Hope4mama

Yes, it is really still me, like a year later. <blush>  Oh well life has been busy what can I say.  Before this summer I was the proverbial ‘chicken with her head cut off’.  I was in the kitchen, cleaning, washing, hanging, driving, going going gone…  Then I was pregnant.  Tough early pregnancy with ups and downs and finally finding out that I was carrying twins!  Off the next day across the country for the most life changing event of my life and the most unfortunate event of my life.  Mid summer I went into premature labor with my twin girls.  Abigail was stillborn and Zaria fought hard in the NICU for 38 days until the Sunday sunrise when she died in our arms.

Yep, life changing.  My writing is currently focused on this event so if you want more hope4mama then check out my recent blog:

http://twnflower.blogspot.com/

Maybe I’ll come back here when I can write of something other than my baby girls’, their lives, deaths and my living without them.

Yes I should be busily cleaning my house but first to nourish myself with a quickie—a blog post.

My grandmother (or Granny as my kids refer to her) will be celebrating her 85th birthday in a couple weeks.  I am so thankful to have her in my life and she is a cheery spot at that.  When I feel the weight of the world on my sensitive feelings I dial her number knowing that I will receive a sympathetic ear and a little advice.

My family returns to my hometown once a month to visit her for the day.  DH does yardwork, the kids do all types of things, and I get to return the favor of the listening ear and grap a nap.  We have created traditions in the visit.  The kids get a little ‘surprise’ and ice cream in a special bowl with spoon.  I bring lunch and then we eat at the local Mexican restaurant for supper.  Grandma is good for trying my less than mainstream foods but I have also chosen things that are fairly recognizable to her.  A favorite is hotdogs always to be accompanied with sauerkraut.  We have been busy at home and relying on the Bubby’s brand to suffice until our homemade batch was complete.  This is what I brought Granny on our lastest visit.  I was a bit hesitant but  SHE LOVED IT!  It was such a small fun treat for me that she enjoyed this yummy, healthy, HOMEMADE  food.

I began my sauerkraut making journey with Sandor Katz’s book WILD FERMENTATION.  I love that he offers many options, also is laid back in the directions and a history/story accompanies several of the recipes.

Anyway Hoorah for Granny eating our homemade sauerkraut.  Here is hoping that will enhance the years she spends on this earth.

This picture is about 5.5 years old as Granny is holding our now six year old girl. awww….

Granny and baby girl, December '04

So sweet

First off, Thanks Ms. Maria for encouraging me to get back to blogging!  Just writing a short something here and there and simplify to like one picture–gasp!  This is so nourishing and this mama is needing nourishing!

So  I have created a club for a select group of homeschool kids named CELEBRATING NATURE WITH KIDS.  I have so much fun researching and sharing and celebrating another of my passions:  seasonal rhythms.  So far we have met once a month, September was the autumnal equinox and October was Samhain or Halloween.  Tomorrow I am presenting Thanksgiving or perhaps we can call it ‘just another’ harvest festival. (I also delved into the Moon Festival from China in our book club where the kids created their own festivals—some highlights: Shapes Festival, Space Aliens Festival, Thomas the Train festival, Tractor Festival, Animals Festival, Fall Festival, and my girl needed to wrap all her ideas into one by featuring the Beautiful Love Fall Ocean Festival.)

BrainStorming for our festival creations!

Tomorrow will be interesting.  As I have delved into the history of Thanksgiving I have really had my eyes (and mind, thankfully) opened.  I don’t really get the feeling that Native Indians are real happy to celebrate the landing of the English and the setting up of their first colony.  The original feast that the Thanksgiving myth is based upon was given in 1621.  The Separatists (they did not call themselves pilgrims) had a bountiful harvest that fall (thanks to the local Wampanoag tribe) and chose to follow an old time English tradition of a fall harvest festival.  It is not clear if there was a definite invitation to the Indians or if the local tribe was just aroused by the shooting of several guns (since 90 MEN showed up at the ‘feast’).  The two groups were together for three days to eat, play games, have art and music and so forth.  This celebration has not continued in the following years as a tradition.  There was another fall celebration deemed ‘thanksgiving’ a couple years later to actually give thanks for rain after a long drought(the Separatists).

Here is probably where some historian got confused and then further white Americans romanticized the 1621 celebration in art and literature as the Thanksgiving celebration that many of us have learned about or seen in advertising.

I am not sure how much of this confusion I will introduce to my group of 2-7 year olds tomorrow.  We will chat about the actual formation of the national holiday and the woman who worked hard for 17 years to make this a reality.  Hmmm, so much to say about this ‘opening of the eyes and mind’—sure makes these holidays and stories not quite fit into the quaint neat boxes that folks have laid them.  We will make ‘thanks giving tree’ and nature crafts, collect food for donations, and enjoy the beautiful fall colors.

Next week on the national holiday deemed Thanksgiving, I think I will be giving thanks for remembering to give thanks and also for the quest of knowledge (over a yummy meal shared with friends and family of course!)

BTW other than the internet I found a lot of information in the book 1621 A NEW LOOK AT THANKSGIVING put out by the National Geographic Society.  It inspired me to plan a homeschool field trip to Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Mass to observe a living history museum of the 17th century Plymouth.

Peace.

Time:  something I crave to have more of and manage better.  I just have not figure out how to accomplish these things.  The one thing I figure is most expendable is my time on the computer but.. but.. but.. I love chatting and reading (and wasting time) on the computer.  I do wish I was more savvy with this machine then I could quickly turn out more blog posts instead of taking time ‘forcing’ my computer to do as i say!

Here is a funny picture that shows where much of my time does go:  to the kitchen.

Left to Right: Tomatoes from the garden going to grandma’s house, crockpot with beef bones to make stock for homemade dog food, elderberries cooking down to be made ready for syrup, eggshells to be dried in oven and then ground for chickens to eat, garden tomatoes cooking down for freezing, tall mason jar of lemons to make lotions for dog’s bath, cabbage sliced and ready to be chopped for sauerkraut.

And I wonder where the time goes.

It is kind of funny for all the lists and schedules I make I still am super stretched on time and now for the awakening: I miss time with my kids!  Now of course we spend plenty of time in the van, hanging/schooling with friends and getting ready for this or that but I NEED some one on two quality time with them.  I know I have a tendency to overextend myself and with as many cool things that are available to us it is really hard to say NO.  But I am focusing on this and I WILL make some time and we WILL enjoy it (or not but at least we’ll be making some memories).

To finish off this post I have to share a story of this evening in the kitchen.  I have adopted Papa Luke as my saurkraut maker.  Not only because he has big strong arm muscles and ‘stick-to-it-ive-ness’ but because he pounds the cabbage to the time of some awesome rhythms and beat boxing!  Thanks Papa Luke for good saurkraut memories and not too mention some kick butt kraut!

I hear third time is a charm and that was exactly true of our berry picking excursion.  After two tries to leave the house early in the morning for a berry farm outside of Oxford, NC (the first two failed because Little D is being an extraordinarily light sleeper these days) we finally made the 1.5 hour trip out to the farm.  About four hours of picking (mostly ma and pa) we came away with 31 pounds of yummy big blueberries (var. Premier).

This farm has been around for a number of years and therefore yields huge plants.  The original planting family still owns and runs the farm consisting of Mom, two sons and a daughter.  They sell their fruits(apples, pears, berries) at the Carrboro Farmers’ Markets and as a pick your own venture.  There are seven varieties of blueberries planted meant to last from early July through October.  With the recent frequency of hot, dry weather the berries are coming on much earlier.  Example the Premiers that we picked from today used to be an early August variety but they are almost to the end of their peak as of late July.

The drive was worth every berry and we will continue to use this farm as our main picking spot in years to come.

546 Walnut Grove Road
Oxford, NC 27565
Granville  County
Office Phone: (919) 693-8591

Yay! I am finally back and I have a terrific story to share.  My family and I have lived in our neighborhood for four years.  Many summer days I have pushed a stroller/pulled a wagon/walked alongside my kids along one particular street.  As we walk my eyes are constantly searching out the landscapes mostly for useful weeds.  One home has a great little edible garden (these are few and far between), fruit and nut trees and a fabulous stand of elderberry.  I have salivated over these elderberries (Sambucus nigra) each mid summer watching the flowers form into clusters of ripe fruits and then the birds quickly harvesting the abundance.  During the transformation I hem and haw over approaching the landowner in hopes of discussing their gardening endeavors AND gaining the key to harvesting the elderberries.

Well this season I finally found the c-c-c-courage.  I knocking on their door one evening while trying to catch my nervous breath under an amazing fig tree:  no answer.  So I broke the law and entered their mailbox to leave a note (i think it is breaking a law and I was hoping I wouldn’t offend them too much).

ok, enough of the buildup–they called and told me to come on over. Oh excitement…four years since I have had the opportunity to harvest elderberry….GIVE THANKS!!!  Big D and I visited the house just in time to meet the neighbor and the resident nurse.  They were great and we stood under the tall elderberry plants chatting about herbs and such.  It was so empowering, loving and happy.  As we talked Big D harvested the berries and some malabar spinach from the garden.

Little D holding elderberries

Later that night Little D helped me remove the berries and they now lay in wait for me to research my method of medicine making.  I hope to make a syrup for a winter tonic to help boost the immune systems of my family.  I would love to make a wine or mead but unsure if I am ready for anything too complex (time wise).

Side note: the next day as Papa prepared Big D’s hair for combing he found that she had snipped her pigtails (differently lengths of course).  She admitted that while having the harvesting scissors in her hands that she was moved to give herself her very first haircut (one day before age 6).

more about elderberries and the method we choose later–gotta post now because i just gotta!!!

hint: elderberry is great for stimulating the immune system

I have had some important ideas swimming around and itching my fingers but the words are not ready to flow as of yet.

Until then I wanted to update folks on the Botany class.  It is awesome.  First of all to set aside some special time (I really do like deadlines or I shall call them lifelines) in which I can study one particular thing; this is better than a bowl of chocolate ice cream.  Second I am enjoying the book BOTANY IN A DAY by Thomas Elpel.  He is funny and interesting and not too over the top ‘science-y’.  Thirdly I am in a deeper appreciation to the natural world around me due to this reading.

In the recent past I have shrugged off the formal learning of science and leaned more heavily on the magic of intuition and natural love.  This is a great offering to the world but only gets you so far.  I ‘knew’ certain things to work well for healing of body or garden but I now know these ‘feelings’ are easier to understand and teach others as I feather my nest with scientific knowledge.  I am thankful for this opportunity that Marc has offered to facilitate the teaching of plant families.  This will make identification and uses of earth’s green goodness easier to remember, teach and apply.

At a birthday party I was reintroduced to a friend who was inspired to draw the inside of one flower for each letter of the alphabet.  I love hearing about an idea (like this one), conjuring it up in my mind and then being surprised at what it looks like for this artist.

Here is an example:

“This is my version of the ABC wall cards for kids using flowers. My favorite part of biology was dissection, but all we did was baby pigs. I found it absolutely fascinating and feel not at all bad when doing it to plants! I can only draw from life- a flower in my hand; the resistance of the blade on the petal, the stalk, the ovum; the passing of the years as I miss the blooms in preference for the blooming of my own little buds…”

Eileen Chevalier,  artist

http://www.etsy.com/shop/maeula

Ok I have some posts brewing in the background but I wanted to investigate the current thoughts/feelings I am experiencing.  I stumbled across a chasm of information in the form of Alan Muskat the Mushroom Man.  Alan is another local celeb from my recent hometown of Asheville, NC.  I say ‘chasm’ because Alan is one of those folks that when i read about/think about makes me realize that they are hugely willing and able to devote their energies to study the love of their life (and many make a living from this as well).  This is one of the things I miss about life in Asheville.  I also start missing that beautiful mountain region as I see pictures of my peeps that are still there: wild hair, flowing costumes, hugs, dancing and music, sitting on the ground and ogling over plants and even going bra-less. (I finally got the guts to do this in Raleigh Whole Foods although I still donned two shirts and tended to sling my arm across my chest.)  I miss these freedoms and the support to celebrate them.

What does a girl do who has lived in a shack or a tent in the country for ten years; what does she do when she moves down to the Capitol Shitty to save humanity and teach them/bribe them into growing their OWN food?!?!

I think I am getting a little crazy on you all so let me celebrate some of these beautiful Ashevillians with you:

Luke and I moved to Weaverville, NC with our nine month old baby girl to take part in community living.  We came from a

Red Sky Shelters

homestead in Marshall that was situated at the end of a mile long bumpy dirt road(which washed away soon after the baby was born).  Pshaw on that dream of doing it all yourself out in the boondocks; that is lonely!  We moved onto Peter (of Red Sky Shelters) and Chama’s  (of Beginning With Birth) land.  A few of us lived in yomes, shared a community garden and a community kitchen.  The yomes were magnificent (sleeping in a round structure makes for awesome dreams).  Check them out at

http://redskyshelters.com/index.php?page=faq

If you scroll to the bottom of the page you will see the magestic Mama Chama meditating in one of the yomes.

the Mushroom Man

I mentioned Alan at the beginning of this post.  I actually  met him through Chama and Peter as he was best buddies with their young child.  Check out his fun site for laughs, info and mushroom ordering:

http://www.alanmuskat.com/index.htm

As our time in Asheville drew to a close Alan helped host a benefit drive to help out friend Sandy(clinical herbalist and landscaper) move into her first house.  One of the performers was our favorite kid/family musician Billy Jonas.  You would be missing out if you did not check out his website (and sometimes he comes to the area):

Billy Jonas

http://www.billyjonas.com/index.php?page=home

I could go on and on about these folks(and many more!) and I probably will in the future.  Don’t think I have forgotten my new friends and contacts in the Piedmont.  They will show up in another post but for a little tidbit check out my son’s favorite farm and our recent camp experience:

http://www.clappinghandsfarm.com/

OK.  Handing out props and thanks to others helps mend my mood.

Giving thanks and praise!

I would like to introduce my good friend and brother Marc Williams.  His light is soft and embracing and his knowledge blows my socks off.  Marc has graciously decided to offer an online botany class.  Of course my DH and I signed up, sent a donation and ordered the current class text.  If you are interested check out Marc’s website and join ASAP.  If you are local then we have the added benefit of getting together to discuss the class and a professor from NCSU’s hort. department has offered a hands-on lab.

And really who can resist this smile!

http://www.botanyeveryday.com/index.tpl

I have been hemming and hawing on what to do about a regular group thing for Big D’s upcoming ‘school year’.  Co-ops are cropping up and my upbringing tears at me saying “no, don’t miss out on this and don’t miss out on that!”  But good old intuition (as long as I make the space to listen) says take your time and ‘feel’ what fits for you and the kids.

Big D has asked to teach kids to act and put on skits together.  I love all these soulful kid music/dance/games I have recently learned and want to share.  We all have a total love for art and literature right now sooooo…

Artistic Adventures Club for the Young and Young at Heart:)  Title needs a bit of work and logistics need lots of help (what does ‘young at heart’ mean anyway?).

Overall I am excited to ‘feel’ good about this decision and now to get to the nitty gritty:  details, planning, and (glup) follow through!!!  Please send inspiration, ideas and three cheers my way.