Adventure time!!

So, my friend Kimmie calls me up yesterday and says she has booked a campsite at Havasupai for a weekend in August for a moms and boys trip and would my boy and I want to come....riiiiiiiiight.
Ok, for those of you who don't live in Arizona, this is one of the most spectacular locations on the planet, (see above photos) yet a famously grueling hike to get to....several hours of backpacking carrying all your gear, food and water in the blazing sun, etc. etc. I know, for someone younger and without chronic pain it might only cost you a few blisters...but for me it means fear. Fear of real pain and discomfort and potential injury. I'm someone with so many back/hip/neck/knee aches just during normal life, how on earth do I think I could manage this? Plus I have to sleep on a double foam topper on my bed so as not to be in pain---IN MY OWN BED! I know that camping on a tent pad in the sand won't get me much sleep either..... So what do you think I said? I said yes! of course. We have time to plan, time to get into better shape, time to do those leg extensions to help save my knees....time to get a scrip for pain pills, sleeping pills and possibly morphine. Time to save up for the helicopter ride out of the canyon when I can no longer walk...
I haven't had an adventure in so long I can't even remember...maybe it was childbirth. I feel like an adventure has-been, a geezer, an old crotchety lady with no more wind in her sails--like the grave is calling my name if I don't do this. (is this a midlife crisis? naaaaah)
Haven't mentioned it to the boy yet. His siblings did it with their dad years ago, and loved it. He's down, I'm sure.
Oh, to add to our thrills--this is right in the middle of flash flood season. (probably why the campsite had openings) Wheeee!

A funny self portrait for sp wednesday...

and some other new things...zucchini from the garden, some birdies from my shop and a lovely poppy too...this beauty was begging me to do her some justice with the camera this morning--I think she wanted to greet the blogworld.
listening to Corrine Bailey Rae cuz she's the sweetest, yummiest thing right now.....

Lost in a Moment....music by Shrift

It's been a weekend of work, kids, a little sun, a little rain, a lot of eating, (a few new pounds of something riding around on my thighs.....) a sweet wedding, (with cake, of course! mmmmmm!) did I mention work? , of course, and now it's Monday and it's 7:30 and I'm sitting here overwhelmed by what this week means (busynessbusyness.....) and getting ready for our annual Solstice Party (one week delay because of the wedding....) and I just came across this lovely vid on Alex's Gypsy Girl blog and captivated my heart and I hope this dreamy feeling remains with me just a little bit longer as my hectic workweek begins and I launch myself into the cosmos again....
enjoy.

lost in a moment from dennis wheatley on Vimeo.

Today...

I made lots of these:

I finally got some of these:

I discovered lots of these:

and I can't wait to play with these:

Happy Solstice Weekend!!

In case I haven't told you how I love peonies....

Peony time-lapse from munich time-lapse on Vimeo.

I found this marvel on the lovely Pia's blog and just had to post it...here in the desert I have no peonies, and I know many of you are enjoying these heavenly blooms in your gardens right now. I'm only a little jealous....

new work....

some new things from last week's firing--just listed in my Etsy Shop.

working late...

burning the midnite oil quite a bit in the last few weeks....it goes in waves. A local magazine has a little blurb about my nesting heart bowls at the Hummingbird House, so I've been making tons of them for her, and through her I got a new account up in Flagstaff (yay!)--and they've placed a substantial order as well, of pottery and earrings. I made these and they sold within 8 hours of listing in my Etsy shop--wow! Here's a shot of my studio last nite while B was away at a bachelor party...he came home at 10:30...?? I was more than a little surprised to see him so early--I thought it would be me and KCRW and the needlenose pliers into the wee hours...

simple things...

Christina over at Soul Aperture invited her readers to write today about the simple things that bring us joy. Well, I just fairly leapt on that bandwagon...here's a few things:

~a flock of birds flying in concert--I see this so rarely where I live, when I do see it, it's so thrilling it brings tears to my eyes.

~smells! just about anything can evoke a magical response in me--the scent of my tomato plants seems to be captivating me lately...every time I touch them...

~fresh garlic hitting the hot oil in the pan...

~the fragrance of the bowl of peaches in my kitchen stops me in my tracks...

~the scents and sounds of a roomful of boys having fun...ummmm, well I guess only a mother could love this one....

~and insects!! I love them--well, not all of them all the time, especially the biting ones, but most of the others are so damn beautiful to behold that I cannot resist marvelling at their design and beauty.

~snuggling with my boy and chatting about our day...he's 11 and he will still let me hold his hand--not in public, mind you, but at home on the couch is another story.

~my man jumping up off the couch to get the door for me and grab the groceries out of my arms--

~tending my houseplants and terrariums--Oh those terrariums are a major source of happiness! I can kill an hour just hovering over the opening and observing what is hapening in those little worlds...

~standing on the subway platform in total ecstasy with tears rolling down my face listening to a street musician captivate the crowd...

~during takeoff in a plane, the moment we leave the ground...

~ laying down on my back on the forest floor.

~whipped cream

~eating food out of my garden that wasn't there a month ago....

~a rose called 'Perfumed Delight'

~watching an ant carry a crumb three times its size across the table--I just want to yell, "you GO girl!"

hoo boy, time is a flying....

here we are, June first!! It's Summer! (well, I hereby declare it is) We've had some amazing weather--with daily rains on and off for the last two weeks--looks like our monsoon weather came waaaaaay early this year! Everything is green and growing--which makes me happy! Normally it is dry as the desert (haha) until late July and August when the monsoons come...
So here's the monthly shot of the garden--lots of greens--which is what I love--I eat salads twice a day normally and the garden is outrunning me--I'm going to have to pick a lot of that chard and kale and do up a good batch of greens and garlic soon. That will thin it down a bit.
In honor of Deb over at BonBon Oiseau and her crinkly poppy post--here is my contribution to crinkly week: my poppies!
And a few shots of the pots I glazed last post.