Easter In The West

We set the alarm to hide the eggs in the backyard before dawn, so the kids would see them out the windows when they woke up.

I watched the sun rise from the kitchen as I prepared the big holiday feast. It's our first Easter away from family, another holiday we hobble along to create our own traditions which tend to turn out a mix of not really caring how it's done and let's do it just like it's always been.

It's also my dad's birthday. I keep meaning to tell him that the scrape of the spoon against the mug as I stir my coffee makes me think of him, and I am little again, every time. In his honor I think I'm going to take a nap today.

It really is beautiful here. 

Whale spoken here

This week is the start of the gray whale migration north along the coast. Carter saw a tale and some spouts and I think I saw something, too, but I'm not sure. I learned that their swimming pattern is to surface for air a few times and then go down for longer periods before coming back up again. I think I'm migrating, too.

I don't know, if you can migrate like running in place? I am finding I don't need to come up for air here as often as before. I'm on my way somewhere. Not totally off the page, but I just feel like writing is one of the many ways that I am creative. I am enjoying the other many ways during my deep dive. Baby alpaca on my needles and soft through my fingers, glue and paint on my hands, ocean in my lens, food on the table.

I figured something out the other day- that while I feel our new home is familiar and comfortable to me, to everyone and everything else I am still kind of a visitor. I am receiving and embracing and now I wait for it in return.

And this is what we did.

Yesterday did not start out as my favorite. It took me forever to wake up and shake off a rather unpleasant attitude. Then we went outside.

And this is what we did.

I'm being followed by a moonshadow. Moonshadow moonshadow.

We walked by the pier and went to lunch. We went down to the ocean. We found starfishes and rocks shaped like hearts. And time didn't matter, it really stood still, and when we came home Ivy fell asleep next to me and I held her in my arms like a baby, her hair smelled like spring, and backyard.

March FOUR

We are enjoying life on the 101 and decided to just get in the car and take it south. It was a beautiful day, and this place might never cease to amaze me. 

In the Redwood forest, just 2 hours down the 101.

To the east- trees and more trees.



Same spot, to the west, an ocean that goes on forever.

I take photos of my kids on the fourth of every month. Four for four. (Here's March 2011 and 2012.) 

You can see all past monthly photos here.