Still Life

January 22, 2015 ~ Crystle ~ 7 Comments

Sleeping Woods | Yea Yea Pueblo

Still life: what an elusive concept.

Stil Life | Yea Yea Pueblo Still Life | Yea Yea Pueblo 095A6326 Sally the Beagle | Yea Yea Pueblo

With Isaac out of town the last two weeks, and Woods refusing to sleep through the night without mums face within arms reach, sleep has been fleeting, and alone time has been an abstract notion.

Tensions rose to a breaking point: the unending laundry, the sleep deprivation, and the thankless, lonely week left me on the brink of eruption. But the mood in my home finally pivoted from heavy and melancholy to light and refreshed. The kids and I napped at the same time this afternoon. I can’t ever remember catching sleep when feeling so run down, and I speculate I will never again be graced with a nap at such a opportune moment.

Downstairs, the vegetarian chili on the stove burned without my attentive stirring, and a package on the front porch sat uncollected, but when I awoke from my cat nap, my cheeks were rosy and youthful, and my spirit was restored. I could have cried from the relief, and maybe I did — but the takeaway is that I was extended grace when I needed it most, allowing me to do the same to my children.

I suppose one day I’ll realize these days will come and go, whether or not Isaac is called to service away from home. My sophomoric attitude towards motherhood needs refining through experience. If this week has taught me anything, it’s that I’m well on my way to gaining wisdom, but I think I’d rather have a full night’s sleep.

After the Summer Solstice

July 22, 2014 ~ Crystle ~ Leave a comment

This poor blog has been at the bottom of my list of priorities lately. We haven’t traveled much in the last couple of months, and recipe development has been on the back burner. I’ve been relying on sandwiches, seasonal berries, crock pot meals, and greek yogurt to sustain my family — and on particularly busy days I feel like I’m throwing crumbs to the birds, shouting ‘fend for yourselves!’ as I head out the door for Book Club or an evening photo session.

Summer is winding down, I can tell because the further we stray from the Summer Solstice, the less daylight we have each day.

Sally the Beagle Even with the long daylight hours, summer in Fairbanks has been very wet this year. Although I have no previous experience in Alaska to compare it to, I can say that it’s similar to springtime in Washington. We’ve had a handful of warm sunny days, usually when it counts, like during the Summer Solstice festival.

But overall, it’s been a very wet summer. The wettest in 100 years, I’m told. And overcast. Today we’re under cloud cover once again. The temps linger in the sixties and low seventies, exactly where they need to be for a comfortable summer in maternity clothes. I can’t imagine wearing full panel skirts and shorts when temps top 100, or attempting to buy a swimsuit while 7 months pregnant. I’m definitely thankful for the cool, brisk summer we’ve had so far.

Rainy day play dates and gatherings at the local community centers have been the norm.

Work has been steady over at Yea Yea Photography. But Margot, my assistant, only likes to help when I’m working with packaging materials, or editing photos of babies. More often than not, she insists on sitting on my lap and yelling ‘ga!‘ at the computer monitor when I cull images. Her clumsy little fingers smack against the keyboard in an attempt to help me type; it’s a much less endearing effort when she accidentally closes a window, or somehow hits ‘undo’ on my work.

Juggling childcare, work and service is a challenge. This year I’ve taken on a board position at the Protestant Women of the Chapel (PWOC), a military spouse ministry I’ve been involved in since moving here to Fairbanks. I’m the Historian this year, meaning I walk around our events with my camera around my neck (as usual), taking photos of everyone having a good time. It’s a great way to serve in accordance to my skill set. You can see my photos on their Facebook page.

I’ve also been meeting up with other photographers in town. I’m proud to have the talented Sarah Lewis in my collection of friends up here, and excited that she’ll be doing our Fresh-48 photo session when Woody arrives. She recently gifted me a jar of SCOBYs, and a vintage yogurt maker, both of which will get plenty of use.

It’s nice to talk shop with Sarah, and a few of the other photographers in town, whose experience and knowledge far outrank mine.

This weekend should be the busiest in awhile. My friends are throwing me a baby shower Saturday morning, then I’m shooting a wedding (my first!) that same evening. After a busy period of culling and editing in the days following, I’ll be wrapping up some orders, then taking it easy on a brief Maternity leave.

Woody will be here in about six weeks. As his due date draws nearer, my confidence wavers. I’m terribly nervous about multiplying my parenting responsibilities and meeting everyone’s needs. The lack of sleep is also a daunting prospect. I expect difficulties in keeping up with Margot who is more and more active, yet needy, all the time. Right now she’s in the throes of a ‘don’t-put-me-down’ phase, it’s kills my back when I carry her without with the ERGObaby Original Baby Carrier, which has proven itself essential more times than I can count.

Regardless of the workload, or the changes in responsibility, we’ve got a good thing going. Our family dynamic changes a little bit, everyday here in Alaska — a lot like the waning midnight Sun.

White Chocolate Chip and Pistachio Cookies

December 16, 2013 ~ Crystle ~ 6 Comments

The advent candles on our table have been melting down, week by week, in anticipation of Christmas. After dinner and discussion, we read aloud our nightly advent prayer. Then I secretly add on a prayer request for less judgement in my heart, because those ritualistic purple and pink candles on the wreath are totally cramping my style.

Yes, it’s Christmastime again. Christmas cards have been mailed out, icicle lights hang gleefully from our front elevation, and hints of cinnamon and pine waft fragrantly through the home. This is such a nice time of year, but experiencing it in Alaska is very different from winter in Bakersfield, CA. Aside from the obvious difference in temperature and snowfall, the sun is showing up for less than four hours a day, hanging only as high on the horizon as a two story building down the street. It’s dark, cold and dreary up here. As I write this post at 2:44 pm, the sun has already faded behind the Alaska mountain range, leaving only a pink and orange glow in its wake. It will stay this way for at least another hour and a half before darkness envelops the tundra.