time flies!

Happy holidays all!! Yep I'm still here... just got distracted :)

So much to write but am currently typing one handed with baby snoozing in the other. Just wanted to post a quick somethin' before the year ends. Because, gee... what a year. Okay I've re-situated to give me another hand to type, temporarily.

Our little man arrived on the morning of Nov 24th! He's beautiful and awesome. We hang out all day. Details soon: I want to type up his "birth story", note the ups and downs of our first month of learning how to do this mama/baby thang, and generally just blab on about how great he is and how much life has changed for the better since his arrival. Soon. Baby's stirring.

The above pic is A in a Christmas sleeper my brother B wore as a baby. Mom got a charge outta that.

cozy

Belly belly belly - it's the thing I see, feel, and think about most these days. Still time to enjoy it, I think. Baby still cozy, and I'm still relaxed having the little one with me. Only a couple more days of work. I'm getting tired of sitting all day, trying to stay focused... looking forward to replacing those efforts with organising the nest and afternoon naps.

We lit our first fire of the season this afternoon to get rid of the damp chill that's been hanging around all week (daily rain and grey 'ol days). Now it's warm, cozy, sleepy, lovely. We've also been working on making the house a little homier... pictures framed, rugs laid, shelves put up. Still lots to do but lately really realising we always have what we need (each other, health, happiness, etc) and that everything else is extra. And a baby is coming to boot - wow!

Hard to believe November is right around the corner... we're trimming store hours down for the winter, planting our garlic this weekend, putting wood on the porch, on and on and on.

frosty

Oops, we had frost last night and I didn't grab the remaining tomatoes. I think it was a light freeze tho so hopefully some will be salvageable. Hard to believe it's that time of year. The cold moves a few things that were on the back burner to the front - cleaning out the chicken coop, planting garlic, replacing the back door with a storm door, getting wood on the porch, etc.!

We've started making use of our new freezer - I grated and froze a whole bunch of scallop summer squash, along with some squash muffins and bread. Doubling recipes will likely become a new norm in these last months of preparing for baby time.

The car is officially broked so figuring out a new ride is in the works. A real hassle but it was inevitable and I suppose now is good time to deal with it. I'm lucky to have such a knowledgeable and helpful dad and brother not too far away.

Five weeks left of work. Amazing. D's finished painting the little one's room so now what's left is "just" flooring and trim. So close!

from the land of idling vehicles

I'm on store duty today while D finishes the last bit of dry walling around the new shelves in baby's room. Sitting here watching the endless stream of long-weekend-visiting vehicles wait their turn at the lights in our tiny town.

I just returned from a walk to the garage to pick up my car - the brakes went funny on me yesterday so I drove it to the shop last night. Today they're working so the garage wasn't able to "fix" anything. Anticipating them going weird again, and eventually a $300 fix for a new master cylinder. Also apparently front left wheel bearing needs replacing. Oh rusty '97 Malibu, how you age. Eventually a new vehicle will have to be figured out... looking like sooner rather than later. And D's car isn't too far behind needing replacing either. Cha-ching!

Most of the extra cash from the store this summer went right back into it, but I think we're starting to top off inventory-wise and can settle into just replacing stuff vs expanding. We should be mostly set till Christmas. Anticipating profit in the coming years! And a web store... hoping it's something I can work on between mat leave and baby, while waiting for the little one to arrive.

30 weeks pregnant today - the countdown feels real now, with only 10 weeks left to go (eee! aahhh!). Still much to do, but with summer winding down, there's less travel and more free-ish time to spend preparing house and home. Tho the tireds have returned and I'm pretty low energy... but things get done in tiny bubbles of moments, which I've become increasing good at capitalizing on.

Wacky car, enduring gravel pile, and bratty puppy.

The dawgs are starting to feel a little more high maintenance, with Lune newly enjoying high-speed chases down the driveway to the road (such a scamp). Our road is mostly quiet, but the stress of it is still exhausting so we've taken to chaining her a lot of the time now. The plan is to train her to stay within the electric fencing, like Whisk. Not looking forward to that, but it will make for a happier pup and easier life.

the pursuit of beautiful things

Store duty this weekend means spending some extra time surfin' the www. Aside from stroller and car seat research (yawn), I've been on the hunt for some new interesting and inspiring blogs to add to my google reader. For obvious reasons I'm starting to add mama bloggers, tho still keeping up with a handful of small-scale farmers. Belly is growing, garden is getting more weedy. So it goes... one can only tend so many things!

*photo and handmades by my amazing sister-in-law maria

I'm in awe of all of those out there dedicated to surrounding themselves with beauty. Creating, collecting, capturing lovely bits to eat, hold, and look at. I yearn for making the time, having the patience to dedicate to this pursuit. Making our spaces, our clothes, our food healthy, clean, and ...beautiful. There's a part of the soul that needs that. Also the ability to capture it all artfully, preserving and showcasing such warm memories and accomplishments.

Curious to see if maternity leave will somehow motivate me - the desire to fill moments with special, important things that have real life, tangible payback, without distraction from work, and a higher priority put on home-life. I'm not sure. Trouble is I have a personality that's cool with casualness and half-assed-ness. My gardens flower, but they're far from admirable. Some day?

What am I doing instead of striving for beauty? Working, lying around, looking at blogs...