Libellula

it's going to be a long, wonderful day

2010-06-21T04:38:00.000-07:00

A rousing welcome to the first day of summer--the Summer Solstice--for those in the Northern Hemisphere! We have had such a incredible spring this year, with cooler-than-average days, higher-than-average moisture, and outstanding displays of wild flowers. It's sure to be a bumper crop of elderberries, gooseberries, and chokecherries in the mountains this summer!

Our planned celebration--

:: hot coffee, pancakes, raspberries, pure Vermont maple syrup

:: fresh greens from the garden topped with roasted beets, Boursin cheese, citrus-balsamic glaze, and almonds.

:: a bicycle ride along nature trails

:: spending time together (holding hands, laughing, sharing...a nap may be included)

a day for papas

2010-06-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

To my husband:

:: My heart skips a beat with love and pride when I hear you converse with our daughter, who now lives her own life over 2000 miles away. You treat her with such respect and care.

:: I admire how you can be a force, yet have such a gentle heart and hand.

hello there from the great canyon of life

2010-06-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

June finds us with worn-through-the-finger-tips leather gloves from stone work and yard work. It's a good thing, and our terrace is coming along nicely. There are silly things like accidentally cutting the electrical line that links to the drip irrigation system (oops), which have slowed us down a bit. And don't even go there about the rain that seemed to never end this spring--not that I'm complaining because we quite needed the moisture and it has lead to some amazing wild flowers. I have yet to find a fountain that calls to me in such a way that I have to have it, that it was destined to be in that spot on the terrace, allowing the water to dance along its edge and splash at its base. The hunt continues.

Local farmer's markets are in full swing. Sweet tree-ripened peaches (from up by the Feather River), bright red raspberries, mouth-watering strawberries, beets, green beans, and green bok choy are now added to the menu for our trip to the natural hot springs where early morning yoga, many soaks in the springs, and card playing into the wee hours with a sister and brother-in-law are on the schedule for this week.

and just like that, a new season begins

2010-05-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

The nasty affair, the wet business of unpredictable fickle spring weather is largely past. There was a last hrumph of dark grey clouds, a wee bit more of snow in the mountains, before Persephone emerged to kiss the growing warm season a start.

Our tomatoes are blooming, herbs are flourishing, but some re-seeding and re-planting may be needed here and there. Snails, in their prime element of rainy cool weather, have stripped the marigolds down to stems. Lettuce and peas took huge hits as well. Oh, the joys of spring planting and organic growing.

There's the most delicious cloud of sweetness hanging around the lemon trees, as well as a constant low hum of honey bees. Looking at the number of blossoms and the business of pollination in full swing, I dare say we'll have a nice crop this winter. Yum!

nine on cloud nine

2010-03-08T18:05:00.000-08:00

There's a change in the light and temperature of each day. I don't need a calendar to tell me this. Flowering pear and plum trees are exploding in whites and pinks. Herbs in the garden are sprouting up as are the spring vegetables (yes!). What a delightful start to spring.

Refreshing and exciting things right now:

:: In yoga I am finding strength, quiet, peace, a center. Very good.

:: Oh, the sunshine! That spring sun which draws the face upward, brings work to a stop, and beckons a walk down the garden path. Hello! Welcome!

:: Seed catalogs are being inspected. Lists are forming. Plans are developing.

:: Roots in pots are divided and fresh soil from the compost added. The dark brown compost from last fall's harvest and canning is looking quite rich.

:: Scraps of yarn strategically placed in the trees and mesh bags are starting to disappear. I'm sure they are adding just the right color scheme to some bird's nest.

:: The twitters and warbles of the birds has increased ten fold (and so has the volume of bird feed being consumed). Wild turkeys are visiting, as are doves. The volume of activity has, in turn, attracted hawks, who circle or land on a post nearby, patiently waiting for the perfect moment.

:: I have been reading "My Life in France", a memoir by Julia Child. (Can I just say that Google Translate, for all the French terms,is my new best friend?) I am inspired by her zest for adventure, her spunk, her sassiness.

:: Snails and ants. They come with the territory and climate. With snails it's just a daily patrol of picking. They're an interesting creature but can eliminate gardens and flowers in just a few days. Ants are a constant issue. I detest using chemicals that can be harmful to the environment, people, and animals, and frankly I don't believe one can ever purge ants completely. There was an interesting piece on NPR about such a topic the day I was spotting ant scouts about the kitchen. Yes, I do believe it's highly likely these little guys are here, lurking by my kitchen. Somehow, between this new knowledge and the sun beams teasing me, these two creatures are quite do-able.

:: My knitting mojo is back in spades. Two unfinished projects near completion, and this little number is in my radar for summer wear. This top just sings out spring and a trip up the coast. Yup, I'm ready to knit for myself.

go forward with no fear of the new year

2010-01-04T12:18:00.000-08:00

One of a dozen+ sets of slippers knitted for the holidays--this pair for my mother-in-law so that she can seek, gather, contemplate and go in her wheelchair, all while keeping her feet warm.

As a bee seeks nectar from all kind of flowers, seek teachings everywhere. Like a deer that finds a quiet place to graze, seek seclusion to digest all that you have gathered. Like a madman beyond all limits, go wherever you please and live like a lion completely free of all fear.”

-- Ancient Tibetan text

cheers two thousand ten

2010-01-01T10:03:00.003-08:00

The clouds and drizzle last night prevented me seeing the blue moon. The overcast today prevents me from seeing a blue sky. Neither take away from the excitement of a new year--a fresh, clear beginning. Our planet, with her axis tipped oh so slightly to one side as if to say "huh, so this is what it's all about", has carried us safely through another year's journey around the sun.

Last year was a labyrinth of boxes, both physical and metaphorical. Some of them continue to linger in alleyways, in shadows, in corners, stirring chaos and turbulence. I am not one to put down resolutions. They are so finite, constricting,...and, well, yes, boxing. I believe Ali Edwards is onto something, choosing one little word for the year. One word that is really not a little word at all, but is charged with intent. One word that is, in its simplicity, irrefutable and authentic.

The boxes must go, my life simplified, streamlined. The one word that comes to me over and over is: clear. It's such a multi-faceted word; it's a verb, an adjective, and an adverb. Yes, this one little five letter word is perfect for my boxes. CLEAR it is!

the damage report

2009-12-13T19:06:00.001-08:00

A wee skiff of snow came. Then the upper 20's cold snap for three nights. Quite cold for us! Now it's raining. The meyer lemons that had set are fine (Diane, you will be happy to know!). Many of the late fall buds (only a quarter to half inch in size) that had just started to grow into fruit are black with frost damage. It won't be the thick crops we've had in the past but enough for friends and family to enjoy, none the less. The bower vine, which provides us with such striking pink-throated white flowers and fabulous seed pods each year, took quite a hit. I'll wait until spring before I trim the branches, because nature sometimes has a way of popping back from adverse conditions. Everything else faired quite well. Some plants, that in other parts of the country would have been dormant a couple months ago but were still blooming here, have now rested for the season. They'll require some trimming back in preparation for spring.

When the rain stops, leaves will be raked and stems will be cut back. The plants are taking their winter intermission. The only thing that will be multiplying and developing will be the compost.

a strong potential

2009-12-06T13:08:00.000-08:00

Last week was the sudden thunder, quickly followed by hail. Little balls of ice that came down quick, hard, and fast.

Tonight there's a hard frost advisory, which in itself warrants a "heads up"--we don't get hard frosts, except on rare occasions. But attached to this sting of a real frost is a "strong potential" that we will get SNOW! Snow?! Don't misunderstand: I was raised in the stuff, walked to school in the stuff, spent hours playing in the stuff. But I have gotten "soft" living here in the meek and mild California valley the past fifteen years or so. I don't even own a windshield scraper. There's no need. What little frost that may be on the windshield a few mornings a year can easily be taken care of by the defroster in the time frame my grandpa would say was "two shakes of a lamb's tail".

I've gleened the last of the jalapeno peppers off my plants, which up to now have continued to bloom and produce since spring. They're hardy plants but they won't survive the potential 27 degree (F) temperatures predicted. Winter crops which have just started to come up are covered in straw. Citrus trees are being covered, "house" plants that normally live outside on my patio year-round are being covered, bird feeders are filled. I'm ready. Bring it on.

the wool is coming out

2009-11-06T02:58:00.000-08:00

That cool snap of fall is definitely here! Now, I know it's not the same as for friends and family farther north or higher altitudes, but for us in the California valley moderate-climate zones 8 and 9, it's chilly in the evening and early morning (no, really, it is). I won't discuss the (ahem) near 80 degree (F) weather we have during the day, or mention (only briefly) to you about the lemon trees that have decided to bloom again leaving a sweet scent in the air. The shadows are longer, the minutes of daylight are dwindling, and the deciduous tree colors are now into the yellows, oranges, reds, and browns. Those are the perfect signs of seasonal change for savory soup, hot bread, and a favorite mug filled with a tasty warm liquid.

Wool yarn, which was untouchable in the summer heat, has been happily finding its way into my knitting basket and bag. Six items are checked off the holiday gift list. Of course that list seems to have a life of its own and appears to be adding items in the middle of the night...my, oh my! It's a bit concerning when I notice the date on the calendar. I am, however, determined to stick with my two-fold plan of a handmade and parred down holiday this year.

thank you, september

2009-09-30T03:54:00.000-07:00

What a lively month, a month teeming with color pencils, ink, watercolors, canned jams and fruits, last garden harvests, knitting, simplifying, organizing, and celebrating.

Right now, I'm:
:: sensing a shift from summer to autumn (finally)
:: listening to Prairie Home Companion and Pandora
:: savoring fresh apple butter on hot crunchy french bread
:: celebrating my birth day this last day of September (or as my brother-in-law says: another ring around the trunk, another barnacle on the hull, another candle on the cake, another layer of moss on the rock)
:: sipping hot Moroccan mint green tea
:: playing Gin on the weekends
:: welcoming chance and life
:: falling (once again) deep into the brilliant writings of Margaret Atwood
:: simplifying our home

So I ask, where are you at as this month comes to a close?

something's a-brewing

2009-09-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

There's a chill in the air and a gloomy overcast in the sky. Now, this feels like autumn! Yes! Bread dough is rising, spinach and potatoes are being chopped, and the tea pot is whistling. Today we celebrate that snap in the air with hot french bread and steaming soup.

five halves

2009-09-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

Everything around here seems to be split into two halves. Nothing is quite done, but too far to just stop.

:: autumn equinox is upon us once again--half sunlight, half darkness.
:: my work space at home is spread out in the hallway and living room while I catalog, organize, shred, and shelve. Must...get...it...done.

:: I had bushels of peaches and apples (a few pears were thrown in for kicks). Peaches are done. Apples are not.

:: Handmade goods for the upcoming holidays are coming along. I must confess that they are not halfway completed; however, they are all planned out and budgeted.
:: Yard clean-up/trim-up done. The garden is looking neglected and, well, used. It's slated for clean-up for autumn/winter planting this weekend.

don't forget about "me"

2009-09-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

"When I grow up, I want to remember that I always wanted to be about a thousand different things and one lifetime didn't seem nearly enough. When I grow up, I hope it's at the very end when it doesn't matter anymore anyway."

**story people**

School is well underway for the year. I get great joy in teaching children, in sharing my excitement for learning, writing, reading, and the amazing world of numbers. When I can work beyond the dry mandated curriculum, when I can have the learning take place by seeing, doing, experimenting, exploring...that's when I see those "ah ha" moments in their eyes and an animation in their discussions. And my heart flies knowing that the big idea, the concept, will stick with them because it has become a part of their exploration using all their senses. Sadly those times are few and far. Teaching to the test, for the test, is the norm. A teacher's job may depend on the test scores being high (which means successful in the government's eyes).

~It is almost a miracle that modern teaching methods have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiousity of inquiry; for what this delicate little plant needs more than anything, besides stimulation, is freedom~ Albert Einstein

We, as a planet, need creative, revolutionary thinkers-tinkerers. We need students who can, yes, be able to answer the questions put to them, but who also know those answers not because they have memorized the words, the phrase, the formula, but know those answers because the questions have been explored, felt, pondered, experimented, connected.

We need students who will grow up, keeping some of that inner child with them, that sense of wonder. Take a moment to watch this creative wee animation, which captures my heart.

I know I have that child in me and she pops out quite regularly (sometimes my fabulous husband thinks she's out a lot). I'm the adult you will find playing in the puddle, noticing the mushrooms sprouting, daydreaming while watching clouds. I'm the teacher who thinks about that puddle, those mushrooms and clouds, and wonders how to use these to teach and explore about physics, biology, mathematics, writing, and reading.

I'm the teacher who regularly takes the classroom outside. We take our reading, discussing, experimenting, calculating outside with sunshine, fresh air, and movement.

I'm the teacher who has opted out of taking on a classroom full time. I'm not sure where these thoughts I've shared here will lead me in my zest for teaching, learning, and exploration. I do know that this is the right move for me. I'm excited, a bit nervous, and completely pumped about my options and opened avenues! Yes! Welcome September and creativity and zest!

a history in sand

2009-09-08T07:11:00.000-07:00

This video is quite moving and so much more than simply saying "amazing".

From Youtube: "Kseniya Simonova is a Ukrainian artist who just won Ukraine's version of 'America's Got Talent.' She uses a giant light box, dramatic music, imagination and 'sand painting' skills to interpret Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII."

color explosions

2009-09-07T12:48:00.000-07:00

The "arts" component of education has been stripped away over the years, replaced with what feels like "drill and kill" and "teaching to/for the test". Quite sad. It creates teachers and students who are starving for color, movement, and life.

As the school year gears up each September, Sacramento has a sidewalk art festival, called "Chalk It Up!" to raise money for children's art education. In their words:

"Chalk-It-Up! to Sacramento is a non-profit organization created to benefit children's art education programs. Chalk-It-Up! raises money through several annual events including its annual Festival.

All money raised by Chalk-It-Up! funds grants, sponsorships and art programs for children throughout the Sacramento region."

It's a feast of the senses to walk around this small block of park each year--the intense, saturated colors of chalk, the live music on stage, the giggles of both children and adults, the amazing graphic art. I especially love the almost palpable creative energy that just seems to bubble up and transform these ordinary strips of sidewalk into something temporarily beautiful.

a banner end to august

2009-09-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

A friend warned me about the current placement of Mercury but who knew it would involve a small fire (a smolder, really) in my dryer? Oh, and who, I would like to know, has their dryer professionally cleaned each year, as suggested by the manufacturer?! Well, the short version is that we now have a new dryer, and believe me, it will get cleaned out each year (by me).

The first thing I thought of, as the dryer and washer were being pulled out by my cool-headed engineer husband, was to clean behind those appliances and choose a fresh wall color. Painting makes me happy and who gets these kinds of opportunities to freshen up a room that is normally filled with heavy household machines? (It's also a fantastic way to rid the small room of that burnt-electrical-blackened-lint smell.)

I must confess, I find joy in walking the hardware store. The shiny ladders in so many different sizes, the isles of tools that I'm sure I could use for something, the neat stacks of fresh lumber with that lingering smell of pine, the many rainbows of paint chips. The final color choice: "Sage Sweater". I believe a fine fitting name.

fresh-picked peaches and a multitude of berries leads to...

2009-08-05T18:16:00.000-07:00

...spending an outstanding afternoon teaching a friend to make jam for her first time--she loves the "pop" of the lids as they seal almost as much as I do.

...mixing boysenberries, blackberries, marionberries, logan berries, blueberries, strawberries, and peaches for a flavor that is so extraordinary and intense.

...making fresh loaves of banana bread, topped with cream cheese to properly sample the still-warm berry jam (my man's new favorite snack).

...constructing a peach cobbler to share at knit night.

wordless wednesday :: nephews at oregon creek

2009-08-05T05:11:00.000-07:00

rolling on vacation

2009-07-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

Eighteen hundred air miles and six hours in not-made-for-comfort airplane seats took us to Chicago for a week.

Didn't take a camera (so sad, really). How did that happen? I needed, no...longed, pined, craved for, my camera.

There were fireflies, city rats, three-foot narrow spaces between lovely narrow two-and-three-story brick houses leading to secret gardens in the back, ornate iron gates, brownstone houses that would make your knees weak, sidewalk fairs, Chicago "dipped" beef sandwiches with cheese and hot peppers requiring half-a-dozen napkins per person, the Newberry Library book sale, fresh beet salad (beets gathered at a farmers market), spectacular afternoon thunder storms, sidewalk cafes with some seriously amazing foods, card playing into the wee hours of the night, rib-sticking German food (complete with live polka music and a dance floor), an evening at the Steppenwolf Theatre to see "Up", and an evening with family, friends, wine, with my husband's own recipe made-from-scratch beef wellington dinner.

A few facts to share:

:: second, third, and fourth story walk-ups have steep, narrow stairs that list ever so slightly to one side.

:: everyone I know in Chicago lives up these stairs.

:: neither wine nor beer improve the ability to trek these stairs.

:: people who live in Chicago are used to walking and traveling in distances measured in minutes and blocks (and in the case of using a cab, in dollars), not miles.

:: cities are noisy and have a cornucopia of smells (let me just say, not all good).

:: airports, buses and subways are the best for people-watching.

forestry camp

2009-07-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

Hey ho ... a dear friend and I have returned from the Stanislaus National Forest with six days of forestry camp for teachers (Forestry Institute for Teachers: FIT). Early mornings, late evenings, games, presentations, soil digging, tree measuring, star gazing, sleeping bags, campfire songs with fiddle and guitar, s'mores (no sir, no camp would be able to hold their head high without that sugar-fest of chocolate, graham crackers, and roasted marshmallows), as well as field trips to private and federal logging sites, a cedar saw mill, and a co-generation electric plant (which cleanly burns the waste from the saw mill as well as the collected yard waste from homes nearby--now this is good green technology; what little waste the plant creates is used in dairies).

We came back with many books, knowledge (from all the various viewpoints left to right), and the best hands-on supplies to outfit a study unit on forestry.

I think we also came back weighing at least five extra pounds. It seemed to always be meal time, with the most delicious banquets. Between the meals there were never-ending freshly prepared snacks (rice crispy treats, warm cookies, popcorn, fruit).

Proof below that I am not the only goofy teacher who dresses up.

the journal :: a beginning

2009-06-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

This wonderful journal, by Keri Smith, came to me recently as a gift with the directive to absolutely follow as many of the page's directions as possible. Ha. It sounded easy until I flipped through this seemingly benign little black book. I couldn't possibly abuse the book as instructed to...could I? I was raised to revere books, treat them with kindness and respect, never abuse them. I put it on a shelf, gently slipping it between two craft books, until yesterday.

Again, I carefully read through the pages, wondering where to begin. It seemed to go against the "rules" (if there is such a thing with a book titled "Wreck This Journal") to start on the first page, so I took it with me to the shower (as instructed). A cleansing, a beginning, if you will.

It felt a little naughty, a little bad, to do such a thing as purposely soaking a book. I have to admit I looked at the page "bring this book in the shower with you", closed my eyes, and the little black book and I took the plunge into the falling water. She (yes, the book is a she, and no, I don't have a name for her yet) is now out on the edge of the garden, drying and most likely being invaded by ants.

reflection, part 2

2009-06-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

As I was cleaning up, organizing, and reminiscing my way through oodles of photos (you know, like you do...), I came across some sights specific only to the town I grew up in. Those formative years, those years upon which impressions of the world are built. Caution: the county has legal gambling (which for some folks is not such an "oh!" these days) everywhere...in the grocery store, at the petrol station, at the bowling alley...everywhere.

Someone years and years ago killed, stuffed, and mounted a polar bear. It still resides inside this casino, forever on display behind a huge glass box, standing upright to greet everyone who enters. I have never felt good about seeing that regal creature, even as a child, in such a state.

The county also has legal prostitution.

I don't know how to add on to that last statement. These establishments are located over the "tracks" and down by the river. That sounds cliche but it's true.

Growing up with these businesses in town was normal for me. Some have been around since long before my time, some have sprung up since I have left the area. They were just part of the town. Such as small towns are, I'm sure everyone knew everyone else's "business". We knew my friend's uncle spent most evenings in this neighborhood. The first places we went as high school-ers to sell raffles and fund raisers were here. The last places we would tell anyone we went by were here.

fever of summer

2009-06-23T22:57:00.000-07:00

Yikes! Summer heat has hit. Knocking at the door of the hundred degree (F.) mark today. With this heat comes the sweetening of foothill peaches and mandarin oranges, the ripening of tomatoes to a deep luscious red, and the making of fresh lemonade.

reflection, part 1

2009-06-22T22:16:00.000-07:00

Time doesn't seem to be a constant. I know this to not be true, but there were times during this past school year when minutes seemed like hours, and then hours cruised by like minutes. For sure there were a few valleys as well as the many beautiful peaks. I prefer to savor the peaks, those high points that make everyone's day.

With my trusty "tech support" friend holding my hand through non-Apple quicksand, I (we) created CDs of photos I took over the school year for my little sixth grade fledglings.

signs of summer

2009-06-21T05:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome SUMMER! Glad to see you again.

The rope is ready for "pond dropping".

The dock is the perfect spot for dipping feet.

I do believe the fish are hiding amongst the cattails and lilly pads.

Grape jelly is forecast. Just look at those wee grapes!

A perfect start to the summer season. These snapshots are seen daily by my folks. I spent the day moving rocks for my mom, sipping iced green tea, and clicking away with my camera.

yes, and yes

2009-04-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

All I can say is "wow"--oh, and YES!

Thank you, Patti Digh.

earth forces

2009-04-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

"I am done with great things and big plans, great institutions and big successes. I am for those tiny, invisible, loving human forces that work from individual to individual, creeping through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets, or like a capillary oozing water, yet which, if given time, will rend the hardest moments of human pride." ~~William James~~

This Earth Day brings promise and hope. I believe that. Yes, there are cascading events happening around our planet showing us heart-breaking destruction. But I believe there is hope in individuals making change. There is greatness inside us--strength, with attitudes that our cup is "half full".

candy for the senses

2009-04-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

Loving this song today as I dance around in the sun beams, dye eggs, and make fresh bread for tomorrow's BBQ. The tequila and lime...they're for the fresh scallop ceviche (we are in charge of appetizers and bread).

I want this music to play when I open and write in my journal! Be still my heart!

This video puts the biggest grin on my face. Oh, the creativity!

These doves make the most wonderful purring/cooing sound. They, too, are enjoying the return of the sun.

spring is leaking

2009-04-10T08:02:00.000-07:00

Spring break began so beautifully the first part of the week with symphonies of bird calls early in the morning, sun and warmth throughout the day. Inside duties were ignored. Summer "equipment" such as the hammock, air chairs, and sun tea were set out. Potted plants that didn't make it through the rigorous winter were dumped. It was good--no, it was grand. I was warned that I was being a wee bit premature in setting out summer lounging furniture, but I had plans, you see, visions really, that included sun, books, and abandonment of time.

Then the rain began. Heavy rain at first, which I thought was fine--it was needed. It washed the dust off the leaves of the palms, watered the sprouting bulbs, knocked off the last leaves of the oak tree which diligently holds tight the previous year's leaves through the winter. But the rain didn't stop. It's been followed by a constant drip and drizzle every day, all week.

The hammock...soaked. The air chairs...filling with water. The sun tea...not as tasty when one is curled up in a quilt instead of stretched and basking in the warmth of a bright, blue-sky day.

Still, I am determined to make the most of this spring break, damp or dry. I am working on those much-needed spring deep cleaning projects inside. Much like our cat catching an opportunity to drink from the dripping faucet, my cup is half full of possibilities.

2009-03-31T08:17:00.000-07:00

The Sun

by Mary Oliver

Have you ever seen

anything

in your life

more wonderful

than the way the sun

every evening,

relaxed and easy,

floats toward the horizon

and into the clouds or the hills,

or the rumpled sea,

and is gone--

and how it slides again

out of the blackness,

every morning,

on the other side of the world,

like a red flower

streaming upward on its heavenly oils,

say, on a morning in early summer,

at its perfect imperial distance--

and have you ever felt for anything

such wild love--

do you think there is anywhere, in any language,

a word billowing enough

for the pleasure

that fills you,

as the sun

reaches out,

as it warms you

as you stand there,

empty-handed--

or have you too

turned from this world--

or have you too

gone crazy

for power,

for things?

Love this roof!

March, which for some is a very long month before spring shows up at their doorstep, is sauntering out with its head held high, sun shining on its back. Spring festivities are just around the corner.

last of the winter harvest

2009-03-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

With only one week of spring under our belts, I'm listening to the weather reports of snow in Colorado as well as other parts of the country. Here, it's been spring for several weeks (sorry to you folks out there shoveling snow and scraping ice). Some of the trees are done with their pink and white blossoms and have moved through the color palette onto the bright green of new leaves.

We've harvested the last of the winter crops, turned the soil, checked the drip system, and are ready to plant for the summer. I can hardly wait...I am so tired of tasteless tomatoes.

joyous month of march

2009-03-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm still here, quite busy with lesson plans, rain-soaked days, and those little things that seem to pile up when one is looking the other way.

March is one of my favorite months. Spring is just ahead, the sun has magically decided to visit longer, and petals carpet the ground from blooming trees. I am such a geek that I celebrate "pi" day each year, March 14...ok, for those un-math folks that's "3.14--pi--having to do with the circumference of a circle--C=(pi)xd". Pi Day: surrounded by all things circle, which usually means food (doesn't it always come down to food?)...pizza, pot pies, fruit pies, cookies.

This year, something extra appeared on the calendar for the month. On the third of March, for the year 2009, we had the great opportunity to celebrate "Square Root Day". This amazing event only happens nine times every one hundred years, where the day of the month and the month are the square root of the last two digits of the year. My classroom celebrated by eating root vegetables and drinking root beer. So sweet and so fun!

to service

2009-01-20T07:24:00.000-08:00

It seems to have been such a long time since we could stand with pride and say we are Americans. Today we will see a new, fresh, young, plugged-in president sworn into office who has already made leaps and bounds of progress even before this historical day.

I am filled with such a sense of hope and excitement.

Our soon-to-be-president {yes!} is asking citizens to commit to helping each other and our communities as one nation--a national call to service. Go here to learn more.

Need ideas to help? Go here for encouragement and more hope. How about "b" something?

Become a "Born Again American."

My cup is half full, not half empty.

the wall, she is gone

2008-12-27T22:57:00.000-08:00

"Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls." ~~Joseph Campbell~~

Architects, in their quest for a balance between design and function, are willing to try unusual features in homes. We had (yes, I am so excited: h.a.d.--past tense) a wall which separated two areas of our home and housed the fireplace. It has always felt like it blocked the flow and energy and light in the house. It didn't quite go to the ceiling (it was a wall, it was not a wall), included a recess for a television (which we used to store baskets and pottery), and partially blocked the ingress/egress of the door to the back patio (I ask you, who designs a wall to partially block another doorway?).

It's gone {let's hear a squeal and do a little happy dance}. The rooms are now a single, greater room with space to breathe and visit and move. This very much delights me. The light from the windows aren't impeded by the wall anymore. Everything feels brighter and cheery.

We had no need for the fire place. We live in a climate where it does, on occasion, lightly frost, but truly our winters are mild. The chimney hole will become a sky light this coming summer. More natural light!

I would like to thank my husband for continuing to putt up with me and my ideas of change. "This is just a small wall, can we take it down? What if we push out the side of the house a few feet on the west side? See this space here, which we really don't use to its best potential--what if we take off the roof of the garage, use this space for a staircase, and add on another bedroom, bathroom, exercise room, and gathering room up there. It's "do-able", isn't it? Let's build a walled-in terrace, our own little grotto." These proposals are but a few of the many I have thought up.

I would also like to thank our daughter, for being such a good worker and great sport about her nutty mother. And then there's the great big thank you to her for having strong bones and not breaking any of these said strong bones when the wall fell on her (oh, yes it did!)--actually it somewhat bounced on her several times as gravity pulled it down, then it pinned her leg as a final assault. Just to make it clear, it wasn't the dry wall that fell on her...it was the massive amount of wood framing. She has bruises--big bruises--and scrapes. She's a red-head--she rarely bruises. Sorry daughter, for sending you back to your home with lumps and bumps, back to the barrister world of the courtroom, skirts, and heels with bruises.

boxing day...day of goodwill

2008-12-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

I rather love the origins of "boxing day", and I see that South Africa continues that genuine spirit as "day of goodwill" where gifts are given to those less fortunate in society. I like that. Our home is blessed with gifts, electricity, warmth, a refrigerator and pantry of food, friends, relatives, and love. Sadly not everyone can claim this to be the case.

I have added a button to the sidebar for Free Rice. This is a small, but I believe sensational, way to help others through the UN World Food Program. Oh, and a bonus: you can help yourself through extending your knowledge of vocabulary, grammar, geography, math, language learning, chemistry, and art. We have such a rich language and so little of it is used. I blame video games and television (but I digress).

Go to Free Rice. Play. Have the kids play. Watch your bowl of rice multiply.

peaceful evening

2008-12-24T12:12:00.000-08:00

Observing (and participating) in different perspectives and persuasions of the season's festivities within our extended family this time of year is a grand, yet delicate, waltz.

May peace surround your time with friends and family.

May the darkness be lit by warming fires and spirits.

May the delight of laughter fill your home and heart.

the wassail is on the stove

2008-12-20T17:08:00.000-08:00

We are busy preparing for one of my favorite changes in seasons. We have a tree...this is not a normal routine for us, but I love the smell of the pine in the house when it is so cold (yes, it is too cold here in California--just not the same kind of cold as my friend in the northeast) and dark, so many long hours of dark. Solstice gifts are wrapped. Tree decorations are waiting. Drums and strings are tuned. Candles are set out. And the wassail...oh, I have been given a wonderful recipe for this most delightful and warming drink. Give it a try (make adjustments to the quantities, depending on the number of folks who are thirsty and cold):

1 quart fresh apple cider
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
6 whole cloves
1 stick of cinnamon
**simmer (do not allow to boil) these ingredients on very low for 1 to 2 hours. serve warm.

colors

2008-12-02T14:21:00.000-08:00

What is the color of fear? Of pain? How does one journey along that tangled, grey-toned and thorn-infested pathway with grace?

One period of waiting is over. Another begins.

I am reminded of this:

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

~~Emerson~~

moment of madness

2008-11-14T08:12:00.000-08:00

This morning I was running late. Now my "late" is probably long before most folks think of getting up for the day, but I was meeting with a parent for a conference at 0'dark-thirty this morning and my commute time depends greatly on my "start" time. I left the house with only a banana washed down with a single cup of coffee to fuel and propel me through the morning. By the time I had driven a few blocks, I knew I was going to need more of that delightful elixir, and in my caffeine-deprived brain it made more sense to continue on to a Starbucks than to turn around and go back home for a sturdy stainless steel to-go mug.

I stopped, got the biggest cup o'joe they have, decided to throw caution to the wind by adding a dash of raw sugar and cream (why not...it was going to be a long day), and drove along my merry way. I could smell the coffee, the hint of cream and sugar (yes I could), all the way to work. The cup sat in its well-designed (thank you Honda), pre-designated safe spot just to my right, cooling during the commute to the ideal temperature to drink.

I had a small, yet over-flowing, box of papers, report cards, and graded work, as well as that amazing cup of coffee, to juggle all the way back to the classroom. I sat the box on the hood, placing the cardboard cup with the easy pop-off plastic cap next to the box, and shut the door.

The laws of physics will not be denied. There are no exceptions to these laws for teachers who are running behind schedule, who have been smelling a perfect blend of coffee, sugar, and cream for over thirty minutes, who have been up late the night before on the computer fretting over the comments section of report cards, or who just wanted to have a few minutes of quiet and caffeine before the long day began. The movement created by the shutting of the door caused the papers to shift ever so slightly in the box, hitting the side of the cup which was on a slight incline (damn that aero-dynamic design). Like slow motion, I watched as the cup tipped and tumbled over the edge, began a beautifully executed somersault, and landed at a flawless thirty degree angle. This popped the lid off, allowing the coffee to puddle around the cup onto the parking lot. Steaming creamed-and-sugared coffee. All of it. On the asphalt. Taunting me with its rich scent.

I believe I stood next to it saying "no, no, no" for several moments. I can't be sure. Shock is a funny thing. I entertained the possibility of sucking the teaspoon of liquid still remaining in the cup and the lid, but I have "issues" with germs and public surfaces. I picked up the cardboard cup and useless lid, throwing them in the trash. Periodically throughout the day I thought of that coffee, the aroma, what it would have tasted like. From now on, I will keep a back-up stainless steel to-go cup with a screw-on lid in my vehicle.

hope

2008-11-05T05:18:00.000-08:00

Does the sunrise this morning look just a bit clearer, a bit brighter? The frenzy and push of politics trying to create dividing lines between families and friends is over. I think the country has spoken as a united front. Change is needed. Change is coming. What an amazing time we are in!

comfort food...let's start with dessert

2008-10-15T18:15:00.001-07:00

I have a cold. One of the insidious bugs that settle in for serious one-on-one time with my lungs and voice. So, I have a need for comfort food. Something somewhat quick, not too complicated, yet rib-sticking and completely, deeply satisfying.

I have started with dessert: angel food cake (this is the only light part of this meal, so hold on to your britches) with enough half-and-half to soak through the entire piece of cake, topped with fresh raspberries (at an insanely high price tag).

In the oven is my version of heaven in potatoes: a white onion sauteed until brown and sweet; chunks of ham added until they, too, are browned and sweetened; layer these two with shredded cheese and cubed already-baked potatoes in a nice big dish; add a bit of chicken stock and milk with fresh ground pepper. Stick this tasty fare in the oven until it bubbles and the smell drives you crazy.

I have the salad ready, on my plate, in anticipation.

Then I will end this meal with my second serving of dessert.

What a great way to begin and end a meal, a Wednesday meal!

autumn begins

2008-09-22T06:02:00.000-07:00

New school, new agenda for me this fall. The super early mornings and piles of paperwork are taking their toll. Kicking me down the lane, actually.

Even though there are still quite warm days in the ninety's, the evenings and early mornings have a change, a snippet of chill. A sure sign of season's transformation. We don't see the dramatic changes of color one gets in the northeast, but I do see shades of yellow, orange, and brown around town. Each season is a wonder to me and I look forward to them all. But the endings and beginnings are especially noteworthy in my eyes. I am ready for a revision, a modification.

Welcome autumn!

a day off

2008-09-01T14:41:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! September is here! A month full of birthdays, an anniversary, and buckle-down-get-serious-school-days.

Today was created as a day off for the workers in this country, but no one gave my husband that memo. He labors today.

Looks like I need to patch up these labor-work pants! At the end of the day, an ice-cold beer (low-cal) really hits the spot in the back of a parched throat.

I labored too.

Yes, it was work! Serious work. Pleasing work. Creative work. Work that is destined for a much colder, "real winter" climate come this late fall.

We also had these beyond-hot peppers to get rid of--oh, I mean "use"--so I made a double batch of hot pepper jelly. It only made four half-pints. Yikes! That simply won't be enough. We ate the left-over bit that wouldn't fill a jar completely just with our meal today! A pleasurable balance of hot and sweet, with a nice "after-glow" in the mouth.

august days :: thirty one

2008-08-31T19:44:00.000-07:00

My desire that the triple digit temperatures stay in August may be a bit over-optimistic, but a girl can have ambitions, right? This month just seemed to slink away from me much like the ocean tide recedes slowly and quietly back into the great vastness, leaving scraps and wreckage scattered about.

Well, I refuse to see this last month as "the cup half empty". My nature is to look and see what can be salvaged, what was good, solid, and true. Sure, my cup isn't completely full but I see potential to the scraps and wreckage we experienced this month. There's a bit of recycling, scrap-booking, and re-purposing to be done. It was a month of peaks and valleys. But that's life, right?

august days :: twenty eight

2008-08-28T08:10:00.001-07:00

Amber gold...nectar liquid. We have fresh honey from my brother's hives!

How sugar-rich nectar from flowers is converted to honey is so amazing. Each year I share honey with students, as part of my attempt to add ecology, biology, and other sciences into their lives. First we taste and savor {I have had students who have never tasted honey before!}. Each flower's nectar is distinctly different in taste, which affects the color and taste of the honey, so I like to have several samples to "test". With that sweetness still lingering, we learn and discuss about the world of bees, their important role, and beekeeping. Lastly we learn the steps of making honey. Of course, this "lesson" takes several hours, which is spread over several days.

So, do you want to know the nitty-gritty of making honey, too? The worker bees (yes, they are the women of the hive) gather the nectar from flowers and return to the hive. In the hive, they swallow and regurgitate the nectar several times. Once the partially digested product is the right quality, it's stored in the honeycomb. Left alone at this stage, the nectar would ferment since it still contains a large amount of water and natural yeasts. The bees leave the honeycombs unsealed and use their wings as fans to slowly evaporate the excess water and condense the sugar to amber honey. Then the combs are sealed.

This honey? Notice how there are two distinct hues, one darker than the other. The lighter one is nectar from mandarin orange trees, up in Newcastle. Oh, yes, you can taste the hint of orange in the honey. The darker one is from the area by Rough and Ready. {I just love the name of this little town, don't you? It is the only mining town to have seceded from the Union, only to vote itself back in three months later so that they could celebrate Independence Day with the rest of the country. How fun is that?} Sorry...I can't remember from what flowering plant the nectar originated. But the overall "flavor" is much stronger.

A few of these jars are destined as sweet gifts of summer delight.

august days :: twenty four

2008-08-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

The wisteria is blooming for the third time this year! (Oh, yes, and the seed pods are still exploding on occasion.)

august days :: twenty three

2008-08-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

These two have slept like this, close to each other, since they were kittens. Brother and sister, together, always.

august days :: twenty two

2008-08-22T08:41:00.000-07:00

august days :: twenty one

2008-08-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

Love Thursday:
Is this not a wonderful, beautiful specimen? I don't know what her "title" is in the arachnid world, but I just love her fuzzy blackness. Do you see the white heart on her back? How about the cobalt blue eyes?
She lives in the the amaryllis foliage. This is a good thing since she tends to keep the population of insects under control. At last sighting, she was about an inch long, head to toe. Of course, this is only a guess.

I don't know that this spider is a "she". I just tend to say that. I find it interesting how things like ships are named as female. I named my vehicle and computer female names, but not my calculator or dishwasher. I will have to ponder on this a bit more.

Really, look again at this magnificent spider. She is amazing.

august days :: twenty

2008-08-20T08:40:00.000-07:00

My wall of potted plants gives me great joy. These are plants that, for most people, would be under the category of "indoor", but here at our house they live outside year round. If one happens to die because of a freak frost, I replace it with another plant, giving it a try for hardiness. Drip irrigation makes this display of greenery pretty much carefree, even in the heat of the summer months.

august days :: nineteen

2008-08-19T08:39:00.000-07:00

Good morning to...ha...yet another day of triple digits!

august days :: eighteen

2008-08-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

august days :: seventeen

2008-08-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

august days :: sixteen

2008-08-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

Oh, my! This is me! Jen Gray is channeling me, or I am her...whichever, it is a bit liberating to read that another soul is feeling fragile and splintered. Thank you, Jen!

august days :: fifteen

2008-08-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

This is my first year growing okra, and I think I will grow it again. Sliced and added to soups, it makes half-inch stunning, round arrays of seeds which seem to dance among the other vegetables.

How can one go wrong with okra when learning that it's related to both cotton and cocoa!

august days :: fourteen

2008-08-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

Hibiscus mosheutos to the botanical types, but most people know this brilliant flowering plant as a "Dinner Plate Hibiscus" or a "Swamp Mallow". These popping flowers range from eight to twelve inches in diameter--a definite show-stopper in any garden!

august days :: thirteen

2008-08-13T05:47:00.000-07:00

Falling deeply for:

already-shelled sunflower seeds--a slightly salty, crunchy snack that reminds me it's summer.
still-warmed-by-the-sun deep-red tomatoes from the garden paired with aromatic basil leaves and slices of fresh soft mozzarella cheese. yum.
"Eat, Pray, Love" and getting lost in language.
the intricate designs of spider webs.
Simple Carousel Hemp shoes--made with recycled rubber car tires, organic cotton, recycled paper pulp, and hemp (I think I really need a pair).
the re-emergent popularity of the fondue pot in tandem with a love fest of the outstanding variety of cheeses available.
freshly made lemon sorbet with roasted almond slices sprinkled on top.

august days :: twelve

2008-08-12T20:48:00.000-07:00

I recently traveled with Amtrak, on the corridor between the bay area and Sacramento. Now, the train doesn't go up regularly to my town from Sacramento, but Amtrak does connect travelers in that direction with a bus. It was an easy, stress-free, and delightful journey. Yes, even the bus ride...although, I must say it was due in a large part on my ability to be one of the first passengers on that bus and immediately acquiring the front seat with a free view of the road ahead. You see, I have a sensitive inner ear and motions tend to upset that delicate balance between ear and eye. Now you know: I am not astronaut material. I can make myself car-sick driving on twisting roads. Yup. Sad, I know.

I got some knitting done on the train. This is a good thing since the holidays will be upon us soon and, of course, I am behind. I don't have a picture of my progress, though, because I had to frog it (no laughing DeeDee)--lace stitches can be so aggravating if one is not paying attention.

However, I couldn't just sit there, knitting away, without a conversation to go with it. I didn't have my iPod Touch with me. I had prepared a variety of listening pleasures for myself but left it at home. No, I don't want to talk about my "grey" moment of forgetfulness. I forgot to bring my phone too, but we won't talk about that either. There I was with no podcasts, no NPR, no music, no communication. The train was quite full and I found myself sitting next to another woman. I tried several times to strike up a conversation with her on a variety of subjects, without any success. A small smile and a slight acknowledgment of a few words do not make a thriving exchange. Tragic, really, because we could have solved world hunger or maybe at least discussed the menu choices at a restaurant, who knows. About fifteen minutes outside of Sacramento, my "seat mate" excused herself for the restroom and, well frankly she never returned. It was then that I realized "huh, maybe I am that odd person who talks to strangers." I didn't fair any better on the bus ride either.

When I mentioned this to my husband, his response was along the lines of "well you are known as being that crazy lady who talks to just about anyone." I think he pictures me in my old age sitting with a couple cats, mumbling to strangers on the street. My daughter says that I broke the golden rule of public transportation: one is not supposed to talk to another person--ever--no eye contact--no conversation. Hum. That's difficult for me. It's just not me.

Ensete ventricosa, or better known as Red Banana. This plant will not produce bananas since it is strictly speaking just an ornamental, but it is just gorgeous with its red edges. So luscious.

august days :: eleven

2008-08-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

Lagerstroemia, or around here in California they are recognized quickly as Crepe Myrtle. These trees and shrubs are so fantastic right now. They are happy and colorful, lining streets and adding "pop" to homes. This is my favorite color, but they also bloom in lavender, pink, and white.

august days :: ten

2008-08-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

Alas, the specific type of wine grape here eludes me at the moment. My first inclination would be chardonnay, but these grapes are a bit dark for white wine. I love to watch them magically appear over the season.

august days :: nine

2008-08-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

Brugmansia datura, or known by the common name Angel's Trumpet. The flowers are over six inches long and very sweet smelling. In tropical climates such as Hawaii, these plants will become trees. Oh, the sight!

august days :: eight

2008-08-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

Cyperus papyrus, or better known by its common name of papyrus. If you have never seen the stocks of this wonderful plant, I will tell you that they are in the shape of a triangle, not a circle. So very amazing.

august days :: seven

2008-08-07T11:05:00.000-07:00

I am feeling fragmented right now. Small shards of me are circling around like the rings of Saturn, just out of reach, and I can't quite seem to get my footing. New territory for me. This temporary departure from the norm is at odds with the colors, sounds, and tastes of the summer. Argh.

So, for a few days, I will be posting scant words. Instead, you will find entertainment in visual treats.

august days :: six

2008-08-06T15:02:00.000-07:00

Behold, a new leaf set on one of our sago palms (Cycas revoluta). New, fresh leaves and growth on plants always makes me happy. We seem to be attracted to plants with a history dating back to the age of dinosaurs {curious? read about it here}. Don't be fooled by the soft look...these leaves are quite stiff and extremely sharp.

august days :: five

2008-08-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

Hello, moisture up from Mexico-way, bringing a few clouds to enjoy in the evening! I am loving this sunset. No, I haven't "doctored" this photo, although I must admit it was even more stunning mere moments before, but alas I didn't have my camera with me.

august days :: four

2008-08-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Insects seem to be in abundance around me this summer! This lovely nest, however, will be "disappearing" later today, since it's directly next to a pathway used several times a day.

august days :: three

2008-08-03T07:21:00.000-07:00

I had a box of crayons,

All shiny, straight and new.

I lent a friend one crayon,

And -- oops -- it broke in two!

My friend said she was sorry,

But I said, "I don't care,

'Cause now we both can color

With one crayon -- we can share!"

I can't remember where this little rhyme came from, but I love the way it expresses turning a negative into a positive. It's a remnant of working with children and is floating around in my thoughts today. Celebrate and honor your friends, this day of International Friendship.

august days :: two

2008-08-02T07:22:00.000-07:00

I find myself walking gently into August. I want to savor the moments, the subtle changes around me. Hurray for Shutter Sisters this week with their superhero photo challenge: a self portrait of one's own feet. Hurray for pedicures and a hint of tan line from flip-flops. Hurray for swinging lightly in my Air Chair on the back patio, sipping iced Moroccan mint tea and reading a book. A lazy day, indeed.

august days :: one

2008-08-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

The traditional end to summer, a hold-over from classic school scheduling, begins this month. It's a bitter-sweet time. While still filled with quiet early morning bike rides, idle afternoon dips in cool water, and late evening night-crawler hunting, this month also hosts the stocking of pencils and paper, the buying of new clothes, and an ending of late-night movie watching.

neglect, part two

2008-07-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

A quirky thing about me: just prior to leaving home for a road trip, whether it be short or long, I have this uncontrollable freakish thing about completing both stocking and deep cleaning projects all around the house. It becomes almost a manic thing, running on over-drive and caffeine, throwing aside sleep.

The kind of deep cleaning that involves: scrubbing the abyss underneath the burners and drip bowls, where the fossilized boiled-over bits of past meals have found a home; taking the bins out of the refrigerator and scrubbing the walls and shelves in the back, where dehydrated bits of food cling; removing all the items that "decorate" the counter-tops and scrubbing the tile grout with a brush in a futile effort to rid it of coffee and tomato stains. Let's not forget organizing drawers in the bathrooms as well as the pantry, and getting all the laundry done (including blankets and quilts). Granted, some of these things are done each day, each week, to some degree, but usually just "surface".

Almost out of baking powder and vanilla? Down to the last one-third tube of toothpaste? Laundry soap half gone? These things need to be purchased, along with anything else even remotely perceived as possibly running out before I return. I give it a one-month window of stock.

My thought behind this behavior, I have come to realize after years of self-therapy and reflection, sits on the premise of my potential demise while gone. Don't laugh. Who wants strangers and family to see a disorganized, messy house? This "problem" of mine is exponentially heightened when the only one leaving is me. I don't want my husband to have to worry about the cleaning, the lacking of basic things being stocked, or any disorganization while also dealing with me not being there. I don't want him to become overwhelmed with daily things or house details in my absence. He is quite capable of being on his own...I just don't want him to have to worry about it.

So, when my doctor called me recently at seven in the evening telling me, ordering me, to go to the emergency room right then, my retort was "Are you sure? Can it wait until Monday?" After all, my obsession of leaving the house and affairs in a certain state was kicking in at a record-breaking speed. I didn't hear much of what she said after that because I was running through my mind the time it would take for me to do certain "necessary " things before I trudged off to the hospital. And I had to pad some of that time-line since I wasn't feeling well. OK, so on hindsight, my frame of mind wasn't "normal". I had a small meltdown as I tried to do some laundry, straightened up a few projects, and generally bounced around the house. I stalled by packing a bag, thinking that if I packed it, I wouldn't be staying and would return home later that evening...and I wouldn't be leaving anything unfinished.

As a result, the refrigerator never got updated. It had only been two weeks since it had been gutted and scrubbed, so how bad could it be? Then I was gone for two days, followed by several more when I was out of commission. I remember my dear husband saying something about a bag being squishy, but I was on medication and I assumed he took care of it.

This morning I went to the refrigerator in search of soup-making ingredients such as green onions and spinach. What I found were bags of green slime and soft indistinguishable substances. Food for my worms, already partly digested. A soup only they could appreciate. A soup that dripped from the bags as I lifted them out of the drawers. A soup that led to everything being removed and scrutinized for freshness. See why I have this abnormal cleaning and stocking issue?! Really, it's not his fault at all. I "came" this way.

It now sparkles. No odors. No questionable containers or packages. No outdated, over-ripe, products. I'm ready for my CSA box!

neglect, part one

2008-07-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

Because I have an organic yard, free of chemicals and full of beneficial insects, keeping the shade structure and garden from looking like something out of a horror film complete with leg-tangling-throat-catching-spider-webs takes an almost daily sweeping of a broom and spraying of the hose. Sadly I have been preoccupied the past week-plus.

This morning I ventured out to have my morning coffee while surveying the explosion of vegetables in the garden when I came to an abrupt stop. My little wall of tiered pots, while bursting with color and growth, have also become a habitat fit for the arachnid kingdom. Most spiders are indeed beneficial and I don't begrudge them their spot in the yard and cycle of life, just not quite so close to me or my Air Chair. I am both drawn to and repulsed by them--always have been. This one is quite colorful and her web is stunningly large (over three feet in diameter). I guess that means she has been quite busy eating and growing. There are several other spiders of different varieties which have built mesh-like, tent-like webs between the tiers and pots as well. All in all, the quantity and medley of web designs give the entire potted area a shimmering light display in the morning sun worthy of fairy magic. I am not quite sure how to proceed with her. I think for now she will remain, under my watch. If she sticks to her side of the posts, I can live with that.

When I was hiking Lamoille Canyon a couple weeks ago, I came across a fallen tree that looked much like a walking stick insect, complete with legs and all. I wonder how many dozens of hikers, pushing their way up the trail to the lakes, just pass it up (both going up and coming down the trail) without a thought. I sat on a granite rock in the shade (admittedly allowing my at-sea-level-lungs to actually take in what little oxygen exists at that altitude) admiring its unique shape. What an amazing art find!

hello friday :: a wrap up

2008-07-25T03:06:00.000-07:00

One quick mention of my weekend-gone-crazy and then I won't speak of it again. If one is to have an allergic reaction to medication, it's best to have it while under the twenty-four-hour care of ever-vigilant nurses and doctors. Apparently my body is discerning enough to want the real "McCoy" instead of a synthetic product. What can I say? I'm a delicate flower. Day six: I am up, walking vertical (for the most part), and not needing medication (which is a good thing because I am looking at my knitting over the past few days and I have to say that frogging is in order... I have a mess, much like the effects of spiders given drugs).

A couple weeks ago, my mom, a cousin, and I took a road trip to say our last good-byes to four close family members, and fresh hellos to other members not seen in recent years. There were rough, emotional moments but we three made a good musketeer troop, managing to spin goofiness into our time together.

This splendid mountain range was in my backyard growing up. It is aptly named the Ruby Mountains, after the garnets found there. Don't let my picture at such a distance fool you about their size: the base of the range is about 6000 feet (above sea level) and the highest peak is 11,032 feet.

My maternal grandmother grew up hiking, climbing, and horseback riding all around the largest valley, Lamoille Canyon. After their marriage, my grandparents camped and hiked countless times, throughout their fifty-plus years together, up that same glacial-carved canyon.

We traveled there, the three of us, honoring the request of grandma, grandpa, and my mom's two sisters to be returned to their favorite spots.

To reach Lamoille Lake, the trail-head begins in the canyon at 8800 feet and travels up two miles to 9740 feet.

The three Dollar Lakes are found along the trail, just below Lamoille Lake at 9610 feet.

At such altitudes, spring was just beginning. Wildflowers were blooming everywhere. Streams and creeks were flowing with ice-cold water. Large snowbanks were still clinging to the slopes and covered bits of the trail.

The loveliness and grace of the dancing leaves of the quaking aspen trees in the breeze were such a sight. Old, healed scars of now-illegible carvings in the bark of these trees keep past loves secret.

"Our death is not an end if we can live on in our children and the younger generation. For they are us, our bodies are only wilted leaves on the tree of life." ~Albert Einstein

a fork in the road

2008-07-21T08:43:00.000-07:00

I promised pictures and accounts of my two weeks, but I came upon a fork in the road Friday morning. My morning date of coffee with a friend was cancelled and became a visit to the doctor, which lead to lab work, an ultrasound, an emergency room visit of nine hours, and finally a surgical bed at the Kaiser "Chalet".

I am home now, minus a gall bladder.

A few things I have learned along the way:

emergency rooms contain weird people who also seem to dress for the occasion in what can only be described as their laundry day clothes
laying in a fashionable hospital "draft" gown in a bed in the hallway of the emergency room does not scream privacy
lack of sleep, pain, stress, and over two days without food are combinations I would rather not repeat
caffeine withdrawal headaches can take down the strongest person
throwing up while going into the operating room is not the best way to greet those who will be treating you
rubbery hospital jello tastes good after not being allowed to have even an ice chip for a total of 50 hours
"sleep" is a five letter word hospitals do not recognize
hospital medications are far superior to what one is given to take at home

hello again

2008-07-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

Oh, my! I've been absent from blogland for almost two weeks. Yikes! Traveling, spending quiet evenings with my husband, connecting with friends for lunch...these favorite things pulled me away from being plugged in. I'll be back on Monday with written accounts and photos of this "lost" time.

I'm slipping into my sandals and heading off for coffee, conversation, and a bit of shopping. Have a wonderful weekend!

it's an apple day

2008-07-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

I am mobile again. She-who-is-not-yet-named (don't you name your computer?) is sleek, white, and can communicate freely without being tied to a desk {yes!}. I have to add my own touches and programs, change around a few things for convenience, and find some one-on-one time to get to know each other. All good and quite do-able in the next few days.

Now ... the iPod Touch intimidates me just a bit. It is very shiny, trim, and slim. If only it made coffee... I continue to still be in awe of Apple's packaging and product. Off I go now to find some tunes and podcasts. Have a great Wednesday!

well done

2008-07-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

Canning is not for the weak and faint-of-heart. Ten hours of cleaning, cutting, cooking, and canning has produced thirty-three pints of corn relish and a very full compost bin. My worms are having a feast.

The recipe is from my mother-in-law, given to me over the phone so many years ago. Well, good cooks--cooks that have been making dishes for years and years--know by volume, taste, and feel whether a recipe is correct. Her "recipe" went something like: "a couple bags of corn, a half bag of peppers, several baskets of onions, cabbage, a handful or palmful of (various) spices, half a gallon of vinegar". We have long since written down more exact amounts for the corn relish (after many practice batches), although it's still not "precise". No cook worth their weight in salt or flour would stick exactly to a recipe, but would tweak it from time to time.

This relish is a favorite in the family. My grandma used to eat it right out of the jar as a snack (I believe my mom does this too). It's wonderful on a sandwich, something hearty like a meatloaf sandwich or as a topper to a baked potato. Yesterday, my husband discovered that toasted cracked black peppercorn and asiago cheese bread smeared with fresh, hot corn relish is a new delight. Hum. I wonder if thirty-three pints will be enough.

into the looking glass

2008-07-07T07:28:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic weekend:

a morning at Denio's farmers market and swap
trenches dug, pipe laid, water/drip lines half complete for the front
paint colors discussed and narrowed down

On the plate for today:

oil change and rotation of tires for the Pilot
prepping, cooking, and canning (yes, in the 100+ degree F. heat, but it can't be helped)
many errands to run before the temperatures are in the unbearable range

All right then...no time to waste! Let's go!

tagged and shipped out

2008-07-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Marta tagged me -- but come to think about it, Tournesol tagged me back in May (oops). Springtime is busy, very busy. Here you go...

The Rules:

"The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs, leaving them a comment about being tagged, inviting them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answers."

What was I doing ten years ago?

attending water polo games, swimming meets, and plays in support of my (then) high school aged daughter in her varied and many interests/pursuits
working in non-profit and attending university classes

What are five things on my to-do list for today?

sew pillow shams
lose myself for an hour in a good book
make some fresh whole wheat pita bread, souvlaki, and tzatziki for dinner--mmmm
visit the farmer's market
take delight in the little things

What are some snacks I enjoy?

raw veggies
multi-grain pretzel sticks (yes, the stick shape does indeed taste better than the "traditional" twisted shape, in case you are interested)
fresh coconut (don't peel it, thank you very much)
fresh pineapple
popcorn
a good creamy milk chocolate--better if it included almonds or hazelnuts

What would I do if I was to become a billionaire?

invest
set up a trust fund for my daughter
move to another country (no, I can't say which country since there are so many contenders)

Where are the places I have lived?

Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, California (all in the United States, sadly)

What are the jobs I have had?

my first job was in a Sprouse Reitz store at the tender age of fifteen
a few odd facts about that first job: my favorite section of the store was the fabrics, from which I created many a dress and skirt for myself; after the manager saw my handwriting, I made all the signs for the store
my latest job--no, career--is an elementary school teacher
there were many sorted jobs in between, but probably the more interesting and possibly unusual for some folks: engineering drafter--before the age of computers when plans had to be hand-drawn and hand-written (water and sewer piping, steel and iron detailing for buildings, roadways), and carnation grower

Thus, I come to the end of the task. This is the part that is uncomfortable to me. It feels too much like a chain letter, having to write down names of people to "send" this to, because to not pass it on is inviting danger into your life (wasn't that what we were told to believe through those dozens of chain letters that seem to still float around even after all these years). It's the same level of discomfort as having a sales clerk hover nearby when you are just looking at a shirt, then she rushes over to "help" with coordinating other pieces of clothing (I didn't know I needed any help in that area of my life) and can they put these in a changing room for you or put them at the desk. Oh, the pressure. Here goes:

**Oh, by the way, this post makes an even 100 posts...who knew! Happy dancing all around!

let's pause for a moment

2008-06-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

There are eight weeks to September...that's 56 days left of what I have always thought of as summer. Plenty of time for picnics, camping, hikes, and beach combing. Oh, and yes, for finishing up the front terrace, completing the sprinkler system, and tearing down a non-load-bearing wall to open up living space. All these activities accompanied with a great deal of photography to test and play with my new Nikon camera and her capabilities.

Fifty. Six. Days. Right then, let's not dilly-dally and waste time. Here we go!

departed

2008-06-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

I pause a moment to witness a passing, an ending.

My faithful Apple Powerbook G4 choked, wheezed, and gallantly tried to show me by happy, lovely Tuscany hillside of orange flowers on her screen yesterday, but could muster up nothing past the blue-grey screen and Apple logo. Quite sad. She was true to her designers name--a powerbook quite capable to handle any task assigned her.

There's a bit of irony in having my mom come into the modern age as I am relegated back to our {shudder} desktop HP. It's old, slow, and just a beast to work with (it's not an Apple, need I say more?). I can't roam about the house. I can't work on a whim. I have to negotiate an operating system that is not friendly.
I must
sit
at
the
desk
to work.

It's been less than twenty-four hours. How do people live like this, shackled to a mammoth sloth system, unable to be free?!

I'll be fine. I'll breathe, meditate, focus. I'll get through this. It's temporary. {whimper...withdrawals are such a nasty affair}.

i celebrate your day

2008-06-25T07:02:00.000-07:00

To my husband, my best friend:

Now you are another year older, yet I still see the man I first fell in love with all those many years ago. I know you are not one to loudly celebrate these things, choosing to be quiet and introspective about birthdays instead. That's the engineer, contained, sensitive side of you.

I know about the wild, elemental side of you few people ever see.

I love and celebrate the many facets that make you who you are. The little boy inside who still loves to "whoo" out across a rocky outcrop in wait of an echo or response. The young man inside who takes great joy in skinny dipping in a lake or stream. The man who loves watching romantic movies with me. The man who can wield a chef's knife and herbs like nobody's business in the kitchen to come up with the most amazing dishes. The papa who read "The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry to our yet-unborn daughter, and who sang our daughter songs on bike rides in the deep cold winter months of Colorado.

I celebrate your birth.

fire and brimstone

2008-06-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

In the past few days there have been over 500 fires in northern California (read here and here). A drier than normal winter and a hotter than normal spring/early summer have made the grasses and trees more vulnerable.

Sunlight, which is usually bright and clear, is now hazy and casting an alien orange hue onto everything.

I won't be biking or walking until this clears up. My husband's office shut down their air conditioning to keep out the heavy smoke (he is a only a few miles from many of the fires). Keep good thoughts for the hundreds of fire fighters working the fast-burning fires in air temperatures of 90 to 100 (F) degrees.

"fruitful" weekend

2008-06-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a weekend! Our house was buzzing with house guests, shopping (which, if you know me, you would know I don't without protest--shopping is so not my "thing", but for others I will gladly be a chauffeur and sherpa, all the while being pleased at their excitement), learning, and eating plenty of fresh, local produce.

My mom has come into the twenty-first century in a big way. See the blue-tooth ear piece? She absolutely delights in the control of answering the phone anywhere, anytime without having to fish in her cavernous purse before the ringing stops. She wears it all the time. In her good ear. You would think that this would cause problems with conversations but she still hears quite well. Notice the pretty, sleek computer on her lap? This is her first computer (no, really...read that again with emphasis on each word). The line "an apple a day" comes to mind: she has embraced the basic workings of the computer itself and online surfing--next week I will introduce her to email and on-line chatting. Baby steps. I must say, she has picked up trolling websites rather well. I sing great praises to the Apple.

i don't think ants are a vegetable or fruit

2008-06-20T08:10:00.000-07:00

The rich bounty of our garden is more than enough to sustain us. We invariably grow more than we can eat and end up giving some away to friends as well as neighbors --isn't that part of the joy of having a garden? Yet, it seems we are always looking for more. Like the bear who crossed the road just to see what was on the other side, I am always looking to see what is being grown locally that I don't have in my garden. I try to pacify this fancy by growing something new or different each year, as well as haunting farmer's markets on occasion. Okra is this year's big experiment in my garden. It's a vegetable I'm not familiar with, but what-the-hay. Hopefully they won't get quite the size of the tomatillo plants I grew a few seasons ago (they grew into small bushes).

There are some vegetables that, no matter the deep-green color of my thumbs, I can't seem to get good results. And as far as fruit goes, I have space in my yard for my lemons, limes, and blackberries (although I am thinking about some other berry canes--but that's another story). Thus enters the CSA, "Farm Fresh to You". I have found an organic, local CSA that is flexible enough for our needs! We can choose to get all fruit one week, a mix of fruit and vegetable the next, weekly delivery or every other week, and have the ability to make requests of small changes within the box. This is flexible enough to be able to make adjustments to match and balance our garden's production over the growing season as well as our personal needs.

Our first box was delivered yesterday, at o'dark-thirty in the morning. It was waiting on our doorstep when we got up at 5:00am. As if the box were a specially wrapped present, I asked W. to quickly bring it inside. He set it on the counter and promptly started pulling items out. Along with the organically grown collard greens (another first for me), romaine lettuce, yellow squash, heirloom tomatoes, baby red potatoes, nantes carrots, yellow nectarines, and lavender, we also had organically grown little tiny ants (as a bonus--oh, yippee). We couldn't get the box outside fast enough. Organic, "free-range" anst are strong, fast, and hungry for new territory. Three hours later I was still smashing those little bugs as they continued to appear like magic on the counter, the floor, and in the sink. All the veggies got rinsed--thoroughly, outside, in a bucket--and are now put away.

With the box came a couple recipes on using lavender in cooking. We aren't sure if that flavor is in our future--maybe a little in some sugar to compliment hot tea come this winter--, but it looks nice as an arrangement on the table outside (again, remember...the ants). Oh, and the intense fragrance of fresh lavender...mmm.

Recipes and cooking techniques are still being bantered about to maximize the best flavor of these garden delights (minus the ants, of course). Any ideas on collard greens?

in peter rabbit's dreams

2008-06-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

We have a garden...we have always had a garden, even when we lived in family housing on campus in Fort Collins. Good times are in my memory of pulling B. in her little red wagon the couple of blocks to our university community garden plot to water, weed, and harvest our vegetables. I still squeal (yes, even at my age!) when new plants begin to emerge from the ground, when I see the first blossoms and "fruits" pop out, and when I gather produce for our meals. Each year I am filled with such great joy at watching the magic of plants grow and provide.

Some years I have been known to go a wee bit crazy with my planting. One year we grew enough beets to fill two gunny sacks (oh, yes, I mean the big, brown, scratchy ones, like what you see on old western movies being tossed into the back of buck-wagons). Pickled beets are wonderful, but I have to say after canning so many jars of pickled beets that summer, it was quite a while before I went crazy with beets again. Another year I was gifted over two dozen baby tomato plants which had been started in a greenhouse. Not wanting to waste the precious plants, I planted them all. Then to help them grow, I feed them with a generous helping of fish emulsion (not once, not twice, but several times over the summer). Oh, yes, we had tomatoes! I canned sauces and whole tomatoes until I was ready to scream. We ate them with almost every meal. We gave baskets of them away. At the end of the growing season, the monster plants were still producing at a strong pace. I had one rogue cherry tomato plant nestled between the driveway and side of the house that stretched eight feet high (past the rain gutters) and was quite the manufacturer of tiny red delights.

I am limited in my garden space these days, by design (not mine, but my husband's). I have a raised bed forty feet long and four feet wide, watered by drip irrigation set on a timer (the best invention ever). We grow the usual suspects (for us): squash (of various varieties), tomatoes (at least six different varieties), spinach, peas, beans (green and dried), swiss chard, lettuce, herbs, radishes, green onions, carrots, and beets. This year I added okra and daikon. Popping up among the vegetables are various flowers: to add extra punches of color, bring in the bees for pollination, deter harmful insects (we grow organically) , and (for some edibles like nasturtiums) add a unique twist to our meals. The garden space is intensely maximized and is at capacity. I'm not worried. I have room at the end of the garden length for a small green house. It's in the plans.

papa's day

2008-06-15T11:53:00.000-07:00

I love this picture of my husband and our five-week-old daughter, so many years ago now (oh my). I see her ease while listening to a Papa's strong heart beat, his peacefulness blanketing them both. My two favorite red-heads.

My man of patience, calmness, and understanding. He is an enigma who sees the world with both the logic of an engineer as well as the sensitivity of an artist.

My man of steel and copper wire--even when much of his "copper wire", much to his dismay, has changed in color to the hue of platinum. He is my base, my rock, my love.

turnstiles into the extraordinary

2008-06-04T07:51:00.000-07:00

(Click on this picture and look at the details of this gate...the handle, the scroll work at the top and bottom, the medallion...exquisite and dreamy.)

I have always been drawn to garden gates. I have fond memories of a great aunt's white-washed picket garden gate and the bursting beds of irises and roses just beyond. It just seemed to beckon like a siren to the walking traveler: come over, become lost in my loveliness. If I could, I would forever be stopping to look, ponder, and take photographs of gates. These marvels are designed and used to keep something in or out, but I see beyond this practicality. A message is imbued in these gates: what lies beyond is magical, entry is upon invitation only.

They are likely portals to little wonderlands exploding with green life and sprinkled liberally with shots of purples, scarlets, whites, pinks, and yellows. Secret places, sacred places. The gates represent a threshold. Entering, one leaves the busy world and is transported to a site where bees hold conventions, fairies have dances, spiders practice their art of design, and beetles have parades.

In a corner of my garden rests a bundle of branches from a now long-gone locust tree, patiently waiting for me to transform them into a garden gate, to make amends for the frailness they once were, to become a guardian to a secret garden. There is a design for these branches which hovers just beyond my reach.

tuesday market finds

2008-06-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

This week a local farmer's market opened for the season. And such treasures I found! Yes, I have my own raised bed garden, a fairly substantial-in-size garden, but I am always on the look for items I prefer not to grow, or have trouble growing, or just too lazy to grow.

Many of the items were what I expected to find this early in the season--raspberries, strawberries, cherries, lettuces, herbs, tomatoes...all fresh, ripe, and flavorful. Walking by each booth sent a mingling of sweet and savory smells to the senses. What captivated my attention (and appetite)? I picked up some outstanding tomatoes and fresh basil, a few thorn-less (!) artichokes, and (a fantastic surprise) some peaches. These peaches are from a test crop of a new variety designed to produce very early in the year. With the heat wave we had a couple weeks ago, these pretty babies are sweet and juicy.

And just like that... I have the makings of dinner, if I can keep my hands off the merchandise until then!

at home

2008-06-02T09:13:00.000-07:00

How often do you stop to enjoy the simple, everyday pleasures? Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we let go of being-in-the-moment. Walk with a toddler or small child. A single black beetle crossing the pathway, the smoothness of wet green moss on a rock, a spider web tying two branches of a bush together--these are the things which a wee one would stop and take notice, enjoying the moment, the sheer pleasure of the moment for itself.

This spring has been a busy one, full of the responsibilities and whackiness an adult world demands of us. I feel stretched out like a piece of silly putty, ready to snap. I find myself missing that oneness with the current moment--just being in that now-moment, savoring. I have been spending too much time trying to balance and juggle other's issues and have lost myself (the curse and bane of a Libra, I suppose).

Feeling the need to come back to basics for grounding, to meditate on the moment, to enjoy the small pleasures and treasures one can find while in the now-moment, I found a bit of inspiration through Shutter Sisters. The challenge is to find a hidden message. A message in our adult too-busy-to-stop-and-notice-the-beauty-around-us world.

Home is grounding. Home is safe and comfortable. "X" marks the spot.

warmer temperatures mean...

2008-06-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

...lessons in melting ice cream and learning to lick the ice cream on the cone.

...retirement of cold-weather gloves and wool hats,
and assessing the cache of gardening and work gloves as well as sun hats.

...opening windows to fresh spring air blowing out the mustiness of winter.

Hello June, with your many long days of sunlight!

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

2008-05-09T14:25:00.001-07:00

My inheritance:

I seem to be paralleling my mom lately. She has many allergies to foods, which have progressively gotten worse over the years, chiefly ones containing (but not limited to) preservatives such as the "-ites" and "-ates". Her face turns bright red, itchy, and she gets stuffy. She takes Benedryl before some meals, particularly if she eats in a restaurant because, with someone else preparing the food, one really has no way of knowing what chemicals are being ingested through the sauces and flavorings from the industrial kitchens. That one pill (or sometimes two) helps, although she still has the symptoms. She also carries an EpiPen with her. Oh, yes, I'm trained on how to use them (although I would prefer not to...have you ever seen the size of the needle!?), as I have had children in the classroom who have also had severe allergies (let's not discuss if I could actually run all the way to the school office and back in time to get the EpiPen and use it). I also know we have a maximum of only twenty minutes to get her to a hospital if I use it because that's how long the epinephrine will last. Scary all around.

My point:

I have had four episodes (eek) of her same symptoms in the past few weeks--just a beet-red face, no itching or stuffiness (yet). So far I can't pinpoint exactly what the item or items may be that are causing it. I can feel it within a bite or two of the offending meal, first on my ears (they feel like they are on fire from a bad sunburn). My husband (I so love him) looks at me with a worried look and jokingly asks me about my gene pool.

My whine:

I love my occasional glass of wine, my salmon, my--well, whatever it is that's causing the over-reaction of my body. I'm sure I will absolutely crave whatever it is when I discover it. Argh. Oh, my, what if the chemical compound is also in chocolate? I may not survive the trauma.

I'm just saying.

seeing red

2008-05-07T16:23:00.000-07:00

Strawberry season is in full swing here. The deep red color throughout the freshly picked fruit as well as the intense flavor puts the strawberries one can purchase in the grocery store to shame. I have been busy freezing whole strawberries for summer ice cream and smoothies. So far I have also made 36 half-pint jars of strawberry jam, both with Splenda and with sugar. Why so many? I tend to share the jam with friends and family. I love the smell of the fruit when it is simmering on the stove, the red stain on my wooden spoon, and hearing the snap-pop of the lids when they seal as the jam cools in the jars.

i make baskets...there, i said it

2008-04-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

Don't start laughing and snorting at making baskets. Basket weaving is an ancient craft. It's not done without patience, bandaids, and several hours of wrestling long, wet strips of wood.

My mom and I recently went on a mini-vacation together to the Point Reyes National Seashore for a two-and-a-half-day basket making retreat. Such grand fun. Rustic group cabins were available at the environmental education center,

but since that's not my mom's "thing" (and this was her birthday present from me) we opted to stay at a near-by barn loft apartment above an artist's studio, complete with a small kitchenette, a very small upper-loft (second sleeping area) accessed via a ladder (that's where I slept, but I did get her up there for a picture), a private patio, and daily rooster calls (he was a bit confused on the concept of what constituted a morning wake-up time).

At the end of the retreat, we both returned home having seven baskets between the two of us--not all completed but that's the nature of the craft and the time constraints).

New threads of memories to share and recall: morning tai chi and yoga, a walk to see the blooming wild irises near the ocean shore, quail watching/listening (three covey's of over forty birds in each were spotted with their cute bobbing heads in the grass), a night-spotting of a cougar by the roadway, and an absence of the deer.

What a wonderful weekend to recharge my creative soul--cell phone and computer free isolated working environment, sea air, nature, and new friends.

I must recount a dash of humor shared during a culminating/bonding exercise we did near the end of the weekend. It was a bit like musical chairs, where the chair-less person in the center of a circle of occupied chairs directed "all those who...{fill in the blank}" whereby all the participants who also shared/experienced it stood up, madly dashing for another chair in the circle that was temporarily vacated. The last person left standing then had to divulge something else, thus keeping the ebb and flow of participants ever-changing. I'm sure most people have done similar exercises for bonding in groups--I have done a variation of this in my classroom. But with fifteen women, after two days of retreat, sharing meals and sleeping quarters, interesting personal tidbits are sometimes exchanged.

"All those who have blackberries": Now, I would have thought that there would be a great rush of movement--not so. Only one woman stood up, so the exchange between chair and center of circle was oddly quiet. Then the woman who was now in the center stated how odd that no one else had blackberries in their yard. The laughter was riotous, since everyone except her understood that "blackberry" was not a bush but a pda/phone. What a sign of the times of technology.
"All those who have lost their underwear while walking": (Yes, you read that correctly). Again, only one person stood up, but then I must confess I was surprised by the statement and by the fact that another person also shared the experience. By the end of the explanations (yes, there had to be explanations) I had tears running down my face from laughing so hard. Let's just say the two occurrences involved: 1. laundry day where one is down to the last pair of underwear one should have thrown away long ago since the elastic has lost all memory of being elastic, wearing a skirt, carrying a basket of clean laundry down the street--she took a quick look around, let them fall, walked out of them, and kept on walking. 2. last month of pregnancy where the underwear never stay around such a girth, shopping in a mall, her pregnant-duck-waddle-walk turning into a walk with her knees as close together as possible trying to hold up the underwear while looking for a restroom or changing room to make the appropriate "adjustments".

a growing movement

2008-04-10T05:57:00.000-07:00

Now, maybe it's hormones, maybe I was born at the wrong end of an era, maybe I'm an idealist, but I am quite touched by the many different people I have come across (on the internet as well as in person) who create small differences in the lives of others. They give me great inspiration and affect me deeply.

This "Don Quixote" aspect of my being brought me to teaching and continues to energize me. One moment at a time. One small change at a time. One child at a time.

What started out as a plan for bringing art and social empathy into the classroom and home, continues to evolve into something deeper, bigger, stronger.

Krystyn Heide is the passion behind 'Hope Revolution', yet another way to encourage and inspire others.

meme: passion quilt

2008-04-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

"Afterwards, in bed with a book, the spell of television feels remote compared to the journey into the page. To be in a book. To slip into the crease where two pages meet, to live in the place where your eyes alight upon the words to ignite a world of smoke and peril, colour and serene delight. That is a journey no one can end with the change of a channel. Enduring magic."

I want this quote {from "The Way the Crow Flies" by Anne-Marie MacDonald} tattooed to my...well, no I really don't...maybe the feeling, the rush, the passion evoked by this quote to be embedded in my teaching--ha, I do this already!

::Worlds to Ponder and Explore::

I have been challenged by Diane to the education meme Passion Quilt, which seems to be spreading throughout "edublog-land" by creating a picture-quilt of what we educators most passionately want children to learn. There are so many passions for me and the priority of this list is fluid. I have chosen 'reading' today, and have added a quote from a book, which states my passion much more eloquently than I could.

3 Simple Meme Rules:

Post a picture from a source like FlickrCC or Flickr Creative Commons or make/take your own that captures what YOU are most passionate about for kids to learn about...and give your picture a short title (be sure to give credit to the origination of the picture if it is not your own).
Title your blog post "Meme: Passion Quilt" and link back to this blog entry.
Include links to folks in your professional learning network or whom you follow on Twitter/Pownce.

As a meme grows and spreads, it mutates. I see many educators also adding explanations and details as well as the photo (how can an educator worth any salt only post a picture with a title?). This was created by a public school educator and has branched out beyond the brick and mortar schools to homeschooling (which takes many wonderful and creative forms--parents are indeed the first, primary, front-line educators of their children). I think this meme is addressed to all, whether their children are yet-to-be, little, or grown, whether they have formal training in education or not. I also will add another metamorphose to this meme. The original "rules" stated an inclusion of five links/people. I have chosen to take that out. It sounds too much like a chain letter {shutter}. This meme will continue on its own or it will die out (both scenarios are natural progressions). If a reader is compelled to share their own passion on what they want their children to learn, then please do so. As Yoda said: "Do or do not...there is no try."

simply still, day seven :: "a barn raising"

2008-04-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

This was made by my brother, originally to be a bird feeder, but for me it's the ultimate post topper. Its origins are barn wood, rusted corrugated metal, acorns, and leaves (I'm not sure of what type). Time and weather have released the glue's hold on the acorns, as only a few tops remain. The outline of the delicate leaf structures exist simply as shadow images on each end now. Personally I think these changes only add to the rustic look that I so love.

The tree is my beloved "Dawn Redwood". It's one of a very few cone-bearing deciduous conifers and is nicknamed a "living fossil" because evidence of its existence can be found in fossils over 50 million years old.

simply still, day six :: "spring at the pond"

2008-04-05T05:59:00.000-07:00

simple still, day five :: "rocketing to school"

2008-04-04T05:45:00.000-07:00

Protected areas where rural children wait for the school bus are wide and varied. I found what looks like a nose cone of a plane to speak of adventure and excitement.

simply still, day four :: "here's looking at you kid"

2008-04-03T16:51:00.000-07:00

A few of our masks nestled in an alcove of the office/library.