carpet cleaning

this is what happened today, all the first floor carpets got "power washed". i did the first step of vacuuming everything and then the wash could start. it's a very slow process and i'm so glad p helped, he did about half of the needed floorspace and elias helped me do the rest...
elias helped part of it fiddling behind my back and the other half he "washed and sucked"...
so all done and it seems very clean around here

the photo shoot

of course there is usually lots happening on any given afternoon, though once a year we try to get organized and set the camera up to make portrait photos. we have been doing it for 7 years or so, though missed two in the middle of it. last year was boycotted by elias, so we have gaps but that's ok too.

so here are a few, of course as all anyone can imagine there is not just happy looking faces, but for now i have taken them out...







not to forget the star of the afternoon...

life in our kitchen

:: friday and saturday was tomato day, i found all kind of heirlooms at the market. this is such a treasure to me, as i missed the big variety of tomatoes we could buy at farmers markets in boston.

:: everyone loves to snack on fresh black berries as well as raspberries, a summer treat. and we put some away for winter, our freezer is being loaded...


:: the colours of summer indoors

:: we ate plum tart on at least three occasions last week

:: baked four loaves of bread and a basket full of rolls. the rolls were coming along to a friends garden party on thursday evening, thank you k for hosting all of us


:: fish for lunch, wrapped in prosciutto, served with rice, lemon mayonnaise and lettuce, a recipe found in "cook with jamie"


:: there was a letter in the mail for thea, o how much kids love to get mail! note to self, write a few letters this week

:: not just cooking, living takes place in our kitchen, naomi worked on a series of paper cuts.

:: salad dressing was mixed in big quantities, lots of it already eaten again, as salad is a staple now a days

:: o i almost forgot, i did clean the windows in the kitchen. though they don't show it anymore, rain and kids finger prints show up day by day. i usually mind it for a moment but then get used to the fact that windows are also to be used!

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by SouleMama. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

what cloth pins are good for too

while i was kneading bread dough my neighbor stopped by and enjoyed a bit of fun with thea and the cloths pins which were still sitting out there in our back yard after hanging laundry...


two kilograms of flour is the usual amount i knead with the machine in two bowls. using the activ yeast and a mix of different grains as well as flax seed is added


i did have just one load of laundry today, this meant a large number of cloth pins were still left in the bag

having a fun neighbor is of course a great thing, i don't think this idea of decorating ones head would have sprouted in my head...


thea turned into lady liberty, didn't she!
it's just fantastic how quickly creativity can take over if no one interrupts or hinders it's flow.

this just a little moment of my otherwise very quiet and lovely morning. a few household chores, sunshine, laundry hanging, lunch preparations and sipping an iced coffee, i love summer

the going on's at home again

we did get three young chickens from a good friend, his hen hatched the three in april and it turned out that two are roosters and will be with us just for a while and the thirds is a hen, she will stay with the big two year old's. thank you b for the life stock you provided to our city dwelling.


the flowers in the bed in front of our house is in full bloom, i love the mix, wild and unruly. i got the seeds in a little tin from my mother. she collected them last summer and kept them, we love them now.


while baking two apple tarts for dinner thea and i snacked on fresh raspberries, o such a yummy treat, of course the rest of the gang quickly came running and loving them too


dinner is out side, it's just really mid summer here, warm if not hot and under our chestnut tree is the perfect place to catch a little breeze and some good shade for each and every meal. we all don't mind carrying everything outside it's so much better being out there as sitting around the dinner table in a hot kitchen


while baking apple tarts i used the opportunity to bake tomorrows snacks. the kids do take a little snack along for mid morning recess, to keep their energy level up until noon, when they come home for lunch. most often they take either a fruit or crackers and cheese, tomorrow is a treat little cheese quiches

in the valley and on the mountains

the second set:


we didn't need to go far for a lot of jumping and loud laughter


and the windows of the hut were very exciting too


of course "house keeping" was done by all of us, everyone in their own way and fashion


and thea loved to snack, we all loved to snack especially the mountain blueberries we picked on our hike


while amos was not bringing his bodhran along, he quickly found a much more interesting instrument of his own making...


of course we didn't just make music, there is some very deep listening going on too


being surrounded by nature, no automobile no electricity no nothing was treating us well



the water was cold, i was very happy with just dipping my toes, though the rest of family loved some real bathing in the calancasca near cauco. there is to comment, the bathing pool had to be built, first a couple hours of dam building and smoothing out of the river bed


walking home, up the mountain and looking forward to a yummy snack, of course


yes the ladies made it too and we enjoyed the fact, that thea was walking all of it too. lots of cheering and game playing


and the grand finale!

ca da l'ava in masciadone

the first set of last week:


masciadone, ca da l'ava is the house behind the tree at the edge of the village, toward the valley


in the midst of goat stables, though the goats were all still up high on the mountain pastures


the view through the open door (it's the outhouse door...)


setting the table in front of the house, we all loved to be outside so much and surrounded by the mountains it was even better


brewing coffee, of course naomi loved to do it. building a little fire, just hot enough for papa's pot


sitting down for meals in the morning sunshine, we do call it vacationing


music making and being together a big part of late afternoons


pleasuring around the house


snacking on the front steps of the hut


lots of reading got done, which is a treasure i discovered a new this summer

for a week in the valey

we will be spending the coming week up in the calanca valley. it's a very old and left alone place in the southeast of switzerland. no big roads no major stores no nothing, 4.5 hours by train and bus and an additional 20 minute hike up from the valley bottom to the little house we will be staying. a house with all you need, just nothing more, no running water or electricity, an eco toilette in the basement lots of wood to be split and surrounded by what ever is going on in that little "maiensaess".
i will be back here in a bit over a week.