Happy Friday...

Taking a quick breather from the overwhelming stack of papers that I need to grade.  I just might have to take my computer out to the garden this afternoon for a change of scenery!!  I love this phase of the garden cycle... everything is busting out and getting bigger by the minute.  Happy plants and tons of hope for what the next few months will bring...

Happy May Day!

One of my absolute favorite traditions is May Day!  May Day has old Pagan roots (an important  celebration of spring) as well as more recent connections with worker and immigrant rights (it is International Workers' Day).  I love marking this day with all of that in mind!  As a kid, however, May Day was all about the May Day Basket!  My mom used to take us around the neighborhood where we would put a basket (filled with cookies and flowers... always lilacs!) on a neighbor's doorknob, ring the doorbell, and run!  We did this over and over and it was so much fun.  I've upheld this tradition with my own kids (minus the lilacs because they don't grow here and minus the running... the kids love personally delivering the goodies to their friends!). 

Here is how we do our baskets... First, we make the baskets (the kids decorate paper plates and then we fold them into baskets and add ribbon handles).  Then we gather flowers from the yard (this year we had snap dragons, roses, marigolds, and mint to choose from!).  Finally, we add cookies, flowers, and flower seeds to create little baskets of cheer!  Once the baskets are made, we deliver them to friends and neighbors.  It is definitely one of my favorite days of the year... and a wonderful way to welcome spring!

Soggy...

With rain gear, water proof boots, a brave friend, and plenty of snacks (see recipe for the best no-bake energy balls below)... I made my way to Merefest on Sunday.  It was soggy, but we had a blast!  The music was amazing and the performers were particularly generous with the rain drenched crowds (the Avett Brothers played one of the bests sets I've ever seen... it was awesome!).   

I used to make these no-bake energy balls (I called them nursing nuggets!) all the time when my kids were babies.  This weekend, I realized that they are also the perfect music festival food!  I am also thinking they will make their way into my kids' packed lunches next year!

Recipe (found here):
1 cup raw oats
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup chia seeds, (you can also use flax instead)
1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, refrigerate for 30 minutes, roll into bite-sized balls.

In the garden...

In addition to some very happy plants (lettuces, chard, spinach, radishes, onions, peas, beans, carrots, and broccoli for now), we have a frog (or two) who have taken up residence in the garden!   These little guys are most welcome, but if I ever catch the chickens in there again, they will be very sorry (though I can't be too mad at the ladies since I was the one who left the garden gate open... and the lettuces are very delicious so who could blame them)!

Blog to book...

This here blog is my third... and after seven years (!) I was looking for a way to capture some of my favorite posts and photos.  A few years ago, I found a program (Blurb) that can take a blog and transform it into a book!  It imports posts (words and photos) and then you can format/edit the resulting book in a number of cool ways.  The other day I finished and ordered my first three years of books (one book/year).  Now I'm working on the next three years (a summer project most likely!).  It has been really amazing to share these with my kids... for them to see just how much they have grown.  Someday (perhaps when they have babies of their own), I hope they find these little books comforting, amusing, and filled with all of our unconditional love.

Weekending...

This past weekend was filled with live music and lots of fun (Friday night we got to see DJ Spooky and the Dead Tongues and then we hit the ever enchanting Shakori Hills on Saturday).  The Earth Day parade was particularly awesome...

Almost five...

My sweet (almost five year old) boy got his hands on the camera and it was pretty cool to see the shots he captured.  His favorite photo? The chicken butt... of course!