Adios!

Dave :: It's almost bedtime, did you brush your teeth yet?

Annabelle :: Yes! No! I don't know! Mommy's going to Mexico!

Sea of Cortez

It is advisable to look from the tide pool to the stars and then back to the tide pool again. - John Steinbeck, The Log from the Sea of Cortez


Tomorrow morning I leave for my trip to Mexico to spend ten days on the Sea of Cortez conducting a study of field methods on some topic to be determined. For the past several weeks I have wondered if I made the wrong decision to enter this program and attempt my graduate degree. A Master's in Biology. Really, what am I thinking?

I might just be nervous. I might come back with renewed dedication for the task. Or maybe I'll return with the confidence of knowing I'm stepping out of the program.

The packing list advised a single pair of shorts, a few t-shirts, and sandals. Optional was a sundress. I'm bringing my sleeping bag, we'll be sleeping in the open. I was told not to bring shampoo, and not because they'll have it but because there won't be an opportunity to use it. Calculators are required. Money is discouraged. There's a bucket for washing your clothes.

Ten days. No electricity. Irregular showers. Lots of rice and beans. Daily water rations. Temps over 100F. No phone service.

Peace. Desert quiet. Mangroves. Whale sharks. Islands. Engaged, awake people. Life changing new experience.

Here I go.

O Sophia!

Little Fish

Lamb Chop

On a whim I picked up some lamb chops for dinner a few weeks ago. Grilled on the range, Annabelle viewed them skeptically on her plate, refusing a bite. Dave and I enjoyed ours and after a while she slowly took a bite from one chop. Her eyes widened:

Annabelle :: Mom!!

Me :: Yes?

Annabelle :: If I were in love with two boys and one of them was Zachary and one of them was Lamb Chop I would DEFINITELY have to choose Lamb Chop!

(It's been a favorite dinner request ever since...)

We love Arthur Ransome.

By far the best children's books we have ever found: all the tales by Arthur Ransome. With strong nautical and adventuring themes, we have all enjoyed these stories! If Dave reads at bedtime, I always ask, "What happened?" It is fun to love reading together, and we see how eagerly Annabelle works to figure out words for herself! 

Great Room

Annabelle, "reading" her chapter book. Almost there, but not quite!

That's Dave's favorite spot out there on the porch.

That's my desk tucked in the corner there...

Messy. But more interesting than if I had included a picture of a perfectly clean desk I suppose.

Wifi is still a surprise to me. Streaming movies, internet, printing... all without a wire anywhere. 

A couple benches around the breakfast bar will be nice at some point.

The light that shines in crystals, seashells and bones

These three skulls are the latest addition to my collection: Coyote, Muskrat, and  Racoon. I hope to get a sheep skull next, but we'll have to see...

The bedroom makeover

Standing in the bedroom looking into the closet. The original red carpeting dominated the room and was a strange combination with the yellow walls.

New floors changed everything! Here Annabelle watches John install our Vineyard Cherry planks from Costco.

Voila!

Of course, the bedroom is still home to my library and art supplies.

The bed. One of my favorite spots in the house!

Looking out the window to the backyard. Overgrown geraniums are taking over the path.

Turning around we see into the bathroom.

This old style tub is a favorite of Annabelle's.

A colleague walked into my class in the middle of a lesson one morning smiling, "I've got a surprise for you!" In front of thirty children I opened the bag and found the deer skull! Super fun! (Now he watches us in the bathroom.)

Other parts of my growing bone collection on the vanity counter. The skulls of a beaver and a black headed parrot. Jawbone, hip bone and scapula of a buffalo. Antlers around the side of the plant, and some gorgeous coral from a fun shop in the city.

I love this home.

The Kitchen Redeaux

Here is a picture of what our lovely kitchen looked like when we moved in...

And here is what it looks like now! Taadaa!

The dishwasher I found at half price online. Unfortunately, the close proximity of the dishwasher and refrigerator  prohibited us from opening the door of the dishwasher. After a month of using only the top shelf of the dishwasher (and with Dave occasionally bending over to put dishes in the bottom) I thought to myself, "We can't be the first people with this problem." And, voila: The DishDrawer!

Pretty, isn't it? The drawers pull out and get loaded as you can probably imagine. 

I still have yet to grout the tile on the backsplash, but the new hood came from IKEA. Shelves too.

The kitchen window looks into half the yard. There are two wonderful birch trees and a shed that offers safe housing for wasp's nests. Someday that shed will be replaced by raised planting beds.

Notice the sweet little owl bottle opener? A valentine's gift for Dave... and a hit with his friends, of course.

Pans hang under the counter...

...more to come soon!

Lasagna for dinner!

We got the keys!!!

Birthday Eve

Tomorrow Annabelle turns seven. Unbelievable.

I baked her a cake for her birthday party. Also unbelievable.

Seven roses. Three butterflies. Lots of pink sprinkles.

The kitchen table is ready for the morning with candles, flowers, and gifts.  Thanks for trying not to notice that the "cake" actually appears to be a mound of white frosting. True. Now I know why there are classes offered to teach people how to frost a cake. But I guarantee it will taste delicious!

Edited to add:: Notice the boxes in the background? We are beginning to pack for our move! The other day Annabelle took me by the hand and said, "Thanks for getting me a house for my birthday." She can hardly wait to move, informing me that it would only take her two days to make new friends.

Chances

After I arrived home, I was showing Annabelle pictures of my trip. When I came upon a bright and beautiful picture of the Goetheanum, she gasped.

Annabelle :: Oh, Rudolf Steiner!

(pause)

Annabelle :: I miss him.

Me ::  (Eyeing her steadily.) Me too, me too.

Steiner

Shorthand notes of one of Steiner's six thousand recorded lectures.

Drawers full of notebooks.

The case on the bottom holds Marie Steiner's typewriter!

Easter Monday

The Representative of Man.

Some of the many models made by Steiner.

A model of the first Goetheanum, a work in progress.

In my workshop. A wonderful group of people from all over the world.

German Castle

Germany to your far left, Switzerland straight ahead, France to your right.

Huge next of blackbirds!

Climbing a tower.

Ermitage

This was definitely my favorite experience of the trip, spending time at the Ermitage Castle. Actually, the castle was closed to visitors that day and so my friend and I walked up the hill and then around the lake. She filled my ears (and heart!) with stories of Parsival. It was magic.

It is amazing when stories live so strongly within someone else that, when shared, you are filled with the same feelings of love and awe.

Long lines of families wait on Easter morning to collect water from this natural fountain.

See the castle peeking through the trees?

I could have come to this spot every day...

Easter Monday