Boho Girl

finally able to hang the hammock we’ve had all these years

I’m moving so much slower these days, folks. Not in a lethargic way. But in a peaceful way. After so many years of yearning, stretching, reaching, going, wanting, I am finally being still. My mind feels quieter, simpler. My heart feels less complicated. I didn’t think this was possible and I am not questioning it too much. But everything feels more fluid and our rhythm feels soft and lazy and in the moment. At first it felt foreign to me, like I was missing something and I ached, perhaps even grieved the noise that used to be inside of me but I think I was detoxing and now I am feeling more cleansed and open and able to hear the bird songs and gaze into a neighbors eyes longer and be perfectly fine observing Cedar in his world without needing to upload the photo immediately to the internet. Just simpler. Pausing. Listening. Stillness.

I told a friend this week that I think this is meditation for me. I thought I would come here and just devour the wisdom the Pacific Northwest had to offer but I notice rather than harvest it all, I am sitting with it, being IN it…and letting it speak to me slowly. One voice at a time. One plant at a time. One flower at a time.

cedar gathering our flowers in a mason jar

I went on a walk today with a few neighbor ladies. Twice my age. Sage’s, they are. One of them took me through her enchanting over grown garden. She showed me how to dig a plant and re-plant it. She showed me which flowers of hers I could take to my yard. A young man came out from behind her house and she introduced me. Told me she just met him today at a pizza place and he was new in town and needed some work. He had kind big blue eyes and unruly blond hair. He reminded me of Cedar and how he may be when older. I invited him over to our place to show him what is growing around us and how I plan to plant tons and tons of lavender. I feel connected to lavender. I want it everywhere. He had just spent some time with a lavender farmer at the market. It was serendipity.

lavender we just planted on the side of the house

He sat with us and shared his vision of sustainable communal living while sitting on our front lawn in lotus position. My husband was laying in the hammock nearby, listening. Cedar was rolling a ball over to him while he talked. He offered to help us with our gardening. And I just found my heart full. My phone wasn’t near. My laptop tucked away upstairs. For a second, I felt what it was to be living a life how it would be without technology and I wanted more of it. What would that be like? To just be so fully available to what is in front of you? I think I have felt so distracted for so long and now there is so much clearing. I am pondering it all.

My sister is coming tomorrow for a week. I am hoping being here is as healing this time as it was last time for her.

Sending each of you stillness. Om. One love.

I have some pretty yummy stuff to document about my trip to British Columbia, Canada but not the time to do it yet. I want to put it somewhere, so I can look back and cherish, read it to Cedar and savor the memory of his first time in his father’s country. Just to offer a slice, some of the stories have to do with my head being pooped on, me losing my phone downtown to be found again and a dreadlocked beauty who reads my blog bravely approaching me that I cannot stop thinking about.  She was magic.

This was a full week. A dear friend was in town and we soaked her in as much as possible. She is a dream. Also a bit of an emotional week for me having to do with one of my sisters. Some stuff I don’t feel comfortable sharing in public but wanted to say something, so that those of you that come to this space with your big hearts and intuition will already know to lift it up in prayer and meditation and send healing thoughts to her and the rest of my family.

In the meantime, I wanted to share this shot of Cedar I took the day before yesterday. It was in the morning, still in his jammies, with his new boots on and excited to see how they felt running down our street. Been trying to find little toddler Uggs at the consignment shops here but they must go fast, so we couldn’t wait and he loves these and that is awesome because he usually only likes to wear shoes with animals on them! This image of Cedar is so totally him with his wild joy and free spirit.

I am writing this on my steps with my Nia pants on and a tank and some brand new walking/running shoes. I don’t remember the last time I stepped out in work out shoes. All of my walks out in nature have been lazed and lovely and slow and mindful. I embraced that slowness my body, soul and mind needed. But I feel ready. Ready to get my body moving, to let my blood flow and work through stuff stirring around in my soul. So today it begins. As I move my bod, time alone, music in my ears, I will think of this image of Cedar and draw from his wild and free ways.

{your stories in my previous post have moved me deep. and the times i came here to write a post, i chose to just read your words. i’ve needed to hear so much of this wisdom and insight and just raw spilling. i think so many of us have. thank you…so utterly humbled and grateful for your bravery}

I tried to post today about our trip to Victoria during Cedar’s afternoon nap.  I have some awesome stories and images to share about our time there.  I was all comfy and set up with my veggie frittata (see photo above) and our local plant book and even Cedar’s favorite lion near to cuddle me.  But I ended up catching up on email.  I am so behind.  Crazily behind.  My loved ones are the most patient souls on this earth when it comes to me not responding on email or being able to pick up the phone.

Anyways, all this to say that I still wanted to show up but rather than write a post today, I would like to hear from you.  Because the folks that come over to this space are just so awe inspiring and I always learn from your insights and sharings and so do those that read the comments.

So tell me, if inspired to share, what is something you learned about yourself this month?  A message or a moment that helped shift things to a more peaceful space within yourself?  Cedar just woke up, so I must run upstairs and snuggle him good but I will be commenting as well soon.

{for the roasted veggie frittata recipe linked in my post, i replaced cheese with Daiya vegan cheddar cheese and rice milk in place of the light cream and i also added a layer of cooked wild rice at the bottom for texture! it is sooo good. i made it twice and both my boys LOVE it.  see image here.}

boho boy & me yesterday in downtown victoria

7 years ago today, I married my Love. The two of us in front of our dearest loved ones, on a cliff by the sea, our hands tied together with a rope in ceremony.

This weekend, we took Cedar to where we honeymooned: Victoria, B.C., Canada. Many times when sitting on the window seat of the hotel where we stayed 7 years ago, we said to Cedar…“this is where you were conceived”. That is where Boho Boy would sit and look three stories down to the street, watch the passersby and dream up what kind of life we wanted together, what kind of family we imagined having.  Having Cedar here with us was surreal and full circle.

Happy Anniversary my love, my knight, my best friend.

cedar & me gazing out the bedroom window upstairs, taken by boho boy

The winner of the Bodhichitta Botanicals massage oil medley is: Dreamer Becky!

The winner of the Texture mini skirt is: Annaelyse!

Congrats lovelies! Send me an email {denise(at)bohophoto.com} and I will be sure to get you in contact with Anna of Bodhichitta & Teresa of Texture!

My boys and I are off to British Columbia for the weekend. A bit of a spontaneous trip! It will be Cedar’s very first ferry boat ride and he will not stop talking about seeing seaplanes! Is it sad that what I am looking forward to the most is a scoop of Tiger Tail ice cream?!? I am my father’s daughter. We both love black licorice.

Blessings to you all this weekend.

xoxo

Right before our move to Washington, I received a very warm and kind message from one of the owners, Anna of Bodhichitta Botanicals.  She knew from reading my blog that I was under both physical and emotional stress and she wanted to gift me some healing goodness for the move.  I was so touched by the impeccable timing of her email.   Shortly thereafter, I received a package of her line of Peaceful Journey lotion, shower gel, bubble bath, massage oil and body balm.  She had kindly sent it to my sister’s house since I was stopping there on the way to Washington.  Just the name of it alone “Peaceful Journey” was healing enough but oh my goodness, when I opened up the package and smelled the deliciousness, I was hooked.  The packaging is gorgeous and earthy and the quality of the products are simply awesome.  I have not stopped using it since.  Here is a bit about the magic they offer:

Bodhichitta Botanicals is a line of wild-crafted, energizing skin care products that bring healing and restoration to the mind, body, spirit alliance, so that the whole of you can move through life with a natural strength and grace.

Through the power of flowers and herbs, environmental attributes and active minerals, Bodhichitta Botanicals lift your emotions, heighten your energies and reveal your true self—the fabulous wonderful you that sometimes gets lost in life’s shuffle.

They would like to give away to one of my readers a “massage oil medley”…one from each of their collections – Nurture The Goddess, Peaceful Journey, Wild & Free and Sacred Temple (see photo above).

If you would like to enter the GIVEaway, please leave a comment (one per person, please) and the winner will be chosen at random towards the end of the week.  Comments will be closed Thursday at midnight.  The winner of this giveaway and the Texture giveaway from last week will be announced this weekend!