Going Home

Going to Julies last night was like going home. We had a garden meeting with much wine and lovely conversation.

This year it will be three families going in on the plot and the best part is that the two other families I adore with all my heart. It really felt like we were having an meeting of extended family last night. I was feeling so wonderful when I got home. To do projects like this with folks you love nothing could be better.

So there is the garden plot, the melons and squashes spot, butterfly garden, an herb garden, sunflowers, maybe even some amaranth on the drawing board. Also getting the pond ready for swimming - that is for the man with the waders.

We wandered through the beautiful seed catalogs dreaming of heirloom and rare varieties. We talked of road side stands, maybe bees to make mead (for big daddy), camping sites off in the woods, chickens (even pickled eggs), compost piles, cherry liquor, canned peaches and pears from the property, the FROG FEST in September and so much more. Some will happen this year and others someday down the line.

There is so much to look forward to - good people, good food and good work.

We also decided to go in on a quarter cow for the year and are looking to split a pig with one of the other families if we can find someone with an extra pig that they are raising. I need to call Old Pine Farms in Grass Lake to see if they have anything. Big daddy mentioned at one point maybe hunting this fall so that would get us venison and summer sausage. I have also been day dreaming of doing something with dear skin. So buying a freezer is in order in the near future which will motivate me to really clean out the garage (again).

In our own home we are hoping to have a worm compost system going soon. One of the books we have says that 70% of all first time worm bins fail and oddly that makes me feel better about attempting it. I would also like to get a three bin system going in the back yard - we have a lot of organic output here so i think more than one system would be good.

And today is Calder Dairy delivery day. I get to see Stan the delivery man.
"No butter or sour cream today please but what do you have for ice cream....oh and do you have eggs?"
"We only have Vanilla and do you want brown or white eggs?"
"Vanilla is great and brown please?"
"How are you doing?"
"Doing good. What are you up to today?"
"Getting ready to go to Chicago"
"Really what are you doing there"
"Taking a girls trip. Going to the American Girl store and the Aquarium"
"Oh, I have been to that Aquarium. It is great there."
"You just going for the night?"
"No, the whole weekend."
"Well have a great time and I will see you next week. You can tell me how your trip went"
"Thanks. See you next week. Take care."

I love chatting with my dairy guy. It makes me happy about my food.

Altruism is the word of the day

Today it finally happened. I left my coffee cup on top of the car. I made it about a quarter mile from my house when at a stop sign some crazy thing comes tumbling down my windshield spewing brown fluid! I immediately thought of one of the many zombie movies I have seen in passing while living with Big Daddy. Alas it was only my favorite big Chicago coffee mug with freshly brewed coffee. I stopped the car laughing at the moment and ran back to pick up the shards of my mug. Once back in the car there was a thick layer of frozen coffee on the windshield. The kids and I took this moment to reenact the moment, the monkey likes to do reenactments of most anything. Once I arrived at dear Stacia's house, for breakfast and a kid watching swap for the day for work, I got my cup of coffee with a soft boiled egg and toast. I find I do prefer my coffee maker coffee over press pot. Never thought much of it before now.

Now I need to find a new favorite giant coffee mug.

This was one of those moments that I noted could have made me very grumpy at another time or if I were in irritated mood.

Yesterday I was called by a dear woman who had met a couple of times. She was not a client or anyone I knew well but I did give her my number and told her to call me at anytime is she needed anything. I do this for many folks but few actually take me up on it. She had just had her baby an felt she needed someone to call about some hospital stuff that was going on. I finished up my two massage appointments for the afternoon and headed up to the hospital. She had a complication that needed procedures for resolution. I sat with her and her family helping to navigate the medical professionals and the system. I stayed until the mom was taken for her procedure. I called this morning and they were able to resolve the issue and she was feeling much better and baby is great.

I love my work. I am also happy to say that my "work" is not always for pay. Sometimes I use what I know just to help another person just because. My work helps me keep perspective on the world and life. It is one thing to help a friend or family member for no reason or reward but I want to teach my kids (and myself) that it is also important to help strangers. Sometimes that means more than sending a check to an organization, which is a great thing, but to sit and be with with the people you are helping to understand that we are more than one person we are many people, many different kinds of people with different beliefs, ethics, lifestyles and attitudes. We do not always have to like those we are giving out time to, or agree with them and especially not to expect anything in return including kindness or appreciation. And we do not always have to do something for something be it monetary or personal gain.

The flip side of this is to be able to ask for help or assistance when we need it. We have come to exist in a society where we are all these little individual floating orbs. Cash for services and goods are the name of the game. I personally like the pay it forward mentality. If I do a favor for you just do a favor for me or someone else down the road. Yes, there would be glitches in this system but show me a system without glitches. My dear friend and I have worked on this philosophy for a few years now with childcare and other aspects of work. I am sure there may be an imbalance of who has done what for whom but what does it matter?

There is something much bigger out there, much bigger than me and my cup of coffee.

Thought of the day

I cannot stop thinking about DIRT! Black dirt, brown dirt, dry dirt, mud, worms, bugs...the whole thing.

Over the years I have come to appretiate the seasons of Michigan. They are like the seasons of life. The smaller cycles and the larger cycles. As we are rounding the tail end (I hope) of yet another long winter I sit with my thoughts a bit more than usual. With the holidays passed and birthdays behind us for the winter we are left to wait and think.

I have come to love the hard dark times for what they are which is a learning experience and a wonderful opportunity for growth and change. I do not particularly like them while I am in them, really they are awful and gut wrenching, but I now understand that I can hold on to this blind faith that this too shall pass. Even better I understand now that this too shall pass and if I step back and take time to listen to the universe I may be a better, maybe wiser, or a stronger person on the other side of the darkness.

I used to plow through life head down blinders on pissing and moaning not realizing that I was creating the negativity of which I was reacting to. Kind of like a dog chasing its tail....for what? I thought - to make a difference, to save the world, to.....who knows. What I am finding is that simple kindness to strangers and friends alike and all the other little things make such a difference and to be able to teach that to my children is such a gift.

Sometimes the louder you yell the less people listen but a kind voice with a smile can travel to someones heart with the strength of a tidal wave.

tHE bRAIN eXPLOSION

This winter has been a huge developmental leap for the bean. It has been so cool to witness.

I don't remember so much when this happened to the monkey. I do clearly remember when his drawing skills were beyond his motor skills and he had to stop drawing for a bit - that drove me crazy. But he turned a corner and picked it up again.

The bean is all about letters, numbers, writing, and wanting to read since just after christmas. I am told by friends that it is a girl thing to be interested in such things earlier. It is crazy. One day she hated even drawing and the next she is writing down letters and numbers all over the place. Also all of a sudden she is drawing full on detailed pictures. It is so cool!!!!!

The Monkey's Sketch Book

The monkey has always been my drawing boy as my bean is my collage and glue girl.

This weekend I gave the monkey a hard cover big sketch book. He was really excited but admitted he was nervous about it. I told him it was his and he could do whatever he wanted with it but he seemed to feel a great importance about what goes in it.

This morning he came to me and asked if I wanted to read his poetry that he had written in his book when he took a break from drawing. The poetry goes along with the picture he drew. here is the poem:

in the outdoors
where the birds
sing with the winds
call to summer and spring
the animals come
out of their dens
and come out of their houses made of scratch

I am a proud mama this morning.