Seasonal Turning Point

Solstice is coming and to me it seems, at times, that the rate of speed of the Earth's axis is accelerating! It's hard for me to believe that we've lived here in California close to two years. This last year has seen so many changes that at in thinking about it my head spins. Nye is nine years old! We're happily ensconced in our new old house. (Oh, yeah and with a ton of work to do! ;-)

We have so much to be thankful for - friends and family. We are also filled with hope and resolved in making the best of the year to come - we're thinking about where we would like to go personally and how we want to grow. As the year draws to a close it feels right to reflect a bit.

Usually when I sit to write on of these blogs I pick some of my favorite pictures from those that both Arch and I have taken over the preceding month or so. The images that punctuate this blog are a combination of my work and Archil's photography in the past few weeks. In reviewing our accumulated work over I realized that we have images that relate to a few important themes that have emerged in our journey here.

Explorations - Embracing the Landscape

Looking back at our adventures and day trips of the past year I realize that we take trips most weekends. Picking at random we take hikes, go on beach adventures, and embark on urban explorations. Like a gourmand, we consume the world we now inhabit. We relish the gritty streetscapes of San Jose or San Francisco. We revel in sublime crescent beaches nestled by sea cliffs building sand castles or driftwood sculptures. We hike redwoods and grasslands telling stories as we hike, looking for clues from the landscape to weave into our narratives.

This past weekend, we hiked in the chaparrals just minutes from our home. The colors and textures of hills are subtle but varied. Where we live winter is transition time from golden to green. From my drive home each day I can see the hills of Mt. Hamilton grow greener. Up close, the rivulets are verdant, the seeds set and spreading in the winds, and the grasses, so pent up from summer oppression are bursting into new leaf. Tiny birds flit around the bushes gobbling seeds, while raptors soar looking for prey. "Winter" rains transform the landscape. Immune to the gray weather overhead Acorn woodpeckers, with their impossible coloration (red head, black and white bodies with two huge spots on their wings!), sing a lilting refrain! California has a landscape that is easy to enjoy - it has both the bold and the demure!

Relishing Details

It is interesting how travel and change sharpen the senses. I think both Arch and I have noticed how getting to know a new area makes you focus on the details. I'm sure we notice things that others who have lived here for years do not. I know that each of the changes we've experienced in the past year have also helped to heighten our awareness of the world we inhabit. Many of Archil's photographs this past year document the landscape. (I'll compile them for a later blog post!) We've been enjoying the texture of our immediate surroundings. We are delighted to have landed in a neighborhood which has a rich and varied cultural heritage. It is this quality which has helped us feel at home. (Hey, we lived in Brooklyn!) Being surrounded by a varied and diverse community feels - well - right. I love to go to all the farmer's markets but I've been picking up stories and recipes from people at the neighborhood market. People are so generous and patient with my inquiries! I've come home with Chayote, Winter Melon, Raw Peanuts, Yucca, Fresh Squid, and Thai Eggplant lately. Yum!!

Finding Balance

As I reflect on this past year and look to the future the one piece of advice I'm giving myself is to "look for balance." In many ways I have much to learn from Nye. He plays, he works, he laughs, he above all else he is true to who he is - he is himself. So many of life's daily trials get in the way of that. Looking forward this is a year I'm committing to that intention. Balance is about laughing, playing hard, working hard, and being compassionate to the people and the world around us. We have a pretty good start on it, but next year I'm sure we'll improve our practice!

Season's Wishes

May joy fill your hearts,
May hope raise your spirits,
And may the love of family and friends
Carry you forward
Toward a joyful New Year!

We send you our love,

Sara, Nye and Archil

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant:
if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity
would not be so welcome."
--Anne Bradstreet