Bloom

Well, it's been quiet around here lately. But don't get confused...by "here" I just mean this blog, not our actual lives. No, life isn't quiet at all. In fact, I'm not sure I could find a word to less accurately describe our lives right now. Maybe orderly. Or relaxing. Or anything in the thesaurus next to calm.

Don't worry- I'm not going to go on a rant about how busy we are, it's just that life right now is pretty hectic, pretty loud, and pretty full. It's all very good stuff (well...it's a lot of very good stuff, with some tantrums, messes and exhaustion layered on top) but it's not been very compatible with blogging. I love creating, and I still have the urge to spend time in this space, but lately it's been all I can do just to keep up with regular life, let alone the documentation traditions I've started (most notably: monthly updates for Miller, and periodic quips from the girls). Then there's my commitment to Thrive Moms, plus my one second everyday project. So there is still some creative expression and memory keeping happening, but there hasn't been quite as much time or space for "written processing" as I'd like.

It's easy for me to get down on myself, frustrated that I'm not being more productive, or better at prioritizing time to for creative pursuits. I mean, I seem to find plenty of time for Netflix binging so I can't really use a "too busy" excuse in good conscience. But at the same time, it's also fair to say that while I've been neglecting the writing recently, I actually have been focusing on the doing (and even more important: the being.) I've talked about this before- the struggle with feeling that I have to choose between making the memories or recording them. Our kids are so small, and so active, and seem to change by the minute. Sometimes that makes me feel manic, striving to document every second before it slips by. But sometimes I'm better at settling in, and soaking it up, taking opportunities to just be with my people, and rely on my memory to preserve the moment. 

Beyond just the documenting though, I miss creating...I'm sad about all the writing, photography, crafting and quilting I'm not doing. Creative expression brings me so much fulfillment, so it's hard to be content when that area is lacking. There's no shortage of busyness, it's a lot of busy-work, that doesn't come with the same sense of pride and satisfaction that makership does. (that's not technically a word. But I think it should be. So I made it. It's what we makers do.) I'm doing a lot these days, but still I look back and feel frustrated that I don't have more to show for it all. 

But I came across a quote recently that seemed to speak right to me, right where I am; So much so that I've been repeating it to myself ever since:  

Be patient with yourself. Nothing in nature blooms all year. 

OH, how I long to always be in bloom. Who doesn't?! I want to be full of color, a thing of beauty. I want to be open and lovely, basking in the sun, feeling proud to be on display.

But that's just not realistic. Nothing in nature blooms all year. Before the flowers, there must be buds. Stems. Leaves. Roots. And of course, even once the flowers come, they aren't forever.  Between blooms, there is withering, and dormancy, and rest.

And as a gardener (a topic I'm only qualified to speak about metaphorically), there are times to water, and times to prune. Times to fertilize, and times...to wait.

So while I long to be always blooming- to feel the constant joy of creation, celebration, and big, showy radiance- I know that life isn't contained to that season alone. Even perennials- known for their brilliant blooming- go through cycles of change. There are seasons of budding and growth; and of wilting and hardening off.

I may be frustrated that I'm not blooming in exactly the way I'd like to be right now, but if I'm patient with myself I realize that I'm still in a rich- and necessary- season. We're becoming rooted: getting entrenched with family, establishing deep connections with friends and spreading wide, complex relationship pathways. We're growing: working on a solid marriage- the trunk to our family tree, adding branches of children and nurturing their growth. We're pruning: cutting out the things that are too much to sustain, and threaten to take away from what matters most. We're drinking in the nourishment that God is providing, we're preparing protection for storms, and we're fanning our leaves out to soak up as much sunlight as we possibly can.

So right now, I'm not in bloom every day. I'm not show-ready all the time. My energy isn't being funneled into beautiful petals made for admiration. But that doesn't mean this season isn't worthwhile, and good, and full. I need to be patient with myself, and settle into all that right now holds for me, knowing the blooming will come again, soon enough.

P.s. More about "seasons" of motherhood, and the doing/being balance.

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Sum Sum Summa-time

It's Summer, baby. Go do some Summer Baby things!

Summer Fridays

Early out workdays means its time for some sun, some deck action, some hubby-time...and a napping baby. Heaven on earth.

P.s. Today's post is linked up with the Summer Fun guru Kacia at Coconut Robot. Join the Summer Friday party!

And for more filtered photo goodness- scroll down to check out the new feature on the right side bar: our instagram feeds! If you're not on the instagram bandwagon (yes, I'm obsessed!), you can still get your fix right here on the blog. Now go make some sunny memories of your own!

Stay-cation

When Dustin and I first moved to Pittsburgh, we didn’t really think there was going to be much of a climate shift. It’s a couple hours east of Columbus, but that shouldn’t really affect the weather, right? Well- let me tell you. It’s cold here. Like fridgid cold. But that’s not really the worst of it. The real problem? The sun- or rather, the lack of it. You see- everywhere else we’ve lived has been cold in the winter, but we at least had sunshine. So even when the thermometer seemed to be stuck on 17, the blue sky, and rays of sunshine pouring through frozen windowpanes at least gave you hope that Spring would indeed come again. In Pittsburgh? Not so much. The sun packs its bags around December, and doesn’t bother returning until late March (I heard it has a nice place in Boca).

(Notice the weather on my phone- if you can't tell from the camera phone pic of a camera phone...the forcast for the day says N/A over a picture of a grey'd out sun.

As in- the sun literally doesn't apply to Pittsburgh.)

You know people that complain about grey skies in Seattle? Or London? I don’t think they’ve ever been to Pittsburgh, or they’d realize how nice they have it. (then again...I’ve never been either of those places...why bother? I heard it’s so dreary.)

(Word. drawing by artist Wendy MacNaughton.)

So- since we can’t exactly change meterological patterns, we’ve done the next best thing: Every year we make it a point to save some vacation days for January. This way we can bail on the sleet and snow, and head for greener pastures (i.e. the tropics!) (We didn’t have this wisdom in Winter 08, so those few months were when we officially learned this the hard way.) In 2009 we visited Dustin’s parents in Florida, and in 2010 we were blessed beyond all reason with an invite to join friends in St. John. (Never did get around to posting that...but don’t worry, that’s why Golden Oldie posts were invented!)

This year, we were all set to start planning another trip. We had the days racked up, and were kicking around ideas on where to go, and what to do.....Puerto Rico was a strong contender...Belize was mentioned (as it is every year....someday!)...Florida was another possibility. We even got a generous gift of flight miles from Dustin’s step-dad. All we had to do was pull the trigger, and book the trip.

But for some reason, we couldn’t. Though we have certainly grown weary of the winter weather, a big trip right now just didn’t seem right. Maybe it’s because we went on the trip of a lifetime in September? Or because we are trying to save money for our kitchen? Or because planning something major right now makes me more stressed than not taking a vacation? I think it’s all of those. So we decided to stay put this year, and muddle (puddle) through the winter slush....

But just because we’re not flying anywhere exotic, it certainly doesn’t mean we can’t take advantage of our vacation days! Enter.....the Stay-cation!

Dustin and I decided that we are still taking our week off (well 4 days....schedules got a little complicated), and we’ll be spending it in the winter paradise that is Pittsburgh (at a nice little bed & breakfast known as Chez Bowden...maybe you’ve heard of it?) It may sound a little lame, but we’re actually quite excited to have an extended time off together.

And what will we be doing on this Stay-cation? So glad you asked. Because we’ve made an itinerary:


We made a rule that just because we’ll be at home, it doesn’t mean we’ll act like we’re at home. So as much as possible, we’ll only be doing things you’d typically do on a vacation. This means no doctor’s appointments, no bill paying, no sitting on the couch watching The View in pj’s while folding laundry (I mean, unless that’s what you typically do on vacation....). Sure, it’d be nice to take advantage of this time at home with some big time productivity, checking off projects and getting to those boring tasks that never quite seem to get done during the work week. But that’s no fun! And vacations (and stay-cations!) are all about FUN! Yes- we included some things that seem a little like work- like painting, but we’re only doing those if we feel like it...no pressure. (And getting the car fixed doesn’t count as work because we don’t actually have to do anything, other than drive together for a few days.)

And you may have noticed that museums, zoos, botanical gardens and other typical vacation “attractions” are conspicuously missing from our list....But that’s because we decided we just don’t like that stuff all that much. But we do like to shop...and eat...and play games...and eat. So that’s what we’ll be doing! We depart tomorrow, (destinations: Lazy Town, and Fun Village). I’m so very excited!

P.S. If you’re wondering what “Find the BEEP” means, it refers to the random, completely aggravating chirping noise that seems to be coming from some place in our house. It’s not the TV. It’s not the smoke alarms. The refrigerator is suspect...but only because everything is a suspect at this point. It’s driving me bonkers, and it has to stop.

Take Me to Flower Town

I wish it was Summer. Or Spring. Really I would settle on it just being warm enough for Dustin to push me around in a magical land of flowers.

Is that too much to ask?!?

*Photos circa May 15, 2010. I miss that day.*

Something to Crow About

Ok, after that little pirate themed teaser, I’m sure you all are chomping at the bit to hear about our vacation (OR, I’m just dying to brag about it a bit!) BUT, I’d be remiss if I didn’t first tell you about the festivities we partook in on our actual anniversary (and by “remiss” I mean, I’d be in big trouble with Meg, because she requested a post about the event that she so graciously invited us to.). This also give us an opportunity to clear up any of the questions from our anniversary post- how did we find ourselves celebrating 5 years of bliss, while atop a fiberglass cow?? The answer to that, and many more awesome questions is: We took a trip to The Canfield Fair.

I had never heard of this event, but I am ALWAYS up for some farm activities and some fried food, so when our friends Meg and Sean invited us out, we decided it would be a fun way to spend the day together. As Canfield newbies, everything was a first….but by the time we left, we were pros. For those of you who haven’t yet gotten the pleasure of experiencing this firsthand, allow me to show you the ropes.

It’s a popular place- if make a plan to meet your friends, the rooster is a great rendezvous point. (from entrance D-fresh off the hayride- you go straight past the custom carburetor contraption booths and make a right at the goats. If you hit the sheep you’ve gone too far.)

Or maybe you could agree to wear an eye catching hat so you can easily spot each other in the crowd.

Once you’ve got all your group in tow, it’s time to eat. In fact, from here on out, it’s always time to eat.

Hit up the fry booth….

Grab a Funnel Ear (why choose between two perfect foods when there is a combo choice?!)…

And make sure you make an appearance at the fried cheese booth.

They should really call it bliss on a stick. It would be more accurate.

For those of you hard core carnivores, fear not, there are options for you too....Hot and Delicious Turkey Legs (of prehistoric proportions!)


And I cannot stress this enough: If you see the Fried Carmel Apple Cheesecake Burrito Stand….stop. right. there. Do not pass by, even if you have a belly full of funnel ear and a corn dog in each hand. I made the mistake of passing this up, and wake up sorry every day.

But no matter what you eat, try to keep it clean…afterall, we’re at the fair. It’s a classy joint.

Once the grease is deep, deep in your veins, you can branch out (briefly) into the world of impossibly rigged gaming. Grab a ball or two, and show off your macho power.

You won’t win, but you can at least win the affection of a special someone from your group…

Now, it goes without saying that you’re bound to see some pretty big celebrities at the fair. Try to stay cool…..Don’t embarrass yourself in front of Honest Abe. He puts his pants on one leg at a time like the rest of us.

But if you get a little starstruck it’s understandable. I mean- when you’re in the presence of greatness, it’s hard to keep your composure.

But you don't come to the fair for the people....you come for the animals.

There are hares....

And there are mares....

alpacas in pairs....

And even a few scares! (don't be alarmed by the giant veins...it's normal...I guess....)

And of course there are many more, but by now you'll be itching for some adventure (beyond just the fear of a nasty goat bite in the petting zoo!). For that- may I suggest- Fat Guy in a Wheelchair Horse Racing?! (which may or may not be it's real name)

It may look a little crazy at first, but once they announce "Real Sexy" is in the lead, then you'll be begging to bet.

Don't take it from me...trust these smiling faces:

But don't get too comfy on the sidelines...because Canfield gives you the power....and puts you in the driver's seat.

There's big boy toys...

And even bigger boy toys. And remember- rule number one when posing inside of a tank: Look fierce.

So while it's impossible to sum up the magic of such a fair in one post, I'd at least like to leave you with one final piece of advise- which comes in the famous words of the fair’s very unofficial tagline:

No regrets indeed.

And there you have it...The Canfield Fair: truly “Something to Crow About".

Summ it Up

If any of you ever listed to KLove (a national Christian radio station) you know that the "dj's" (not sure why, but quotes just feel right in this instance) can border on cheesy. And by "border" I mean- that is a nice word to avoid just calling them out as big dorks. (I know....dorks for Jesus...but still.)

BUT the other day they posed a question that was actually pretty fun (and no- it wasn't of the "Kids say the darndest things" variety). Their prompt:

Some stories take lots of words to get the message across.
And sometimes you can tell everything in just three words.
Can you tell us the most memorable story from your summer in... just. 3. words?

I had some fun brainstorming...but of course couldn't narrow it to one phrase....

Run ourselves ragged.
Striving for simple.
Adventures with husband.
Non. stop. eating.
Favorite season ever.
Ain't over yet!

So- what about you? Can you boil your summer down to 3 words (or an unlimited list of 3 word combos?) Is it a specific memory? Or a season-long summation?

Share your story!
In the comments!
Don't be shy!

For more wordplay fun, check out our 100 word bios.

Veggie-tales

This Summer, Dustin and I signed up for a Community Supported Agriculture share (a CSA for those of you into abbrevs.) We put our little veggie toes in the water, and went with a half a small, which means that every other Wednesday, the good people of Kretschmann Organic Farm drop off a crate of fresh, locally grown produce, at a nearby house. We just have to swing by before nightfall, transfer the goodies to a bag, and we're on our way to healthy meals! Perfect! Right?

Well, in true Bowden fashion, we've managed to take a very easy process, and botch up repeatedly. Oh yes, our over-complicating skills know no bounds. So, as a warning to family farms everywhere, I present: The Official (non-exhaustive)
List of Reasons Not to Allow Courtney and Dustin To Participate in Your CSA Organization:

1. We will send you approximately 18 emails before the season starts, with questions that are probably answered on the website, but we're new at this, and I was just wondering.....
2. We will also inquire multiple times, at length about coordinating a group sign up and drop off at our gym. After countless discussions of how said project would work, we will advise you to "Nevermind." and abandon the idea completely due to lack of interest.
3. After signing up for a location, we will promptly request to change it, shaking the delicate balance of the drop-off system.
4. We will ask you in-depth questions about the beef, chicken, coffee, and eggs options. We will not want any of these options. We don't even drink coffee.
5. On the first week of pick up. We will forget to pick ours up.
6. We will then remember, around 11pm, and leave a 5 minute voicemail for the "host family" apologizing profusely, brainstorming ideas to fix the catastrophe, eventually offering our veggies up to a good home, and ending the message with, "I really hope this is that family that hosts the CSA, because maybe I didn't dial right, and if not....um...disregard."
7. When we are permitted to pick up our veggies late, we will forget the rules, and take the box home.
8. We will not learn this lesson, and will continue to take the box home for at least 3 more weeks.
9. We will eventually remember that we are supposed to leave the box, but we will not have a bag to hold our produce instead, so we will take the box anyway.
10. We will go on vacation, notify you too late, and waste a box of veggies.
11. We will then ask you to deliver two weeks in a row as a make up.
12. We will cheat on you at the farmer's market. With tomatoes.

So.....all that to say, there's a bit of learning curve (or a "stop being such jerks and learn to be part of the community" curve) to this whole CSA thing. But logistical challenges aside, the produce has been well worth it. Every other week we go on a veggie adventure where surprises and challenges abound.

I call this one: how many leafy green things exist that are actually edible?
(alternate title: "Mom, smell it....is that basil?")
And this one: Fried kale chips sound interesting....
(alternate title: gross.)

And who can forget: "Courtney, what's that smell?"
(alternate title: "Courtney, Don't put beets in a measuring cup, cover it with plastic wrap, microwave for 4 minutes, let rest for a minute, add another four minutes, walk away, ignore the crash noise and the smoke smell because you assumed it was the neighbors grilling out. There will be consequences.")

And the classic: Mystery Bloodstain
(alternate title: Beets Strike Back. This Time It's Personal.)

But seriously folks, we've actually loved having a CSA. We've tried foods we wouldn't have otherwise, our dinners are fresher and better for us, and I got to buy a brand new measuring cup. Win-win-win! Now who wants to come over for a nice beet-kale salad? Raw, of course....