We've been here 6 weeks now! Is that ALL??? In that case I don't feel nearly as bad about taking this long to write :) But now I've got a lot to say. Someone asked, what does our day look like. I'll start here (the low hanging fruit if you will):
6:30/7:30 We wake, snuggle, sing, rise, dress, make our beds and eat.
Next We clean up and feed the 'pets' including dog, cat, and chickens-mostly Rose's responsibility.
Then we go for a family walk, moving pasture/counting cows-in anticipation of calves, moving/counting sheep-in hopes no predators have taken one, checking water, salt and mineral supply, and just generally being around to see how things are.
Morning Snack Time: We generally eat something of apple, pear, raspberry, grape or melon (the last is local, but not from here-as in Oneota Slopes Farm where we live).
At this point, sometimes sooner one adult leaves to do their 'work'. The girls either have movement and story time (Circle Time), or join in an activity. Some days out of the house in town with other children, some days with a neighbor, some days a chore like hanging the laundry, cleaning jars, harvesting, weeding, etc. Often this ends in time on a swing or in the sand box.
Noonish Lunch: Today was garbanzo beans and rice with a cucumber, 'ploppy' yogurt and dill salad. Often times it's leftovers from previous meals prepared from the garden, and with beef.
Violet takes a nap, Lara joins in the second half when lucky. Rose either departs for an activity, has an activity planned, or reads. This week she not only gathered things for an autumn inspired nature table, she also assembled it and made a presentation at dinner. Another day she shelled and soaked the acorns we'd been doing math with. Her reading interest is currently farm animals and sustainable living and Spanish. She's picked out about a dozen back issues of Mother Earth News. Neil does his goodblogs work.
Afternoon Snack: Same as Morning
Afternoons vary by day, but are much more play centered and free flowing.
Parents have some rhythm to departing and arriving dependent on the day. Let's see: Monday Lara works in town, Tuesday Neil works in town, Rose goes too, she'll start a wood working group soon, and next week she'll visit Vesterheim with the local homeschoolers, Wednesday Neil works in town, Rose goes to Spanish Class, Thursday Lara, Rose and Violet have a social/homeschool event, Friday the whole day shifts, Lara does a massage trade in the morning Rose picks flowers with Perry-O and delivers them to the Co-op, then in the afternoon we either clean up to prepare for the weekend, do something social, or lay about exhausted :)
5:00ish Dinner: Lunch leftovers with the addition of steak (it was a busy day). Last night Short ribs crock-pot and then broiled with rub, all the tiny potatoes from picking, beets-a bit more traditional. All from here--we're still in awe.
We grocery shop once a week. We get food only to add variety. This week: cabbage, cucumbers, nectarines, avocado. The last two are mostly for Violet and not from the Farmer's Market-she'll probably share a bite.
After dinner: move sheep back into barnyard with hay to deter coyotes. Check on cows. Feed pets, close in chickens, bathe Violet, stories, pj's, teeth brushing, etc.
After that: Lara and Neil try to finish all their computer work and food preserving that got started!
We really like our schedule for the most part. I'm working on the more fine tuning of bringing in song, verse etc. for Rose and Violet.
What keeps us busy? Yesterday we pressed apple cider at our neighbors with another couple. 16ish pails of apples. 20+ gallons of cider; of which we took home 13.5 and canned it (that means we washed that many quart jars and heated it all up). Finished a batch of chevre (ladled into cheesecloth, drained and stored). Made 4 quarts of sauer kraut (chopped the cabbage, pounded it with salt, caraway and the whey from the cheese). Lara attended a meeting with visiting community rights organizer/educator, Paul Cienfuegos, and our local alliance group. Neil attended Paul's lecture-which I believe was archived by a man from Chicago-if it becomes available I'll post it.
Today? More jar washing by Neil and Violet, the usual Friday morning for Rose and Lara, and then Lara and Rose got to go to a Mabon/Autumn Equinox Celebration where we heard the story of Persephone, made talking sticks (whittled, sanded, adorned in beads, feathers and a hickory nut), played-discovered an Eastern Gray Tree Frog, sang, feasted-on fall foods, and gave thanks for our friends. Then we went to one more meeting with Paul, and returned for a night at home... a big day with lots of away! Violet and Neil had a nice time together. Now, Happy Weekend! May you have a rejuvenating playful time!
Friday, September 27, 2013
Memorial Day-A Day to Remember What I Stand For
Today we had a most fantastic Memorial Day service. It inspired me-exactly where I am. Staci offered us the opportunity to reflect on the reality that there are people in our lives that we would even take a bullet for-the phrase caught me as this: to allow our energy to dwell in that place rather than to dwell on war, but instead, bring our focus to the sharing of the understanding of loyalty, commitment, sacrifice. The service was beautiful, and full of poignant stories connected to individuals and families that have served in our armed forces, both directly and indirectly. And it was open enough to allow those of us without military ties to move into our own connection to the themes of the stories. I found myself connecting through our most current transformation as a family.
The change that we are currently living into as we find our way to live, and then also try to find words to describe this experience we are having-which feels like some cross between destiny and call-like vocational call, or lifestyle call, or perhaps what happens to everyone along the journey of putting in the time, love and energy into communicating, healing, practicing whatever art/meditative/martial/body-mind-spirit thing you do. Maybe it’s what everyone experiences in their mid-30’s, or their transition from late adolescence into adulthood as characterized by Bill Plotkin in “Nature and the Human Soul”. Whatever the case, it thrills me. It calls to me, and it makes it very clear when I consider the word sacrifice, exactly why I am doing what I am doing.
“What exactly are you doing?” I can hear you asking. Well, the funny thing is I can’t answer that question very clearly right now. I know it would be nice to hear: I am moving. I am changing careers. I am becoming (fill in the blank). But these sorts of statements are still yet to be answered by what comes as I live into this life of mine. As we, the Tudas live into this life of OURS. HOWEVER, I can answer some questions. I can tell you why I am living this answer-less life.
I am living this life of intentionality embracing my own creative ability to act, and my own understanding of how that means I must act. Which is actually quite a journey in and of itself in that what I mean is “we” instead of “I” (more on that later I’m sure). If you thought we were on a journey entitled “2 kids, house with a yard, dog and fence, on the way to full professor,” it might feel like quite a leap too. Don’t get me wrong, all those things in fact, do exist on our path! But our journey is actually entitled “Living the Best Life we can Imagine”. Which means being in dialogue with the world around us, listening and responding with our presence, being the best us we can for ourselves and our children (and yes, their children’s children), and yes, choosing love, choosing life, choosing yes with each breath we take. So, this is where there is often a moment of pause for folks-and then a deeper, “ahhh, I see.” It is for you, who are interested in keeping up with where this ride takes us that I try to put words to these thoughts and experiences. Lovingly, questions will most surely be answered!
Today as Staci asked us to hold for a moment that there are people in our lives for whom we would sacrifice our lives it all flooded into me so clearly. There was a moment in the movie, “Do the Math” http://youtu.be/IsIfokifwSo?t=39m put out by 350.org when I had a new sense of my role as mother. It was a call to action, rather than to focus on my homefires until my children are older. I felt the same call to action as I spent my first nights away from my 2 year old so I could learn from Paul Cienfuegos http://paulcienfuegos.com/. What is it I am standing for?
Perhaps this will be the answer that I wish I could offer to those I try to explain my bubbling over thoughts. I am committed to creating a sustainable future for all of the children on the planet. This means I live a life that gives a hell of a lot, as I am in the privileged place of receiving a hell of a lot. I sacrifice the false vision of success I have been taught alongside the devastating facts of the state of our planet. I do not ask my children to try to muddle their way through this dissonance alone. I authentically and actively demand clean water, air and food and respect for all of creation. I do not run myself ragged. I make room for play and rest and creating. I do not ignore others in my earth community in order to make fleeting gains. I listen. I respond. I choose to wake each morning with a song of love on my lips, a sparkle of hopefulness in my eye, and the wisdom and strength of my power in my spine. I reach out my hand and find a family, a community, a world, alive, awake, and ready at my side. Let us go forth and dance!
The change that we are currently living into as we find our way to live, and then also try to find words to describe this experience we are having-which feels like some cross between destiny and call-like vocational call, or lifestyle call, or perhaps what happens to everyone along the journey of putting in the time, love and energy into communicating, healing, practicing whatever art/meditative/martial/body-mind-spirit thing you do. Maybe it’s what everyone experiences in their mid-30’s, or their transition from late adolescence into adulthood as characterized by Bill Plotkin in “Nature and the Human Soul”. Whatever the case, it thrills me. It calls to me, and it makes it very clear when I consider the word sacrifice, exactly why I am doing what I am doing.
“What exactly are you doing?” I can hear you asking. Well, the funny thing is I can’t answer that question very clearly right now. I know it would be nice to hear: I am moving. I am changing careers. I am becoming (fill in the blank). But these sorts of statements are still yet to be answered by what comes as I live into this life of mine. As we, the Tudas live into this life of OURS. HOWEVER, I can answer some questions. I can tell you why I am living this answer-less life.
I am living this life of intentionality embracing my own creative ability to act, and my own understanding of how that means I must act. Which is actually quite a journey in and of itself in that what I mean is “we” instead of “I” (more on that later I’m sure). If you thought we were on a journey entitled “2 kids, house with a yard, dog and fence, on the way to full professor,” it might feel like quite a leap too. Don’t get me wrong, all those things in fact, do exist on our path! But our journey is actually entitled “Living the Best Life we can Imagine”. Which means being in dialogue with the world around us, listening and responding with our presence, being the best us we can for ourselves and our children (and yes, their children’s children), and yes, choosing love, choosing life, choosing yes with each breath we take. So, this is where there is often a moment of pause for folks-and then a deeper, “ahhh, I see.” It is for you, who are interested in keeping up with where this ride takes us that I try to put words to these thoughts and experiences. Lovingly, questions will most surely be answered!
Today as Staci asked us to hold for a moment that there are people in our lives for whom we would sacrifice our lives it all flooded into me so clearly. There was a moment in the movie, “Do the Math” http://youtu.be/IsIfokifwSo?t=39m put out by 350.org when I had a new sense of my role as mother. It was a call to action, rather than to focus on my homefires until my children are older. I felt the same call to action as I spent my first nights away from my 2 year old so I could learn from Paul Cienfuegos http://paulcienfuegos.com/. What is it I am standing for?
Perhaps this will be the answer that I wish I could offer to those I try to explain my bubbling over thoughts. I am committed to creating a sustainable future for all of the children on the planet. This means I live a life that gives a hell of a lot, as I am in the privileged place of receiving a hell of a lot. I sacrifice the false vision of success I have been taught alongside the devastating facts of the state of our planet. I do not ask my children to try to muddle their way through this dissonance alone. I authentically and actively demand clean water, air and food and respect for all of creation. I do not run myself ragged. I make room for play and rest and creating. I do not ignore others in my earth community in order to make fleeting gains. I listen. I respond. I choose to wake each morning with a song of love on my lips, a sparkle of hopefulness in my eye, and the wisdom and strength of my power in my spine. I reach out my hand and find a family, a community, a world, alive, awake, and ready at my side. Let us go forth and dance!
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