snapshots from the waterfront

my journey towards homeopathy {doTERRA Essential Oils}

Hi friends! I have recently become a consultant for doTERRA! As you may be able to tell from the exclamation points, I'm really excited! This is the most excited I've been about something like this since I found this house, and we all know how that turned out -- perfection. Bliss. Meant to be. I'm hoping that my work with doTERRA will be the same, and will provide Bennett and I with some added comfort, financial security and holistic health.

You may be wondering how this came about. Actually, if you know me at all, you're probably not wondering. Though it's crazy to think of me selling something, it's not crazy that it's Essential Oils. I have been using EOs (Essential Oils) for about twenty years, but just as fragrance, basically. I don't use many body products at all, but I've always used a EOs for perfume, in my hair, and for burning in a diffuser for home scent, etc. For my entire life, people have always commented that I smell really good. (Saying it like that sounds really braggy, but it's the oils who get credit, so I'm going for it.) People always tell me that my home smells good too. Once I was at the hospital (you may remember this story) and the nurses kept smelling me and telling me that I reminded them of a spa and aromatherapy. (Who doesn't like spas? Who doesn't like aromatherapy?) Since I have had dreads, I have used various essential oils in them.

Up until recently, the only EOs I ever used therapeutically were eucalyptus and lavender (mmmmm...) During cold and flu season I've always kept eucalyptus handy, sometimes putting a few drops in a pot on our wood stove, and then later (when I didn't have a wood stove) in the humidifier. This winter when Bennett and I were both so sick, eucalyptus was the only relief we got. We put it on the soles of our feet and our chests and it allowed us both to breathe (and therefore sleep!) I have always suffered from moon-related headaches and migraines. For years I tried every kind of narcotic and over-the-counter medication and none provide much relief. And now, after years of suffering, I have learned that just a drop of lavender on my temples and the soles of my feet brings me instant comfort. It doesn't always eliminate my headaches completely, but if I use lavender right a the onset, I don't even get them. Just last week, as my monthly migraine was already beginning, I closed the shades and tucked into bed and put oil on my temples and slept. I woke up a few hours later, totally pain-free. I nearly cried, it was so amazing. EOs are amazing.

This winter, we were sick for two months. We tried lots of home remedies, Elderberry Oil, etc., and even eventually had to take antibiotics (both of us). None of it worked so I started looking into EOs and using what I could get my hands on from the local health food store. It's hard to say if those made us better or if they just provided enough comfort and peace of mind that we were able to finally rest and therefore get better. Either way, we did rest and we did get better, and I am hooked. Even at our sickest moments, oils provided us with comfort that otherwise seemed unnatainable. I've just started delving into the world of EOs more deeply. I knew, after the smallest bit of research, that I wanted to sell them (I'm a single mom! I need money!) and that by selling them, I would be able to get my own at a huge discount or free (which I have!) It has been a really good fit for me. I am super hungry to learn everything there is to know about EOs. I've always been a huge believer in them, and in natural healing, but it's something I've just never jumped into completely until now.

I could list a dozen or more things that we have used doTERRA oils for in the past week, but I think I'll save that for another post. Tomorrow I will be going over to my Great Aunt Virginia's home and giving her some oils that will hopefully bring her comfort. She is getting up there in age, is sickly, and is having trouble breathing. I plan on taking some oils to her, giving her a foot soak, and applying some breathing oils to her feet. I am praying that it works. The idea of being able to bring comfort to her makes me incredibly excited and honored.

I have put together some information for any of you that may be interested in joining my team and selling essential oils. Just shoot me an email (shrayshree@gmail.com) or Facebook message me, and I can send it your way.

If you aren't interested in selling oils, but you are ready to take your health into your own hands, consider giving essential oils a try. Cold and flu season is the time of year that so many people load their bodies up with expensive and harmful over-the-counter medications that merely treat symptoms. If you are interested in treating problems and experiencing healthy and natural relief from what ails you, I cannot stress enough how powerful and life-changing essential oils can be. Now is the time to find out! If you would like to purchase oils through me, you can visit this link! If you would like to discuss oils further or sample some, get in touch with me! I want to thank those of you who have already supported me by purchasing oils. I am really excited to see where this goes!

Love to you each...

Go on. CLICK!

falling in love {with the hood}

We walk. A lot. At least once every day, we get outside and either walk or bike around our neighborhood. We are getting to know every single street and even know many of our neighbors now, on our block and on surrounding blocks. Here are a few scenes from our cozy life in North Portland. (Including a photo of a cozy afternoon in bed after a long walk in the rain...)

a walk in the rain

Though I could do without the bone-chilling wind and ice-cold rain, I'm sticking to my commitment to play with Bennett outside every single day, no matter what. Some days it's a hoot (most days, actually), and other days we make the mistake of getting a mile from the house and Bennett's fingers get cold and his will to pedal or walk dwindles and I end up awkwardly carrying him and his bike all the way home. On these super rainy days, we stick pretty close to home so that if he loses his zest for the outdoors, it ain't no thang. Since Bennett was a tiny babe, being outside has been a huge part of our time together. It's so good for both of us. The only time he ever complains is when his fingers get cold, which is why he has socks on his hands in these photos. (Sidenote: most kiddie gloves and mittens sucks, so I'm going to invent a new kind one of these days.)

31 months! {a celebration}

It may seem an odd date to celebrate, but today is Bennett's 31-month birthday. It also marks 31 months of breastfeeding. 31 months of mothering. 31 months of being changed and renewed by a new kind of love. And 31 months of seeing the world through a new pair of eyes. I was 31 when I gave birth to Bennett. Birthing Bennett and nourishing him through breastfeeding are the two greatest things my body has ever done. That's reason to celebrate! So today, I celebrate Bennett. I celebrate our special bond. I celebrate what my amazing body has done and continues to do every single day. Today, I celebrate. I celebrate because I can. Here are a few special moments we've shared...

 “The best love in the world, is the love of a man. The love of a man who came from your womb, the love of your son! I don't have a daughter, but maybe the love of a daughter is the best, too. I am first and foremost me, but right after that, I am a mother. The best thing that I can ever be, is me. But the best gift that I will ever have, is being a mother.” ~ C. JoyBell

a ride around the neighborhood

It was gorgeous today. I didn't realize how desperately I needed the sunshine until it was here. Bennett needed it too. We couldn't get enough. We went on a ride before lunch and loved it so much that we spent the evening riding more. These were all taken in late afternoon. The day was perfection.

new drums!

Last night Bennett got his very first real drum set. This isn't a toy set. It came from a real music store. It's made of real parts. It makes real drum noises (trust me on that one). And it (gulp) cost real money. Bennett has been interested in drumming for so long now that we knew it was time to let him play on a real set. He has shown us that he knows how to be gentle with his toys. He takes pretty good care of them. He is careful and thoughtful with his fake toy drums, so we trust that he will take care of this real set. We also know that he will have years of fun on this set!

We purchased his set from Rhythm Traders here in Portland. It's a shop where Bennett and I have spent many afternoons together. They always open up a practice room for him to play in (probably for their sake) and they've been really helpful with us, letting Bennett experiment with different things and helping us find a set perfect for his size and skills. They can't get over his skills, and neither can we.

Bennett and I went last night and purchased the set, and then Cam met us at the shop to load the set and then re-assemble it back at our place. It was so fun.

This morning, for the first time, I ate breakfast alone in the kitchen while Bennett played drums upstairs. It was lonely, and it felt so very grown-up of him, but I couldn't kill his drum buzz. I did received a "thank-you" kiss when I brought food up to him in the bedroom.

And of course, there has already been lots of video. Here is one of my favorites.

2-years of dreadlocks {still swooning}

The two-year birthday of my dreads came and went without a single mention on the blog. A travesty! They were not, however, fully neglected. I celebrated them on Facebook and Instagram and (as if that weren't enough), they received their own birthday card in the mail from my mom. That's right. That's how she rolls.

Showing a lot of photos of my dreads feels really self-indulgent because it also means showing a lot of photos of my face. Hey, everyone! Here's my face! And my hair! Celebrate them! Right? Right. But as I always say, what is a blog if not self-indulgent?

Natural highlights and serious face. 

A side view. Aren't they curly and lumpy as ever?

This was my last evening of not having shorty bangs.

Bangs!

The only thing better than this photo is remembering what

we had to do to make this photo. There was Kezia. And tub-straddling.

And some laughing. And shockingly -- no injuries.

 What's that, you ask? Do I live in this purple sweater? Why yes, yes I do.  

One of these days, when the sun is bright and the mood is right, I'll capture a few photos of the back and sides. Until then, Happy Birthday, dreadlocks. I love you.  << that just happened.

lover of the light

our street {dance, dance, plant a tree}

Back in October when I was house-hunting, I looked at a lot of places. A lot. All over Portland. I knew that finding the right place was going to be really critical in making this all work. If Bennett and I were going to feel at home someplace away from Cam, it had to be someplace right. The first time I stepped inside the door of this house, I felt like I was home. It was a feeling that I didn't experience anywhere else during my search. I looked at the house twice before bringing David and Kezia. As soon as they walked in, they each felt it too. The first time I brought Cam to see it before we moved in, he felt it too -- that if we had to go, this was the place for us to be. One of my girlfriends visited for the first time the week we moved in and actually started crying. She was so happy to see me so at home, especially when considering all that I had on my shoulders.

(Bennett and Jasper jumping, with a peek at the neighborhood in the background)

In November, my Great Aunt Nadine passed away. Her passing was very peaceful and beautiful. I was prepared for it, as I had been told the night before that it would happen. She was ready and we were ready for her to be free from pain, though her presence here left a void that none would fill. Her passing brought all of the family into Portland for her memorial service in December. For weeks, my house was filled with family and friends -- solidifying even more than before that this was home. Within a month of living in the house, nearly everyone I loved was able to come and spend time within these walls. Everyone came to break bread here, laugh here, play music here, celebrate a beloved's life here, celebrate a birthday here, celebrate a new pregnancy here (my sister's!), and simply be together. Here. At our home.

(Ziah gave our neighbors a bit more than they bargained for)

All of that has been wonderful. It has helped to breathe life and light into what could have otherwise been an unbearably dark situation. There is no darkness here. There is some brokenness and there is, at times, grieving. Life cycles through these walls just like it does everywhere , but there is no darkness here. Not only is this home the literal brightest place I have ever lived, it shines bright from within because of the community that has been shared and is shared every day. Every morning, I sit at my dining room table with Bennett and I watch the world wake up to a new day. I watch our neighborhood wake up.

(Neighbor-watching instead of napping)

Our neighborhood, people, is awesome. Our neighborhood and our neighbors were a big reason that this house felt like home from the first moment. People waived to us. They came over and introduced themselves. They told us about their pets. They brought us cookies. They walked their children over and introduced us to them. The people on this block all know each other. Though I have always felt a softness towards our neighbors, I have never felt as connected to them as I did last night. Last night, I danced with them. For a few moments, I danced with everything I had.

You see, as I stepped into the garage for something last night, I noticed that the kids across the street, just a few of them, were dancing. Kezia was cooking dinner, so I sat on the stoop with Bennett and Jasper and we watched them. They quickly noticed, shouting to one another, "The neighbors are watching us!" and then promptly breaking into their best dances, facing us, and beckoning us to come over. So we did. As we made our way across the street (which is a very small street so one can hear everything being said on the other side), the kids whispered and squealed and screamed and danced "They're coming! They're coming HERE!" and as we stepped into the yard, the music and the joy and the laughter took over and we danced. For most of the time I was the only grown-up in a yard full of kids -- dancing our faces off. It was dusk (so others' visibility of me dancing would have been poor) and the music was kickin' so I decided to go with it. Several times, other neighbors that were coming or going stopped for a quick dance as they passed by. Not a soul passed that didn't at least waive and offer a laugh. It would have been impossible not to laugh at the sight.

One kid is a little DJ, so he had his DJ machine rolling out the melodies, one after the other. Another little kid (an adorable Chinese boy who is here for the year from China) was dancing with a sword. And in all the chaos and pandemonium of a child-led dance party, not once did that sword ever konk anyone. It was quite miraculous, really. A girl (also from China) did the robot for about forty-five minutes. Another girl showed me her many moves: ballet, modern, tap and hip-hop. Another boy, with fiery red hair, head-banged like a pro, while yet another little gal brought Bennett several toys to hold and brought me a huge glass of ice water from her house. She even brought a jacket to drape over Jasper's shoulders. Kids were everywhere. Dancing. Laughing. Trying to get Bennett and Jasper to dance. And did I already say laughing? Yes, there was lots of laughing. My voice was among the loudest. It's not often that I get to dance and laugh loudly under a clear warm February night in the middle of my neighborhood. Seeing Bennett's eyes that bright and alive was such a balm for the soul as well. Bennett's eyes are always pretty bright and alive, but to see them open up to all these wonderful children that live right there confirmed that we are in the right place. He was giddy all evening, talking about the neighbors as we went to bed last night, and asking when he would get to dance with them again as soon as he woke up this morning.

This morning, however, there was no dancing. And the reason there was no dancing was because all of the neighbors were gathered together to plant a row of trees along the two streets nearby. Beautiful, yes?!  I am not kidding when I say that these people are awesome. I have never lived somewhere where I knew this many of my neighbors this quickly and liked them all this much. (Interestingly enough, none of these people live in our actual plex, although the people next door do seem pleasant enough from the few interactions I've had with them.) Our block is filled with kindred spirits, with people who like to give and serve and reach out and offer kindness to others. I love it so much here. These past few days of sunshine and dancing and planting trees have made me even more excited than I already was to live here this summer. It is a wonderful feeling to be surrounded by such goodness and to have everything we need right inside our walls and just outside our front door.

This is the neighborhood I have longed for for so very long. This is the kind of community I have always envisioned for myself and for Bennett. What to do with it is a different topic altogether. I don't know how to become a part of it. I'm not sure how to get to know these people. I have no idea how to remember everyone's names and faces. But I know I want to do all of these things, and I know that in time -- I will. That is a feeling I am holding onto. It's a good feeling.

Light and love live here.