I was driving along today in the glory of spring and saw the moon
beginning to rise early on the horizon. It reminded me of the energy I
have had the last few days. There is nothing like a waxing moon to give
me a little extra get up and go. You see, “I was born under the sign
of Cancer….” (Love Will Come to You, Indigo Girls).
It is the moon that gives me such energy and I lay in bed last
night I told Nathan that I must get all of the seeds into the ground by
Thursday as the moon is waxing full. Unfortunately, those seeds may
never grow into the beautiful plants that I was hoping for. This
morning, the Moon looked out the kitchen and began to scream “CROWS,
CROWS DADDY!” They ran outside to chase them away but Nathan fears they
have eaten all of my carefully planted green onion, okra, bush bean and
sunflower seeds that filled the upper corner of the garden. He asked
me tonight, “How do you think they knew where those seeds were?” I
don’t know.
But what I do know is that we will have a garden. I may be forced to
plant vegetables that have been started in someone else’s garden, but
we will have our fill of vegetables on our table each night. After all,
“I’m [a]….old Southern woman and we’re supposed to wear funny looking
hats and ugly clothes and grow vegetables in the dirt. Don’t ask me
those questions. I don’t know why, I don’t make the rules!”
I will leave you tonight with one of my favorite Indigo Girls songs
from the album Rites of Passage. BTW. The Indigo Girls will be playing
on Thursday night, May 15 at the Thistle Stop Café in Nashville to support the women of Magdalene House.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
How Does Your Garden Grow?
May 10, 2014
I’m going full-force on the urban homestead. It’s on! After several weeks of trying to match schedules with someone who could till our garden, we finally connected with someone and we are turning the sunniest portion of our yard into a space approximately 18×12 feet. It may be larger than that, but that is my best guestimate.
As you can see in this before photo, this is not the first time we have planted in that spot. Last year my mighty men (Nathan and the Sun), hand dug four 3-foot beds which looked alarmingly like graves. We had little time and energy and more lettuce than we could shake a stick out. It’s a little late in the year for us to get started on the new garden, but we are up to the challenge.
Right now I would like to be out there digging and planting, but alas, I am sitting with a child who is suffering from a severe case of gastroenteritis. Luckily for me, Nathan is gung-hoe (get it?) on gardening and is out there right now working in the soil to get it nice and ready for the growing season. Next on the list? Consulting Jerry Baker’s (America’s Master Gardener) tips for our little homestead.
I’m going full-force on the urban homestead. It’s on! After several weeks of trying to match schedules with someone who could till our garden, we finally connected with someone and we are turning the sunniest portion of our yard into a space approximately 18×12 feet. It may be larger than that, but that is my best guestimate.
As you can see in this before photo, this is not the first time we have planted in that spot. Last year my mighty men (Nathan and the Sun), hand dug four 3-foot beds which looked alarmingly like graves. We had little time and energy and more lettuce than we could shake a stick out. It’s a little late in the year for us to get started on the new garden, but we are up to the challenge.
Right now I would like to be out there digging and planting, but alas, I am sitting with a child who is suffering from a severe case of gastroenteritis. Luckily for me, Nathan is gung-hoe (get it?) on gardening and is out there right now working in the soil to get it nice and ready for the growing season. Next on the list? Consulting Jerry Baker’s (America’s Master Gardener) tips for our little homestead.
I Am Woodshop
April 17, 2014
I was going to post today about my tribe…or rather lack of one. But, that post would be all about me and then I saw this and realized we have greater issues in this country than who I connect with.
The story goes something like this….
After picking up the Moon from school and running a few errands, we headed toward gymnastics. Two things happened along the way. The first was she fell asleep in the back. This is great as she still needs a good 12 hours of sleep per 24, so we are happy about a nap. The second is I looked over at a stop light and saw a sign that read “Mechanic Wanted – Starting at $30 per hour.” What? After quickly doing the math I realized this is well over $60,000 per year. I have many colleagues with multiple degrees, bachelor’s, MBA’s, advanced certifications, etc. who make well under this advertised rate of $30 per hour.
Fast forward. We arrived at gymnastics a little early and with my little gymnast asleep that gave me time to…..get on Facebook. Yeah. I said it. Stuck in a car, no book (BTW, I’m reading The Book Thief), I had little to do besides check everyone’s status. It seemed appropriate, maybe even prophetic, that I would see this Mike Rowe (for President, please) post about an Ottawa, IL situation that involved increasing the salary of the school Administrators while eliminating wood shop.
I am quite certain I am simplifying the story (you’ll have to read it yourself). But, my friends, this is what is wrong with education today. We have eliminated the creative, real-world, problem solving skills that propelled our country to where we are today (or maybe were 15 years ago) for a “virtual” world that is something out of a futuristic nightmare or Disney movie (think Wall-e).
You might say that those good times are gone and that Mayberry (or Huck Finn), no longer exist. I say you are wrong and that is room for both the virtual and the real. This may be a constant theme here on my blog in the future – or at least a persistent one. But the truth is, I believe in our country. I believe we can be socially accepting of differences (GLBT) and honor 2nd Ammendment rights. I believe that kids should be taught wood-working and cooking (both requiring skills) in one class and how to make a Power Point in another (which I can tell you does not take an MBA).
We thought having our kids in a Waldorf school would help us find that balance. And, for many families it does. But we have decided to take it one step further and step off the crazy wheel that most of us live on. Seeing articles such as Mike Rowe’s have allowed us to continue to feel like we made the right decision, but it was The Sun who really put it into perspective. He said, “Mom, the perfect day would be spending about four hours in the morning working with you on school stuff. Then, we’ll have lunch. After that I’ll get my bow and arrow and a good book and head into the woods.”
I was going to post today about my tribe…or rather lack of one. But, that post would be all about me and then I saw this and realized we have greater issues in this country than who I connect with.
The story goes something like this….
After picking up the Moon from school and running a few errands, we headed toward gymnastics. Two things happened along the way. The first was she fell asleep in the back. This is great as she still needs a good 12 hours of sleep per 24, so we are happy about a nap. The second is I looked over at a stop light and saw a sign that read “Mechanic Wanted – Starting at $30 per hour.” What? After quickly doing the math I realized this is well over $60,000 per year. I have many colleagues with multiple degrees, bachelor’s, MBA’s, advanced certifications, etc. who make well under this advertised rate of $30 per hour.
Fast forward. We arrived at gymnastics a little early and with my little gymnast asleep that gave me time to…..get on Facebook. Yeah. I said it. Stuck in a car, no book (BTW, I’m reading The Book Thief), I had little to do besides check everyone’s status. It seemed appropriate, maybe even prophetic, that I would see this Mike Rowe (for President, please) post about an Ottawa, IL situation that involved increasing the salary of the school Administrators while eliminating wood shop.
I am quite certain I am simplifying the story (you’ll have to read it yourself). But, my friends, this is what is wrong with education today. We have eliminated the creative, real-world, problem solving skills that propelled our country to where we are today (or maybe were 15 years ago) for a “virtual” world that is something out of a futuristic nightmare or Disney movie (think Wall-e).
You might say that those good times are gone and that Mayberry (or Huck Finn), no longer exist. I say you are wrong and that is room for both the virtual and the real. This may be a constant theme here on my blog in the future – or at least a persistent one. But the truth is, I believe in our country. I believe we can be socially accepting of differences (GLBT) and honor 2nd Ammendment rights. I believe that kids should be taught wood-working and cooking (both requiring skills) in one class and how to make a Power Point in another (which I can tell you does not take an MBA).
We thought having our kids in a Waldorf school would help us find that balance. And, for many families it does. But we have decided to take it one step further and step off the crazy wheel that most of us live on. Seeing articles such as Mike Rowe’s have allowed us to continue to feel like we made the right decision, but it was The Sun who really put it into perspective. He said, “Mom, the perfect day would be spending about four hours in the morning working with you on school stuff. Then, we’ll have lunch. After that I’ll get my bow and arrow and a good book and head into the woods.”
Christmas Miracles
December 13, 2013
Miracles happen. I believe they do. Sarah Ban Breathnach,
one of the sages of our time, suggests in her book Simple Abundance,
that you ask for a miracle each day. I do. How we judge those
miracles, if we even recognize them, makes all the difference in the
world. I believe it was divine intervention, or a miracle, when I ran
into a an old college pal who is part of an amazing Boy Scout troop here
in our area. That troop turned out to be the right mix of boys and
leaders who were a perfect fit for the Sun and my husband as he is one
of the leaders now as well.
(This is the part when it becomes all about me.) When I found out that the leaders paid for a large portion of the trip fees and supported camp fees for families who could not otherwise afford it, my fundraising instincts kicked in and I searched for the perfect means of bringing in much-needed dollars to the troop. We (meaning me) decided upon the Sherwood Farms Wreath Fundraiser. When deciding on a fundraiser, I have some personal criteria it must meet. It must be: consumable, environmentally friendly, food-free and a value for the patron. This met it all. We set the goal for the troop – $2,000 (or, enough money to purchase 10 new REI two-person tents.) Despite my do-it-myself nature, I stepped out of the picture at this point and allowed the troop take over. Guess what? They met their goal and purchased the tents with the profit from the first fundraiser they have undertaken in over 20 years. (Did I mention this troop is 75 years old?)
You are wondering where the miracle come in, right? Of course, I think there are many miracles in this story. The first is connecting my family to this group. The second is the community support of the wreaths to purchase the tents needed for this troop (a very active group of boys and men!) Now, here is the third.
During the wreath sales the troop was asked to work with a profoundly disabled youth, to bring him into the troop and treat him like any other boy. They did. I won’t go into details about this child, but I will say that being physically present is his only participation at this point. No one batted an eye at the presence of this child. He was welcomed as every child is by each of the boys and leaders. And, finally, due to the presence of the troop and its wreath sales (which by the way, attracted several new Boy Scouts to the troop) another group took notice of this troop and awarded them a large donation which will serve as the seed money to pay the way for trips and camps for the boys whose families cannot afford to pay.
There is good in the world. Miracles happen each and every day. The media would have us believe in hatred, war and violence – and yes, those things exist. But what also exists is generosity and love and…..miracles. How have you made a difference in the lives of others this year and are you able to make a difference, even in some small way, each and every day?
(This is the part when it becomes all about me.) When I found out that the leaders paid for a large portion of the trip fees and supported camp fees for families who could not otherwise afford it, my fundraising instincts kicked in and I searched for the perfect means of bringing in much-needed dollars to the troop. We (meaning me) decided upon the Sherwood Farms Wreath Fundraiser. When deciding on a fundraiser, I have some personal criteria it must meet. It must be: consumable, environmentally friendly, food-free and a value for the patron. This met it all. We set the goal for the troop – $2,000 (or, enough money to purchase 10 new REI two-person tents.) Despite my do-it-myself nature, I stepped out of the picture at this point and allowed the troop take over. Guess what? They met their goal and purchased the tents with the profit from the first fundraiser they have undertaken in over 20 years. (Did I mention this troop is 75 years old?)
You are wondering where the miracle come in, right? Of course, I think there are many miracles in this story. The first is connecting my family to this group. The second is the community support of the wreaths to purchase the tents needed for this troop (a very active group of boys and men!) Now, here is the third.
During the wreath sales the troop was asked to work with a profoundly disabled youth, to bring him into the troop and treat him like any other boy. They did. I won’t go into details about this child, but I will say that being physically present is his only participation at this point. No one batted an eye at the presence of this child. He was welcomed as every child is by each of the boys and leaders. And, finally, due to the presence of the troop and its wreath sales (which by the way, attracted several new Boy Scouts to the troop) another group took notice of this troop and awarded them a large donation which will serve as the seed money to pay the way for trips and camps for the boys whose families cannot afford to pay.
There is good in the world. Miracles happen each and every day. The media would have us believe in hatred, war and violence – and yes, those things exist. But what also exists is generosity and love and…..miracles. How have you made a difference in the lives of others this year and are you able to make a difference, even in some small way, each and every day?
https://www.facebook.com/PositivityToolbox
The Start of Something Good - Getting Organized
July 27, 2014
I’m fairly organized in a weird, loose kind of way by nature. My desk is not always the cleanest at any given moment, but my closets and shelves are organized. My car is usually neat and clean. I have a filing system…you get the idea. So, it has always been natural for me to use a planner. Actually, my friend Brian turned me only planners in college. He used a Franklin-Covey and it truly carried the contents of his life. (This turned out to not be a great idea as he was naturally forgetful and lost his planner on more than one occasion. Regardless….) I loved the idea of this and quickly found a planner that suited my own tastes. I’ve never like the big bulk of a leather monster that holds a forest full of paper. I have used smaller, preferably spiral bound, systems that are easy to use, easy to carry, and that reflect my own unique style.
I have used many different things and my favorite has been Erin Condren’s Life Planner. This year, after much obsessing, I decided to switch to her Teacher Planner to the tune of $72.50 with shipping. Obsess. Obsess. Obsess some more. Surely, I can find a system that suits my needs that I can print from home. Ideally, I would create my own (more on that later) but for now, I am going with a ready-made system. Okay, three ready-made systems. There are three that I found that I really like but not one that I truly love. They all have their merits and each have things that I dislike, making non of them perfect for moi. Obsess. Obsess. Obsess some more.
After church today I cleared my head, sat down, and printed the pages I liked and that I can use from each system. The systems I like are from Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool, DIY Home Sweet Home and World Avery.
Now you have it. My current systems for organization. Perhaps, one of them will work for you.
“Don’t agonize, organize.” – Florence Kennedy
I’m fairly organized in a weird, loose kind of way by nature. My desk is not always the cleanest at any given moment, but my closets and shelves are organized. My car is usually neat and clean. I have a filing system…you get the idea. So, it has always been natural for me to use a planner. Actually, my friend Brian turned me only planners in college. He used a Franklin-Covey and it truly carried the contents of his life. (This turned out to not be a great idea as he was naturally forgetful and lost his planner on more than one occasion. Regardless….) I loved the idea of this and quickly found a planner that suited my own tastes. I’ve never like the big bulk of a leather monster that holds a forest full of paper. I have used smaller, preferably spiral bound, systems that are easy to use, easy to carry, and that reflect my own unique style.
I have used many different things and my favorite has been Erin Condren’s Life Planner. This year, after much obsessing, I decided to switch to her Teacher Planner to the tune of $72.50 with shipping. Obsess. Obsess. Obsess some more. Surely, I can find a system that suits my needs that I can print from home. Ideally, I would create my own (more on that later) but for now, I am going with a ready-made system. Okay, three ready-made systems. There are three that I found that I really like but not one that I truly love. They all have their merits and each have things that I dislike, making non of them perfect for moi. Obsess. Obsess. Obsess some more.
After church today I cleared my head, sat down, and printed the pages I liked and that I can use from each system. The systems I like are from Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool, DIY Home Sweet Home and World Avery.
Now you have it. My current systems for organization. Perhaps, one of them will work for you.
“Don’t agonize, organize.” – Florence Kennedy
Fidgeting and The Washington Post
July 10, 2014
So all of my friends in alternative education are floating this article around. I see these regularly, articles that allow folks to feel good about their choices in life. We all do it, so no judgment there. The article was written to highlight the reasons that ADHD/ADD diagnoses are on the rise and only addresses only one of the possible reasons. The Washington Post was basing their blog posting on the blog post from Timber Nook, a developmental outdoor camp located in New Hampshire. Timber Nook is a great resource and has a wonderful blog that is a great reminder for folks to do what is natural for each and every one of us – going outdoors - and they summed up the issue in one succinct sentence.
So, what does Timber Nook say? “The problem: children are constantly in an upright position these days. It is rare to find children rolling down hills, climbing trees, and spinning in circles just for fun. Merry-go-rounds and teeter-totters are a thing of the past. Recess times have shortened due to increasing educational demands, and children rarely play outdoors due to parental fears, liability issues, and the hectic schedules of modern-day society. Lets face it: Children are not nearly moving enough, and it is really starting to become a problem.” True dat.
But, what are the other contributors and how do we as parents come into this equation? Have you recently handed your toddler or preschooler your iphone or an ipad? If so, you might want to read this article the dangers of putting technology into those small precious hands. Or this article, listing 10 reasons to keep handheld devices out the hands of the 0-12 year old crowd. Check out this article about technology decreasing our ability to focus. I know, you can argue that your child has great focus. She can sit for three hours while playing first person shooter games (don’t even get me started).
But, that’s not the same is it? It’s not the same as sitting down with a new book and being so enthralled that you read it from start to finish (this is a regular occurrence in my home). It’s not the same as handing them a model set and watching them build for two hours before coming up for air (yep, my son does this). It’s not the same as sending them out into the backyard with nothing but a blanket, a bow and arrow and their imagination and telling them they cannot come in until dinner time (yes, we do this at our house).
I don’t mean to mislead you. There is no perfection here. My husband and I do things wrong – on a daily basis. And, we have a television, a subscription to the Netflix DVD service and a handful of favorite movies that we watch again and again. We have a Wii, but only have two types of games – Lego games and games that make you move like Wii Sports Resort. There is no TV in our car and our daughter (age 8), instead of staring at a DS, listens to books on tape when we are in the car. James Herriot’s Treasury for Children is among her favorites. Our son is now 12 and we stepped a little more into the world of technology with him this year. He is now playing Minecraft and Age of Empires on the computer and now has his own iPod which he most often uses to listen to music – preferably soundtracks from favorite movies – and occasionally plays games.
There is a part of me that truly regrets having introduced the television or any gaming components to our kids. But, I can tell you, that they are healthy and balanced and find as much joy in a five-mile hike at a local park as they do sitting on the couch staring numbly at a screen. I’ll leave you today with a couple of things. The first is a blog post from Mollie Hemmingway over at Mommyish. Mollie reminds us that sticking a screen in front of our kids takes away from teaching them the basics in life. “But the fact is that we think our job as parents is to teach our children how to dine appropriately. That means that we teach them to converse with us, ask and answer questions, eat appropriately (as in, no, you should not stick the eggplant in your ear, thank you very much) and for the love of all that’s holy, learn how to drink with a straw.”
The second thing I’ll leave you with is an image of my 12 year old son training for the Appalachian Trail.
“And I leave the children the long, long days to be merry in in a thousand ways, and the Night, and the trail of the Milky Way to wonder at….” ~Williston Fish, “A Last Will,” 1898
So all of my friends in alternative education are floating this article around. I see these regularly, articles that allow folks to feel good about their choices in life. We all do it, so no judgment there. The article was written to highlight the reasons that ADHD/ADD diagnoses are on the rise and only addresses only one of the possible reasons. The Washington Post was basing their blog posting on the blog post from Timber Nook, a developmental outdoor camp located in New Hampshire. Timber Nook is a great resource and has a wonderful blog that is a great reminder for folks to do what is natural for each and every one of us – going outdoors - and they summed up the issue in one succinct sentence.
So, what does Timber Nook say? “The problem: children are constantly in an upright position these days. It is rare to find children rolling down hills, climbing trees, and spinning in circles just for fun. Merry-go-rounds and teeter-totters are a thing of the past. Recess times have shortened due to increasing educational demands, and children rarely play outdoors due to parental fears, liability issues, and the hectic schedules of modern-day society. Lets face it: Children are not nearly moving enough, and it is really starting to become a problem.” True dat.
But, what are the other contributors and how do we as parents come into this equation? Have you recently handed your toddler or preschooler your iphone or an ipad? If so, you might want to read this article the dangers of putting technology into those small precious hands. Or this article, listing 10 reasons to keep handheld devices out the hands of the 0-12 year old crowd. Check out this article about technology decreasing our ability to focus. I know, you can argue that your child has great focus. She can sit for three hours while playing first person shooter games (don’t even get me started).
But, that’s not the same is it? It’s not the same as sitting down with a new book and being so enthralled that you read it from start to finish (this is a regular occurrence in my home). It’s not the same as handing them a model set and watching them build for two hours before coming up for air (yep, my son does this). It’s not the same as sending them out into the backyard with nothing but a blanket, a bow and arrow and their imagination and telling them they cannot come in until dinner time (yes, we do this at our house).
I don’t mean to mislead you. There is no perfection here. My husband and I do things wrong – on a daily basis. And, we have a television, a subscription to the Netflix DVD service and a handful of favorite movies that we watch again and again. We have a Wii, but only have two types of games – Lego games and games that make you move like Wii Sports Resort. There is no TV in our car and our daughter (age 8), instead of staring at a DS, listens to books on tape when we are in the car. James Herriot’s Treasury for Children is among her favorites. Our son is now 12 and we stepped a little more into the world of technology with him this year. He is now playing Minecraft and Age of Empires on the computer and now has his own iPod which he most often uses to listen to music – preferably soundtracks from favorite movies – and occasionally plays games.
There is a part of me that truly regrets having introduced the television or any gaming components to our kids. But, I can tell you, that they are healthy and balanced and find as much joy in a five-mile hike at a local park as they do sitting on the couch staring numbly at a screen. I’ll leave you today with a couple of things. The first is a blog post from Mollie Hemmingway over at Mommyish. Mollie reminds us that sticking a screen in front of our kids takes away from teaching them the basics in life. “But the fact is that we think our job as parents is to teach our children how to dine appropriately. That means that we teach them to converse with us, ask and answer questions, eat appropriately (as in, no, you should not stick the eggplant in your ear, thank you very much) and for the love of all that’s holy, learn how to drink with a straw.”
The second thing I’ll leave you with is an image of my 12 year old son training for the Appalachian Trail.
“And I leave the children the long, long days to be merry in in a thousand ways, and the Night, and the trail of the Milky Way to wonder at….” ~Williston Fish, “A Last Will,” 1898
Look Who Cannot Wait
Boredom is the mother of invention, or so they say. The
moon was a little bored this afternoon, so she pulled out her
microscope, gathered leaves and began a study of botany. I gave her a
new journal that I was saving for August 1st. She gathered other
supplies such as beeswax crayons and happily spent the next hour
recording her “findings.” Love it! Hopefully we can carry this
enthusiasm through the year.
“You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives.” -Clay P. Bedford
“You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives.” -Clay P. Bedford
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