dear october

dear October,

welcome old friend!

boy you are pretty. the reds have crept down the mountain, and the yellows are slowly making their way in. fiery hillsides in every direction.....the best.

dear fall running and hiking,

you are my favorite! the cooler air, the earthy smells, the crunchy leaves underfoot.

dear snow,

noooooo. not yet snow. stay in the mountains for a little bit longer......please?

dear foods with pumpkin,

I'm excited to be reunited. 

baked goods, pastas, soups. 

What are your favorite pumpkiny foods?? tell me.

dear desert,

eeeeeeeek!!! now that the hot summer temperatures are gone, it's officially desert season! I cannot wait to sink my feet in your sand soon. 

so excited to get to my place.

dear everyone who bought the cookbook last month,

THANK YOU! thank you thank you. 

such an exciting first month.

dear everyone who hasn't bought the book yet,

get your copy now! 

It's $15.64 on Amazon....hard to beat

(here)

dear locals,

Whitney and I are having a book signing next week--Oct 8th at 7:00-8:30 at Cubby's in Provo. 

Come grab some dinner and bring your books for us to sign, and invite all your friends!

dear yoga, 

oh it feels so good to be back. 

I missed you so much this summer--I hardly ever saw you.

But twice last week! It hurt terribly..... and felt so good at the same time.

dear peaches,

I am panicking. I am not ready to say goodbye to you yet. 

I might have to gorge myself these next few days as a proper goodbye to peach season.

dear charly and luna,

you are killing me with your adorableness. 

sharing your bed at night? cuteness explosion.

dear this little red house,

I canNOT believe we have lived in you for 7 months. Where has the time gone?

you are quirky and old and awkward and I love you so much. I'm thankful every day we are here.

Dear YOU,

it's been awhile since I put desktop calendars together......but here you go! 

Happy October.

from THIS post last year

  

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photo from THIS fall drive

 

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not a fall picture.....just one of my favorite sunsets ever. taken in Washington, see more HERE

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sincerely/all my love,

sheena

blogged 1 year ago: dear October

dear february (take two)

Dear February,

I'm sorry I was so rude in last week's post....let's try it again, shall we?

You're not.....that bad. You do have some good qualities going for you.....like the fact that you are only 28 days long.

Way to go February! You have finally done something right.

Dear  My Voice,

Where did you go????! I woke up Friday morning and you were nowhere to be found. NOWHERE. Saturday you stayed away. Sunday I had to yell with all my might just to get a squeak out. 

Monday I sounded like a man. Please come back. please.

Dear Tubing,

oh so many stories to tell!

You are so much fun. Especially when two moms (one of them.....me....) go barreling down the hill so fast (like, breaking the sound barrier, fast) and are UNABLE TO STOP AND CRASH THROUGH THE FENCE. That happened. Oh, and remember how I had no voice to warn the children I was crashing into??!!!

nice.

little tubers waiting to head up the hill

Dear anyone who has asked about 

The Cookbook in the last few months.

We. Are. Almost. Done. Just a few more shoots and then off it goes to The Man, who will turn it into a pretty book (The Family Flavor) for your hands to behold.

(if you are just joining us, I am photographing a cookbook for one of the coolest gals around, Whitney Ingram. You will most definitely want this book.....this girl can cook)

Follow us on instagram for weekly updates of what we are shooting (I'm now @_sheenarae on IG and whitney is @whitneyingram)....see  you there!

Dear anything above 30°,

YOU FEEL LIKE SUMMER!

Oh how I love when the sun warms me all the way through. After all our single digit temperatures we are basking in this warm weather. Windows open! Bike riding! Wishing our legs weren't so pasty!

Dear Chacos,

hello old friends. It's been a long few months without you. If it's over 30° you'll be on my feet as I head to yoga. Glad we are back together.

Dear Rock Wall.

You are fun. Thanks for entertaining us through the winter.

Dear Cyber World,

Ok, I am putting this out there....

I figure it can't hurt.

We are looking for a home to rent in the Heber/Midway/Charleston Utah area--

sometime within the next few months (ish). 

If you know of someone who has a rental property up there, could you email me at sheenajibson at gmail.

We are on the hunt!

(and I will let you know when we put our house up for rent (again, hopefully within the next few months(ish) (fingers crossed)) and you can tell all your friends to come and rent The Little Red House!

Dear Readers,

Here is your February desktop calendar! Sorry there is only one.....I really don't have any snowy February pictures because if we are out playing in the snow I usually don't have my big camera. 

But besides.....by February we are usually tired of snow (right?!) so here is a nice, bright, non-wintry desert for your desktop.

(I spy a tiny moon)

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Dear Soup,

we always like you.

Lentil and Coconut Curry Stew 

I love the warm flavor of curry in the winter (posted a curry recipe last February too) and this soup did not disappoint. I found the recipe on the Scaling Back blog and just tweaked it a little bit....I added some carrots, and a few more spices, used full fat coconut milk and yellow lentils instead of red.
This soup is hearty and filling,

 and warms you up on a dreary February day.

2 cups lentils 

1 onion, finely chopped 

1 red bell pepper, diced 

2 large carrots, sliced

1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and diced small 

2 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced 

1 heaping tablespoon red curry paste 

1 teaspoon garam masala 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/3 cup tomato paste 

7 cups water 

1 can coconut milk 

1 15-ounce can of chickpeas 

2 tsp salt (or salt to taste)

juice of two limes 

fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving 

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil and add the onions, bell pepper, carrot and jalapeno. Cook until veggies begin to get tender. Add the garlic, ginger, curry, spices, salt and tomato paste and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add the water, coconut milk, lentils and chickpeas, bring to a low boil, and cook uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until lentils are tender. Stir in the lime juice, and give it a taste to see if you need any more lime or salt.  Serve with cilantro, lime, and fresh naan.

enjoy!

Sincerely yours/all my love/thank goodness for sunny days/23 more days to go,

sheena

How do YOU feel about February?

dear january

all photos taken with my phone. most while running.

January! Welcome! 2013 here we go.

new years eve

 

Dear Self,

it's your birthday month. Your BIG birthday month. 30?!! 

What?! How did that sneak up on us?

Dear Charly,

please please please never run away again. I'm so sorry the gate didn't latch. It was the worst hour (it felt like 20) of my life. I was sick. Thank you for coming back. We like you, very much.

Dear mandarins freshly picked out of a northern California grove,

you are the BEST. We can't stop eating you! I wish you'd multiply in my fridge like rabbits, because we are running out.

Dear Juicer,

you have taken over my life. I think about you non-stop and all the good things we can make together. I juiced twice today. Just talking about juice right now makes me want another.....

Dear Desert,

it's been 3 months since I've seen you. I'm coming, soon.

Dear running in snow,

hilarious! The icy packed trails are one thing, I can take it slow and make it work. But when you give me powder up to my knees--ha! I need skis!

 

Dear running in California,

oh I always like you so much. 

So green and you smell so good. And farm animals are always a plus.

Dear trail on New Years Day,

boy you were pretty. more points for California in the winter.

Dear My Garmin,

I am so happy to have had you throughout 2012. 

I have loved looking back to see all the activities we did together.

Last year I ran/hiked/mountain biked(a little) over 600 miles.

Climbed 164,000 ft in elevation (so maybe I like mountains....)

What a year! Let's do even more in 2013.

Dear Les Mis!!!!!

You were everything I wanted. I want to see you again!

but Dear Russel Crowe,

at times you made me uncomfortable....(right?) But no hard feelings.

Dear My Kids,

you are really awesome at road tripping

Dear January, 

you are going to be great.

all my love/sincerely yours

sheena

dear garden,

last harvest, in the rain

Dear Garden,

well, here we are again. 

End of season. 

So sad.....yet I know it's time.

I remember when you were young and small,

tiny green and new.

How has the time passed so quickly?

Thank you for a great summer. 

Thank you for all of our favorite kinds of tomatoes...

......they were a little slow this year because of the early heat, but we forgive you. 

Thank you for the zucchini and squash that just kept growing and growing and growing. 

Thank you for all the tomatillos.....how does one plant grow so many?

Thank you for the radishes and onions and tiny peppers (maybe someday we can figure out peppers?)

Thank you for the pumpkin I forgot I planted. 

Thank you for arugula and sunflowers that came up all over the place like weeds. 

We left them, and loved them. 

Thank you for not caring that I kinda stopped weeding after a while (as usual). 

Thank you for being a home to bees and butterflies and lady bugs for us to watch. 

Thank you for teaching my kids about how things grow and where our food comes from......so important for them to learn.

Thank you for one last harvest, tonight, in the rain. 

The kids hunted and searched and found every last green tomato that was hiding. 

We will let them slowly ripen over the weeks and enjoy them, thinking of you with each bite, when the days are cold and short and we are missing summer.

thank you, and see you next year,

me.

photos from my iphone edited with vsco cam

dear october

dear october,

.........OCTOBER!!??? WHAT??!!! HOW??!! 

anyway, however you got here, welcome.

dear fall,

you are so nice. the colors, the breeze, the reaching for the covers at night. 

the smells, the soups, the baking, all of it. 

dear utah, 

well done on fall, friend. 

well done.

dear fallen leaves,

I love how you smell. 

I love how you look as you flutter flutter flutter so slowly to the ground.

I love how you crunch beneath my feet as I run down my favorite trails.

dear people who live in places where you don't really get to experience real fall,

I am so so 

so so sorry. 

very sorry. 

I will try to take as many pictures as I can, so I can share real fall with you.  

dear Halloween,

well.......

you know how I feel. I really like you on Halloween day--we have so much fun each year. 

but all this build up for Halloween 6.....5......4......weeks before you are even here?? nonsense. Let's take it slow, Halloween. I don't need to be with you all month. 

Am I the only one who feels this way? Don't hate me.

dear oven, 

hello again old friend. 

So nice to be spending time with you again.

dear Les Miserables ,

well you have nothing to do with October, but boy am I excited to watch you. 

aaaaamazingness. 

just thought I should throw that out there.

dear crockpot, 

I'm sorry you have the worst reputation. 

When I hear your name, I think of you bubbling over with cream-of-something-fake soup. 

But you really make my life easier on busy days. We just ate one of our favorites--

chicken slow cooked all day to make

homemade naan stuffed with chicken and veggies, 

and it's so easy and tasty and fresh....and contains nothing fake.

I pull out some frozen naan dough (I always double or triple the batch so I have extra in the freezer), let the chicken cook all day and chop a few veggies. So easy and fast!

Do you have any favorite slowcooker meals that make your life easier, and aren't full of fake stuff?

dear fall camping,

I really hope you happen this year......let's make it work.

dear squash, 

of all kinds,

I love to eat you roasted, in soups, in pastas, in every single way.

so happy you are here.

Dear you, yes you.

Here are some free very fallish desktop calendars just for you. 

tell your friends.

star valley wyoming

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star valley wyoming

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penryn, california (post from last year, here)

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sincerely yours/love/with all my heart,

me.

one last drive

dear big old magnificent girl,

 

where to begin? I remember the first time I strapped my fifteen month old babe into your back seat and set off on to Utah roads, where sunsets are pretty and drivers are.....well.....crazy. 

It was love at first drive.

You helped us move. Across the valley with stuff piled high, you made trips back and forth and to and fro, carrying our belongings to this little red house.

You brought home another babe, wrapped in pink.

You took us to the store--for groceries and diapers. You took us to the park, to the gym, and to shop for Christmas gifts. You were patient as we dropped cheerios on your floor and changed diapers on your seat.

You drove us through millions and millions of miles of Nevada.

Hundreds of times.

You went with us to Disneyland. Twice. 

To the beach each year--the salt would build up on your black paint--I didn't mind.

You drove us up up up until California touched Oregon.

You drove us through the desert--leaving a red cloud of dust behind.

You loved the drive to Montana. Over and over we went.

Remember when your starred in a music video?

You helped us explore our mountains. Up hills, down dirt, near cliffs, over passes. You hauled fishing poles, coolers, tents, bikes, and a big hairy dog.

You took kids to and from school, never minding that I was usually eating breakfast or lunch (or both).

You made one more (loooonnnng) trip up to Canada for us, before you bit the dust. 

It was a sad day when we got the call. The mechanic called and told Robby he'd better come down to the shop. (wait--you might think this part of the story is just for effect. The mechanic LITERALLY called Robby and told him to come down.....too much to explain over the phone). 

You were done. Too many miles on your tired old body. 

It was a sad, sad day. 

RIP old gal. 

May you drive the tree lined roads of car heaven.

love, 

me. 

Here is one of the last drives she took us on. 

Bow Valley Parkway in Banff National Park.

  

please note: I have never taken a picture of our car. I have no idea what made me decide to take a photo that day, but I did, and I'm so glad. 

also note: if you look closely in that photo, you will see that the back window is indeed wrapped in plastic wrap and duct tape. You know, because we are super classy travelers. 

The funny thing is, the shattering of the back window had nothing to do with her downfall--it was just bad luck on our way to cross the border. 

good times.....good times.

dear summer,

I really really,

really really really,

REALLY.

reaaaalllllly......

love you.

that's all.

love,

me.

dear may

note: this is the most random assortment of photos....whoops

dear.........may?!! What?? Where did April go?

Dear May,

hello. Nice to see you again. You bring so many wonderful things.

(hopefully) something smallish from the garden.

spring in the mountains....more open trails!

maybe camping....please?

closer and closer to summer each day. 

yay, may.

Dear April,

WHAT HAPPENED? Where did the time go? I really don't remember. I'm sorry.

There was the boy's birthday, easter, moab.....you just passed too quickly.

Dear Our Giant Tree,

the last few weeks have been so fun watching you change.

bare. blossoms. full green leaves. thank you for your shade.

Dear Appendix (or as my girl calls it, "independex")

what was that all about? Seriously you are the WORST. I will not miss you.

Dear Tomatoes,

I should be able to get you in the ground this month.....hooray!! I look forward to hanging out.

Dear Trail Running (Addiction?),

you are all I think about! Must. have. more. trails.

Running this and this (please read the description of that last one.....thrilling!)

Who wants to join me?

Dear Camping,

when will you happen? I need some fresh mountainy air.......right now.

Dear S'mores,

I'll see you soon too (see above)

Dear Grilled Asparagus,

you are my favorite right now.

Dear Shadow Puppets,

you really are a good time for all.

even better when the animals "attack the world"

Dear 7 year old,

Every year I ask the same thing.....how?

I love you.

Your shaggy hair. Missing teeth. Curious mind.

Dear Attempt at a Lego Cake,

fail.

frosting marshmallows is maybe the most impossible thing,

ever.

But he loved it.....so oh well I guess.

Dear Charly,

you are THREE now!!

and you are actually turning out to be quite the dog.....

....until someone comes over and you tackle them and lick them to death.

Dear Future Guests,

watch out for our dog,

she is still crazy.

Dear Chocolate Pudding,

you really know how to cheer a girl up.

Chocolate and Coconut Pudding

serves 4

1/2 cup sugar 

2 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder 

2 TBS cornstarch 

1/8 tsp salt 

1 1/3 cups milk

2/3 cup coconut milk (small can is 2/3 cup. I'm pretty sure if you swapped out ALL the milk for coconut milk, it would be awesome, but I just had a small can.)

 2 egg yolks (slightly beaten) 

2 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped 

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 

Mix sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Slowly mix in milk and coconut milk. Cook over medium heat (continue stirring), until mixture comes to boil. Boil for one minute (still stirring) Slowly stir half the mixture into the egg yolks, and then back into the saucepan on the stove. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat and add in chopped chocolate and vanilla extract. Pour into bowls and  cover (unless you are one of those people who like the "skin", cough, mom) and put pudding in the refrigerator for at least one hour. 

Top with toasted coconut and enjoy!

Dear YOU, 

what have you been up to? 

sincerely yours/love/until next time

me.

sprrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnng!

dear spring, 

I love you I love you I love you. 

I love you. 

You are pink and yellow and blossomy beautiful.

You are flowers and birds and a fly in my house. 

You are sidewalk chalk for hours....

...hopscotch and an ocean scene.

THE SMELL OF GREEN GRASS!

You are sunshine with breezes and breezes with sunshine.

You are bike riding and longboarding while the sun drops from the sky.

You are staying up too late on school nights.......and we don't even mind. 

dear spring, 

thank you, thank you, for coming. 

happy spring weekend!

dear march

jumping for joy because it's march! (san francisco in october), still trying to figure out gardening, 

flowers on their way, and rainbows!

March! My long lost friend! 

I thought you'd never get here with February dragging his feet on the way out. 

Extra hours of daylight, the first day of spring......aaaaahhhhh March. 

Dear tulips poking through the ground,

you are a sight for sore eyes! 

Dear Garden,

it's time to get your dirt tilled up, mixed around and prepare you for planting. 

Let's get a few cold weather veggies in the ground....we had enough lettuce to feed the neighborhood last year, and didn't have so much luck (read: zero luck) with broccoli and brussels. 

But we will try again!

Dear Birds, 

we hear you singing! please, please continue. 

Dear Blog, 

I have been so neglecting, I am sorry. 

I promise to do better......maybe. 

Dear Snow,

My kids would still like to build a snowman this year. 

If you have it in you, please hurry and come visit now.....because if you show up later in spring, 

I might have to resent you.

forever.

Dear Camping,

I can see you in the near future. 

It has been far too long, and as soon as the desert is a little bit warmer, we will be there!

Dear World, 

ok yeah, I have worn shorts on a few runs. With temps in the 50s I cannot resist. 

But I am so sorry if I blind anyone with the brightness and whiteness of my legs. 

I mean, wow, can I get a little sunshine over here? I'm reflecting.

Dear temperatures in the 50s, you're pretty nice, 

but let's move it up to the 60s for a few days, yeah?

Dear The Hunger Games,

I want to be at your midnight showing and scream like a little girl. 

I am so excited!!!

*understatement*

Dear  Downton Abbey

you are all the rage!! 

I hear about you everywhere I go.....so I guess I should dive in, right?

Dear Friends, 

Remember how I was so very nicely nominated for a Best Family Blog award from Apartment Therapy? 

you can vote for me here if you like

why, thank you.

sincerely yours/lovingly/seriously though, I am so excited for the hunger games movie,

sheena.

summer dreams

all images from summer, 2011

dear summer, 

 I had a dream about you. 

I was floating on a lake. 

sleeping, almost.

the heat of sunshine on my face, cool water on my back. 

You were there.

all around. 

in the water. 

sky. 

clouds.

reaching down. to me. 

and then I fell through the water. 

crashed back down into my bed,

 where the nights are long.

and cold. 

You were not near.

still far away. 

I know.

But ever since, I have been thinking of you. 

I hadn't forgotten.....

but. 

I have become very comfortable with Winter this year.
I admit.

We have had some good times together.

But you are still my favorite. 

forever.
how you light my day and kiss my skin.

Meet me soon?

love,

sheena

Happy Weekend! 

may your dreams be of summertime!