graceful designs

Where did the month go?

Last I posted it was Gavin's birthday, and now it's almost Thanksgiving. What have I been up to?

~The last week has been a blur~ our family got slammed with a nasty stomach bug. All five of us were sick, and are now recovering with lingering headaches, queasiness, and a mountain of laundry.

~I just finished a book, The Omnivore's Dilemma.

It was an excellent, thought provoking read.

~At the school, we staked out our nature trail that will be worked on in the spring, I attended a district wellness meeting, and I met parents from a neighboring school who have a school garden. Our growing season is over, but there is plenty of work to be done over the winter.

~I've been doing major decluttering. Bags and bags have been removed from our house, along with some large toys. I'm going to try to fill 10 more garbage bags this week with items to donate. I am determined to become clutter free.

~I've been thinking about Christmas gifts, and purchased a few things. Mostly books. I am staying away from junky toys this year, and I'm not entering a store to shop unless I know exactly what it is I will be buying. I've also got a long list of hand made items that I need to get started on.

~I've been thinking about crafting, but haven't made a thing. Nada. My mind has just been rushing in too many directions, I haven't been able to sit and focus on anything. I'll get there soon though...

~Our chickens continue to entertain us. We currently have 13 hens, and a rooster. He was a surprise. He came with a money back guarantee, and I can return or exchange him for a hen, but for now we'll keep him. If he continues to crow 20 times at 2:30 am, we'll have to reconsider though.

~We've been getting too many eggs. I have dozens on my counter, and I know when I go out to the coop today I'll have 6-9 more. And the kids aren't eating egg salad, or quiche. Does anyone have any good egg heavy recipes?

~I'm sure I've been busy doing other things too, but honestly, things have just been a blur. I'm going to try to refocus, and figure out what I need to do to have the next six weeks or so be peaceful and productive.

Nine

I love you with all of my heart. Just for being wonderful you. Happy, happy birthday.

Civic Responsibilty- Through a child's eyes

On our way to story hour today Braeden and I stopped to vote. This is how our conversation went:

"We'll go to story hour right after we vote."
"A boat?"
"No, vote."
"Oh, a boat. Will there be sharks there?"
"No sweetie. Vote. Vuh. V. Vote."
"Ohhhh. A goat!"

My knowledgeable partner helped me cast my vote, and as my hand covered his to pull the lever, I started to cry. I have such hopes for my children, my community, and our country. And some pretty intense fears as well. I am anxious for this election to close, and dreaming of a leader who will serve our nation peacefully with wisdom, responsibility and a quiet humility.

Permaculture: To Flush or Not to Flush

Thursday night I attended a class on permaculture, taught by two owners of a local CSA. The instruction was lackluster at best, and at times painful.

There was a technology failure, and without their power-point presentation, the teachers were fumbling for words, and struggled to get their points across clearly.

I did appreciate the core values of permaculture~ Earthcare, Peoplecare, and Fairshare. And while I did not learn as much as I was hoping to, I left the class eager to learn more, so it was worth my time.

One of the examples they gave to demonstrate the principles of permaculture was
"The Industrial Cup of Tea" vs. "The Permaculture Cup of Tea"

Another topic that was touched on was the treatment of brown water (water from washing machines and sinks). Things got a little uncomfortable when a student asked about treating black water (from toilets). The instructor became very animated and said "There should be no black water. There should be no black water! People should be shitting in buckets. People should be shitting in buckets!!!"

Alrighty then.

The adolescent in me wanted to laugh out loud, the forever guilt-ridden part of me felt instantly ashamed, and unworthy of taking the class. You see, I like my toilet. A lot. And while I can intellectually recognize the environmental issues surrounding sewage and public sanitation, I am simply not ready to rip the toilets out of my house,  as my instructors have done. And I also think that there are some public health issues that they might not be considering.

So where does this leave me? Interested in permaculture, and more interested in sustainability. Willing to more carefully examine my purchases (tea included), and their impact on the environment. Grateful for plumbing, but realizing that I should be more aware of my true environmental footprint.

And honestly? Just glad to be out of that classroom. It was getting a little too weird for me...

Recovering

Hope your Halloween was Happy!

We are recovering today, exhausted from a whirlwind of parties and near coma inducing sugar ingestion.

Some of you love Halloween, for me it is one of those days that I simply endure. I give my mom and dad an awful lot of credit, getting the five of us through the holiday, pumpkin carving, and costume creation without completely losing it.

We managed to carve a few tiny pumpkins, and survived a few temper tantrums. Costumes that had been selected weeks in advance were no longer acceptable.

(Braeden was a puppy, with a hat I made Gavin years ago. I'm not quite sure what Laura and Gavin were, but they were satisfied.)

They all had a lovely day, and now I need to decide what to do with all of the candy. Should I just let them eat it and get it over with? Do I hide it, and slowly dole it out, all the while being tortured with needy children, or do I throw it in the garbage???

I am welcoming November with open arms, looking forward to a few more fall days, gardening, and then Thanksgiving already. Can you believe how time flies?