When spring bursts, I feel invited outside. I am thankful to be living alongside my children as I have a keen awareness of the need for variability and activity. For the last decade, no matter the personality of the child, I have seen a need to change up their routines around this time of the …
As a born and raised urbanite, pesky weeds interfere with a carpet lush lawn. Spray them, pull them, curse them, but there is no use to them: a bane on suburban perfection. I still bend to pull weeds. I still swipe them with my heavy garden clogs. But now I’ve also found a new use … Continue reading
“Self care is provided by you, and for you. It’s about identifying your own needs, and taking steps to meet them. It’s taking time to do some of the activities that nurture you. Self care is about taking proper care of yourself and treating yourself as kindly as you treat others.” (from the Fort Garry … Continue reading
When I attempted true unschooling for a time (yep, I really did that), I discovered the unbelievable…there is no way to get away from arithmetic. You need to understand math: add, subtract, multiply, divide, estimate, and understand decimals and percentages. Consumerism requires it. Consumerism teaches math. You want to decide how many apples or asparagus you can … Continue reading
With our Bed and Breakfast open for business, I am eager to hone my omelet making skills. (My family thinks I’ve done it, unless I use the non-stick pan, then it sticks every time!) I’m trying my hand at foraged frittata (okay, the dandelion greens are foraged, everything else is from the fridge or the … Continue reading
Well I hope all six of them are princesses anyway. I am willing to call a rooster or two George and Louis, but I am unwilling to call one Archie. And sadly, no rooster may stay, and I’m pretty sure it’s not a myth that roosters don’t make great soup, so not sure what we’ll … Continue reading
I ate up Julie Bogart’s recent book, The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning and Life, but ten years ago, I would have inhaled it and allowed the gems of oxygen to seep into my respiratory cells, so I could breathe, really breathe in my homeschool world. So many gems of wisdom I … Continue reading
Landfatuation: a new term I’ve created, not yet found in my English dictionary. Land and infatuation…”Landfatuation”: the description of awe, wonder and anticipation at a piece of raw land and all that it can become, like a blank artist canvas. Directly ahead of me is a young Douglas fir. To the right, a more established … Continue reading
