For my 35th birthday in 2008 I got a gorgeous pair of diamond earrings from my darling husband. For my 36th birthday this year I got this spaceship-looking composter. So romantic.

Starting in May we have been adding all of our produce scraps to this crazy composter. We eat more fruit and vegetables that I realized, as we dump about 2 large bowls of trimmings every day. We fill up the bowls with not only produce, but paper towels, egg shells, coffee liners and grounds, and leaves from the yard. The composter sits on a handy stand equipped with wheels for easy spinning of the orb. I'll admit, it can get a bit funky. We had it on the back deck but we moved it to the "garden" to help with inevitable dripping and the occasional ant visitors. It's working out much better out there and isn't as big of a topic of discussion whenever we have friends over for back deck cocktails.

A great byproduct of composting for us has been our huge reduction in curbside garbage. We have trash pick up once a week and whereas before we would fill our barrel each week, we sometimes find that we only have one or two bags of trash in the barrel. We already separate all of our recycling and take it to the recycling center every couple of weeks: glass, plastic, aluminum, cardboard, junk mail, and more. So we feel really good about reducing what we're putting in the landfill each week!

The monster composting globe was getting heavy. Spinning it was getting difficult. We have, after all, been putting two big bowls of scraps in it every day for about 4 months. Interestingly though, it appeared to only be half full. The magic of composting! So today we decided it was time to empty it out and start fresh. We took some sticks and limbs from recent storms and built a little "cage" to hold the compost. The idea is that we can come to this pile when we do our future plantings but keep the composter spinning. We rolled it down to the backyard and dumped out dark, beautiful, earthy-smelling soil. A few worms, no foul smells, and a corn cob or two that hadn't broken down.

We created a thin layer of "power dirt" to nourish our flowers and plants. Just a thin layer! Imagine all those bags of garbage that could have been hauled away to who-knows-where. Instead, mother nature took charge and broke it all down for us to use again. Love it!

Turtlenecks and turnips

Blue jeans and leather jackets. Long cotton scarves and boots. Red highlights. The crock pot. Full bodied red wine with hearty beef stew--don't forget the crusty bread.

I love all four seasons. I have decided that it's important to me to live in a place where I can experience all of them. Flowing with Mother Nature and her rhythms is comfortable to me. I have always been the type of person who looks forward to the next big thing, always ready to move forward. The past few years I have really been working to live more in the present. Daydreams of what lies ahead are useful to get me through some of the monotony of my everyday life as a stay-at-home mom in the suburbs. But being fully aware of what is happening right now can be so rewarding--especially in times of change.

I have always thought of fall as a time to reconnect with the Earth, to set new goals, and to reflect on where I am. I like New Years resolutions, but they are never as meaningful to me as the work I do in early September. I would think that maybe springtime would be a more likely time to be called to start anew, like nature. Summertime is so free...it's hot (especially here in Georgia), clothes are lose and light, a dip in the pool can substitute for a day's shower, a salad and a pinot grigio won't weigh me down. Then I feel that slight chill in the air. We've had some rain, we've raked some leaves, and we don't mind so much if the kids leave the doors hanging open. Things are changing, and it calls me to ponder what is changing in me.

I've been snooping around for goal setting programs online. Getting organized with my thoughts is important in me accomplishing things. For several years I have been focused on raising the kids. Carving out time for me was one of my goals, and I've been successful at that! Now I'm finding that, with all 3 kids in elementary school, I have plenty of time "for me"--now what am I going to do with it? Like nature in autumn, it's time for me to shed my old leaves, gently. It's time to go within and start settling in for deeper growth. No hibernating, no dormancy...there is serious work to be done. The flightiness and "distractability" of summer must take heed in the attentiveness of fall.

To think of next summer, it seems so far away. We still have a full fall, winter, and spring to experience and accomplish before those long, muggy days return (although I'm sure we're not done with them this year yet!). I'm excited about the work that I can do between now and then. I'm excited to light up a fire in our fire pit. I'm excited to go barefoot on the cool Earth on the evening of a full moon. Get motivated, get organized, get focused. Get cooking! Fall vegetables, soups and stews, hot tea in the afternoon. So much to do! I'd better get on it!

There is a rabbinical saying: "Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time." Give you child the freedom to explore the world for themselves. If you fear for their safety in territories unknown to you, walk beside them and explore those places together. Let your children be your guides in rediscovering the world."


Although parents wish to protect their children from danger, an important task of parenting involves allowing children to explore their own depths and the mystery of fate - which draws them into the potentially dangerous but transformative experiences of life.

Both of these passages are from "1,001 Meditations" by Mike George.


I am raising my kids as little individuals who feel strong and empowered in their decisions. I want them each to be independent and eager to learn about what interests them. I want them to ask questions and challenge themselves and others. I want to make things available and accessible to them. We're so fortunate to be living a life that can allow us most opportunities if it is important enough.

I love that high schools are now offering "internships for credit" type of situations. Expecting a fresh high school graduate at 18 to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives is just not so realistic. What a great way to try a few occupations out? And what about travelling? Learning about other cultures first hand and in person can enrich anyone! I wish travel was more affordable. I guess it's a matter of priorities. If I lived more simply now I could afford to travel more. Travelling with a family of 5 is a bit more limiting--but doable. If I really want it and think it's important enough.

I feel like I pretty much did what I wanted as a teenager. I was working so I had some money. I didn't ask for permission for much--or maybe I didn't much listen to the answer. I don't remember asking for much guidance. I had to learn for myself--and I did. I'm thankful I had parents who, although I don't think they knew what to do with my free spirit, let me be. They could have put heavy restrictions on me or sent me to some school for curious and independent girls that would have stifled my explorations.

This isn't exactly what I want for my kids though. I feel like I have some experiences they can learn from. Or at least my stories might sway them to make one choice over another on their own. But when it comes down to it, they are their own people. What intrigued me will not be the same for them. What gets their blood pumping will be different than what it was for me. And it's true, growing up in the 2020's and 2030's is going to be far different than it was for me in the 1980's and 1990's, or what their father experienced in the 1970's and 1980's. Their world as young people is so different.

So I guess all I can do is talk with them, listen to them, and allow them to be free. Free to explore, free to ask questions and challenge, free to be themselves...as they search to discover who it is they really are. That work, after all, has very little to do with me. As I've said before, I'm a guide. I want to be the best damn guide I can be. One with a cold glass of water and a foot rub at the end of each quest. I won't have all the answers, but maybe I can offer them clues. And I'm really confident that I'm going to feel so proud to know them. I already do.

I'm just realizing that I'm going to have to be alone with myself for a week while I'm in Italy.

Maybe I should be doing as much, if not more, preparation for THAT as I am all the cooking classes and tours.

There is a full moon coming tomorrow. My brief online research tells me the full moon is a time of abundance, strongly related to the maternal. I can affirm that I am full to the brim with maternal energy right now. Kids go back to school in a few days, the baby starts kindergarten, and the emotions are running high as far as being protective, and the struggle between holding on tight and beginning to let go. I hope to connect to Mother Earth tomorrow night, soak in her energy, and pray for guidance in supporting my children on their journey. It is their journey, after all, and I can't do it for them.

The next new moon occurs while I'm in Tuscany. The same brief online research taught me that this is a time of new beginnings, positive change, evolution and expansion. How ideal! Again, I will plan to take off my shoes (will they be the practical-yet-stylish hoofing around Italy shoes or the new leather boots I acquire on my travels?) and plant my feet on Mother Earth. I will set my intentions for the next phase of my life.

As if I didn't have enough research to do! I will remain open to receive the messages intended for me and it will all work out as it should. Take a breath, give thanks, and slow down. Embrace the work I have to do in the next week as Mama, then prepare for the equally important work I have to do as Cristin.

What is success? To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty; To find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived; That is to have succeeded.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

A sunny 75 degree day makes you love wherever you are, doesn't it?

For as much as I daydream about my "forever place," I've been taking advantage of a lot of the delicious benefits of living in my current place.

I know that I am in the perfect place right now for me and for my family. We have a great house that I use as a creative outlet, a diverse and active community that I share with handfuls of supportive people, schools that are treating my kids oh-so right, a climate that allows me to enjoy all four seasons, and easy access to so much that makes life simpler and full.

This week alone I indulged in some things that I realize I might have been taking for granted:
~ My local YMCA, where I can get my "happy juice" as my kids call it, and they have fun in the playroom while I do my thing. I have 2 beautiful, clean Ys to chose from, both about 10 minutes away.
~ A plethora of affordable and yummy restaurants to grant me a night off from cooking dinner and some face time with my rockin' husband.
~ The North Georgia mountains...in a minimum of an hour I can be exploring trails, waterfalls, fresh mountain air, wineries, local art, and charming little villages.
~ The farmer's market in my town sent me home with juicy tomatoes and fresh homemade buffalo mozzarella, cucumbers that my girls will devour, and berries that beat any store made dessert.
~ Little boutiques that even my oldest daughter has a hard time passing by--full of creative ideas to decorate myself.
~ More Mexican restaurants than my son could ever try, all with an icy, salt-rimmed Texas margarita waiting for me.
~ A backyard that has grass and woods, a trampoline and Adirondack chairs, a gorgeous deck with outdoor speakers and a vine with a life of it's own (that makes me so happy!).

And I haven't even touched upon the amazing people that I've encountered each day of this divine, yet average, week. That will have to be a blog for another day. I also didn't venture into the city this week. Again, another blog for another day.

So when I daydream about where I am going to go to find my bliss, maybe I should stop...stop and sit in a hammock, kayak down the Chattahoochee River that runs 10 minutes from my home, have a cup of coffee with a neighbor, water my flowers, or take a swing with my kids in the backyard. Maybe I should consider that I may already be here.