barbara and family

We met our friends from another island this weekend for some dinner, poolside fun, lunch, brunch and music. Barbara Higbie is an amazing fiddle and piano player, singer/songwriter. She is an old friend of Gary's from long ago. Now she is a mommy too, with a sweet daughter named Lena, and a very wonderful husband, Wayne. It was great to see you guys!

Check out her music if you want to hear some smokin' fiddle playing: http://www.barbarahigbie.com/

beach reflections

title of Sky's newest CD

The tides are constantly changing.

Rippled blue, seafoam green, tufts of white meringue

come to meet us like an old friend

welcoming,

beckoning,

constant.

The sea never takes a day off from work.

And yet for many is the most peaceful place on earth.

We could learn something from this great

expansive,

vast,

galaxy.

family day trip

Chinese house roof details

Shawn toured us around and told us all about each of the homes created to honor the original inhabitants of our island - Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino and Hawaiian. He relived his school field trip and had a lot to say about where the beds were in the homes, how they cooked food, etc. Then we went for a hike in the valley and read about the huge war that happened hundreds of years ago in that region. We had a picnic lunch and general merrymaking was had by all. It was a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

it's subtle but it's there

We're still getting rain and wind this winter. It has been the coldest winter since we lived here. I am not complaining. I love feeling like we have seasons. I have been wearing jeans for weeks now.

Plus look what appeared this morning, to greet us with this new wondrous day!

shawn is almost 6

notable quotes:

• I was really good at singing today. I could hear myself. I have a beautiful voice!

• (To his dad) When I grow up I want to do important work like you.

• If you see a Tinkerbell shirt buy it for Cassidy. And if you find another different one, buy it for Riley. They like really girly stuff and I don't know why!

• I can be a little cuckoo but I am very smart with my little brain.

• When animals are disguised as ghosts, I don't dream of ghosts. I only dream of animals dressed as ghosts.

• Is heaven lifelike?

• Something that has no sides is a grape.

• Mom, what exactly do underpants do?

annabel is 10

Double digits, here we come! Annabel was so excited. Her favorite gift - Webkinz trading cards. The more, the better. She got at least a hundred. Sky made a cake (vanilla with vanilla frosting) and we had friends over for a party, games (like 3 legged races, egg on a spoon relay, and Gary and I designed one of our famous scavenger hunts). We even got real candy, instead of the stuff from the health food store (Mom, nobody likes the stuff we serve!) As Grandma says, "Sometimes you gotta live it up!"

20 things i love about gary, just because

I love your sparkling brown eyes

I love that we have so much history together

I love how you teach all of the children music, and now it is a part of them

I love how hard you work for our family, long days, evenings, and weekends -- without complaining

I love that you do this so I can focus on my job as a mom, and that you view being a mom as a job, in fact that you say I am the CEO of the household

I love how you fill up our house with song

I love your open mindedness

I love your intelligence

I love that you stayed by my side during the births of all of our children, and that you actually helped deliver Shawn

I love what a loyal friend you are to people

I love that you can really help me edit my writing

I love that you care so much about my parents

I love how excited you got about our first home grown tomato

I love when we laugh so hard that we fall over, and our stomachs hurt

I love watching you play basketball, or tennis

I love your strength

I love that you are such an involved, helpful, fun dad

I love when you sing City of You

I loved being on a co-ed softball team with you

I love your optimism. It was the first thing that attracted me to you sixteen years ago

i love

I love you Sky, for your warm heart and mature ways. You helped take care of the family when I wasn't feeling well the last few days. You are growing into a beautiful young lady.

I love you Annabel for your enthusiasm and questioning mind. You are ten today, it's hard to believe. Happy birthday sweet girl.

I love you Shawn for your sweetness. Even though you are a big strong boy, you also have a heart of gold.

january

A cloudy winter day. It rained the night before...hoping for the sun to come out to dry our clothes...tomatoes are a comin'!

Now a sunny day...and the tomato begins to ripen. This is the first tomato I have ever grown, and I expect it won't be the last!

all from a wig

The girls have been having fun playing dress up and taking on new characters. Our friend Deb came over a week ago and brought with her a red haired wig, purse, jewels,etc. to give the girls for dress up. They were hilarious, acting so out of character from their usual tomboy selves. We laughed so hard our sides hurt. All of this entertainment because of a wig.

it's gonna be a happy happy 2009

What I did in 2008:

• visited with my parents twice - once here (wintertime) and once in New York (summertime)
• hosted an Indian swami and his tabla player in our home, when they came to our island to conduct programs
• traveled to a neighbor island with the family and hung out on a beautiful organic farm
• celebrated 3 children's birthdays with various parties and homemade cakes
• learned to speak a little Sanskrit
• learned to speak a tiny bit of French
• learned to speak less in general
• began to pray and meditate regularly
• saw the Police in concert with Gary
• along with our kids, rescued two baby birds (Chirpy and Fly) and saved their lives with the help of Ann, the bird lady
• took a lot of photographs
• walked on a tightrope, albeit low, and with help
• helped Annabel's class grow a flower garden
• gave Annabel singing lessons
• did photos for the kids' school yearbook
• harvested 2 crops of lilikoi
• met my sponsored girl from India
• visited the birthplace of our three children
• visited Lafayette, California
• visited friends in Tahachapi, California
• held a chicken
• held my breath
• practiced deep breaths
• found a great house to rent near my parents in N.Y. at the last minute for our summer trip
• saw all of my siblings - two brothers and a sister
• painted my mom's mailbox
• helped my dear friend move
• said goodbye to summers with her and her family
• began backyard composting
• planted 1000 tulsi seeds
• started a fruit and vegetable garden in my yard
• appreciated my husband
• hosted 3 Green Mama sales
• made lots of messes
• cleaned up lots of messes
• forgave someone who hurt me
• learned to harvest tulsi
• did art with my kids - collages, Christmas decorations, painting
• finished a 200 page book
• continued work on a 400 page book
• started another new book
• visited an Indian saint three times
• laughed with my kids more than in 2007
• made three new friends
• started a facebook account and a group for my former grammar school
• founds lots of old friends
• voted
• started a blog called The Green Mama
• continued to raise three great kids
• began to home school my girls

holly jolly

allspice berries fresh picked from a friend's tree

This is the star for the top of our Christmas tree. I made it the year Gary and I were married - fashioned out of cardboard, painted gold and lined with handmade paper beads, rolled from glossy magazines. It was getting flimsy so this year I added more to it and strengthened it with layers of clear glue. It is now two sided -- handmade paper beads on one side, tiny glass beads on the other. The "stem" is collaged. We all love how it turned out.

Christmas morning. Hard to read but Sky made me a "Home Sweet Home" sign in ceramics.

This year's Christmas consisted of unwrapping gifts, playing with gifts, and a cookfest. The hit was a new recipe for squash soup with a "magic" mineral broth made by slowly cooking whole washed veggies and herbs with skins, leaves, and all, in a large pot of water. Christmas evening we hosted two families for dinner. We had a wonderful time enjoying everyone's cooking, then the kids all played while the grownups talked. After desert we gathered around the piano to sing Christmas carols, some in two and three part harmony, which of course, reminded us all of why we were celebrating in the first place. "O come let us adore Him..."

december in our neck of the woods

balinese gender

Annie and a friend, Wei, came to play Balinese gender for a wedding. They stayed with us for a couple of days and we had such a great visit. They rehearsed in our back yard and then the kids got to try. It is impossible to describe this beautiful sounding instrument...