A Fungus Among Us

Like I mentioned yesterday, you "meet" the most amazing people on the internet (I should know, I met Hubs that way!). Nicole Fryling is one such person. Mama to Cedar and Sequoia, partner to Steve, postpartum doula, and extract manager at Fungi Perfecti in Olympia, Washington, she also doles out inspired pearls of wisdom on her blog Howling Wolf.

I'm not sure exactly how Nicole found me, but she's been a regular small measure reader for some time. She's also become a regular e-mail companion, where I pepper her with questions about natural mama-ing topics and she kindly, patiently, and thoroughly answers all my queries. She's a gem, and also, as evidenced by the photos above, an uncommonly generous person.

The Life Box package arrived late last week. In it, Nicole sent two items for Huxley (a wooden helicopter and a hand-dyed top, for when he's a bit older), a bottle of reishi mushroom capsules, a signed by Paul Stamets himself (!!!!!!) copy of Mycelium Running, and a too-lovely-for-words calender from my beloved Nikki McClure. The box itself has seeds embedded in the corrugated cardboard and can be planted. Genius, right?

I've been truly astounded, and humbled, by the kindness shown to me by readers of both my blog and books. Amanda of Bird for Bread, Cyn of River Dog Prints, Sara of Lost Bird Found, Elizabeth of The Adventures of Elizabeth, Susan of Bla Bla Kids, and Jenna of Cold Antler Farm along with Nicole are all ladies that (aside from Sara), I've never met in person and who have yet sent remarkably generous care packages to myself, Hubs and Huxley. You're all a testament to the goodness abiding in everyone.

Nicole, thank you so very much. The capsules are being taken, the calender is hung by the door, the book is on my bedside reading table, and Huxley has been gnawing with happy abandon on the helicopter!!!

*By the way, for anyone that might be curious, the background of the photos is one of Hub's paintings. Along with being an exceptionally kind spouse, a patient, doting Papa, a chef of absolute genius, and a companion to beat 'em all, he's also a trained artist (as in, MFA from Penn-trained). If you want to see more of his work, several posts from back in early autumn show a series of hand drawings he did. Just check the archives.