Home Again

Oh, to be back home. Immersed in laundry and boy smells and the chaos that defines our daily life. It was a whirlwind trip that seemed to stand still at times, moments when I realized I had no obligations to meet. It also held a lot of opportunities for photos, snapped here and there to capture the time I was away.

I loved having the chance to meet my Kayda girl in her home, her sweet and lovely person standing out so strongly, so present.


I was enamored of her ways, her differences and the small and sometimes glaring similarities I noticed, had the luxury of noticing as I followed her around and then, she in turn, followed me. I have never been so flattered as when she would come searching for me when I stepped into my temporary room. That made me feel awesome.


And seeing my amazing sister and her spouse walk this road of parenting, united and supported and so very comfortable, that was a gift. I loved being immersed in my sister as Mother, her ways and thoughts and take on all of it. We had a great time discussing the where and how and whys of what we have gotten ourselves into, precious precious time.


And that was only the first half. My other reason for the trip was to lend a hand to our youngest sister in her booth at the Benbow Arts Festival.


It turned out to be a great decision, my natural marketer came to the fore front and I loved 'selling' my sister to the crowd. Her stuff really did sell itself, all of it was unbelievably tasteful and lovely and useful, but I loved being able to tell them about her, her spontaneous ability to create pretty much anything.


The booth was a haven for many, we sat in the shaded and cool area, her choice of bamboo screening a brilliant one, it let the breeze flow through on a surprisingly hot weekend. I watched people gravitate in, drawn by her taste and color. The pride I feel for her grew as her sales came in, encouraging and growing each hour, each day.


The girl killed it, especially in a year when I thought the buying spirit might be dampened. The great thing was that the fair supported only hand made, only those who took the time to invest them Self into their pieces, so I actually did not mind participating in this expression of consumerism. In fact, I participated wholeheartedly, finding soothing hand balm, and pickled olives and a few other lovely pieces. I left wearing more jewelry than a Gypsy woman and feeling much more womanly for it.


In all, it was a long and hard weekend, none of the rest one associates with vacation really came to be. The trip was book ended by 11 hour drives, thankfully the way home shared among three of us. And thankfully, when we arrived sometime last night, I found both of my beauties, flung across beds in their abandoned sleep, murmuring quiet sleep dreams into my ears as I buried my face into the scent, their sleep dampened hair distinguishing their persons in the dark, Mason's soft curls and Owen's close cut straight silk. I lay between them, grateful for the knowing of their utter importance in my life, their total definition of my person.

And four days away from my man, well, it made so many little things come to light. His capable hands and how I feel when they hold me close. His gentle voice, rising in command easier each day as the boys challenge our choices for them. I think I fell in love with him all over again tonight as we finally put them down together and they asked him for 'more story' (actually Owen said 'more doobie'. Hmmmm, is that how he got them to go to sleep?). He has been telling them the story of the "Princess Bride' nightly, the tale of a farm boy and his Buttercup. His Andre the Giant voice was pretty priceless, as was feeling the boys relax into sleep to his cadence of words. And so home becomes Home again, where my heart is as I wander in my mind and thoughts and burgeoning dreaming.

I have always know it was my center but it never hurts to test the theory, right?

More pictures to come...hooping and other festive bits. And some exciting things in the works. And crafts too. And and and....I better go and get some much needed sleep now. And then more.