Ceremony and Cooking and Welcoming the Magic Again!

So, today has been a day, and oh what a day it has been!!!

Thank you Universe for bringing your sweet sweet blessing to me with a fresh breath of "Aaah" and Spirit Infusions!
I ran into a friend whom I haven't seen for a while today and we were able to reconnect. She brought to me the ceremony and remembrance of the sacred that I have been calling for, and so deeply needing. This morning we intended to set out on our bikes at 8:00am in order to go down to the ocean-side to collect Nettles from their lovely wild patch. We were not able to do this, however it was the thing that pushed me to get out of bed early rather than lay there as T roamed around, seeking each bit of sleep I could get. This was really good. T and I got up and moved into the day with some grace. We made breakfast, I cleaned the kitchen up, which spread to the living room and hallway as well! Then, after connecting with Kerry and it being decided that enjoying ceremony in the backyard would now make more sense, T and I went outside and enjoyed the amazing and fresh late-spring morning, the kind that lets you know summer is on it's way!! We stretched and hula-hooped and made music with our mouths and hands and danced and it was SO delightful and amazing!
When Kerry came, we all took some sacred smoking herbs that Kerry had gathered herself(red cedar bark and sage) and received(sacred tobacco from Peru, I think). With these in our hands, together we thanked all four directions, Mother Earth, and Father Sky, with Kerry's words, and brought it all back down. Then we offered these herbs to the Earth. After this, we burnt a smudge of Cedar we had all collected on our walk yesterday. So lovely! Tyler is so keyed into this and so receptive. I know I have to include this once more in our daily lives!

Next amazing item of the day, which this morning lead into SO wonderfully, was the Community Kitchen. As a part of the Autonomous Community Support Network that we have started here where I live, we have begun a Community Kitchen project. This is a way for us to come together in community and create stronger connections, while pooling our resources together to make lovely meals, potentially enough to take home and freeze for use throughout the week. Today was the third attempt at having a successful Community Kitchen, and. . . SUCCESS! It was lovely. The five of us made a wonderful Lentil Shepherd's Pie and a Soup, for which T ground up some Rosemary we picked and dried, with the mortar and pestle.
During the cooking, T fell asleep on my bosom in the other room, which was great! I was trying to stop her naps all together because her bedtimes were very frustrating. The result was an unhappy, cranky toddler, and a stressed out Mama! Also, she was beginning to go to bed at crazy and dangerous times(unless you enjoy waking up at 3:00am) like 5:00pm. So, I was hoping to be able to get her to have a nap by 12:00-1:00 at the latest, and wake her up after an hour. Today, she went to sleep at 12:30, and I ended up waking her, pleasantly received--yay, at 2:30.
After some naked play and shepherd's pie out in the yard(yay sunshine!!), it was off to the playground with us. And play we did! Not until three hours later did we arrive home! This was about quarter to seven. Some snackie dinner, bed prep, and then off to sleep with the wee one!

I set my tent up for Kerry, who will be sleeping over tonight, after T's slumber took her, and upon laying in it to test it out received many wondrous zings of joy and excitement. Being in my tent, amid the lovely outside, with the fresh air and the critters and the lovely, lovely Earth SO close beneath me, drawing me into her warmth and grounding--Oh Goddess!!!! Uh! SOoooo amazing!!! So, tomorrow it's my turn with T to sleep in there, and every night after, I do believe!!!

Also, tomorrow we will view a place for the first time. We need to move for May 1st, and this place sounds super nice! Send us good thoughts for this one!!

And so ends an amazing and magical day for these and other reasons!
Tomorrow it's off to the ocean-side Stinging Nettle patch on Bicycle for Kerry, T and I!

Until then,
Lovely lullabyes to all!!

-Sarah Christina