Posts
How to Dye Easter Eggs Naturally
This is a new blog I've started reading recently. I enjoyed this entry. Natural dyes always seemed like maybe a lot of work, or less than vibrant colors, to me before. This makes it sound both easy and beautiful. It seems like we work so hard to make sure we have the best and most natural eggs to eat, it's only fair to make dying them naturallly of equal priority. That's something else I need to fit into the next week, an egg dying affair. Even though we don't celebrate Easter, we always welcome in Spring with some lovely eggs...
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Come see us, and a chicken, tomorrow!!!
This just in...We get to repeat the fabulous fun we had last Spring at the local Farmer's Market. We will be there with the local group C.L.U.C.K. (Citizens Legalizing Urban Chicken Keeping), and we will have one of our chickens in tow. We had so much fun last year and got to chat with and interact with so many people. Come be part of the fun. :)
Monday, March 30, 2009
Just life...
I haven’t blogged in awhile. Usually, when I have a blogging hiatus, it meant life was too crazy, I was too overwhelmed, or the like. Those things are probably all currently true but I think the main reason is honestly that I haven’t had a “theme.” Yes, I’m the quintessential English-major type that organizes her blogs, even the mental ones, by theme. But, because I know the blogging habit is one kept up, even sporadically, here I am.
I’m calling this one “just life” because that’s what’s been happening. Neither the horrible nor the wonderful, just the usual. We have been busy, no doubt about that. We’re at the time of year when one kid activity hasn’t quite ended and yet another has begun and so they run head into tail into another one (Fionna has three semi-overlapping activities happening right now). The time change has the kids just a little overtired and myself just a bit worse at keeping us on a semi-routine.
I am feeling some urgency in regards to my yard and garden. Spring is springing, that bright new golden green graces so many trees and bushes and plants here where we live. Bulbs are blooming, as are fruit trees and other hardy plants like some of my sages. We’ve already seen early frogs venturing out although, alas, we found one oh-so-tiny guy frozen and dead on our concrete in the back yard. We had a few surprise almost-freezing nights. I guess he should have consulted the Froggers Almanac. Our young chickens (the one-day-old chicks we purchased mail-order in November) are maturing and venturing into the egg laying kingdom. Their eggs are so small compared to our mature layers, very cool to see. They live with the "big" chickens now; we opened the barrier between their two pens so both groups could have additional space. There's definitely a pecking order, younger hens seldom get first pick at choice scraps, but nothing truly amiss has gone on between the two groups. Pretty good, I'd have to say, for nine "women" confined together.
Our turtle, Myrtle, is once again an outdoor turtle. She seemed particularly mopey of late, venturing out of her rock cave less and less often. She would come out for a few bites of banana every few days but she hadn’t been cavorting in her water dish, or chased crickets in several weeks. My comfort level with keeping a wild animal captive is never very high….so, we released her into our backyard last week. She’s in an area with ivy growing on the ground and low on the wall. It has some nice cypress mulch from a previous gardening attempt (trying to keep violets moist enough here to survive. Didn't happen. I still didn't keep them wet enough). We do have some garden edge pavers bordering it but I think if she badly wanted to, she could get out. However, at this point, all she seemed to want to badly do is to burrow deep and dark. Perhaps we interrupted her normal hibernation by keeping her inside and semi-awake all winter. I’m glad she’s back in the big world, but I hope she’ll share the occasional glimpse of herself with us, ever so often.
I have, essentially, one month of school left. Although there’s a bit more than that on the calendar, by the end of April, most of my assignments will be (or should be) wrapped up. I eagerly await it although mounds and mounds of work will have to be scaled between then and now. I’m already mentally struggling with the question of summer school. Right now, for us school equals loans and loans equal income, so I should go. The question is can I swing it? I’m not sure how online summer school classes would work; I’m imagining they are intense.
Well, my upcoming week holds busyness – typical school and kid park playday schedule, American Indian week at the University including a couple of functions I’d like to attend (Parade of All Nations and an Expo this weekend with drumming and dancing), Fionna has a museum field trip that the little ones and I will tag along on, La Leche League meeting at my house Thursday night, two birthday parties this weekend, a visiting Irish fiddler I’d love to see on Saturday night…
Like I said, it’s just life.
I’m calling this one “just life” because that’s what’s been happening. Neither the horrible nor the wonderful, just the usual. We have been busy, no doubt about that. We’re at the time of year when one kid activity hasn’t quite ended and yet another has begun and so they run head into tail into another one (Fionna has three semi-overlapping activities happening right now). The time change has the kids just a little overtired and myself just a bit worse at keeping us on a semi-routine.
I am feeling some urgency in regards to my yard and garden. Spring is springing, that bright new golden green graces so many trees and bushes and plants here where we live. Bulbs are blooming, as are fruit trees and other hardy plants like some of my sages. We’ve already seen early frogs venturing out although, alas, we found one oh-so-tiny guy frozen and dead on our concrete in the back yard. We had a few surprise almost-freezing nights. I guess he should have consulted the Froggers Almanac. Our young chickens (the one-day-old chicks we purchased mail-order in November) are maturing and venturing into the egg laying kingdom. Their eggs are so small compared to our mature layers, very cool to see. They live with the "big" chickens now; we opened the barrier between their two pens so both groups could have additional space. There's definitely a pecking order, younger hens seldom get first pick at choice scraps, but nothing truly amiss has gone on between the two groups. Pretty good, I'd have to say, for nine "women" confined together.
Our turtle, Myrtle, is once again an outdoor turtle. She seemed particularly mopey of late, venturing out of her rock cave less and less often. She would come out for a few bites of banana every few days but she hadn’t been cavorting in her water dish, or chased crickets in several weeks. My comfort level with keeping a wild animal captive is never very high….so, we released her into our backyard last week. She’s in an area with ivy growing on the ground and low on the wall. It has some nice cypress mulch from a previous gardening attempt (trying to keep violets moist enough here to survive. Didn't happen. I still didn't keep them wet enough). We do have some garden edge pavers bordering it but I think if she badly wanted to, she could get out. However, at this point, all she seemed to want to badly do is to burrow deep and dark. Perhaps we interrupted her normal hibernation by keeping her inside and semi-awake all winter. I’m glad she’s back in the big world, but I hope she’ll share the occasional glimpse of herself with us, ever so often.
I have, essentially, one month of school left. Although there’s a bit more than that on the calendar, by the end of April, most of my assignments will be (or should be) wrapped up. I eagerly await it although mounds and mounds of work will have to be scaled between then and now. I’m already mentally struggling with the question of summer school. Right now, for us school equals loans and loans equal income, so I should go. The question is can I swing it? I’m not sure how online summer school classes would work; I’m imagining they are intense.
Well, my upcoming week holds busyness – typical school and kid park playday schedule, American Indian week at the University including a couple of functions I’d like to attend (Parade of All Nations and an Expo this weekend with drumming and dancing), Fionna has a museum field trip that the little ones and I will tag along on, La Leche League meeting at my house Thursday night, two birthday parties this weekend, a visiting Irish fiddler I’d love to see on Saturday night…
Like I said, it’s just life.
Monday, March 2, 2009
So proud. My lemonade award. :)
Mostly, my blog is just my way of updating friends and family. Within myself (but probably not so much for others), it is also a creative outlet, letting me write and ponder what's happening in my world. I also wouldn't mind if it were more of a soapbox for issues near and dear to my heart, but those posts usually live on in my 'noggin. So, I was the very surprised, and proud, recipient of the news that I'd been nominated for the "Lemonade Award." Needless to say, it made me very happy for my humble little blog to get such a nice pat on the back. Thank you, Becca. :)Here are the rules:
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude
3. Link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link this post to the person from whom you received your award.
I must admit, Becca and I share the same circle of people that we admire and read. So, normally I'd be tagging Nora and Connor. I'm going to reach outside of the blogs of people I actually know though and tag people who are strangers to me and, yet, have impacted me with their writing.
Therefore, the "Lemonade" goes to:
The Medicine Woman's Roots -- Kiva Rose is an herbalist extraordinaire. I also admire to the extreme the life she chooses to make for herself and those important for her.
The Crunchy Chicken -- This blogger is at the forefront of thinking about conservation and low-impact living. I always learn something and am spurred to analyze my own behaviors in regard to the issues she addresses.
Sweet/Salty -- This blogger experienced the loss we all dread, that of a child, and has repeatedly humbled and moved me with her courage to share what she's feeling and going through. I imagine I'd read her blog regardless (I love the wit and honesty) but encountering this blog just about at the point that her twins were born, I found myself drawn in in the most compelling of ways.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Breastfeeding & Scheduled biopsy? Read on...
http://crunchydomesticgoddess.com/2009/02/03/breastfeeding-scheduled-for-a-biopsy-read-this-and-pass-it-on/
Breastfeeding? Scheduled for a biopsy? Read this and pass it on.
February 3, 2009
Today I have a guest post from Tanya of Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog. She’s trying to spread the word about this valuable research and I’m happy to do my small part by passing it along to you. The original post is here and it is copied and pasted (with permission) below.
Picture this: You’re breastfeeding. You notice a lump. First maybe you think it’s a plugged duct. But then it doesn’t go away, after many, many feedings. You’re worried about it, so you make an appointment with your doctor, who doesn’t think it’s related to breastfeeding. She sends you for a mammogram, but you’re told that you’ll have to have weaned for six months before the test can be done. What do you do?*
I’ve mentioned before that I’m involved in a powerful research project based at the University of Massachusetts, and supported by the Love/Avon Army of Women breast cancer project.
I’d like to explain more about it now, and ask for your help in recruiting participants for it.
It’s probably news to most of us (it was to me) that when you make milk, cells from your milk ducts are exfoliated off in the process. These are called epithelial cells, and they’re detectable in your milk.
Past research has demonstrated that long before we notice a lump, those epithelial cells start changing in ways that are precursors to the development of breast cancer.
Dr. Kathleen Arcaro, a UMass professor who studies breastfeeding and breast cancer risk wants to analyze those cells. She’s been nice enough to visit a breastfeeding group I run, and answer questions about breastfeeding and breast cancer.
The primary goal of her research is to determine if it’s possible to create a non-invasive, early way of assessing our breast cancer risk through our breastmilk. If it’s successful, it would also establish ‘molecular biomarkers’ for breast cancer risk.
An additional benefit to breastfeeding mothers is that we would not be told, as some are, to wean before a mammogram or biopsy can be done. No more choosing between breastfeeding and a breast cancer test. It could be as simple and sending in a milk sample to a lab!
In order to conduct this research, Dr. Kathleen Arcaro needs to find 250 women who are both lactating and scheduled for a biopsy. To participate, you’d overnight milk samples to her lab, at no cost to you.
So if you, or someone you know, is both breastfeeding and scheduled for a biopsy, please ask them to email either me, Dr. Arcaro, or Dr. Sarah Lennington as soon as possible. You can visit the project’s website to learn more.
If you write a blog or are in contact with lots of moms on a forum, please pass this link around!
And if you haven’t done it yet, register for the Love/Avon Army of Women. You’ll join one million women volunteering to become part of a rich pool of women researchers can use to find the causes and prevention of breast cancer. You can see other participating studies on the site. Here’s a recent Today Show clip on the project.* Mammograms can be done on lactating breasts, but they are viewed as less accurate than on non-lactating breasts. Some doctors will do them, others require mothers to wean first. Some send mothers for ultrasounds.
Breastfeeding? Scheduled for a biopsy? Read this and pass it on.
February 3, 2009
Today I have a guest post from Tanya of Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog. She’s trying to spread the word about this valuable research and I’m happy to do my small part by passing it along to you. The original post is here and it is copied and pasted (with permission) below.
Picture this: You’re breastfeeding. You notice a lump. First maybe you think it’s a plugged duct. But then it doesn’t go away, after many, many feedings. You’re worried about it, so you make an appointment with your doctor, who doesn’t think it’s related to breastfeeding. She sends you for a mammogram, but you’re told that you’ll have to have weaned for six months before the test can be done. What do you do?*
I’ve mentioned before that I’m involved in a powerful research project based at the University of Massachusetts, and supported by the Love/Avon Army of Women breast cancer project.
I’d like to explain more about it now, and ask for your help in recruiting participants for it.
It’s probably news to most of us (it was to me) that when you make milk, cells from your milk ducts are exfoliated off in the process. These are called epithelial cells, and they’re detectable in your milk.
Past research has demonstrated that long before we notice a lump, those epithelial cells start changing in ways that are precursors to the development of breast cancer.
Dr. Kathleen Arcaro, a UMass professor who studies breastfeeding and breast cancer risk wants to analyze those cells. She’s been nice enough to visit a breastfeeding group I run, and answer questions about breastfeeding and breast cancer.
The primary goal of her research is to determine if it’s possible to create a non-invasive, early way of assessing our breast cancer risk through our breastmilk. If it’s successful, it would also establish ‘molecular biomarkers’ for breast cancer risk.
An additional benefit to breastfeeding mothers is that we would not be told, as some are, to wean before a mammogram or biopsy can be done. No more choosing between breastfeeding and a breast cancer test. It could be as simple and sending in a milk sample to a lab!
In order to conduct this research, Dr. Kathleen Arcaro needs to find 250 women who are both lactating and scheduled for a biopsy. To participate, you’d overnight milk samples to her lab, at no cost to you.
So if you, or someone you know, is both breastfeeding and scheduled for a biopsy, please ask them to email either me, Dr. Arcaro, or Dr. Sarah Lennington as soon as possible. You can visit the project’s website to learn more.
If you write a blog or are in contact with lots of moms on a forum, please pass this link around!
And if you haven’t done it yet, register for the Love/Avon Army of Women. You’ll join one million women volunteering to become part of a rich pool of women researchers can use to find the causes and prevention of breast cancer. You can see other participating studies on the site. Here’s a recent Today Show clip on the project.* Mammograms can be done on lactating breasts, but they are viewed as less accurate than on non-lactating breasts. Some doctors will do them, others require mothers to wean first. Some send mothers for ultrasounds.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Getting those photos taken care of...
Grady, second from right on the bottom row, at his first Tae Kwon Do demonstration in January.
These three Tae Kwon Do shots come from the practice room. This is where a lots of wild rumpuses occur after class. Grady adores it.
Ainslie, in an "Ainslie original." Not one, not two but three dresses, layered. She went to church this way.
This is what happens these days when you tell Ainslie to smile for the camera. For some reason, those eyes just can't stay open...
Christmas morning, 2008. We never have too many shots, too busy helping the kids whirl through their gifts. Fionna here is receiving, what I am told, is a girl's requisite Barbie styling head.
Sad to say, my only xmas shot of Grady is this horribly blurry thing. At least he's happy (it's a pinball game that he's opening).
Ainslie very much loved opening gifts, anyone's gifts, this year.
Waiting for her sit-and-spin... (I just typed sit-and-spit. That would be the Grady version.)
A rare, these days, happy shot of all three. Ainslie, again, created her own outfit.
Fionna at her Winter school music show. She was thrilled to be front and center, right by the mic. A starlet's dream...
Making homemade gingerbread houses (also known as eating lots of powdered sugar frosting).
Grady, at that point, had eaten a little less than Ainslie. You can actually recognize what he's up to.
Bummer, I can't get it to turn the right direction. You get the idea. More corny kid holiday cheer. :)
Just a check in...
I don't seem to have the mental room these days to ruminate on blogs (I used to get around to posting only a fraction of the one's I'd mentally mapped out), much less share pictures with everyone). The picture deal is partly because the digi camera uploads to the desktop computer, and I'm always on my (new, and so fabulous) laptop.
But, I thought some sort of an update would be better than nada, right?
School for me is starting to get into full swing. I'm enjoying it far more than I anticipated. Before starting, it just sounded like adding "x" amount of work to my already full days but now I'm seeing the payoff, and thus the motivation, as I am becoming more and more interested and engaged with what I'm learning. It all seems very relevant and applicable, and those are absolute musts for me. I'm not good with theoretical crappola that I can't imagine ever using (I'm sure my high school math teacher heard me spout these words a few dozens of times).
School has proven to be a bit more frustrating for Fionna, of late. Homework is coming home in droves (I'm talking like 2 hours worth per night). I've reached the point where I have entered into "Grand High Executive Decision-Making Mode" and I just deem that she won't do most of it. It's worksheets, mind-numbing, repetitive, you get the picture. So, we do the more crucial stuff and pitch the rest. I plan to address it with her teacher in the next few days. I think some is AES stuff that is supplementary and supposed to keep her from being bored but it seems punitive to her when it just means she slaves away with her pencil for even more time at home. Our unfortunate children here are getting one mere 20-minute recess per day and that combined with the excessive homework has me very frustrated. I got to the point the other night that I offered her the option of pulling out of school for the remainder of this year, homeschooling, and re-evaluating in the Fall. Of course, she refused. She's a social little creature.
Grady maintains that he has no interest in attending kindergarten in the Fall. I think it's mostly a combination of separation and social anxiety. But, I honored Fionna's feelings when she was at this stage, and I'm committed to doing the same for Grady. We currently work, when the opportunity lends itself and he's in the mood, on number identification, letter sounds, the fine motor skills of beginning handwriting (with dot-to-dots, mazes, drawing letters). He's not really into this stuff but sometimes finds it exciting, and I try to capitallize on those moments. I do feel very positively about Grady's social circle and extracurricular activities right now. We seem to be in the midst of one of those golden times when we have lots of wonderful friends and lots of opportunities to spend time with them. I absolutely love our looong, extended park days and impromptu playdates. And soccer and Tae Kwon Do continue to be really fun, pleasing activities for Grady. I love seeing him so engaged and eager and having such fun.
Ainslie....I feel like she's made some developmental leaps just recently. Her pretend play is evolving and becoming more complex. What's really uncanny for me is how closely she mimics the ways in which Fionna engaged in pretend play. The themes, the behavior, it's all so similar. I use to call Fionna the "little director," and Ainslie is making an excellent play at being the Little Director Numero Dos. She has very, very particular ideas of what she'd like to play with me and how I should participate. So, it's not enough to play "house" type of games. I have to be in a certain spot, do a certain number of things, say just the right things, etc. I spend a lot of time on her bed (a prop, considering that she sleeps in the big family bed in THE bedroom) in her room, eyes closed, pretending to be the baby. My one weekly absence, on Monday nights for class, is really causing her an increase in sadness. She handled it well at first but her distress seems to be escalating. I've just decided, on someone's advice, to try to be more matter-of-fact about it and try to get away from making it a big deal. Hopefully she'll soon settle into it as just another part of our routine. Although it's a three hour class, she goes to bed within 30-60 minutes of me leaving so it's not anything that should disrupt her routine all that much. Ainslie is also starting to really love and seek out certain characters. Dora is an unfailing hit, as are Pooh Bear and the 100 Acre Wood gang. She also just started to notice and ask for Mickey and Minnie Mouse, which is funny because Fionna went through a Mickey and Minnie love affair at almost the exact same age. I was even able to dig through the big closest of saved clothing/shoes and pull out two pair of Minnie shoes in just Ainslie's size.
Well, the Dora episode which bought me the time to write is ending. And I have a LLL homevisit in about an hour which means I really ought to be showering and picking up the house (the mom is coming to me this time). Dear Blog, I promise to try to get some pictures up. I miss seeing evidence of our happy days on here. Until then...hasta...
But, I thought some sort of an update would be better than nada, right?
School for me is starting to get into full swing. I'm enjoying it far more than I anticipated. Before starting, it just sounded like adding "x" amount of work to my already full days but now I'm seeing the payoff, and thus the motivation, as I am becoming more and more interested and engaged with what I'm learning. It all seems very relevant and applicable, and those are absolute musts for me. I'm not good with theoretical crappola that I can't imagine ever using (I'm sure my high school math teacher heard me spout these words a few dozens of times).
School has proven to be a bit more frustrating for Fionna, of late. Homework is coming home in droves (I'm talking like 2 hours worth per night). I've reached the point where I have entered into "Grand High Executive Decision-Making Mode" and I just deem that she won't do most of it. It's worksheets, mind-numbing, repetitive, you get the picture. So, we do the more crucial stuff and pitch the rest. I plan to address it with her teacher in the next few days. I think some is AES stuff that is supplementary and supposed to keep her from being bored but it seems punitive to her when it just means she slaves away with her pencil for even more time at home. Our unfortunate children here are getting one mere 20-minute recess per day and that combined with the excessive homework has me very frustrated. I got to the point the other night that I offered her the option of pulling out of school for the remainder of this year, homeschooling, and re-evaluating in the Fall. Of course, she refused. She's a social little creature.
Grady maintains that he has no interest in attending kindergarten in the Fall. I think it's mostly a combination of separation and social anxiety. But, I honored Fionna's feelings when she was at this stage, and I'm committed to doing the same for Grady. We currently work, when the opportunity lends itself and he's in the mood, on number identification, letter sounds, the fine motor skills of beginning handwriting (with dot-to-dots, mazes, drawing letters). He's not really into this stuff but sometimes finds it exciting, and I try to capitallize on those moments. I do feel very positively about Grady's social circle and extracurricular activities right now. We seem to be in the midst of one of those golden times when we have lots of wonderful friends and lots of opportunities to spend time with them. I absolutely love our looong, extended park days and impromptu playdates. And soccer and Tae Kwon Do continue to be really fun, pleasing activities for Grady. I love seeing him so engaged and eager and having such fun.
Ainslie....I feel like she's made some developmental leaps just recently. Her pretend play is evolving and becoming more complex. What's really uncanny for me is how closely she mimics the ways in which Fionna engaged in pretend play. The themes, the behavior, it's all so similar. I use to call Fionna the "little director," and Ainslie is making an excellent play at being the Little Director Numero Dos. She has very, very particular ideas of what she'd like to play with me and how I should participate. So, it's not enough to play "house" type of games. I have to be in a certain spot, do a certain number of things, say just the right things, etc. I spend a lot of time on her bed (a prop, considering that she sleeps in the big family bed in THE bedroom) in her room, eyes closed, pretending to be the baby. My one weekly absence, on Monday nights for class, is really causing her an increase in sadness. She handled it well at first but her distress seems to be escalating. I've just decided, on someone's advice, to try to be more matter-of-fact about it and try to get away from making it a big deal. Hopefully she'll soon settle into it as just another part of our routine. Although it's a three hour class, she goes to bed within 30-60 minutes of me leaving so it's not anything that should disrupt her routine all that much. Ainslie is also starting to really love and seek out certain characters. Dora is an unfailing hit, as are Pooh Bear and the 100 Acre Wood gang. She also just started to notice and ask for Mickey and Minnie Mouse, which is funny because Fionna went through a Mickey and Minnie love affair at almost the exact same age. I was even able to dig through the big closest of saved clothing/shoes and pull out two pair of Minnie shoes in just Ainslie's size.
Well, the Dora episode which bought me the time to write is ending. And I have a LLL homevisit in about an hour which means I really ought to be showering and picking up the house (the mom is coming to me this time). Dear Blog, I promise to try to get some pictures up. I miss seeing evidence of our happy days on here. Until then...hasta...
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