Ancestors Altar

This year has brought many changes for our family (as every year does). With the ebb and flow of friends in and out of our community, the  practice of Druidry has slowly come trickling into our lives in a time when finding a name for years of feelings, beliefs and emotions is widely welcomed.

Both Matt and I have been practicing much of this nature based religion without realizing it. Our lives are very much connected to the seasons and the nature surrounding us and we have really noticed it since we bought our little farm in 2008.

I have always been a bit leery of religion, but felt a need for some spirituality.

Since my mother's death in 2007 I have had the desire to make an alter for her. Something small with a few items that she loved, a candle or two and some flowers. Occasionally when trying to fall asleep at night I would think about this altar in my head. What it would look like and where I would put it. I've never made one and don't know why.

October 31 and November 1st marks the Druid holiday of Samhain (Sow-in). It is a time to recognize and honor ancestors in your family. Some make altars, some attend rituals, some just acknowledge this within. I chose to do all three.

Last weekend I attended a Samhain ritual put on by our local ADF Druid group, Cedarsong Grove. Though not my first ritual with this wonderful group of people, it was by far, the most powerful for me. 

Yesterday, the boys and I made an ancestors altar. 

Last night we lit candles inviting our ancestors spirits to come home, as this time of year when the dark takes over the light and the human world is the closest to the spirit world.

I know this sounds like a bunch of hokey crap and there are probably a number of you rolling your eyes at the thought of a spirit world and such. 

However, I invite you to make an altar for your ancestors in a visible place in your home. Put photographs of them surrounded by items that they loved or owned and offer them the foods and drink they loved. Walk by this altar every day, look at them and think about them. Light candles for them at night.

Do this for even a couple of days and then be honest with yourself and disregard what others think and ask yourself if you feel closer to your dead loved ones than you did a few days before. I see no harm in this ritual.

I needed this. I needed to feel close to my dead, loved ones and I needed my children to feel that too. And we are.

Sharing our family stories and memories, whether they are from when Matt and I were young children or from last week, has been really good for our minds, bodies and souls. Arlo seems to be most interested in all the process and discussion. 

I am excited for my sister to see it and I am happy to be able to share with my family all over the country through image. I'd like to keep the altar for most of the month of November and remove it just as Thanksgiving arrives.

In the mean time, if you are in the neighborhood, please come and have a look, add something or not.

Picture Perfect Memory

 

I recently read that the average human only remembers a very small percentage of their lives and that many of those memories are actually images or pieces of photographs from their childhood. I have a few specific memories of my childhood that I am sure are based on photographs and embellished with my vivid imagination and pure romantic view of life (one particular moment where I was playing in a child's pool with my nana, who died just six months after the photo was taken. I was not quite two at that time and too young to actually remember that event.)

As I photograph my boys and their childhoods, I do think about documenting events, every day and extraordinary, in a way that will help them remember, not just people, places and things, but the emotions associated with those times. Because I am usually the one photographing, I am rarely in the photos, and I hope that my boys will one day want to see images of me with them...

...that is why this photograph, taken by my friend Molly, is so dear to me, and will one day be dear to them.

I love this photograph because:

:: it honestly depicts a summer afternoon without make up, fancy clothes or posed bodies::

::Arlo has his shoes on the wrong feet and that is an everyday occurrence::

::Otis is curling his tongue like does when he is saying his "s" sound::

::Sam is looking very calm and grown up and relaxed and freckled and happy::

::we are relaxing in the hammock which is common in the late summer afternoons while we wait for Matt to come home from work::

::there is nature surrounding us which is how we live our lives here on our little farm::

::the chicken tractor is in the background (though I don't think most people would recognize that, we do, and we love it) which is also how we live our lives here on our little farm::

::Arlo's shins are bruised, also very common, no matter the season::

::Otis is sitting on my lap and as the baby of the family he is frequently found sitting on my "wap"::

::you can see just the corner of the book, "To Kill A Mockingbird", which Molly was reading to us as we sat in the hammock::

::I am in a kid sandwich and so happy there::

::the sun is shining and you can almost feel the summer heat as we snuggle in the shade of our grove of cedar trees::

To me this is the epitome of a picture perfect memory. Sam is very likely to remember this day, Arlo might remember, and Otis likely will not, but they will have this image to help and so will I as the years pass and my boys grow too big to sit on my lap and sandwich me in a hammock on a hot summer day.

Arlo's Big Day and My Baby Isn't a Baby Anymore!

Today was Arlo's first day of Montessori PPK (Pre-Primary/ Kindergarten). I am not quite sure how we made it to this day, because the last few weeks have been filled with so much anxiety manifested in multiple potty accidents everyday, tantrums and general foul behavior...stemming from a nasty bullying experience he had last fall at the part-time pre-school he was attending...but, I am so thankful we did! We talked about the new school, we met the new teacher, we read books, we met kids on the playground, we talked some more, we watched "new school" videos...and I knew it was going to take just going to make everything okay. We picked out a special outfit for today, he slept with his "S" scarf, appropriately named Sam and, this afternoon with his sweaty hand tightly clenched around mine, we went head-first into the winds of life together.

Arlo was beaming when I picked him up after school. He told me all about everything and from that moment on I had my sweet little Arlo back. No accidents, no tantrums, no anxiety. Just a happy 4 and 3/4 year old boy. Mama will sleep soundly tonight.

All three boys had hair cuts on Saturday...and it was Otis' first! He is 2 1/2 and was begging me in the salon to get his hair cut. I was a bit reluctant...he still had his birth hair after all...but he also had three dread locks that I couldn't get to go away and yesterday's breakfast dried in his hair. He gave me some of these looks and I agreed that perhaps it was time to have a hair cut. I still don't recognize him when I catch a glimpse of him running from one place to the next...but damn, is he cute!

I love this child so much.

End of Summer...Beginning of Second Grade

Once again, my son is better dressed than either his father or I ever was on our first days of second grade. He loves the formalities involved with wearing a suit and tie and, this year, we found the matching hankie. All hand-me-downs or thrift store buys...and this boy is stylin'

He was nervous when I dropped him off...quickly running into his classroom. It was obvious that he noticed he was the only kid dressed like this, but he was proud. And so was I.

You can take the boy out of the farm, but you just can't take the farm out of the boy. 

Man, do I love this kid.

Been cannin' a little...

I have been waiting for our black raspberries to get ripe for about two weeks now. Last year they were ready a bit earlier, but with more rain and cooler temps for longer this spring, I wasn't too surprised we had to wait until after the 4th of July.

The boys and I wandered to the "back 40" yesterday afternoon while Otis napped. We started slowly, enjoying the cool breeze and sun (and lack of mosquitoes) and ended up picking nearly three quarts...which translated into 10 half-pint jars of black raspberry jam!

My friends Melissa and Heather and I and all our kids (nine total) picked strawberries a few weeks ago at a local farm. I froze my 23 pounds of berries hoping to make jam later....

...and this morning I found myself with only one child (Sam and Arlo were at a friend's house after a sleep-over) and with mid-morning temps around 60 degrees, I knew it was the perfect morning to continue my canning binge. I added 10 more half-pints of strawberry jam to my pantry shelf.

After gifting 2 half-pints to family and friends and losing one jar in the hot water bath, I canned a total of 18 half-pints of jam for our family...and it feels so good.

July 4th

Once again we celebrated the 4th of July with many of our friends and family here at the homestead. With over 60 people mingling, the food, stories, laughter, sparklers and sweet goodbyes were amazing (our friends leaving the state stopped by for a solid hug and fair well). There was a bluegrass band this year and late night music around the campfire. 

Although I had an amazing time at the party, the morning after was simply beautiful.

A small group of overnight friends gathered for a delightful potluck breakfast on the patio and after we dined....we relaxed in the shade of our generous sycamore tree.

I cuddled on a blanket with one of my most favorite little girls, Ada. She fell asleep in my lap and it was the highlight of my weekend.

Ruby Red

This is my latest drawing completed this afternoon. It was commissioned for a fundraiser in Washington State...inspired by a photo taken of my dear friend Pam and her new baby, Ruby.
Pam, Luke, Mateo and Ruby left today for Arizona...for good.
It was so hard to say goodbye to them...

This is a little settling in treat for them...once they arrive and have access to the online world.
Welcome to your new home Plonsky family!

Sam became 7

On May 18th, my sweet first born became seven years old! I still can't believe how grown up he really is...

Sam requested a 4 tier cake, "like the wedding cakes" and so I dutifully did my best with cake and frosting and added a lot of fruit...his favorite. He was quite happy.


"Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" by Mo Willems has been Sam's favorite book all spring. He was amazingly surprised when one of his friends gave him the pigeon as a birthday gift.

Sam is SO creative, always wanting to "make something". Sometime his ideas are beyond what we can handle here (like welding a catapult), but sometimes we can indulge his creative quests.
For spirit day at his Montessori school he was asked to dress up like his favorite book character. He chose pigeon and we made a pigeon costume.

There are days when I don't know what I would do without Sam's help. He is an amazing oldest brother; always helping his little brothers with chores, reading, making Lego constructions...you name it and he helps with it. He's been doing regular chores including putting away his laundry, loading the washer and moving wet laundry to the dryer, taking the recycling and trash to the curb on trash day, feeding the pets, loading the dishwasher and clearing the tables after meals, undressing his brothers, starting a bath, sweeping the kitchen floor, vacuuming!!!! I know there must be more as well...he is amazing.


Sam's reading is really taking off and everyday I hear him reading words he couldn't just days before. Now nearly six months into piano lessons, Sam is learning to read music and he continues to attend Sanchin-Ryu karate classes through the parks and recreation department. He is close to being able to ride his bike all over and to my great happiness, he still LOVES and needs to cuddle everyday. Sam just aims to please and is so rarely in any sort of trouble, though lately he has been testing out his "talking back" skills.

It is a real joy to have him home for the summer.

Otis and his Worms

Getting the garden in has always been a chore with little ones, but this year Otis entertained himself with digging earth worms...and to my surprise, hiding them...

He carried them around all day...and I planted 50 strawberry plants.

Surprise. A business.

About 18 months ago I was asked to create a logo for a friend's business. I agreed and we bartered logo design for home cooked meals and she threw in a few gift cards. It turned out nice and I felt good about being creative beyond this blog.

A few months passed and another friend asked for help, then a business asked for an advertisement, then another friend asked for a logo, then a photo gig, then another logo, and most recently a wedding, cooperatively shot with a friend who has an established photography business.

A week ago I was asked to apply for an independent graphic design and photography contract job working with the MSU Jewish Studies program on a grant funded project about genealogy! Initially I thought the project was too big for me, but after speaking with one of the project coordinators, I decided to apply!

Low and behold, I decided (after much encouragement from Matt) to start a legitimate photography and graphic design business. It is a little scary, but mostly exciting.

The next step is registering my business with the county, a website, business cards.....

Meet Milo!

After about 6 weeks of looking for a new canine companion, we met Milo!
He's an Australian Cattle Dog/Beagle/Coon Hound mix and we just love him.
Found as a stray in Mississippi, he was rescued and brought to the Capital Area Humane Society.

He's about a year old, give or take a month, and about 65 pounds or so. He is house trained, knows how to sit, lay down and speak. His leash skills are lacking and he does not know his name, but he's a fast learner! One walk with a gentle leader training harness and he was responding incredibly.
Milo is definitely still a puppy, but is very calm and does not jump up or have any of that excessive puppy energy, though he loves water and chasing balls and toys.

The boys love him and boy, does Milo love them!


Our lives will be a bit more house bound for a while, as we get used to Milo and he gets used to us, but it is that time of year when farm work is in full swing.

We think he's going to be a fantastic companion for us all...even Cyrus seems a little bit happier.

True Story

Today was a very strange day for me. I felt energy in the air; a sort of enlightenment occurred. I was surrounded by new life.

This morning, my dear friend Pam, gave birth to her second child, a daughter, Ruby Sue.
While she was laboring, birthing and cuddling her new daughter, I was visiting with her mother and father-in-law in her living room.

An hour later I was doing some graphic design work at a coffee shop and exchanged emails with another expecting friend. She had agreed to encapsulate Pam's placenta in exchange for a henna tattoo on her swollen belly, but in the last few days had been experiencing early signs of labor, despite her due date being nearly 2 weeks away. I offered to encapsulate Pam's placenta and stopped by her house to borrow some supplies. It was lovely to see her as I hadn't in a while. She mentioned watching Otis' birth video for inspiration. I was so moved, I didn't know what to say.

Within 30 minutes or so, I arrived at the birth center to retrieve Pam's placenta. My timing must have been right, because they were amazingly accepting and invited me in to meet their hours-old, sweet girl. I held her and immediately had an overwhelming desire to be with Otis. There is unexplainable energy surrounding new life.

On my drive home I remembered, vividly, Otis' birth and how I felt in the hours after. Today I felt similar things. It was very spiritual in a sense. Rare.

After preparing Pam's placenta to dry this evening, I learned that my friend who loaned me the materials to do so, gave birth to her fifth child, a son.

Wow. True story.

Spring Babies

Two Spring seasons have passed since I last held this:


Here's my baby on the moment of his birth in the place of his birth, two years later:
Otis is so cute! However, he is also two years old and he is intense. We've entered the tantrum stage and I just keep repeating my latest mantra, "This to shall pass". He is amazing talker with an extensive vocabulary and he is rarely quiet. When he stopped using the pacifier a few months ago, he began going to sleep at night on his own. Despite the challenging days we frequently have, most of our time together is very darling.


Spring is a good time to have a baby and I have about 5 friends with big, round, beautiful bellies right now! It is so much fun to be around women creating life.

I was hired by a friend to photograph her and her family in the weeks before the birth of her second baby. She looked amazing and it was such a joy.
Here are a few of my favorites:
I was also able to give my dear friend, Pam, a mother blessing.
It was a wonderful afternoon. She wrote about it in detail on her blog, with photos and all.Pam is a true kindred spirit and I just love her.

You know Spring has arrived...

...when you find...

treasures hidden from the winter, reappear on the patio;

and little boys digging in the dirt;
peas being planted;
and cold frames created...
...and then planted (lettuce and spinach);
and little hands as dirty as this...
...we are a happy, happy family these days.

New Year Tree

We have had one hell of a winter here at the homestead. Cold temperatures, coupled with illness and buckets of snow have really kept us indoors. The real challenge falls on the mama, who has to plan snow days in such a way that everyone maintains sanity!

We've been making lots of art to help with this and trying to work some sort of education into the mix....thus, our "Tree of Thanks" evolved with the seasons and became our "New Year Tree".

Each of the boys made a snowman and we collaboratively collaged and helped our tree shed it's autumn leaves and grow a blanket of snow. All the while we talked about the new year and what we hoped it would bring. Sam spoke of playing with his friends; Arlo wished the new year to bring Legos, and Otis just whined as I kept pulling him away from the hot glue gun.

It was a very fun project for all of us. The boys posed for these pictures, dressed for the snow and all (Sam's idea). I think that our tree will continue to change with the seasons and Spring is just around the corner...