Learning something new

Since December, I've rarely been on the internet, except to google a few things and to buy some others. I have checked email once or twice a day, though sometimes I've even forgotten to do that. I didn't plan to stop checking blogs or writing here. It was the result of learning something new. It started with meditating. Consistently. Every day. That was new. And then I wanted to learn how to paint. Last week, it was collages.

In addition, waiting for Gillen to come out of his guitar class one day, I bought a keyboard. I've been reteaching myself piano (it's been thirty years). Crazy, eh? I'm lovin' it.

Of course, when you are surrounded by kids who have the freedom to follow every new passion and whim where it may lead, you tend to want to follow suit. Especially when they are old enough that there is room in the day to do so.

And it was Zoe. My friend Zoe left this world in early January after a long battle with breast cancer. She was so intense in her commitment to her kids and to her other passions; I think I have felt inspired to live fully committed to every moment, since I am still here and I can. Zoe means life. I feel imbued with life right now.

Though it may only happen once a month, I do want to stay connected to family and friends through this blog, and by reading others' wonderful blogs. Facebook - hmmm. That's a bit harder to take on part-time, but it feels better than quitting it completely, for now.

Today, several inches of snow had the boys building forts in the backyard and I picked up my camera - for the first time in months.

Again, after getting snow here just last March, a winter wonderland, here in Georgia:
Life is good.

Still white

It's been like seeing snow for the first time. I feel like a hobbit, buried cozily under so much white.


This morning, Tuki was so excited to discover that Jesse had also come outside for a walk in the snow.

SNOW Day!

I wished for Spring and got something so much better - a March 1st Georgia snowstorm! Jesse had never seen snow that he could remember and Gillen had never seen anything like this.

It started in the middle of the day with wet flakes, many of them as big as a half dollar. They didn't seem to be sticking but who expected anything like accumulation. We were just grateful they'd decided to show up.
I got a picture of the snow in my hair, thinking that was big.
Jesse made a large snow ball by collecting snow from around the trampoline for several runs.We discovered that you can look up into the falling snow more easily when the overhanging porch protects your eyelashes. Jesse called real snow "way better then he ever could have dreamed".
We had lots of walks with Tuki who discovered that she loves snow, and lots of snow ball fights with the neighborhood kids.
And we hadn't seen nothin' yet! There was loads of accumulation and now, hours later, it's still coming down. It is tapering off, which is good for our hoop houses at the farm, but just for one magical day (and maybe tomorrow?) it was a freshly covered, memory-provoking, abundant New England wonderland, in Georgia.
At one point, I was inside thawing my feet (we have the wrong shoes down here - I'd used sneakers until they were soaked and then cowboy boots). The kids and Nicolas were just outside playing. I heard a loud explosion, and then silence. They ran back and reported having seen a snow laden branch that was resting on a wire suddenly burst into flame. The fire immediately went out and so did our power.We had our little wood stove cranking, lots of candles, and a gas stove to make some simple food. The kids played a board game by candlelight and then decided to play their instruments for us in the inviting golden light. It was so Little House on the Prairie, with a bit less fiddle experience ; ). I was thinking about how happy I was to go to bed early (I had a bad migraine last night) when suddenly the power came back, and with it our ability to stay up and get our entertainment elsewhere. I guess eventually it would have gotten old. While I typed this, I'd left the light in this room off and the candles burning. But the typos were getting scary.