Friday in September

The seasons are changing; the heat is on here in the house, our preparations to close up windows to avoid escaping warmth has begun. One transition signals another, and life continues to move along at its pace. Coffee in hand, warm quick breads and muffins for breakfast. I love this time of year; not too hot, not too cold. Just right, Goldielocks.
My mind is filled once again today, seems to be so each morning. Maybe I need a dream catcher to suck up some of the dust of thinking but I believe those only work on dreams; at least that's what I've always been told. My ambition list looms in front of me, and my desire to procrastinate battles for top spot. Time to enforce meditation, for sure.
Tristan is starting a new class on Sunday through our church. I'm excited about it because of the Montessori approach to learning and being present in the room. I feel he'll do well once he and the other kiddos settle into how the hour goes and what they will come to learn each week. I'll be with him during the hour, more so as a classroom aide to assist with the teachers and the other children; I don't want to hover with Tristan but as his mother, being there to help will give me the opportunity watch how he'll grow. Observation without making it look like observation.
Speaking of classes, our local library is offering free, non-credit courses (through the state's department of libraries). As a member of the library, I can sign up for as many classes as I want, and they give you six months to complete the courses. I signed up for two, just to give it a shot. I figure it gives me an idea of what to expect with online learning, especially as I am ambitious to go back to school but really can only do it online. This could be good.
Yeah, I sound like someone putting alot of pokers in the fire of my life, but as each day comes, as time unfolds how my boys learn and how I adjust to meeting their needs, I find time to add. I also have been finding those moments to subtract. I'm scaling back on my time with Facebook, which I've really not been there all that often lately. Between doing new things with the boys, getting ready to close up gardens and move into new activities for the colder months to come, I'm just not finding the desire to go there like before. I have other ways to keep in touch with people, which I find refreshing. Change is good. I'm also getting more involved with other moms I'm meeting in the local area, so my focus is changing yet again. Like I said, change is good.
Well, the bell for my time is ringing; that would be Zachary giving me the cue he needs me. So, here's to Fridays and the potential for what they hold for each of us. ~Momma

Book Review and on the Run

Here's to Friday! Sometimes, I wonder why I get excited about today, as I don't work a 9-5, don't worry about what to wear to work on Fridays, and don't wonder what my weekends will become. Old habit, I guess.
I finally finished "A Woman's Book of Meditation," which I have some pages to copy off before taking back to the library. Good piece, I have to add. As I started my reading, I wasn't sure if I would stay committed to finishing the book; in the past, I've started a book about meditation without finishing and feeling like I wasted my time. Not so this time. Perhaps because this was focused on women? Perhaps. When a specific focus group is the mainstay of a piece like this one, maybe it takes a different tone as opposed to a general audience.
I also wasn't sure about the approach to meditating. I'm not one to sit still for very long, and if I do, its because I'm into a book I can't put down, working on some type of fiber art, or getting ready to nod off. Empty my mind of all the crazy, busy buzz of the world? You have to be kidding, right? Nope. No joke. There are several different mantras to work through, depending on what you're working with to get into your meditative state. Need only 5 mins? There is time. Want to sit for 2 1/2 hrs? Go for it-if you have the room to do so.
I also came across two very interesting points throughout my reading. Meditation doesn't belong to any one particular group of people. It belongs to us all, universally. It doesn't interfere with religious preferences either. And if you think about that one, didn't Buddha, Muhammad, and Jesus Christ meditate? Meditation can be used as a way of opening yourself to listening for the answers to your prayers/petitions. If we just take the time to still our bodies, calm our minds, and allow even a minute's worth of time to have a sense of peace. I'm not here to upset the apple cart, only to add my point of view to a sense of awareness to one's connection to all that is. We are all connected.
The second interesting point I found was a small diddy about neurotheology (the study of how yoga, religion, and meditation affect the functioning of the brain). I investigated further, by way of the 'net, which after sifting through the rubble, I found my way back to transpersonal psychology; I looked into this field years ago, while finishing my undergrad. After the passing of my grandmother earlier this year, some interesting transpiring elements to color my palette, I find myself looking at this field again. And the best part is, I can do this online. I will be praying and meditating about this one, as I have about some other things in my life, too. And as a tidbit, with my EAT-PRAY-LOVE quest, I am looking into making a mala; after discovering it contains 108 beads, this will be a meditation in itself.
So, ladies, don't be afraid to meditate. I still find my meditation through needlework, but giving it a try to find that still, calm moment. I'm onto my next spiritually inspiring book, which is about the shadow self and how it affects our daily lives. More to report on this later, as I'll be giving a review of it as well. PS-there's visual art & journal exercises in this one. More meditation? Perhaps. ~Momma

Time Flies

Wow, I've been away longer than I first anticipated but have no regrets for it just the same. We are now into September, barely, and I'm looking forward to the Fall weather and the days of preparing the gardens to rest. Our harvest is not quite the yield I'd hoped for this year but I'm not giving up; there's still the harvest yet to come. I'm now in the season of canning and preserving, so my focus has turned slightly. Also planting for next spring as the months roll along; yes, there's much to be done yet.
Homeschool adventures are ready to start back up again on the more serious note but with more play and fun this time; funny how it can take some time to figure out what works for your child and find the willingness to let go of what doesn't. Tristan, that's my preschooler, he's now 4 yrs old and he's a sponge for learning. My reserved child, he takes in his environment, studying on the visual level (very carefully) before jumping into anything. We went to a homeschool "Not Back to School" picnic yesterday, and it was great to see both of my boys play with children they only met yesterday. I found some materials to use, chatted with a couple of moms, and then after a swim in the lake, we headed for home to wash the sand out of every crevice it has a way of finding its way into. I'm looking forward to this year's learning, as I've learned to relax with teaching a bit, have trips planned, and researching projects and events. We will be attending new groups as well; I have a feeling my kiddos have gotten bored with the routine of places we've been going to for some time now. New adventures, here we come!
I'm back to reading again after a few days off, and in need of catching up with my spiritual enlightening list, my research list, and my leisure list. And speaking of books, we're changing our library day around. I know my boys love the library but have grown bored of going to "hear" story time and hang out; try keeping two boys who love the outdoors inside while its beautiful outside. Ever walk an untrained Great Dane on a silk thread? My passion for the written word is regaining steam, and finding time to read has its moments. Yet, as I'm finding myself drifting from the mindlessness of tv and movies, I'd rather have my nose in a book. I read to my kids, I read to learn something new for them and/or myself, and finally, finding time to read for enjoyment and clearing my mind. And my list of books I want to take from the library is growing; I keep a running list on paper and also my Color Notes on my phone. Forget it if I go through with going back to one of the biggest libraries in the area; their selection is so huge, it would take years to go through the shelves. Lastly, my addiction to finding free books that I can't pass up is growing. Yeap, I think the book exchange page could help.
Today, we're just going with the flow. I have to finish Tristan's calendar, things to take care of, tasks to complete, and best of all, we are leaving the biggest part of the day for fun. What other way is there to spend Friday? So, here's to Friday, to September, and to the days of Fall. Enjoy!

~Momma

We're Almost There

Its Friday. After almost a full week of sorting through my life, which has been in boxes stacked in the garage for the last 4 mos, I'm ready to be done for a little bit. I've been devoting roughly two hrs a day, since Sunday, to this project. I've weeded through boxes and bags of scraps and have accumulated three large lawn and leave bags of things to hit the trash. Nine bags of donations, and a box of books so far that I really don't know what to do with. The idea of creating a book swap page through Facebook is tempting; is there anyone who still enjoys a book in its original form, even if you own an e-book? Food for thought, I suppose.
We've had good weather for the last two days, resulting in trips out of the house to burn off some pent up energy. Not sure what is in store for us today, so we'll take it on the fly. Better to be open-minded on a day when the best events are four hrs of driving in the car; if my boys were more travel ready, we'd already be on the road. Next week, with the heavy duty garage purging aside, we'll be taking the days as they come and enjoying them as fully as we can. I don't want my boys to think that life as an adult is all work and no play; they know mom is doing things, but not quite sure why I'm running from one spot to the next. Right now, the fascination with fixing the vacuum cleaner and helping with sweeping seems to be fun for them.
Next week's menu is already in rough draft; I've picked stuff from the new kids cookbook we have. I just have to put it in Word and print off to hang up. And yes, I will take a picture so my readers can have a peek. I've been thinking about how pictures will enhance what I write about here, and its coming to that time to move ahead and do so. I have done so with my three other blogs in the past, so why not now with this one? I have improvements to do with this page, set up my Google +, and a few other things as well. I have ideas, I just have to sketch them out on paper, put time lines on them with how much work needs to be done, and move forward. Dreaming is great but the real work is what makes it manifest.
Speaking of work, my mate is in process to finish putting new roof shingles down on the house; he did the garage last year, and so far this year, he's done half the house. I'll be glad when this project is done; we still have the backyard to fence in, gardens to improve upon, chickens to add to our urban homestead, and a new backporch to put on. We're extending the porch, and hopefully adding the purgala (not sure if the spelling is correct there) I've been requesting. By the time year five hits for us to be here, this place will look so different from when we first got here. And yes, that's my intentions.
So there, it is. My spun gold for the day. Off to enjoy the day, making the most of it, watching my boys learn and grow, and capturing life's priceless moments to hold close to my heart. The weekend has the promise of sun with the closing of showers; we'll take it. ~Momma

Spinning Straw into Gold August 19

"Stories are medicine....They have such power; they do not require that we do, be, act anything-we need only listen. The remedies for repair or reclamation of any lost psychic drive are contained in stories." -Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D.

Label, label....who's reading the label?

Food. It's on my mind this morning. Not so much as to eat it but to think of what we really put into our bodies to nourish and sustain. It's fuel for the day, to help keep running the race. What do we put in to go the day?
We eat seasonally and locally here at home. If anything comes from a can or a box, its because I simply can't find that item in produce or from a local source. Otherwise, I'm in the kitchen, working over a recipe, fresh and local ingredients in front of me. I bake, grill, steam. Yes, I fry on occasion. My boys eat healthy snacks, and yes, even cakes and cookies that aren't gluten-free or sugar free. I use raw sugar instead of refined. No bleached flours. My preschooler has never sat with a can of soda and a bag of chips (he does like chips now and then, and has sipped a soda but not devoured those items). He's not a candy eater. When he's older, I have no problem with the once and a while snack of crap but not a consistent basis. I'd rather he ate well and be healthy than to let him ping off the walls from sugar loaded stuff. And with today's products being overloaded with refined sugars, chemicals and preservatives for shelf life, and the over abundance of dyes for color, what child needs to be hopped up on all that junk?
This past week, we've had dinners I've taken time and effort to make. With the leftover chicken from a couple dinners, I'm making dinner tonight that will actually be breakfast. I've not had breakfast for dinner in a long time. Good stuff. Who says eggs and waffles are for 7 AM? I say make a break in the menu and enjoy your food. Sunday will be my day to look into next week's menu plan and posting the new menu on the fridge on Monday morning.
This week has been a good one for gardening and being outside. The weather has been fantastic, and the days we've gone to the park have been great ones. Letting my guys run and play, swing, taking those rides down the slides, and the new fascination with baseball diamonds; time to get the t-ball set up ready to use. I think the next time we go to the park, we'll have to take it along and set it up on one of the diamonds. Let my big guy get a feel for what it will be like to play ball like the guys he was watching yesterday during a practice game.
My gardens are set for late crops. The only trouble I'm experiencing is the squirrels will not leave my corn alone. Punks. If we get corn this year, we'll be lucky. Otherwise, we'll have to wait for next year. Corn can be picked up at the store but I love being able to go out and pick my own. Next week, I start slowing down, maintaining and harvesting. Getting flower areas cleaned out, set for Fall and eventually the big sleep to come before Spring arrives again and the gardens come alive with color.
So, when you think about food and what you put into your body, what fuels you? Don't drive yourself mad reading every label out there; I don't read ALL of them, just what pertains to our household. And by the way, we do eat out now and then. We do eat food that we could do without. I do eat a cheeseburger or a hot dog now and then. I'm not starting a riot about food. I'm just as guilty with my simply pleasures of junk food. We are entitled to treat ourselves to what we normally don't consume. It just doesn't have to be a habit for us. But hands down, I would rather eat something I know doesn't make me feel like crap later or even more hungry. Give me a good portion, let me fuel up, and let me go for the day until the next meal. ~Momma

Catching Up And Diving In

Wow, can you say its been a week? We downgraded our cable services, as we are looking and cutting into our budget these days; there's always a way or more to save money, and when it comes to needs vs wants, making the decision and following through can be groundbreaking. With other ways to watch shows we like or find new ones to follow, its not as bad as I projected it to be. Its amazing what you can live without. Personally, I have to admit, I'm hooked on tv. Not addicted but I could be denying that. When I don't have access to tv, it doesn't bother me. When I do, and its a full package to watch anything under the sun, look out. I could sit for days, in a daze. With changing our cable package, I can take it or leave it. The kids watch a couple of shows on VPT (Vermont Public Television) or a show on NetFlix. I catch something I like when I can. Otherwise, we're outside or sometimes listening to music. Change is good.
Tuesday, my Task Master day, was met with the usual go-get 'em attitude. Lists made, things done. Wednesday was hot death, as was yesterday. OMG....today is projected to be another hot one but down in humidity %'s from the last couple of days. Thankfully. Today is more about getting caught up with things but keeping our frame of Friday mind-going with the flow of the day. Days at the park and then diving into the kiddie pool have been great ways to get my boys to fall asleep by 9 pm at the latest and sleep most, if not all night. Can't complain about that. I'm also exhausted by the end of the day but I think it might be more heat related than not. So it goes.
I'm back into journaling, as I've been embarking on an online study these past eight weeks. A real eye-opening experience for me. Memories, questions, thoughts, fears, contemplation. Some things I've not wanted to re-examine but with time, it is paying off. Time to put the bags on the curb, open them, decide what really needs to be let go of, and move on with life. Yesterday, I set up my traveling easel on the back porch, next to my preschooler's easel. In the process of organizing the garage, I could only find two canvases that have already been stretched and treated (with paint typical for setting canvas to be worked upon), so I grabbed them and set one on my easel. With only oil pastels at my fingertips, I snapped those up and started working. My focus is the large red maple that sits in the very center of our backyard. There's something about that tree I just love. Not sure what it is but perhaps I'll discover that along the way.
So, here's to catching up and diving into the weekend to come. I can't believe its Friday already and wondering if other moms/women have those moments when you wonder where the time goes. Time waits for no one, therefore, its good to live and appreciate the priceless moments. Have a great day and fabulous weekend! ~Momma

"A tree is known by its fruit;
a man by his deeds.
A good deed is never lost;
he who sows courtesy reaps friendship,
and he who plants kindness gathers love."

-St. Basil (329-379)

TGIF

Not sure why I'd be thankful its finally Friday; not like I have a out of the home job with banker's hours. Maybe its just in my system after all the years I have worked out of the home for someone else. Now my employers are about knee to waist high, change the rules constantly, and give me the look of "Whatta ya mean you didn't know?" My title is Mom. Demands all day; no smoke breaks-not that I smoke but I figured to throw that in there-plenty of overtime. Vacation doesn't exist. The last time I had a actual vacation from work was back in 2002 just before I started my undergrad adventure. Ten beautiful days of sun, relaxing by the creek, hanging with friends who now travel up and down the east coast as a gift of retirement, and letting all the things needed to be taken care of go for the time being. Oh, the days.....
Today, I write about books and wine. Being the hour it is, I'm not going to sip wine and talk about books. Coffee is my iv. Wine. I love wine. I was never one for it while in my 20's but when I reached the threshold of 30, along with a change in the view on my life, my taste changed a bit. I still love a good beer now and then, especially if its a microbrew. Locally made, makes for the perfect moment of knowing just where your beverage came from. Wine. Years ago, I picked up a book about wine tasting. How it works, how to do it, etc....read it, loved it. I've tasted wines from around the world. Some good, some to pass over. I've had cheap wines, and some middle of the road types. Don't believe I've done the top shelf stuff but there's always room to do so, if its meant to be. I personally love looking for discontinued wines. If it didn't do well for sales in a market, they discount and practically throw it out the door. That's when I make my move. Recently, I found two great flavors that I absolutely love. Discontinued. One white, one red. Romeo-the red, and Juliet-the white. Juliet is gone; great wine to add to recipes and to sip slowly. Romeo is open; also a good pairing for meals and a real slow sipper. Reds are my favorite-personally a Merlot girl but it stains my lips. If it comes in a unique bottle, I save it to clean and reuse for homemade vinegars, etc...The company's link for R & J is @ the end of this post for those curious about these yummy discontinued wines.
Currently, I'm part of an online study. Women, books, and exploration of the past. Yikes. I wasn't looking to get into something like this but it came to me and I knew I had to undertake it. Eye opening, awakening. I'm also reading three other books while working on this 10 week study. Spiritual awakening. I'm on my EAT-PRAY-LOVE adventure. Ten spiritually inspiring books to discover and read. I've discovered my ten, composed my list, and working on them as they come to me. Not prioritizing what to read when; letting it come into place as it should. See my list posted below for reference; I'm posting my list as I read, so you won't see a complete list until later on.
Today I'm going with the flow. Not sure exactly what my boys and I will venture into but with a small list of possibilities, we will go where it takes us. Another day of rain keeps us from gardens and poolside fun but it doesn't stop us from enjoying what life has to offer. Afterall, I'm Mom.

"If we fear loss enough, in the end the things we possess will come to possess us."
-Rachel Naomi Remen, MD "Kitchen Table Wisdom"

~Momma

www.pazzione.com

First Friday Posting

I'm realizing this is my first Friday posting; at least as I can remember. What a morning already! My To Do/Finish List is sketched, breakfast in process, I applied for a parent blogging job online, the rain is falling to water my edible landscape, and the day waits for me to join in. Not that time really waits for anyone, because it doesn't. It does make space for you, though. Especially when there's much to be tackled. And my Momma list is one to be tackled.
My thoughts are scattered as I type this post; perhaps letting me know that an entry of breadth is not of importance for today. I've set up the day for movies for my boys, as we would have gone on a bus ride/field trip to one of our predestined places of interest but I'm only beginning to utilize the public transportation system, so an umbrella is not an accessory I want to add just yet. Give me another month or so and I'll be sporting a 40 lb. pack like some of our troops do when they are in the field. Then again, just the thought of that makes me want to lie down and say "NO WAY!!"
So, as a woman with many hats, I wear my task master, momma, wild woman, and femme hats. Too wet for my farm hat, and my self-employed hat is still hanging on the peg. It all comes together when the time is right. Here's to Friday and its potential for success.

~Momma