the cold outside the warm within

we took a little walk around the farm on Christmas Eve. it was so cold the air was almost blue. the bitter wind blew, and occasionally we had to stop in a shed or the barn in shelter. the kids seemed unfazed. little A. wanted to make snowballs and follow rabbit tracks, while R. played with the old wagon wheel. the barn kittens hid from us (or, the wind) and I found Christmas colors among the old implements. we checked the frozen pond, looking for the fish that had frozen to the top. I managed to keep A. still long enough to get a shoe shot & per usual her colors were the brightest. we felt the air in our bones. inside we had cinnamon rolls and coffee to help us feel warm.
the kids performed in the Eve service. we sat in one of the oldest Mennonite churches in the Midwest, sang, and ended the night warmly with candles lit and thoughts above & within.

a few days in Kansas

mom's Christmas cactus in bloom

candles and a piece of Taos

we are home from Christmas, in which we visited our families in Kansas. we had mostly sunny drives, with only few patches of snowy roads. and the bitter winter wind that greeted us in Kansas disappeared into the sun by Christmas Day.

in a whirlwind we saw our parents, my brother's family and many of our good friends. we ate many cookies, cinnamon rolls, zwieback and we had a special Faspa. and overall it felt like a good holiday for both of us. 

and now comes the time of reflection. the end of the year, the start of another, and all the importance we place on this change in the cycle. I definitely need a list, of things to let go, of things to think about moving forward, of things I want from this new year. but I know the list doesn't need to be huge, there is nothing so large to tackle, mostly I just want to focus on my each new day and what comes, what may.

spring eve

I opened iPhoto to see what my pictures were a year ago, on this eve of the Spring Equinox.

a farm in Kansas turned & turning even more, green.

friday

girls and flock of goats, 1910

view of the konza prairie, kansas 1975

snowy prospect park, brooklyn, 1887

street in stockholm, 1922

the winter comes, by edward curtis, 1908

winter farm in norway, 1910

winter photos from the past.

(all photos found on the Flickr:Commons, click on photo for link)

spring weekend

the wheat & the sky.

the barn which stubbornly still stands.

some of my tulips. i'd forgotten all the colors which i'd planted.

peaceful & warm sunday afternoon sunshine.

when we still believe in fairies

some day she'll be like the rest of us in plain jeans & dark, warm jackets.
but for now, she'd rather be dressed like tinkerbell.

on epiphany

kitchen morning sunshine

in this new year I hope to give more, make more, accumulate less & spend less.
and work on my house.
and to remember to breathe deeply on occasion.

walking on the farm

and to use the internet less, while reading books on paper more.
and to not worry so much about the future when focusing on the present is really the only choice I have. and fortunately, my present is a good one.

i took a few pictures this weekend too.

found this that I like, a little bit of a poem
by Bobbi Katz, October:


October is
when night guzzles up
the orange sherbet sunset
and sends the day
to bed
before supper

in his viewfinder

today I spent some time at the farm. mom & I cleaned up & organized the garage/garden storage. we brought in plants & swept up drifts of leaves & peacock feathers. while my niece collected feathers, my nephew needed to explore. so I handed him my camera, showed him how to use it & told him to be careful with it.

I didn't look at the photos until now. the barn above & the pix below are his creations. they all make me smile.

holiday walk

spent the morning of christmas eve at the farm. with cinnamon rolls, coffee and a walk.

the bridge was declared too icy to cross.

nephew was given the responsibility of choosing our path.

the tall grass was covered in icy droplets.

 cold, windy walk that was well worth it.

may

storms, poppies & peonies, planting seeds, wearing flip-flops, strawberries out of the garden, feeling sun on skin, open windows, night breezes to sleep to.
gifts with the mail. and zwiebach & coffee, followed by a walk on the farm.


 may is a good month for a birthday.

works

(a picture from the barn.)

I don't know what works.

but, I wish I did.

kansas june saturday

evening at my brother's. kids ran around in swimsuits.
except my nephew, determined to be naked.
friends. family. beer. food. soft summer air. cool in the shade.
a hayrack ride. without the hay. and with an old smelly tractor.
wheat is ready to harvest.
soybeans are just coming up.






















my smiley niece. in a dress that I made for her.
she's more than just cute.

summer kitchen

the old summer kitchen at my brother's farm, now fixed up with a stereo and christmas lights, has become a lovely outdoor shelter, for parties.
















last night, outside with a fire in the pit (a salvaged bathtub), we spent the evening with a convergence of visiting out-of-state friends. whiskey, beer & friendly ridicule.
















a storm towered to our south, and gave us an impressive light show all evening. with harpy winds. it moved just to the east of us, on its way north. (and, gave others some destructive winds & hail).

a stormy light show, I think, that can only be seen, here on the mid-western plains.