german light

in early
july
we were
in
northern germany
for
my cousin's wedding.

i rarely
get a moment
to wander
with my
camera
anymore...

but one
lazy afternoon
while
vee
slept,
i wandered
around in
my uncle's garden.

he was
a beekeeper
and the
garden had
artifacts
from his years
of bee work.







there
were moments
of incredible
light
during
this trip.



i tried
to steal
a few
to save.







xo

last bits of october

i have found
myself
in a strange place.

anxious.
unsettled.

watching
hurricane sandy
and soon
the elections
from afar...

preparing
to move away
for 3 months...

everything
is a bit
up in the air,
so to speak.




i find
peace
in organizing...
arranging
my bits a pieces
into collections.
neatly placing things
in boxes
to store
for the winter
that
i will miss
in switzerland.

i came across
this image
the other day
in a magazine...




i love this
idea of organizing
objects that
vee finds on our walks.
feathers,
leaves...
and soon,
shells
and driftwood.



xo

thankful

we have
a lot
to be
thankful for
this year
more than
any other year.

i finished
my phd.

we moved
to switzerland.

we had
a little
girl.



sometimes
we forget
amidst
the worrying
about
this and that.



we tend
to focus
on what
we do not have
because
sometimes
these things
seem
insurmountable.
those are
the things
that use to
keep us up at night
before
we had a baby.



i won't
deny that
we are often
lonely
far away
from
family
and friends.
it seems
strange
to be lonely
when
i have grub
and
he has me
and
we have
wee grub.



but
anyone who
has moved
knows
this
type of
loneliness
well.

plus
parenthood
can be
quite
isolating
in its
own way...



we are
home for
long stretches
of time
focused
on
the care
of
one little person
which would
seem
to be
a
very simple task.
but
it takes
all your time
and
you
are
suddenly
absent
from all
social
interactions
until you
can muster
up the energy
to face
the world
outside.



for
these reasons
celebrating
thanksgiving
seemed especially
important
to us
this year.

we searched
for the
traditional
ingredients
in neuchâtel
and
finally found
a whole turkey
but
i failed
to find
pumpkin
in a can.
grub
cooked
up a storm.



i dressed
wee grub
in the
appropriate
turkey day
garb.



a little
pair
of socks
arrived
in the mail
from eliza
to complete
the outfit.
and
we celebrated
with our
new friends.



as we move
into
the
holiday season
in a foreign land
we will
savor
what we can
of
our new life
and
enjoy
time
with new friends.



we send
our love
home
to those
we miss
but
we will
see them
again
very soon.



hope
you all
had
a
wonderful
thanksgiving.

xo

o l y m p i a

a few images
from olympia...





{bike rides in the countryside}



{mom & nephew on the tractor}




{birthday wishes}





{picnicing with siblings}


happy weekend
to you all!
xo

this and that

walking to
work at
the smithsonian
yesterday
i saw a huge tree
suddenly
lose all
of its leaves
to the wind.
they rained down
on
a young girl
in a red coat
that
laughed
with delight.

it took
my breath away.

i need to learn
to enjoy
those kind
of moments.

thanksgiving
is in a week.
i really miss
my family
at this time
of year.
i need to
hurry up
and finish
this damn
phD so
i can go home.

happy
wednesday.
xo

a little this, a little that

like many of you,
summer
is a busy time
for me.
especially since
it is my last
field season
for my phd
(both a relief
& very scary).

in between
daytime
caterpillar collecting,
intern-managing,
&
nighttime
moth collecting
i have had
a little time
to do
this and that.


drop-spinning classes.
more on sew green...


birthday
cupcake tasting
around town...


sight-seeing
with my sister
(she was in town
for my birthday)...


taking my siblings
moth collecting...


beautiful birthday
cut-out installation
by my brother
(inspired by
fruitless fall).


4th of july
summer roll making...


and
pie-making.

happy belated 4th!

what have you
been up to?

more soon,
xo