Earth Hour

Last night, our family took part once again in Earth Hour.

Nick was asleep by 8:30, so Andy, Nate, and I gathered around the ol' kitchen table by candlelight. We played games, discussed the Earth and shared our gratitude for all she gives- simply spent time together sans the distractions of modern day.

Every year we do this, I reflect on how that hour must be indicative of how people many years ago, during a time before electricity illuminated their homes, bonded with their loved ones. The time spent during Earth Hour was powerful- the focus was entirely on being together, enjoying one another's presence. We told jokes, spooky stores, belly laughed, played hand shadow charades, and made up an alphabet game that included learning about animals. So while I'm grateful for many of the modern day conveniences, I am reminded of how good it is to unplug every now and then and enjoy each other as purely and simply as Earth Hour has reminded us to do. 

Chickpea Salad's Got Me Missing Wild Oats Market

Today for lunch, the boys and I ate a simple chickpea salad that I made from recollecting a similar dish at Wild Oats market.  It it basically chickpeas, finely diced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, scallions, fresh parsley, and a dressing made of olive oil, lemon juice, mashed garlic, salt and pepper. The salad is light and refreshing and perfect for spring.

That salad did, however, bring back memories of springtime at Wild Oats marketplace here in Columbus. Bittersweet.  Can one have a bittersweet memory of a marketplace?? I think so. I first started shopping for whole foods in the late 90's, just after obtaining my driver's license. Back then, it was just little old me buying groceries for myself, so I could spend hours at the marketplace, which I did often.  Although nowadays, I'm not afforded the same luxury of time shopping, and sadly, Wild Oats is not in Columbus anymore.  It has been replaced by the large Whole Foods chain.  Whole Foods is a lovely marketplace, but doesn't carry the same homey, down to earth vibe that Wild Oats did.  Wild Oats would transport me to Northern California, a place I love, cherish, and hope to return to at least visit someday soon. 

Until then, I'll just enjoy this nice salad and supplement my Wild Oats longings with regular trips to the natural marketplaces here in town. We're fortunate to have a few. 

Living Near Water

One of the huge perks of our new house is that we live within walking distance to the Scioto River. As in, half a mile at most. If anyone knows me well, they know it has been my dream for so many years to live by the ocean. And not the typical hot, beach-y ocean but a cooler coastal scene, like Oregon, Washington, or northern California on the west coast, Vancouver in Canada, or Maine or Vermont on the east. I feel at home near the water, where it's misty, foggy, mellow and just perfectly chill, and have for as long as I can remember. So the fact that we were able to find such a wonderful home so close to a body of water in central Ohio is a blessing.

Growing up in the country, I was fortunate to have daily access to the Earth in a myriad of forms; our home sat sandwiched between two woods that was full of life.  Near the back of our property ran a little stream, and I remember gravitating to that corner of our piece of Earth.  I would sit on a stone or a tree trunk and simply listen to the sound of the water and watch how it flowed. I noticed how the rest of nature interacted with the water, and how the water responded to the rest of nature. It was an unforgettable space where I could just be.

Since Andy was recently accepted into a Ph.D. program at Ohio State here in Columbus, we'll be here for at least the next five or so years. I'm incredibly grateful for this opportunity for him to advance his education in such an honorable way, and am happy to be growing roots here with our family. I understand fully that we may stay here indefinitely, and I trust in the plan God has for our family, which for now means central Ohio. Luckily, Ohio has its own beauty, and we are fortunate to live close to a river that can provide an excellent environment for our children to play, learn, and be, for our family to spend time hanging out and watching the sunsets, and quench that thirst of mine to be close to a body of water.

Last Friday, the boys and I spent a little time down by the river.  Nate now asks to visit the river daily!

Getting Settled

Spring is coming. You can feel it in the air. Today the snow has started to melt, and I noticed more birds chirping. We've had an unusually cold and snowy late February and early March, and many people I know are eager for Spring to be here.  I suppose I look forward to the mobility that comes with spring- it isn't particularly easy to do winter travel, even if just down the street, with two little boys. But I do appreciate winter as being a time for slowing down, reconnecting with those we love, and taking pause.  The essential Danish hygge philosophy.

Around here, we have been using this time to really get settled in our new home, to get to know it. We found a little cedar lined closed beneath the stairs that is the perfect spot for emergency preparedness supplies. I have been observing the amount of winter sunlight throughout the day, and how it shines on different parts of the properties.  I've even enjoyed finding the places on the floor where the hardwood creaks, and in general just caring for and tending to this little piece of Earth we are grateful to call our own.

Before I became a mother, I remember how easily I could complete a home project. That is certainly not my story anymore! Most days we spend playing, cooking, imaginative play, chores, and just spending time with one another. Soon, we will be adding time outside to that mix. It is the way I wish to live, and raise our children, so I wouldn't change a thing.  But, because my attention is so focused on them, it's been challenging to get everything unpacked an in its proper place, let alone start a project. But that's okay. There is no rush. I'd really rather be spending time with these two little guys any day of the week anyway. 

That being said, there are a few projects that I'd love to complete for our new home.  Refinishing our 1971 Ethan Allen dining room table, painting several rooms to bright, light shades of white, sewing billowy window treatments,sewing pillow covers for the living room, and a few others. Hopefully I'll be able to start on those soon, but if not, I'll just have to get used to the avocado color on my living and dining room walls.