Lenkaland

Sunday we went to the big Mardi Gras Parade in Nevada City.  We lucked out with parking.  We met with family to cheer for horse carriages, old cars, and lots and lots of beads.

We were woefully unprepared with costumes (oops) but my family had great masks to share.

Ian wasn’t sure about the big crowds and loud noises.  He needed reassurance from sister.  This is fun, right?

Nevada City hosts the best small-town parades!  Behind the old fire truck is the Nevada Theater, one of the oldest theaters in the west.  I think Mark Twain once performed there.  Like me .  I was a townsfolk in Romeo and Juliet my senior year of high school.  Lots of history

Like I said, my family brought great masks.  Next year I’ll know better

Anika caught lots of beads.  She gave all of the red/orange beads to Ian.  Because that’s the kind of sister she is

Ian’s favorite colors are orange and red.  He was thrilled with his collection.

Grabbing for the camera, again

The scene street-side.  I’m not sure who she is, but I loved the sun on her hands.  She caught plenty

Lots of motorbikes.  Masked bikers.  These two made their statement with Anonymous masks.

Mila watched the parade from her dad’s shoulders for awhile.  The sun and breeze caught her perfectly.  

The parade had plenty of drama.  Fire from a hot air balloon basket.  Not sure what their group was called.  Not sure it matters.  Fire is cool

And many protest floats, like this one from the local Occupy group.  Speaking for the 99%.

Nevada City was packed!  The weather was gorgeous!  Couldn’t ask for a better parade.

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Yesterday we spent hours at Petco for the Rabbit Rally. Anika is part of the local 4H group, and they all brought rabbits to share with the public. Anika took her role as rabbit-mentor very seriously.

Pumpkin was very patient with all of the attention.

My mom also returned from her three week trip to Hawaii, so we slipped away from the Rabbit Rally for a little treat. And Ian decided that was a cosy place to nap

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Still, he looks rather peaceful close-up.

Mom had great adventures in Hawaii. It got me thinking about climate and my recent medication headaches and how I would feel so much better without the cold winters. Part of me wanted to run away, but I couldn’t work in any traditional jobs and my disability benefits are not very high. I even looked into housing subsidized for people with disabilities, but the screenshots didn’t look like pleasant parts of town. Besides, I love my extended family way too much to run off to an island. Still, how much is good health worth?

An interesting idea

The rest of our week was fairly quiet since Ian got sick with a cough and fever. I spent two whole days on the couch binging on Xbox games with him. Poor baby. He’s back to wild, loud, busy child now.

Spring arrived this week. Very strange since I call this the Winter that Wasn’t. Only a few storms and snowflakes.

The blossoms don’t care. They feel the warmth and they bloom. So I leave you with sunshine and color. That hopefully lasts through the week.

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Ian decided to play for the camera. Getting close was a great game. I love how the frame cannot contain him.

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The weather was lovely this weekend. A glimpse of spring. Anika invited a friend to play and we set up for a tea party!

The goodies did not last long.  By the time I returned with the camera, the scones and mini-cookies were already gone.  Most of the cheese, crackers, and turkey sandwiches had disappeared, too.

The plates were drawn by Ian and Anika over the years. I made the flame blanket/tablecloth before Ian was born.  Perfect tea party decoration

The kids poured their own tea, which was a lesson in itself about letting the leaves steep. And be careful of hot pots.

Enjoying the good stuff.  Sugar is in the little bowl next to her plate.  We made the little bowls in ceramics class a couple of years ago.  We found the tiny spoons this morning in a kitchen supply store.  There’s a magic in adding your own sugar to your own tea.

Very Alice in Wonderland

We hung the canopy from the summer awning and the ribbons caught in the breeze.  We learned about flexibility because the first plan was to eat in the canopy.  But they couldn’t all fit.  So they ate beside it instead.  And read books on a blanket in the fairy house.

A happy day.  Love the faces covered with crumbs.

Anika beaded this heart when she was a student in my class.  Love and beauty and magical rainbows.

Shining your way.  Hope you have a reason or two to host a tea party

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Sunday the sun shone bright and warm so we packed up the bikes.  I thought the kids were crazy when they asked to take off their socks and shoes.  Then I figured, if they get cold, they would put the shoes back on.  The sun was lovely-warm, so the shoes stayed off.  They rode bikes on the cushy recycled surface around the play strutctures before too many kids arrived.  Ian gave me his usual charming pose these days.

Peek-a-boo . . . anyone still taking pictures?

We haven’t used the bikes in awhile.  I couldn’t lift them into the car for most of the summer.  And their dad hasn’t been going on outings.  So Anika was pleased as peaches to get on her bike.  She’s grown!

She loved the wind in her hair and building up speed.  Not too fast, though, she’s cautious.  Especially with socks on her feet (I guess it was a little cold).

And we did have a helmet for her (Ian’s is too big, must go back to the store for a better fit).  She wore the helmet outside the soft playground.

Happy girl with her streamers and basket.  Brings back fond memories of my own childhood.  Except we lived down a dirt road where bikes were very impractical, but still . . . who doesn’t love a basket and streamers?  She played mail-delivery and brought me little leaves and found treasures.

I sat in the lush sunshine and noticed the trees budding for spring.  Spring? We’ve barely begun winter.  Back to sleep, tree.  Hear me?

Part of what I love about photography is when it catches little moments that would be lost otherwise.  Two kids on bikes, from the back, with Ian hunched over his handlbars, not trusting the pedals yet (he can go faster running, he says), and Anika slowing down for him to catch up.  Those training wheels will come off soon and he’ll graduate to a big-boy bike.  I am so grateful that I get to watch them grow.  Watch them shine.

Even on days when he won’t smile for me anymore

*you may not notice, but many of our outings involve activities for them where I can sit and supervise.  Most of these photos were taken when I was sitting down.  The playground photos, I was sitting on the ground, which actually gave me a fun perspective of looking up at Anika or eye-level with Ian.  In our other location, I did take a few as I walked, then I sat on the picnic table (behind Anika above) and took pictures from there.  We all win- they get to play, I get to rest (sort of ).  Enjoying life with challenges is all about accommodations.  Most of my accommodations are so intuitive for me, I hardly notice anymore.  I’ll try to share, though, in case others are looking for inspiration or ideas.  I hope you had a lovely weekend!

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This past weekend, my family convinced me that my kids would love ice skating.  I didn’t need very much convincing.  I just knew I could not, would not, put on a pair of skates, so who would help them learn?

Well, Skatetown in Roseville has a brilliant solution.  We came inside from the sunny California day to a frozen playland. We had to wait for the zamboni to polish up the ice for us.

I stayed on the sidelines and tried to take decent photos through the reflective and scratched up glass while my brother and sister-in-law taught my kiddos the basics of skating.  The rink has a brilliant solution for young (and any beginner) skaters.  These buckets are perfect!  They are allowed on about a quarter of the rink, and the capable skaters enjoy the rest of the ice bucket-free.

Ian was perfectly happy to scoot around with his pile of buckets.

Anika leaned heavy on hers for awhile, then gained confidence.  She did fall a few times, she told me, but she didn’t care.

Ian tired of the skating before the others. “Games, games,” he insisted.  And it wasn’t so cold, but it was cold enough that I was happy to escort him to the arcade.  I didn’t think anyone could wobble anywhere on these narrow strips of metal, but no one seemed to mind.  Kids were running and reaching and acting like they wore everyday shoes.

Everyday shoes don’t looks half so fancy or fun, though.

I was glad to skip the whole balancing, fast-moving, slick-ice part of the day.  But it sure looked fun!  And the kids had a blast.  Anika has already scheduled her next skating trip.  Next time I’ll get her spinning

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Today I woke up thinking, I am not strong enough. I am done. I am done managing the tricky moments, done negotiating, done rationing my energy. Done worrying. Done working so dang hard just to feel like I can barely keep up. Done. Done. Done.

And the first few hours were tough. Winter has arrived, all pretty gloomy clouds and chilly temps. Heavy rain and indoor play.

And we are on Month 11 of unemployment for my husband. And he has his own story to carry. So when I shared mine, he said, well, you think that’s tough, let me tell you about the job market…

But I couldn’t be his rock today. Today I crumbled. Because I was not strong enough. Feeling sorry for myself? Yes. Am I allowed? Yes.

Not every day. Not even every hour of a tough day. But this is no easy twist of perspective, this journey with CMT. This is a long, demanding journey. And it wears me down.

I don’t even have a Mighty Lament these days. I am noticing again how, with the temps dropping, my energy is even more limited. And I notice how emotional, mental, and creative energies can sap my physical strength. That is more adjusting. Constant adjusting.

No, it’s just that… I am tired. The sunshine will return and I will be grateful for the skills that remain, and enjoy the quiet moments, and savor time with my wild children. And it will be sweeter for these tough days that test me, that strip my logic away, that push me to a place that could be called Despair.

Except that time doesn’t wait. And the world keeps turning whether I am strong or tired. And I find that I am stronger than I ever dreamed possible. I will rise up.

So I had an idea. A little escape. Because it can get stir-crazy in this CMT world. And it can be easy to turn to medications for escape. Except those can cause more trouble in the long term. So what can I do to make each day special? To remind myself of simple, fun, easy days?

Today I made peppermint hot cocoa with mini-marshmallows. Little things. Did I mention that we are broke? But, still, ways to escape. I will keep sharing them as I go along. Perhaps we can inspire each other. How do you escape chronic illness, of only for a few moments?

I feel better now. Stronger. Clearer. Capable again. I better drink this hot cocoa before it gets cold.

Oh, yesterday’s escape. Photos of raindrops sparkling. Photography gets me looking outside myself. Noticing the beauty all around.

Wishing you a joyful day!

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This week was fun. A little quiet. I didn’t get out the fancy camera so these are all iPhone 4S photos. At this time, just seeing the flow of our days, one into the other, is plenty. More than enough. And we end this week with rain! Time for the rainbow umbrella, hurrah

P.S. I just read back a few posts and I didn’t include Reno in last week’s collection. So the top two of Ian are the same day. Sheesh, hard to keep track of it all. So a Reno image, to keep it fair

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Even quiet days are not so quiet.

We started with tents. I brought my camera in from the cold garage and the lense fogged in our warm house. The dreamy quality works for me. I love the interaction between Anika and Ian. She is such a sweet sister.






Then we made layered popsicles. Took serious patience to let each color freeze.

So we did Spin Art.

And baked cookies. Sort of. I love these simple cookies. Even better when they make it into the oven

I know, we shouldn’t eat raw dough, but we have to be a little wild sometimes. And they didn’t have much.

Then it was a rousing game of Star Wars Trouble.

And showing off the drawings that sister did earlier in the day.

Then, those popsicles. They must be done by now! In truth, Ian had to refereeze his twice because they kept ‘testing’ readiness and pulling the stick out before it set. But the wait paid off with every lick.

A busy day. Our quiet day

Wishing you a lovely day

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This weekend we escaped for an overnight get-away, visiting cousins who live by this lake.  The lake was a challenge to photograph because the sun was so-very bright.  A cold wind whipped up off the water, but you couldn’t tell by the flashing blue.  Not a glimspe of snow in any direction, which is unusual for this time of year.  The ski resorts are not pleased.

But the kids were plenty pleased on the playground.  Ian was glad to be done with the long, long car ride (really only an hour).  We’re inspired to visit more often.  My cousins better watch out

Ian’s new delight is cars.  He loves his cars.  He picks them based on a very important feature.

Orange.  They must have orange.  The white truck came in the same set.  I think he gave it to his cousin

We walked out on the dock, bundled against the icy wind which felt odd next to the sun drenched sky and sparkling water.  We didn’t stay long because the wind drove us away.  And the kids wanted toys.  Adventures to be found at our cousin’s house.  The weekend was off to a bright start.

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