I have been dragging my feet on this one. Somehow it seems so strange to create an "about" page for all to read. How is it possible that a page can be an adequate depiction of a person? But honestly, I'm not all that complex, so perhaps a page will do me, "about me" that is, just fine. I'm not exactly sure where I am headed with this post, but tonight I feel compelled to reach out with a big sincere hand shake and a little introduction. So here goes....
I think of myself as a patchwork quilt of sorts, shaped and stitched by those I hold dear: friends, family, teachers, mentors, and by the variety of experiences I am so fortunate to have had throughout the seasons of life. I can't lay claim to any of this "about" page without expressing my gratitude for all those who have, and continue to help me along the journey of life, stitching a bit more onto the quilt as each day passes.
I am a farm loving (dreaming) lady, married to an ocean loving man (Travis) and together we have two young boys, Gavin and Chaz. We spend a bit of time digging our feet into the sand and splashing about in the cold waves, here on the central coast of California, as well as gardening in spite of the fog. I also garden on my father-in-law's ranch, which has both more space and sunshine.
I should step back a moment to the "Mama" bit. Becoming a mother changed my life in so many ways there simply are not words to fully express. However, I will say that motherhood has accentuated my tendency of being drawn to many different things. I am curious. I want to know how it all works. I want to make things with my hands. Knit. Sew. Draw (not so well). Paint. Cook (gluten-free). Garden. Preserve....etc.
Growing with my children has inspired me to take the slow road. Let me explain, because I don't feel like there is anything slow about this road I am on. What I mean is this, if we want pasta for dinner tonight why not make it from scratch, mix it, kneed it, roll it, cook it, say a blessing and eat it. No, no wait, lets grind the wheat maybe, (yah, that was before the gluten free days) and where is the nearest grain farmer that we can visit and buy grain from? What's in that sauce anyway? Let's grow it all and preserve it ourselves, you see. So it goes with crafting too. Where is a sheep that we can help shear, wash and card it's wool, dye it and spin it, then let's learn to knit and weave. It all started with a new sense of duty after becoming a mother. A duty to be a lover of life so that perhaps my children would be inspired by something I was doing, or maybe just glean the confidence to further explore their own interests as life progresses.
I love flowers. One of the first portraits taken of me as a babe captured me in the act of eating the sweet red rose my Dad had just given to me. It should be no surprise then, that my first job as a teen was selling flowers at a charming little street stand. I guess that's not quite true, I only got hired by the florist because I bent his ear, for over an hour, about the summer I just spent working in an Alaska salmon cannery where I processed salmon for 16+ hours a day, ate salmon every night and fished whenever I could steal away to do so. I love fishing (perhaps even more than flowers). I would arrive at the main flower shop early in the morning, load the leather saddle bags of my motorcycle with as many blossoms as would fit, get my cash box and key and head over to the stand of the day where I would spend the day playing with beautiful blossoms. Many years and flower jobs later I opened my own business, Mariah Floral Design, while in college.
College, oh yes that part. I don't generally make a habit of asking or telling about college degrees and such, but it is significant in many ways. I met my husband there, well not really there, we met planting native shrubs on the bank of a creek at a Nature Conservancy restoration project, during those college days. It's fantastic to watch these plantings grow, as a way to mark the passing of the years together. While in school I studied Horticulture, Land Rehabilitation and Landscape Architecture. I have a wild love of natural places and native plants. I only mention these details because it might help to put all the pieces together....for sure you will glimpse all these loves expressed in this space, over time.
We are a somewhat eclectic home-schooling family strongly influenced by Waldorf education. I attended Waldorf school in the early grades and also spent a period of time being home-schooled. Waldorf to me feels like home. It feels like childhood, imagination, light-bulbs of curiosity and the fostering of a thirst for knowledge and understanding. I am also inspired a great deal by the writings of John Holt and the "unschooling" movement. John Holt expresses such a lovely respect for children's innate ability to learn from the world around them, his wise words have assured me many times that all is well here in this, new to us, territory. Admittedly we are at the very beginning of this home-schooling journey, but loving every moment.
"sunny side up mama" is exactly that, it is me saying to myself, all is well, keep your sunny side up mama! Life is good, and even good lives get crazy, so in the midst of the crazy, of this good life, I enjoy reaching for my camera, and capturing the little things that make this good, crazy life, great!
I'm visually inspired. One quick glance at the fantastic colors of my dinner plates all stacked up, clean or dirty, can give me a little rush of happy, if that is what is needed in the moment, it's true. Taking the time to focus, not only the lens, but then my time reflecting and writing a bit about these little moments in everyday life, has brought me more of these moments, it is self perpetuating in a sense.
This space is where I focus on the sunny-side of life, and share it with you. I hope that you might find a bit of sunny-side inspiration as well, and maybe even share it, (in the comments) for all to enjoy.
Thank you for visiting. I'm thrilled you are here. Please feel free to leave a comment, ask a question, share a bit of life.
(photos in this post taken and shared, thanks to: Jon Claxton)
Cheers to a day, sunny-side-up!