I See Beauty

Last Year

2012-01-14T07:28:00.001-05:00

After posting my daily pond picture at www.pond360.blogspot.com I got curious about what was happening at the pond a year ago. Here is a picture of the yard looking toward the pond (yes, the pond is there!) January 16th, 2011.

Coming back from the chicken coop 1/12/11

Hand Knit Stockings

2011-12-24T15:15:00.000-05:00

My wonderful grandmother is now 92. She no longer knits but for most of her life she made things by hand for friends and family. For many years she also made pairs of mittens for the mitten tree at her Congregational Church. She made the stockings in the photo for me (the one with the Santa) and for my husband and kids as they came into my life. I have never taken these for granted but this year I made one for my niece and I developed an even deeper sense of respect for the time and love she put into her hand knits. The stocking in the middle is my first attempt at a Christmas stocking (or any sock for that matter.) I was always terrified of heels. Well, I found that heels are not too difficult. But knitting shapes and letters upside down sure is! I used a pattern I found on the Internet which says it is from the 1940s .It looks like it must be similar to her pattern . I also made use of some of her old yarn. I had to do a lot of fudging...I had the wrong size needles, I invented my own decrease pattern when I got confused, I made stuff up, my son blocked out snowflakes for me on graph paper, I dropped and picked up more stitches than I had since I was twelve...but I am happy with the finished product. Except how it looks on the inside. My grandmother's work is so tidy on the inside that it puts mine to shame. Still, it'll do.

The Lion and the Lamb?

2011-12-18T07:48:00.000-05:00

My Pond Project

2011-12-15T19:57:00.000-05:00

New Project: www.pond360.blogspot.com

That Place We Go- Free Creativity Workshop

2011-12-10T09:15:00.003-05:00

Check out Kate's Free virtual Creativity Workshop this weekend! Here is a snippet from this morning's welcome post:

"Good morning! I am so excited about today!

There are folks here from California and Canada, Connecticut and New Hampshire, and from Massachusetts and Maine! Painters, writers, knitters, crafters, foodies, photographers! I'm so happy to have you all along on this journey!"

That Place We Go

Less Light Each Day

2011-12-09T09:54:00.000-05:00

Thankful

2011-11-24T11:00:00.001-05:00

Okie rolled in deer poop this morning. I watched him from the bathroom window. He was ecstatic, thrashing and twisting, grinding that wonderful green-brown poo into his face and the thick hair of his neck, golden retriever feathers aglow in the sunshine. He was feeling thankful. Thank you wonderful yard for providing me with this amazing treat. This is so much better than the snapping turtle.

Normally I would freak out and yell for him to stop but this morning I just watched him. The damage was already done anyway. And dogs don't live that long. If he is lucky he'll find rollable poo just a few times a year.

I don't bathe Okie very often so I was surprised when he hopped right in the tub and let me lather him up. I remember carrying him outside with one arm when he was a baby. And the three years since then have gone by way too fast. Thank you for being our dog, Okie!

Snowy October Morning

2011-10-30T17:27:00.000-04:00

October Snow

2011-10-29T17:25:00.000-04:00

Magnificent images of the Sun from NASA

2011-10-02T16:19:00.001-04:00

http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/assets/img/latest/latest_1024_0335.jpg

Polyphemus Moth

2011-09-21T15:41:00.002-04:00

We waited and waited...about one month... and today it happened!

That Place We Go and my Pillowcase Dress Project

2011-09-18T15:19:00.005-04:00

Thanks to Kate Johnson at That Place We Go and The Mother Huddle for the great Pillowcase Dress tutorial

After Irene

2011-09-03T20:15:00.000-04:00

Summer Stuff

2011-08-15T21:49:00.004-04:00

Adam's discovery...zoom in on this!

Began as a huge, green caterpillar...may be Polyphemus moth

Adam saved a February snowball for summer

The Hale Haven Peach Joe got me last year

We munched on golden and red raspberries this summer

Zack at the magical New Hampshire lake

Homeschool Resources

2011-08-14T12:56:00.000-04:00

Here is another resource I found years ago and keep rediscovering: Hoagies' Gifted Education Page. If you are homeschooling or raising a gifted child, you may find some ideas and help here. If you dislike the term gifted or are just curious and want to find great lists of resources you will not be wasting your time! Have fun.

Homeschool Resource: CK-12 FlexBooks

2011-07-29T14:15:00.002-04:00

CK-12 FlexBooks

If you are homeschooling a tween or teen, go check this out! While this is geared for traditionally schooled kids, it is a great homeschool resource. Basically, CK-12 provides organized open source science and math content geared for middle and highschoolers and includes some teachers guides as well. Content is in the form of text for some courses, including review questions and worked problems, and a mix of text, images and video (and other links) for more information and deeper learning in other courses. Some Khan academy videos are utilized, for example in CK-12 Biology: Cellular Function and Structure. There is even free SAT prep available from www.Ineedapencil.com.

July

2011-07-14T16:37:00.003-04:00

Okie is almost 3

Peace and Love

New Grandson : )

Middleworld Review

2011-07-08T08:25:00.002-04:00

Middleworld by J Voelkel

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wanted to love Middleworld and almost did. I am rereading it now as a read-aloud and am liking it much more this second time through. What is great: the setting (a fictional country based on Belize), the blending of ancient and modern themes, the opportunity for learning about the Maya civilization, and the extras included in the book (like the explanation of the Maya number system which intrigues my math-loving son). What I wish I could change: the book tends to be a mixture of wonderfully surprising and groaningly predictable both in plot elements and dialog and character development. I keep wishing, as I read, that the authors/editors had scanned the book better for cliches. There are some interesting characters who are fresh and wonderful (Lola, for example) but then there are characters who just don't ring true and whose words and actions are inconsistent and seem canned (Uncle Ted). I kept getting that "I've seen this movie before" feeling. At many moments the book gets close to being fantastic, but then a bit of uninspired dialog wrecks it. Still, this is a fun, fast paced read and is well worth your time especially if you enjoy learning about ancient cultures and need a break from Egypt.

View all my reviews

Okie meets Snapping Turtle

2011-06-25T20:27:00.000-04:00

Focus on what is nourishing

2011-06-13T07:07:00.000-04:00

Year ago I began this blog as a place to write about, and focus on, all the beauty in my life. The blog title I chose was a bit of a desperate shout to myself...a reminder to keep looking, to keep noticing, to keep caring about what is beautiful, nourishing and right. It morphed into a place to talk about homeschooling, and motherhood, and lately has been more of a photo blog. It continues to be a refuge for me, and a reminder to see what is working, to appreciate what is good and right in my life, to focus on what is nourishing rather that what saps me. While I still battle pessimism, and get stuck in the old mind ruts, while "bad things" have happened and are happening, the act of maintaining this space for mindful appreciation has been healing.

This morning I can feel the dark places creeping in around my edges, trying to get me. I need some comfort. So I found a poem written and recited by John O'Donohue that I love. I had read the words of Beannacht (Blessing) but had never heard O'Donohue's voice before. Here is a link to the text: Beannacht and here is a link to the reading: John O'Donohue reading Beannacht

Adam's Jersey Cow Picture

2011-06-06T06:37:00.001-04:00

2011-06-04T15:43:00.000-04:00

2011-06-02T14:57:00.000-04:00

2011-05-27T08:22:00.000-04:00

2011-05-26T20:01:00.000-04:00

Things that are Still Simple

2011-04-27T13:03:00.000-04:00

At Last!

2011-04-27T13:00:00.000-04:00

Eagle Cam

2011-04-06T19:04:00.004-04:00

It is worth it to sit through the initial ad.

Live Streaming by Ustream.TV

Breastfeeding Baby Boy

2011-04-06T13:32:00.000-04:00

7/21/98

Baby boy how I love you
your nose scrunched
your raised brows as you latch on and begin
to nurse, greedily.
Your little hands do a gentle dance,
fingers apart
coming to rest on a piece of fabric
and then off again like a slow motion
butterfly.
Milk flowing, your little mouth pumping
and pausing, pumping again,
in and out of dreams.
What it gentle place to be.

Ideas...and How to Kill Them

2011-04-02T17:52:00.001-04:00

Going through my old papers I found a handwritten journal entry from 2003 entitled How To Kill An Idea which I have typed here in its imperfect and unedited form:

First, have an idea!
Become guardedly excited. Invest fantasy time, make notes and mention to a few close friends/relatives.
Follow with "the big stomp" by seconds, minutes, days, weeks.
Repeat these words... can't do it – already been done
not a great idea
no audience
not "enough, big, good, exciting, marketable"
I'm not an expert
I'm not an intellectual
no publisher, no way
not actually that great an idea after all (stop, grind into the dirt)
Idea is empty. Not an idea at all.
Negate negate negate……
Place in past tense
I had an idea but….Then….
Pretty soon – all gone! Like children never born, hardly conceived
Question to self: why not birth these babies?????
okay… But what about
fear of judgment by self and others
fear that the project is unworthy
any idiot can see it's unworthy
why did I waste my time who does she thinks she is what makes her think anyone would be interested??? End result ideas die.

If you have landed on my blog and actually read this far, promise yourself that you will begin to practice not killing your creative ideas.

National Homeschool Book Award

2011-03-23T10:11:00.004-04:00

National Homeschool Book Award
Here is something interesting I found in my Clickschooling newsletter! This was started by three homeschool mothers "to recognize and celebrate current juvenile fiction that explores learning experiences occurring outside the traditional classroom setting and that resonates with homeschool readers." The selections, which are geared for middle grade readers, are up on the website now.

Bee Green: The Great Sunflower Project

2011-03-17T11:10:00.003-04:00

If you are looking for a way to study bees, take homeschool science outdoors, or work gardening into your life, consider participating in The Great Sunflower Project! Learn about how you can get involved by planting Lemon Queen sunflowers and doing simple bee counts this summer. Another child-friendly way to help bees is by doing the “add a yard to your yard” challenge. Block off a square yard of ground and plant pollinator- friendly plants with long blooming times. Some of the plants they recommend are Echinacea, Bee Balm and Cosmos, which are all pretty easy to grow.

Magic and Melting Ice

2011-03-15T14:25:00.000-04:00

Magic wakes up from an afternoon nap.

The last of the ice on our pond.

Tulips and Cabbage Juice

2011-03-12T10:07:00.001-05:00

At Last

2011-03-07T13:18:00.000-05:00

Under snow two days ago

Sedum. To me these little "cabbages" should be called Spring Joy

Originally Donut, Now Little Bit. Picked on with no mercy.

The Flock

Our 8th Grade Curriculum with Update

2011-03-07T12:59:00.002-05:00

Eighth Grade. When I pulled my son out of First Grade in December 2003, I remember feeling a combination of exhilaration, awe, fear, relief, possibility and rightness. I was already homeschooling, I discovered. I had been helping my child follow his passions since birth. I had been supplementing his Kindergarten and First Grade experiences because he was bored out of his wits. That first year was lonesome in certain ways as we discovered that some friends were not going to feel comfortable with our choice. I knew only one other homeschooling family personally, though I had been interested in educational alternatives since my own childhood. When asked how long we might homeschool I would tell people what I still tell them. It is a year by year decision. Here we are nearly seven years later. I have never regretted this decision. I will not lie. At times this takes every bit of creativity, patience and mental flexibility I can muster. But that is what parenthood itself requires of engaged parents anyway, right?

What follows is a framework for academics for the coming year. This is definitely subject to change! Our lives are so full of choices now, that that is the most challenging part of homeschooling. There are so many options out there that it boggles the mind. My son and I have pulled the following together from Amazon, the Rainbow Resource Guide, conversations with other mothers, Google searches, Half dot com, the Homeschool Buyers Co-op, the library, and course of study statements from public and private schools. Because my son is a BIG reader and loves the computer, our choices are geared to those preferences. We have been in the relaxed, eclectic category for years but this list seems much more like school at home.
German: We chose Auralog (www.TellMeMore.com) German, purchased through Homeschool Buyers Co-op. This is an interactive program that comes with a headset and enough German for several years of study
Math: Life of Fred Pre- Algebra with Biology, Painless Algebra, Mastering Essential Math Skills Geometry
United States History: A History of US series by Joy Hakim with assessments, Painless US Government; selections from American Literature (The Crucible, Johnny Tremain, Huckleberry Finn, etc.)
World History: Continued reading of The Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer on his own
Writing: NANOWRIMO, Journaling, continued Free Choice writing. He enjoys writing fiction on a laptop using Word. Blogging.
Reading: Continued Free Choice. Past experience tells me that this will be a lot of science fiction and fantasy. Muse magazine, National Geographic, Mental Floss, Popular Mechanics and other magazines and newspapers.
Science: Plato middle school interactive Physical Science (on line subscription), continued reading of books such as Biophilia and A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (science through reading), hands on experiments, continued discussions about health, safety and self care
Martial Arts: continued study of Combat Hapkido 2-4x a week (working on his Black Belt second don) and helping out with the younger kids.

We will also include volunteering and work with his dad in the family business. I will try to update this as we go along with more information about what ends up working well and what does not.

UPDATE 3/2011

In January we started taking our son to North Star (Self-Directed Learning for Teens), one day a week. This filled a real need for opportunities to hang out with kids his age and older. Unfortunately for him, he is among the oldest of the homeschooled kids we see on a regular basis.He has always enjoyed the company of adults and older teens. Our son was talking about entering public school for 9th grade and I believe that was due to his need for an older social group. While the decision about school has not been made, North Star has definitely helped my son find an older social group and allowed him to join other teens who are learning in an unschool environment. I have been searching for educational alternatives for years. Not many exist in my area. North Star is one of the most interesting truly alternative alternatives I have found.

What has not worked well:
The German program we bought. My son worked at it diligently for months but stopped in December saying that it was just not suited to his learning style. I will look into Spanish classes for next year. NANOWRIMO. He got a good start and then petered out. We'll try again next year if he is interested.

What is working especially well:
Life of Fred Pre-Algebra 1 with Biology and Life of Fred Pre-Algebra 2 with Economics. Supplemented by Pre-Algebra Concepts, by Richard W. Fisher. The Life of Fred series is a blessing if you have a verbally gifted child who is an independent learner. My son has always disliked math but he adores Life of Fred and often reads me funny and interesting parts of the lessons. I suspect that if your child loves Muse magazine, he or she would enjoy Fred.
Plato Physical science, an online program combining middle school physics and chemistry, is a hit. The only downside is that having completed their Earth Science as a precocious 5th grader, and their Life Science in 6th grade, he is tiring somewhat of the repetitive structure of the program. Still, I would recommend these science classes to middle school kids and gifted elementary students without hesitation.
A History of Us is going well, but at a slower pace than I'd hoped for.
What we have added:
A "class" I have yet to name! Computer Skills? Digital Creativity? He has spent much time this year designing and redesigning blogs, designing logos and creating art on Paint.net, customizing whatever can be customized, jailbreaking and restoring his Ipod, writing about computer games on his blog, troubleshooting computer issues for family and some friends, making movies and putting them on You Tube, taking digital photographs, installing various operating systems (right now he is trying to get Linux to work) on his computer, and researching anything he does not understand using the internet or by finding people who can answer his questions.
Volunteering:
Aside from helping out in martial arts classes for younger kids, he just did 9 hours of community service for the local arts center and got some experience waiting tables.

Tracks

2011-02-23T09:53:00.009-05:00

A few days ago we got an inch or so of snow on top of the crusty snow that was already there. I discovered that our cat, Magic, has been very busy patrolling the yard and back woods and even the pond. Yesterday, he took a ride to work with my husband and I had to go collect my furry stowaway. I think he is feeling Spring in his bones. He spent most of the winter sleeping, gaining weight, and using a litter box. Now he is at the door asking to go out. The hunter is waking up!

Crow and Squirrel?

Mouse ?

Waiting for Spring

2011-02-13T10:21:00.000-05:00

Winter Projects

2011-02-13T10:19:00.000-05:00

Cabin Fever

2011-02-13T10:18:00.001-05:00

More Color

2011-02-13T10:15:00.000-05:00

Light and Color

2011-02-13T10:14:00.000-05:00

Inspired by Goldsworthy

2011-01-16T18:22:00.001-05:00

Winter Yard

2011-01-08T11:15:00.000-05:00

Almost Winter

2010-12-16T12:33:00.000-05:00

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

2010-11-26T07:41:00.001-05:00

Saying Grace at Redwall

2010-11-24T08:29:00.000-05:00

Adam and I finished the seventh book in Brian Jacques' Redwall Series last night. One of the things we love most about the series is the feasting and the descriptions of the many breads, cheeses, pies, soups and salads the Redwallers prepare and thoroughly enjoy. They have no guilt about eating well at feasting times. Feasts are held to honor lost loved ones, to celebrate the end of quests and wars, to mark homecomings, and for the naming of seasons. The Redwallers are creatures of peace and gentleness with a deep connection to each other, their past and their heroes. But while they feel sadness and losses keenly, they always look toward youngsters, new life and the turning of the seasons for comfort. They do not wallow. They feast and move on. At Redwall there is always room for good-hearted creatures at the table. The moles and the otters sit with the mice and the badgers. Here is the simple Redwall Grace written by Brian Jacques:

"Squirrels, otters, hedgehogs, mice,
Moles with fur like sable,
Gathered in good spirits all,
Round the festive table.
Sit we down to eat and drink.
Friends, before we do, let's think,
Fruit of forest, field and banks,
To the seasons we give thanks."

Violin Practice

2010-11-06T09:12:00.000-04:00

Bathing Your Pet Guinea Pig

2010-11-04T12:20:00.000-04:00

Oh boy did I need this just now! Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the specifics of my life that I forget that there are people out there washing guinea pigs. I found it oddly cheering on this cold, gray, rainy Thursday and I hope you do, too. The only disappointment was that there was no blow drying at the end. Kate: Thanks for focusing my mind on guinea pigs this week!!!

Morning Frost

2010-11-03T09:44:00.000-04:00

The morning frost through Adam's lens.

Nevermore

2010-10-29T08:23:00.020-04:00

Frodo

At the train station

October's End

2010-10-29T08:21:00.000-04:00

Goodbye Old House

2010-10-23T08:48:00.000-04:00

October

2010-10-23T08:02:00.001-04:00

Solo Bananagrams

Table Snapshot

Daily Writing Prompts from Heartwork

2010-10-07T08:15:00.001-04:00

From Kate's creativity blog HEARTWORK :

"While I will be on some sort of sleep deprived and certainly insane hiatus to take care of a new baby, I wanted to post a prompt a day in November– for those of you writing fiction, non-fiction, and journaling. Questions, things to think about, image snippets…. the posts will be short, intended to prime the pump or loosen the knots that sometimes hold us back. Sometimes writing silliness can get us to where we need to go with our “real” work. (And sometimes? Sometimes the silliness turns out to be the real stuff afterall.)"

Ten Things Plus Three

2010-09-30T11:35:00.002-04:00

Ten things I have learned and re-learned this week:

1. It feels great to donate items at a church rummage sale. Beyond great.

2. One can fit a lot of stuff into a Subaru with no kids in the back.

3. If you are a mother and you leave the house for less than 2 hours...say to go to a church... you might return to find that everything has gone to utter hell in your absence even though you set everyone up for success.

4. Even though things have gone to hell, you can still feel happy and smug about getting all those old toys out of the house with nobody noticing and grabbing stuff back out of the boxes!

5. Even though there is a lot of crying, blood and saliva, things may be happening as they should.

6. I can pull a hanging-by-a-thread tooth out of a distraught child's mouth and my husband can't. ( Note: DH read this and said he could pull a tooth...but wouldn't...which turns out to be almost the same IMHO)

7. Sometimes roosters lead a feeding frenzy, eating eggs that young hens have laid on the coop floor. And it is an ugly scene to observe.

8. Hens don't seem to relax when living with a rooster.

9. I like acoustic guitars way more than electric guitars. Especially when they are in my living room and the player is doing Smoke on the Water.

10. I feel great being off of wheat products!!!!!

11. My 13 year old has a size 13 foot.

12. I love snickers bars but I get blue and feel off when I eat stuff like that.

13. I was 13 when I started smoking. Holy Crap that is awful.

Odds and Ends

2010-09-28T11:50:00.000-04:00

Seeds, Fruits, Eggs and Flowers

2010-09-20T08:00:00.002-04:00

Seed Hunt and a Female Cricket

Raspberries

Volunteers... and an egg

Late Summer

2010-09-11T12:19:00.001-04:00

Volunteer

Big Griff

Triple Yolk!

Our Third Grade Curriculum

2010-09-07T17:46:00.007-04:00

Unlike my eighth grader, my younger son has never attended school. One of the biggest differences between the boys is that my third grader, free of any connection with a school "year" or school "day", is also less likely to think of an activity as "school work". What a breath of fresh air that is! He does ask sometimes if what we are doing is loggable because he hears me discussing his older brother's activities in those terms. He is also wonderfully free as he pursues activities that would crush him in most school situations. His fondness for cooking and his passion for knitting would surely be extinguished in a an hour of traditional school. He did remark that he did not like knitting on pink needles (my only size 5 10" needles) but when his big brother told him knitting was somewhat girly, my third grader said he disagreed and besides he didn't care. Hah! Aside from the above differences, my third grader is also a mathematical being. While my first son was talking to me as he exited the womb and continues to excel with all things to do with words, my second son was, and is, all about movement and math. He reads beautifully, but really does not like handwriting. He loves the computer. Our choices for this year's curriculum reflect our youngest's particular likes, dislikes, abilities and needs.
Math Teaching Textbooks Math 4 , flash cards for facts practice, Math Missions, supplemental activities as desired. I don't want to push him but will follow his lead when he wants challenge. We had a lot of fun with decimals this summer with mile markers on the highway and a pedometer on our walks!
American History Cornerstones of Freedom series (we have 50+ of these thanks to EBay and hand-me-downs;, Children's World Atlas, The Young People's Atlas of the United States,If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution, The American Story, games such as Made For Trade and Professor Noggin
Violin Group violin at a nearly music school
Reading We read constantly around here. We will continue with read aloud time (we are on the 4th book of the Redwall series right now) and independent reading time (he is reading My Side of the Mountain); I have my son read aloud to me often from fiction, recipes, patterns, directions and other nonfiction. We will tie some fiction and nonfiction reading into our American History
Writing This year we will continue with Journaling and writing for real life. We will try Italic Handwriting Cursive Book C and see how it goes. I will encourage handwriting wherever possible but for longer things I will have him use a keyboard or dictate to me.
Fiber Arts and Cooking We will follow these interests as far as they take him. So far he has numerous bookmarks and two baby hats completed plus many sample squares as he learns stitches. Within a month's time he learned all basic knitting techniques. He needs help deciphering patterns written for adults. Knitting and Crocheting from the Teach Yourself Visually series has been very helpful. We use YouTube videos when we get confused!
Science Gardening, our pond, woods, backyard, chickens, local parks, lakes, the night sky...all of these are great for exploration and inquiry. We use what we encounter. We do experiments and activities from the wonderful Janice Van Cleave series Science for Every Kid. We have Earth Science, Ecology, Physics, Chemistry, Constellations and there are many more at the library. Digital Blue microscope, binoculars, One Small Square series, Zoobooks
Hapkido Continued review for the Black Belt test sometime this year.
Movement This is a child who needs to move! He enjoys Yoga, Rec. Dept. sports, baseball in the spring, biking, scootering and going for walks and running around with a boisterous Golden Retriever.

Other things we include are a Young Naturalist program, magazines like Spider, our Homeschool Group, working with sculpey, supplemental worksheets, child initiated projects, animal care and volunteering/donating, library trips and other excursions to places of interest and, of course, socializing with people of all ages.

Joy

2010-09-05T08:33:00.000-04:00

Okie and the Eggs

2010-08-20T12:23:00.000-04:00

Pick Your Own

2010-08-18T09:53:00.001-04:00

We had not been to this farm for four years even though it is a short drive from our home. It sits on top of a ridge and the approach is a dirt road past old barns and equipment and through apple trees. It feels like a trip back in time. There is a farm stand with a friendly teenager reading Steinbeck. The rooster crows. The ancient Copper Beech behind the stand is even more enormous every time I see it whereas some other things seem to shrink with time. Aside from freaking out over yellowjackets on fallen peaches it was just right.

Knitting Projects

2010-08-16T11:41:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Hey Julie for the pattern

Knitting with the Chickens

2010-08-02T17:48:00.000-04:00

When my sister and I were about the ages of my sons my mother used to go down to the barn and sit in the late afternoon sun and knit while the chickens milled around her. I thought she was a tad loony. I don't know if she felt the way I feel today but now I Get It. This was one of those days she probably had a lot. I feel sapped by motherhood, sapped by taking care of...fill in the blank. I really just want to take my knitting down to the coop and knit with the chickens and have everybody leave me alone. And get some simple sunshine. And do something where I can see the immediate outcome of my work. And have complete thoughts of my own. While the only noise is peaceful clucking and the occasional comical crow. Nobody asking why they can't do teen rated games. Nobody asking why they still HAVE to be in the booster seat they hate. Nobody pushing me at all. Just sunshine and knitting and chickens.

More Images from New Hampshire

2010-07-29T10:11:00.001-04:00

Here I am again

Images from New Hampshire

2010-07-28T17:48:00.001-04:00

Bliss!

Is this what I have been missing?

Inside Cat

The First Crow

2010-07-15T10:23:00.004-04:00

Big Grif on the day of his First Crow. This morning when I went to the coop I was greeted by a completely new sound! I have not had a rooster since I was a kid and did not want one. Having said that he is a beauty with his fancy tail growing in. He seems to be climbing the dominance ladder as his testosterone kicks in but there is still one hen who scares him silly and that hen I have renamed Tsarmina after the wildcat queen in Mossflower. She has always been the least approachable of this bunch and is mean to the other hens. I believe she is a golden laced wyandotte.

Losses. The climbing tree split just as Zack got too big to climb it.

Another loss? The heat wave last week did a number on the Japanese Maple.

Heartwork Journaling e-workshop

2010-07-08T16:10:00.000-04:00

Check out my sister's 3 day Journaling e-workshop for beginners and those with beginner's mind at her new site, Heartwork.

To quote Kate, "This site is intended for joy and exploration, curiosity and creativity. It is about finding your way home." Don't be put off if you think you can't write or you are afraid to write or you have never written. Heartwork is about tapping into your creativity, no matter what your background may be.

Sparks

2010-07-04T05:00:00.006-04:00

Yoga with Okie

2010-07-02T09:43:00.001-04:00

Summertime

2010-06-25T08:26:00.003-04:00

Flower Bag from the CSA

Okie as Zack Sees Him

90 degrees..Let's do Solar Projects

The Ladies and Big Grif

A Toast to Gluten- Free Goddess

2010-06-18T13:52:00.000-04:00

After suffering with colitis since fourth grade, my amazing sister went gluten-free last year and it literally changed her life. She also has to be free of a staggering array of other foods. Like cheese. The very thought of giving up cheese fills me with anxiety. I ate some sharp cheddar moments ago. But my sister gave up cheese. And toast. Except for gluten-free toast. The control she has gained over a horrible condition feels miraculous. While learning a bit about gluten-free cooking I ran across the wonderful Gluten-Free Goddess whose writing is so much fun to read she could be writing about the life cycle of the tapeworm and I would still want to read her blog. She has a great birthday post called 56 Things To Remember that is well worth a visit even if gluten is not a problem for you.

Blossoms

2010-06-14T15:21:00.000-04:00

"I've always wanted to play the violin"

2010-06-09T19:34:00.001-04:00

When he was five Adam told me that he'd always wanted to learn to play the violin. Finally, at seven, he got his chance to join a beginning violin class. Will it stick? Who knows? But watching him challenge himself and find joy in playing has been one of the high points of my motherhood. Hearing him practice does not pain me. It is as if I was always meant to live in a home with a beginning violinist and almost as if I have done this before. This is a sticky place for mothers. What if someday I love his violin more than he does and he is done with it? What if he quits? Will I be able to let go, with grace, and support him in what comes next?

The Ladies (and Gentleman?) at 11 Weeks

2010-06-07T08:12:00.002-04:00

Safer Cleaning With A Swiffer Wet Jet

2010-06-05T13:55:00.005-04:00

I have been meaning to do this for years but was afraid to try. My Swiffer Wet Jet went unused because even though I loved the mop I hated the chemicals. This week my washable head rope mop gave up so I poked around and found directions for a mod (I learned this term from my son who likes to tweak his Nerf guns) at
Greenmamaspad.
My son had the cap off in a jiffy ( wearing eye protection, of course) and after fumbling a bit with the small, flexible membrane that sits (unattached) in the cap, I had the purple Swiffer bottle undressed, rinsed and refilled with plain old water. Ahhh! The relief! I have some leftover pads I'll save for special occasions. Otherwise I'll use microfiber cloths which can be sewn but worked fine for me just stuck to the bottom of the mop. I found wetting the cloths and squeezing out the excess worked well. You'll work harder because the cloths have more friction BUT you can burn a few extra calories and feel good about yourself now that you have ditched those nasty chemicals. Thank you Green Mama!

*Note*6/28 Since I first modified the mop I have been using a solution of about a teaspoon of Greenworks All Purpose Cleaner added to plain water to fill the container for my tile, old vinyl, and linoleum. I just want to use it up and then make something greener. I plan to use a black tea solution for hardwood floors for regular cleaning.

Explaining Why We Homeschool

2010-06-03T11:06:00.005-04:00

We are relaxed, eclectic, secular homeschoolers. When people ask us why we homeschool our boys I can rattle off a list of reasons and the things on the list are all important. But a list of reasons does not capture the essence of the thing. With some people I may just say it is a lifestyle that works for us and leave it at that. Sometimes I mention my forward thinking father and my experience at the now defunct Hammonasset School where he taught. Many reasons for our choice are deeply personal and complicated and relate to what I believe about childhood and how we handle children in our culture. Some of my reasons are spiritual though I am not a religious person. A simple conversation, even with a well meaning person, can become deeply philosophical very quickly. And deeply uncomfortable. Once, I was told by a retired public school teacher, in front of my children, that I was ruining their lives. Luckily most people have more thoughtful responses.

Homeschooling is so much a part of me, of us, of our family, that pulling reasons out for discussion and explanation can feel like throwing a jellyfish on a dissecting tray in the hot sun to understand its jellyfish nature. As I have gotten older and no longer feel an almost nutty need to "explain myself" and be "acceptable" to others, I find that I have a deepening appreciation for people who articulate some of my own beliefs about education and children and are reaching a wide audience. These folks are doing an incredibly important job challenging people to think about children and learning in different ways. The video below made my homeschooling heart sing so I want to share it here.

Grammy's Birthday

2010-05-28T11:43:00.003-04:00

Today is the day my great grandmother, Grammy Stevens, was born in 1878. Edna Seward Stevens raised five sons including my grandfather. Going through old photos made me cry and smile and cry again. Because Grammy said it to her, my mom always said to us "I love you more than tongue can tell" and I say it to my own kids. When I was small I wondered who the heck Tuncantell was!

Grammy and Pop Stevens

The Shore House

Grammy Holding Me or My Sister

Grammy's View From The Porch

Okemo and Magic

2010-05-16T18:22:00.001-04:00

Birds

2010-05-15T10:41:00.005-04:00

We have seen a lot of bird action here this week. Birds (some kind of sparrow)that hatched in a wall of our house are learning to fly and their parents are very loud and nervous. I think we have a Baltimore Oriole nest hanging right where my husband needs to park his trailer. The other day I saw a flash of orange but thought I was hallucinating until we found the nest. A Great Blue Heron has visited the pond. We've seen the usual hawks, gulls and vultures. And speaking of birds, the chickens are huge. They perch at night to sleep now and look like miniature adults. It is hard to get a good picture of all of them together but I tried so can compare to their baby pictures. I think they'll be eight weeks old on Monday!

Mother's Day Thank You

2010-05-04T11:20:00.002-04:00

Dear Mom,
Thank you for birthing me (back when they put you in la la land) and never complaining about the episiotomy scar made necessary by my huge head and the forceps (until I had my own scar and needed compassion)
For nursing me for six months even though others thought bottles were better
For being home with us even though your friends thought you'd be bored
For letting me fall asleep draped on your back while you weeded the flower garden
For using bobby pins to make curls from my straight four-year-old hair--Magic!
For showing me how to bake bread and make butter
For the holiday cookie dough we shaped into JOY and PEACE
For making us an ice rink so we could be like Janet Lynn
For helping me change after I wet my pants on the walk to Kindergarten, and never making me feel bad that I was a bedwetter
For never making me your little doll
For realizing that my first grade teacher really was a witch. A real witch.
For rubbing my back to help me fall asleep
For teaching me to knit and sew and stack wood and pick beans
For growing amazing organic produce and canning it for winter
For fresh eggs and milk that you milked yourself from your own cow
For being devoted to the environment, recycling and avoiding toxins
For trips to the fabric store when I wanted to make my own pants or bikini
For helping me pick up a lost stitch (10 rows back) during dinner preparation
For getting me all those books from the library
For making me that amazing Greek Salad on my birthday.
For feeding my boyfriends
For showing me how to ride out storms of all kinds
For showing me how to appreciate the little things that others walk on by
For reading to us until we weighed more than you. Remember The Incredible Journey?
For your beautiful sketches and photographs and baby hats
For walking me down the "aisle" in that beautiful October field even though you were hurting
For making us a real home and being there
For giving me freedom
For understanding that I am an introvert because you are, too

Tough Guy

2010-04-24T19:27:00.008-04:00

I'm Grif. Check out my comb. Believe it or not that's a picture of me over in the sidebar taken about three weeks ago. Mom thinks I'm "cute" but I have plans. Big plans.

Spring Pond

2010-04-24T14:55:00.002-04:00

Chicks: 4 Weeks 1 Day

2010-04-20T18:17:00.001-04:00

The girls are out in the coop and I am a nervous mom checking and checking and checking them. It was time, as they had outgrown their tub and needed room to run and flap. They are having so much fun and they are so much fun to watch that it is hard to get anything else done. I ran an extension cord out with a lamp for heat and used the wire top of our rabbit cage to make them a cozy place. They were more than ready for the large waterer and chick feeder, neither of which would have fit in the bin. If I get freaked out or if they are too cold they can always come back in the house for a night or two. I have a thermometer in with them and have some plans for filling water jugs with hot water to surround their "nest" if the temperature drops too much. Because the coop is barn red it soaked up a lot of sun today and was 75 degrees F with no lamp at 6PM. Oh...I think I may have a rooster! The red chick has a suspiciously large comb and wattles compared to the others, plus behavioral differences.

Chicks: 3 Weeks 3 Days

2010-04-18T12:48:00.002-04:00

The chicks are in that awkward phase now!

Link to the Link

2010-04-16T09:33:00.001-04:00

If you are new to homeschooling, or just need to remind yourself of why you are doing this and what is most important for your family, you may find this article in The Link helpful.
What I Wish Someone Had Told Me At The Beginning

Homeschool Resources: The Library

2010-04-14T08:34:00.007-04:00

"Mom! I'm out of books!"
We have a problem. A book emergency! The kids need the library like I need coffee. Yes, two boys who love the library. We have even had tears in the library more than once because the next book in a series was OUT! I know how hard that is. Once I ran out of ground coffee during a power failure. All I had were whole beans and matches. It was terrible.

My kids have been going to the library since they were in diapers and have never been "socialized" to think it is uncool. They have no trouble asking our wonderful librarians for help and recommendations, or to find a book from another library. Our favorite library resources, besides the obvious, are recorded books and videos, such as the Eyewitness series, that we could never afford to buy. We have also enjoyed video science and art lessons, travel videos, and history documentaries. Add in the museum passes, book discussion groups, art classes, and book sale and I'd say the library is one spectacular homeschool resource! Just the other day I picked up Painless Algebra for fifty cents! It is sweet that we can bring our outgrown books there to donate on an ongoing basis. This helps a bit with decluttering and makes me feel slightly better about the great deal we get. While my kids do not have an easy time parting with anything, the book sale gives them an opportunity to benefit the library in a small way. It all feels so right.

Yesterday we walked into our library and were offered free coffee and little goodies in honor of National Library Week. Long live our wonderful library (which appears on this Top Ten list.) Nothing could sweeten this deal more except free foot massages.

Decluttering Old Records

2010-04-06T22:40:00.006-04:00

There are some things that I have found especially hard to get rid of and my record collection is one of those things. I can't afford to even try to replace those records with cds, and I'm not sure that I really want to. In some cases, like my Joni Mitchell Blue, the album cover is as meaningful to me as the music and would not be the same in a small format. Well tonight I was on YouTube searching for a Peter, Paul and Mary song about baseball. What a revelation. I found it and a bunch of others. No, I can't find every song I want but I found many. Maybe this will help me let go of my moldy old record collection? One of my finds tonight was this early version of For Baby, a song I grew up with and used to sing to my kids.

Two Weeks Old

2010-04-05T07:52:00.002-04:00

Big Feet

2010-04-02T22:24:00.001-04:00

I'll try for another photo soon to show how the chicks have grown huge feet. I noticed that if you rub the bottom of a chick's foot it curls. At one week five days they are full of beans and rapidly leaving the tiny and cute phase. The fuzz continues to be replaced by feathers, especially on the upper wings. They have different personalities and are developing and growing slightly differently. They have all started to look up and notice that there is a greater world out here. They stretch their necks and act like they want to fly up and have a better look. Some will perch on my hand when I put it in. I changed the bulb from a 100 to a 40 watt and they seem fine. The brooder is about 85 degrees.

Dandelions and Shutter Sisters

2010-04-01T17:24:00.002-04:00

I was hopping around the internet gathering virtual flowers when I found this wonderful quote from a recent post on Shutter Sisters. You don't need to be holding a camera or be a photographer to look at the world with a fresh perspective. I especially loved these words as they reminded me to slow down, to observe more carefully and more deeply, and to get down on the grass more often. Click the link and check out Shutter Sisters!

"We are the lucky ones ladies. We look at a weed and see wishes. And we can collect them up and take them with us wherever we choose." Tracey Clark www.shuttersisters.com

Chicks at one Week and One Day

2010-03-30T18:07:00.001-04:00

Pepper, Donut, Feaster, Scratcher,and Grif.

Growing Tails

2010-03-30T11:50:00.001-04:00

Today at one week one day some of the chicks are busy growing tails. There is a lot of hopping about and looking up. When I put my hand in they will perch for a minute. They peck at my wedding ring. Will try a picture later. Right now the wet basement calls.

Okie and the Chicks

2010-03-28T12:17:00.002-04:00

Okie is allowed a short visit with the cause of his mental breakdown.

Chicks: 4 Days Old and Itchy

2010-03-27T07:49:00.004-04:00

The chicks had to move into my office because Okie was just too curious and freaked out by their noises. Now he just paces around the house panting and looking nervous. He has really gone to pieces over this. But the chicks are growing fast and starting to get enough wing tip feathers for me to guess at what they will look like as adults. The one I think is a Buff Orpington is doing the scratch scratch back up and peck routine of adult hens. Very cute. They are all preening and stretching their wings like crazy. It must be tough to grow feathers.

Chick Day

2010-03-25T10:37:00.001-04:00

Chick Day was actually yesterday but we were too busy to post. This is our batch of two day old assorted brown egg layers from mypetchicken.com. They arrived at the post office early and we picked them up at 8:30. They came in a box with chemical hot packs and straw-like packing material. They settled in well. Our homemade brooder is a large Rubbermaid bin lined with newspaper and paper towels. I made a waterer. The top is an old expansion screen with a lamp on top for heat. They are in my kitchen now but will move to the basement when they get too smelly and dusty to be where we eat! Okie is so jealous and needy that it is painful to watch. Of course he will always be our baby.

How to Homeschool a 12 Year Old Boy

2010-03-23T14:27:00.002-04:00

How to have a peaceful day homeschooling your 12 year old boy. First, allow boy to sleep late recognizing that he is in a major growth spurt coupled with something like the worst PMS you have ever had . Next, Refrain from starting right in on how his room looks like a dump and that you are horrified to have raised such a slob and that he needs a haircut. Third, Feed boy one half pound of bacon and a fruit and yogurt smoothie. Allow boy to sit on your bed reading The City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare, from morning through lunch and well into the afternoon with a short break to watch the health care reform signing ceremony. Finally, Offer dense and nutritious bar cookies and milk. The math can come later.

Okie and Magic

2010-03-22T08:14:00.001-04:00

On the Windowsill

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T07:11:00.004-04:00

You never know what might show up at your door. Today a lost Basset Hound came to mine. I hope he'll have good luck and his owner will be here soon. Okie thinks it is really lucky that BH is here. He is smelling him in a most indecent way. At first Okie thought BH was a new kind of cat. Here is a link to a beautiful poem that touched me today. Today.... think Green and "may the clay dance to balance you" (John O'Donohue)

UPDATE: Found dog's owner. By coincidence a schoolmate from the seventies...and not just any schoolmate, but one who drove me crazy in fifth grade by picking on me and teasing me mercilessly. Especially in gym class. For years after, whenever I did something particularly well or gracefully, or had a minor triumph of any kind, I'd think of this boy and imagine him seeing me succeed. And I am not proud to say that I used to imagine running him over with my horse, Specialty. Well, I'd gotten over all that. Really. Today he apologized for being mean when he was eleven, decades having passed. And I actually felt like crying. Somewhere inside there is still a fifth grader and she still wears stop sign shaped glasses.