Here and There

In Praise of Good Neighbors

A month or so ago when I asked my neighbor in Berkeley, Dave Warren, about bread baking advice, he not only organized a hands-on lesson in his kitchen, but sent me back with a precious jar of sourdough starter to smuggle onto my flight back to Spain. The jar, I must say, got not just a little bit of neglect upon our arrival to Barcelona and then to Fernando's village, before we made it home to Pamplona a week after leaving California. After all, we had a jet-lagged baby to deal with, and visits to friends and family, and lots and lots of unpacking to do.
Once I finally got to that little jar I hoped and prayed and begged the universe with each feeding to revive it, and that I hadn't completely killed Dave's wonderful gift and good intentions. And so last night, after watching it grow little by little, I decided to take the plunge and bake a loaf. I followed Dave's careful instructions as best as I could. I didn't have the right pan or half the things that are helpful for a baker to have on hand, but the loaf came out. Not perfect, but quite tasty. I think it's been a good beginning.

New Times, Spain

San Francisco Academy of Sciences

Zola and Julen

River

Fernando and I are making a list of the things we love and don't love about living in Spain and another for the U.S., with the hope that someday it will be clear where we want to settle. There are so many amazing things about both places, but I would have to say that NATURE is way at the top for me, and how accessible it is to us where we live in Spain. This river spot near Fernando's village, bordering Catalonia, is one of my favorite places in the whole wide world. Hands down.

Crossing

Ritual/Offering

Seeing Red

From the Family Album: Almost Summer

Inspiration, Centre D'Art i Natura de Farrera, Catalunya

Inside/Outside, Centre D'Art i Natura de Farrera, Catalunya

Cesc, Farrera, Catalunya, Spain

Yellow and Blue

Andrea and Julen and a little window light...

Winter light

Christmas Dinner Skeptic

My neighbor's sheep

All that color

(An ode to Katie Barnes)

These (magic) moments

What is this life like right now?....
Lately, I am totally wrapped up in the experience of mothering my 4 month old son, Julen. Our culture, I am finding, is abound with cliches about babies... they really are just too cute. But I can't help but think that underneath all of these consumeristic images that are out there lies a deeper, quieter reality, the one that we live everyday, in slow time- because that's what being with a baby is really all about.
This last week my partner has been out of town, far away. It can be a total torture, as you may know, to be out of the loop when you've got such a young child. A lot can happen in just a short period of time, and so I committed to sending him a picture each day that would show something about Julen. In just a few days, 2 teeth have emerged, and our young boy is reaching for the world with total curiosity, wanting to touch, see, taste everything. I spent a lot of time this week just being with and holding, but in between I was able to step back and see these other moments happening in our babe's life, and these are just a few examples of that quiet space that finds its way amongst the chaos of early parenting. Sometimes I want to stop time, so in love with right now that I am.

Let joy be unconfined...