Monday, 20 May 2013
Turn Your Dollars into {Sense}
Wonderful vlog from lovely Hellena!
These issues are really close to my heart, and I know so many other people's too.
The idea of localising resources to create a more environmentally stable world is a really interesting idea to me.
I'm also interested in co -ops that build up local communities and bring people together on a level playing field; place where everyone's voice can be heard and appreciated.
I love the idea that we can thrive without an imposed system or hierachy. We don't have to be disempowered, cogs in a wheel or passive consumers. We can all have a role that is valued and honored in our community. We all have the right to meaningful work and a meaningful life. Our children have a right to a warm, safe, loving community in which to grow, thrive and find their place.
One thing that really touched me about Hellena's story about her market was when she said "We were all accepted as we were,"
Reminds me a little of this wonderful speech by the wonderful and dear soul that was Mister Rogers.
This morning I watched a movie on TED called "This is Water".
It is a real contrast to the gentle, green, leafiness of Hellena's beautiful bamboo verandah isn't it :)
Do we go through the system to end up here?
... Really?
Do we see one another is such a calluous way?
If so, surely something must be going somewhat wrong.
But, mostly, I'm left wondering why on earth we wouldn't question such an exsistence!
For this planet to begin the healing process we need to see one another, truly, deeply and with love.
It's not just our perspective that has to change. The foundations for our perspective have to change too. They need to be healthy, with healthy values and goals that protect our planet, our communities and our families.
We need to start really seeing one another.
Because it's only when we really get up close, and make a real contact that we truly connect.
And it's when we connect that we can work together and truly be the change we want to see in the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few thoughts that really made me think today from Hellena's blog...
"
These issues are really close to my heart, and I know so many other people's too.
The idea of localising resources to create a more environmentally stable world is a really interesting idea to me.
I'm also interested in co -ops that build up local communities and bring people together on a level playing field; place where everyone's voice can be heard and appreciated.
I love the idea that we can thrive without an imposed system or hierachy. We don't have to be disempowered, cogs in a wheel or passive consumers. We can all have a role that is valued and honored in our community. We all have the right to meaningful work and a meaningful life. Our children have a right to a warm, safe, loving community in which to grow, thrive and find their place.
One thing that really touched me about Hellena's story about her market was when she said "We were all accepted as we were,"
Reminds me a little of this wonderful speech by the wonderful and dear soul that was Mister Rogers.
This morning I watched a movie on TED called "This is Water".
It is a real contrast to the gentle, green, leafiness of Hellena's beautiful bamboo verandah isn't it :)
Do we go through the system to end up here?
... Really?
Do we see one another is such a calluous way?
If so, surely something must be going somewhat wrong.
But, mostly, I'm left wondering why on earth we wouldn't question such an exsistence!
For this planet to begin the healing process we need to see one another, truly, deeply and with love.
It's not just our perspective that has to change. The foundations for our perspective have to change too. They need to be healthy, with healthy values and goals that protect our planet, our communities and our families.
We need to start really seeing one another.
Because it's only when we really get up close, and make a real contact that we truly connect.
And it's when we connect that we can work together and truly be the change we want to see in the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few thoughts that really made me think today from Hellena's blog...
"
Can you put a value on a beautiful day, when the birds are singing
and people are walking around together? How many dollars an hour
does it take to pay you to stay inside and sell things or file papers?
What will you get later that could make up for this day of your life?
How are you affected by being in crowds, by being surrounded by
anonymous masses? Do you find yourself blocking your emotional
responses to other human beings?
And who prepares your meals? Do you ever eat by yourself? Do
you ever eat standing up? How much do you know about what you
eat and where it comes from? How much do you trust it?
What are we deprived of by labour-saving devices? By thought saving devices?
How are you affected by the requirements of efficiency, which place value on the
product rather than the process, on the future rather than the present, the present
moment that is getting shorter and shorter as we speed faster and faster into the future?
What are we speeding towards?
Are we saving time? Saving it up for what?
How are you affected by being moved around in prescribed paths,
in elevators, buses, subways, escalators, on highways and sidewalks?
By moving, working, and living in two- and three- dimensional grids?
How are you affected by being organised, immobilised, and scheduled.......
instead of wandering, roaming freely and spontaneously? Scavenging? Seeing?
How much freedom of movement do you have - freedom to
move through space, to move as far as you want, in new and
unexplored directions?"
Saturday, 18 May 2013
An Update on Our Homeschooling
Inspired by Amy of the beautiful blog "To Love" I thought I'd write a little about how homeschooling has been going this year.
It feels like it's been absolutely forever since I last wrote about our homeschooling journey :)
This past year has been the year where I really shed my expectations and conditioned ideas about what school can be. I had intuitively felt we were carrying too much baggage but was afraid to let it go.
So now "officially" we don't "do" school. We just live.
And it is enough :)
As the years have ticked by I have learnt to trust my instincts more and more. I have begun to work with my body not against it. It's need for nutrition, rest, and movement are more valued than before.
The children naturally work with their bodies needs much more instinctively than I do.
They also don't have any guilt issues around taking a nap, or moving, playing, eating, drinking when needful.
I have found that by being aware of our bodies we are able to naturally self regulate into healthy patterns.
Trust is a big thing in all this home schooling malarky.
I think modern life has made us lose touch with our bodies and our natural insincts.We deprive ourselves, push ourselves, then indulge carelessly until the guilt makes us feel shamed enough to begin the purging cycle once again.
These cycles can be related to eating, cleaning, exercising, working, consuming, and other addictive habits.
Unrealistic expectations, and relentless multitasking all atrophy our connection with soul.
I could write an entire post on how modern media, WiFi, the culture of fear, pollution, bad nutrition and the systematic secularisation of the sacred are numbing our ability to connect with our souls but I save it as I'm aware that I'm already rambling far too much already :)
What has all this got to do with school?
When I was at school a teacher of mine used to say, "lessons are not just learning facts, they are training for the mind."
What kind of training could this be I wondered ? I still wonder this now. Do I want to "train" my children? Do I want to be "trained". Not so sure I do.
Although without a doubt I've been conditioned into a beleif system which has very hardwired and narrow views on what is natural and healthy for a small, growing human being. It has been such a long process of "letting go". Letting go of my preconceptions about what being human is and finding my feet without fear.
So how does this work in practise?
Here's a little peek into a one of our days.... How about yesterday?
Well yesterday We woke up around 7.
Kids all came into bed with us, we chatted, they got hungry, Emmy and Boo took the younger ones down, made breakfast ate.
Boo brought Tani and I a couple of scones and some tea. Tani and I chatted a bit on our own, then got washed and dressed.
Tani went to work. I made us all more tea. Girls were playing with Fina's new birthday toys. Before long lot's of half drunk cups of cold tea began to litter the draining board to keep company with the loitering breakfast bowls.
Emmy went upstairs to work on some content for a local business blog that she writes for.
I read with Nola.
Nola went for a nap.
Fi was stitching a teddy bear from a kit she received as a birthday gift while Boo, Tilly and I took it in turns to read aloud from The Hobbit.
Tilly and Boo did most of the reading while I got to grapple with at least one knotted thread every five minutes :)
We took a break, Tilly went outside to play tennis with Fina.
I went on Pinterest with Boo. Boo likes reading the quotes. She wanted to know what this one meant so she printed it off, took it downstairs, found definitions for the words she didn't understand and we talked about the meaning of the quote, the language used, the context and time in which it was written and whether or not she agrees with it and why.
Tilly came inside a bit sad because Fina kept hitting the ball too high and lost it in the hedge.
I got to go on a treacherous ball finding expedition.
I ask Tilly to help me make salad and pittas for lunch. We have some very interesting and artfully shaped peppers for our salad bowl.
I remember, out of the blue, that we didn't do morning prayers because I didn't want to interrupt the girl's morning play. Wonder if I should suggest them now. But....
Nola wakes up, grumpy and hungry. She eats half the salad off my plate and pushes her own on the floor "accidentally" when I suggest she might like a salad all of her very own.
Girl's ask if we can go out. It's drizzly and rainy. I do some quick mental maths and realise we would only have an hour before getting ready for tennis anyway so decide to stay home.
Emmy practise's a new piece on piano. She is trying to teach herself from grade 6 to 8 this year so she can take the exam without the expense of lessons. Her beloved teacher retired last year and as we are saving like crazypeople this year we're going to hold out.
It is not as easy as she thought it would be, but we get lots of free impromptu classical performances which are really nice and calming, especially if the little are fractious.
Boo gets her lap harp and finds a harmony and they work together on the piece.
Matilda, Nola and I check the plants and take notes on how the veggie plot is coming along. We talk about which flowers are blossoming and which need dead heading. Nola gets a little overexcited with the dead heading part, and harasses the rabbits somewhat till I agree to sit one on my knee for her to pet.
We talk about the difference between perennials, biannual and annuals. And Matilda squeals with delight at the new baby leaves that are beginning to grow on her African Violet cutting.
Fi bounces on the trampoline and squeals and chatters and interrupts, and shows me a number of impressive "Circus Tricks" that she is going to do when she finally joins the circus, ( a perfect occupation for her I think) and then squeals some more.
She does this a lot. Bouncing mainly, but squealing too! and chattering....Oh the chattering!!!
I have tried to force her to sit down and work with me on her reading and maths before, but she simply can't do it. And if she does do it she'll be a spring unsprung afterword and quite out of sorts. I'm glad we can wait until she is developmentally ready to take an interest in books. She is such a free spirit and a beautiful, strong, effervescent soul. I don't want to dowse that.
I tell the three middles to put their tennis clothes on and collect their rackets . Adding as an afterthought oft neglected.... ( REMEMBER TO FOLD THE CLOTHES YOU'RE WEARING BACK INTO YOUR DRAWS...UNLESS THEY ARE REALLY FILTHY INWHICHCASE THEY CAN GO IN THE LAUNDRY BASKET!!!)
In the gentleset, calmest of tones of course....Ahem.
I get Nola changed.
Boo cries and cries whenever I brush her hair, so I chop about 3 inches off the tangled ends and promise her she can choose a style on Saturday and I'll give her a proper grown up haircut.
I wrap a handful of bannana muffins that Tilly made a couple of days ago and fill a couple of bottles with water and we head out the door.
We get to tennis about 5 minutes late as usual.
While Tilly And Fi are at Tennis. Emmy, Boo, Nola and I visit a friend.
She is having an art class and Boo and Emmy watch while I take Nola out in the garden where she fills her pockets with "beeeful dones" "beautiful stones".
Then we say farewell, pick up the two stragglers and drop Boo off for her lesson.
When I arrive home a friend who is staying with us has graciously washed up and started dinner.
The girls watch "Kristen's Fairy Garden" and I tidy up a bit and go and have a cup of tea upstairs on my own.
Tani and Boo arrive home. We eat. Tani drops Emmy off at her scout group because they are having a camp this weekend and she is a young leader which means she gets to do all the camps.
It's a beautiful rainy evening. I love the sound of rain outside at dusk. The leaves of the sycamore are emerald and sparkling.
We say prayers by the window I light some candles. Nola keeps trying to touch the candles so they are quickly blown out. The sacred moment is undermined somewhat by little wriggly, squirmy, girlie.
Tani takes the girls to bed. I work on some knitting and sewing for my shop downstairs.
Once girlies' are "eventually" asleep (or at least not running in and out of one another's bedrooms on important covert missions such as finding their special chicky, or retrieving a long lost book.) Tani joins us and I work and we chat and drink a glass of red wine, till around midnight. I come upstairs read a blog post or three and fall into the loveliness that is complete darkness and silence of those moments before sleep overcomes.
And thus, I present one random day among many :)
I think the essential ingredients to our home school are these.
It feels like it's been absolutely forever since I last wrote about our homeschooling journey :)
This past year has been the year where I really shed my expectations and conditioned ideas about what school can be. I had intuitively felt we were carrying too much baggage but was afraid to let it go.
So now "officially" we don't "do" school. We just live.
And it is enough :)
As the years have ticked by I have learnt to trust my instincts more and more. I have begun to work with my body not against it. It's need for nutrition, rest, and movement are more valued than before.
The children naturally work with their bodies needs much more instinctively than I do.
They also don't have any guilt issues around taking a nap, or moving, playing, eating, drinking when needful.
I have found that by being aware of our bodies we are able to naturally self regulate into healthy patterns.
Trust is a big thing in all this home schooling malarky.
I think modern life has made us lose touch with our bodies and our natural insincts.We deprive ourselves, push ourselves, then indulge carelessly until the guilt makes us feel shamed enough to begin the purging cycle once again.
These cycles can be related to eating, cleaning, exercising, working, consuming, and other addictive habits.
Unrealistic expectations, and relentless multitasking all atrophy our connection with soul.
I could write an entire post on how modern media, WiFi, the culture of fear, pollution, bad nutrition and the systematic secularisation of the sacred are numbing our ability to connect with our souls but I save it as I'm aware that I'm already rambling far too much already :)
What has all this got to do with school?
When I was at school a teacher of mine used to say, "lessons are not just learning facts, they are training for the mind."
What kind of training could this be I wondered ? I still wonder this now. Do I want to "train" my children? Do I want to be "trained". Not so sure I do.
Although without a doubt I've been conditioned into a beleif system which has very hardwired and narrow views on what is natural and healthy for a small, growing human being. It has been such a long process of "letting go". Letting go of my preconceptions about what being human is and finding my feet without fear.
So how does this work in practise?
Here's a little peek into a one of our days.... How about yesterday?
Well yesterday We woke up around 7.
Kids all came into bed with us, we chatted, they got hungry, Emmy and Boo took the younger ones down, made breakfast ate.
Boo brought Tani and I a couple of scones and some tea. Tani and I chatted a bit on our own, then got washed and dressed.
Tani went to work. I made us all more tea. Girls were playing with Fina's new birthday toys. Before long lot's of half drunk cups of cold tea began to litter the draining board to keep company with the loitering breakfast bowls.
Emmy went upstairs to work on some content for a local business blog that she writes for.
I read with Nola.
Nola went for a nap.
Fi was stitching a teddy bear from a kit she received as a birthday gift while Boo, Tilly and I took it in turns to read aloud from The Hobbit.
Tilly and Boo did most of the reading while I got to grapple with at least one knotted thread every five minutes :)
We took a break, Tilly went outside to play tennis with Fina.
I went on Pinterest with Boo. Boo likes reading the quotes. She wanted to know what this one meant so she printed it off, took it downstairs, found definitions for the words she didn't understand and we talked about the meaning of the quote, the language used, the context and time in which it was written and whether or not she agrees with it and why.
Tilly came inside a bit sad because Fina kept hitting the ball too high and lost it in the hedge.
I got to go on a treacherous ball finding expedition.
I ask Tilly to help me make salad and pittas for lunch. We have some very interesting and artfully shaped peppers for our salad bowl.
I remember, out of the blue, that we didn't do morning prayers because I didn't want to interrupt the girl's morning play. Wonder if I should suggest them now. But....
Nola wakes up, grumpy and hungry. She eats half the salad off my plate and pushes her own on the floor "accidentally" when I suggest she might like a salad all of her very own.
Girl's ask if we can go out. It's drizzly and rainy. I do some quick mental maths and realise we would only have an hour before getting ready for tennis anyway so decide to stay home.
Emmy practise's a new piece on piano. She is trying to teach herself from grade 6 to 8 this year so she can take the exam without the expense of lessons. Her beloved teacher retired last year and as we are saving like crazypeople this year we're going to hold out.
It is not as easy as she thought it would be, but we get lots of free impromptu classical performances which are really nice and calming, especially if the little are fractious.
Boo gets her lap harp and finds a harmony and they work together on the piece.
Matilda, Nola and I check the plants and take notes on how the veggie plot is coming along. We talk about which flowers are blossoming and which need dead heading. Nola gets a little overexcited with the dead heading part, and harasses the rabbits somewhat till I agree to sit one on my knee for her to pet.
We talk about the difference between perennials, biannual and annuals. And Matilda squeals with delight at the new baby leaves that are beginning to grow on her African Violet cutting.
Fi bounces on the trampoline and squeals and chatters and interrupts, and shows me a number of impressive "Circus Tricks" that she is going to do when she finally joins the circus, ( a perfect occupation for her I think) and then squeals some more.
She does this a lot. Bouncing mainly, but squealing too! and chattering....Oh the chattering!!!
I have tried to force her to sit down and work with me on her reading and maths before, but she simply can't do it. And if she does do it she'll be a spring unsprung afterword and quite out of sorts. I'm glad we can wait until she is developmentally ready to take an interest in books. She is such a free spirit and a beautiful, strong, effervescent soul. I don't want to dowse that.
I tell the three middles to put their tennis clothes on and collect their rackets . Adding as an afterthought oft neglected.... ( REMEMBER TO FOLD THE CLOTHES YOU'RE WEARING BACK INTO YOUR DRAWS...UNLESS THEY ARE REALLY FILTHY INWHICHCASE THEY CAN GO IN THE LAUNDRY BASKET!!!)
In the gentleset, calmest of tones of course....Ahem.
I get Nola changed.
Boo cries and cries whenever I brush her hair, so I chop about 3 inches off the tangled ends and promise her she can choose a style on Saturday and I'll give her a proper grown up haircut.
I wrap a handful of bannana muffins that Tilly made a couple of days ago and fill a couple of bottles with water and we head out the door.
We get to tennis about 5 minutes late as usual.
While Tilly And Fi are at Tennis. Emmy, Boo, Nola and I visit a friend.
She is having an art class and Boo and Emmy watch while I take Nola out in the garden where she fills her pockets with "beeeful dones" "beautiful stones".
Then we say farewell, pick up the two stragglers and drop Boo off for her lesson.
When I arrive home a friend who is staying with us has graciously washed up and started dinner.
The girls watch "Kristen's Fairy Garden" and I tidy up a bit and go and have a cup of tea upstairs on my own.
Tani and Boo arrive home. We eat. Tani drops Emmy off at her scout group because they are having a camp this weekend and she is a young leader which means she gets to do all the camps.
It's a beautiful rainy evening. I love the sound of rain outside at dusk. The leaves of the sycamore are emerald and sparkling.
We say prayers by the window I light some candles. Nola keeps trying to touch the candles so they are quickly blown out. The sacred moment is undermined somewhat by little wriggly, squirmy, girlie.
Tani takes the girls to bed. I work on some knitting and sewing for my shop downstairs.
Once girlies' are "eventually" asleep (or at least not running in and out of one another's bedrooms on important covert missions such as finding their special chicky, or retrieving a long lost book.) Tani joins us and I work and we chat and drink a glass of red wine, till around midnight. I come upstairs read a blog post or three and fall into the loveliness that is complete darkness and silence of those moments before sleep overcomes.
And thus, I present one random day among many :)
I think the essential ingredients to our home school are these.
- Working with and not against our bodies needs.
- Trusting my instincts and being flexible.
- Creating a home where beauty is honoured and mess is embraced.
- Strewing, and exposure to many different things that will ignite their curiosity.
- Facilitating and supporting their passions.
- Reading and learning from living books.
- Saying Yes to the children! As much as possible.
- Remembering to also say yes to myself which might mean saying no to them at times.
- Learning how to work together while honouring the differences between us.
- Lots of outdoor time, even if that's just garden play.
- Art and Crafts.
- Time for friends and community.
- Making a concious effort to learn from and respect other cultures, belief systems and perspectives.
- Doing less. But doing with a sense of purpose and meaning.
- Allowing natural day to day life to be the primary teacher.
- Making time every day to honour the sacred and holy.
- Integrating the sacred with the everyday; making everyday work a form of prayer
Friday, 17 May 2013
{This Moment} - Some "moments from Fi's Birthday yesterday that make me smile ...
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A
single photo { a couple of photos in this case} - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple,
special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and
remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.
Idea found over @ SoulMama
Have a wonderful weekend :)
Thursday, 16 May 2013
Now we are 6
A few of Seraphina's favourite things!
What was your favourite birthday present? I don’t have a favourite. I love all of them!
What is your favourite colour? Pink and Purple
What is your favourite toy? My Dolls and my Wand.
What do you love to do best in all the world? Dress up.
What is your favourite food? Pancakes with syrup and
strawberries.
What is your favourite place in all the world? The place
where we go roller-skating.
Who are your favourite friends? Sidney and Brodie.
What’s your favourite thing to do with Mummy? Cuddle, kiss
and make things and say we love each other.
What is your favourite thing to do with Daddy? Play together
and make up stories. He is silly and funny sometimes isn't he!
What is your favourite animal? Chameleons cause they change colours and they look very lovely and kind. And pigs because they are very cute and what is it called when they oink, is it snort? That is very cute.
Where would be your favourite place to go on holiday?
Albania.
What was your favourite birthday present? I don’t have a favourite. I love all of them!
Monday, 13 May 2013
Today
A Daybook linked with my dear blogging friend Amy Danielle.
I am reading:
Walter Wink's book, "Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way." and following Tonia's great series on the book over @ Study in Brown.
I am listening to:
I am writing:
Here.
I am feeling:
Overwhelmed, at peace, frustrated, melancholy, joyful, excited, prayerful, grateful...and a wee bit tired. throughout these, busy, full days of motherhood. All intermittent except the tired part :)
For dinner tonight:
Pasta with simple garlic, chili and olive oil.
I'd like to share:
Some pictures from today... Spent mainly in the garden.
 |
| Rainbow window stars still up from a certain small someone's rainbow themed birthday. |
 |
| Our Springish window star! |
 |
| Can you see our new little pets? Yes they really are shrimps! |
 |
| Poppy fell out of her pushchair today, she needed a paper towel bandage and lots of cuddles and tea ( and cake :) Thankfully she is feeling much better now. |
 |
| I can't beleive how well loved our waldorf dolls are! Although after a day of garden play I'm thinking they are looking a little grubby and could do with a bath. |
 |
| Green is such a healing colour. Sometimes I'll just spend time gazing at my garden boards on pinterest and I'll come away feeling all revived and renewed. Green is very cleansing. |
 |
| Our fairy garden |
 |
| I sewed this pinafore for Emmy years ago! It has been worn by each child in turn so I have certainly got my efforts worth in :) I think this is the way with homemade clothing. It is valued so much more. This dress is covered in repair jobs! |
 |
| As soon as Seraphina knows I'm taking photos of her she poses in the most amusing ways. I love her "natural" pensive poses best of all I think :) |
 |
| Seraphina loves to pick bay leaves for me to put in stews and soups. |
 |
| A simple bird feeder the girls made at rainbows! |
 |
| Old fashioned Primulas and cowslips, my favourites (including aquilegias) One day when I'm an old purple wearing lady, I'll have a small nursery that you'll only be able to find down some obscure country lane and it'll sell nothing but pots and pots of primula's cowslips and aquilegias :) |
 |
| A little silence and Seraphina's posy littering the loveliest pollen all over the table. |
Saturday, 11 May 2013
Yeast
The path becomes a meadow beneath your feet,
I know this way is taking me home.
I follow you
for gentleness follows you.
You are a glimpse of sunlight,
beneath the fig leaves.
With you, the noise of engines cease and life is simple.
Silence and love are the only work.
We sit upon a rock, gaze skyward
and learn from birds,
and fish and the slow assurance
of trees.
What we see becomes;
Look only on goodness.
Plant a garden in the concrete
Mess up the neat lawn verges with wild flower seeds.
Be yeast
Let your love be the yeast that rises the heaviness of this dough,
Making it light,
Making it nourishing.
Making it real.
I know this way is taking me home.
I follow you
for gentleness follows you.
You are a glimpse of sunlight,
beneath the fig leaves.
With you, the noise of engines cease and life is simple.
Silence and love are the only work.
We sit upon a rock, gaze skyward
and learn from birds,
and fish and the slow assurance
of trees.
What we see becomes;
Look only on goodness.
Plant a garden in the concrete
Mess up the neat lawn verges with wild flower seeds.
Be yeast
Let your love be the yeast that rises the heaviness of this dough,
Making it light,
Making it nourishing.
Making it real.
Thursday, 9 May 2013
When loneliness comes stalking
When loneliness comes stalking, go into the fields, consider
the orderliness of the world. Notice
something you have never noticed before,
like the tambourine sound of the snow-cricket
whose pale green body is no longer than your thumb.
Stare hard at the hummingbird, in the summer rain,
shaking the water-sparks from its wings.
Let grief be your sister, she will whether or not.
Rise up from the stump of sorrow, and be green also,
like the diligent leaves.
A lifetime isn't long enough for the beauty of this world
and the responsibilities of your life.
Scatter your flowers over the graves, and walk away.
Be good-natured and untidy in your exuberance.
In the glare of your mind, be modest.
And beholden to what is tactile, and thrilling.
Live with the beetle, and the wind.
~ Mary Oliver ~
From The Leaf and the Cloud: A Poem
H/T A Circle of Quiet
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
The Role of Play in Childhood {video}
This is a really wonderful video illustrating, once again, the importance of play in child development.
Saturday, 4 May 2013
Thursday, 2 May 2013
extraneous
If what I'm reading, believing in, watching or hearing doesn't make me more
compassionate or loving, if it doesn't make my
heart warmer, my soul richer, or increase
my empathy,
If it does not make me more tender and forgiving toward myself and others,
I simply have to let it go.
Wednesday, 24 April 2013
{Yarn Along} A Dolly Sweater
{Knitting}
I have finally completed a sweater pattern for a 12 inch Waldorf Doll.
I had already created a Brambleberry cabled sweater for a 16 inch and an 18 inch waldorf doll, but the littler dolls were feeling left out (and rather chilly I suppose) and insisted that I make them some warm woolens too! So here they are :)
{Reading}
Reading has been pushed a little to the margins this week.
Sometimes, when you are really busy all you want is a small energy bite of something nourishing instead of a full three course meal.
Of late, I've been taking in a just poem and or a devotional just before bed to settle my heart and mind on gentle things :)
Hear is a beautiful Poem re-read again last night.
~
Sonnets from the Portuguese
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