Darling Graduate: Congratulations!

So, here are the photos, in case you missed the party. Thanks to Joseph Maciejko and Jay Strickland for the lovely photography! If you did not receive an invitation, you should have; my apologies! We missed you! You have been a part of this fabulous community that has helped raise these kids so far, thank you. Cate and her friend, Mina celebrated the end of homeschooling, the beginning of college and the rest of life. This is Cate with Mina, whose family clinched the question of whether or not to homeschool that had been gnawing at us for years. Mina who reads over 400 books a year; thank you to you and your wonderful family for the inspiration and years of friendship.

Little sister on the right

It was a great day for babies

The youngest of my bandits

My friend, Audrey, from Africa, and her mother and infant son, Phanuel (you can see him better below)

My wonderful neighbors, holding the darling baby, Phanuel, and my dear ol' Dad, thank you, Dad!

The parents at the end of the day; Thierry, Angela, Cecilia, Mariano

I wish I had more photos with my mom, she's the one in the middle; thank you! She, like Cecilia, Mina's mother, was a moving target, tirelessly making sure STUFF GOT DONE all day. Elizabeth, in purple, has been a true friend, math savior for my children and knitting and writing companion. I couldn't have done it without her! There are others, but if I start naming names, I will forget someone, so thank you all!

'

You Need this Bag

I am all about promoting and supporting local and small businesses. Today's choice: the best bag ever (and you know, I really love bags.) It was made out of 100% recycled materials (old pants' leg and an old tie)  by a lovely friend of mine with a fab etsy shop. What do I use it for? EVERYTHING! It began as a knitting bag, and quickly became my pick-up-and-sling-over-my-shoulder-to-go-anywhere (especially a walk with my puppy: poo bag holder, or to the gym: keys, license, towel) bag. I also use it for my knitting in the afternoon and evening.

Ta-da:

I know, I should have had one of my super-cute kids model this, but it is MY bag and here I am; sweaty and post dog-walking, in real life, with my companion bag. If you are short-waisted or long-waisted, you can custom-order the length, choose your colors, etc.

The best part: only $10 on Etsy now! Here: The Gin Blossom

Spin on Fitness: and Caution for the Hypermobile

Oh...my...word...aie...gasp...ugh...taking my fitness challenge to a new level with a cycling class. I am 99.9% sure my derriere will not be functioning tomorrow. Not to sit on, not to move my legs, nothin'. But just as I start to think maybe one track will be sufficient for my first day of class, the smiling face of my Body Pump teacher stops by; "hey, are you taking up cycling?" -"Yeah," puff, wheez, "just starting, gasp, "think my butt will be sore tomorrow." "Good for you! Buy yourself a pair of padded shorts, that's less weird than a padded seat, right?" "Huh?" Bottom line; I stayed until the end of class; I had no idea whether or not my instructor was lurking in the shadows, waiting to see if I made it all the way through.

...that was a few short days ago, and incredibly, my tush suffered no lasting damage, but I am icing my knee for the 3rd day in a row. It quit. I hate that. Hypermobile individuals are more prone to osteoarthritis.

That knee injury may either be because of the running (just intervals I began again a couple of weeks ago), or the cycling or the crazy elliptical spree I went on for 15 minutes before class on Saturday. Hard to tell. (Update from the physical therapist: it was probably the running, or the standing up while cycling. Serves me right, show-off.)

The point is; I am trying new things, shaking up the routine, upping the ante, and in the process, breaking the barrier of the pounds that would not part ways with my middle. You have to try this once in awhile.

But please: proceed with caution!

Sadly, your body is not as young as it once was, it may take a minute to adjust to a new demand on the joints. So why do it?

Because: it feels like you are starting all over, it is motivating and fun...and even having to ice your knee has advantages; more knitting time! I have lost some weight; that last 15 lbs. I would like to see gone has begun to melt away; ha! That sounds way too easy! It is a process; I'll say healthy food choices and more exercise has been chipping away, very slowly, at it. Keep the faith, change your routine, share your journey below!

                                                                

Humor Help

My sense of humor is something that seems to be tampered by my own (and my family's) intensity much of the time. I want to thank them, as well as my friends, for the many times they crack me up. Some days, I would not survive a minute more without comic relief.

I returned home from a 5-minute, "drop Cate at work," errand on Tuesday to find a car frantically signaling and my friend waving me down as I pulled into the driveway. She just needed to let me know she was kidnapping my children for a minute for a duck rescue...? Here's the story: https://archiedown.wordpress.com/2015/05/05/damsel-in-distress-or-how-to-save-a-duck/

Then there is the daily drama with the squirrels, which, in the winter, is limited to the dog giving chase like a crazed hell hound, but in the summer, takes on a much more dire tone...

The Original Sweater for my Niece

I mentioned the sweater that I made which inspired the dog needing his own sweater. It's been at least a year, but here is the original (she was born with my hair, isn't it cute?) It was very fun to make, as I ran out of yarn, I grabbed another skein of cotton and kept going, and the sheep are simple little fuzz balls.

It is from Stitch n' Bitch Superstar Knitting, but I can't tell you what the name of the pattern is because the person to whom I loaned it did not return the book. Not sure who it might be, but if you are reading this and you have a copy of it with no name in it...well, you know where it lives now.

Cultural Spring

...sort of...knitting a pink elephant:

Spring Things

Like walks in the woods, picnics, and road clean-ups:

An Emergency Sweater for Dog

My adorable niece, on one of her way-too-rare visits, had a little souci: her beloved dog was stark neked. Auntie had made her a sweater: could she not make one for dog? I told her we could solve that problem lickety-split. Between serving Easter dinner and refilling glasses, I grabbed two leftover sock skeins, in pastel rainbow colors to satisfy the request for "puw-puw, pink and owange,") and holding two strands together, made a teeny-tiny dog sweater:

She wanted buttons; so the opening is on his belly. Don't you just love it when the duty that calls is one that requires knitting?

Senior...

No tears, they rust a keyboard like nobody's business. Besides, I've been intermittently sniffling since August when I completed her "transcript" or summary of a lifetime of books, play and work. So, here are photos of Cate, my first-born, senior prom, senior portraits, and friend with whom she will share an end-of-homeschool-on-to-college party: (pass the tissues, I will miss you, darling).

Photography credits (and many, many thanks) for the portrait photos go to Joe Maciejko.

Speak to the Beauty

With each passing day that I am a mother I realize one thing; I do not have all the answers, in fact, each new day has the potential for fresh, shall we say, "circumstances", just to remain positive and not say "disasters", and each one needs a brand spankin' new response. 

Tears dried and caveat aside, there is beauty and pure goodness in each child (and in most adults as well). When I yell or accuse (also called reminding the kid what they did or did not do, again), this addresses only the ugly, the unworthy, or perhaps simply my perception of the actions I am reprimanding. 

I want to encourage the kindness, honesty and beauty within. Gentle, respectful treatment is the only way to speak to the love just waiting to reach out from my child's heart, if only it is not squashed by mistrust, impatience and anger. Right this minute, with the house quiet and peaceful, I take a breath and remind myself to honor the true child within.

Easter Joys

A Good Friday bike ride with my husband, discovering new parts of the bike path, along my favorite park and suddenly, around a corner; a beach, wild and sandy with driftwood branches, just outside the city.

Not this one, but remarkably like it, all cold and cloudy, but with no one else there. Good Friday-ish.

Family! The best part of Easter, thank you, all,  for coming and making it wonderful.

Early a.m. anticipation...did the bunny show up this year again? Did he leave anything good?

Even the oldest children are out and egg-hunting (I love it!):

There was artwork all week, first the blowing and waxing and dying of Pysanky eggs:

Camo Hoodie and Dragonfly in Amber

I love the Yarn Along hosted by Small Things; in which we share what we are reading and knitting (or crocheting); two of my favorite activities!

Here are mine from this week:

I am re-doing the sleeves and adding a hood to the first boy sweater I ever made. The Cascade 220 has held up beautifully through the years, it's just the style that needs an update. Photos of finished product forthcoming. The book is the second in the Outlander series...sigh. Not exactly intellectual fare, but not stupid either, and lots of history from the places my daughter and I visited in Scotland back in 2010.

What are you knitting/crocheting and reading? Please share, let's try the system that Ginny is using over at Small Things; post a photo on your blog or Flicker or Google and post the link below to share. I would love to see what your projects are, both literary and woolish!

PS This is post number 1000! I did not see it sneaking up on me, so I had no plans for a celebratory event...but I will think of something soon!

You're Never Fully Dressed...Smile

"Nothing is so disgusting to our sex as a want of cleanliness and delicacy in yours. I hope therefore the moment you rise from bed, your first work will be to dress yourself in such a style as that you be seen by any gentleman without his being able to discover a pinamiss." "Remember to...not to go out without your bonnet because it will make you very ugly and then we should not love you so much."(1)

Quote from Thomas Jefferson, much-lauded hero of homeschoolers and the father of "keep the government out of our lives, please,"

Taking the Time to...

1) Eat right, which equals cook, exercise, laugh, love, play a game of speed with your kid? (Yes, that last one was on purpose.) What is it that makes us among the busiest and least satisfied of all nations?

2) Enjoy what is beautiful in life. Go look at the river, the trees, the cacti, the people in the city, the gorgeous works we have taken the time to create from paint, clay, music and movement.

3) Get outside; we went snowshoeing last weekend for an hour or so. It was a sunny winter day, not too cold, and it was fantastic to be out of doors. It was a free event; look for them, locals, at the Wapsi and Nahant Marsh, or any naturalist center in your vicinity.

4) Do what makes you come alive, feel happy, enthusiastic.

I just found a note from 2005. I had four small children, the youngest was a baby, the oldest 8. It was a list of my accomplishments for the day, insanity:
-pumped milk for another baby
-led a parenting class at church (most likely after getting 5 children church-ready and there on time)
-baked 5 loaves of bread
-baked a chocolate cake
-dishes
-nursed baby, changed baby (15 times)
-carried baby when not being fed or changed
-had a play date at my house
-hoed the garden and planted: carrots, sugar snap peas, spinach and radishes
-washed the cloth diapers
-cooked dinner while bathing 3 kids and nursing
-read Chapter 5 of "The Magician's Nephew" aloud
-put kids to bed, nursed baby

Why?

Mostly, I was doing all of the things I wanted to do.  I wanted a big family and I want to be here with them. It must have been a day when my husband was working out of town. Besides, this was pretty much a typical day for me.

Last night I watched a news report on communities that are teaching children about bio-dynamic agriculture and exploring nature in a place where time has slowed back down to natural rhythms. It sounds very much like a real Waldorf school. It also sounds heavenly. I would very much like this for my family.

The two teens say there's no turning back. They are used to their world and comfortable in it. I am glad they find happiness in their day-to-day lives, but I also say this way leads to madness, along with grumpiness, feeling unfulfilled as a human being and overweight to boot. To each his own...but I am probably right.

But I try to remember to compromise, after all, did it make me happy to see my favorite apron out in the yard on a snow woman? No, but it did please me to see the kids outside making snow people. Even the ones I cannot publish on a family blog because of the visual effects one can add with spray paint these days, rendering perfectly inoffensive snow people a perfect menace to the neighborhood.

One last snowman; the littlest one, made by my littlest child, all alone in the dark, (and happy as a clam, a clam who is not in the dark in the snow):

Books You Listen To

I imagine, dear readers, that, like me, you may, perhaps, have allowed yourself to become too busy to read as much as you used to, or as much as you'd like. I have three books, real books, begun, only one of which has any remotely educational value, as well as being full of historical anecdotes to keep your interest:

The other two are pure fun; Dune, the prequel, because as an adolescent, I LOVED Dune and all things sci-fi, but the Amazon link is puzzling, because it looks like there may be more than one prequel to Dune. As I may offend a fan more die-hard than myself, I will not link to anything. The other; (out of print, but available for $30 or $.01) Always Coming Home, Ursula K. le Guin, is because my book club declared it our February read. It is sort of putting me to sleep, but I bought it and read it I will...in a few minutes, just after I finish my baby sweater,        and the matching hat,      and a blanket for Duncan and a sweater for Charles...in other words, my knitting can get in the way of my reading. As can exercise and excessive driving to jobs on the other side of the river, children's appointments and runs to pick up farm eggs.