I have had my fair share of inner struggles with Stuff… I don’t know about you, but I have a pretty complex relationship with some of the stuff in my life. This seems to be an inherited condition shared by family members. The animist ideas of Shinto, in which belongings have a spiritual force makes…
Category: Housekeeping
playing catch up.
Last year I wrote several posts that I never pushed the “Publish” button on. Over the next few weeks I am going to upload a few of them that still seem to hold truth for me. Much Love- iris
Is There Anybody Out There?
Hello! Hello! Hello! Happy Year of the Fire Monkey! And apparently at our house this is also the Year of the “White-odd-eyed-three-legged-deaf” cat! And Happy Year of the “Scruffy-green-eyed-post-barncat-RatBag” Too! The darkness is lifting around here. Spring is pushing up daffodils, pushing out pussy willow buds, and inspiring song sparrows to cut loose. I’m not sure…
Daring Excursions
My last post was on Cinco de Mayo when Joe and I had a beautiful walk in the woods, which were green and bursting with spring lushness. Since then I have been making slow progress on my 2015 intentions, specifically the massive house reorder a’ la Marie Kondo. My weeks are divided between working at the…
The Saturation Point
Oh happy May. Saturday Joe and I went for a delightful walk on an old logging road into the state forest behind Alderbrook. Immersing ourselves in bird song and the verdant growth of unfurling spring leaves. We spoke of what nurtures, of what fills up our batteries, and how to prioritize joyful activities. Both of us have a…
Life changing magic.
Anyone who knows me well knows that, in the words of my friend Gila, “You guys are ALWAYS cleaning your house!” True, and unfortunately our house is still usually in a state of mild to severe chaos. In other words, messy. During the dark days of founding the bakery, when it was sometimes difficult to…
Lessons from Apple Trees
The house I lived in until I was ten, had many apple trees on the property, both in the yard and out in the pasture to the east. These were big old trees, probably over a hundred years old. Though the apples from them were beset with scab and coddling moths, they were still very much worth…
We’ve got rhythm…
“Old man Trouble, I don’t mind him You won’t find him ’round my door I’ve got starlight, I’ve got sweet dreams I’ve got my man Who could ask for anything more? I’ve got rhythm, I’ve got music I’ve got daisies in green pastures I’ve got starlight, I’ve got sweet dreams I’ve got my man Who…
long time travellers
“These fleeting charms of earth Farewell, your springs of joy are dry My soul now seeks another home A brighter world on high” Wailin’ Jennys Traveling today to New Mexico, to visit my sister where she lives on a remote high altitude ranch. We will miss the last days of beautiful September in Oregon, and…
Riding the Pooka 