Summertime Simmer

We are simmering back into the daily routine of summertime days. Coming off the tail wind of a summer road trip back home to Cali. Future travel photos ahead. This morning's early chores included topping of the herbs for bushier growth. The garden needs to be reseeded due to lack of watering while away and rabbits entering the garden and enjoying our crops. Skirting the storage shed is a must, thats how they are entering under. There are so many home improvement projects which we will gladly do for we are staying in Texas for a long haul.

 

I've switched to a vegan diet ( more on that later) and chopped mixed fruit salads are so cooling in this heat. The compost is a beautiful mix in itself. Just catching up here on this space. I was gifted a new computer and I'm learning the ease of operation on it. So far so good. I'm at that stage where all my electronics have hit that planned opulence. Remember the movie The Brave Little Toaster?

Lucky 7 ~ SOB Chronicles

I've made it to my 7 months of sobriety I started in early December. If I hadn't fallen off the wagon a few I could proudly announce seven years. Can't go backwards , only movement forward into future and in the now success.  The morning started of with me deciding to get back into my yoga practice and  detoxing on a mind, body , spirit level. This revelation came to me at 2:58 am. The roosters are confused crowing so early, or was it an ordained wake up call.

Blue Print of Proposed Routine

Morning Routine:

• Wake up at 5:00 a.m.
•  Oil pull
•  Glass of water with lemon
•  Yoga practice
•  Journaling / Blogging
•  Nourishing breakfast
•  Outdoor walk
•  Garden / yard care

 Afternoon Routine:

• House chores
• Lunch
• Office Work
• Reading
• Home repair or craft projects
• 3:00 rest & meditation

Night Routine:

• Outdoor walk
• Dinner
• Clean up / prep
• Sleep

Just a rough draft schedule for me to follow. A more mindful approach to what I eat and mentally consume via tv, social media and such is on the agenda as well. Of course Mom duties are on there as well. Since summer break from school, we have had a loose routine and spirit lead days. It's time to get back into balance. Despite homeschooling and other chaotic world changes out of my control, I have been able to remain Sober!

 

Mid August Folly

To a Visitor it would seem 

Autumn has made her arrival

A true mask of deception

Crisp russet yellowed leaves

Litter the expanse of the lawn

Mixed with needles of fir & cones of pine

Blue sky is a dusky cloud

Dry Saharan dust

An illusion of overcast cooler breezes

100 heat dissipates the mosquitos

No longer being a meal as I venture out

Delights me so

Tis this Texas Summer without rain!

Brain Swirl at Sunrise

It's sunrise on a Saturday morning. Fowl, insects, birds, nature in the trees are humming their tune welcoming a new day. There is a buzzing in my brain contemplating many aspects at rapid speed as I wait for my Bullet Proof coffee to brew.
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Is this year half over or half begun? Many social media quotes have been popping up with this reminder. My mind wants to start planning, making multiple list for the future. School will be starting up again the last week of August which is next month. I have two teenage  daughters finally going to the same High School, {L} a Freshman, {E} a Junior. My little man {M}will be in the 3rd grade. {S} my adult son who lives in California has a job working with his uncle. Where has the time gone?

Before school starts up again we will take an epic road trip with our family and extended family on our bus. Gran Abuela, Abuela & Abuelo, us grown children, and our children,(who reside in Texas) will share stories and make memories that will span the 4 generations into the next. I miss our West Coast beaches, but I am promised white sugar sand , and emerald waters. Living in the West all my life, then moving to the South, we are traveling to the East Coast. There will be some Cajun bayou fun in the mix as well.

The garden is coming along as best it can. The heat, soil, and water are iffy components, but some crops have survived and thrived. I've harvested and enjoyed tomatillos, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, strawberries, and onions. Herbs are picked as needed, garlic and ginger as well. I may continue a late summer crop, I need to amend and rework some beds. As time goes by so will my experience and knowledge of the seasons out here. Many adventures are ahead and I look forward to sharing them with y'all.

Days In The Garden ~ Buzz & Bloom

The garden is buzzing & blooming! This space is turning into a sanctuary and meditation zone for me as I care and water our truly organic food source. My thoughts tend to wander out here and the sun is not the only warmth I feel as gratitude sinks all the way to my bones. As I write this summer break has officially commenced at Celestial Pines Homestead, let the fun begin!

 We have a small cabbage patch which brings to mind my childhood in the 80's. I had a doll which was named after my Nonni Charlotte, unfortunately I no longer have neither.

 Pungent onion blooms bring about sweet nectar to the pollinators so I shall leave them to feed then drop for crop regeneration. ~ Texas Gold Onions ~

 Store bought potatoes with eyes dropped in dirt produce lovely plants. Having to hill them ever so often brings about laughter as "The hills have eyes"! I spy with my little eye two yellow spiders and a grasshopper.

 Busy busy buzzy bee. I love the hard work and dedication mother nature assist me in the care for this garden space we share. ~ Cucumber Bloom ~

 My first Straight 8 cucumber. There are many spiny tiny baby cucumbers emerging along the vines.

 Baby sugar pie pumpkin blooms. These are struggling along, everytime I see a small fruit ball forming it is quickly dropped the next day. I may need to plant a pumpkin patch elsewhere.

 Holy tomatillos , salsa verde anyone? These were grown from sliced fruit put into soil. The lanterns have tiny tomas growing inside.

 Up close of a 12 Spotted Skimmer blending into the landscape of natural habitat. Pinecones are removed from the garden beds daily due to the variety pines on the property.

Wild view of the garden. The Hubby weedeated on Monday and it looks alot better, but here's the untamed version. Excuse the ladder, the Hubby also put galvanized sheet metal on the storage roof.

Dear garden orb weaver your are "MAGNIFICENT", I thank you for keeping the plant eaters and munchers away. These spider are also found on or front windows and keep the mosquitos at bay. 

GREEN BLESSINGS TO Y'ALL ⚘

The Dog Daze of Summer

This mornings sunset was amazing. The rising sun illuminated the clouds perfectly with champagne linings. Morning time is my favorite right now because it is the freshest air of the day. Folks around here say next month shall bring in cooler weather and I cannot wait, it's 85 degrees in the morning when I rise. On the home front the kids still have some summer vacation left and we will be taking a trip to the beach tomorrow to celebrate these end of summer moments. It's been a rough one all the way around. We are still new here and miss our old summertime hangs, traditions, and friends and family we celebrated with. My daughters were in tears watching photos of their friends enjoying the beginnings of the school year without them, which in turn has had them angry at me for moving us here.

So on Monday it will be just me and the dogs again. Getting up early is no problem since I rise at 5:00 every morning, make Hubby's lunch and send him off to work. I'm pondering the fact of should I set a daily routine or just go with the flow, it's been a go with the flow lazy hazy summer. My pace has been slow lately, my body has been acting up. If it weren't for my tubal ligation almost 8 years ago, I would think I was pregnant. A slower pace is okay, I try too do to much at lightning speed always. Maybe with this alone time while everyone's at school I will get some projects completed, and conjure up new ones. The seasons are changing and I need to keep charts of the humble bumble activity of the natural elements on the homestead. Bugs, animals, and plants are here for a short stretch and then replaced with different varieties. How are you spending your dog days of summer?

Shadow Play

"Looking at the sun through a plastic light bulb cover, eclipse phase to the left"

Last Monday was the epic solar eclipse of 2017.  The weather was actually nice with a little breeze in the air. {M} and I made a viewing station out of a cereal box, and multiple items that would cast a circle to view the phases. My other children were able to see the eclipse through glasses at their schools. If we're Facebook friends you may have seen the trippy recording from my phone. Our local radio station 96.9 The Eagle was playing a list of songs having to do with the sun, moon, and space exploration. I was hoping to get some great photos with the camera but the whole not being able to look at and focus on the sun made that impossible. I'll have to redeem myself when it comes to a lunar Eclipse. Blessings to you all as we enter a new week, may it treat us all well.

                     "Reach for the Moon and land among the Stars"                   

Lavender Dreams and Summer Haze

Summer vacation has and hasn't ended in Casa Sol y Luna. The older three started school two weeks ago and {M} has another week of helping on the homestead and extending the summer fun with me. I'm going to miss his helping hands when he goes off to first grade. My oldest son is a senior this year with a possibility of graduating early and then joining the work force. {E} is in her freshman year of High School and {L} is in her first year of Jr High, and I'm back to being the Mom Taxi.

When I do find a little free time I have been getting into projects and crafting. I finally finished my " Oceanic Dreams" dreamcatcher. This project was created while I mourned the loss of a young man who was my son's friend. That alone was hard for my children to go through this summer. When a tragedy happens unexpected to someone close to their age it's an eye opening life moment.

Landscaping is done after the school drop offs. My lavender plants around the fountain have become overgrown and the sun had scorched the plant to a brittle bouquet. I see quite a few lavender smudge bundles in the making. We replaced them with baby lavender plants that will fill in the space by next spring.

 Driftwood came into play for the handles of these besoms. The first one is lavender stalk tied with a beautiful hue the color of English Lavender  flowers in bloom. The second besom is a combo of hummingbird sage, lavender, and dried roses. I've been called to use the natural elements that are gifted to me from mother earth  to make sacred tools that assist in healing. The Angel communication lines have opened immensely for me and I have my ears perked up and my eyes open to messages .

Mid Summer Affairs

Today's affairs are full of house cleaning, baking, gardening, and spiritual crafting. I started off the morning realizing that the sun was later on its arrival than the past weeks.  A sunny yellow lemon cake was baked at 6:00 a.m. for a bite to eat after the children shook the sleep from their eyes. Gardening followed due to 106 degrees later in the day. I noticed butterflies are making a return to my yard as dandelions are sprouting. A lot of crops have stopped growing due to heat and the garden is in need of extreme TLC. Tomatoes were harvested and plants were given their morning bath. A Hummingbird played in the hose spray as I watered . Shells were washed and hummingbird sage was cut to create a sacred smudge bundle. The vibe of the day has been of complete domestic bliss infused with all of natures wonders dancing along with me, and then I realized it's Lammas and it all makes perfect sense.

The Last Official Weekend of Summer

Well there you have it folks, the last official weekend of Summer ended at midnight. What an adventurous Summer it has been for me and the tribe. We spent this last weekend attending events and having fun. Friday we went to the Drive Inns and watched Pete's Dragon and Finding Dory. Elliot the dragon reminded me of my Chico and if he was green with wings he would make a perfect mini dragon.

Saturday we attended a little cousin first birthday party and then a housewarming fiesta in Lincoln with my husbands co-workers. My unsocial angst was un-warranted and now I can put faces to names when my honey talks about his day after work. Sunday literally rocked!. For my son's 16th birthday present we took him to  Led Zeppelin Symphonic Salute performed by our own Sacramento Philharmonic and Led Zeppelin tribute band Led Zepagain. This was an awesome event and great open air venue on Bonney Feild. Word has it that the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera will be performing a Beatles Tribute "Classical Mystery Tour" at the end of November! If your friends with me on F.B. I live streamed some portions of the concert last night.

Are you keeping busy or slowing down during this change of seasons? I hope everyone's Monday is productive and leads into a great week!

Hello Summer

SUMMER IS OFFICIALLY HERE !

 Time to find ways to stay cool in the sizzling sun.

Time to play and have adventures.

Time to enjoy nights outdoors.

Time to look up in amazement and be thankful that we are thriving and surviving.

Summer had officially started at Casa Sol y Luna when all four children were finally on Summer break from school last week. There is no consistent routine yet just go with the flow, and maybe it will stay that way this Summer, even though I'm a scheduled O.C.D. type of Mom. Summer Solstice was spent cleaning, swimming, and  first bee sting for {M}. Instead of having a celebratory  fire we ended the day with a trip to urgent care for {S}. Of all the dangerous stunts he does on his skateboard a simple miss landing ended  with a sprain and crutches. This could not have come at a worse time because tomorrow the kids and I are headed on a road trip to Santa Cruz for a 3 day vacation. We are still going because Mama needs a vacation. You can join our adventure by following my Instagram. I'm super excited because we will be experiencing two Summer Bucket List events The Lost Boys Movie on the beach & Blue Oyster Cult Concert at the Boardwalk.  I hope your summer holds some adventures!