“So, friends, every day do something
that won’t compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor.
Love someone who does not deserve it. …
Ask the questions that have no answers. …
Say that the leaves are harvested
when they have rotted into the mold.
Call that profit. Prophesy such returns.
Put your faith in the two inches of humus
that will build under the trees
every thousand years.
…Practice resurrection.”
-Wendell Berry
“Where does the light goes?” she asks. “Where does it goes?”
No one really knows, we say. It’s all packets and photons and waves. But, this we know. It’s always there, even when it’s dark, because the darkness is no match for light. Light swallows the dark, and the dark will never triumph over light.
She presses her forehead against the glass, and looks out at the solid sheet of afternoon clouds. She asks, “It still a sunny day? It not night?”
It’s called daylight, we say. Even when we can’t see sunshine, we’re still wrapped in light.
It’s almost sunset. The sphere of light is edged in coral, sliding down behind the ridge just across the highways. “Where da sun go now? It move in da sky?” she asks.
It is we who move, we say. The light is always there, an anchor. We move around it, our faces to it, our eyes fixed on it.
“Leave my farkle [sparkle] light on?” she asks. “Leave it on?”
We have to turn it out, we say. It’s time to sleep. It’s dark, but just for a little while. The morning will come. And it will be light again.
We’re starting off 2014 with all kinds of 3’s. Right away, this month, it’s three and thirty for the three of us. Three for her, and thirty for Josiah and me — and my birthday is even on the thirtieth.
Beyond that, I really have zero idea what’s going to happen this year. And that’s kind of exciting! Especially when it’s the Lord of the universe who guides our way.
“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” (Exodus 13:21-22)
No better place to be, don’t you think?
I thought we were making the old classic, glue-and-cottonball snowmen, but Aveline knew all along she would create a blizzard.
She finds her way into our bed every morning, her stuffed “Mister Fox” in one hand and a whole cascade of giggles filling the space around her.
It’s Josiah that carries her into our room, between the pressing down of the glass-and-silver French Press, and the deft opening of the blinds.
And we start every day this way, with laughter that’s a necessary antidote to my morning-challenged self.
God knows exactly what we need.
Every day is full to overflowing with this big personality of hers. It fills the room, it fills my heart, and the soundwaves definitely fill my ears. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around how many times she asked me yesterday, “What’s zis lo name, mummy? What’s zis lo name?” I tell her it’s “mummy”, and…she isn’t buying it.
We work on together, through the day, while Josiah is at work, our days filled with the chores that keep the home humming, errands out into tropical air that confuses our Christmas-leaning brains, and more beads and crayons and alphabets that you could ever imagine.
Yesterday, I added another item to our daily routine, too, with the launch of a brand-new children’s clothing website, LENKA AND THE FAWN. (Eeeee!) I can’t believe that in June, it all began with this simple poll and now, in November, the concept has grown into a real, live, working retail shop.
If you’ve been reading Oaxacaborn for a while, you know my story. You know I was born in Mexico, lived in the former Yugoslavia in Europe and then came to America right before I turned 8. Lenka and the Fawn is an extension of that story.
And if you like, you can read more here.
“…You tell me it is too early to be looking back,
but that is because you have forgotten
the perfect simplicity of being one
and the beautiful complexity introduced by two.
But I can lie on my bed and remember every digit.
At four I was an Arabian wizard.
I could make myself invisible
by drinking a glass of milk a certain way.
At seven I was a soldier, at nine a prince.
But now I am mostly at the window
watching the late afternoon light…”
-an excerpt from Billy Collins’ On Turning Ten
As soon as I saw this tweed blazer from Baker by Ted Baker, I had visions of a red deer stag cantering across the Scottish highlands between slate grey mountains and mirrored lochs. And then I peeked at the satin lining, and it was dotted with red deer print.
Perfect.
Definitely something a laird(ess) would wear.
Admittedly influenced by all the Monarch of the Glen re-runs I’ve been watching lately, I wanted to pair it with some sort of plaid — a nod to the tartan kilt. But if you know Aveline, you know she’s crazy about “farkles” [sparkles]. So my nod to the Scottish highlands quickly turned into something more like a jazz-dancer-meets-laird outfit. (And I love it.)
It’s funny, I had no idea when I first spotted the blazer that the brand really does have true Scottish roots — Ted Baker was founded in Glasgow, Scotland in the late 80s.
Lately, JC Penney is bringing in more and more international brands to their kids’ collection — like Joe Fresh, which is a Canadian brand. I love that! And anytime a store wants to expand beyond licensed characters and pink and purple butterflies for girls’ clothes, I’m on board.
And when a certain little girl wants to dress up and hang out with her mama, I’m on board with that, too.
Here’s Aveline’s outfit breakdown:
MENSWEAR BLAZER // Baker by Ted Baker, from the toddler boy’s department
BLACK TEE // Aveline’s own; similar here
SEQUIN SHORTS // Flowers by Zoe by Kourageous Kids
TIGHTS // Joe Fresh
GLITTER OXFORDS // Joe Fresh (I added the golden ribbon; they come with round black cord laces.)
See all Baker by Ted Baker // See all Flowers by Zoe by Kourageous Kids
Disclosure of Material Relationship: I received compensation in exchange for my participation in promoting the #jcpKids Fall Collection. All the photographs, opinions, and experiences shared here are in my own words and are my own honest evaluation; and I personally selected all the garments photographed here. Please be assured, I only accept sponsorship opportunities for brands I personally use would recommend to close friends and family, and I will always disclose any such relationships.
This week marks the start of fall here in the Northern Hemisphere, and while Florida’s proximity to the Tropic of Cancer makes the change of seasons less pronounced, the weather is dipping ever so slightly in the autumnal direction. It’s a welcome, if nearly imperceptible change; merely a bit less of an “I’ve instantly been poached” sensation when one steps out of doors.
And while my presence has been scarce here on the blog, it’s been for the best reason possible — family is in town! My heart is beyond happy watching this little face chatter away with “gamma” and “gampa”.
This seasonal shift always makes me think of yellows and blues, despite these hues often being seen as spring colors. But why should they be confined to just one end of the year? Autumn is full of ever deepening blue skies and — in some parts of the world at least — rich golden leaves.
And so here, on a very non-Monday, is a tiny round-up of pretty things.
The Adventurer, a nautical/anchor mug via ModCloth
Plywood triangle banner via Against the Woodgrain on Scout Mob
Sandalwood & Musk soap from Mozi‘s Big Bear Collection
California letterpress print via 1canoe2 on Etsy
Enamelware plates from Best Made Co.
CC1 Square Blouse via Yarnmade Sweden‘s Cactico line
(Want to see even more pretty things?)
The Oaxacaborn Blog 