what to do with these toilet paper rolls?!

Toilet paper rolls have to pile up in everyone's house (it can't just be us, right?).  I have a dazzling array of them sitting on a shelf in my bathroom awaiting the promise of being transformed in some super fun art project.  Most of the time they don't...but alas, this time JP decided to take charge and initiated this crafty session with his girl.  (I even saw the idea up on pinterest on his computer - he would deny it though).

They began with making monsters using up our scrap paper, felt-y bits and ribbon.  It was a use your imagination-go-crazy sort of session.  The second thing they created were owls.  JP depressed the top middle of the paper roll, which resulted in two little owl ears.  They coloured them in, added eyes and glued all sorts of accessories.   

Voila!  The fruits of their artsy afternoon together while I spent a glorious hour knitting on the couch, dropping in on their conversation.  Of course, we have many more rolls to make a whole village of owls or monsters....

Enburi Festival

While JP was in Korea this weekend coaching hockey, Szerafina and I made the most of the winter weather and local festivities.  We did a lot of this, walking and digging our way through the snow piles.

Here are some photos of The Enburi Festival.  Enburi is a well know celebration, distinctive to this north eastern region that we live in.  In traditional Japanese folk culture, people believed prayer and dance performance brought a rich rice harvest.  This is a modern rendition of the ancient ritual of honouring the sacred rice crop - the most important crop in the country.

Horses are also important figures in this region.  Thus, the dancers wear decorated horse head caps to symbolise rice harvests where peasant and horse become one.

The dancers and costumes were quite spectacular, and I found myself becoming overcome with emotion.  I felt the sacredness of the movements, the drumming and chanting of the people.   Rice is still considered to be the most important self sustaining crop of the country. In fact the word for meal is 'gohan' which literally translates to 'rice'.

Szerafina and I hung around as spectator for about an hour before the snow made its way into our boots and mittens.  We opted to find some lunch and hot tea, and ended a lovely day by finding some vintage cashmere scarfs (score for Mamma!!).  

Vintage Kimono Love

Kimono in Japan are magical, ceremonial and worth thousands of yen.  There are many different types of fabric and detailing, but the real deal is always costly. These here lovely pieces are second hand, purchased for the equivalent of 5 Canadian dollars.  They were probably worn as 'everyday' kimono because they aren't very fancy, but i love the prints and feel of each of them.

My big scheming dream is to learn how to transform these beauties into summer frocks or otherwise wearable dresses.  There is also a lot of room to play with extra fabric (the huge sleeves and the bottom) so I can use the extra pieces for purses, quilting....who knows what else!  The creative possibilities are endless and it has me reeling for more, more!  But i'll hold off (promise) until I can figure out what to to with them.

Firstly, I'm using some of the fabric on the clutch that I'm working on (from Nicole's tutorial).  I'll take pictures and post on that soon.  Thrifting in Japan is such a goldmine, as everything is so well made and Japanese typically enjoy turning over their wares frequently.  I'm just beginning to learn about where to find nice fabric and collect ideas on what to do with it.

We Got Mail!

And trust me, that's exciting in these parts.  All those Japanese flyers are tough to read, you know.  This was a perfect little package made for sweet little us with love - from Nicole and Lena!  I was totally stoked to find something in there for me too, a sewing tutorial!

I'm a total novice when it comes to sewing (like I just pick something and go at it, youtube as I go). I'd love to take a proper course or class some day when I'm in the 'Big City' and opportunity presents, but in the meantime, I'm happy enough to muddle my way through and see what turns up.  It takes me a while to figure out the lingo and get the project going (all that cutting and ironing?!) but once I do, I feel pretty smug.  This tutorial is for a 'Entirely Impractical Purse', as Nicole calls it, but i'm super excited to use some of the fabric from the vintage kimono I scored a few weeks ago (more on that in another post).

Szerafina received a Cafe Alphabet game.  It's really versatile and can be worked on in so many ways.  It began as a cutting extravaganza, then morphed into matching the first letter of the pictured word with the upper case alphabet letter.  The activity also comes with the lower case letters, so we worked on matching the 'big' and 'little' letters, because 'They're not all the same!' don't ya know.   It was good practice since Szerafina doesn't recognise all the lower case letters yet.  In the future, we could use the letters to spell out the words attached to the picture.  She (this daughter of mine) was also eager to create the 'healthy!' version of the cafe game, where we draw or cut out our own whole foods.  I like it!

Here I run the risk of veering off into tangent land (because we mentioned the topic of food...and you know, i'm kinda into that). Especially food and children.  If I haven't said it before, i'll confess it now, we're kinda food snobs around here. We like to eat local, seasonal, whole-from-scratch and organic when humanly possible grub.   My day revolves around what I cook for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Add in the time to eat and do dishes...and well, that's a fair chunk of my day.  I believe in it, we live it and it won't likely change. HOWEVER. We love to travel, try foods from all over the world and would never turn something down made with love and soul.  Just the other night we had a hankering for Japanese noodles and these delectable dumplings called Gyoza...and it was the night before our organic delivery box, so fridge scraps were running bare.  What am I saying?  That we do keep an open mind and open heart and don't 'shut in' to live an idealistic life in a bubble.   I think it's all about perspective and thinking 'big picture'.

Another example (because you asked, right?) is that I accompany Szerafina to a parent and child Japanese preschool two mornings a week.  It's fabulous, she loves it undeniably and blows me away with her ability to interact and pick up the Japanese language like it's nobody's business.  The kids, teacher and social interaction (for both of us) is desperately needed.  The catch?  Snack time.  The worst possible cookies, cakes, donuts and crackers are served.  I spent the first two months in quiet anxiety as my 'perfect' girl gobbled it up and everyone wondered if I fed her at all.  I've been able to make some peace with the idea that...a few sugary treats will not spoil my loin fruit.  And the reality is, she eats so darn well at home that the occasional 'fall off the wagon' or 'real life eating' may eliminate later food issues in life related to what's 'good' and what's 'bad'.  All this to say...that the cafe game is based on sweet treats :)  But we love it and it's great for play, a wonderful teaching tool and a reminder to keep it 'real'.

A big THANK-YOU to our girls Nicole and Lena!! We will have so much fun returning the activity love real soon.

Something to look into

I've been checking out this site, and it makes me feel awesome:

http://www.bettymeansbusiness.com/about-betty/

Don't worry if you don't get there...

...nothing happens if you do.

This is something one of my yoga teachers said in a class, as we reached behind us towards the floor.  I laughed, but it's so true.
Though we should always reach, there really isn't any point to reaching to the point of injury. Nobody will notice the split second you looked like a perfect model of a pose before your body said STOP. It's funny, I've been thinking of this idea for a week or so, since the teacher said it- and just today I pulled a ligament in my hamstring. I wasn't even doing anything fancy- I was just at work, bent forward slowly to release my back and "POING! ZIP! SEEEEAR!" there went some deep tendon that had been whispering to me for weeks.

I know from my anatomy class (taught by Dr. Baxter Bell  http://yogaforhealthyaging.blogspot.ca) that our muscles have a natural resting point, and regular life often shortens and tightens them. Through regular asana practice, or other stretching, we can come back to that point, but there will always be limitations.   For instance- I am fairly certain that my heels will never ever touch the floor in Adho Mukha Savanasana (downward dog). My hamstrings (as evidenced today) just do not have the natural flexibility.

So, once your muscles reach that natural state, you start getting into ligaments and tendons. Guess what? Ligaments and tendons only have 3-4% stretch! I will just repeat that for emphasis- 3-4%. What's more- due to poor blood flow (in comparison with muscles or bone, which heal miraculously quickly), they heal from injury very slowly. Ligament and tendon injury is probably one of my biggest fears in doing a lot of asana practice. I've actually been babying that hamstring since the first whispers, but maybe not enough. Hopefully with some ice and rest and drinking lots of water, I will be back at normal practice soon, but I'm certainly not going to push it. Reach, but with kindness.

In life, as in yoga, we need to respect our boundaries.  How many of us have reached blindly towards a goal, without keeping a broad view of all the elements of our lives? Tried to cram ourselves to fit within our idea of perfection in a role instead of kindly reaching towards improvement in all the areas of our lives? It may seem like slower progression to do it that way, but I believe it is a healthier way to grow.  To put it into asana perspective once more- if you are in warrior 2 (virabadrasana B), you reach your arms dynamically, that is, apart. If one hand is reaching as far forward as possible, you are compromising the reach in your back hand and most probably the reach of your spine upwards and your hips downward. You need to think equally forward, backward, up and down. That is how you can find a beautiful balance.

So have you been reaching too far one way? Can you try to reach with kindness and compassion for yourself?

Books 2013, updated monthly!

January
The Idiot- Fyodor Dostoevsky
Mostly, I am glad that now I have read it. So I can move on. Sadly, Dostoevsky just didn't click with my brain.

Whole Foods to Thrive- Brendan Brazier
A gift from my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, we've been cooking/ not cooking with this quite a bit. Trying to be mindful that we, unlike Mr Brazier, are not ironman athletes, and perhaps our nutritional requirements are slightly different. Nonetheless, I find the nutritional, environmental and ethical issues discussed are intelligent and incredibly well researched and calculated. A very informative and accessible book to anyone considering a plant-based diet.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret-Brian Sleznick
I got this for christmas, and read it on a slow morning at the cafe. Beautiful illustrations, and feels very much like a movie- which explains why it is now also a movie! 

Some Favourites of Lena's this month:
Stella! - Marie-Louise Gay
A feisty know-it-all redheaded big sister explores an ideal world with her little brother, Sam. I love the stories, and some of the lines "Do Butterflies eat butter?" "Yellow ones do". 
But I find there is a LOT of Stella said. Sam said. Stella said. Sam said. Which interrupts the flow a bit. WE've taken to improvising the reading a little.

A Day with No Crayons- Elizabeth Rusch

Lena is confused by the notion of not being able to draw on walls. I wonder why?

Liza has her crayons taken away after drawing on the wall. Obviously, her dad isn't a painter who covered a whole wall with a mural!

February
Seven Days in the Art World
This has been on my to-read list since it came out! I enjoyed it, but it also gave me a funny feeling- the flash, the trends and the random dumb luck in the big-money art world nauseates me just a bit. Combined with watching some of Robert Hughes' "Shock of the New", I've got some feeling about the art world to sort out... Good thing I just do little crafts. I don't expect to ever sell something I make for a million dollars!
Me Talk Pretty One Day- David Sedaris
Having listened to David Sedaris on This American Life so much really made this book extra hilarious. When read in my own voice in my head, it didn't seem quite so hilarious, so I'd switch back to his voice and literally have tears springing to my eyes!
The Storytelling Animal- Jonathan Gottschall
All about how/why humans have such an affinity for stories, but I felt it could have used a little more... fleshing out...
Louis Riel- Chester Brown
A great graphic novel about the life of Louis Riel, this was on my to-read list since it came out several years ago. I wasn't disappointed.
The Playboy, and I Never Liked You- Chester Brown
When we were couch surfing in Chicago, one of our hosts had a great graphic novel collection- I read these two about about four more by other others who I unfortunately can't remember! 

Some Favourites of Lena's this month:
The Sound of Colour- Jimmy Liao
This book is insanely beautiful, each page more poetic than the last! The illustrations are great too!
When We Were Very Young- A.A Milne
Poems by the famous author of Winnie the poo, before the publication of winnie! 
Alexander- Harold Littledale
We got this at an antique store- a little boy detailing the 'naughty' things he did that day, but blaming them on a red and green striped horse named Alexander. His dad puffs away at his pipe (which is how you know it's not a new book!!) and decides Alexander just had a bad day- and everyone can have bad days!

March
Paying for It- Chester Brown (yes, again!)
This graphic novel has also been on my list since I first heard about it- it's a memoir of paying for sex and it was very interesting!
A Casual Vacancy- JK Rowling
Due to JK Rowling's ability to keep me up way past my bedtime, I have her to blame for a couple of sleepy days :) She is quite an adroit story weaver, slowly peeling layers away at just the right pace.
A Place of My Own- Michael Pollan
I can't wait to reread this book when we plan to build our own house. Well researched, and beautifully written.
Teach your Own- John Holt
Nurturing the Family
Breathe by Breath

Shirts Made!

I got pretty excited when I saw the free patterns at Shwin & Shwin (http://shwinandshwin.blogspot.ca/2013/01/free-pattern-round-up-18-patterns.html) and had to download a couple. But I forgot that as Abbey grows, so do the patterns (though when you buy a pattern it comes in different sizes). So I first made the "Fallen Top".  In a 3T/4T size.  For a 2 1/2 year old. Oops.

This is huge, mom!

In fact, it makes me feel ridiculous!

But Lena had been so excited about getting a new shirt, and loved the fabric so I had to go back to my area the next night and the next to put together the "love birds top":

 My first project with pintucks. Also I was pretty pleased with the zipper in the back, though upon reflection I wish that I'd changed thread for the top stitching on the navy part. 

 She really likes it, I'm sure it will be stained in no time. I'm not sure where she got the impression that one should pose like this for photos.

 The tulle poking out isn't part of the shirt- it's her friend Olive's dancer skirt. Actually, any skirt is called a 'dancer skirt' or straight up tutu. 

So when she grows out of this, she'll have a back up in the same fabric waiting for her!

I really like Shwin and Shwin patterns- I find them really easily to follow, with photos for all the steps. Hopefully I will get that good at tutorial making! If you are thinking of trying to make kids clothes, it's a great place to start.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Stew

It's been so insanely cold here lately, and our building is old and barely insulated. Plus we are on the ground floor with a dirt basement. So we feel the cold- I feel it in my bones, despite wool on wool on wool.  It's just the season for hearty soul-warming stews!

This stew has a nice sweetness, which Lena loved, and is a little tangy too. I would have liked it a little spicier, but thought I should keep it pretty toddler friendly.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Stew

Soak about 1 cup of black beans over night, and in the morning rinse well, and boil. For tips on digesting beans, check out this article:
http://www.choosingraw.com/10-tips-for-better-bean-digestion-a-few-announcements/
When your beans are boiling- do NOT go into the other room and have a dance party with your two year old to the muppet soundtrack. Unless you WANT the smoky taste. Let's assume I did, very well- dance up a storm then run frantically to the kitchen to save the beans from utter ruin.

Scrub your burnt bean pot ( setting beans aside first of course. I didn't have to tell you that, because you are intelligent... but this is the internet after all so you never know what someone else might do)

Finely chop a bunch of green onions and a handful of brown mushrooms, and fry on medium with a bit of olive oil.

Cube a sweet potato, in toddler bite size, and when the mushroom are aromatic, add the sweet potato to the pot.

Add a dash of each: cinnamon, cayenne, garlic, pepper (I save salt for the end, because slow cooking condenses the stew and can make it too slaty)

Open up a jar of either canned diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, or if you are lucky and have a tomato press and canned 150lbs of tomatoes in the summer then one of those.  Add it to the pot, lower to simmer and cover. Add the beans. If you'd like to add some diced carrots or celery, this is a good time to do it. When everything is nice and hot, throw it in the crockpot on high.

Stir periodically through the day and add water if necessary. About an hour before serving, dice some red, yellow and or green peppers and add them to the pot. Just before serving, finely chop some black kale, or chard, or any hearty green. You can even add that to each bowl and mix the stew in- I really like it just wilted.

To serve, I made some basic corn tortillas, mixed some avocado with red pepper, tomato, lime and salt and we ate it largely with our hands (which is how Lena eats anyway, might as well embrace it)

This morning we had it again, but this time added some scrambled egg to make it more brunchy.
Also, I find corn tortillas have a hard time staying together and not crumbling, so we've gotten into wrapping a leaf of chard around the whole shebang.
Happy mama, Happy daddy, Happy toddler!