home hum

This Red-tailed hawk has been keeping an eye on my chickens.

I don't have much to share these days...the new year has gotten off to a bit of a rough start for my family, but I know that only means there are brighter days ahead.  Hope and love, and all that stuff, you know?

Here is a passage from a novel that I'm reading, that I thought was interesting. What do you think?

"The tree's an acacia.  The bird?  I have no idea."

"I thought you knew everything about the wild world," I teased, and watched him bridle.  

"Our people don't share the European mania for naming and categorizing," he chided me.  "You think that just because you can give something a name you know something about it; but if I told you its name, what more would you know about it?  Nothing essential about its nature, nothing important at all: just an artificial word some man has randomly attached to the creature that won't make it fly any better or produce more young.  It is another form of colonialsim, this naming of our world."  

~from The Salt Road, by Jane Johnson

This passage brought to mind so many things for me about how I experience nature (especially bird watching), but also about people, and what it means to know something.  These days, we confuse information with knowledge.  We think that our ever advancing technology has opened a treasure trove for us. Has it? 

A Small Poem

When I was a little girl I thought in poems.  Then I grew up and now I mostly think about grown-up things like bills and what to make for supper and what time it is.  If I try very hard to remember what it was like to think poems, I can sometimes catch a small glimmer of it.  (Warning:  none of my poems are very good).  

In a corner of my kitchen

Near the window

Live a rabbit and a bird.

The bird cheeps and twitters

While I stand at the sink

The rabbit silently chews

As I dream out the window

Of soft brown creatures

That live in grass and trees,

And, 'sea, hill, and wood'.

Collecting, sorting, gathering,

Washing, mending, feathering

The steady thrum of my heart

The rain against the glass,

Water swirling down the drain.  

 

Edited

Every so often I write a letter to the Editor of the Boston Globe.  They never publish it, but I write anyway in order to let off a little steam ;-) .  Imagine my surprise when I opened this morning's paper and saw the letter that I wrote last week in response to this article:  The Sleepover: Teenagers and Sex. At first I was giddy with excitement.  Then I read the letter.  It wasn't mine.  I mean, it was, but I barely recognized it.  I certainly can understand the need to pare down letters for length, and my original was a little long (although not any longer than many letters that they print regularly),  but what they printed was so severely edited that I'm not really comfortable having my name attached to it.  

Would you like to see my original letter and the one the Globe printed?

Original: 

As a parent of three teenagers, I read The Sleepover  (Kate Tuttle, G section, Dec. 22) with interest,.  I was hoping to learn something new about  how parents can help their teens develop positive attitudes about sex.  Instead,  I read that parents in the Netherlands give their teens permission to have sex at home, which ensures the sex is “safe”(parents take responsibility for birth control).  It’s rather like the parents who allow their teens to drink with their friends at home--what can go wrong if there are parents involved?  

The article left me wondering why we put the focus of sex education solely on  pregnancy and disease prevention.  Apparently, sex education is successful so long as there are no pregnant girls and diseased boys. (Those were the only results that were measured in the article.)  Why is there no focus on the long-term psychological effects of sex outside of a committed relationship?  Are teens really being given accurate information about sex?   Are they being taught the truth about what happens inside their bodies at the chemical level during sex?  Do they know that their bodies are flooded with bonding hormones, such as oxytocin, which is the same hormone that is released when a mother gives birth and breastfeeds to ensure  mother-infant bonding?   During sex two humans are bonded together physically, emotionally, and psychologically.  This “imprinting” is permanent.  You may grow to hate your partner, but you will never be able to be completely rid of him; your body will remember.  People who have had multiple sex partners combat this by hardening themselves to the bonding process.  They disengage from their sexual partners emotionally or psychologically.  Is this what we are aiming for with our children?  What is the effect on society as a whole when you consider the impact on future relationships, emotional health, etc.?  Are we producing a more compassionate, responsible society?  Can this be considered positive, healthy sexuality?  

The Globe Editor's version:

AS A parent of three teenagers, I was hoping to learn in Kate Tuttle’s article about teen sex how parents can help their teens develop positive attitudes about sex (“Young love,’’ g section, Dec. 22). Instead, I read that Dutch parents give their teens permission to have sex at home, which ensures the sex is “safe.’’

Why do we put the focus of sex education solely on pregnancy and disease prevention? Why is there no focus on the long-term psychological effects of sex outside a committed relationship? What is the effect on society as a whole, when you consider the impact on future relationships and emotional health? Can this be considered positive, healthy sexuality?

Kind of boggles the mind doesn't it?  It makes me wonder what happens to books in the editing process.  

This is Christmas

White pine forest at Horn Pond

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were abundant with joy.  Candles were lit, carols were sung, feasts were prepared and enjoyed, and gifts were exchanged. On the 26th we walked in the woods together, counting the geese on the pond and marveling at the fast forming ice. On Tuesday my husband went back to work, and the children and I ran around the house playing with marshmallow shooters (this year's favorite toy :-), while our dog happily cleaned up after us. Today we found places in our home for all of our bright new things. We also gathered up the dirty laundry and went to the library. This is Christmas, too.  

After the shepherds worshipped their newborn King, whose cradle was not crafted of gold, but was a homely animal trough, they returned to the fields, to their sheep, to their families and their work. Christ had come, but what had changed?  Nothing.  Everything.  Christmas is the difference between standing in a room in the middle of the night, and standing in it in the morning.  The room doesn't change at all, but your view of it has changed completely. And, so everything has changed, because now you see. 

For Catholics, Christmas is more than a day.  It is a season that begins on Christmas Eve, that holy night, and continues through January 5th.  I am still in the midst of it, beholding the view, and pondering what it means for my life. These are the days that I take joy, and also take stock.  I am writing down my thoughts as I pray each day, and considering what my response to Christ's coming should be in the year ahead.  The spiritual life is rooted firmly in the practical.  The real life I lead each day in my home and community is the pulse of my spirit.  I have much to think about in the Christmas days still left, and much to do to plan for a new year of home learning, healthy living, and open-hearted loving.  

 Love Came Down At Christmas

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, love divine;
Worship we our Jesus:
But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,
Love shall be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and to all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign.

~Christina Rosetti  1830-1894

So many people have written such lovely Christmas messages on their blogs and websites.  My favorite this year was written by Carrie at The Parenting Passageway:  A Christmas Mood.  

A merry Christmas to all, and may God rest you in his perfect Peace.

 

What Time Is It?

I think I may have finally succombed to holiday madness.  After rolling, cutting, baking, and decorating one hundred forty sugar cookies with the kids yesterday, I brainlessly threw my watch into the silverware basket of the dishwasher.  My husband found it this morning with water sloshing around inside its crystal face. It gave him quite a chuckle.

I think I know what I'm getting for Christmas  :- )

Christmas Cheer

I saw these mugs on Soulemama's blog, and thought they would be nifty gifts for my children to make for their friends and grandparents.  We went to the dollar store to buy our mugs; they had a very nice selection.  I decided to skip the step with the graphite paper.  Instead, we free-handed our friends' names by copying one of my favorite fonts, Stripes and Bubbles.  We filled each mug with an envelope of Starbuck's Hot Cocoa, mini marshmallows, Hershey Kisses, and a candycane for stirring.  They were a quick, easy, inexpensive gift, and fun to make--a good last minute gift idea.

Today, we went to the woods and decorated a tree with edible ornaments for the critters:  pinecones spread with peanut butter and rolled in birdseed, apple and orange slices, and nuts.  The air was crisp and invigorating.  I brought my camera, but forgot my memory card, so I don't have pictures to share. You'll have to believe me when I say that the sky was clear and blue and filled with the chatter of migrating birds, and that there was a skin of ice already forming on the pond.  We saw geese, ducks and swans, and admired the architecture of the deciduous trees. The few people we encountered in the woods with their dogs seemed happy.  We were too.

I brought my last Christmas box to the post office today, and there was a line.  In front of me was a woman who was maybe ten or fifteen years older than I.  I saw her get out of her car, a very snazzy red Chrylser 200.  So I said to her, "I love your car--everything about it, but especially the color. My husband needs a new car, and I'm going to tell him about yours."  Just that little bit of friendliness opened such a lovely window into this woman's life.  In the next seven minutes I learned that she doesn't have any children of her own, but is an enthusiastic and involved aunt.  Every year she gives each of her nieces and nephew a special Christmas ornament.  This year she dug out some old photos of herself and made ornaments that coincided with what's currently going on in her nieces' and nephew's lives.  For example, one of her nieces is getting ready to receive First Communion, so she made an ornament with a photo of her own First Communion.  Another niece just attended her first winter ball at school, so the lady gave her an ornament of herself dressed for her first winter ball.  Her nephew loves airplanes, so she gave him an ornament with a photo of herself flying her plane. 

I am a very shy person, but this year I have forced myself to be more friendly and "make contact" with people. I had such a pleasant exchange with this lady at the post office, that I found myself happy to be waiting in line :- )

 

 

Almost Here

Six more days!  This week I am...

::Baking five kinds of cookies~Italian filled cookies, spritz, sugar cut-outs, jam thumbprints, and blossoms

::Making edible ornaments for my woodland friends and hanging them on a little white pine near the big rocks :-)

::Getting out the board games~Parcheesi, Uno, Bananagrams, and my new favorite, Ticket to Ride.

::Listening to Christmas music and singing along all day everyday.

::Watching our favorite Christmas films:  How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Jingle All the Way, and A Christmas Story.

::Visiting and bringing gifts to our neighbors.  

:: Petting a very soft, very curious bunny :-)                                          

:: Reflecting on Chist and his coming by singing the O Antiphons.

:: Taking an evening drive to see our town all dressed in twinkling lights.

Some Children See Him

This morning I awoke with this carol playing in my heart.  This version, by Legacy Vocal Ensemble, is the loveliest that I have heard, and the accompanying images are deeply soul-stirring. 

 

Goats and Trees

On Friday mornings in December we visit a local nursery to walk among the fresh cut Christmas trees and breathe in their dark and spicy fragance.  We stuff our pockets full of cracked corn to feed the Christmas goats (and llama).  Afterward, it's hot cocoa at Starbucks. These are the small moments that I live for :- )  

Elfing

In the past few weeks knitting has been about Christmas.  This little toy set Is a gift that I knit for a friend.  The toys fit inside the little knitted sack :-)  The tomtens were made from this pattern, and the mouse and sack were knit from patterns in this book.  I used O-wool Balance (50/50 cotton/merino) for the white, and Plymouth Select (superwash merino) for the green and red colors.   

All through Advent I've been reading books about the Blessed Virgin. I love this book about the many apparitions of Mary and the miracles associated with them. It's difficult for me to express how deeply inspired I am by the accounts in this book.  

Monday was the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  We made a pinata that we painted to look like the world, and had a Mexican supper of fajitas, rice, and beans. After supper I read the story of Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe to my children.  The next day, my oldest son told me that he was very moved by the story.  He looked up the details of the blessed Tilma and was amazed by what he learned.  

Joining Ginny for her weekly Yarn Along.

Gaudete Sunday

"For me, prayer is the heart's impulse, a simple gaze toward heaven.  It is a cry of gratitude and love, from the depths of trial as well as the heights of joy.  Finally, it is something great, supernatural, that expands my soul and unites me to Jesus." 

~Therese of Lisieux, The Story of A Soul

Joining Kerry, Linnea, and Kyrie for Quotable Sunday.

Two Weeks In

The day after Thanksgiving, Luke and I looked out the front window and saw this cardinal aglow in the morning light. The rest of the house was still asleep. The carndinal looked like a colored leaf, the tree like stained glass. On another branch was a robin (truly, there was!), and on the ground beneath was a squirrel.  It was a splendid sight.  

The first two weeks of Advent have been filled with:

:: walking in the woods with bags of seed and crusts of bread for the cold birds and critters.

:: decorating!

:: knitting little gifts for friends, and hats for the troops 

:: reading books about the Blessed Mother and reflecting on her character and holiness. This week, I am really enjoying this one.  

:: going to our town's tree lighting festival 

:: shopping for Christmas and birthday gifts (four of my five children's birthdays fall in November, December, and January)

:: visiting a local nursery to walk among the Christmas trees and feed the Christmas goats 

:: making a Jesse Tree with Luke. Ours is a simple green triangle of poster paper hung on the wall above his little table in the kitchen. We have been coloring the ornaments found here, and using the readings found here.  

:: celebrating the feasts of Saint Nicholas and the Immaculate Conception, as well as my oldest son's nineteenth birthday today :- )

 

un-recommended

I finished The Girl With Glass Feet.  Don't read it.  It's sad--far too sad to read during March.  And, it casts a spell on you that will leave you in its pall for days. 

And, snow has been swirling around outside.  We're expecting more in the days ahead.  It's quie cold. This afternoon I made maple cookies, which are better hours later than they were fresh from the oven. I found the recipe online:  Frosted Maple Cookies.  

I read a nasty thing in the newspaper about breastfeeding.  Nothing new, same old, "keep it covered, you're grossing me out," nonsense that society always parrots.  One of my daughter's friends once asked her why I breastfed.  My daughter said, "Because that's what breasts are for," to which her friend replied, "Oh, I thought they were decoration."  Argghhhh!  Will things ever change?  

Right now, I'm going to go snuggle on the couch with my new kitty, and drink a cup of tea.  

 

shaken

Bush Warbler--a common springtime bird in Japan. Photo borrowed from this website.

I woke up this morning to snow falling gently and robins singing.  I ate warm buttery raisin toast and sipped hot tea.  I helped E with math and read a paper that Z wrote about the invention of the telephone. I filled the bird feeders, worked on L's yellow sweater, folded laundry, went grocery shopping, talked to a friend on the phone...

And, all day I thought about Saty, Nori, Tatsu, and Yasuyo, our friends in Japan.  I thought about what their day must be like:  waking to a lack of water and no electicity, getting dressed and eating breakfast together as if it were a normal day, when tens of thousands of people are dead and missing; of having your heart pound in panic each time your mind wanders back to the moments when the earth shook violently; feeling amazed when you see a bird singing on a branch outside in the sunlight; and wishing that it would all just go back to the way it was before the entire country moved eight feet and the Earth shifted on its axis.

I can't get my head around it.  

 

no guilt parenting

My last post may have left the wrong impression.  I want to fix that.  

I don't think children require any special materials in order to grow and learn. What they need are caregivers who give them lots of time and love. That's it.  

Children who don't watch television or play with plastic toys do not grow up to be smarter or kinder than children who do.  It's LOVE that nurtures a child's heart.  

A child doesn't need video games to learn and grow.  So, if you don't have money to buy them, don't sweat it.  But, a child who has lots of video games will also learn and grow.  You are not a bad parent if you allow them.  (My kids have LOADS of them!)  

A child can be entertained for hours by a cardboard box.  The same child can also be entertained by Barbie dolls and G.I. Joe's.  My kids have ALL of these things, and I am not ashamed of it. 

In my previous post, I tried to create a list of common, inexpensive materials that are available to most children in most households.  Children need a minimum of things, but they need lots of love. However, having more things won't hurt children etiher. 

There is so much that parents need to truly be concerned about in raising children, but worrying about things shouldn't be one of them.  Whether I let my daughter play with Barbies or not doesn't make me a better or worse parent.

And, that's what troubles me.  I sometimes sense an ugly competitiveness among parents these days. Aren't we all in this together?  Aren't we all trying to make the best choices we can for our kids?  Wooden toys may makes sense to you, plastic ones may make sense to me. There is no bad or good involved. Toys aren't evil.  But, the way we treat each other, well...

 

still winter

I've heard that in some places, spring is on its way.

But, this morning it was 13F when I woke up and came downstairs.  I looked at the calendar page: February 22nd, still winter.  Still time for sparkling, swirling snowflakes to dance against the window panes. Still time for steaming cups of hot cocoa, hearty kettles of soup for supper, and baked oatmeal for breakfast:

  Baked Oatmeal

• 3 c. rolled oats
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 2 t. baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. oil (you can substitute all or part applesauce)
• 1 c. milk

Mix all ingreidents and pour into a greased 8 x 8 pan.  Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. You can add dried fruit (I like golden raisins and dried cranberries), spices, or whatever you like.  

Still time to snuggle under a warm quilt with a good book, play board games, watch the birds at the feeder, and go sledding.  Still time to be present and savor these winter days before the sun claims them back, and it's spring.   

 
 
 

where I come from

I grew up in Upstate New York--in Syracuse, which is one of the snowiest cities in the world, and THE snowiest city of its size (or larger) in the United States.  Syracuse is even snowier than Anchorage, Alaska. In December alone--a single month--they received over 70 inches of snow.  One of my friends from "back home" sent me the following amusement.  Trust me, it's only funny because it's TRUE:  
 
 65 above zero:
 Floridians turn on the heat.
 People in Upstate New York plant gardens.
 
 60 above zero:
 Californians shiver uncontrollably.
 People in Upstate New York sunbathe.
  
 50 above zero:
 Italian & English cars won't start.
 People in Upstate New York drive with the windows down.
  
 40 above zero:
 Georgians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, and wool hats.
 People in Upstate New York throw on a flannel shirt.
  
 35 above zero:
 New York city landlords finally turn up the heat.
 People in Upstate New York have the last cookout before it gets cold.
  
 20 above Zero:
 People in Miami all die.
 Upstate New Yorkers close the windows.
  
 Zero:
 Californians fly away to Mexico.
 People in Upstate New York get out their winter coats.
  
 10 below zero:
 Hollywood disintegrates.
 The Girl Scouts in Upstate New York are selling cookies door to door.
  
 20 below zero:
 Washington DC runs out of hot air.
 People in Upstate New York let the dogs sleep indoors.
  
 30 below zero:
 Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
 Upstate New Yorkers get upset because they can't start the snow-mobile.
  
 40 below zero:
 ALL atomic motion stops.> People in Upstate New York start saying...'cold enough fer ya?'
  
 50 below zero:
 Hell freezes over.
 Upstate New York public schools will open 2 hours late.

snowbound

I forgot to charge my camera, which is a shame because you really need to see the snow. There is so much of it--this is the snowiest winter I can remember since we moved to Massachusetts fifteen years ago.  About 13 more inches fell last night; snow that has the consistency and weight of sand. It took us a long time to dig out this morning.  I'm really worried about our back deck, though. This weekend we're going to have to shovel it off.  I hope I feel better by then.  After helping the boys this morning I was totally wiped out. This cold virus I'm fighting has really laid me low.  

Thank you all for the birthday wishes!  I'm not really tired of knitting (or reading).  In fact, I've ordered some yarn to knit up a guernsey for L  in a soft sunshiney color. I can't wait for it to arrive so I can get started on it.  I'm thinking that knitting with yellow yarn will lift my spirits during these mid-winter doldrums. 

I'm reading the loveliest novel  that I've read in a long, long time.  It is so moving, so beautiful; I am savoring every word.  Each time I pick it up I am transported to another time and place...where there are lemon trees in bloom.

when spring comes

 
Today the sun shone springtime bright, and it was 46F.  Birds were singing, and A saw the first robin of the season.  With March only a week away, I am finding it easier to believe in spring. 

When spring comes I am going to:

• Blow bubbles
• Plant a garden
• Picnic in the woods
• Ride my bike
• Lay on a blanket and watch the clouds
• Jump rope
• Build a fairy house
• Visit Drumlin Farm to see the lambs and piglets
• Birdwatch
• Hunt for caterpillars
• Eat tender green salads
• Attend the annual spring tea party at the North Congregational Church
• Sew fresh curtains and a tablerunner for the kitchen
• Paint the kitchen and front hall
• Smell the flowers

When spring comes I will spend the better part of my days outdoors; the sun will warm me, soft breezes will cool me, and new growing things will fill me with wonder and gladness. 

scrumptious? decadent? luscious? heavenly?

Nope.  None of these words even comes close to describing the chocolate perfection that my beloved husband brought back from Belgium last night.  I have never tasted chocolate so delectable and fine (and trust me, P has brought home many fine chocolates from all over the world on his many travels).  Each time I bite into one of these tiny works of art, it almost breaks my heart...such exquisite goodness...so soon gone. 

back to the beginning

"There will come a time when you believe everything is finished.
That will be the beginning."
Louis L'Amour

After a six-month long blog-break, I'm back :- ) 

My banner photo captures an important part of my life, for I love nature and birds especially.  Cardinals have been my favorite bird since I was a little girl.  I have been reflecting on how the greater part of who I am has come from outside myself.  All of the people, places, and ideas I encounter leave their impression on me; some an indelible one.  

Just imagine the wonders that will come into your life this year; they will change you and form you anew:  new people, interests, events, books, songs, animals, ideas...by next year, your life will be fuller, richer.  You will have changed and grown.  And, so will I.

New year, new decade, new beginning...I can't wait to see what happens next! 

Happy 2010!