Big Sur Marathon

Ryan is running the Big Sur Marathon as we speak (type)
Click here to see the beautiful course. I think it must be the most stunning race in the world!!!

Creating Family Friendly Outdoor Spaces....A Workshop

I am giving a workshop today at the PV Earth Day Fair titled "Creating Family Friendly Outdoor Spaces." There will be a raffle for a child's wheelbarrow (my girlies LOVE theirs...thanks Nana) full of vegetables for planting a complete child's veggie garden. The fair starts at 10am and my workshop is in the buckeye room at 10:30. Stop by, say hi and enter to win!

It has been so much fun compiling my favorite outdoor photos from the past five years. We are so fortunate to have these little girlies and that they love being outside as much as we do.

Here are a few of my favorites:

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, 

nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”  

- From Dr. Seuss's The Lorax

Blue Pen, Yellow Pen, Red Pen....

OOPS!

Rainbows in the Sky

While we were in the community garden yesterday (doing some back breaking weeding and garden prep) I was fortunate to see a beautiful daytime meteor streak across the sky. It was SO bright and looked like a moving rainbow! I assumed it was part of the Lyrid meteor shower but scientists are speculating that it was an unrelated meteor the size of a boulder--large enough to create a sonic boom that many in California and Nevada heard. If it would have been during the night, they say it would have lit up the sky. I personally, would rather see a once in a lifetime, moving rainbow! Read more here

Today's Bouquet

sweet peas, kale flowers and violas from the garden

how sweet it is

Seeing Red

What colors are YOU seeing out your front door these days?
Send a link!

In The Garden :: A New Planting Guide

 

We like to grow biointensively here at the coffee cottage. AKA we plant more seeds and plants than most would suggest and we therefore have less sunlight (and weeds) between plants and a much higher yield. I created this handy planting guide out of a yardstick to help with planting spaces so I don't have to pull out the book and look at the master charts everytime I plant. And honestly, I plant even closer sometimes. I highly recommend the technique and a great guide is the book How to grow more vegetables (than you ever thougth possible on less land than you can imagine)

Life :: Love :: Death

:: Life ::

Great Grandma Coffee is celebrating a long and wonderful life!!

Can you imagine the stories she could tell us while sipping iced tea on the front porch?

Let's all aspire to have as many great stories as possible ourselves.

We are having so much fun making ours!

:: Love ::

Words can not express how much love I have in my heart for these sweet girls!!

They love to be as close to me as possible, what an honor.

They love even more close to eachother, what a gift.

:: Death ::

Our sweet Maggie passed away this week with our loving hands stroking her soft fur. Three hours before the doctor was coming to our house. Surrounded by our love. It was such a peaceful, beautiful transition for us all. We sent her body back to the ground covered in fragrant sweet peas and planted a lovely garden with butterfly bush, soft lambs ears and plenty of catmint. 

We miss her so but still her presence with us everyday. 

Life, Love, Death.
All three happened in our house this week.
All three felt very real.
All three can be so beautiful and inspiring.

What has inspired you this week?

Peaceful Journeys

Maggie and Charlie snuggled during the cross country trip from CT to CA.
They preferred the smaller crate to the large one and wanted to be in it at the same time. Now that's love! 

We returned from a wonderful camping weekend at Little Basin with dear friends from our nature awareness community with sun kissed cheeks, no dry shoes or socks, huge smiles on our faces, only to return to a front porch with one kitty missing. Gracie and I decided to take a walk knowing that her time was coming but hoping that it hadn't happened yet. We didn't get to say "goodbye." We walked a bit down the street and found her at a neighbor's house, looking a bit lost. We were so glad we found her but we now know that the time has come. Now comes the decision whether we help her transition into death/afterlife/her next life or if we let nature takes its course. My worry is that in her confusion she may go into the street and end up suffering any pain. Gracie is distraught with the idea of the doctor making a housecall tomorrow but we don't want to lie to her. We want the girls to be part of the process. Life, Love, Death. All three are real. All three are painful. So right now she is tucked into a warm, fuzzy bed. Charlie is laying in front of her house to protect her. I hope she passes peacefully in her sleep. Surrounded by our love. At least now, we have all said "goodbye."