Hunker down guys, this here’s a long one . . .
Ahhhhh, *sigh*, with a warm heart and open arms I gladly welcome another Friday into my life. Spring is heating up and it kind of feels like every weekend just gets better and better. I love this time of year, don’t you? Flowers are blooming everywhere and it’s warm enough for water play at the beach. Evenings are lighter and brighter and longer and pre-dinner tricycle rides seem to be a standard. Life is so good, no?!
So truth be told, I haven’t been listening to any music this week (too busy poring over audio of the US Supreme Court hearings on marriage equality). However, I am thrilled to share this video I just found, which I seriously cannot stop watching over and over again, and which is killing me dead with a raging case of the smiles. Why?
1. It’s a bunch of awesome vegans being totally silly and having a blast doing a parody hip hop video, and freakin’ NAILING IT.
2. This song! I’ve never heard it before but oh man, it’s amazing. It’s a legit hip hop song . . . about THRIFTING! Seriously, dying. Dead. The lyrics!
“I’ma take your grandpa’s style,
I’ma take your grandpa’s style,
No for real – ask your grandpa
Can I have his hand-me-downs?”
Bonus! I have a wee crush on the Chihuahua-wielding fellow with the magnificent ginger beard. ♥ Now watch it and SMILE!
And with that, one of the best parts of Friday has arrived. The part where we all pause and take a deep breath and look around and say THANKYOU for the > little things < that add up to make the
< big differences >.
Le Love List!
1. Our First Hike.
Waits and I went on a for-real hike, our first one since we moved back. I used to hike every single week, mostly at the same trail we visited this time, and mostly with Damian. It’s actually sort of where Damian and I fell in love, which made it especially special to return there, with the perfect little product of that love.
Waits was having a really rough afternoon, and insisted that I carry him. So I did, on my shoulders, pretty much the entire way up. DAMN. That was rough, but it was also awesome to feel my body working so hard, and to realize that I’m in much better shape than I thought.
When we got to the top, to the bridge, we peeked over and I was shocked to see almost no water. It’s been a really dry year, and I worry for all the riparian critters that live in these sage-scrubby chaparral hills.
Anyway, there was one small pool. More like a puddle, really. And as Waits and I made our way down the rocky hillside, we held out hope that we would find what we had come looking for – the California Newt. See, I grew up in these hills, playing with all manner of creatures in these hills, but this particular amphibian holds the #1 spot in my heart. And obviously, from the picture above, I’m sure you know how the story ends. We found one!
It was just perfect, and the delight and wonder in Waits’s face made every single sweaty step of shoulder riding TOTALLY worth it. Made my week, hands down.
It’s funny, I never realized how much I missed all the wildlife around here, until I moved back. Tree frogs in my back yard and bright blue dragonflies everywhere, bobcats and turkey vultures up in the canyons, quail and crane flies and blue-bellied lizards that fall asleep in your hand if you stroke their stomachs. And that’s not even going near the beach! Man, I am a bio-geek at heart, and a Santa Barbara girl to the core, and I am indescribably excited to watch my son grow up in this very special place in the world, enjoying all the abundance that nature has to offer here.
*sigh*
End. Rant.
2. Red Radio.
NEW PODCAST ALERT! You all know I’m a podcasting junkie, and I love me a good vegan podcast. I actually met Erin Red when I was in New York for MSVA, but I didn’t get a chance to listen until very recently.
And, um, it is AWESOME. She is fiery and feisty and damn smart too – a wonderfully engaging combination. If you’re into veganism, animal rights, and all of the culture that surrounds the movement, you really need to check out this podcast.
3. Solitude.
An entire day, start to finish, completely alone. An entire day, start to finish, in my pajamas! A day of absolute productivity and also plenty of puttering. Working working working . . . gardening and listening to podcasts . . . working working working . . . slowly composing the perfect meal . . . working working working . . . a bath and a good book.
I haven’t had a day like that in a very long time. It was bliss.
Also! WAITS .|. Letting Damian take the car while I have Waits (usually, whoever has the kid has the car) and accidentally leaving the stroller in the car and realizing that we were pretty much trapped on foot and then remembering the Ergo, and wearing Waits on my back to run errands and loving every second of it. I forgot how awesome it feels to wear my kid! .|. big ass salads .|. crossing things off my list .|. really good girl talk .|. more distance .|. collecting sea glass .|. fixing the “big camera” using superglue, thank god .|. reading love lists from Bonzai readers .|. planning the next phase .|. listening to audio of the Supreme Court (oral arguments on Prop. 8 – here) (oral arguments on DOMA – here) .|. learning that I get to share a house at Vida Vegan Con with Allison, Miyoko, Heather, and Christy = HOLY AMAZING WOMEN BATMAN!
~~~
Alright guys, now it’s your turn – let me know what you’re loving this week!
This happy little post will stay at the top of the page all weekend, so stop by any time to leave your Love List, ask a question, or offer some feedback! Or if you’re new, feel free to just introduce yourself and say ‘Oi!’! This is your community, so get involved!
Hope it’s warming up where you are. Have a great weekend!
♥
Pingback: The Weekend Send-Off | Bonzai Aphrodite
Pingback: What We Ate Wednesday: Wild Kingdom | Bonzai Aphrodite