The Beginning

I have been thinking about this post for a while.  The words have been flitting through my mind for weeks, but I haven’t been able to get a handle on them.  I thought they would come when the kids started school or over Labor Day weekend when all of the Fall decorations came out of storage and my home its metamorphosis into shades of red, orange, yellow, and brown.  But the days were still hot and sticky, and the nights stifling.  It wasn’t time yet. 

Then, when I began my “Uncovering Happiness” project, and started on my first resolution of restoring order to house and home, I thought, “Now the words will settle and allow themselves to be written.”  But this new project has been met with some resistance.  Not by me, but by the time I can’t seem to find in the 24-hour cycle of the rising and setting of the sun.  The only words available were words of frustration and annoyance…and those words have no place here.

I was starting to lose hope.  I was beginning to think that Fall has lost its magic.  That perhaps I was falling into the same melancholy state that gripped me at the beginning of summer.  I was becoming anxious and restless and was prepared to write off the whole season before it began. 

Then today I woke up and the sun wasn’t shinning.  The morning was cool and crisp and overcast.  And by midafternoon, when I still hadn’t had to turn on the AC, I thought, it’s finally here…and the words stopped and sighed with relief.  You see, Fall is my favorite season.  And I don’t just mean like purple is my favorite color…no, Fall is my season. 

Spring tends to be the season many associate with “The Beginning”.  After the cold bleakness of Winter, Spring, and all its glorious colors warm us…flowers bloom, winged friends busily begin to spreading life, and the sun breaks through the clouds warming our hearts and our lives.  But for me the true beginning begins when August gives way to September and the leaves start changing and falling.  I literally feel the Earth cleansing itself and making room for the new, and so, I also begin cleansing and making room for the new.  September sets the tone for the rest of the year.  There is another round of birthdays to plan, the holidays to divvy up among friends and family, and the new school year.  I beginning planning for breaks – Christmas, Spring Break, and Summer – so that budgets are established and time off work can be arranged.  It is a busy time, but it fills me with hope and anticipation for the year ahead.  My season.  The one I look forward to all year long.

I know it’s technically not Fall yet, but today I feel it in the air.  Today I feel the magic of this wonderful season, and I can see clearly all the good that awaits us this year.  Today I am at the beginning…and it is glorious indeed!  I hope yours is too!

Today's 5

Happy Summer Solstice!!!

We Are Sprouting!!

The first sprouts are in!!

Tuesday Tip

Every once in a while I come across great websites or suggestions for activities, outings, eateries, or just things that make life easier. Thought I would share these finds with all of you in what I hope will be a semi-regular post.

Last week, I was searching for some Spring activities to do with Isabella on Family Education. This is a great parenting website where you can find everything from recipes to printable activities to parenting articles. Anyhow…I was surfing around and found these great wallet-sized seasonal produce lists. They give you a list of fruits and vegetables that are in season and those that are available all year around. They have them for all four seasons; so, if you are new to buying in season, like me, or just need a reminder from time-to-time, you can cut these out and stick them in your wallet for easy reference when you are at the farmers market or at the grocery store. There may be more comprehensive lists out there, but these are a good start. If you know of any others, or if you found this tip to be helpful, please don’t hesitate to post in the comments!

Spring Has Sprung! (Part 2)

When I decided to undertake the project of “Springing up” my home, it also occurred to me that it would be fun to celebrate the first day of Spring as a way to officially welcome the season.  And what better way to plan a Spring celebration than by going online and finding out how other people celebrate.  My search generated a lot of results for Wicca sites and, while fascinating and worthy of further study, their ritualistic nature didn’t seem to be quite the right fit for our family.  Some of the other sites related Spring celebrations to Easter and all that it entails.  While I found a few interesting ideas, it quickly became apparent that I was on my own and I would just have to wing it.

After much contemplation, I decided that there was really one activity that would work well for my family and, in my opinion, feel like a true celebration of Spring…doing something out of doors.  What better way to honor the changes that Spring brings than by observing it firsthand.  I thought a fun way to do this would be to go strawberry picking at our local farm.  It is a yearly tradition for us to go apple picking in the Fall, so establishing a Spring strawberry picking tradition seemed right up our alley.  Unfortunately, the first day of Spring in So Cal dawned cold, rainy, and dreary, so I had to find a Plan B.  I decided that instead of going to nature, we would bring nature to us. 

Now, I have to say (as my husband will confirm), I don’t do well with plants.  We have no plants in our home because no matter how hard I try to successfully own a plant, at some point I forget to water it and it dies.   So the idea of starting a garden is overwhelming and downright scary.  However, in my quest to try to eat healthier and teach my children to do the same, I decided it was time to try our hand at patio gardening (we live in a condo, so space is very limited).  I bought a 72-cell mini greenhouse kit at Target and some vegetable, fruit, and flower seeds.  We cleared out a space in our garage and spent the afternoon sowing our seedlings.

We prepared the soil…

And carefully planted our seeds (carrots, cucumbers, peas, and cherry tomatoes).

Then we made our markers and placed them in appropriate spots.

Isabella had a great time.  She asked a lot of questions about gardening:  When will they grow?  When can we eat them?  We explained how the greenhouse works.  For at least a couple of hours we forgot all about the rain and enjoyed the smell of fresh, wet earth and the feel of the dirt as we dug our fingers in to make room for the seeds.

I can’t make any promises that this gardening endeavor won’t turn out like all the rest, but this time I feel a little more vested for some reason.  Maybe the fact that we are started from square one – the seed – brings out the nurturer in me.  Maybe it’s because Isabella and I are working on this together and I want it to succeed for her.  Whatever the reason, I am committed giving this my best shot.  We will keep you posted on the progress of the first ever Araujo Family Garden.  Keep your fingers crossed!


Oh...and before I go...here is a picture of our delicious spring dinner:  beef tenderloin with heirloom cherry tomatoes (from farmers market), shallots, and blue cheese, and roasted fingerling potatoes and carrots (from farmers market)...YUM!

You can find the recipe for the tenderloin here.  Happy eating and happy spring!