June

In June our butterflies hatched, our flowers grew, we ate delicious meals, played outdoor games, took walks, planted an herb garden, went to Muscoot Farm, saw movies, ate ice cream and enjoyed life.

What were some highlights for you this June?

For the Love of Life

Oh, I love I love I love! I cried inside myself. So many people, so many things! Music and stars and snow and weather! Oh, if one could always feel this warm love, this excitement, this glory of the infinite possibilities of life!    ~Madeleine L'Engle

Frog Song and Fox Sightings

Taking a lovely walk around the pond last weekend, there were many frogs singing their song loudly on the lily pads. I was lucky enough to catch one in action!

And if you can believe it, I continue to see a neighborhood fox. I am super siked every time a sighting occurs. Sometimes this happens in our yard, or the neighbors yard, or sometimes it's crossing the street on our way home from work. Any which way I get, I am so excited and stare as long as the fox allows.  Usually the fox moves too fast to catch a picture, but this time it was just staring us down. I snuck in a quick shot before it was gone.

And if all that wasn't enough, this spring the fox had babies. Amazing.  Little fox running in the yard. A baby fox is actually called a Kit. O the wonderful things you learn (and see) when living in the woods!  If you look closely you can see one run by the shed in the back of our yard.

Baby Swans, Chicks and Butterflies, oh my!

...or should I say cygnets, were born this week at the bottom of our street! I am in love!

 

...and many chicks were hatched in the first grade classrooms!  o boy do I love chick season!

tweet tweet tweet.

...and the caterpillar's are creating their chrysalis as we speak!

I have been raising three of my own. Caterpillars that is. Honestly, it has been so fascinating to watch them grow. They started as a tiny spec you could hardly see.  Then slowly they got bigger and bigger, getting fuzzy, growing legs, and then..they started forming their chrysalis!  I can't wait for them to turn into butterflies so they can roam free in our yard!  This experience has inspired me to start a butterfly garden this weekend...insanely fun!

Earth Art!

During the opening and closing performances of the Seussical, the parents so kindly gave the teachers involved very beautiful and very large bouquets of flowers.  So so pretty.  I LOVE flowers. I noticed a few days ago how many were dying and dropping petals all over.  It became messy and a bit overwhelming.  Instead of throwing them away I decided I was going to make some kind of flower art piece.  I thought about it on our ride home from work yesterday, and had a vision of radiating circles.  And WOW..this was fun!  The colors, the smell, the textures..it was a lovely sensory experience.  I must do this with old flowers from now on! It was built on top of our new turquoise table. Even though it won't last, as most Earth Art can't, the pictures document..and will allow this experience to last forever!

Green!

 

During my spring break for the last few years, my mom and I have done a bit of traveling together.  This year we decided to try out Portland Oregon.  Well we didn't know it was so rainy (silly us!) but of course, made it fun anyway. Despite the rain we saw some pretty places, ate some good food and learned a few things. The  inspiration for this post came from my uncle-in-law Gary, who asked.."Give me one good take away from your trip."  To which I instantly replied, "the great green moss covered everything!"  I do not think I could ever live in a place it rains so much, but the consistent rain does allow for some beautiful green moss to grow grow grow all over..and it is quite something to see!

Back to Nature

My husband and I finally moved back to nature!  We met in college in the magical beauty of upstate NY, a place that I could have envisioned living forever.  But, after receiving our degrees, we moved into the big apple for work "for a year or two."  Ha!  8 years later, we still love our jobs, but our living situation left much to be desired. I know the city is a wonderful place to live for many people, but for me, not so much.  All I wanted was
TO SEE: colors, flowers, plants, trees, snow, birds, leaves. TO BREATHE.
TO WATCH: the seasons change, magical sunsets, clouds pass, my cat run (really run), snow fall, wind blow, the stars, the moon.  TO GROW.
TO HAVE: a parking spot, bar free windows, quiet, space, fresh air, a car, a BBQ, washing machine, a garden and a place to make art.
To take walks whenever I feel like..beautiful walks right from our doorstep.
To drink tea while listening to an old record.
To cook delicious meals in a spacious kitchen.
To have wonderful neighbors who engage you in lovely conversation.
To have friends and family gather in your house and share in your joy.
...this list could and will continue.

Well, after much back and forth about what we want to do with our lives, a marriage, travel, jobs we enjoy, (and are lucky enough to have), life changes, ups and downs, and going from 24 to 31 in literally the blink of an eye (scary!) ...we finally moved!  And not just a small move, we now live in the country!  Legit rural living.  And I love it!

What's not to love?!  So now, I have been re-inspired to share my daily experiences and Belle Stories!  This blog is a place where I would like to share the unfolding beauty in my daily life. Whether painting, sewing, teaching, gardening, walking, reading, cooking, eating, sharing ideas/questions, crafting or finding a good deal (I now love garage sales!)  I hope you enjoy it and get inspired!