on our adventures...
There is so much joy, happiness, contentment, excitement for what has been happening in our lives recently, I have actually felt overcome in a state of euphoria the past week. The one attempt I had at writing this was quickly abandoned. There is just something so perfect feeling about being in Prescott that I have been needing, or seeking out for so long. It is all coming together here. Not to make anyone think we are going to live here again- at least not this time around. I have always felt Prescott to be a great transition place. It is so good at cradling me when I need the support to make big life decisions, to be still, to enjoy the things that mean so much to me and remind me what those things are. There are so many beautiful memories that I've made here. Going through these mountains and sharing them with Parula and Sorrel is such an incredible experience. Spending time looking at the huge boulders that pop up in the middle of the pine forest- the huge Alligator Junipers, the decaying trees that have been bent and broken by the wind, that lay eaten by terminates, spiders, ants. I spent so many days wandering around these same mountains, inspecting with wonder at similar features and phenomenon. The virga- rain falling from clouds that evaporates before it hits the ground; Bushtits, Granite Creek, the Mountain Mahogany, lichen covered rocks, Aspen Creek, Barred Owls, Lookout sunsets, and crisp mornings and evenings sandwiching warm days. Ah- It's so nice to be here!

Loving life 

 Tomorrow we go forth. I have realized that James has never been to the Grand Canyon. When we moved from Prescott we actually went to Lake Tahoe, California for a family reunion and talked about "stopping" to see this astounding geologic feature. But, we decided not to go. Now we are on no pressing schedule, time is leisurely these days, so we are going to go there tomorrow. It is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Prescott.

To backtrack a bit- since the last time I wrote we were in Arkansas.... We went to Bryan, Texas to visit the lovely and amazing Leslie and Jeremy and their 9 month old daughter, Matilda. Leslie and Jeremy were friends I made in Prescott, when we all lived here. In fact, they were the first babysitters we ever had to stay with Parula when she was an infant so James and I could go out to dinner together, alone. Needless to say, Parula is a baby loving little girl, and took advantage of any opportunity she could get to hold Matilda and play with her. We had a wonderful time visiting!

Admiring McKinney Falls

McKinney Falls State Park in Austin

Next we went to Austin, Texas to visit with James's friend Geoff, and we also visited with my friend from my NOLS course in 1999, Amy and her husband Kyle and their 3 kids. All 5 of the kids hit it off well, lots of laughter and good times.

Our next stop was on our travels was Marfa, Texas. What is happening in Marfa? Not much. We camped on the outskirts of this dusty, half-abondoned town on the edge of Big Bend National Park. James counted 98 train cars go by on one of the freight trains that passed near our campsite. That was the highlight.

We continued on from Marfa in southeastern Texas and made it all the way to Chiricauha National Monument just after sunset the next day. This feat was really only made possible by the fact that we drove through 2 time zones that day, traveling from Central to Pacific time zones. I last visited Chiricauha National Monument when I was in my Adventure Education class at Prescott College. We went on a 5 day backpacking trip the Chiricauha wilderness, and the night we hiked out, we stayed at the National Monument, soaked in its beauty and educational opportunities and then traveled west to the Dragoon Mountains to climb at Cochise Stronghold for 9 days. It was such a peaceful spot to camp, and a beautiful transition into Arizona and its geologic wonders.

Exploring in the Chiricauhas

After reveling in the stunning formations in the Chiricauhas we drove on the hot Tucson, when temperatures were climbing close to 100. We stayed with my friend and mentor for my senior project, Jennie. It was great to watch the kids light up with excitement at a huge book collection that she kept in her living room, and so sweet to watch them all sit on the couch reading books together.

Next we moved on north to Prescott, driving through 106 degree Phoenix. Despite economic struggles, housing market collapse and lack of water, Phoenix is still sprawling and growing. It takes about 2 hours do drive through the "valley" from south the north- yikes! A place that I will never understand...

We arrived in Prescott last Sunday, and are still here. Tonight we are camping in the Sierra Prieta mountains, on the southwest side of Thumb Butte. The moon will be full tomorrow night, and sure looks close tonight! We have been staying with James's friend (and my new friend) Ross. We have also had some great visits with friends we made from baby days in Prescott- Molly, Moses, Athens (who is only 1 week older than Parula), and their 9 month old Sasha. I reunited with my roomate/ teacher/ friend Jordana and got to meet her kids. I also got to see the always inspirational Carl Tomoff, my mentor and most enthusiastic professor at PC.  We visited our old favorites and discovered some new little treasures in town as well (another health food store !?!)

Prescott camping in the Pines

James has decided to sign up for a 13 day workshop at Cal-Earth, in Hesperia, CA on the edge of the Mojave desert. He will be learning how to build "super adobe" houses using earth and barbed wire. He will also be spending half of the time learning all about permaculture, and how to implement it with the cal-earth structures. I am really excited for him, he is really excited as well. Our plan until then (the course doesn't begin until October 8) is to make our way to the central California coast, visit with friends and family, and before we know it, it will be time to take James to his workshop! I am not exactly sure what I am going to do with the kids during the 2 weeks while James will be in his learning state. I am thinking maybe we will go visit some huge trees in amazing mountains (Sequio and Yosemite), or go to the beach.....maybe both! Regardless of what we do, I know we will have a good time!

So, here's to the adventure continuing and keeping us motivated, inspired and loved. Thanks for following us through this crazy life!

West of the Miss

Ah technology! I am typing on my laptop as James drives the van. The charger is plugged into the 10v (the outlet that looks like a lighter), which is attached to a power strip for plugging in USB and 3 pronged plugs. It is incredible all the things that can be done while on the road! Sorrel is exclaiming about all the cool trucks that go by us (we travel at about 65 mph on average, even slow for the tractor trailers!) We are currently on I-30 in Arkansas, on our way to Bryan, Texas to visit with our friends Lesley and Jeremy and their 9 month old daughter Matilda. Last time we saw them they were not pregnant- it will be great to meet their new addition, and hang out with friends!

Our last friends stop was with Alison, in Bethesda, Maryland. We have been friends for 13 years now (that just sounds crazy, but it is wonderfully so!) She and her new son Gabriel and husband Sean were great hosts, and it was so beautiful to see a new mamma at work. We had a lovely fish dinner with them, and made Alison pancakes and fruit salad the next morning, hung out on her porch, went for a walk and enjoyed the quiet morning before heading back out on the road. Parula proved her self to be an enthusiastic big "cousin" to Gabriel, eagerly helping Alison with any task she was able to complete. We left Bethesda and camped that night just outside of Charlottesville, VA. It was our first official night back in a campground (as opposed to a driveway or guest room), and we came to realize that set up and breakdown of camp is much like riding a bike- it takes a while to get the hang of it, but once you get it you don't forget. So, since we've done this lots before, even though its been a while, it was pretty quick to set up and then pack up to leave. We are eating mostly raw while we travel and feed ourselves. I didn't bring a stove, pots, pans, etc. The only exception is when we visit friends and family, and occasionally eat out, we are definitely deviating from this plan, but that is fine with me. We have a wonderful book called "Healthy Highways", which was published in 2004- there is a more recent edition, and an even more current book of the like that came out in 2011. Many places are nonexistent, "Wild Oats" was bought up by Whole Foods, etc. We have learned to call a place before getting off  the highway to make sure they exist. One of every 2 places has moved or gone out of business. Non the less, the book is extremely helpful and we have been getting by just fine on good fresh produce (and Kombucha) everywhere we go.

After our stay near Charlottesville our next night was in northeastern Tennessee. I realized once again that TN is a very long state to drive across. The following night we were again in TN, this time just west of Nashville near the Buffalo River. We were staying at a KOA just off of I-40, where we had to shout to each other to be heard over the noise of the interstate. At least there were not many people there. Then we get to last night. It started POURING rain just after we crossed the Mississippi into Arkansas. There were crazy clouds, and the skies opened up and dumped. There was really no end in sight. We decided it would be best (and sane) for us to forgo a campground and stay in a hotel. Two big wet dogs in a small space with 4 people is extremely undesirable. We used another outdated but very useful book we've had since our Prescott days called "Traveling with your Pet" published by AAA. The book lists hotels in every state, most cities, that except dogs, with ratings and fees, etc. Another good reference, but another resource we've used and learned that its still good to call first, as there is some mis-information in the book. We stayed at a hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas last night, where there was a dental conference going on as well. Lots of men with southern accents and big smiles were sharing the hotel with us.

One question that keeps coming up throughout our travels, and encounters in life about our choice- "Aren't you worried about your safety in Mexico?" To this I have an answer that is another question that always stops people to think- "Have you ever heard of a child going into a school in Mexico and shooting up their classmates, or an adult into a shopping mall or movie theater and shooting innocent people around them?" These are the realities of the United States, not Mexico. The U.S. media chooses to focus the news from Mexico on the drug cartel related violence. I don't want to downplay the gruesome crimes that occur, but if you look at them, please understand that the people involved in the violence have relations to the cartels. It is actually illegal for a citizen to own a gun in Mexico- or course people do, but not in abundance as in the U.S. `There are certainly innocent people whose lives are taken, but how many innocent people's lives are taken by racism, bigotry, and pure ignorance here? I could go on and on, but this is where I will stop. What matters most to me is to be in a place where me and my family can be happy, content, and at home. So onward we go- to Todos Santos!

Tour de Northeast!

It is about time I post something to update our goings on, lots of questions about what we have been doing, what we are currently doing, and where we are going next. Answers to those questions can be found here!

We left Maine on August 12. It was fantastic!!!! (this is Emily saying that). A large combined family is moving into our house, soon to be theirs- I am thrilled! We became better friends with them before we left, and I feel so good knowing they will love and cherish the space and use it to its fullest potential!

I have been dreaming of my departure from Maine since about 9 months after we moved there- and leaving was everything and then some, it felt so good. Don't get me wrong about Maine- I am so grateful for the friends I have made, the amazing lessons I have learned, and the challenges I have had (the lowest low in life, birth of my second child, first experience with home ownership, schooling, etc). There are too many wonderful things I learned and grew from in the past 5 years living in Maine to write about. I just always knew it was not the place for me for the long term, and am so thrilled to be moving on to the place that makes my heart soar- where the desert meets the sea!

So I drove with the kids to Manchester, Connecticut, to the Pierson's house in the van. It poured rain on our way- true to our history of weather on our trip to CT- rain! James arrived late that night in the UHaul that was full of our belongings from Maine. We had sold our VW TDI Jetta (the kids had named it "Twinkleberry") to my friend Sara in NH the previous week. Monday morning we unloaded our belongings into a storage unit in Manchester, and James and the kids rushed me off to the train station in New Haven so I could get to NYC for my Yamuna Body Rolling training. Everything happened very quickly, and I was in a constant state of motion for about 6 weeks until about 4 pm on August 13th, when I landed on my bed at the Jane hotel- body still, mind spinning, city life outside, and complete calm around me. This was a new feeling. I liked it! That was the beginning of a life-changing week of healing crisis, a-ha moments, and amazing breakthroughs in my body, mind, spirit (thanks to my great teacher Elizabeth, and thanks to my amazing teacher and mentor in Maine, Marianna!). I had an amazing 8 days of training- learning how parts of my body relate to each other, how my body connects, and how I can help other people return to their bodies and feel. There were several a-ha moments for me- connecting past injury to sensations in various parts of my body, had an intense alchemical shift- whew! It was revolutionary, and I'm so excited about sharing this work in the future!

In the middle of my training Sorrel turned 4 years old. James and both kids took the train from CT to NYC the afternoon before his birthday, came to the studio to meet me after that day of training, and we got to have dinner together with James's Aunt, Uncle, and cousins, as well as an old friend (we figured its been 13 years!) Mike Yoken- who happens to share a birthday with Parula! It was a really nice night, and Sorrel got to eat chocolate cake with candles and "eat out" all day, which was one of his birthday wishes. They left the next morning, and it was really great to have them with me in NYC.

Playing in the pool with Nancy and Lian

Sorrel watching his Great-Grandpa grilling

I returned to CT after an amazing morning of practical tests at the end of my training, it felt great to get that done, and I felt like it was done well! I returned to Manchester after almost 8 days of no kids. It was quite an adjustment to get used to my family life again, even though I missed them like crazy and talked to them everyday while I was gone, it was actually really amazing to have a break (the longest time away yet), and really an amazing treat to be able to work so deeply into my being (which was more than I had ever imagined it could be).

Sam and Phyllis watching by the pool

River about to swim

Pia doing what she does best ...."STICK!"

Piersons- 3 generations

We spent another 2 1/2 weeks in Manchester with James's grandparents and his mom. The kids swam several times every day, really had a blast in the pool! The dogs also loved swimming in the pool, the pool filter seemed to handle the fur too! (Thanks Sam). It was such a sweet time to spend with family. We also had some kinks worked out with the Van (new alarm system, repair the A/C, James finishing some caulking and painting externally). There are still some bits and pieces here and there to be done before our "long" journey begins. We left Manchester last night, September 1, arriving in Malvern, PA at my mom's house just before midnight. It was difficult saying goodbye to family knowing it could be a decent amount of time before we see them again.

Parula in action

 Today we had most of the day to spend time with my sister, brother-in-law, and niece. It is so beautiful to watch the 3 kids all playing together so nicely- Paige is just 3 months older than Sorrel, 16 months younger than Parula, and they all get along together so well! We had a great time visiting with them.

So our plan is to be in PA until next weekend, with a quick trip to the shore (NJ) with my mom late in the week. We will then continue on our way.....west? South? West? The direction will be southwest- Baja- with visits to more friends and family along the way. Please let me know if you want to or can visit with us, or if you know anyone who would be open to our brief presence! We are self-sufficient sleeping, eating travelers (including 2 dogs and 2 kids), just needing a driveway or yard to park in for the night (or 2), and maybe a bathroom and shower to use. We can contribute good conversation, great food, smiles, and perhaps a quick handy-man fix here and there. We will be rambling around in the U.S. until about mid-October, and then we will head south of the border! Thanks and hope we can keep you entertained along the way!!!

Elimination!

We are back in Maine. We have one month exactly to get our lives down to a few boxes and a couple of bags. I'm curious to see if we can make that happen. James and I are both attached to our books....and I don't mean novels- we have our own different interests, with many many reference books on different subjects. I am curious to see how to narrow those down. We are going to get rid of all of our furniture- as we can come by that easily in Mexico, and what's the point in moving it all 5,000 miles?

Horse grazing at Las Palmas

   Our final days in Todos Santos were great. We had a couple more play dates with new friends made on our trip, some really great folks to connect with, with kids that Parula and Sorrel had a blast playing with. We also got to spend some more time at our favorite beach, Las Palmas. The last time we were there we saw a dead sea turtle, a bunch of jelly fish, and some horses grazing on plants on the edge of the beach. I miss the smell of the desert and the fresh spray from the ocean. mmmm. Our last sunset James and I went to the roof deck on the house and watched the Nighthawks catching insects in the orange glow of evening.

Moon at sunset

   Traveling back to Boston- it is amazing how people are "herded" through customs. I really do feel like just another number, zigzagging through lines and waiting my turn, then waiting for them to riffle through my luggage, then waiting in more lines to go through security once again (because they clearly think something has taken place between one line to the next). I overheard Parula and Sorrel playing yesterday, saying "get your passports ready". Our plane from Houston to Boston had satellite TV at every seat (of course it wasn't free). Maybe that is common now, but I haven't done much flying in the past 5 years of my life- that was very shocking to me! We made it back to Maine on day 2 of our travel, everything in tact, but missing the booster seats for the car, those just arrived today. We seem to have a bit of trouble adjusting to the time change of 2 hours, we woke up at 9 this morning after going to bed at 12- a little off from the norm, oh well!

Coastal mainland Mexico from the sky- loaded with aquaculture

   

So now our plan- eliminate the STUFF, move out of our house by July 31, (in the mean time sell our house in Belfast....it seems we may be close...), visit family and friends in PA and CT, go to NYC for my second body rolling training and certification, and then the end of August head west in the camper van. James is currently re-building the entire inside of the van, installing solar panels on the roof to ensure our house battery will be charged so we don't have to be at a campground plugged in. We will then head to Todos Santos by late September, once we've meandered around the west a bit. We will be wanderers for a while, but it will be an adventure! We have not figured out exactly what we will do with the "stuff" we are going to take with us, but that is for us to figure out this month!

Desert Rain

Looking east at the approaching storm from the beach

Today we got to witness something extremely special. It was the first rain of the season. Not only this, but the last time it rained here was the end of September 2011. That's right- 9 months ago! This rain was apparently quite early. It didn't last long, just a quick 20 minutes for the thunderstorm to pass overhead. But it was spectacular. First we heard rumbling in the distance. James thought it was the ocean the first time Parula asked about the noise, which it could have easily been since our proximity was close at the time, just a few blocks away. But then we looked up in the sky and saw the anvil plume and dark clouds that had formed over the mountains to the east. We didn't think it would make it down to the coast where we were. We took a walk to the beach, the storm looked like it was growing and coming our way. Three dogs followed us, one was a Dalmatian with brown spots- so sweet, and the other two were Mexican mutts. I began to get a feeling that once we move down here we are going to end up with a pack of our own dogs. Maybe Pia and River wouldn't go for that.... Everywhere we go there are dogs following us around. These were clearly somebody's dogs, they all had collars on, but there are plenty of dogs around that don't seem to belong to anyone in particular. Yesterday I saw the most plump little dog I've ever seen in my life. I think it was a pregnant Chihuahua. It was quite an amazing site. It would be even more amazing to see a Chihuahua puppy. I digress- we went to the beach and looked back to the east and saw amazing clouds coming our way, the thunder got louder. On our way walking back to our car Sorrel could not stop talking about the holes that lightening striking the ground and trees can make. As soon as we reached our car it started sprinkling- lucky us!

Approaching storm

The funny thing about driving a car around here is that it rains so infrequently and is so dusty, that when you go to use your windshield wiper for its intended purpose- so you can see when it is raining- it only makes matters worse. I remember this from living in Arizona, and was reminded of this again today!

Watching the waves break

This evening we went to a pizza dinner in someone's back (or front?) yard. We were invited by a real estate agent here that we met today. Every friday night this guy makes really good pizzas in his outside brick pizza oven, serves beer and other drinks, and people (mostly gringos or people married to gringos) gather on his large patio for some favorite American comfort food. It is not free by the way, but a great idea! We met some very interesting people- one woman is an 80 year old artist who has lived here for 13 years. Another woman runs a website (baja.com), and has lived here for 10, originally from New Jersey. There were lots of kids, and young people with families as well. We didn't get to have any conversations with those people, as there seemed to be some social re-uniting with these families, and also we were having good conversation with the people we were sitting with. We had a nice time, and returned back to the house with some puddles to dip our feet into, the lovely sweet air of moist desert plants, and the fingernail sliver of the moon off to the west. Ah what a day!

Las Palmas

The past couple of days have been a joy! Kids continue to be outside from wake until sleep. What a nice way to be! I had a nice session working on myself with my Yamuna balls on the rooftop deck for about 90 minutes the other day- it was so perfect to be in the sun with the ocean view in front of me. Couldn't have been nicer :) Not to mention that any aches in my body residual from the previous night sleep were completely gone!
 
It was Sunday, which is a day of rest here in this Catholic country. Mexicans take a day of rest to heart. The town closes down, there are a few things open- some touristy shops to cater to American tourists. But for the most part, it seems life slows down drastically for a day, which I found to be quite alright. We discovered a beach called "Las Palmas", which was a perfect place for the kids to play. It is called las Palmas because there is a sweet little oasis of palms there between desert and beach. There are two horses grazing amidst some bamboo, and hundreds of giant palm trees greeting you on your walk down to the beach. It is a brilliant micro-habitat for all sorts of creatures. We saw a deer bounding across and down the road yesterday on our way to the same beach. Sunday when we arrived there were quite a few cars, but still nothing compared to the busy beaches of New Jersey that I grew up going to. The beach is flat, and there is a little outlet of fresh water that runs on the south end of the beach to the ocean, making it a perfect place for the kids to play. We ended up meeting some other gringos there- two who are NOLS instructors, one also Prescott College alum (what a small world), and two others who picked up and moved to the area about 3 years ago from NYC. It was great to meet and talk to these people. Parula and Sorrel instantaneously found playmates with 2 other siblings, (older girl, younger boy), and have already had a playmate with them at their house yesterday. They seem to have a blast with these kids, (Luca and Kai), and their place in Pescadero was really cool for us to see as well!

Yesterday we returned to Las Palmas, with only one other group of people present on the beach. Sorrel was thrilled to go deep into the water (for him) and feel waves crashing into him as we walked out. I had to drag him out of the surf, only because he was getting cold! As we explored the outlet of fresh water coming out into the ocean, a Brown Pelican arrived and began walking up the stream towards us. It was a juvenile, and was quite fearless of us. It came within 3 feet of us, stopping near a rock, then proceeded to scoop water, and fish, into its pouch. What an amazing thing to see close up! The kids got to see its pouch fill with water, and we saw the fish squirming inside its pouch before it swallowed it. The pelican repeated this a few more times, then walked up stream to do the same near another rock. All of this happened with us watching just a few feet away!

Can you see the Brown Pelican?

Today is foggy (but not that Maine socked-in fog), and therefor a bit cool so far. We are hoping to go to Los Cerritos, a popular surf beach, and check out what is going on there, and perhaps visit the pool that we have been told is there to swim in!

Another serendipitous day....

This day has been quite comically serendipitous. I have been having some fascinating dreams at night. Last night I dreamt of a whale pushing a cruise ship over after tormenting some cruising kayakers just off the port side of the ship. Back to waking life- I walked down the road from our rental house to the Montessori school to talk to the head teacher before their day began. I took out my notebook to jot a few things down, and what do I see on the cover of my book but the same whale tail that I had been dreaming about! I have had this book for quite some time that a friend gave me before we left Prescott, about 5 years now, so it has been an image I have come across frequently, but it is so funny how those two so readily came together!

I was slightly re-assured with the school, although James and I are leaning towards a Waldorf-inspired home-schooling program. The schooling options around here are pretty limited, and right now we are just feeling that would be the best thing. Wheels are still turning in our heads.

After I returned back to the house, we realized we were supposed to be meeting with a real estate agent to show us some properties. I contacted this guy from a recommendation from the person we are currently renting our house from for this stay. We had set up this morning to meet and he would drive us by some places and give us an orientation to the town. We went to his office- he wasn't there, and no one there had known he was supposed to meet us, and he didn't answer his cell phone. I am not surprised. I have been told by several people so far- Americans and Mexicans- that dealing with a real estate agent here is not a good idea. We told the people at the office we would walk around town a bit and come back. We walked about 1/2 a block, and came across a shop that had some nice "mexican sweaters". You know the kind- the blanket-looking sweaters with a hood, woven cotton. The kids and James each got one. Then James began talking with the woman who runs the store. They got into all sorts of conversation before I realized it, and all of the sudden we were all in the car together with her and her friend to show us properties for sale. This is the best way to make connections here- and I am so thankful that James speaks Spanish! I can understand about 40% of what is being said, but can't speak a word of Spanish when it comes down to it. I want to so badly, but don't have the background to get anything out of my mouth besides "Gracias" and some other basic phrases. AH! But, James was able to  make some good connections with several different people today. We saw some properties in Pescadero, which is a town just south of Todos Santos, and came to realize that we don't want to live there, it is just too far from the town we want to be in, too far removed from what we see going on that we like.

So Epi, our new "real estate lady" who owns the crafty store, is going to be helping us out to find some properties in the next couple of days. Apparently she has several friends with properties for sale. We shall see. We still really love the piece of property we have been lusting after in San Sebastian, a "neighborhood area" in Todos Santos, and are hoping to go back to see it again soon. In return for her help to us, we have promised Epi that we will bring her a working sewing machine from the U.S. for her friend that is in great need of one. Apparently affordable sewing machines are very hard to come by in Mexico. By looking at what she sells in her store, she and her friends are quite talented seamstresses as well. She makes all sorts of clothing, hammocks, and embroidered tapestries.

Instead of looking at "terranos" (properties for sale) with an agent today, we ended up looking with a local, and making many connections with an adobe brick maker, and several other local folks who also know many people around here. Things are turning out well!

More updates later, and one more quirky thing about Mexico that I'd forgotten. The propane gas truck driver drives around honking his horn in order to find out who needs gas. It is great! Every other day you hear a truck driving around honking, hoping someone will come out of their house and wave them in to give them more gas! The longer we stay here (we are only on day 3 now) the more we find people telling us what a great place this is- quiet, safe, and tranquil. I like it :)

Pueblo Magico, Todos Santos

Yesterday we arrived in Todos Santos. It took us 2 long days of travel. Day 1 we drove our car from Rockland to South Hampton, NH. My friend Sara welcomed us and the doggies. She will be taking care of our pups for the next 2 weeks while we are gone- thanks Sara! Sara then dropped us off at the train station on Newburyport, MA, where we took the commuter rail into North Station, Boston.

Parula and Sorrel on the commuter rail to North Station

 We got the T to the airport (one transfer), and then a shuttle bus to our hotel. We left home at 12:30, arrived to our hotel room at about 8:30. It was a long day!

The next morning we woke up at 3:15 a.m., got the shuttle to the airport, and got on our 5:30 plane (which was nearly empty) to Houston. All was on time, arriving with 2 hours to get some food in us before flying to San Jose del Cabo. I had a brief panic attack upon entry onto our first plane. Thank goodness for EFT (tapping), because I was about to run off the plane and never look back. My consistent tapping throughout the flight really saved me from any drastic movements or freak-outs, thank you for teaching me, Marianna! (for those of you who don't know, I used to fly frequently earlier in my life, but since having kids I have only been in an airplane twice in the last 5 years, thus my fears and skepticism about air travel have had some time to develop....) Anyway, the traveling was long and uneventful, and then we arrived in Baja!

August looking out the window of the airplane

The drive to Todos Santos took us about 2 hours, after some unintentional wandering in Cabo San Lucas on some one-way streets, we found our way to "Pueblo Magico". The house we are staying in is located in Las Tunas, which is just north of the main part of town. There are mostly gringos around us, it seems, and the beach is only a 5 minute walk from the house, the Pacific Ocean is visible from the front door, and from the rooftop deck.

Agave blooming by the front door- the Hooded Orioles are loving these, along with many other birds and bugs!

We can hear the waves crashing at night from our house. At sunset James and I were buzzed by Nighthawks swooping around our heads catching insects. In the morning I woke to the sounds of the chortling Cactus Wren, squeaking Gila Woodpecker, and whistling Hooded Oriole. It was the best way to wake up! I have seen Magnificent Frigate birds, Turkey Vultures, and Brown Pelicans all soaring through the air. I am in bird paradise- it has been way too long since I've seen and heard these birds last!

James and the kids admiring the mighty Pacific

Looking south on the beach

We went for a stroll down to the beach this morning. We were the only people there- for miles and miles- as far as we could see, it was just us!

This afternoon we went to see a house we have been drooling over for the past couple of years. It was all that and then some in person. I will have to talk about that more another time....it was a great treat for my birthday though!

 After our house tour we found the health food store in town. I had a feeling we would meet like-minded people, as that is the type of place that we prefer- ya know what I mean. And we did- not only that, but we got an invitation by the owner (who seems to be about our age- a young surfer/massage therapist/ health food store entrepreneur) to go to a drum class for kids he is leading tomorrow morning at one of the alternative schools in town. It will be a good opportunity for us and the kids to meet some more people and see what's going on in this town. It couldn't be more perfect!

Later we went to dinner in town for my birthday. The food was excellent, and our waiter, Carlos, brought out a flan with trick candles in it. We had a great time and the kids were quick to say they wanted to return there to eat again another day.

James and Sorrel at my birthday dinner

Living Raw Vegan Food...

SO it has been about a month now since we have been eating primarily raw foods. I just want to give an update, some recipes, since I have had several requests for a recipe for the cake I made for James's birthday. I got extremely sick 2 weeks ago. 8 days in bed, 3 days of a really high fever, headache and completely exhausted, lethargic, and absolutely no appetite. When I did eat I had an orange, water, and I tried to make it down for our family dinner every night when possible. I think I had a combination of my body giving in to a flu that has been going around, and a complete detox from all that has been passing thru my body as I eat pure, raw foods that have been cleaning out my system. I had some consulting from my homeopathic doctor on the phone, and he recommended something that did indeed perk me up and get me back on my feet! (I love homeopathy!)  Having all of that time in bed, I was able to listen to a lot of interesting lectures on health. For some reason I thought it would be a great idea to watch "Supersize Me" and "Food Matters" again, which are two quite disheartening and startling films. "Food Matters" is the film that originally inspired us to become raw vegan. I also came to realize that beating myself up for not eating EVERYTHING raw that goes into my mouth is not necessary. I am beginning a year long program through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, founded by Joshua Rosenthal. It is an online course, the headquarters for the program are in NYC. Joshua has a book called "Integrative Nutrition", where he talks about having 90% of your food consumption be what you know makes you feel amazing (whole, real, fresh, in-season food), and 10% of the time "slipping up". It is not fair to create so much pressure to stick to a health food attitude when at a party or gathering, or for a more real example- visiting family and going out to eat! I am seeing now that the only things that we really need to worry about are stomach upsets from eating food we are not used to having in our bodies. I have also been discovering more and more that my cravings for food are completely shifting, and I'm not really craving cooked food, but when I do (about once a week or so), I go with it and have something from a nearby to-go place. I soon realize after I have eaten this food that I actually didn't need to eat it, my body is not so happy about digesting the food, and I can move on and learn!

So enough lamenting about raw foods-on with the recipe!

This is from "Ani's Raw Food Kitchen"- I highly recommend this recipe book, I use it almost daily and she has very yummy food in here, as well as some great annectdotes between recipes.

Deep Forest Carob Cake with Fudge Frosting

Cake:
  3 1/2 cups Brazil nuts
  1 tsp. sea salt
  3 cups pitted dates
  1 cup carob powder
  3 cups shredded coconut

Frosting:
  1 cup pitted dates
  1/4 cup carob powder
  1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  1 cup water, as needed

To make cake, process Brazil nuts and salt into a powder in your food processor (it is actually quite wet) Slowly add dates. Empty into a large mixing bowl and add carob and coconut. Mix well. Form into a cake shape. (I lined a bowl with parchment paper, smooched in the cake mixture, packing it in real well, the flipped the bowl over on a tray and removed the bowl and parchment paper- makes it a cake shape!)

To make frosting, place all ingredients into your blender. Blend into a smooth frosting. Frost the cake.

Will keep for seven days in the fridge.

*Is especially excellent on day 2 after its been in the fridge for a while, adding fresh fruit to each bite- strawberries and bananas are oh so good!

No baking, easy breezy, and I actually had all ingredients but the Brazil nuts already in my house (actually, I did have to get more dates). Enjoy, let me know how it goes!

Here is another recipe for a smoothie that I enjoy most mornings for breakfast, keeps me going without even thinking about consuming more food until about 1pm (drinking half of this recipe's making at around 7:30am, James has the other half)

Taken from VegNews, a guy with the last name if VanOrden is an amazing world-class athlete running his body 100% on raw food!! This is his morning smoothie, using all organic produce whenever possible.

Green Smoothie
1 Banana
1/2 cup blueberries
4 large kale leaves, de-stemmed
1/2 cup spinach
4 Medjool dates, pitted
1/2 teaspoon dulse
2 cups water

In a blender, combine all ingredients

I will keep posting recipes on here if people are interested, and let me know how your food prep goes! I have quickly learned that preparing raw food is actually much faster, easier and less dish cleanup that cooking food. Most of the time it's just a cutting board and knife that need scrubbing, or the blender needs a run with soap- then the meal is ready to eat and the only thing that's left is cleaning the dishes we ate off of! The kids are adjusting well, Sorrel declared spinach as one of his favorite vegetables tonight! We actually eat much less food (quantity) than when we were cooking food for each meal- the raw food is so full of nutrients, as nothing is lost in cooking, that you actually fill up with about half the amount of food as when eating cooked food. Interesting....

A year ago

A year ago today we were just about to return from a crazy adventure around the country. Where does that leave us now? That is a good question. One I cannot answer straightly on the eve of April Fools. Our house has been for sale for almost a year now. I am ready for a change in scenery, change in climate, change in birds I see and hear every day. Not to say it isn't lovely here, because it is, there is just too much trauma and hard memories to face in daily life for me here in Maine. I have lots to work on, as we all do, and feel that I have come a very long way in facing these things I just mentioned, but I just need it out of my life for good- all that is left is location! So lets run away! But the process is
 s l o w in these parts! I am not in college anymore, can't just pick up and leave. There are the kids, the dogs, the husband, and OH THE STUFF! I feel good about the amount of STUFF that I've eliminated from our lives to this point. We now live in a house about half the size of our previous house, that is good, things are much more simple. But then again, the house for sale still has lots of furniture in it, and oh yeah, the storage unit full of our books, skis, and other random keepsakes. Hmmmm. I miss those books! It's been almost a year since our books were packed up and placed in storage, in hopes that it would "neaten up" the house for potential buyers. Now I am really missing them, and I have no idea when in my future I will see them again. And the furniture. Anybody need some couches? Chairs? A queen sized bed?
    On another note, I find myself feeling physically so happy in my body. This has never really occured- REALLY occurred in my life.  I have been doing so much Yamuna Body Rolling in anticipation of my phase 2 training to become a certified instructor, I am really seeing the benefits to feeling good and strengthening. I will be completing this phase in May, and also hoping to study in NYC in early May to learn the Yamuna foot fitness. You can check it out www.yamunabodyrolling.com    to learn more.
 The other key component to this new feeling is that we have been eating a raw vegan diet for only a short time now, but I am so aware of how great I feel it is hard not to be amazed by REAL FOOD! I would say we were not eating UN-healthy foods, but I was certainly cooking almost everything that went into my mouth, with the exception of fruits and some veggies. James and I watched the movie "Food Matters" recently, and our minds have not been the same since. I cannot walk into a grocery store and feel any desire to eat most of what is there (but alas, this really isn't a new feeling). It is amazing what you can prepare and still keep raw- bread (yes, bread- not baked, no yeast, but using a dehydrator at low temps is key). I am also so in love with our Vitamix. I got it for James for his birthday a couple of years ago, and wow, what a great gift that was! I think it is used about 6 times a day. Food preparation is actually faster when eating raw, we eat less because the food is so pure and actually quite filling, and cleaning up is very quick and easy (the Vitamix really does clean itself). So, we shall see how this pans out long term. We are very conscious of what and how much of what our kids are eating, to make sure they are getting enough of what they need (protein, carbohydrates, etc), as I know these are doubts most people have about eating raw.
I can't wait to travel while eating raw, I think it will be exciting, challenging, and quite a new look on the world with this perspective. I can actually see and feel so much more clearly right now. It is quite miraculous!

So to answer the question I asked at the beginning of this entry- What are we doing now? Living our dreams- hey it takes time to get to where you gotta go!

Enjoy your night and know its a day of foolery tomorrow!