Everyday Life for Four Seasons

We went to visit my older sister, Jennifer, and her family over April vacation. It's always an adventure when we go there - Jennifer has a lot of energy and it's fun to hang out with family. We celebrated my 36th birthday there (with little fanfare, as it should be at 36...). One of the nature highlights was a walk down the hill to Little River, which runs through their back yard.


There were consumer highlights as well. For one, I found the Preserve toothbrushes at Jennifer's Target on sale for $1.84 a toothbrush, which I consider very reasonable. Secondly, we took a trip to Trader Joe's and I stocked up big-time on all kinds of neat things. They also sell the toothbrushes but they cost a little more. I bought lots of shampoos and soap and of course the condiments and grain mixes I miss so much. I love Trader Joe's! I find it so crazy that they are owned by the same company that owns Aldi, because the stores are so different in character.


Next weekend we'll get together again to witness the marriage ceremony of Emily, our younger sister, to Harry. Jennifer and I have both been working on some painted table decorations and I will post a photo when they're done. We're excited for the wedding!


I had posted about taking Erma to the vet because she's losing weight again. She's down to her lowest weight in years - eleven and a half pounds. The doctor reminds me that she's still overweight, and certainly not starving, but I like to remind him that a sudden drop in body weight is not something to be ignored. After lots of bloodwork and some extra fluids, I found out that Erma continues to be as healthy as a kitten and she's most likely just old and feeling ignored. Poor Erma. She's curled up next to me on the lap quilt as I write this. She's a sweet girl.


My Healthy Planet, Healthy Child class met last night. Our discussion topic was about children and creativity, a topic very close to my heart. If I had to sum up the discussion in one sentence (okay, maybe more...), I would say that we took away the idea that creativity is defined by more than just the arts. It's about wanting to learn, being curious, and thinking without limits. And parents can nurture creativity by, among other things, providing lots of unstructured time - some of it quiet, some not - and by taking time to truly interact with our children, to listen more than talk, to answer questions, and to make an effort to find out even more answers together.


We talked a lot about how to have unstructured time in this structured world. How to simplify life enough to live in the moment some of the time. By the number of magazine and web article devoted to this topic, I know we're not the only people wondering how to do this. We didn't come up with any answers, but it was nice to see how we all try to do it. The bottom line is that we can't do it all, and something has to give. If we can first define our values and what is important to us, it's easier to put the emphasis on the important things rather than decide what needs less attention.

It's a big topic...

Today was a great day.

The service at church had a Native American theme to it, and the title was, "Honoring Our Mother Earth." There was chanting and a totem pole and even a smudge ceremony! It was a wonderful reminder that there are many ways to respect the Earth. It's amazing to think that the Native American cultures not only survived but thrived by respecting and trusting nature. Jeff and I are inspired to learn more.


We all got to take home a spruce sapling from church and those of us who put a little something in the offering basket got a packet of wildflower seeds. After 'H's nap we planted both.


Jeff taught 'A' how to water the tree.


A Navajo Night Chant:

May it be happy before me.
May it be happy behind me.
May it be happy below me.
May it be happy above me.
With it happy all around me, may I walk.
It is finished in beauty...
It is finished in beauty.


We planted the wildflower seeds in the backyard, near a big patch of existing wildflowers. We know that they like it back there.


"Grandmother Earth, hear me! The two-leggeds, the four-leggeds, the wingeds, all that move upon You are Your children. With all beings and all things we shall be as relatives; just as we are related to you, O Mother." - Black Elk


I found something super-cool online. A toothbrush made out of recycled plastic! Not only that, but when you're done with it, you send it back and they use it to make other recycled materials. HOW COOL IS THAT? At $2.79 per toothbrush, I think it sounds like something we'll start purchasing. Best of all, they are not only sold online but at local retailers. I love it! Check it out here: http://preserveproducts.com/products/toothbrush.html


Our established wildflowers are happy, and are already coming up.

It's finally warm enough (kind of) to get out and play in the sandbox! This was a present to 'A' and 'H' from their grandparents and Jeff and his dad set it up last week. It's in the shade for the whole day, which will be great in the middle of the summer, but for now, it's a bit chilly in there!


I took Erma, our cat, to the vet today. She turns 16 years old in 3 weeks. She's old. She's losing more weight. The vet took blood and gave her some fluids, and I'll know next week if there's anything I need to be concerned about. Part of me thinks she's doing her "thing" that she does when she feel neglected. So now I am going to shut off the computer and snuggle with her. Have a great night.

I have a million and one things to do right now. A sensible person would tell me to put down the camera and pick up the pace. Thank goodness there aren't any sensible people here with me today!


It's close to the end of 'H's naptime and I still have to finish preparing the dishes we're bringing to our friend's home for a passover seder tonight. Today happens to be 'A's birthday (four years old!) and I am in the process of making a vegan "cheesecake" and instead of a graham cracker crust I used matzoh meal. The crust was pretty tasteless so I added some maple syrup at the last minute and I'm wondering how it will turn out.

I'm also making a few vegan matzoh balls in a little soup so that 'A' can take part in that tradition, too.

Today she asked her preschool teacher to not sing "Happy Birthday" to her and she asked me to make sure no one sings it tonight. Got it.


Tomorrow I am devoting a chunk of time to tax filing prep. I know, I know, the deadline is coming up soon. Jeff and I are many things, but one thing we are not is results-driven and timely. That was two things. It's a good thing we're both like that, otherwise we would drive each other crazy.


Yesterday I made fig bars for 'A's preschool birthday snack. They called for lemon zest, and I am always so thankful for recipes that call for lemon zest, because they give me a really good excuse to make a quick glass of lemonade, one of my favorite treats.


Happy dilly-dallying!

This is how I'm seeing things today. Fuzzy with a touch of snow.

'H' was up again last night, lots and lots of times. Her back molars are coming in... sort of. They're getting ready to surface, getting ready to want to poke through, but they're nowhere near making an appearance. It doesn't matter though, because they hurt anyway. 'A' was the same way, she would teethe for months before a tooth appeared. Just when she got done with one teething pain, another one would start.

As a result of my night awake, I'm having trouble focusing my eyes today.

'A' got to use her new stainless steel water bottle today and 'H' has been happy with her stainless steel sippy cup for the little bit she's had it. I was out at the bookstore yesterday looking for an Easter-themed book for the girls and 'H' was with me, holding tight to her cup. It's a Kleen Kanteen sippy cup and is BPA-free. Another mom at the bookstore looked at her and asked where I got the cup, quickly followed by, "Plastic is really bad for us." I stood there thinking, "Am I still living in my bubble and now I'm running into people who are living in my bubble too, or is the Plastic Is Bad attitude a mainstream thing?" I would LOVE it if it were mainstream! Not because I have any desire to be part of the mainstream (I don't have any desire to be out of it either... I have no preference either way, just as long as I get to do what I want without people making decisions for me). I would love it if it were mainstream because it would mean that lots and lots of people are doing something to consume less plastic. And that would be a good thing.

Both girls are napping now and the house is quiet. I want to curl up with a blanket now, but I just cannot afford that luxury today. Tomorrow I will, I promise.

Yesterday we said good-bye to Grandma Shelly and Grandpa Neal, who were here for a visit. I was not surprised this morning when 'A' said, "When are we going to see Grandma and Grandpa today?" and then got upset when I explained that we said good-bye yesterday and she would have to wait until May.

Her birthday party for friends was on Sunday morning and after she got over her discomfort with the idea of listening to people sing "Happy Birthday" in her honor, she got excited and had a very good time. Ever since she decided to collect pajamas and toothpaste and toothbrushes for the kids at the shelter, I have been quietly checking in with her to see how she feels about getting those items instead of presents at her party. She was fine, fine, fine with it right up until that morning, and still fine with it during her party, and I checked in after it was over and she was happy about it and then said that she would like to open a present too. I totally understand that. Doing something good for someone else feels really, really good, but it's fun to open something special for yourself too. That's why I set up her family present-opening extravaganza for that evening, to give her a time to open presents just for her.

I'm excited to take her to the shelter to drop off the presents - I think then it will click with her that these gifts are going somewhere specific, and she can visualize where the kids will be when they get them.


Her party was a lot of fun and I am so happy Jeff's parents were here to help us out! We had a lot of "getting ready" to do. The kids got to make kites out of paper bags, and we spent some time getting the kites and the string ready to go. And of course there were other party-related tasks that were attended to by all of us. It worked out really well, and I can totally see why the extended family living situation works better than the single-family household world we live in.

Anyway, the kites do get up in the air on a blustery day, although not terribly high. They're more like wind socks. I cut the bottom out of the bag and threaded cotton string through one open end. With a few tails stapled on, it works and is a really neat way to watch the wind blow!


I rediscovered a very happy ritual today, and it reminds me that everything I do - the good and the really dumb - is probably for a reason. My microwave is temporarily out of service (more on that in a minute) and this afternoon I wanted a cup of hot coffee. I had some leftover in the pot from this morning, and it just needed a shot of heat to bring it to life. Lacking a microwave, I put it in a pan on the stove and waited for it to get hot. Back when I was in Paris I would make an espresso every day with my Bialetti stove top espresso maker (it makes the best espresso ever and I have to say, I make really great coffee with it). Now, I cannot drink my coffee without milk and sugar (some say that I can't drink milk and sugar without a little coffee...), so in Paris I would always heat up the milk and sugar together in a pan on the stove. Ahhh, have you ever done that? There is something about the chemistry of sugar warmed in milk on direct heat that makes it all so sweet and frothy and just delightful. I forgot all of this. And today when I warmed the coffee and the sugar and the milk in one pan, it all came back to me.

My microwave is out of commission because I threw my dish sponge in it yesterday to kill the germs. I set it for five minutes and walked away. Don't do that! The sponge is now a charred fragment of its former self and my microwave is out under the gazebo, door wide open, airing out.


The title of this post is cooking and now I don't even feel like talking about it, I just want to go and do it. I've had take-in and eat-out meals these past few days and today I'm getting reacquainted with my kitchen. On one hand, I've been spoiled with all of those ready-made meals, but at the same time, it feels good to cook again. It's nice to have a break, and therapeutic to be back, I guess. Today I'm cleaning out the fridge and I used up the basil and walnuts in a creamy pesto sauce that we'll use tonight over angel hair pasta with some roasted "getting-old" grape tomatoes.

And I'm making a new recipe of whole wheat bread to try as I write this. I've got a leftover old loaf that is looking forward to finding a home in two soups this week: french onion and pappa al pomodoro.


Have a great day!

One day I will take 'H' to a Seurat exhibit and she may find that she feels at home in the world of Pointillism.


Everything was as it should have been today. Everything fell into place. Even 'A' asked while we were out, "Where are we? Are we just where we should be?"

And I said, "Yes."

I opened up Katrina Kenison's "Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry" this afternoon. Despite the title, there's not a lot about the book that focuses on either God or religion. It's a book about mothering. It seems like every chapter was written for me. The author seeks ways to focus on her family, to connect and reconnect on a daily basis, and to slow the clock down long enough to really cherish the moments she has with her children and her spouse.

I wonder about things like that too.

In my adult life, I have met women of different ages and stages who see life from all different angles. Some are wrapped up in the busy-ness of the day to day stuff and seem to let it all rush by; other women seem to really savor each moment and radiate gratitude. As much as I hate to slap a stereotype on the women in that second group, those who savor the moments, who know how to appreciate the here and now, who don't spend too much time thinking ahead and instead enjoy life, themselves, their mate, their children and their grandchildren, I have to say that the ones who can do that have generally been older women. They're grandmas now, or maybe their life experience includes divorce or death, or maybe they took time to sit back and take in the wisdom of the world, and they managed to carve out a peaceful and meaningful place for themselves.

I don't want to have to wait until I'm older to know how to appreciate all that I have. I don't want to watch my girls grow up and wonder where it all went. I don't want to spend my life feeling entitled to this or that, without first feeling grateful to the earth for all that I have.

When I have these kinds of "Big Life" questions, I do what I do naturally. I read and I carve out chunks of alone time to think and feel and process it all. The pages of "Mitten Strings for God" offers me a comforting place to ask some questions.


Speaking of questions, I've been asking a lot of questions lately about the things that have a place in my kitchen. I know what the answers are - I know exactly what they are - but I am not at all ready to hear them. Here's a sampling of what I might ask:
"OK, plastic is bad for food storage and serving. Got it. Glass is okay, so is stainless steel. How about aluminum foil?" Now, the answer is, "Aluminum foil is not so great. There are also health risks and the production of aluminum foil is just so harmful to the earth." Easy enough so far, right? But then my next question is, "So how are we supposed to store things to keep them fresh?" And do you know what the ultimate answer is? I do. The million dollar answer is that humans weren't designed to harvest, process and cook food. We were designed to have a fresh, raw food diet. How many other animals do you know that harvest wheat, grind it up, package it into bags, and use it to bake bread or crackers? How many other animals go up to a lactating mother of another species and take its milk, shake it up really hard all day, and call it cheese?

I don't want to eat a raw food diet, but I know perfectly well that it's the right answer.

On Saturday we went to Nightingale's maple farm, a local farm that produces maple syrup. They were participating in the New York Maple Weekend. We learned all about how the sap is drained from the trees and piped into the sugar shack to have the water taken out. The syrup, candies and the maple cream are just delicious! We bought all three.


When I look at the maple trees, all I can think is, "who in the world discovered the sap and how did they find out about boiling off the water?"

As it turns out, the native Americans discovered the sap and they used to remove the water by leaving the bucket of sap outside on a cold night and removing the layer of ice in the morning, and by dropping hot cooking stones into the bucket. They also boiled off the water over a fire. Pretty neat.


'H' goes to the doctor on Tuesday for her 2 year visit. I'm going to ask him to order allergy testing for her. I had thought that she wasn't allergic to anything, unlike 'A' who is allergic to dairy, eggs and some nuts. But now I'm wondering if she might have an issue with dairy or even wheat. Her GI system is irregular to say the least, and I just can't figure out why. I cut out dairy and it didn't make a difference. Now I'm wondering about wheat.

Ugh, gluten-free, on top of dairy and egg-free? I hope we don't have to go that route. It's certainly healthy, but it's also pretty restrictive.


These days the sap isn't collected in buckets, it runs through these tubes that tap the trees. All of the tubes connect and they run downhill, using gravity to move the sap along. The tubes converge at a place called the "vacuum booster" and then the sap all runs into the sugar shack where the water is extracted and boiled off.

Today is a day to play at home. We don't have to get in the car today, we don't have to do anything in particular. So far we've taken care of baby dolls and stuffed animals, colored with markers, and played with playdough. 'A' and 'H' are just about due for a snack.

I finally did something that I've been meaning to do for a while. I gathered all of my cleansers and boxed up the toxic ones (Lysol, Windex, etc.) to give away and stocked up on vinegar, baking soda and borax.


Tomorrow night is Earth Hour and at 8:30 pm (local time) everyone is urged to turn their lights off - and all other possible electricity - for an hour. You can read more about it here.

If you're interested in saving ink every time you print, you'll want to hear about this. Jeff introduced me to Ecofont, a font that was designed to save as much ink as possible. It's funky - there are circles without color in the middle of each letter - but it does print out okay and I'll use it for my printing purposes.
You can download the font for free here.

'H' is doing better today - I think her fever is due to teething. She's getting her molars all the way in the back of her mouth and they're really bothering her. She's doing much better.

Yesterday I took her to a music class while 'A' was at preschool. It was the first class I had done with just 'H' and it was very interesting to see the difference between the two of them in that kind of situation. 'A' would have been glued to me and would have barely participated. 'H', on the other hand, did everything the teacher told her to do and was first in line to roll on the rug, something the kids had to line up and take turns for. 'A' never would have rolled. It's just amazing to see how different two children from the same family can be.

Have a happy Friday!

So, after spending much of the night awake in 'H's room while we worked through her fever and night sweats, I am left wondering how I ever functioned when I was a sleep-deprived mother of babies. I can see staying up for one night, maybe two... but doing it night after night for months?

Oh yeah, now I remember what went through my mind when 'H' was first born. That first night I thought, "This is a nightmare! I can't believe I forgot about this part of the job! It's all coming back to me now."

Anyway, she will be fine, she just needs a little time to rest.

Jeff and I have been painting the kitchen and dining room. We think we picked a good color - Ben Moore's "Vellum" - and it looks like we have two more evenings of painting and then we are done! Good thing, too, because I'm starting to go a little crazy looking at my kitchen appliances grouped together in the middle of the kitchen table.

I've got two books and a knitting project open right now. My knitting project is another one of my ways of "reusing, reducing and recycling" - I'm knitting a reusable grocery tote bag out of plastic bags. Here is a link to a website that gives instructions on how to do it: http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_needle_arts/article/0,2025,DIY_13768_3059465,00.html
It's kind of funky! I stopped taking in new plastic bags a while ago - I bring my own bags everywhere I go or I do without for small purchases - and I love knowing that I'm using my existing bags for something good instead of throwing them away. My last frontier on the plastic grocery bag issue involves the cat box. I just switched from the clay litter to biodegradable litter and I am still using a plastic bag to take out the dirty litter. What am I supposed to do? Scoop it into a can and dump it outside? I can't make my cats go outside to do their thing - Miss Fragile 1 and Miss Fragile 2 would never go for it.


Books:
The Forger's Spell: A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the Twentieth Century is a story about all the good things in life - art, history, drama and a bunch of psychology thrown in. The neat thing about this story is that it explores why so many people blindly jumped on the bandwagon of admiring the forged Vermeer when it was obviously a poorly made fake. Why do we convince ourselves that something is fabulous when it's not? What do we get out of it?

Poisoned Profits: The Toxic Assault on Our Children is an eye-opener. It's a comprehesive review of different types of pollutants in our environment - our water, soil, food sources, air, etc... and how they are affecting us, particularly our children. There are is an appendix that is chock-full of good information about how to reduce our exposure to pollutants. There is also info about how to find out how much pollution is in your area. I found out by going to www.scorecard.org that my county, Saratoga County in upstate New York, is one of the dirtiest counties in the United States when it comes to air pollution. So, even if I were to protect my family by using all natural products and eating all natural food, we would still be taking in harmful chemicals just by breathing.

Knowing what kinds of chemicals are in the air and in our water gives me even more of a reason to get more serious about protecting us from chemicals we don't have to bring into our home. Why put more into our bodies than we have to?