Olin Ozzie

God Jul and Godt Nytt Ar!

(Family Christmas pic, 2010)

Godt Nytt Ar, dear friends!  Well, you see, Dan is half Norwegian and I am half Swedish, so together... as my boys ABSOLUTELY, wholeheartedly, and DAILY celebrate - we have a little bit of Viking blood running through this home (yes - oh yes - those helmets are donned daily in these parts!). 

Given this major enthusiasm, in addition to the naming of our wee little Ingi (Inga, her given name, means Protected by Ing' - a prominent god in Norse mythology), we've spent this season of Juletid immersed in Scandinavian tradition, and - since my blogging days have been clearly few and far between, I thought I'd just share a couple great bits from the last month...

First, - the breaking in of a new Fliflet family tradition - a little winter solstice party... the perfect year to begin this celebration of light and hope - I might add - with a once-in-a-lifetime full-moon, solstice lunar eclipse!

Because we travel out of town for the actual Christmas Holiday, we miss celebrating in our own little home.  The boys were thrilled to be having a party (pre-Christmas!), and spent the day bustling about wrapping and decorating gifts of all sorts. The menu was simple, yet perfectly winter... soup, homemade bread, glogg and cider...

Given the newness of the tradition, and my efforts toward enticing the rest of the crew, I decided to pull in just a couple little skandi-folk customs for the night.  The one the boys MOST enjoyed was lining up all(!) of our shoes side by side, by side, in the mudroom.  This little ritual is meant symbolize peace and unity within our home, in the year to come... precious, don't you think?

And then, of course, the Jul log.  After picking out the "perfect" eucalyptus branch from a little patch of trees down the path, Joe and Henry decorated the skinny little thing with Christmas tree branches and beeswax candles Henry had made earlier in the week.  We used this as the centerpiece for our supper table, and then brought it outside to begin the blaze.  Dan and I wrote down some individual burdens from the past year, and concerns for the future, and tossed them - each - into the ashes.  A gesture small, and modest - true.  But honest, and hopeful as well, I believe.

Coming in from the cold, we exchanged our gifts and marveled at the gifts we'd already been given.  Healthy boys, sweet growing Ingi, happiness, partnership, and a home full of warmth and light.  It was a perfect little night, - one I look forward to remembering year after year... the longest night of the year, and the promises of light returning.

And so, from our little Penngrove hill, - God Jul, and Godt Nytt Ar (Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year)!!  Blessings to all.

Olin Ozzie.

This is the one real picture I have.  The one that sat on my Grandma's night stand.  The one of Olin Ozzie.  He was my grandfather.  He died long before I was born.

In my life, he has been a figure of story, and family... brought alive through the loving, exuberant tales of those who did know him, most importantly... Dad. 

Olin Ozzie.  A man of pride, and style,... who wore cool leather jackets and handsomely fitted fedoras.  An auctioneer, a storyteller.. both fantasy, and fact.  A man of myth, of optimism, of opportunity ... peddling things, and dreams. Of vision, enthusiasm,... of my beginnings.

... A legacy of moments that mattered, that still matter.   A life well-lived.

Olin Ozzie.  

My little shop, my little blog,... It's named after him.

We have these moments...

I've felt compelled to write this little journal of mine for some time now.  I've had trouble, though, figuring out why... or just what it was all about.   

And then I realized, ... it's about the moments.

I've got babies.  Let's start there.  These littles of mine have most extraordinarily helped me to define how I understand, and envision this life I'm living.

It's about that.

Henry is almost 6, - and, point of fact, was never really a baby at all... an old soul from the moment he arrived, with all the sensitivity and heroism I strive for, practiced effortlessly in his little boy life. 

Joe, ... he's 3, - and force to be reckoned with.  A lesson in extremes  - hot, brazen, ferocious extremes... and the best, most faithful brother you could ever hope to have.

And of course, our Ingi... just a wee little thing, with sparkly bright eyes, and unswerving goodness in every quick and generous smile.

 

And I am home with these babes, going about the business of raising them up... Working to be honest, mindful, and respectful in my efforts to parent them, however humble these efforts may be.... as their teacher, their mentor, their enthusiast, their model. 

So this little journal?  It's about that.

I'm also sometimes restless, and frantic, and i have a hard time fitting it all in. 

It's about that. 

And I am inspired and sustained by a strong, defining pull...to create, to dwell, to reflect... for beauty, excellence, and inquiry.

It's about that.

And I want to relish the good bits... the good life... my family, my stitches, our life together... and learn with them about process, and journey.  I want to take pride in what we endeavor to do... I want it to recognize value in all of these moments.

It's about that, too.

Special, simple, intentional.

It's about that.

Changes, Homeschooling, Design, ... Trying for it all.

Oh, I know.  I DO know it.  I have it all. 

I already have it ALL. 

Look at these three.  These three beautiful souls and that big open field behind them.  love.  LOVE. 

And, with all... there will be change.  Yes, there will always be change.  Winter... Spring... Summer... Fall... Months, and years, and bits and pieces...there will be change. 

But I will do my best to soak it in, soak it ALL in.  Because I LOVE it.

Big tangible changes are on the forefront of our lives now.  We will soon be - officially - homeschoolers.  We are thinking about a move.  Our small ones are growing in inches and pounds, and heart and head.  I am crafting a little business.  I am framing pictures.  We are swinging outside.  We are talking about confidence.

Ready, steady... or not.  Follow our guts, and have some faith.

Moments...

Do you see that little one there?  That's our Inga. 

Yes, - she's here! - in fact,... she's been here for 2 months already.

And, while I have so many, many gorgeous things to go on about her, and our growing little family... I haven't had the time, or the energy... to write any of it down yet ( - oooh, you faithful bloggers, - how DO you do it? )

SO a new rule for me: - inspired by the lovely Soule Mama's Fridays... one simple - glorious - moment in time, - to keep and to savor, - and possibly-... hopefully, - to inspire me onward.

Change IS Good.

So, here we are... February, yes - February, - ... and much has changed. 

Oooh, yes, - that big, precious, sleeping, boy is none-other than my curly-head-Joe, - entirely 'pooped' from a day spent playing, falling, and 'keeping up' like a true champ with his big 'brudder' in the snow. 

AND, yes - ooooh, yes, - that's MY big, big, baby-filled belly, little Joe is so - entirely - snuggled into, - our baby 'grilll' tenderly tucked inside.

"Our grilllll' will be here this spring, which will make Joe a 'BIG brudder' (he tells me that's when he'll start eating ALL his dinner), and Henry will be the BIG, BIG brother... SO big, he recently lost his first tooth - i-might-add.

 So, come on then, Spring ... we're here to meet you...

Yes, - change can be very, very, good.

Running with Glitter (or something like that)...

SO, - BIG news (well, for me... for now, at least!) - Since getting my little Etsy site up and going, I've mustered the courage (with an equally-crazy friend of mine) to hurry up and get some things together to join in on the Petaluma Craft Mafia's annual winter craft fair........Running with Glitter.         

            

Many more picts to come, - but wanted to give you a preview of my new re-purposed Red Cross wool blanket Viking Helmets.... as you can tell, - my boys LOVE them, ... glitter or no glitter.  I'll be selling these, along with some other winter wool crowns, little boys and girls aprons, and some of the other things already on my Etsy site.... Wish me luck!

 

Check me out on Etsy... Loclocshop!

Hello friends!  I've just put a few things up on my brand new Etsy site... hopefully you'll head over there to check it out.  For the last year or so, I've been a little bit in LOVE with wool, - well - felting it to be exact.  SO, - 'wha-la' - my little handmade play mats... 

 

They're made by crossing the raw wool fibers back and forth in a pattern, soaking it with warm soapy water, and then agitating it by hand until the fibers sort of fuse together.  It's like... Magic.

 

I made three different kinds of roll-out play mats - farmland, desert, and 'pirate' - with little wooden pieces that I'm selling along with them.  I've got no idea how they'll sell, - I'm not (as I'm sure you've already figured) super 'pro', or motivated to get out there and read all the marketing and selling blogging and Etsy tips (!)... still, - I figured there's no time like the present to give it a try.

I think, really, - that the most difficult bit of this little project of mine was the pricing.  The actual creating was - of course - super fun.  While it's hard to know what might sell if someone happens to stumble upon it (no, no, - I'm not holding my breath), - its even more difficult to sort out how to adjust for my time.  .. And selling these very textural objects in such a flat online format, - well.. who knows?

So, anyway... here's my first go of it, and if nothing else, - it's a lesson I'm always trying to teach my boys:  "Live your life"... "Put yourself out there"... and as cliche as it may sound, - "Go for it."

If you feel like stopping by, - please do!  I'd LOVE to hear your feedback, suggestions, tips, etc.  I'm hoping to put a few more little 'stocking stuffer' style things on the site in the next week or so... we'll be in touch :)

(I linked my Etsy store above, - but if you wanted to browse in general, go to www.etsy.com - to find me, - go to the link for 'sellers'  then type in my store name - Loclocshop.  Thanks for looking...)

 

 
 
 

Spending our days...

One whole weekend with nowhere to go.  OH. JOY!

And, though it started with a big pile of 'TO-DO-s' looming just in front of my morning coffee, - my good senses rightly won over, and this overwhelmed calendar was abruptly closed in favor of ... Oooh, so much more.

Rainy though it may have been, - our weekending was spent wonderfully free... and without a blink, we filled it right on up - with things we all love to do... 'making' and 'meandering' both individually and together, - 'Whole Family' as my Joe so appropriately calls it.

Ooh, for more days like these, please. Please...