Seeking Indigo

We've had a flurry of visitors this week, it has been so fun to explore Charleston and have an excuse to check out some places that I've been meaning to visit. One of these places was Seeking Indigo, a transporting wellness spa in one of my favorite areas of downtown Charleston. When my dear friend Sophia arrived this week I picked her up at the airport, and then we went straight to Seeking Indigo for a Migun Thermal Massage. Wouldn't you imagine that peace and tranquility lie beyond that door?

Migun Massage is inspired by the effects of Acupressure, Acupuncture, Heat-therapy, chiropractic adjustment and massage. Migun Thermal Massage is performed on an automated bed that uses jade stones, heat therapy and infrared light to give you a chiropractic adjustment and massage. We left after our half hour treatment (for only $20!) feeling renewed, balanced, and like we had been whisked far away for a moment. Especially as I was lying face up during the treatment looking at the amazing antique carved wooden ceiling imported from Bali.

Seeking Indigo seems to be Charleston's center for holistic wellness and living, I can't wait to take advantage of more of their offerings! It is probably one of my favorite finds in this area so far!

Circles

In my world right now...

“Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace.”

~May Sarton 

We've got some pretty huge garden renovation projects going on around here, more on that this week!

Meeting Opal

Today, with much excitement, we had the great pleasure of meeting the newest member of our family, a gorgeous six week old Persian kitten who (after much deliberation) we have decided to name Opal.

She is a precious little girl, we had only seen her in pictures so far and she was our favorite from her kitten group, so we were thrilled to be able to chose her today during our visit at the home of the kind and helpful breeder, close to where we live.

We also had the joy of getting to spend an hour playing with all of the kittens. I grew up with cats, and one of my favorite childhood memories was waking up in the middle of the night when I was seven to find that my cat was having kittens in her box-bed in my bathroom. What an amazing experience it was to watch her give birth and care for her kittens, and then my brother and I spent months playing with the litter of 5 before we gave all but one away. So, it was exciting to be able to see Jasper and Carys having the great fun of playing with a litter of little kittens, they are so playful!

Here she is with her mama, who she will probably grow to look very much like...

 Little cute balls of fluff every where, such fun!

We can't wait to welcome our little girl home in September, after she spends the next weeks growing with her siblings and mama, and we look forward to having more playful visits with her again before then.

August Break 2011

I just joined the amazing Susannah Conway's August Break Challenge for the second year in a row, you can head right over here to check it out and jump right in too if it sounds like fun to you. Sometimes I start to put pressure on myself about blogging, you know those ideas about how often you should post, and sometimes I even find myself getting upset with myself if I don't feel like I am showing up here often enough...or with enough energy! Oh those self imposed rules.
So that is why I love the "August Break" so much...no rules. August is usually a time of loosening up and traveling for us, and with the August Break last summer it was so simple to just pop on and post pictures of our adventures. Come visit some of my August Break posts from last summer here.

Susannah describes the August Break idea this way:

Okay, here’s the plan for the August Break: you simply share one photo (or more!) per day on your blog – Monday to Friday, or every day. Or whenever you feel moved to share. Using any camera – DSLR, compact, Polaroid, Holga, iPhone (my choice), Instax, film or digital – with or without words – anything goes! – for the whole of August. No pressure – just looking at August through your camera lens as a way to be more present this summer. And to have a little break from the pressures and expectations of regular blogging.

There are NO RULES, people! Just sunshine (hopefully) and a bit of fun. And lots of lovely photos to look at.

Won't you join me?

Circle of love

The other day, on a family bike ride, we happened up a sacred scene in a park by the sea. There were flowers carefully arranged in a long patterned pathway, ending in a flower circle on the spot where quite clearly there had been a marriage ceremony either that morning or the day before. The petals were fresh and beautiful in pinks, yellows and creams, they were all that remained of what must have been a stunning affair. The space still felt like it held the solemnity of the event.

We stood in a circle of four at the end of the aisle, gazing out from that spot across the ocean, and it really seemed the perfect place to be surrounded by a circle of flowers and love.

Angel Oak

We've been starting to explore the area around Charleston a little bit on day trips. This week, on a drive back from visiting a new beach we saw an inviting sign saying "Angel Oak", a name which totally drew us in....down a long dirt road into the woods,

Until we came to a small parking lot next to a log cabin visitors center, and saw this...

The most amazing tree that I have ever seen. 

They estimate this oak to be around 400 years old,  but I would have guessed older as it looks like it has been growing in this spot forever. It was named as, "its massive draping limbs and wide spreading canopy present the aura of an angel". Its arms are growing in all directions,

many of them are buttressed up with posts to help support their weight,

some are even growing into the ground, and then out again, 

This detour reminded me of the rewards of being open to unexpected detours, and the beauty that sometimes can be found down long roads into the woods! (Even though sometimes the kids refuse to get out of the car, and miss it!)

Happy Weekending!

This is Home

Six weeks in and its starting to feel a whole lot more like it anyway. We are starting to get into a weekly rhythm, going to the farmers' market every Tuesday evening for dinner, heading to the beach when the days are so hot and finishing the day at our favorite fish taco joint. The days feel long with often just our family of 4 for company, and Brooklyn often feels like a world away...like something from a dream. How can it be that we lived there for 15 years, and now we are here?

Every Sense: my first vlog

Quiet beach, evening light, come out into the water with me. Welcome to one of my new favorite places...and my first vlog.

Learning to Fly

Well, surf that is...sort of the same,

So far Jasper has spent lots of time just learning how to stand up on the board and float across the water when it is calm, he does this over and over again and is a natural!

making his mama and papa so proud,

I'm loving hanging out at the beach as the shadows grow long and the sky turns golden.