cookies + laughter = celebration

Isn't it exciting when the holidays near, and the wonderful smell of baking cookies wafts about the house? The hooties and I woke up this morning to the sound of rolling pins and the sweet scent of sugar cookies baking. And look what happened next: (!!!)

Before we knew it we were wing-deep in frosting and more kinds of sugared baubles than we knew existed. Here are just a few of the many wonders we created with Kathy and Erin this morning...

Today we were so diligent about our cookie-decorating that we barely sampled our work, which has left me wondering what will happen to the hooties when they eat the cookies we made... I expect we'll have a flurry of merriment and chirpish excitement. Sugar tends to have that effect on us...!

holiday cheer

Our friend Hope arrived home tonight after spending two whole months away catching babies in Bali. Britt and the hooties and I spent the day baking delicious goodies to welcome her home,and Hope's mom Karen made this beautiful wreath to bring some holiday cheer to their apartment. The hooties and their squirrel friend found themselves at home in the forest wreath right away. Mmm... balsam is our favorite!

winter holiday sale

The hooties and I went up to Pownal today to visit their godmama Erin and her amazing crafty family. It was quite exciting to be part of all the action! They got a good snuggle in with their old pal Mike, who is always up for a cuddle...and explored some of the beautiful handiwork on display.
A forest gnome was passing through, on his way to collect medicinal plants that grow nearby. They contemplated his route over tea before he went on his merry way.
And wonder of all wonders, they came home with two new friends today! Erin taught me how to needle felt, and I made this squirrel and his acorn to keep the hooties company for a while...
and you might notice that there's a new teeny hootlet in town. Did the hooties finally have a baby? We're not quite sure, but she's teeny, and full of wonder, and has been making little chirping noises all the way home.

life with Isla

Today we watched our favorite baby in the whole world, my niece Isla, while Merry and Stephen went out on a lunch date... the first date they have been on in a while. We were thrilled!

Isla is 10 months old, and spends most of her time laughing, putting anything and everything in her mouth, crawling around the house looking for mischief (mostly in the form of plugs and outlets) and table surfing as she gets closer and closer to being able to walk. She has a very determined personality for such a little person, so naturally when she saw that the hooties had come she wanted to snuggle with them... and eat them... and would not be deterred!
They did have a good snuggle, but here's a word to the wise: beware of your eyebrows around babies! I was wondering what got stuck in her mouth after her hootie kisses... and a white tuft of eyebrow feathers was callously discarded on the floor. Ouch.
Thankfully, Erin helped me pick out all the right kinds of felting needles last weekend, so it should be an easy fix, but wow. Hooties: not so baby-proof. At least not Isla-proof. Poor little hootie.

family game night!

Tonight the hooties and I and a handfull of friends convened for a resurrection of family game night. After a lovely dinner we broke into a new game: Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot.Let me tell you, those bunnies are vicious! But the hooties were able to hold their own, safe on their perch above all the excitement.

keeping watch in a fairy village

Our friend Kate came to visit this weekend, and we took her for a walk around Mackworth Island in the rain. The bright yellow and copper-colored leaves underfoot smelled amazing, and we stopped in the fairy village to see how preparations for winter were coming along. We found a little acorn baby there, tucked into a mussel shell with a birch bark and pine needle blanket to keep her warm. The hooties enjoyed babysitting while we wandered through the forest peaking into the scattered fairy dwellings.

We'll be back again before winter, but I am always curious to see what the village looks like when the snow melts in the spring! Will our acorn baby be all grown up by then? It's a mystery that only time will reveal, I suppose... until then nature's blanket will keep her warm.

it's a bird, it's a plane...

In fact, it's both! The hooties and I flew to Vancouver B.C. this weekend to attend a dear friend's wedding.The weekend was full of excitement, and not so full of sleep. But who cares... we can sleep when we get home! For now, we're enjoying the view from up here... I don't think the hooties ever conceived of flying this high. Woah! Their noses were pasted to the window the whole time. They were fascinated!

Stone Mountain Arts Center

Britt and Hope took the hooties and I to Stone Mountain tonight to see an incredible Irish band called Celtic Crossroads play their hearts out. There were amazing little twinkle lights and windows that were carved in the shape of trees, and 8 musicians playing music you couldn't keep yourself from dancing to in your seat. Afterwards we got to hang out with the lead singer/fiddler and one of the dancers too-the man with the fastest feet in the world. Before tonight I didn't realize it was possible that anyone could tap 30 taps per second, but apparently that's his record! We stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, drinking mead, telling stories, joking, singing, and laughing in the cupola overlooking the harbor in Portland. It was a night to remember indeed.

tying up loose ends

After two years of midwifery school, we are finally finishing up our last couple days of class! Inspiration abounds as we get ready to say goodbye to our classmates before everyone scatters around the globe to finish out their apprenticeships. We're tired, and ready for a change.
I thought the hooties would like to hear about some of the things we're learning (and three heads is better than one!)... In their sneaky way they appeared as if from nowhere (those tricksters!), which made everyone smile- not always an easy task at the end of a long journey!

*S-L-O-W riders!*

As promised, we found our way to the Portland Slow Riders' bike posse after August's First Friday. We were right in our element!

The Slow Riders meet at 8pm at Monument Square on every First Friday, and are open to anyone joining their groovy turns about town.We were joined by spider man, three other tandem bikes, a woman with a dog in her backpack, some rockin' bass, and a whole lot of laughter, hooting, and whooping from crowds and bikers alike.
We had sparkles. We had lights. Glitz. Glitter. Glamour. You name it. We had a blast!
And we ended the night at Duckfat with giant smiles on our faces, fully inspired to join next month's bike posse too. We hope to make it a habit.

moving day

It was a hard decision to make, but I decided to close my office. The hooties helped me move out today, in support of honoring the journey towards a more resonant present. Someday I will open it again, when I have more clear direction and am less divided between school, various teaching jobs, and my midwifery apprenticeship. It has been a good office space, and we wish its next occupants well!

foraging for fun

Today we had a grand time hiking around Bradbury with our friends David and Goldstar.
We wandered in the woods and found all sorts of interesting mushrooms! These were by far the our collective favorites though. While not edible, they did spark the hooties' interest by tickling their feet with their funny white scales.
After a lovely day of meandering in the woods we made our way back to Portland to meet some friends for a picnic and free Shakespeare in Deering Oaks Park. 12th Night, while hard to see, was hilarious and more than worth it for the community and camaraderie!

finding peace

After all that biking, we left Harriet to rest in Rockland, and made our way to Green's Island, where Hope grew up, off the coast of Vinalhaven. There we found our bliss. We enjoyed long, quiet mornings, rowing and wandering during the days, living simply without electricity or running water, and quiet mist.
During some of the daytimes we made our way by boat back to Vinalhaven and went swimming in the naked quarry with friends...
And watched beautiful sunsets together on the back side of the island...
as the rest of the world melted away.

A grand adventure with Harriet herself!

So, over the past couple of weeks we've been gearing up to go on an impromptu bike tour with our friends Harriet and Hope. We knew it would be an adventure, but we didn't realize just how many adventures we would have, all rolled into one!

The hooties were wonderful handlebar companions, being comfortable at rocket speed and in open air, wind in their furry feathers. They kept us company on our hilly tour of the Maine countryside!

Harriet is a tough old girl, and carrying four passengers plus a bunch of gear was her idea of a brilliant summertime adventure. We wondered if she had bitten off more than she could chew in accepting our offer, but she was determined. Sometimes her parts didn't work like she remembered them doing back in the day, and we'd have to get off and fix that chain that slipped, or get something welded. She pulled through, though, and we're pretty sure that she's stronger for it!
The hooties had rockstar seating up with the bike bell and the gear. An umbrella for shade from the sun, or in case of rain... and sun hats and food nearby just in case. Out front, they were right in their element!

and always very supportive when we decided we should all stop for ice cream...

or to appreciate a rest by the river...

for a number of days this is what things looked like...

(You can see more pictures and read stories about our epic journey at hopeandhannah.blogspot.com)

A trip to Vermont

They say there's no place like home, and I quite agree. So, the hooties and I decided to make the three-hour journey back home to the place I grew up... It was their first time leaving Maine.

Mom's garden's are absolutely lovely this time of year. Everything is so lush and green, vibrant, and bursting with color.
Despite the fact that they were far from their own home, they managed to find comfy perches and made themselves right at home. They especially loved the view.
From up on the hillside you can see forever... it was as though we were on top of the world!

What we've been up to lately...

We have been out walking... a lot. It has been so beautiful that it's impossible to stay inside when we have time off!

We've been spending lots of time on the ocean, listening to the waves.
And getting in some good cuddle time with Clio.
On one of the hottest days last week we went skinny dipping in the Royal River in Yarmouth, which was HEAVEN in the heat!
It was our first time there, and what a treat to know it is so nearby! There were lots of places to explore, a nice cool breeze in the trees, and not many other people. It was the perfect way to spend the afternoon!
We also had a day filled with newness in small ways. We had lunch alone for the first time, our first beer at lunchtime, and our first po'boy. We will definitely be going back for more, on all accounts!

There was a man at Po'boys and Pickles that said he used to play for the Boston Bruins in the late 80's, and was known as "The Mullett." Apparently there are some funny videos of him on youtube. We might just have to check them out.

plans

We walked around last night for First Friday, and saw many wonderful sights.

But our favorite, by far, was the bike posse. They gave us their card (from the spokes of one rider's tires). We have decided unanimously that you will find us there at First Friday in August; we'll be biking through town on a blue tandem one-speed named Harriet.

art for Vermont

We spent the afternoon working on a project for kids to play with at the Lake Fairlee Festival back at home.

Pippa Drew wanted people from West Fairlee and Thetford to carve tiles for printing fish native to our lake onto clothing. So, the hooties and I made this pumpkinseed fish.

We only had watercolor paint and a paint brush to test it out with (rather than a roller), but despite that they came out pretty well! Here is a print from our little pumpkinseed, who is off in the mail already:

in honor of friends departing

and to kick off the excitement of their great adventure