Today was Mamaia's birthday. She would've turned 96. Sena, Aiyana and I had a little celebration for her. We lit some candles, which looked and felt nice, since it's pretty gray out today. I took out Mamaia china cups and saucers, which she got as a wedding present many years ago and later passed on to me. Sena asked me if there was anything special Mamaia would've liked for food, and I said jam, so we put out the jam, and we had it on some bread, and I had my coffee in her cups, and we just talked and thought about her. Then Aiyana wanted to sing happy birthday, and we did.
The rest of the day has been really slow and nice. I didn't plan it this way, but I realized that the way I spent today really fit in with the way Mamaia spent many of her days. I spent time reading books with the kids, and then we painted together. We also worked on some writing, and the rest of the day I pretty much spent cooking. I only went outside for a little while, to check on the plants in the field, and to get eggs from the chicken coop.
Speaking of eggs, our chickens started laying last week. It's been so exciting - the kids eat the eggs as soon as we get them. They're small, and we're only getting two a day, but soon there will be more. They're delicious, and the yolks are bright orange. Sena and Aiyana never wanted to eat egg yolks before, but now they do, they gobble up the whole egg as soon as I cook it.
That's been my day today.
Peace
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
sending this out
yesterday, ed and i were out in the field picking for the market (which went really well -it was our second best this season), when my landlady pulled in with two men. they walked around the property for a while, and when we finally talked, it turned out that one of the men was interested in haying about 10 acres of my landlady's property, which is where we're renting now, and is the neighboring land to the house and land we bought. the first question that came to my mind was whether he's planning to use any chemicals; the plan was that he'd put down a synthetic fertilizer first, and then spray herbicide to control the weeds. i expressed my concern about this right away, in the mildest and most respectful manner i could. unfortunately, i could tell i was getting nowhere. the other man who came with my landlady is in the fertilizer business, and my landlady already knows of my concerns.
anyway, i was up last night thinking about this, and it really bothered me. i feel very strongly that i do not want to poison this land. fertilizers are known for leaching and contaminating the ground water, and we have well water here and on our new property; i felt really concerned about all this stuff getting in the water we drink, and blowing on the crops we grow, as herbicides do. what would be the point of us not using any chemicals on the food we grow, when our neighbors are doing it right next door to us?
i guess what bothered me the most is that there's really nothing i can do about stopping this, other than trying to persuade them not to do it. finally, today, after talking to ed and brian (trying to find out more about fertilizers and herbicides), i called my landlady and offered to pay her whatever that guy was paying her for the use of her fields. to my great relief, she accepted and called things off with the other guy. money definitely talks.
i'm glad that the whole thing is resolved now. i felt so upset thinking about it last night. how the land would be damaged by the use of all those chemicals. i feel really strongly about this land now, even though it's not really ours, not the parts she was planning to hay anyway. i feel like i owe it to the land not to let anyone do anything harmful to it. i'm usually a pretty flexible person, and i rarely get worked up enough about something to really stand up to someone and defy them. but this felt so different to me, because it involves the health of my kids, and the health of the land that has already given us so much.
finally, i just want to put this out: i want to ask that you consider the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals when you make your food choices. i think consumer pressure is the only thing that will speak loud enough to make growers stop using this stuff. food that is grown using synthetic chemicals is bad for your health and bad for the land. it contaminates our drinking water and our air. i know from experience now that all these synthetics are not necessary, that much better food can be grown naturally, (using compost, natural minerals such as rock powders, etc). the main thing is taking care of the soil, because when the soil is healthy, the food grown on it will be healthy, and the people or animals eating that food will be healthy.
food grown with artificial chemicals may seem cheaper on the shelves of the supermarket, but it is not, if you consider the money you'll be spending in health care later on, or the cost to the environment, which will, in one way or another come back to you and your kids.
all of this does not mean that you need to only buy "organic". organic is only just another label, one that is getting more and more popular now. i guess organic is a good place to start if you don't know what else to do. at least you know that organic growers are limited in the chemicals they can use on their crops by regulations. but moving beyond organic, trying to figure out where your food is coming from, who grew it, and how did it get to you, all of those questions are what you really want to ask, i think.
well, my heart is torn between love for the beauty of the earth, and sadness that we're so careless with it (and with our own health). i feel that i can do so little for something that matters to me so much...
peace
anyway, i was up last night thinking about this, and it really bothered me. i feel very strongly that i do not want to poison this land. fertilizers are known for leaching and contaminating the ground water, and we have well water here and on our new property; i felt really concerned about all this stuff getting in the water we drink, and blowing on the crops we grow, as herbicides do. what would be the point of us not using any chemicals on the food we grow, when our neighbors are doing it right next door to us?
i guess what bothered me the most is that there's really nothing i can do about stopping this, other than trying to persuade them not to do it. finally, today, after talking to ed and brian (trying to find out more about fertilizers and herbicides), i called my landlady and offered to pay her whatever that guy was paying her for the use of her fields. to my great relief, she accepted and called things off with the other guy. money definitely talks.
i'm glad that the whole thing is resolved now. i felt so upset thinking about it last night. how the land would be damaged by the use of all those chemicals. i feel really strongly about this land now, even though it's not really ours, not the parts she was planning to hay anyway. i feel like i owe it to the land not to let anyone do anything harmful to it. i'm usually a pretty flexible person, and i rarely get worked up enough about something to really stand up to someone and defy them. but this felt so different to me, because it involves the health of my kids, and the health of the land that has already given us so much.
finally, i just want to put this out: i want to ask that you consider the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals when you make your food choices. i think consumer pressure is the only thing that will speak loud enough to make growers stop using this stuff. food that is grown using synthetic chemicals is bad for your health and bad for the land. it contaminates our drinking water and our air. i know from experience now that all these synthetics are not necessary, that much better food can be grown naturally, (using compost, natural minerals such as rock powders, etc). the main thing is taking care of the soil, because when the soil is healthy, the food grown on it will be healthy, and the people or animals eating that food will be healthy.
food grown with artificial chemicals may seem cheaper on the shelves of the supermarket, but it is not, if you consider the money you'll be spending in health care later on, or the cost to the environment, which will, in one way or another come back to you and your kids.
all of this does not mean that you need to only buy "organic". organic is only just another label, one that is getting more and more popular now. i guess organic is a good place to start if you don't know what else to do. at least you know that organic growers are limited in the chemicals they can use on their crops by regulations. but moving beyond organic, trying to figure out where your food is coming from, who grew it, and how did it get to you, all of those questions are what you really want to ask, i think.
well, my heart is torn between love for the beauty of the earth, and sadness that we're so careless with it (and with our own health). i feel that i can do so little for something that matters to me so much...
peace
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
another stunning sunset
i was thinking the other night, as i sat outside watching another stunning sunset, that maybe the purpose of our life on earth is just this: to be able to appreciate and enjoy the beauty all around us. this sounds so simple, but it seems to me that very few people are awake enough, and present enough, and just free enough, inside of themselves, to fully enjoy it, or even just to notice it.
peace
peace
Thursday, November 12, 2009
shiitakes are ready!
my mushroom logs are fruiting again. i'm making a soup with azuki beans, kale and shiitakes tomorrow, and i can't wait. i love when i can use my own stuff in cooking, and shiitakes are certainly a treat.
here's one shiitake, just about ready to be picked
and here are all the logs i innoculated. only 4 of them are fruiting, but when the rest of them catch up i should have quite a few mushrooms.
peace
here's one shiitake, just about ready to be picked
and here are all the logs i innoculated. only 4 of them are fruiting, but when the rest of them catch up i should have quite a few mushrooms.
peace
sena, aiayana and giovanna, playing at our house last tuesday
practicing gymnastics this morning
i love this picture
this is aiyana, a while ago, at the downtown fest, at the Willimantic food co-op. she was listening to Jason the Bumblebee, her favorite artist (other than Rafi), and she was delighted.
sena
practicing gymnastics this morning
i love this picture
this is aiyana, a while ago, at the downtown fest, at the Willimantic food co-op. she was listening to Jason the Bumblebee, her favorite artist (other than Rafi), and she was delighted.
sena
peace
Friday, November 06, 2009
update on homeschooling
homeschooling is going really well. the kids love it, they keep asking ed and i to work with them on workbooks and other things, and they're learning really well. sena can almost write her own sentences. and aiyana writes full sentences when you spell every word for her.
they love to draw and write a story about their drawing - i got them each a special book just for that and it's coming along beautifully. yesterday, sena's drawing was of our farm, and her sentence, which she wrote almost entirely by herself was "look at our beautiful farm".
we're doing math type of stuff too. both sena and aiyana love counting the cash in our cashbox when we get home from the market, and that makes for great practice. aiyana usually arranges the ones in piles of 10, while sena does the fives. then sena counts all the 10s, 20s, 5s and 1s. aiyana repeats after her. sena got really good at counting by 10 and by 20. she can also do all the quarters, and she's able to add the whole thing together at the end, with minimal help, and come up with the total for the day. then she writes it down in our record book.
every week we do stuff like this, whenever the opportunity arises. we also get together with clara and giovanna, on tuesdays and wednesdays, and the 4 girls homeschool together. the topic varies, depending on their interests and what works at the time. sometimes, they write stories, other times they make music, or take a walk in the woods and observe things, or make art, and of course there's always lots of play.
we're really lucky to live in a community where homeschooling is more the norm than not, and to have close friends that we can get together with on a regular basis.
last year i was reading tons of books, and any info i could find on homeschooling, and i found myself giving many reasons when someone asked me why we chose to homeschool. now things have changed. i have more experience, and i feel much more comfortable with our choice. the kids love it and are doing well, we love it, everyone is happy. if anyone asks me why i homeschool now, i will only give one reason: because the kids get to be outside. to me, that is most important - for their health and general well being, and for their education. i am convinced that being outside everyday, and being free to play, to observe, to just be, is crucial to health and happiness, and that's reason enough for me to homeschool at this time. the learning always comes by itself anyway, as long as you allow kids to explore and to follow their natural curiosity....
peace
they love to draw and write a story about their drawing - i got them each a special book just for that and it's coming along beautifully. yesterday, sena's drawing was of our farm, and her sentence, which she wrote almost entirely by herself was "look at our beautiful farm".
we're doing math type of stuff too. both sena and aiyana love counting the cash in our cashbox when we get home from the market, and that makes for great practice. aiyana usually arranges the ones in piles of 10, while sena does the fives. then sena counts all the 10s, 20s, 5s and 1s. aiyana repeats after her. sena got really good at counting by 10 and by 20. she can also do all the quarters, and she's able to add the whole thing together at the end, with minimal help, and come up with the total for the day. then she writes it down in our record book.
every week we do stuff like this, whenever the opportunity arises. we also get together with clara and giovanna, on tuesdays and wednesdays, and the 4 girls homeschool together. the topic varies, depending on their interests and what works at the time. sometimes, they write stories, other times they make music, or take a walk in the woods and observe things, or make art, and of course there's always lots of play.
we're really lucky to live in a community where homeschooling is more the norm than not, and to have close friends that we can get together with on a regular basis.
last year i was reading tons of books, and any info i could find on homeschooling, and i found myself giving many reasons when someone asked me why we chose to homeschool. now things have changed. i have more experience, and i feel much more comfortable with our choice. the kids love it and are doing well, we love it, everyone is happy. if anyone asks me why i homeschool now, i will only give one reason: because the kids get to be outside. to me, that is most important - for their health and general well being, and for their education. i am convinced that being outside everyday, and being free to play, to observe, to just be, is crucial to health and happiness, and that's reason enough for me to homeschool at this time. the learning always comes by itself anyway, as long as you allow kids to explore and to follow their natural curiosity....
peace
us
halloween at the farmer's market (it was so windy, everyone and everything was blowing away...)
sena and aiyana dressed as beneficial insects: sena, a spider, and aiyana a honey bee.
aiyana usually has major bedhead in the morning
peace
sena and aiyana dressed as beneficial insects: sena, a spider, and aiyana a honey bee.
aiyana usually has major bedhead in the morning
peace
Thursday, November 05, 2009
i'm so in love with this land!
one gorgeous afternoon last week, ed took the girls to gymnastics, and i stayed home. johnnie was still working on our new house, but soon after ed left he took a break and came over and we had coffee outside. it was sunny and warm, and we sat on the picnic table, facing the trees that were so bright with autumn colors, as if they were on fire. the sun was setting, and at one point, we both noticed countless strands of spiderweb, stretched though the grass, glittering silver. it felt magical.
johnnie went back to his work, but i could not bring myself to go in the house. the sun was turning orange by now, and it lit everything in vivid flashes of color. i walked around our house and field, just being happy and incredulous at all this beauty. i took some pictures, and as usual, theyt're only a pale expression of the real thing. but i'd like to share them anyway:
johnnie went back to his work, but i could not bring myself to go in the house. the sun was turning orange by now, and it lit everything in vivid flashes of color. i walked around our house and field, just being happy and incredulous at all this beauty. i took some pictures, and as usual, theyt're only a pale expression of the real thing. but i'd like to share them anyway:
peace
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
dreams
I've been having some rich dreams this past week, which left me with a really nice feeling.
One was just sweet and simple. I was riding my bike with Sena, Aiyana and Julia on the streets of Montreal. I was trying to get back to my old neighborhood in NDG, and as I rode with all three kids piled on my bike, I felt like each street, each corner, each doorway were so familiar to me. I just felt a lot of love for the neighborhood and the city in general, like I was coming home, not only to the city itself, but to a part of myself, and I was really glad to be able to share that with the kids.
In another dream, I was driving with a friend, and we just passed a car and were coming up to a beautiful view of mountains in the distance, with the sun setting behind them. Just then, there was a big dip in the road, and we were going too fast, so the car left the road and was up in the air. I realized that we were going to crash, and my friend said so too. I thought that we would die, and I undid my seatbelt, but then I thought that it's better to leave it on, in case the car starts rolling. As I fumbled around nervously, I suddenly realized that the car was not crashing at all. Instead, we were going up and up, so fast that I could feel it in my stomach. I did not feel nervous anymore, and as I looked down I could see the earth going away from us. Everything looked so beautiful: mountains, green fields, woods, and a meandering, blue river. I felt so deeply how much I loved everything, how beautiful and precious it all is, and I was so moved that I started to cry. I woke up crying, and that feeling of beauty stayed with me the whole day. It allowed me to be more sensitive to my surroundings, and to experience them in a new way.
One was just sweet and simple. I was riding my bike with Sena, Aiyana and Julia on the streets of Montreal. I was trying to get back to my old neighborhood in NDG, and as I rode with all three kids piled on my bike, I felt like each street, each corner, each doorway were so familiar to me. I just felt a lot of love for the neighborhood and the city in general, like I was coming home, not only to the city itself, but to a part of myself, and I was really glad to be able to share that with the kids.
In another dream, I was driving with a friend, and we just passed a car and were coming up to a beautiful view of mountains in the distance, with the sun setting behind them. Just then, there was a big dip in the road, and we were going too fast, so the car left the road and was up in the air. I realized that we were going to crash, and my friend said so too. I thought that we would die, and I undid my seatbelt, but then I thought that it's better to leave it on, in case the car starts rolling. As I fumbled around nervously, I suddenly realized that the car was not crashing at all. Instead, we were going up and up, so fast that I could feel it in my stomach. I did not feel nervous anymore, and as I looked down I could see the earth going away from us. Everything looked so beautiful: mountains, green fields, woods, and a meandering, blue river. I felt so deeply how much I loved everything, how beautiful and precious it all is, and I was so moved that I started to cry. I woke up crying, and that feeling of beauty stayed with me the whole day. It allowed me to be more sensitive to my surroundings, and to experience them in a new way.
in case you were wondering
what a hoop tunnel looks like (i've been writing about them quite a bit lately), here are some pictures
there are salad greens, turnips and radishes under these two
and this is (delicious) arugula growing under another
there are salad greens, turnips and radishes under these two
and this is (delicious) arugula growing under another
the plastic cover adds about 20F, so some stuff grows well despite the cold fall weather.
and a quick update on the market: we're doing really well, sales have actually improved over the past few weeks, which was surprising given the rain, and cold, not to mention the wind... i am still very excited about the whole market experience, meeting people, hearing their comments, and just the feeling of being there and contributing something positive.
this week, the market will be moving indoors. we'll be at the mansfield library (on RT89), on Saturdays, 3 to 5pm. ed and i will continue doing the market as long as we have stuff to sell, probably through december. i'm not planting anything new right now (except garlic for next season), but we do have plenty of stuff still growing under the covers.
and speaking of garlic, i planted 400 cloves last week, and will do 150more tomorrow. that should be enough for next season, for our own consumption and my sister, for seed garlic, and maybe we'll even have enough to sell at the market.
peace
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