A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye...and YES science now shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.
A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.
Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.
Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.
Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
Eggplant, Avocadoes and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? .... It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemica l cons tituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).
Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm and will help to overcome male sterility.
Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries
Grapefruits, Oranges , and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.
Sharing a little stardust...........
6/26/08
6/16/08
We are all related
I would like to think about why it is, after so many years of pretty much everyone I know KNOWING that I am not ignorant, racist, prejudice etc....you name it, that so many of these knowing people bring to me their very prejudice comments, jokes and stories and tell me these things as if I might AGREE with them. I have always had this be my experience. I have never been shy about how I feel about anything. So, why? I have pondered this for years, and usually just say that perhaps it is a gift from the universe to remind others of different ways to look at things, and a chance to enlighten......
Indeed. But, good golly, I have grown TIRED of it. Literally, like a big yawn comes across me and I am undertaken with an enormous fatigue. Similar to how I feel when I am doing the 18th load of dishes during any given day. And I am beginning to realize that it is plain offensive to put out a bunch of prejudice crap onto someone who you KNOW won't agree with you, and has VERY different ways of seeing things. A deep breath, a bit of tact, and of course I overt any more comments coming my way, and as I have aged, I try to exit the "conversation" so that the other party is not made to feel embarrassed or shamed or offended themselves. When I was younger, I would just lay out how ridiculous their comment was...with examples of how it's not possible for ALL people to BE ANYTHING; That of course there are exceptions to their "rule" or black and white statement....I ask if it would be the case that if a white person doesn't take care of their children, or cuts you off in traffic, or shortchanges you in a business transaction....are then ALL WHITE PEOPLE "untrustworthy; rude; ruthless....."???????????
The offender always sees "my" argument for a moment, then dashes into some other totally hideous example to show me that their prejudice is validated. NEVER. So, what's with my age and being kind to everyone now about these transgressions?? I think it's a part of the yawn---I am tired of the same old shitola being heaped in piles in front of me, year after tired year! GROW UP! OPEN YOUR EYES, and really open your SOUL to the humanity that surrounds you.
So, now I am prejudice against prejudice people? Perhaps a little. I have seen such hate and hurt directed at the innocent from these types of attitudes, that it is hard to look past the little comments, the off-color jokes, the personal "stories" that always seem to make the most heinous, all-encompassing statement seem "right." And the cream on top of this shit pile, is when the person will bash an entire race or religion or sexual orientation, and then say "I have plenty of black (or whatever) friends...don't get me wrong, but................" Yeah....I didn't get you wrong, believe me-I got you right where you are, and I really just want to get out of here.
The quandary is whether to educate them, give them the finger and walk out, let it slide (my least favorite) or agree to disagree. I usually choose a tactful way to educate. But you know what? I am hurt by these comments. I don't have to be black, hispanic, jewish, cuban--whatever, to feel hurt. I am human, and these are my family members. In one way or another we are all related, and it's ok to not want to hang out too much with Uncle Jerry 'cause you don't want to have to talk religion all day, but to label an entire enormous population on this earth with hate....that is NOT OK. And I don't feel ok to let this stuff slide either. By being quiet, somehow I feel complicit, by not speaking up, I am allowing whomever said it to think it's ok to share this hate WITH me, and that's not ok either. I have always tried to find the universal reasons behind hate--read Lyall Watson's book Dark Nature-The Natural History of Evil--Watson examines evil's many manifestations, from corporate national evil (e.g., the death camps of Nazi Germany) to shocking cases of personal evil (e.g., the two English boys who kidnapped and killed a toddler in 1993) to common street malevolence. He considers humanity's darker nature clinically, albeit within the framework of his view of evil as "a force of nature," a "part of the ecology [that] needs to be seen as such." He suggests that, although inherent to human existence, evil can be controlled and maybe eliminated if humans manage to "evolve" away from it. This thoughtful book, while certainly not light literature, will reward those diligent enough to digest its complex but well-argued points.
I am trying to see both sides of this coin. But I have learned that the coin looks great when it is in the sun, soaking up the warmth of the world, and the dark side can't see the light.
Indeed. But, good golly, I have grown TIRED of it. Literally, like a big yawn comes across me and I am undertaken with an enormous fatigue. Similar to how I feel when I am doing the 18th load of dishes during any given day. And I am beginning to realize that it is plain offensive to put out a bunch of prejudice crap onto someone who you KNOW won't agree with you, and has VERY different ways of seeing things. A deep breath, a bit of tact, and of course I overt any more comments coming my way, and as I have aged, I try to exit the "conversation" so that the other party is not made to feel embarrassed or shamed or offended themselves. When I was younger, I would just lay out how ridiculous their comment was...with examples of how it's not possible for ALL people to BE ANYTHING; That of course there are exceptions to their "rule" or black and white statement....I ask if it would be the case that if a white person doesn't take care of their children, or cuts you off in traffic, or shortchanges you in a business transaction....are then ALL WHITE PEOPLE "untrustworthy; rude; ruthless....."???????????
The offender always sees "my" argument for a moment, then dashes into some other totally hideous example to show me that their prejudice is validated. NEVER. So, what's with my age and being kind to everyone now about these transgressions?? I think it's a part of the yawn---I am tired of the same old shitola being heaped in piles in front of me, year after tired year! GROW UP! OPEN YOUR EYES, and really open your SOUL to the humanity that surrounds you.
So, now I am prejudice against prejudice people? Perhaps a little. I have seen such hate and hurt directed at the innocent from these types of attitudes, that it is hard to look past the little comments, the off-color jokes, the personal "stories" that always seem to make the most heinous, all-encompassing statement seem "right." And the cream on top of this shit pile, is when the person will bash an entire race or religion or sexual orientation, and then say "I have plenty of black (or whatever) friends...don't get me wrong, but................" Yeah....I didn't get you wrong, believe me-I got you right where you are, and I really just want to get out of here.
The quandary is whether to educate them, give them the finger and walk out, let it slide (my least favorite) or agree to disagree. I usually choose a tactful way to educate. But you know what? I am hurt by these comments. I don't have to be black, hispanic, jewish, cuban--whatever, to feel hurt. I am human, and these are my family members. In one way or another we are all related, and it's ok to not want to hang out too much with Uncle Jerry 'cause you don't want to have to talk religion all day, but to label an entire enormous population on this earth with hate....that is NOT OK. And I don't feel ok to let this stuff slide either. By being quiet, somehow I feel complicit, by not speaking up, I am allowing whomever said it to think it's ok to share this hate WITH me, and that's not ok either. I have always tried to find the universal reasons behind hate--read Lyall Watson's book Dark Nature-The Natural History of Evil--Watson examines evil's many manifestations, from corporate national evil (e.g., the death camps of Nazi Germany) to shocking cases of personal evil (e.g., the two English boys who kidnapped and killed a toddler in 1993) to common street malevolence. He considers humanity's darker nature clinically, albeit within the framework of his view of evil as "a force of nature," a "part of the ecology [that] needs to be seen as such." He suggests that, although inherent to human existence, evil can be controlled and maybe eliminated if humans manage to "evolve" away from it. This thoughtful book, while certainly not light literature, will reward those diligent enough to digest its complex but well-argued points.
I am trying to see both sides of this coin. But I have learned that the coin looks great when it is in the sun, soaking up the warmth of the world, and the dark side can't see the light.
6/11/08
Do as WE decide
Who would think that 3 brothers, who are pretty much constantly at odds, could rebuild their relationship with an XBOX? Most of you who unschool will nod and think, well of course--why is this something questionable? Those of you who homeschool, waldorforize or otherwise hate video gaming (like I really do and have to work really hard at opening to this!) will be shaking your head at my "obvious downward spiral" as a parent. And you are right. I am spiraling downward....bringing myself "down" to my kids level of life and trying to live it right along with them. I am trying to remove the old standard of "do as I say, you are the child..." and allowing us to do as "we" decide.
6/5/08
I CRIED
Yesterday, I cried.....I voted for a black man and, I cried.
I cried for my father and my grandfather
and all grandfathers before him.
I cried for my uncles,
my four brothers, my seventeen nephews,
my two sons, my six grandsons and one great-grand son.
I cried for the black men I have loved and those that have loved me.
I cried for the millions of little black boys (not forgetting the girls)
over the centuries that did not, in their wildest dreams, imagine...that they
could run for Office. I cried for their despair...I cried for all the men
AND boys incarcerated that lost hope in themselves and took the low road.
I cried, I cried and I cried ...
I know that this was 'just the primary.'
But whatever the end
result may be,
Yesterday I voted in the United States of America
for a black man, and .. I cried.
If I should die before the presidential election it will be OK,
Because Yesterday I voted.
I voted for a black man and I cried.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
I cried for my father and my grandfather
and all grandfathers before him.
I cried for my uncles,
my four brothers, my seventeen nephews,
my two sons, my six grandsons and one great-grand son.
I cried for the black men I have loved and those that have loved me.
I cried for the millions of little black boys (not forgetting the girls)
over the centuries that did not, in their wildest dreams, imagine...that they
could run for Office. I cried for their despair...I cried for all the men
AND boys incarcerated that lost hope in themselves and took the low road.
I cried, I cried and I cried ...
I know that this was 'just the primary.'
But whatever the end
result may be,
Yesterday I voted in the United States of America
for a black man, and .. I cried.
If I should die before the presidential election it will be OK,
Because Yesterday I voted.
I voted for a black man and I cried.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
6/4/08
EAT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!
Yeah, it's summer....I don't look great in my bathing suit, but I know this: I NEED to eat chocolate chip cookies. I make a batch, take 3/4 out before choc chips go in, as my boys prefer them that way (!!!!!) and then mix a whole lot of chips into the remaining 1/4 for ME (and sometimes I will share with hubby). I make a pan of cookies every day. 2 for everyone with milk of course. Sometimes it's when I crash during the middle of a long day at home--the days when my computer crashes every 10 minutes, which it does....or days when I have cleaned up the kitchen repeatedly and played 1 too many games of cards! And you know-if we've been out all day, for some reason it's been a great way to reconnect altogether around the kitchen counter at night.
So--my advice to almost ANY problem, is FIRST make cookies. THEN, sit and talk, think, complain, plan etc. But for God's sake, not without the cookies!!
So--my advice to almost ANY problem, is FIRST make cookies. THEN, sit and talk, think, complain, plan etc. But for God's sake, not without the cookies!!
GREEN FLASH
Fort Desoto Beach.......an awe inspiring place. http://www.pinellascounty.org/park/05_Ft_DeSoto.htm
No doubt this tree may not be there on our next visit, but underneath the roots were urchins and crabs! I will post more pictures of these stranded trees. This is low tide, at high tide, they are covered up still with the creatures having more of a chance to have refuge.
So--the green flash........I don't know if this happens all over the world or not, I will find some
research though now that I ask the question--but as the sun sets over the gulf, sometimes here in SW Florida there is a "green flash" that comes up just as the sun sets beneath the horizon. http://mintaka.sdsu.edu/GF/observing/greenray.html
There we were--all looking for the flash, assuming we would not see it, as we have had several years without a sighting--and THERE IT WAS!!! And Ron and I had seen one on Saturday night as well! They are my first 2 in 8 years! Seems the universe knows that I need a dose of inspiration-although yesterday come with the flash of green, and a BIG bang of hope with Obama's nomination......tremendous victory for human kind I believe.
It was a nice ending to a magical day of allowing the flow of the "river" of water wash the kids out to sea....it was a tremendous current and shallow enough for Cedar not to go under, but deep enough some of the kids actually did cannon balls from a sand "cliff". The skimming was great, and there were a lot of skim boards flying. One of Sawyer's friends from Seminole is a pretty great skimmer, and Sawyer said to him "You could be sponsored...Dude", to which he responded "Yes, but that takes the fun out of it. I just skim because I love it." Good for him. And a great reminder for the rest of us.
A sneak peak at the Best Commentary in the USA
A Night For America
John's been the Obama enthusiast on this site, so if he'll pardon me for a moment I'm going to write a bit about this moment in American history, and it is a bi-partisan moment that should be recognised by all Americans whether they agree with Obama's policies or not.June 3, 2008 will be one of those dates my children will learn about in history class, the day a black man became the first person of colour to be the nominee of a major political party. It must also be remembered that if circumstances were different, it would be the first woman nominee of a major party, an equally historic watershed that will have to wait a little longer.
The roads paved in blood and sweat that have led to this day cannot be appreciated, I think, right now, in the thick of a marathon election that has captured the nation's and world's attention. It is fate's fortune that some of the same men who preached and marched alongside Dr. King are still here, witnesses to a lifetime that began with the black man not equal to the white man and all forms of violence and degradation being just a fact of life and has evolved from that reality to one where an American boy of a black father and a white mother, growing up in the Midwest and making his life on the South Side of Chicago, can run for president and actually earn the right to be a nominee in our two-party system. And it is a credit to Obama and this country that at the end of the 18-month Democratic campaign, the deciding factor for voters and the substance of all the questions coming his way aren't about the colour of his skin but what he believes is the best way to make the United States better.
Perhaps fate has also stepped in to bring John McCain and Barack Obama together, for the Republican nominee may not be shattering any glass ceilings but he has also battled and broke through barriers to get the nomination. Whether it was his willingness to legislate regardless of the party agenda or his upstart run to the front of the 2000 pack when party fathers were grooming the son of a former president or the hostile rift he has had with the GOP's religious and conservative wings or even his age, McCain defied odds and a large field to come back from the wilderness - if it weren't for his unfortunate skin troubles, I'd say he's 'tan, rested and ready.'
To the credit of both nominees, theirs are campaigns heavy on the issues and if this man of colour becomes the next president, there is every chance it will be because Americans will choose his views over his rival's and not because he is a 'first.'On this night, Republicans too should celebrate even though they and Obama agree on little and everything. Without Republicans like Senator Everett Dirksen (IL), Barack Obama could not have given the speech he did tonight. Without a Republican, one of the first, like Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. couldn't have had his march on that president's memorial. The blood-soaked road from 'all men are created equal' to 'I will be the Democratic nominee for the President of the United States' is one that is built upon an American foundation, Democrat, Republican and all those parties that have come and gone over a 232 year history. And it has taken every one of those 232 years and every life given, every life made harder in the name of equality, to arrive at this moment.
And on this night, the legacy of what has become belongs to all but if there is one - of many - who deserves special recognition it is Abraham Lincoln, Republican, whose legacy transcends politics and is a direct link from the greatest of the unfinished work by the men of 1776 now one step closer to completion.I would hope I can appreciate this night so that my children and grandchildren can hear a story that adds a bit more than the textbooks. Now, however, the real game begins. Americans know who the next president is, they just have to decide which one it will be. And it is my firm hope that no one looks back on January 20th, 2009 and questions its authenticity, whether it's Mr. McCain or Mr. Obama putting his hand on the bible.
Reilly
link: http://www.bestguesscommentary.com/2008/06/night-for-america.html
John's been the Obama enthusiast on this site, so if he'll pardon me for a moment I'm going to write a bit about this moment in American history, and it is a bi-partisan moment that should be recognised by all Americans whether they agree with Obama's policies or not.June 3, 2008 will be one of those dates my children will learn about in history class, the day a black man became the first person of colour to be the nominee of a major political party. It must also be remembered that if circumstances were different, it would be the first woman nominee of a major party, an equally historic watershed that will have to wait a little longer.
The roads paved in blood and sweat that have led to this day cannot be appreciated, I think, right now, in the thick of a marathon election that has captured the nation's and world's attention. It is fate's fortune that some of the same men who preached and marched alongside Dr. King are still here, witnesses to a lifetime that began with the black man not equal to the white man and all forms of violence and degradation being just a fact of life and has evolved from that reality to one where an American boy of a black father and a white mother, growing up in the Midwest and making his life on the South Side of Chicago, can run for president and actually earn the right to be a nominee in our two-party system. And it is a credit to Obama and this country that at the end of the 18-month Democratic campaign, the deciding factor for voters and the substance of all the questions coming his way aren't about the colour of his skin but what he believes is the best way to make the United States better.
Perhaps fate has also stepped in to bring John McCain and Barack Obama together, for the Republican nominee may not be shattering any glass ceilings but he has also battled and broke through barriers to get the nomination. Whether it was his willingness to legislate regardless of the party agenda or his upstart run to the front of the 2000 pack when party fathers were grooming the son of a former president or the hostile rift he has had with the GOP's religious and conservative wings or even his age, McCain defied odds and a large field to come back from the wilderness - if it weren't for his unfortunate skin troubles, I'd say he's 'tan, rested and ready.'
To the credit of both nominees, theirs are campaigns heavy on the issues and if this man of colour becomes the next president, there is every chance it will be because Americans will choose his views over his rival's and not because he is a 'first.'On this night, Republicans too should celebrate even though they and Obama agree on little and everything. Without Republicans like Senator Everett Dirksen (IL), Barack Obama could not have given the speech he did tonight. Without a Republican, one of the first, like Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. couldn't have had his march on that president's memorial. The blood-soaked road from 'all men are created equal' to 'I will be the Democratic nominee for the President of the United States' is one that is built upon an American foundation, Democrat, Republican and all those parties that have come and gone over a 232 year history. And it has taken every one of those 232 years and every life given, every life made harder in the name of equality, to arrive at this moment.
And on this night, the legacy of what has become belongs to all but if there is one - of many - who deserves special recognition it is Abraham Lincoln, Republican, whose legacy transcends politics and is a direct link from the greatest of the unfinished work by the men of 1776 now one step closer to completion.I would hope I can appreciate this night so that my children and grandchildren can hear a story that adds a bit more than the textbooks. Now, however, the real game begins. Americans know who the next president is, they just have to decide which one it will be. And it is my firm hope that no one looks back on January 20th, 2009 and questions its authenticity, whether it's Mr. McCain or Mr. Obama putting his hand on the bible.
Reilly
link: http://www.bestguesscommentary.com/2008/06/night-for-america.html
6/2/08
Summer vacation
The above picture seems cute, but this is what we do here in FL after an attack of red ants! Cold water for about 15 minutes, then "Sting Stop" homeopathic gel. Then, the daily reminder that if you wear SHOES, you are less apt to have the ants velcroe their hideous appendages onto your skin and bite away. One of neighborhood kids--a real cute 9 year old boy that is now "available" to play was over today with his newfound "freedom". They were building forts in my bedroom, and I went in to pick up the stuff all over the place. My 9 year old asked Kyle--"Hey is today a holiday?" Like, why ARE you able to be here during "school hours'?? And Kyle said "No, it's summer vacation. You know, like you live summer vacation ALL YEAR???" The boys all laughed and I had a quick little shudder run thru my bones..........summer vacation ALLLLLL year? What AM I thinking????
So, after leaving the bedroom and just kind of giggling nervously AT myself, I realized how absolutely phenomenal it IS to have "vacation" all year. And while ON our vacation, my 5 year old is learning to read all by himself--like asking me "does turtle start with TTTtttt?' Things like this all day. And my 13 year old is getting a crash course in a poorly run political system and who the real losers end up being.........and Hawken is learning it is ok to take a back seat and observe. It is ok to take his time warming up to situations, or stating his opinion and desires--that he is HEARD and honored and valued as a human being. Somehow I think these things get missed at schools. I know ALL of Sawyer's experiences at school were negative in this exact regard. There was NO respect GIVEN to them, and ALL the respect expected OF them. Isn't there something wrong with that picture???
So, indeed.............summer vacation. Playing "GO FISH" 8 times in a row, reading Judy Blume books, watching movies, shell seeking, waiting for the green flash at sunset, stargazing for an hour, building huge lego ships, writing real letters, giving the dog a bath.....and this is all in a day! And certainly the Florida heat is co-operating and giving us 90+ degree temps every day! To the beach we go, again and again!
So, after leaving the bedroom and just kind of giggling nervously AT myself, I realized how absolutely phenomenal it IS to have "vacation" all year. And while ON our vacation, my 5 year old is learning to read all by himself--like asking me "does turtle start with TTTtttt?' Things like this all day. And my 13 year old is getting a crash course in a poorly run political system and who the real losers end up being.........and Hawken is learning it is ok to take a back seat and observe. It is ok to take his time warming up to situations, or stating his opinion and desires--that he is HEARD and honored and valued as a human being. Somehow I think these things get missed at schools. I know ALL of Sawyer's experiences at school were negative in this exact regard. There was NO respect GIVEN to them, and ALL the respect expected OF them. Isn't there something wrong with that picture???
So, indeed.............summer vacation. Playing "GO FISH" 8 times in a row, reading Judy Blume books, watching movies, shell seeking, waiting for the green flash at sunset, stargazing for an hour, building huge lego ships, writing real letters, giving the dog a bath.....and this is all in a day! And certainly the Florida heat is co-operating and giving us 90+ degree temps every day! To the beach we go, again and again!
5/30/08
I have signed on to a lot of Yahoo groups over the years. I am on mostly unschooling ones right now, and have to say how encouraging and inspiring these people are! I am always left with a sense of awe---and not like I used to be in awe on the waldorf lists............that awe always left me feeling really disappointed with my own homeschooling. Not that people didn't have great ideas and the same intention as any other list, but I guess it wasn't what *I* needed. Now I know what it is I do need. More of the INNER stimulation......the nudge to MOVE my brain, my soul and my actions to make things better-different etc in my own life.
One thing I have really tried to do a lot more of this year is to MEET my kids exactly where they are emotionally, and not try to make them "better." I just try to meet them, to allow them, and then to love them. I see a lot more affection coming back at me too!! Especially with Sawyer (13), he is great at just giving that Loooooooooooong, really genuine hug! And he does it wherever, he doesn't seem concerned with who's around to see him hugging his old mom either! And I have also come to the realization---well, really more that my realization has resulted in ACTION or REaction.........when Sawyer is being 13 years old in a way that might not be the most respectful or enjoyable, I just allow him space. I will sometimes say that I don't LIKE his attitude, or the way he is speaking to his brothers or myself, but I will tell him that, and then just ask him to please walk away. Not to stand and argue, or instigate with anyone. I notice that most of the time, it is about HIM. His frustrations or tiredness. His puberty! So, when I take the personalization out of it, it helps ME be there FOR him. And I need to do that, as he needs help to redirect and realize that a lot of his "behavior" isn't really a reaction to anything, but simply his body/mind/soul working things out.
One thing I have really tried to do a lot more of this year is to MEET my kids exactly where they are emotionally, and not try to make them "better." I just try to meet them, to allow them, and then to love them. I see a lot more affection coming back at me too!! Especially with Sawyer (13), he is great at just giving that Loooooooooooong, really genuine hug! And he does it wherever, he doesn't seem concerned with who's around to see him hugging his old mom either! And I have also come to the realization---well, really more that my realization has resulted in ACTION or REaction.........when Sawyer is being 13 years old in a way that might not be the most respectful or enjoyable, I just allow him space. I will sometimes say that I don't LIKE his attitude, or the way he is speaking to his brothers or myself, but I will tell him that, and then just ask him to please walk away. Not to stand and argue, or instigate with anyone. I notice that most of the time, it is about HIM. His frustrations or tiredness. His puberty! So, when I take the personalization out of it, it helps ME be there FOR him. And I need to do that, as he needs help to redirect and realize that a lot of his "behavior" isn't really a reaction to anything, but simply his body/mind/soul working things out.
And he, I think, really appreciates my time or effort. He is old enough to see when people stretch themselves, and especially when it is for his benefit. And I hope that he internalizes this as my love for him and that it makes HIS path easier because his foundation feels more solid. I probably didn't put this into words the right way, but as time passes it all might make more sense. Until then, you (whomever dares to read thru my confusion) will have to muddle with me. Maybe you feel the same way??
5/29/08
Best Guess
Is anyone else outraged about Hillary's comments about assassination??????????????????
What is going on that a PRESIDENTIAL hopeful is talking like this? I would be very upset if my children talked like that.
My brother, Reilly, has the best website called http://www.bestguesscommentary.com/
which is great political commentary and info about what is really going on...........in terms we can also understand. He gets rid of the spin and puts it back to us in real time.
I am hoping this nomination process comes to an end soon. I look forward to working hard to get Obama elected, and so far we Floridians feel lost in the dust.
I watched "Recount" on HBO this week..........nothing new for me, but it sure does confirm my 8 year regret about not storming the Supreme Court to demand that our President- elect be seated. Katherine Harris is a joke to all of us Floridians; she is an example of someone given too much power. People don't realize how important their vote is until some idiot they've never voted for OR against, makes all of our lives a living hell.
My brain is a scramble, but I will say that I am making an effort to visualize our country in the hands of a smart, capable, empathetic man...........a man who reaches out for partnership from EVERY one of us, and that our voices will be heard. Until that time, go for a "listen" to my brothers website. It is a great use of time!
What is going on that a PRESIDENTIAL hopeful is talking like this? I would be very upset if my children talked like that.
My brother, Reilly, has the best website called http://www.bestguesscommentary.com/
which is great political commentary and info about what is really going on...........in terms we can also understand. He gets rid of the spin and puts it back to us in real time.
I am hoping this nomination process comes to an end soon. I look forward to working hard to get Obama elected, and so far we Floridians feel lost in the dust.
I watched "Recount" on HBO this week..........nothing new for me, but it sure does confirm my 8 year regret about not storming the Supreme Court to demand that our President- elect be seated. Katherine Harris is a joke to all of us Floridians; she is an example of someone given too much power. People don't realize how important their vote is until some idiot they've never voted for OR against, makes all of our lives a living hell.
My brain is a scramble, but I will say that I am making an effort to visualize our country in the hands of a smart, capable, empathetic man...........a man who reaches out for partnership from EVERY one of us, and that our voices will be heard. Until that time, go for a "listen" to my brothers website. It is a great use of time!
5/15/08
UNCLE!
UNCLE! I have had it with the spring Florida bugs! Everyday, I come to the kitchen to see those nasty little sugar ants ALL over! Inside, outside the cabinets......why? THere is nothing sugary, no honey, nothing to attract them! So, with my vinegar and water solution I spray, wipe with paper towel and dump in the trash. ALL DAY. This goes on and on and on! If people were as tenacious, the world would be a different place!
Meanwhile, my oldest gets braces today--he is sooooo excited, and Ron (Dh) gets his colonoscopy tomorrow.. He too is soooooo excited! Today, he will be shitting his brains out with the poop prep kit they give you. I am wondering if any hidden treasures will be excavated. An old guru of mine who is a natural therapeutic guy and has given 1000's of colonics, has actually extracted a toy CAR from a guy in his 70's. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!
So, maybe we'll list it on ebay! Hopefully it will resemble Mother Teresa (god forgive me!)
It's hot here already--high 80's, but we have a breeze,which is rare in such heat. It is dry still, so essentially we are living in a cinderbox waiting to go up in flames with any spark at all. And it is happening all over the east coast of FL, but "they" say rains begin around May 15. Isn't that today? By golly, no clouds at all. Guess "they" are wrong again.
Here's my plug for a movie. IRONMAN. I could watch R. Downey Jr chew gum for 2 hours and still like it, but it is a great movie. And I am not much one for these types of action flicks. Like, the upcoming Indiana Jones looks exhausting. Perhaps pre-medicating would be a good idea. Tuck that wine bottle into my purse, along with the licorice, the M$M's and waters for the kids, and a little cup for mom and dad. Great idea, don't you think?? Puts a new glamour on "going to the movies".
Ahhhh, I feel drained. Speaking of drained......our well water is also full of ants....yes, when I fill the bath, I have friends to play with. Obviously if you live in Fl, you are laughing 'cause it doesn't surprise you and you know if COULD be YOU! If you live elsewhere you are saying WTF???
So, off to call the well guy (again) and I have about 100 ants circling around my laptop right now that need a spraying! Off to war.
Meanwhile, my oldest gets braces today--he is sooooo excited, and Ron (Dh) gets his colonoscopy tomorrow.. He too is soooooo excited! Today, he will be shitting his brains out with the poop prep kit they give you. I am wondering if any hidden treasures will be excavated. An old guru of mine who is a natural therapeutic guy and has given 1000's of colonics, has actually extracted a toy CAR from a guy in his 70's. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!
So, maybe we'll list it on ebay! Hopefully it will resemble Mother Teresa (god forgive me!)
It's hot here already--high 80's, but we have a breeze,which is rare in such heat. It is dry still, so essentially we are living in a cinderbox waiting to go up in flames with any spark at all. And it is happening all over the east coast of FL, but "they" say rains begin around May 15. Isn't that today? By golly, no clouds at all. Guess "they" are wrong again.
Here's my plug for a movie. IRONMAN. I could watch R. Downey Jr chew gum for 2 hours and still like it, but it is a great movie. And I am not much one for these types of action flicks. Like, the upcoming Indiana Jones looks exhausting. Perhaps pre-medicating would be a good idea. Tuck that wine bottle into my purse, along with the licorice, the M$M's and waters for the kids, and a little cup for mom and dad. Great idea, don't you think?? Puts a new glamour on "going to the movies".
Ahhhh, I feel drained. Speaking of drained......our well water is also full of ants....yes, when I fill the bath, I have friends to play with. Obviously if you live in Fl, you are laughing 'cause it doesn't surprise you and you know if COULD be YOU! If you live elsewhere you are saying WTF???
So, off to call the well guy (again) and I have about 100 ants circling around my laptop right now that need a spraying! Off to war.
4/28/08
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3 Little Pip-squeeks all in a row....
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Cousins........although Koda is 2 (almost 3), Isabella is 3 (almost 4), and Cedar is 5, they played together like they were all from the same pod. I wish I had cousins!!
Can you find the Uncle??
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Our boys love to wrestle, and apparantly so does Isabella! They absolutely WORE out Jason and Mike on that trampoline this last week! Sawyer is missing from this picture but was added to that pile several times. (Sorry Jay!) Anyway, it was a very memorable and great visit. Our lives are so chaotic, that it hazed our minds a bit, but we LOVE spending time with everyone, and Danielle was sorely missed. We wish her mom the best!
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Jungle Gardens
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This was a great day! Ron's family was in town--well, the rest of the family-minus a missing Aunt who stayed home to care for her mom. Anyway, the uncles arrived and the little guy pointing at Cedar is Koda-Mike's son. I will post more pictures!
Jungle Gardens is great. These birds are so beautiful and the neat thing about being allowed to hold them, is the kids see how overwhelming it really is. Sawyer held a HUUUUGE bird--picutre to follow!
4/16/08
Control Overload
Sawyer was called by a girl from school on Monday to please bring in some books that were hers that the school gave to my husband that they thought were Sawyer's. So, at recess time on Tuesday, I drove him over. The kids saw us as we drove RIGHT past the field they play in, and several ran over to say HI to Sawyer with shrieks of girly delight. SO, they chatted for all of 60 seconds, and then Sawyer walked over to the building with them to leave some extra shirts we won't EVER be needing again. The dreaded art teacher was on the field screaming--literally--at the kids to "Get back to recess! This is not a social time!!" DUH. Mmmmmmm, then what IS it?? So, then he turns to Sawyer and tells him "Get back to where you belong in your car."
Now all of 90 seconds has passed. And this control freak teacher--the one who should not be allowed to be around children, and in fact adults either, starts ushering children around like a Gestapo. AND, to top this off, the Dean of the school is out in the parking lot, shaking a paper in another 8th graders face, with raised voice and shaking finger as well. This boy had been sent home from Washington D.C. from their class trip. The boy had taken his cell phone (I think that would have been a requirement to have each child have their cell phones on!!), and the Dean's wife had told him to relinquish it to her. He refused saying that he didn't feel safe in D.C. not having it on him. She asked again, and pushed him against a wall in order to get the phone. (This is all reiterated by the kid this happened to BTW). At this point, the boy ran off, got on a bus or train or something, and the woman called the D.C. police.
Huuuuuuuuge deal over WHAT????? A smart kid in a strange city wanting to keep his cell phone in his pocket? Seems like a lot of control issues are going on at the school, and thank God we got Sawyer out of there when we did. The one boy that was made to stay home from the trip, having been declared "a danger to himself" was made to go to school all week with no one there, just so they could count his attendance. Well, other teachers were there, but no kids in his grades. BLah, Blah, blah!!
My point to all of this?? I just had to get it off my chest, #1, and #2--it seems so clear to me the hazards of haphazard control over others. LIKE, why exactly was the phone an issue EVER? Why did she need to yell, use force, threats etc to CONTROL his having HIS cell phone with him? It is so similar to so many other quests for control over children, that I had to really pause and just acknowledge how much I am made to feel UNcomfortable about this arbitrary control over children. BECAUSE I SAID SO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now all of 90 seconds has passed. And this control freak teacher--the one who should not be allowed to be around children, and in fact adults either, starts ushering children around like a Gestapo. AND, to top this off, the Dean of the school is out in the parking lot, shaking a paper in another 8th graders face, with raised voice and shaking finger as well. This boy had been sent home from Washington D.C. from their class trip. The boy had taken his cell phone (I think that would have been a requirement to have each child have their cell phones on!!), and the Dean's wife had told him to relinquish it to her. He refused saying that he didn't feel safe in D.C. not having it on him. She asked again, and pushed him against a wall in order to get the phone. (This is all reiterated by the kid this happened to BTW). At this point, the boy ran off, got on a bus or train or something, and the woman called the D.C. police.
Huuuuuuuuge deal over WHAT????? A smart kid in a strange city wanting to keep his cell phone in his pocket? Seems like a lot of control issues are going on at the school, and thank God we got Sawyer out of there when we did. The one boy that was made to stay home from the trip, having been declared "a danger to himself" was made to go to school all week with no one there, just so they could count his attendance. Well, other teachers were there, but no kids in his grades. BLah, Blah, blah!!
My point to all of this?? I just had to get it off my chest, #1, and #2--it seems so clear to me the hazards of haphazard control over others. LIKE, why exactly was the phone an issue EVER? Why did she need to yell, use force, threats etc to CONTROL his having HIS cell phone with him? It is so similar to so many other quests for control over children, that I had to really pause and just acknowledge how much I am made to feel UNcomfortable about this arbitrary control over children. BECAUSE I SAID SO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4/2/08
Unschooling
There are 2 other families with whom we try to get together with regularly. The boys really enjoy their kids, and I adore the moms. So, that works out very well!
Last week's beach day at Fort Desoto Park was amazing. The boys were skimming and swimming, eating and running, and Laura and I (Melinda and her kids were missing in action :(() sat in our chairs for the most part gabbing about "What ARE we doing with our kids lives???" I'll tell you right up front, that we are doing exactly as we should be, and moving ever forward to better all the time. But, discussing the value of meeting new people, of strandloping on beaches, of reading the paper, discussing daily events, slowly sounding out the world around us.........this was important work we did! It happened to also be Hawken's 9th birthday, which I think 9 is a huge turning point. Not THE DAY of turning 9, but the year up to and surrounding it.
Hawken is a great teacher for me. He really mirrors my THOUGHTS, which is a little overwhelming sometimes, as my thoughts are usually IN progress, and he will pick them up as if I have already settled into them. So, it pushes me toward finding my balance really quickly, less I be swallowed up in straddling fences.
Laura and I were discussing, (actually I think I was telling her this whole thing, and she was a great listener!!) about the show on Sundance called ICONOCLASTS. It was with Dave Chappelle and Maya Angelou. Maya is one of my heroes (heroine) and she is 90+ and truly an American Icon. Dave Chappelle, who I admit I had never heard of before watching that--is an amazing stand up comedian who had been given a 5 year 50 million dollar contract in 2002(?), did it for 5 months on TV and then dumped it and went to Africa and has since never regretted it. He is back on the circuit a bit I guess, but nothing like his previous life. You have to watch this show to hear more about him....I don't feel like giving the full bio.
ANYWAY--yes, I will get to the point here soon--Maya is amazing, and talked about HIM lifting HER up. If you just sit with that idea for a moment, you too will be filled up by the humility of that. They talked about the word nigger and how it has been used to dehumanize blacks, and Dave talked about how blacks now have taken ownership of the word and use it to create INCLUSION of blacks with one another. I have never enjoyed hearing this word. It feels like my heart bleeds when I hear it, and it has never mattered if it is a white, hispanic or black saying it. And Maya finally put some thoughts to why this is. She said, "If you go to the drugstore and purchase a drug, and it has a picture of skull and cross-bones on it, and the word POISON; you know there is poison inside. If you take the drug and pour it into a crystal, gold rimmed bottle, it will still be the same. POISON.
She speaks with such distinction. Each word formed slowly and with great purpose...never a "uhhhh, or like.., or mmmmm", but always just her thoughts streaming clearly and with such impact, it's like the earth shakes when she speaks. In fact, I bet it does.
Anyway, because the idea of her eventual death just unseats me, I cried through the whole thing. I realized that I have always wanted to meet her, to hear her, to make eye-contact just for a moment. I think that if I were to do that, I would somehow have a spark from her sparkle.
And HE lifted HER up. He is her hero....because of who he is in his soul, not any other reason.
There are other stories they share about how amazing she is, how humble, how incredibly giving she is OF her spirit---you MUST WATCH THIS SHOW!
What DOES this have to do with UNschooling? I think back to where, from whom, from what did I get my passions, my knowledge about life? KNOWLEDGE, not facts. And I have to say very little came out of any schooling situation. My kids have knowledge passed on to them from great-grandparents, grandparents, great-uncles, uncles, aunts, friends' parents, friends, the fish-monger on Siesta Key, the 85 year old Vet at Woodworking, the mentally-challenged guy bagging at Publix, the old lady for whom they held the door and it ended up being an hour conversation............
And I can help with pouring over the newspaper together, with magazines, with listening to Obama speak like no one has since they have been born. I can help by allowing...............them to meet strangers on a beach, at a campground, in a parking lot, on a boat, at the park. Allowing them TIME. THE WORLD is within each one of us.
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