I believe that...

                                             I have never been one to have faith.                                                                                                                                                                            I see myself as a recovering atheist and view my husband as a recovering catholic.  It seems that I had an aversion to anything organized and anything religious, for a very long time.  This included school and sports, pep rallies and games.  If it was organized you could find me at the exit sign. My mister, though rebellious at times still found himself at baseball practice and Sunday services.  He begged me for years to attend those Sunday services in one fashion or another.  I begged him not to.  For a short time we agreed to disagree.  He took the children and I went to the gym.  A woman passed him a note once, to encouraged his path as a single father and was no doubt looking for a response **wink wink.  And that was the end of that.

ANYWAAAYS....

I have come a long way.  So has he.  We are now free to discuss our beliefs about this fantastic universe without constraint or confliction.  It is an amazing thing.  Together we have faith and for this I am truly grateful.

In the face of suffering I find myself resting in this feeling of faith.  Not in a blind way.  More in a hopeful way.  Hopeful for meaning, for peace, for compassion.

I know two things to be undoubtedly true,

life is extremely fragile and we are so much stronger than we know.

My Month on...

Instagram!

a look back to the summer before last ;-)

a wintry dish.

my favorite beverage.

a delicious snack.

 

a peak of the sun.

best friends.  

best taco ever.

a very cold date night.

a gift from my Papa.

a handsome husband

winter boots

the view out my window that never grows old.

a beautiful girl.

a boy turns 10.

and now to attempt this...

care to join me?  I am @brittanywitt on this addictive app!  Follow along!

my view today:

Purple shoes and a maxi dress.

Thanks Amanda for the fun idea today ;-)

Favorite winter dinner 2012

Homemade carrot ginger soup, roasted potato squares, local bread, and a side salad. 


This was made for us by some local friends and I have made this meal 20 times since! 

You can find the soup recipe HERE on my foodie board!  I substitute chicken stock with no chicken chicken stock.  And yes, there is such a thing.  I also add tons more ginger, YUM!  I garnish with fresh arugula, my fave!!

Now, this year I was let in on a little cooking secret (thank you Corie!) that I had not been privy to before!  Apparently, if you preheat your pan with some oil in the oven your potatoes WON'T STICK!!  What What!! I have successfully made oven baked potato fries at least twice a week all winter long!  Served with Annie's Organic Ketchup and super amazing black truffle salt courtesy of Chelsea Market Awesomeness and you have a winner!

So here is to a mildly cold snow(less) winter and its fantastic root vegetables!

Double Digits

Dear Noah,

Yesterday you turned ten years old.  Double digits.  A big deal.  We had a great day!

What stood out to me the most on your big day was the simple fact that not once, all day long, did you show one sign for anticipation of a gift.  This is not the first year this has happened and I assume not the last... each year it is a truly genuine display of your altruistic nature.  And then, way into the evening, when we did present you with a gift, you were uninterested due to the distraction of your father's toast to you...

Your tears of love and joy were in fact, a gift to us.

Now... you are not always selfless dear child.  Many days you can show a relentlessness like I have never seen.  Once you know of something you desire your intent to pursue it is exhausting.  Making me drive back into town because a fellow peer has acquired a quarter slot gem from the local supermarket fuels an annoyance in me that is so grand fire erupts...  HOWEVER, when truly put to the test you tend to come out on top.  You genuinely know what is right.  What is good.  What is important.  And that is not an easy thing to know OR to teach.  I am happy that you posses this inner compass.  I am proud of you in that.

Things I love about you at 10:

You have a great sense of humor kido.  I am not saying that I always get your humor or in the mood for it, but I am delighted that you have one.

Your studious nature.  You are always on top of your schoolwork, you always have interesting questions, your mind is alive and bright.

Your handsomeness.  I know you will roll your eyes at this one but it must be stated.

Your non competitive nature.  I LOVE this about you.

Your independence.  It is something to admire.  You are not aloof or untrustworthy.  I know you can walk your sister home from school and keep her safe at all costs.  When engaged in activity that isn't appropriate or safe you are able to walk away.  You are a silent leader.  This is a special attribute Noah, one that will allow you an amazing life...

Your heart.  Because it is honest.  Because you feel so deeply with it.

You are my first born, my only son, my biggest challenge, and the one who saved me.  You bring out the worst in me and inspire me to be better.  You teach me.  You know me.  You are everything and I love you unconditionally.

Happy Birthday Kido. 

I Believe in the Universe...

and I wish upon its stars.

This life is not an accident.  

Proud.

My mister has three siblings and the one thing they all undoubtedly have in common is MUSIC.

The man pictured above has a reputation, in my eyes, for seeing talent in someone and going above and beyond to foster it.  An honorable way to be if you ask me.  Just this Christmas the Witt boys went for an overdue visit to the neighborhood music store Monty's.  This was the place where they were  shuffled to and from in their younger years, developing their a love for a musical instrument or two or four or eight.

The sister of the house was a dancer of course, she was her very own instrument.

I am forever envious of those who hold musical talent.  You see, where I lacked the natural ear for musical grace I could have made up with determination and practice.  But my grandmother will tell you, I also lacked the stamina for even 20 minutes at the piano despite her loving encouragement.

So I married a musician and prayed for the gene to be passed to my children.  And wouldn't you know it, they got it.  It is a beautiful thing you see.

So was I surprised to see an acoustic guitar presented to a soon to be 10 year old boy?   By non other than Mr. and Mrs. go for your musical dreams grams and papa?  Not in the slightest. 

I was however...

Grateful.

but the story does not end there...

The other side loves music too by the way, I just happened to get jipped.  And Grandpa Jay was so excited about the guitar that he has chipped in for some lessons!  Hooray!  And we found the perfect place to begin a lifetime journey.  And lessons began today.

But we cancelled.

hoping that the hand heals by next Tuesday at 3:15 and no metal doors jam any more hands...

A note from the Mister...

So, I certainly send very few emails - and I certainly don't like to demagogue (sic) - and to be honest, I'm not even sure if I believe that politics, congress, petitions, etc are anything more than a kabuki theatre distraction to ensure the masses that they have some form of participation in shaping their own destiny - but - that being said - the wonderful Socialist Senator from the Great State of VT has put forth a petition that seeks to correct one of the most erroneous mistakes in the legal history of these great United States - so - would you please be so kind as to sign this and pass it on to all like-minded, conscious, empathetic, intuitive folks you interact with via electronic communication - and believe with me for one moment that we, the people, can actually enact some form of good through the virulent cesspool that is our political system? http://sanders.senate.gov/petition/?uid=f1c2660f-54b9-4193-86a4-ec2c39342c6c

Much Love.