this moments

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember

www.soulemama.com/soulemama

Oriah

Oriah is a writer who lives and works in Toronto.  She has published several works and is perhaps best known for her book The Invitation which has been translated into over 15 languages.

From her website: 

The focus of her life and work has been an on-going inquiry into the Sacred Mystery. Her writing, teaching and personal journey all explore how we can each become the individual we are at the deepest level of being and how we can co-create meaning together in the world. Blending humour, insight and compassion for our human struggles Oriah encourages herself and others to be ruthlessly honest and infinitely kind toward our own strengths and our weaknesses.

I have been reflecting lately on relationships- thank g-d those closest to me, my husband, my parents and a handful of friends I've known forever- continue to be a source of happiness and solidity to me.  

As our life path has continued and changed people have dropped out of our lives.  I find myself not mourning the loss of these relationships so much as anticipating with excitement the people who will fill the spaces that are now open.  Transition has always been an exciting time for me.  I love the anticipation of traveling, going to new places and meeting new people.  

These words written by Oriah are inspirational- 

The Invitation: 

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, 'Yes.'

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

What or who has been inspiring you lately?

this moments

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember

www.soulemama.com/soulemama

Crayon Art

I have been looking for fun craft projects to do with the monkeys using 'recycled' crayons.  My boys don't use them much anymore- preferring coloring pencils (or if you are Canadian Pencil Crayons).  A few months ago a friend of mine was cleaning out her play room and gifted us with a huge bag of Crayola crayons.  

We finally found a great easy project when Adele from Musings On The Simple Life posted her Melty Crayon Art.  The monkeys and I did this project in an hour and they had a blast- This is definitely one we'll do again.

To make you will need: crayons, canvas, glue gun, hair dryer and newspaper.  

Sort crayons and remove the labels.
Once they were done peeling the labels they played around with various patterns
before we glued them on with the glue gun

My younger monkey decide to follow a color chart and group like colors together

We glued them on across the top 

My older monkey chose to do an abstract pattern

We took them outside- laid out the newspaper and got the hair dryer ready

They melted quickly! 

The final result was something they were both proud of

Dr. J took one look at their art and asked if he could take them to his office to hang up!

Questions to consider while creating:

What materials are we using? Where do they come from?  What is it made of?

Is this recycled art?  Why?

What colors are we using? Are you making a pattern?

What are warm colors?  Cool colors?

Read the names of the colors- why do you think they named it that color? 

What direction will the wax melt? Will it melt with other colors to create new colors?

What does the silver crayon take longer to melt than the other colors?

What are some art projects you like to do with crayons? 

Wine Glasses

I know I shouldn't complain- I GET it that I am lucky to have Dr. J AND that he washes dishes- but early on in our marriage my dreams of having nice wine glasses was shattered.
Literally. One…after…the other.
I usually buy a box of Ikea glasses to replace and count myself lucky when they are broken while being washed and not straight after filling up with red wine.
I can still swoon over beautiful designer glasses like these by Calici Caratteriali 

(source)

(website)

Maybe we should stick to less delicate wine glasses like these: Govino Wine Glasses 

made from a proprietary, food/pharmaceutical safe PETG, only it is superior in that it reflects the wine's color and aromatics much like crystal. It is recyclable, but more importanly, it is reusable.

Do you use 'nice' (read expensive) wine glasses?

The Food We Eat- New Home Education Blog

I have been taking less photos of the food we eat lately- partly because we've been eating so many vegetarian Asian dishes which look very similar and partly because we've been so busy.

We just started home schooling (I'm trying to call it Home Education as I am not trying to replicate 'school' in the traditional sense).

In an attempt to keep this blog from getting over run with home education posts- I've started a new blog:
Making Men Out Of Monkeys

Here are some photographs from the last few weeks of the food that I did get photos of:

Breakfast

Egg on ham with spinach and fritki (Polish for French Fries)

Lunch:

Fish Taco's at my friend M's place

Ice tea

Munchies: 

Cheese, chip, cracker and fig platter

The perfect bite

Veggies and Trader Joe's Flax Seed Chips! 

Tofu Indian 

Chicken Thai

Arugula, tomato and mozzarella salad

And we went to a baseball game where I had my first ever 'Fat Tuesday' hotdog
It was the best hot dog ever but I felt totally sick after eating it. 

Because it is still so hot here- we have not busted out fall flavored food-
It will still be another month or so before I stop using the Air Condition.

Have you had a Fat Tuesday hot dog?