A Place Like This......

{This Moment}

{this moment} -A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Happy Walpurgis or Valborg's Day. Have a great weekend.

Some Tagine for the Soul

Spring and warm weather come and Spring and warm weather go. Yesterday we had torrential rains and the temperature dropped to 37 degrees last night. Luckily I had made a big pot of Tagine and couscous and this kept us alive. Ok, I know that's a bit dramatic, but I was so cold.

Tagine is a Northern African dish. You can decide weather you want to make it really spicy or just flavorful. There are a vast amount of ways to make it but my family likes the vegetable version. The recipe below calls for eggplant and sweet potatoes. If you have children that don't like these vegetables try substituting regular potatoes and leave out the eggplant. I also have to had the note that in North Africa they would never had potatoes to their Tagine but this is America and I've taken those liberties. Sorry. :)

Vegetable Tagine with Couscous:

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 3 carrots
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1 eggplant
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 3 zucchini
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 5 cans fat free chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• tablespoon  honey
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1tsp Cinnamon
• 1 15.oz can chickpeas
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tablespoons of sambal oelek ( This is very hot and spicy add only if you like spicy)

1. Chop onion, bell pepper, cut carrots and the next four ingredients.
2. Saute onion and bell peppers. Add garlic;stir in carrot, sweet potatoes,eggplant,tomatoes.
3. Add chicken broth and the next 7 ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Stir in zucchini, chickpeas, salt and pepper and cook for another 15 minutes.
5. In another pot make couscous. Just follow the directions on the box or bag. It's so easy to make.

 

Enjoy!!!! Tomorrow we are back with the Fox Diaries. Have a great day.

 

One Small Change Wrap Up

I can't believe it's the end. Yep, earth day has come and gone and our One Small Change intiative is passing by with it. I love blogland and participating in all of the various activities that blogging friends inspire. I had no idea that the One Small Change experiment of changing one small thing each month to save the planet would become a lifestyle.

I must admit that I've always been a very eco conscious person but One Small Change has taken the veil off of a philosophy and put tools,motion, and reflection in the hearts and minds of my family. It is so easy to assume that because I believe something and live it or my husband believes something and puts into practice does not always mean that our children understand it or have gone through the reasoning to make it their own.

Over the last four months we have:

• Stopped using plastic bags.
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• Established Meet What You Eat. An intro course for our children about where their food comes from.
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• Planted 75 trees to accomodate our oxygen needs for the next year.
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• And converted to cloth napkins
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All in all it's been a wonderful four months. Much thanks to Suzy and her family for starting this. We are continuing on with our monthly One Small Changes. Each person in the family is now forging their own path into global change.

While visiting Kendra's yesterday, I noticed that she has a very important petition going on.

"from food democracy now: labeling laws may prevent gmo foods from being labeled as such worldwide, sign here to voice your concern. we have the right to know what is in our food! see here for just one study on the risks of gmo foods. "

Thank you dear friends for inspiring me and my family over the last four months. Can you believe all of the beautiful changes that have gone on and how our planet is being positively affected? Great Job Everybody!

The Hidden Village

During a little ramble in the Great Smoky Mountain National Forest,

We spotted a large wooden barn house by a stream.  Let's see what's inside?

A Warning sign forbid us to enter but it doesn't hurt to have a look does it?

As we turned to continue our hike up the hill we spied even more houses.

Look at this little cabin built sometime in the early 1800's. Do you want to see what's inside?

A little fireplace already to keep someone warm.

A few houses down a little well sat in front of the tiniest house. We were sure a gnome lived or lives there.

You see ? A gnomes house with two funny looking people checking it out.

Over the brook and across a bridge,.....

stand a magnificent house.

 
We were amazed to find this village in the middle of nowhere. Why not have a look at Jump Into A Book to see why finding a hidden village was the most important task of the day.

  

   

{This Moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. This week also honoring our participation in the great outdoor challenge  and over at Jump Into A Book we are building fairy houses and villages. Happy Weekend Everyone!

Earthquakes Happen

Yesterday morning at 5:30 a.m., I was catapulted out of my deep sleep by something which sounded like an explosion. The explosion was so forceful that my house was shaking. As I was quickly moving out of my slumber, the first thought that came to mind was "The Volcano's Erupting.!!!!" Just before bed, little "O" and I had been speaking about the volcano in Iceland, which lead to me sharing about the Mount St. Helen's eruption of 1980.

No it wasn't that but I quickly realized that it was an earthquake. As I went to each child's room, everyone was sitting up in bed with wide-eyes. I, then saw lights coming on in every house around us and neighbors were clamoring to their front porches to confirm that "yes, we felt and heard that too". It was the talk of the town yesterday. So much so that I couldn't get to this space. No one was hurt, no damage was reported.The epicenter was a mile from our house.

Today, I'm finding my way to this space, but only for a moment because there are breaks in the clouds and my little garden is calling me. I'll be back tomorrow with the Fox Diaries. Have a great day everyone.

It's always nice to have company.

   

The Tea Maker

Saturday we woke up to light sprinkles and some colder weather than we've been having all week. As I sat knitting, little "O" asked, "Would you like some tea?"

 "That would be very nice. Thanks "O". 

Never having made tea before, I didn't press him further, I just let him go into the kitchen himself and if he needed help he knew where I was at.

 A few moments later, a bevy of questions were coming from the galley. "Do you put the tea leaves in the pot? " Do you add the honey to the pot of tea or to the cup? Why do you use a strainer? Do I have to use a strainer? Do you put the tea in when the waters boiling or when it's heating up? Do I have to use tea or can some of your plants be used as tea?

After all of these questions I had to ask,"Are you ok buddy? Need any help?" "The only leaves you can use from outside are the mint leaves because they are the only ones you know." "Need any help?" I asked again.

"Nope Mom , I got it."

  
  

A few minutes after that, I was invited on the screen porch. Waiting for me there was two small lit candles,two cups of mint tea, and a boy who was very proud of himself for taking care of me. Thanks little man for my great cup of tea.

{This Moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. This week also honoring our participation in the great outdoor challenge. Happy Weekend Everyone!

Awesome Abundance

Lately, I've been on the most incredible journey. A few weeks back Imene had a give away for a spot in Shannon Kinney Duh's Inside/Out e-course. I pondered. Do I have time for this? Should I just sign up for the course or should I enter the giveaway?  So I took a leap of faith. I said to myself,"Self, if you are meant to be in this course then nothing can stop it from happening." To show my full support for Imene and the kindness she was offering her readers I entered the giveaway. I went on with my daily life and then a few days later I got a wall posting on my facebook and an email from Imene saying" You Won ! ".

So there it was, I was destined to take make place in an artistic ecourse about discovering myself. It has only been one week and there is this incredible shift happening inside me. For the first time I am seeing me. Not the list all the things you can do me, but the real me......and I like her.

I've met my inner critic and dowsed her with creative paintings,clippings,and mud. Today I'm learning to be still. This course completely embraces the mind,body,and spirit. From time to time I'll update you on this road I'm on and my new discoveries. Big thank you's to both Imene and Shannon for their generous gifts.

Next......yes,there is a next. Now that I have my creative juices flowing I got an email yesterday from my favorite local knitting store,The Knitting Nest. There have been rumors that Kaffe Fassett is coming to Knoxville. We were sorry to hear the Kaffe doesn't teach knitting clinics anymore but Brandon Mably from theKaffe Fassett design studio does. On the last Monday in April, I will be sitting with creative genius for 6 or 7 hours learning how to design knitted items inspired by world travels. I'm so excited and I'm holding my breath as I write this. Next week I have an entire Brandon Mably post ready to go. Wait until you meet him. He's so fantastic.

Lastly on this day of abundance, I have a blog posting over at the Rhythm of the Home blog. I could not have known what an incredible collection of talented women I would be in touch with when I wrote my first article, for the first edition of Rhythm of the Home. I'm so thankful for this outlet and all of the things I learn and share from this vibrant community of creative and soulful mommas.

Today I move in gratitude for all of the incredible paths I am walking and for all of your friendships via blogland. Each one of you inspire me everyday to live a more creative and conscious life. I am so thankful for all of you. Tomorrow we'll be back with another Fox Diary Post. Until then, Be Well.

The Stuga is now Open

We are happily participating in the Great Outdoor Challenge. When I think of getting out doors, I think Stuga, which means "little red cabin" in Swedish, well it sort of does.

After a terrible winter of snow, ice, and trees falling on my little house, I finally could make it up the mountain to spend sometime in the great outdoors.

Oh how I love to sit by the lake with my cup of tea and just ponder the world.

While I was sitting there pondering.......a celebration was being prepared for a dear friend.

Complete with burnt dogs, chips, and cake. Yum!

Can you guess who our birthday girl is? It isn't me and it isn't the funny one doing the mustard commercial.

  Happy Birthday Sweet Ruth! May you have 50 more! I know....you don't want to live to be a hundred but we can sure have fun trying. 0: