Have no fear, Mr. Roche…there is only place in my heart for you!  What has my attention is all the fun I am having with my new additions to my blogger account…so while I have tried to maintain both sites for variety sake…if you want to stay up to date you will have to visit me at www.mixedgreensvillage.blogspot.com …startling photos included!

Here’s what Ella shares about her bags:

Ella Vickers Recycled Sailcloth Collection is the most refined & quality built on the market. Our pieces are made from authentic recycled/reclaimed yacht sails. They are Green/Eco Friendly, Urban Chic, and Ocean Durable. All items are handcrafted in the USA using yachts sails from around the world, saving 20 thousand yards of sailcloth from the landfill each year. Inspired by her days of sailing as first mate on a classic Americas Cup winner, Ella made herself a set of bags from a discarded sail. When regatta guests bought them right off her arm, a company was born. The durable and sophisticated designs reflect the nautical lifestyle with crisp white Dacron Sailcloth and hi-performance Kevlar Sailcloth. This gorgeous, urban-chic collection ranges from the small cocktail cache to the functional tote messenger and the ocean durable duffel. Experience the spirit of the sail reborn into fresh shapes for a new adventure!

While on vacation, I received so many compliments for this bag…now you have the source!

One thing that keeps sticking in my head is how incredible our waterways are…the power, life, depth, and wonder…it runs through the very core of our being. Like the earth, we are composed of roughly 75% water, and yet the sacred waters that feed our earth and our bodies are being abused. Enormous amounts of plastic pieces are discarded into the water each year, and since plastic does not quickly decompose, a swirling mass piles up endangering the species of our waters…and the water itself. While it is right that we look up and ask questions of the sky above us, we also need to pay attention to the water by our shore.

So what can we do? It is as simple and important as being aware of our litter, recycle a bottle or bag, and reduce the amount of garbage we put out there. I am a believer in the power of people to make change happen…in the goodness that we can all do! It may feel like your efforts are a small drop in the bucket…but together it is an ocean!

a flower that grows along the side of the road…it freely gives its beauty and color…

shells and bits of sea glass…among some ordinary pebbles…you have to dig a little bit, but they are there…

the way the morning sky is full of soft hues that welcome a new day…the rhythm of each day…

These are the “little things” that can be missed when we hurry through our day. Yet if we pause, there is a deep message that resonates…that life welcomes us every day, and we are meant to be here.

My kids have each been granted by the gene fairies…beautiful eyes and these adorable freckles. This little one wants to see how many she can collect in one summer…we’ll keep you posted.

Now if you subscribe to any fashion mags…you will read how everyone is searching for “blemish-proof” skin techniques, and how you can hide this and that “imperfection” on your skin. I want to shout, “but I have worked so hard to create all these laugh lines!” When did the signs of a life well lived become “imperfections?”

Here’s an idea, how about instead of listening to all that crap in the magazines, we celebrate who we are and what we are becoming? How about instead of being critical of these little things, we see them as a scrapbook of all the adventures we have had? Like my little freckle face, see them as a celebration of a great summer! It is like recognizing that the cocoon while not very noteworthy is giving way to a beautiful butterfly inside!

“Everyone is doing something but me!”

We were probably all this way at sometime in our childhood…and yet now the days fly by ever faster. I consider myself sort of lucky to never be bored…but maybe I am missing a good thing here. Maybe boredom is a gift rather than something to be avoided like the plague. It is that spaciousness and awareness that keeps grabbing my attention. Of all the seasons, summer is comfortable with moments of boredom…a.k.a. freedom from the to-do list…time to watch the clouds go by…take a nap on the sand…to do nothing and be okay with it. Stop. Time out. Do nothing. Despite the fact that I have a million places to be today, I am intrigued by the idea of taking a moment to do nothing. Maybe by creating this space of nothing…something will arise.

Snickerdoodles (just in case you want the recipe)
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Crisco (or vegetable shortening)
2 eggs
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream the sugar, butter and Crisco. Add the eggs. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough into round 1 inch balls and roll the cookie dough in a mixture of:

2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Cool before serving. Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

• 1 cup orange juice (if you have fresh oranges, squeeze them baby!)
• the juice from one lemon
• the juice from one lime
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar (they sell this by the box near regular sugar at the market)
• a medium pitcher–1/2 filled with crushed ice
• 1 bottle of red wine (don’t use your best stuff, this is good for the $3 bottle!)

After reading the book, Julie and Julia, I became a fan of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, but also of Julie Powell…a woman whom I feel an immediate connection to…because we both enjoy discovering life’s pleasures through the art of cooking. Just in case you don’t know the story, Julie Powell was a temp living in NYC with her husband, Eric. As her job options continue to be less than she dreamed…she decided to take MAofFC and make all 524 recipes in one year. At her husband’s suggestion, she started a blog on the topic, and I can hardly wait for the movie which comes out on August 7th! We should have a dinner party and make it a big night out! If you are interested in knowing more about Julie Powell or the book Julie and Julia check out these links.

Julie’s blog: http://juliepowell.blogspot.com/
A bookclub meeting with the author: Julie Powell Borders Media
To see the movie trailer: http://www.julieandjulia.com/