turning 18

celebrating late at night is probably just what 18 year olds expect of themselfs and who ever is around to celebrate...

our oldest turned 18 yesterday, what a joy what a blessing to have dessert together and sing for the grown boy! he was home late, not intentionally planned this way, but as he is practicing with a band for a concert (a master student, having to do the conducting of a band and choir, for which elias was asked to play the violin), so he really could not chicken out on this practice. we waited until after 10pm and were all very happy as he came home and have ice creme cake together on this so hot early summer evening.
the plan was to sit outside in the garden, but just a few minutes before he came home it started to rain... it really didn't matter, and rain was very much needed (we have a super dry hot week behind us), i didn't mind to sit down in the kitchen.

o big boy, taller as his mama, speaking with a wonderful deep voice now, we love you. it's fun and mostly exciting to be your mama. some times i have to learn to step back and let you go, to enable you to do your things without me watching or even knowing. i trust you, and yes i'll let you go with a happy heart, certain you know where home is. blessings showered upon you, the Lord keep you and watch over you, what ever is awaiting you around the next corner.

my crazy hot 10k

yes it has been me, running the 10k at the winterthur marathon event. i know just 10k's in the mid days heat of may the 28th, usually fine and not broiling hot as it was last sunday. the track was for the first half mostly through light forest and then the second 5k's were in the glittering sun (32C). i have not trained in hot weather yet and it totally crushed me. the last 2k's were painful and i helped an other guy to sit down on a bench along the track. but just upon arriving at the finish i collapsed myself.

definitely a new experience.... not one i was looking for or thinking of.
though at least i finished within the possibilities, i guess 51:43. 3rd in my category (overall 19th). though i wanted to beat the 50!

it took me a moment to realize what was going on, a friend of mine was close to the finish and helped me, the first aid helpers were there and i was getting some cool water and isotonic drinks. my friend called joel and then they brought me into a cool resting area. yup, laying on a cot with a drip attached, that was not at all what i expected as a result of the 10k's i ran. though it took me a while, i'm fine again and feel like my own self. and yes will run again and this with lots of joy

early summer bloom

my neighbors garden is in full bloom right now. and the best of it is, i see it and enjoy it and love it as the view out of my kitchen window. right above the sink, just lifting my head and looking out into my neighbors garden, it takes me away into a different world. i need it and i love it and thanked my neighbor for having such a great garden. it feels as if it is only there for me. of course my elderly neighbor takes well care and it is absolutely hers and she loves her garden too. but, i love to soak it up and in enjoy each moment of it.

many colors of columbine and the bright margaritas, are wonderful. there is also that poppy "field", bright red, it's popping open more every day. the days have been warm lately and sunny and yes it feels like early summer. the farmers cut the grass to make hay this past few days. after a very rainy and rather cold late april and early may, it is perfect and lovely now. the geranium in my balcony planters are enjoying the temperatures too and i already have to carry water up the stairs every day.
i don't mind though, it's good for my biceps and overall fitness, up the stairs to the second floor balcony with 10l on each side...

crafting and enjoying

we are discovering nature and collect little reminders of the wonderful world. the children decorated their egg cartons with decoupage, so much fun for all of us. first mixing the water and starch powder and then adding the colorful paper to the game....
the treasure boxes are beautiful and each child has her own. so far we added an ant (rubber) with a bible verse as well as a sunflower with a verse. there will be more items, like pebbles, seeds, wood pieces, clay, bark and grains....

i love the kids and i love the little project we do in those weeks between easter and summer brake. thank you to s and d, the two ladies working with the kids with me on sunday mornings.

poppies popping in my neighbors garden

my neighbor has a patch of poppies, i absolutely love it. it is right in front of my kitchen window. not super close, but it's well in sight. and just those past few days there has been a quick development.
for the past weeks it was really just the green plants springing up and as soon as the sun started to warm the days a bit more, they grew rapidly into almost one yard high stalks and leafs.
a wonderful observation, so spring like, it took my breath away and i had to walk over and take a few pictures...

popping poppies, perfect to look at.
those pictures where all taken in the evening hours, after supper. i will try to remember to take a few photos in the morning or late afternoon, when there is direct sun light. it will be a bit of a tricky, very bright situation, but never the less, i will give it a try and see what happens with it. maybe and that's what i'm hoping for, i get those red pedals in their whole fragility, we will see...

ranunculus

my little ranunculus!
my favorite flowers, i guess i can still call Thea a little favorite flower, as the three teenager in our family definitely not would want me to call them so....

just plain fun, how thea is posing for me, and i do love to take photos of her. of course lot's of them i don't show you or anyone else, but now and then i post one. she is happy, playful 8 year old, full of energy and love for others. like the flower, many layers of pedals and colorful at their fringes, that's resembling her in a wonderful and delicate way.
strong willed and loving the adrenalin kick best. not that you see this in the picture above, but i feel it every day and most days i love it a lot. some days are hard and sometimes we both are not working well together. though days like today are more frequent and filled with happiness, play and work, endurance is being trained and she loves it as much as she sometimes is dreaming away in her own world.
it's good to have her, especially as i'm reminded frequently those days, that elias our oldest is truning 18 at the of this month! how could have those years flown by so very quickly! (2008....)

drama in the sky

we had some spectacular clouds in the sky on saturday as well as sunday evenings. saturday was full of rainbows, two at one time and one of them was very clear and had a double showing. as you might expect, i absolutely didn't mind being on the bike riding toward the rainbow in a sprinkle of rain showers. it was all worth it and even thea was pedaling fine and enjoying the ride too. no pictures of the colorful installation, nature put up for us.
though then again yesterday, those clouds where just accumulating, moving and towering up. i love the cumulus formations, they are so dramatic and the power of wind and heavy clouds can not just be seen but really felt in the air.

that's a bit how my life is feeling too. lots of stuff going on, not threatening, not angst ridden or pushy, but lots and big things are being thought through by joel and me. it is of course as exciting and joy filled as it is big with ups and downs and turmoils. pulling and pushing around us.
maybe one day i will write it down here, maybe not, it's all too early and too emotional to take you on that ride. no added drama needed here....

drama in the sky is perfect and absolutely enjoyable!

the week :: through the lens

it has been on the back burner, i have not been taking a lot of photos for a while now, and that should change. so i put the "hand made" lens back on the camera body and got started this week. it touched me in a special way, as i wander and have the camera ready be it in the kitchen, or living room table... this enables me to see with new eyes and i like it. we will see if it sticks, it is a start to a new friday review of what caught my eye. there is to be said, that i was inspired by erin boyle and her blog "reading my tea leaves". she does a wonderful job and it is so inspirational to have a look at her photos...

:: 1. spring bloom in the garden, pretty and smelly

:: 2. the veggie share is looking delicious and the spring greens strong

:: 3. such delicious pink at our entrance, lovely and cheerful

:: 4. a bracelet i found, there is a name swirling in my mind, for whom it is (udireloforme)

:: 5. and this bowl from rice is just so much fun

the yellow of spring

when i'm out running these days, there is so much life and strong green around me. it feels empowering and life giving. it is nature, creation at it's very strong young life. the late snow has brought it's heavy weight two weeks ago and as the meadows have recovered, other crops have not.
there are many canola fields, which look yellow and in full bloom, but with a closer look, it's all broken off and bent half up the plant. the deep frost and freezing rolling across the area has "burnt" most grape vines, cherrie, wallnut and apricot blossoms and there will be devastating loss for the farmes with these crops. i has been sad to see some apple orchards collapse under the heavy load of snow. and then still it's spring and life is struggling until it awakens and so will be a next years for many of those trees, a next chance to bare fruit once again.

to the theme of yellow. we are living on eggs! there is scrambled eggs, egg benedict, deviled eggs as seen above, fried eggs, hard and soft boiled eggs and i'm tempted to start pickling those bountiful gifts from our chickens...

lots of bloom

there is that wonderful bouquet, which my florist friend dropped off on saturday night, while we were not even home (we were at a wedding, celebrating our neighbors big day). i usually don't like roses that much, but with that soft purple and lilac combination, it is pretty and even smells sweet and soft.

of course there is lots of bloom going on outside. we did have snow a week ago, but lots of flowers recovered, so did our strawberries, as they were somewhat sheltered near the house on our front stairs. i got two kinds. the regular white blooming ones and then some pretty pink ones, i just could not resist them. i really do not even care what kind of berries they will grow, they must be sweet as their blossoms and that will be just perfect with me, or who ever braves themselves to eat from our front steps.

and then, looking up into the sky, what a pretty blooming shrub, or is it a tree? i don't know, i enjoy it regardless of species, it is beautiful and absolutely to be enjoyed. it is spring and bloom all around me, amazing how nature is waking up and life springing up all over, such a blessing.

the week :: through the lens

it has been on the back burner, i have not been taking a lot of photos for a while now, and that should change. so i put the "hand made" lens back on the camera body and got started this week. it touched me in a special way, as i wander and have the camera ready be it in the kitchen, or living room table... this enables me to see with new eyes and i like it. we will see if it sticks, it is a start to a new friday review of what caught my eye. there is to be said, that i was inspired by erin boyle and her blog "reading my tea leaves". she does a wonderful job and it is so inspirational to have a look at her photos...

:: 1. lovely flowers, while it's a rainy and gray spring week

:: 2. and then was the first of may, i got a lot of quilting done

:: 3. and then i was enjoying two evenings out, running and strolling with T and the camera...

:: 4. to catch this little guy, yup a fox puppy (last night i met 4 of them and was super close, like not even           one yard!

loving the green

we got a big bag (big as really big) of spinach. it had to be washed and prepared and sauteed and enjoyed. though first i was looking at the bag and thinking of ways i could come up to prepare this load of lovely green. though it ended up, not being a big load, but rather just a nice dinner for the 12 of us at the table. i was surprised at the "little" amount which we had to, or rather could eat. it was lovely and elias was remarking, how he really likes this spinach, even though in the past he didn't like that green vegetable at all.

that makes my heart jump and leap. i remember very well the time, when i didn't like spinach at all. and then it all took a turn. while i was in my late teens, i was eating lunch at my great ant's house, she prepared spinach and fish, every friday for me and herself. i was not enthusiastic about this, but i got to like it and over the course of 3 years, i was so used to it, that i missed it when it was different.
my mom still doesn't prepare spinach frequently, maybe it's because my dad doesn't like it, i don't know. but i will pay more attention to this vegetable and keep sauteing, cooking and preparing it in all kinds of ways. maybe the other three kids will start liking it too!

the ride and the sight

a family bike ride over the hills in the toesstal....
we went to visit joel's sister and did so by bike. one way was easy just along the river and at the end 2 minutes up the hill. lots of sunshine and a wonderful chilling afternoon, eating chips and grilling what we brought along and what we were able to find in our hosts kitchen. the three girls were helping and so happy to have the big boys to play with. and to my surprise, i found myself on the warm bench in front of their house, almost falling asleep but not quiet, and totally enjoying the moment of "doing nothing". be still and gather up all the sun and brightness of that spring day.

on the way home, we decided to take the route over the hills. amos could not be not silly, but take the hiking path up, at some place, as it looked like a short cut...
he ended up pushing his bike across a pasture, never the less fun for all!

as well as a gorgeous sunset. we will be riding again and over those so very pretty hills, bringing the mountains close to home, a sense of vacation is flaring up in me.

1st of May

 

it is the first of may, and in most places around the world, this is workers day (i know, in the US you have labor day sometime in september....), never mind, i'm well aware that you are not a socialist country, and don't want to be one. maybe i do underestimate, but i have to smile while thinking, that switzerland has the first of may off from work. as we are not socialists but definitely like to have a diverse body of citizens and some of them celebrate and are on the streets today.

i use the day off for some good and quiet hours of sewing, naomi's skirt is done and A's target quilt is being quilted.....

and then there is the above political message. i do feel strongly about not privatizing hospitals and that's why i post this on my blog. yup, in general i do not post to much politics, but this time it has to be, as some folks want to privatize our hospital. they really think they can run it more effective and serve the people better that way. i very much doubt that and feel like, i have to speak up and get the people to the voting booths in three weeks!