Practicing Patience - Yarn along

I am not exactly known for my patience ususally. The more it surprises me to find myself rather calm and peaceful these last days. Due Date has passed without any exhiting news. Friends and families keep checking, but me, I just try to be still and listen to my body and my child. I feel so certain they will let me know when they are ready for this birth. I am just praying doctors and midwifes will give us the time we need and that I stay strong enough to trust my own feelings as long as possible.

A friend of mine has sent me this picture yesterday by the artist Itaiana Battoni. It was shown via the Mother Health International Faceboook page and said:

"The concept of a 'due' date is something that is very abstract in many cultures. If, like in Uganda, you count a pregnancy by the moons, you end up having a 'due month' and baby comes when she is perfectly ripe without causing mama lots of anxiety."

My children being half Ugandans I found this picture and wisdom so comforting and just the perfect thing to be given on my due date.

The days of the due month are special for sure. Even though it is my second child, each day is spent knowing it could be the last one of my life as I have known it. Something new is coming, someone else who will mix up everything. So there are special moments in every day that I live more aware and present somehow:
This morning, after I came from a doctors appointment I very spontaneously went for a (very short) walk into our nearby forest. There was still ice on the pond, the air crisp and chilly but the sky was blue and sunbeams stroke  my face. Almost invisible still, there was the first hint of green around the bushes. But the actual truth was told by all those birds: spring is just around the corner! It was one huge concert and I told my child how wonderful this earth is and that I want to show her all its beauty. What a magical half an hour time a spend there.

Last night I suddenly felt like baking. Something I had not done in quite a while. There was flour, milk and yeast in the house, so I decided on some buns. While the dough rose I thought I should make some special buns, some "due date buns" maybe. So I added some amaranth cerial to the dough with sesame and nuts, something that would keep me going the next days. In my blessing way book I found some simple symbols related to birth and shaped the buns like them. There is the Native American "Wheel of Life" (the round bun with the cross), the Maori "Koru" (the spiral) which symbolizes new beginnings and the Egyptian "Key of Life" that symbolizes birth.

I finished all the planned baby projects, knitting and sewing wise and most of the things I wanted to do around the house so I picked up some old sock project that has been sitting around for far too long. We'll see how far I get this time... 

My sister has gifted me to a skein of lovely handspun ocean colored single merino and I am still contemplating, what I should use it for. Any ideas anyone? It is very soft yarn but I am not so sure it will work for a baby project because it seems unwashable without felting to me. I am not sure.

There are many books on my night desk these days. One I have devoured (no photo) by recommendation of Lori is Spiritual Midwifery. Such a bible for birthing really. And of course I could not resist to get the 1000 Days journal by Nikki McClaire for my baby. I hope I will really manage to keep it up for her. Then there is a Doula book and one on my ever so fascinating topic of gender and a few others, I pick a page here and a passage there. Sweet days of due month...

I am joing Ginny for Yarn Along today.

The Blessingway Quilt

I wasn't actually sure baby and me would make it to our own blessingway on Saturday but somehow we did, and she still seems to feel comfortable enough  to stick around for another few days. Which is great because it gives me time to finish the very last bits and pieces. 

Since I read about a blessingway for the first time, I think it was over at Soulemamas, I so strongly wanted to give one myself, but as it happend I was the next one to get pregnant. So I was very, very happy to find out my girlfriends liked the idea too and made me have one, just the way we felt it suited us (not too much of the esotericism please). We got most of our inspiration from this wonderful book.

Attending my own blessingway was such a treat; I am still feeling so warm and loved just thinking about it. I didn't take any pictures of it though, it just didn't feel right, so words will have to do:

We met Saturday night, me and six of my closest girlfriends. After getting comfortable with tea, music, candles and oil (Every woman had brought one of those items) my friends started by introducing themselfs with the story of how they met me. And even though most of them knew eachother before some had not heared those stories yet and it was more then sweet to revisit those moments again and value friendship in such a way. We contiuned with sharing our own story of birth, of what our mums told us about it and those of us who had given birth already shared those stories too. Of course we didn't always focus 100% on the schedule so at one point we ended up talking about cars... but it just felt good anyway.

We talked about my fears and hopes for this birth, for Aarons sister, about family and friendship matters and just felt it all grow stronger. We each wrote a short letter to the unborn baby to give to her when it is time, maybe when she will turn 18? 

To make me feel supoorted and strong during the birth I recieved a bead for a bracelet from everyone which I will wear from now on and I also gave a small bracelet to each of my girlfriends to wear until they have seen the baby for the first time (or longer of course). It is so fascinating to see how such small   things can become so full of meaning and value if you give it the right moment, love and attention.

I also got pampered with a lovely foot massage and during that treat, one of the girls read a meditativ story she had written exclusively for this night.
In the end all my friends put their hands on my belly and spoke blessings, prayers and sweet words. 

While we talked on and off I continued to sew the last stitches on my baby quilt binding (that I started last summer right after I found out I was pregnant) and what better time could there have been to finally finish it? I can't stop myself from staring at it, I am so in love with it. Of course I will always call it the Blessingway Quilt.

It is time to give birth now...

Thank you!

Today I recieved a wonderful package from Canada. I had won a give-away over at Pin and Purl and could choose any two items of Christines Etsy shop, which wasn't easy... In the end I decided for the embroidered spring flowers and the printed vegetable greeting cards. And that was a great choice. Isn't it all so, so pretty? And I love the peacock feather printing bookmark so much! 

Thank you Christine, I feel so lucky!

Since I experienced again how much fun it is to win a give-away, I was also inspired in my last post, to host one myself, I hid it a little so see if you can find it ;-) I will leave the comments open until next Weekend (22.7.)
It is fun to find places for my little crocheted blossoms. And it makes me very happy to use my handspun yarn as much as possible, even as strings for this little linen project bag that I made for my crotchet stuff.

That spirit!

Women, yarn, fiber, herbs, kettles, wheels, needles, food, a very old farm and summer, the recipe for a truely magical afternoon like my sister and me spent it on Sunday. Such a special day. We had signed up for a class on how to dye with natural colors at a fiber-festival at an old farm house an hours drive from Cologne run by a family who reminded me a lot of the Soule family. If you speak German you can find out more about them and there wonderful lifestyle here. (For example they have a basket weaving weekend coming up in November!)

Here you see some wool we dyed with onion skin and walnut. Vibrant, honest colors. 

Our teachers have dyed the whole palette in years of experiementing. Isn't it just amazing! 

Of course there was lots and lots of spinning too and good food and, yes there was this spirit. The spirit of wonderful women (and a few men) who know and tender the old crafts of their anchestors. It is hard to describe but maybe you have had the chance to feel that spirit somewhere before. It is pure!

May I...

I thought long about showing you this, but somehow it makes me so very happy that I do want to share it with you, in all modesty.
Since I got my first (and so far last) digital SLR camera in 2005 I have been obsessed with photography. It has been my only creativ way to express myself for some years. ( Until, with the birth of Aaron I rediscovered all the other means I do have and that I have been sharing with you in this space, through photography).
The above picture I toke in 2006. It shows my friend seconds after having given birth to my godchild. It  shows a very special, intimate moment of first bonding. I was very blessed my friend wanted me to be there during birth and it has been one of the very special times of my life since.
A few weeks back I shared this picture in a Flickr Group of the blog Rhythm of the Home under the topic of "motherhood"and afterwards forgot about it again.
I had been looking forward to the summer issue of the wonderful "Rhythm of the Home" magazin and when it went online June 1st I was very exhited to read all the wonderful articles from the different contributers. Only to find out I was somehow one of them. My picture was chosen as one of the favourite ones on motherhood and shown in an article about "A photographic Journey" and it can also be seen in the header of their blog. My what a surprise and honor!
Being artists and crafters yourself maybe you know what a wonderful feeling it is to see your work getting acknowledged. But being able to contribute to this wonderful community out there is truely amazing!

Gratitude - Dankbar

It is your family.

Let your feet dangle.

Don't pass on your responsibility.

Say clearly yes.

Say clearly no.

Lay down on the earth with your child and watch the stars.

Be brave.

Do what you are afraid of.

Relax.

What is really beautiful today?

Mind your own limits.

Say clearly "I don't know"

Walk barefeet through the wet grass.

You only owe yourself.

Show it when you are happy.

Show it when you are sad.

Sing out loud and wrong when you are cycling.

Enjoy the wind in your hair.

Read books that make you feel good.

Manchmal gibt es Tage, da gibt es so vieles für das ich dankbar bin. Eigentlich gibt es natürlich jeden Tag viele Dinge, aber an manchen Tagen ist das Glück einfach greifbar. Ein solches Glück kam heute mit der Post aus Österreich. Wunderschöne, selbst fotographierte (!) Karten, liebe Worte, und ein Fläschchen Heilung für meine chronisch verstopften Nasennebenhöhlen, eine Huflattich-Tinktur von Maria vom Kreativberg. Hab ganz, ganz lieben Dank dafür Maria! Ich liebe auch die Worte auf der Karte, sie sind so ermutigend, das tut gerade sehr gut und gibt mir das Gefühl doch manchmal etwas richtig zu machen mit meiner Familie, denn das lange Pfingstwochenende war voll solcher intensiven Momente mit meinem Kind und uns ging es wunderbar damit eine dreckige Wohnung zu haben und stattdessen einfach den ganzen Tag im Park sitzen zu können. Mit Hilfe meiner wunderbaren Schwester (auch bekannt als Tante Auto) habe ich dann am Montag sogar meine gefürchtete Steuererklärung hinter mich gebracht, mit Schokokuchen mit Sahne lässt sich so etwas aber auch viel besser verkraften :-) Und es tat gar nicht weh und wir bekommen tatsächlich sehr sehr nötiges Geld zurück. Ich verstehe wirklich überhaupt nicht, wieso es mir immer soooo schwer fällt. Im Nachhinein bin ich dann so dankbar, dass es geschafft ist.

There are days when I am so grateful for everything. More then usual. Like today, when a little package of happiness from Austria arrived at my door. Maria had send me wonderful cards and homemade coughwort lotion for my chronical sinus problems. The words on the card she send mean a lot to me, they encourage and make me feel like sometimes I am doing the right thing caring for my child and my family the way I do, not minding a dirty house and rather spending a wonderful Pentecost weekend outside in the park. On Monday my dear sister helped me to master my tax return. Supported by chocolate cake even stuff like that can be kind of fun and I wonder why it always seems like such a burden before it is done. Especially since the outcome results in some very much needed cash return.

Reaching out for Summer

This is really my very favorite time of the year, I can smell summer just around the corner, but I still enjoy the fresh early mornings, the chill of spring. And the days are getting sooo long and bright... There is so much to do and I have really got into preserving the treasures of the season. But first let me introduce:

This lovely lady arrived here yesterday. Isn't she lovely, my dandelion-girl? What a star at the natural table she will be! Thank you so much Marta!

I have been to the zoo today, work wise, with my clients. Nathan is gone all weekend to visit a friend in bavaria so Aaron came along too, he is not very interested in most of the animals (yet?). Maybe he is like me and prefers the closer look, the direct touch. The only picture I took in the zoo was the one of poppys and some blue ones, oh those colors...

Are you surprised I had to add some more color to myself? The few hours a day that we spend at home are mostly spend on the balcony. It is really amazing how much can be done in such a small space.

Aaron talked to his dad on the phone, in a language only he understands (my mum thought it was some African language first but it is mainly Aaronish). I love how he copies us exactly when he "talks" on the phone.

And last but not least the latest harvest and preservation actions: I just had to buy some more rhubarb so I could fill a few jars with jam, Next to strawberry, rhubarb jam is my very favorite and its hard to find in the stores. Maybe I will make even more but I am running out of jars at the moment.

Good the elderflower syrup will get filled up into bottles and some of it frozen in ice cubes. And the spruce tops have to wait at least three weeks before I need a jars for the cold syrup. Thanks to Martha again, for instructions and link. Spruce and elderflower I have all harvest just behind our house, I had never noticed any of those possibilities last year. Blogging rises awareness for such things!

We will try to squeeze in as much late spring living into this weekend as possible. Are you joining in?

Sunday of Plenty

Some days just feel so much larger than others, larger as in so much more stuff fits into that day than into an average one. I really don't know how that happens. If it all depends on the way you start your day? Possibly starting the day with freshly bakes scones helps? What do you think?

A walk after breakfast with some brought in lilacs (?) might also do the trick...

A day like that certainly needs a lot of yarn, yummy colors, maybe some dyeing even, no harm in that!

Definately giving some extra special moment to your enlarged day will be having a good chat with your Papa under a blanket without Mama to see you. Papa needs lots and lots of soccer on telly on a day like that and some running during Aarons nap time.

Mama needs this:

Yes! Enjoying my new spinning wheel, at the balcony, so much! With a cute little boy discovering his toes showing out of his new summer shoes, how weird...

And anyway, sunday living at the balcony, never to be underestimated! Ooops, there's been a road accident... (no hurt feelings here, we have done the chalk drawings way earlier, I don' think he even recognized that stickmann, so it just looks a bit evil in the picture).

Some late spring seeding of Physalis... (late, since I forgot the seeds in the freezer. Because on the package it said to give them two weeks of frost, it might have been a few more, I hope they survived...)

Of course a day like that needs good, fresh food. We had some asparagus-potato salat with chives, olive oil and a little salt. Sooooo yummy!

Knitting? Sure there has been a wee bit of that too. (Never mind my toe nails need some up doing...)

But even a day full of plenty like that comes to an end. Too bad I can't take my wheel to bed with me, so here it is once more. I am so in love :-)

How has been your weekend? I hope to see you over at Amandas for Weekending!

Edit: happyly joing in Woolly Wednesday this month too. 

Treasures from my grandmothers closet

I am sure my late grandmother has owned some very valuable things, like jewelry, pottery and the like. We have not gone into the details of sorting through those things yet, it just didn't feel right. My grandfather wanted some closets to be cleared though. Look what I found: treasures!

Having grown up during the second world war, my grandma wasn't what you'd call a crafter, she was more of a fixer. She never threw things but mended them with care as well as she could. She only made things that were needed, like socks, table cloth, carpets. Like the one in the picture. When I said I would take it I was not sure at all wether I wanted it in our sitting room but I really like it now. It is so colorful and it makes me very happy to know that Aarons great-grandmother made the carpet he is playing on now. (He has another mat in his room that his ugandan godfather has brought for him from Uganda, the type of palm leafe mat Aarons ugandan grandmother makes.)

I love all these vintage aprons that I found. Unfortunatly I never wear aprons so I am thinking about using the fabric for something unique, like a quilt (never quilted before either, but it seems like a good reason to start, right?). I am not sure I can cut into those lovely pieces though...

And did you notice the hanger? WHY on earth does anyone knit or crochet around hangers? They are covered by clothes and are hidden in a closet most of their life (unless you have a blog and want to show off your sewings which I doubt my grandma did)... 

What treasures are hidden in your families closets?