It is Back

Have I shared this before? It is old but it is so fabulous that I just have to make sure that you've seen it. This is a TED talk by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat Pray Love. It is one of the most inspiring, touching talks on the creative process that I've ever encountered. Please watch it if you haven't already!

Nurturing Creativity

I have returned to my book revisions after a couple months of ignoring it. I had to put it away for a while and wasn't really sure if I would ever come back to it. I told people I would get back to it in the New Year but really, I wasn't sure that I would. I was maxed out and frustrated and I felt like I was up against a wall - not knowing how to carve and shape it into something worthwhile.

But it has nagged at me and ideas have begun to visit me - mostly in the dark of night when I am half asleep/half awake and not thinking quite clearly. Little bits of conversation or character traits begin to drift through my awareness.

So I am back to it now - doing a total re-write and eliminating a whole main character. She got me to start writing the book but it wasn't long before someone else showed up and took over. And that second someone else (a character I first started writing about when I was a teenager) is where the real juice is for me. And I am following her.

I am in the grips again.

Christmas Glimpses

Gingerbread man that Satvinder decorated - his limbs did not last long.

This may be the last year for a Santa pic - we'll see. Satvinder and our friend, Elia, agreed to do a picture with Santa to appease me and give Sukhjot the experience. Satvinder figured out the Santa myth quite some time ago. And she has been rather disgusted with us for supporting such a "lie." I talked to her about being the keeper of the legend, sharing and supporting the story as a way to bring the feeling of magic and wonder and the underlying lesson of giving from the heart. She just looked at me and said, "But it is a lie." She doesn't want to tell Sukhjot the lie. She wants no part of it. Satvinder's name does mean "spreads truth" so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

It has brought me to evaluate my attachment to the story. I wanted it for her because I enjoyed it as a child. But Satvinder never really got into it, she always questioned it, and now she says, "Why not just talk about giving and sharing instead of telling the story?" It has brought me to realize there is a lot of magic in wonder in the reality. We give love and gifts and time together. And that is a beautiful thing.

So Santa. We'll see. I'm fine with putting that ritual to rest. We can find rituals that have more meaning for the actual people involved. But for now, I like the picture. I like that the kids are not dressed up in velvet Christmas clothes - they are just themselves. I like that they have their own funny expressions. And I like that, despite not being into Santa themselves, they were sweet enough to take some funny Santa picture to make me smile.

Christmas tree at my in-laws' house in Flagstaff. Please notice the door with the big red ribbon. They prepared and painted that door for our house - to replace our rotting back door. This new door pleases me greatly.

Opening presents

Breakfast on Christmas morning - home made cinnamon rolls. The recipe uses cottage cheese, which made for the most moist and perfect cinnamon rolls I have ever tasted.

Wishing you all a cozy, peaceful, and happy holiday.

Laughter

Satvinder & Sukhjot: Laughter Video

It makes me smile.

One Year

Sukhjot turned one year old on December 2nd. That day we flew, with our CA family plus my mom, from California (where we'd been visiting over Thanksgiving) to Texas (for a quick visit and family reunion.) Nine of us on the same flight - welcomed into the loving arms of the Texas family. Sukhjot was serenaded with "Happy Birthday" by a room full of family when we got to Austin.

This has been a busy week, after returning home from two weeks of travel. Just this week Sukhjot waved for the first time (her first wave was to her Mimi as we left my mom's house in Austin), she said, "hi" for the first time, and her very first tooth (finally!) has peeked out from her little gummy mouth.

This one year milestone paired with visiting family (many who I hadn't seen in 10+ years) has really left me reeling with the feeling of "Wow. It is all going by so fast." Life. Life is so fast. Honestly, it has hit me so hard that I almost don't know how to process it. So instead, I'm just trying to take in every moment, taste it as fully as I can, and be grateful for what is.

It reminds me of the Dr. Suess quote, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." These girls, this life, friends and family give me so much to smile about.

Sukhjot in the deep tub at my brother Mike's house in California. Aaahhhh...nice, deep tub for nice, deep baths.

Satvinder and Sukhjot at the family reunion/Christmas party where over 60 people from my dad's side of the family got together.

Sukhjot with my brother Bill in Austin...sitting on a rooster with a cowgirl hat on.

"Babys are Better" by Satvinder

(Click on image to see a bigger view)

Birthday Party Glimpses

3 Snow Princesses: Satvinder and two of her new friends from school, Piper (L) and Sophia Rose (R). Befriending these two has helped her school outlook a lot.

Sukhjot and baby friend, Narayan. I think she was longingly eying the keys he had in hand. (Sukhjot's outfit was picked by Satvinder months ago - it was requested that she wear a white dress and kitty ears. And so she did.)

Making bookmarks - they got books as party favors. Because we are book people around here.

Lining up for the snow ball hunt - it was hard to get pictures of the actual event because the kids were moving so fast to find the snow balls. The finding of the snowballs was over in a flash - most of them scooped up in 60 seconds. But then the kids got to unwrap all their snow balls and see the little presents they got. And that seemed to be a hit. (YAY!)

Pin the hat on the snowman.

Satvinder receiving her birthday song. She told me later that she felt a little weird - not sure what to do while everybody sang to her (explains the expression.) She is not a fan of cake so we did ice cream with toppings.

Kids getting their toppings. One of our favorite dessert places is Yogurtology - where you self serve your yogurt and toppings, getting as much or as little as you want and picking exactly what is to your liking. So we aimed for the same idea here.

Success: A fun day with lots of great people and a happy birthday girl!

Winter Wonderlanding

Today has been for "winter-wonderlanding" our house - making it ready for Satvinder's Winter Wonderland birthday party, which is tomorrow. I was burning up and sweating as I taped snow flakes around the back yard and hung the "pin the hat on the snowman" poster.

Even so, this poem by Robert Frost has come to mind:

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there's some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

At this point, I am very much relating to those last three lines. Still so much to do. And, with or without a party, there are always so many miles to go before I ever get to sleep. (Sukhjot wakes up more frequently than a newborn these days and sleep deprivation is just a part of life now.)

I keep meaning to write on here about the funny things Satvinder says or the cute things Sukhjot does. What was it Satvinder said? See, now I'm sitting here, ready to type and I've forgotten.

Oh, one thing recently was: "Oh for goodness sake, Sukhjot! How are you so cute?" And one of her favorite words has become "asinine," which is funny to me. Asinine! Everything is asinine now.

And Sukhjot has recently gotten into pointing. Her little pointer finger is busy pointing at so many interesting things in this world.

Satvinder reading and hooping - because it is not enough to do just one.

Baby

Sixty-something snow ball presents (they look like snow balls, right? Please say yes or, at least, sort of.) This is for a snow ball hunt - same idea as an Easter egg hunt but with little gifts wrapped in tissue paper. Hopefully it will amuse the kids for five minutes - it took me hours to make. haha.