Discovery

Right before leaving Chattanooga, we visited their Creative Discovery Museum. Jesse spent a long time making a stop action film, something he has been trying to do at home but without the fancy equipment and background scenery. It was an exciting story about a space cow surviving a dinosaur attack.
There was lots more water play:

Jesse bravely teased the T. Rex with his hand, wondering out loud if "Night at the Museum" could ever be real?While Jesse, looking into a widening mirror, got to take a look at what it would be like to take up a lot more space, I took this shot and saw myself taking up very little space on the left.This brought back a childhood memory for me. I was seven years old, the youngest camper at an overnight camp. I remember closing my eyes to go to sleep and having the sensation that my body was growing to take over the whole room, that I was a huge presence. It was scary but I also knew that if I opened my eyes I would be small again and I liked feeling so big for a change.

I've been thinking about what it is that makes us, as children and as adults, feel fully present in a strong, confident, big way. But that's for another post (or maybe part of a talk at a conference in New England :) Now, back to the Chattanooga scrapbook.

Gillen discovering the power of defying gravity, or just the power of a pulley?Though I took only one picture of our time with Mindy's family and of the sustainable farming conference which brought us there, these were major highlights of the weekend.

SSAWG, the southern sustainable ag. conference, was HUGE! It was exciting to see how big this group has gotten since the first time I went to one, while pregnant with Gillen. There are a lot of eager new farmers.
Here is sweet beautiful Sophie, after swimming with us at our hotel, suited up for her basketball game. She'll have to represent the whole wonderful family, for now, until our next visit.

Tennessee Aquarium

I am in a nice hotel room, alone, with true high speed internet (which is giving me new perspective on my home's "high speed"), good reading and a room coffee machine equipped with Starbucks beans. Nicolas is very excited to be going to some very interesting farming sessions and the kids are at Mindy's, where they spent the night. Leaving their home at 11pm last night, with us, was just way too early for them. Who can blame them.

It is so quiet and I have to say I'm enjoying it. But I'm glad they'll all be here soon to swim with me in the hotel pool.

Yesterday the kids and I went for the first time to the TN Aquarium. It is fantastic. There were many unexpected sites.

A sea dragon:

A duck, hitching a slow ride:
In the beautiful butterfly atrium Gillen easily attracted many of these owl eyed wonders.
Jesse tried for about fifteen minutes and was getting really frustrated when finally,not only did one rest for a while on his finger, it even traveled for several minutes on his head:

There was a narrow escape from a shark attack:


I have to put in a plug for my favorite animal. Maybe I can follow up the bee book with one about the frogs.
Time to go get in the water ourselves!

Farm Photos

This isn't a very frequent site in GA. Ice, in the middle of the day. The kids were hoping for snow but breaking or eating all of the ice they could find brought some fun.

The hoop houses were all closed up against the cold. I peeked through the plastic.
We are leaving today for the southern sustainable farm conference in Chattanooga, TN where we'll get to also visit Mindy and family. When we return, Danielle and her kids are coming for a visit. These pictures are a warning to her that there will be even less farming to see than the last winter she visited. sigh. But there will be more dark farming-free hours to talk shop with the farmer while I hang out with her kids in the new art room. We're very excited to reunite with all these good friends.

The Inauguration

We taped the inauguration and all watched it together last night. I'm so glad that the kids were old enough to appreciate what this moment means and that we have tivo so that we could pause frequently during the speech when they had a question or we wanted to clarify something further. Yay tivo. And hallelujah America! Yes, it is an overwhelming task before us but for this moment, I am filled with hope and joy.

Jen Lemen has a beautiful, intimate picture of President Obama and his wife on her blog, with Obama's poetic description of their relationship.

the Undoing of Neatly Folded Laundry Costume Parade

I came here to write about how well I've done over the past few months with my de-cluttering, about how clear I feel with less piles, more restful blank space and rearranged furniture that gives us a fresh perspective.

Before I could take myself too seriously, the high-pitched boy team of Gillen, Jesse and (spending-the-night-friend) Logan enthusiastically burst my superficial bubble - all clad in costumes they'd created from Nicolas' boots, coats, glasses and the newly folded laundry and racing through the room in a loud parade. My moment of false organization pride threw itself into the pile up of superheroes and joyful noise.

Because (like everyone) I have presidents on the brain this week, I thought of a better picture that shows a child's joyful grandiosity - the one of John Kennedy in the oval office with his young son John-John underneath the desk at his feet. I have a feeling Obama's kids will be allowed to visit the Oval office too. And what could be better while making majorly important world-affecting decisions than to be reminded of what is at stake by the presence of a child.

Sometimes it's really loud around here. Sometimes it makes me a bit crazy. But, as parents of older kids remind me, the joyful, chaotic noise of these years will be gone all too soon and oh how I'll miss it.

What I love, right now

-That the kids and I got to go on two adventures with friends this week - to the Atlanta History Museum and then yesterday to visit Kelli, Kyra and Alec. It was good to go somewhere, driving in the GA winter sunshine, to reconnect with Jim Henson's muppets and to hang out with good friends.

-That we get to stay home tomorrow and not go anywhere. It's so cold that there won't be a farmer's market this Saturday and therefore, Nicolas doesn't have to work too much tomorrow and can hang out part of the day with us here! Finally, a farmer's day off.

-That it is winter and we are hanging out upstairs again with books (right now, the one I wrote this summer) and legos.

-That we can hang out downstairs near our wood stove and be warm, now that we have insulation.

-That other than my toe, I feel healthy!

-That my rubber stamps are standing up (spread out like a small city) on a shelf in our new art room cabinet, calling out to be pounded into ink.

-That Gillen and Jesse are laughing in the next room, and not at each other.

-That one time out of twenty, every day, Tuki-dog actually uses her new dog door instead of scratching to be let in.

-That I am sitting under a beautiful handmade throw (my Christmas present from Dina) that is keeping me warm and stylish on our new couch.

-That I am happy with the white couch.

-That we have "The Sopranos" (the beginning of the last season) coming to our mailbox tomorrow.

Between the Ages

While Kenneth, Naomi and Zoe were here we visited Ms. Whit, our 104 year old friend who accompanied us (mostly my brother and father) on trips when we were young. It was a very nice visit. The highlight was her reading to us from a journal she kept while visiting Mykonos, Greece with them, about thirty-four years ago.

It was also fun to see she and Zoe together, Ms. Whit supported by her walker and Zoe supported by her parents. One is so close to the beginning and the other is inching her way towards the end. I was struck by their shared lack of worry. They are both more laid back than most and they easily roll with the punches, trips and falls.
Last New Year's, in Sydney, I was inspired by the Aussie word for whine - "whinge" - to use it in my one New Year's resolution - not to "whinge" all year. I think I did pretty well. But to be honest that wasn't really such a big challenge for me. I took on the big one this year - "No Worries", also inspired by the Aussies. I'm (hopefully) moving through the middle of my life and it feels like a good time to start more fully embracing risk, joy and sleep. Worrying can get in the way of all of that. When I'm tempted to go towards the worries, I'll think of these two inspirational females and of the unique way in which they each laugh - Ms. Whit, like a woodpecker and little Zoe, softly, like a whispering fairy - and I'll try for a giggle instead.

Zoe and the boys

Kenneth, Naomi and Zoe left a few days ago. The lump in my throat came when she hugged Gillen and Jesse goodbye. She lay her head down softly on each of their shoulders, as they hugged her for a long time. I have loved watching how gentle they were with her, and how rambunctious she became after two weeks of idolizing them.

Driving Miss Zoe:
Nicolas was even inspired to play "Ring around the Roses":
And he took her on long walks in her "wagon".
With her favorite guy:

Reinhabiting my shell

I have a pretty great family. They're funny, direct, creative, helpful and honest. I always come away from full family reunions a bit more self-aware (did I mention our honesty?), and grounded and happy for having laughed so much...and sick. When I am hosting, I always end up sick.

This year was going to be different. I was organized. I made lists of menus and decorating ideas and then willingly threw most of them out. I didn't do too much - well, there were the three parties to be hosted but I had help. I let my pregnant sister cook and clean for God's sake, a lot!

And still, I got sick. Annoyingly, lingeringly, still not over it sick. It started with a bad cold and then a feverish chilly flue and now it's a cough, rash, stomach ache and week-long head ache. In addition, over a week ago, with lots of possible good playing with Zoe days left, I broke my toe.

I have been feeling so pathetic, and insubstantial. I am ready to move back into this too skinny body and fill it up with passionate eating, with dancing and new art projects in our newly finished art room! I want to take long walks with the kids at our local nature center. Right now, I'd be thrilled with a walk around the neighborhood with Tuki. But instead, I will try to embrace this forced time of inactivity and just be still. Just be. Still, I sure do wish this all meant that I was due a rain check on Zoe time and that her parents had to bring her back sooner than later.

Beautiful pictures taken by my sister Bhu

We're so lucky to have a professional photographer in the family.
These next two show Zoe opening up the gift that Bhu and I made for her. It is a box of ten board books. We included an alphabet book, a numbers book, colors, shapes, and then more family oriented ones, like "Uncle Nicolas' Vegetables" and "We Love" with pictures of her smile and her walk and her eyes, etc. on each page.. They were so much fun to make and are being thoroughly enjoyed by their enthusiastic recipient. Duct tape may be the answer.

Christmas 2008

My brother and sister and their families traveled long distances to come be together here for the holidays. It has been so wonderful to be with them. My sister is five months pregnant and has the cutest "bump" ever.

For Christmas dinner we had duck prepared three different ways by the guys, roasted vegetables and escarole salad. Every bit of the food except the olive oil, butter and the herbes de provence (that we brought back from Europe) were from the farm.
The most exciting part has of course been seeing Zoe - now fifteen months old and an incredibly sweet and happy little girl.

Being pulled in the cooler wagon by her cousins paiges and being fed peas by her Aunt lady in waiting.


The lady in waiting, and princess Zoe's mum found time to also make two beautiful pies. I am so loving the visiting pie makers of this winter. Who's next?

Farm Photos

These first two are from the farm party at Helen's. There were lots more farmers - these are just a few of the most photogenic:



I haven't been to the farm this week. These are from the week before. I've been crafting gifts, picking out paint colors and flooring for the new room, swapping cookies here with friends and welcoming my sister! My brother, his wife and their one year old are in a plane right now, making their long way here from summer, on the other side of the world.

Right now, at 6:41 am, Fracas the cat is still chasing the same tiny mouse that she has been playing with for over an hour. I have been begging her to have it for breakfast and put it out of its misery but she's not listening.

At least the final ducks' demise, this past week, was fast. They never knew what hit them. They were eating Helen's flowers, pooping on her porch and were roosting at night on the high tunnels, causing lots of damage. Nicolas and Helen had understandably lost all affection for the ducks. But I hadn't. We will all thank the ducks when they provide our Christmas feast.

I hope you are all enjoying your holidays.

Tenderized

I am not sleeping much lately. There's excitement about my family coming. I'm panicking about the many things I forgot to do that day. I'm listening to the new sounds of our newly-inside-dwelling cat, crashing into the wall near my bed as she races back and forth with her invisible friend in the dark. Mostly, I'm worrying - about friends' troubles, or the homeless, or whether Nicolas is happy. I wish that I could be like sometime insomniacs Barbara Kingsolver and Rue Kream and get out of bed each night to write a great book. Maybe tonight.

Lack of sleep has softened me. The professional production of A Christmas Carol that we saw last night (our friends in it included two acclaimed young unschooled brothers) had me in tears over Scrooge's redemption. That was unexpected. I even acted in this play, years ago in Boston and was cynically burned out on Christmas carols for years. This year, just a few notes of Johnny Mathis and I well up. And, this particular production is great. If you are local, and can get there, I believe that even those less tender would love it.

This morning, I saw a branch out of a window and was touched by the way the wind moves its leaves, that there are just a few less of the red flutters every day.
I deleted the earlier published rambling about having lost my checkbook at the theater, and my "excuses of an insomniac" for having done so, because I found said checkbook between the seats of our car. Life is bittersweet but the emphasis today has gotten sweeter. I'm going to be a presenter at the Northeast Unschooling Conference, which means I'm bringing my family for a visit home to Boston at the end of August! I hope that some of you will be there, to pump me full of tylenol pm or mundane thoughts late at night and share a wicked good time. Do Bostonians still say wicked?

Slow Food/Michael Pollan news:

The following came to me in an email from an Atlanta Slow Food leader and friend:

Michael Pollan will be in Atlanta!

As you may already know, renowned author and food activist,
Michael Pollan will be the keynote speaker at the
Georgia Organics Conference in Decatur, Georgia on March 21, 2009.
We are pleased to announce that Slow Food Atlanta will be giving you the opportunity to meet and dine with Mr. Pollan while he is in Atlanta.
Please mark your calendars, and plan to celebrate the start of spring with Michael Pollan and other distinguished guests. We will savor
a fabulous feast in a convivial setting, created by Southern Slow Food chefs. Special pricing will be available to Slow Food members,
so join today if you're not already a member.
Save the Date: Fri., March 20, 2009. Details will follow soon at www.slowfoodatlanta.org

Vote with Your Fork and Your Voice!

While we're speaking of Mr. Pollan, we'd like to call to your attention
his latest newsletter requesting support in encouraging
President-Elect Obama to nominate a Secretary of Agriculture
who will support sustainable family farmers. Michael Pollan,
along with Wendell Berry, Alice Waters, Bill McKibben, Erika Lesser and 13,000+ concerned farmers, chefs, activists and eaters have signed their names to a thoughtful letter to our future Farmer in Chief. You can find more information here: http://www.fooddemocracynow.org/.
Please take a moment to read this petition, and add your name if you agree. Time is of the essence.

Sincerely,
Judith Winfrey
Co-leader Slow Food Atlanta

Settling in for the duration

Still decluttering..it had been a decade since the last time that I did this - that time I was insired by our last move - so it could take me another year.

In addition we are making some constructive changes to this old house. I am liking the idea of staying in one home long enough to mark our kids' growth up the side of the wall until they are taller than we are. I moved twenty times before I was twenty-four.

Our screened-in side porch is transforming into a closed-in actual room. It will be a place to keep all of our art supplies, it will have a dog and cat door (so I can retire form being their all day doorwoman) and it still has lots of windows, so lots of light. I can't see us leaving it much except to use the bathroom or get some food and maybe to sleep in a bed.

We also finally got insulation blown into the walls so I am not wearing Gillen's down vest inside any more. But I haven't yet come to terms with the idea of updating our beautiful old windows to ones that would be more energy efficient. We have warm comforters and lots of sweaters.

My sister sent me a sock that she knit for my birthday. She'll bring the other one with her next week. This was her first time knitting socks (maybe even knitting?) Unbelievable, no? It is so perfectly beautiful. I have put my first time socks aside for now, with just one toe to go; not that they don't look just as professional. ; )I also have to show you a set of cloth gift bags sewn by Helen for my birthday last week. Aren't they festive, and so much better to reuse than paper? She has an etsy shop.

Another big change - Fracas has moved inside. She has learned to use the litter box and has found a new favorite spot in our bedroom.And finally, we replaced all of the many scary torn parts of our trampoline so the kids have been making that their home. Even in the rain :