MTF's Musings of my Mind

I'm not exactly sure why I wait so long between posts but by the time I get back to the blog it appears there are so many thoughts that have been swirling around my mind, ready to get sorted out into coherent thoughts in print. Hold on, in no particular order, these are the most recent musings of my mind.

There are moments at work that I hear the phrase, "It's not my job!" Where someone has been asked to do something that they feel is not really their responsibility. I get it, I do. Yet a part of me doesn't, it is not really my mindset. I am a former home school teacher. As a homeschooler you never have the luxury of something not being your responsibility. The moment you decide to home school you are acutely aware that you are responsible for EVERYTHING! There is no curriculum committee, it is you spending hours upon hours, reviewing all the options. There is no administrative staff; all phone calls, orders, copies, medicine distributing, arrangements, appointments, it's on you. Discipline? The majority of the time it is you making a phone call to the dean of discipline, aka Dad. Yet there are times when it you that deals with it, in the moment. You are the field trip coordinator.  You spend hours prepping and preparing; Calling establishments and organizations, making the magical memories happen. Custodian? Ha! Let's be real, that is you all the way. Data? It is you analyzing your students progress. Deliberating painstakingly, if those curriculum choices, YOU MADE earlier in the year, are effective. Are they meeting needs? Are you seeing growth? Are your students engaged or bored out of their mind? What are the areas of struggle? How can you support each student to be successful? No intervention team, it's you. Then there is the actual act of teaching. The lesson plans. The time instructing. The grading. Repeat. How about the home school community, that we choose to participate in? More lesson plans, teaching a multitude of other kiddos(5-50), in whatever area of (sometimes)expertise or interest you may have.  At the end of the day it boils down to one main truth, success or failure, it comes down to your effort. It is your responsibility! Oh and let's just for a second talk about the pay. There is none, not even a tax deduction. In fact, it is YOU financing the bill of hundreds (possibly thousands) of dollars educating your children at home. So maybe it is just me but after being responsible for everything for ten years, I just assume whatever comes my way at work and embrace it because it is a small fraction of what I was responsible before. No fretting. No worries. Bring it, I got this, I was a home school teacher!

The elderly are beautiful! Today, my children's choir had the privilege of singing at a local nursing home. First, all the children sang for the residents in general care. Then, a smaller group went to the memory retention ward, where the Alzheimer patients were. These residents rarely receive as the head RN put it, entertainment. Immediately, you notice a difference in the cognitive level within this ward. Some have clear looks in their eyes, where others are clouded over, perhaps lost within their own minds. Yet when the children sang, they responded. Their faces brightened. Some tapped their feet, feeling the music. Some smiled. Another, slept through the entire thing. After the children finished singing, they greeted the residents. Speaking with them based on their ability. The church had provided a valentine craft for each resident in the building. The kids used this as an ice breaker to talk with each person they reached out to. They made the valentine for them. It was really rather sweet, watching these kids interact. A small group went off into the wards dining hall to make the craft and connect. I love the connection part of going to the nursing home. Some of the kids are shy but more so they are so open and uninhabited in their interactions with the elderly. The seniors just eat it up. They love having the children there. Each time we go, there are a few resident that make their mark in my mind. Today, it was Ed, Mary, and John. Ed and Mary have been married for nearly 67 years. 8 years ago she was diagnosed with Alzheimers. One year ago she came to the nursing home, every day he comes and visits her. He hasn't missed a day! Talk about the Notebook in living color. So sweet!   John? John was a sweet man that recently turned 102! Yet he looked more like he was in his 70's. I wonder all that he has seen in his life. I wonder what goes on in the mind of each of the residents in the memory ward. In a short amount of time I saw such a contrast of sadness and joy.

Update on my loss of consciousness: the chiropractor was pleasantly surprised that my neck did not show signs of trauma. In fact my neck and spine looked pretty great. Yeah! I went back to work the following Monday, armed with gatorade. It took a few days to get back to 100% but I got there. I am feeling pretty darn good these days. My son however did have a bout of the flu. He slept for a day straight, barely waking to take meds. Knock on wood, Formica, plastic, whatever is nearby, we are all healthy now and hopefully stay that way.

Our school appears to be the only school that has school on Monday. McCuse me! If anyone tries to rub this in, I may throat punch you and tell you Carla sent me. Please don't gloat! ;)

A huge shout out to my daughter, she earned her master badge in the make-up guild tonight. She can now crew head the make-up crew at our local theater. She has worked diligently towards this goal and I am super proud of her.

It is no secret that I love my Nepali family! In one week, some of my dearest friends will be moving to Pennsylvania. They are not just friends, they are family. To say they will be missed, is a huge understatement. I am so thankful for current technology that will allow me to facetime them and stay in touch. Today, I was able to chat with hajur ama and hajur baa on a smart phone. Such reassurance that we have this capability. When I think about the mark this family has made in my life, I tear up. When I think about the fact that they are moving 10 hours away rather than being just down the road, I feel sad. I know we are forever bonded. I know I will be making trips to their new home. I am already plotting when that trip can be made. I really wish I could take the week off so that I could go with them. Instead I will be helping load the U-haul and wishing them well. They are going to be so missed. I don't even want to think about the garden this summer without them. :(

The garden. What is it going to look like this year? With me working full time and mom's commitment to the Homeless Angels, it will probably look differently. Yet essentially carry on all the same. My plan is to do garden registration during Spring break while I have the week off. If weather allows, I hope to do the plotting that week as well. Sadly, this will be without my right hand man.

Without. Thursday, towards the end of my work day I found myself without my phone. I checked all the logical places it could be and it simply wasn't around. When I truly came to grasp this, it was time for dismissal. Not good. My responsibility for dismissal is to gather a group of kids and take them to their bus. I have to do this in a timely matter so I really did not have time to deal with it at that exact moment. As I went to make my first pick-up, I grabbed my daughters iPod and had her bring up the tracking feature to try and locate my phone. It was clear that it was somewhere in the building but I had no idea where and the battery was too low to send out the alarm. So I went about the dismissal process. As soon as all my kiddos were safely on their buses, I checked in to see if I could pinpoint where in the school my phone was. Except it was no longer in the school it was slowly and steadily moving away from the building. Ahhhh! Not cool, this could only mean one thing. A student stole my phone! So not cool! I watched it go...I could clearly see the direction in which it was moving. Do I chase after it? Ahhhh! I still had after school tutoring. What to do? I activated the lost mode, that shows a message on the main screen stating the phone is lost and allows you to add a contact phone number should it be found. I called the police. A little while later, my hubby called the school. He had received a phone call from someone that had my phone. The long short of it, the cousin ratted the guilty party out and it was now in the guardians hands. Phew! Off to tutoring knowing it was at least found. I had an address and a phone number. Hello my darling tutoring kids! After tutoring, I had a decision to make. Go to the address (in a sketchy neighborhood), go to the police station as they had not yet shown up to the school, or call to see if they were willing to meet me somewhere. At this point I did not know who had the phone. I did not feel safe going to the house! I also felt like I needed to follow-up with the initial call to the police. So I decided to go to the local precinct for advise. Only the local precinct apparently doesn't have office hours after 5pm. Ahhhh! They did however have two phones on the wall, a red one for emergencies and a brown one for non-emergencies. I picked up the brown one and spoke with the dispatcher. She found my initial call and transferred my location to the the precinct. She told me an officer would be there at their earliest convenience but they weren't sure how long it would take. Dispatch also advised me, "Do not go pick up the phone. Wait for the officer." Alrighty then! So I waited and waited and waited. We were late for theater. More waiting. After an hour, I picked up the brown phone again. The officer was in route and would be there in approximately 10 minutes. I saw the officer approach the door and then saw her walk back to her patrol car. I had to run after her. She took the report and said she would go retrieve the phone. Phew! She said she would bring it by my house sometime between 9-10pm if she was able to recover it. Yeah! Off to theater, better late than never. At this point I was pretty frustrated over the inconvenience. It was looking like it would all work out though. I came home from theater and decided to read to pass the time. I read and read and read some more. I was about to call it a night when the phone rang. The officer had my phone and was willing to drop it off if I was still up. Yeah! It turns out it was a FIRST GRADER that took my phone! I went from frustrated to disappointed which later turned to sadness. The officer spoke with the child, which I am thankful for. I hope it will be a turning point for this child. But the reality is, as the officer stated, this is probably just the beginning for this child. Perhaps it was a learned behavior from the adults in this child's life or as I believe is more likely, it is a result of neglect in the early years which has caused this young one to hold tight to anything they can get their hands on. This is not this kiddos first time with sticky fingers. They have taken things off peers desks, out of other kids back packs, school supplies and teachers property. My phone was probably the item of greatest value but it is really one item on a list of many. Will the visit from the police make an impact? I hope so. If it does, that afternoon of inconvenience was more than worth it. I pray for this child's sake, that it makes a difference. I am not even angry at this kiddo, just sad. The reality of my job is that not everything is as it seems. I have no idea what my kiddos have survived, what they face, what they have overcome...I must be vigilant and love them exactly where they are.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Hold your loved ones close. Tell them you love them. What you do makes a difference!

A Long, Rewarding Day

I forgot my camera so I will have to record the day with my words.

I arrived at the apartment complex at 9am. Summer Place. It is a place of diversity and refuge. All of its 130 families that reside there are refugees from countries all over the world. English is not their native tongue. For all but the young English is their second language.

For the last week I had been knocking on doors and filling out garden registration forms. For nearly all the residents, the desire for a garden is strong. For many it is coming back to their farming roots. Generations of farmers, now in a new land, longing to connect to the land. Others it is a place of community respite, a fresh breath of air, new life, hope. Yet others still, it is survival, sustenance for their families. 

The field lay freshly plowed. The people gathered in expectation and excitement. Garden day had arrived.

Measurements were taken. Multiplied and divided. A plan was drawn out. Pathways devised. Considerations made. Trying to be as fair as possible on a piece of land that was not a perfect rectangle, rather odd shapes pieced together. Yet a plan was made, plots for all 96 registered gardeners were determined. Measuring tapes came out as stakes went in and the plan was put into action. Words of encouragement as the plots came into being, quarter of the way, half way, almost finished. As the plotting was finalized the gardeners lined the sides in anticipation.

I sat down for a few moments to draw up a map which I used to put family names and apartment numbers on. It serves as the main tool to keep the peace and eliminate boundary disputes. It was also the last time I sat down for a long time.

With map in place and eager residents. I began the monumental task of assigning all 96 plots to the people. I had a few special request during registration, which I honored. Then I had people stand next to the plot they desired and from one end of the property to the other, we filled in the spots. With an amazing Americorp member, Hilliary, by my side. She marked the stakes as I marked the map. Slowly, deliberately, we made our way. After our first time through, we stopped for a brief drink, then went back over it again.

Just as we finished our second pass, with a large majority of gardeners placed, the compost arrived. I have witnessed this event before, yet it always makes me smile. As the property manager describes it, "All the worker bees are at it." For the next six hours, the property was abuzz with activity.

The sun beat down. People beat the earth with maddock, hoes, and shovels. Compost was added. Boundary lines more clearly defined. Some with string; others with trenches.

I witnessed the human condition; compassion, greed, cultural divisions, cultural unity, team work, resourcefulness, hard work, satisfaction.

I settled disputes as they came. One woman insisted she have the plot already assigned to another family. Over and over she insisted. Over and over I insisted that she could choose any other plot not yet assigned, one directly next to the plot she so insisted she have. In the end she relented and took the spot I recommended. 

Another came over a cultural difference. An elderly African woman had asked her friend, A Burmese if he would help her grow food, as he had previous years. When the other African women saw that he had plotted their spots together they were furious. The women told me to change the boundary without her present, yet I had witnessed the exchange in the morning. The women herself had said to give her spot to the man, explaining the arrangement. I refused to do anything without the women's direct consent. When she came, they tried to convince her that he had stolen from her. He had not, for he is a man of integrity and great compassion. When the man arrived, with such kindness and gentleness, he defused the situation. All was well. He was growing her food, he would share all that he had. Later, in the day I found out he is well known in his country. A famous poet. A man whose words have caused revolutions, resolve and change. Although at a price, he has been imprisoned three times and is currently in exile. I am thankful he has found refuge here in Lansing.

As the hours ticked by I was brought gifts of bananas and oranges. Much appreciated as I did not pack any food. I sat with a young woman and had hand-ground tea of fresh herbs and spices on her porch.

As soon as the school bus came, the grounds were overflowing with children. Many went to work in the garden with their parents. A small group of them gave me hope for the future. An Iraqi boy, whose parents were still working, claimed their families spot. He had the desire to get their spot ready as he was witnessing all those around him doing. After being chased out of the compost by a well-meaning woman, I encouraged him it was fine to take some for his family. As soon as this happened. A group of 7 or 8 kids of four ethnicities, came to help him. For nearly an hour, the small group worked together, ages most likely between 9-12, encouraging each other, smiling and laughing as they worked. It was beautiful.

Some residents came hoping to get a spot at the garden. This is always hard. I worked so hard throughout the week to make sure everyone was given a fair and equal opportunity to get a spot. I knocked on every door at least twice, sometimes three times. I drew up forms with final notice stamped on it in red explaining they must register by Weds. May 13. Yet still, people came saying they did not have a spot. I wonder if some of these were people who refused to open the door and no matter how many different ways I tried to explain the garden, they said no. I do not want. I do not need. Only to find out that yes, they do want. They do need. Language barriers are tricky. For those who did not receive, they will wait one week to see if other spots go unclaimed. If all are claimed they will be given a raised bed on the other side the property. Thankfully we have this option.

The day went on. So much was accomplished in such a short time. I was fed rice with bean soup for dinner. My daughter came and entertained the younger crowd while their parents toiled in their gardens. She taught them how to do somersaults, cartwheels and back bends. They played hide and go seek. Between her and my mother they had the littles laughing and having fun.

At 7:30pm, our family friend arrived to return the tools back to our garden.  It was a long, rewarding day. I arrived home, exhausted with a sunburn. I arrived feeling accomplished and grateful for the time well spent.

Kudos to the property manager, Ray, for providing the space, resources and opportunity for the garden. I know his passion to reach this community of refugees is greatly appreciated. Also, thanks to the Garden Project for the support in placing the garden plots, seeds, plants, compost and encouragement. My mother, whose presence is always appreciated. Bob for transporting tools. My kids for their help at various times of the day. And the people of Summer Place. As I see your faces, learn your names, hear your stories, and fellowship with you whether at the table or the garden, my heart grows with love and appreciation. THANK YOU!

#36 BLT Pasta Bake: Bacon Leek and Tomatoes

BLT- Traditionally this would stand for bacon, lettuce and tomatoes. But in this recipe it stands for bacon, leek and tomatoes.

It was similar to a mac-n-cheese as it started with a rue. Yet it had the additions of the BLT and then baked afterwards.

Great flavor. Nice texture.  More fresh from the garden tomatoes.
-Mom

Bacon, yum. Leeks, not bad. Tomatoes, not the best in pasta. -DD

#11 Italian Sub Stoup and Garlic Toast Floaters

Stoup, what is a stoup? Good question. It is what Rachael Ray defines as thicker than soup, thinner than stew. Stoup. This one had a blend of three meats; sweet Italian sausage, pepperoni and steak ham. I switched out the gemelli pasta with Tinkyada spirals after I searched up and down the pasta aisle to see what gemelli pasta even was. It turns out it is a kind of twist and I still had some spiral noodles left from the mac-n-cheese, win!

 This recipe called for making your own croutons. In the store DD kept saying we can just buy GF croutons. I was stubborn though and said no. The real reason was because I wanted to learn how to make them. So we did. We were rushing around trying to complete the meal before we had to head out to a potluck at the community garden so we did not take any extra pictures, only the ingredients pic and the final dish.
Italian Sub Stoup with Garlic Toast Floaters

I almost forgot to take the after picture as we rushed out the door for the garden. While at the garden I was engaged in conversation and enjoying the moment. I know mom got some pictures, I however did not. There was only a couple and a half left at the end, which is a good thing since I still needed a picture. I would say it went over pretty well, especially since most in attendance do not eat meat or pork. Those who do seemed to enjoy it.
The garlic toast floaters were great. Good flavor, nice crisp, gluten free thanks to Udi's baguettes.
Thumbs up from me.
-Mom

I decided I wanted to make something for the potluck too, so I settled on making Harvest Cake. It is a family recipe that is DE-LISH-OUS! I told my mom I wanted to make it all by myself, but she was available if I needed help.

Here is the batter in the mixer.

Tada! Harvest Cake. The people loved it and it was gone within minutes. ;)

As for the Stoup, I was not a fan of it but I did like the garlic toast floaters and my Harvest Cake. -DD

Whatever Happened to the Community Garden

Before the blog went silent I had shared how I was venturing into leadership at a community garden, Jolly Grove. I shared how we were preparing the land, getting it ready for it's inaugural season. It was 2010.

So much has happened in that time. Jolly Grove was a Land Bank property, owned by the Land Bank, leased by the garden. It had about 20 families, a children's garden, and donation plots that provided food for the South Lansing Kitchen. We were in the planning stages for our third season, I had just gotten approval to expand to reach out to the refugee community nearby, when we got word that the property was going to be developed. It was a bit disheartening. When the head of the Land Bank came to me and said, "Sarah, I think I have a property you are going to love for a new garden." I was skeptical. I knew the time commitment to start up a garden. I knew the labor involved. But still a part of me was curious so I went to see this new land. 14 acres in the middle of the city, mostly forest, some of it had been cleared for a housing development and then was shut down. Brush had grown up.

 It looked like A LOT of work. Yet it was charming too. It had a ditch running through it. I saw potential.

 With much encouragement from my mother, and a commitment of support from our three previous sponsors, we decided to go ahead and form this new garden. In April of 2012 we broke ground.

 

 Two acres of land were cleared, while keeping the natural integrity and habitat in the remaining 12 acres.

 As seen from Google Earth in May of 2012, I present to you Webster Farms Community Garden.

Part of the discussion earlier in the year had been my desire to reach out to the Bhutanese refugees nearby. I had helped a few move and a close friend was building relationships and shared the need for land, the longing to grow food for their families.
At the same time a church of Burmese refugees had approached the Garden Project wondering if there was land for their church to have a garden.
In the end we reached out to both communities.

Oh the work, there was so much work to be done. We moved all of the materials from Jolly Grove to Webster, the fence, the shed, the pallets and raised beds. Then we had to work at clearing the roots and debris from the land. After that came water solutions, we had to get creative. Then the fence. The fence was a must! We have a wide variety of wildlife in the woods and powerlines. We have seen deer, raccoon, a badger, groundhogs, rabbits, squirrels, coyote, opossum, as many varieties of birds and amphibians. Slowly, the fence went up, the electricity was turned on. The fence has improved over the years as we try to keep out the critters. Here is a signage on the fence, communicating in three languages that the fence is electric and do not touch.

 Language. The first year that was a tricky barrier. We learned a few things very quickly. One, panni means water. Second, Namaste, the Nepali greeting as we were enthusiastically greeted. Third, those over the age of 35 struggled in their English as those under 35 especially the teens and young adults spoke excellent English as seven of their nine subjects were taught in English at the refugee camps. Out of pure need, I learned to speak Nepali. It was important for me to communicate to my gardeners who were quickly becoming my friends. Whenever I did not know a word, I would ask, write it down and practice it over and over. In my dreams I would say the words over and over.  I am still learning Nepali but I have grown tremendously with my vocabulary near 500 words. Between my broken Nepali and their broken English, we can communicate. The Burmese language is much more difficult as there are 300+ dialects and even Burmese struggle speaking with each other. Thankfully they are all one church so we can communicate to the Burmese garden leaders and they can share with the whole community. This year we are noticing great improvement in their English skills as they are communicating more and more.

 Resourcefulness! It amazes me. They do not run out to the store for trellises, they make them and they are beautful.

So the garden grew, it thrived. As did all the gardeners. That first year we heard so many stories. Many of them were farmers when they were still in Bhutan, this coming back to the earth was a homecoming.

 We learned culture. I learned the meaning of human suffering. The Bhutanese went through an ethnic cleansing were the men were beaten, tortured and imprisoned. Which lead to their fleeing the country and finding refuge in Nepal where they lived for 20 years in refugee camps.  I learned perspective.

The garden has been good. We have a Children's Garden were I run weekly Kid's Club. I teach them about nature, we go on adventure hikes and check out what is living in the ditch and among us. We plant, weed, water and harvest the fruits of our labor. Here is a picture from 2010, the Kids Club harvest party.

We are now in our third season, with everything growing beautifully. Even if we still have rabbits and groundhogs trying to intrude.

And the work still continues. This year we built a rain catchment shelter.

 And a land bridge/culvert over the ditch.

Things are always changing and there is always work to be done but some things are forever.
This is a place of beauty, growth, culture, love and respect.
This place is gloriously good!

You can check out more pictures on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WebsterFarm
Also, special thanks to my mother for her unbending dedication to this garden. She is known to all the gardeners as Ama, Mom! Also to our partners, The Land Bank, The Garden Project and SLCDA. Without them this would never have been possible. And lastly to this year's Americorp member, Brian, whose hard work is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

#7 Chipotle Mac-n-Cheddar with Tomato and Chorizo

 I made a mistake. Did you figure out what I did? Somehow I went from recipe #5 to #7. I forgot to defrost the beef for #6 and I had everything available for #7 so we swapped them for the sake of sanity. Oh well. We will go back tomorrow now that the beef is out of the freezer and thawing in the fridge.

Today! We harvested loads of veggies from the kid's garden and shared them with the kiddos that came to Kid's Club; zucchini,  summer squash, snap peas, broccoli (little bitty ones), onion and garlic. I had a younger crowd today and they were so much fun. Wide eyed with excitement over everything, esp. the frog from the ditch.

The recipe today had a bit of a bite to it as it had chipotles in adoba oil and chorizo. When we opened the can of chipotles we knew we were in for it as the burn was in the air and I took a small taste of the oil. In Nepali, we would say, piro. In English, we say HOT, SPICY HOT! So instead of two chipotles we settled for one.

 We are totally mastering this roux into cheese sauce. Nailed it! The stove was full of activity with the noodles on the back burner, the cheese sauce and then another pan with the chorizo and tomato.

 Mix it all together and you have Chipotle Mac-n-Cheddar with Tomato and Chorizo. Served with a side of Noosa lemon yogurt to ease the burn. Yum!

Even though it was hotter than our norm, it was very good and the heat was tolerable. The yogurt was more than enough to balance the heat and the lemon complimented it well. Not planned but when we had a tiny taste of the chipotle I knew we had to do something.

Since our neighbor is Hispanic, he got the leftovers. DD and I delivered them to him still hot and steamy. When they heard chipolte and chorizo they said it had Mr. Joe's name written all over it. We were glad to share.
-Mom

I just got back from drama a little while ago to tired to write a long blog about how I thought it was too spicy. Can't wait for recipe #8 Mega Meatball Pizza with Zippy Italian Popcorn! -DD

How Granola Are You?

Many years ago when my children were still babies, I was told I was granola crunchy. Which according to the Urban Dictionary means; crunchy granola Noun. A person who is lives in a healthy, green, vegetarian way. This person often supports Greenpeace and other such environmental and anti-war groups.
Now at the time I was in no way a true granola crunchy, I considered myself more...oatmeal. I had home births, I breast-fed my babies and I was moving in a direction of healthy living for me and my children. But Greenpeace, anti-war...not so much.
This morning I was pondering where I was on the scale; was I moving towards frosted flakes or more toward granola. Since there are no guidelines and the definition of crunchy granola is ever changing, I decided to set up a little survey to gauge us all. Its a simple little test really. With point values...so keep track.
Choose one for each category or skip to the next if it does not apply. Men feel free to count your household choices on the ones that apply to women. If multiple choices are true for you, choose the highest point value for that topic. Here goes...
If you...

Had a natural childbirth in the hospital (+1) gave birth in a birth center (+2) at home (+3)

Breast-fed your baby (+1) 6 months or more (+2) a year or more (+3) a potty trained child (+4)

Used cloth diapers (+1) Until the child was potty trained (+2) Carried around a potty to train your infant (under a year old) (+3)

Carried your babies around with a sling or carrier (+1) toddler (+2)

Co-sleep during infancy (+1) as a toddler (+2) Can't remember the last time you had no children in your bed (+3)

Made your own baby food (+1) Never bought store baby food (+2)

Chose not to circumcise your son (+2)

Use a DO rather than a MD (+1) Chose not to vaccinate (+2)

Use herbals for most medical issues (+1)

Are a Vegetarian (+1) Vegan (+2) Eat only raw uncooked foods (+3)

Garden (+1) Organic gardener (+2) Eat only food that does not come from a super market (+3)

Have a specialized diet for at least one member of your household i.e gluten-free (+1)

Make your own bread (+1) Make your own granola (+2)

Can your own produce (+1) 3 or more varieties (+2)

Buy organic food (+1) Exclusively organic (+2)

Sew or knit clothes for your family (+1)

Recycle (+1) Conscientious cut down on household trash (+2)

Used alternative fuel ie. vegetable oil (+1)

Compost (+1) Vermiculture (+2)

Raise chickens (+1) Free range chickens (+2)

Raise livestock (+1) organically or hormone free (+2)

Have a beehive (+1)

Bring your own bags to the grocery store (+1) Make your own bags to take to the grocery store (+2)

Make your own laundry soap (+1) Make all household cleaning products (+2)

Have participated in an earth day clean-up (+1) Pick-up litter not on earth day (+2)

Are a member of wild life association (+1)

Are a member of La Leche League (+1)

Written your congressman (+1) Attended a Tea Party or other public demonstration (+2)

Home school (+1) Charlotte Mason Sytle (+2) Unschool (+3)

Prefer to be barefoot (+1)

Laughed your way through this survey because it was all to familiar (+1)

So...How granola are you?
Out of possible 61 points
0-5 Fruit Loops
6-10 Frosted Flakes
11-20 Cheerios
21-30 Oatmeal
31-40 Granola
41-50 Granola Crunchy
51+ You are the crunchiest granola ever

HAPPY EARTH DAY EVERY ONE!!!
Post your results in the comments.

Jolly Grove Garden- Sod Removal

I must tell you! Things are happening at the Jolly Grove Community Garden. We knew going in that this garden had some remarkable connections as it is a collaboration of the Land Bank, South Lansing Community Development Association(SLCDA) and the Garden Project. Recently, we acquired yet another corporate association as Comcast has chosen the Jolly Grove Garden as a recipient for their Comcast Cares Day. This means that we will be holding a workday sponsored by Comcast where things are truly going to come together and make this plot of land into a garden.
In order for the site to be ready for the workday we had to lay out the plots and remove the sod. With the BEAUTIFUL weather the leadership of the garden decided to act fast while the ground was ready. Here is what got done on April 1st.
Here is the site first thing in the morning.

Some picked up trash.

Some picked up sticks.

While others measured out the plots.

Then with the land prepped, we used the sod cutter to remove the sod.

Here is the boy rolling the sod.

Mounds and mounds of sod. By 3:00 we were finished and all plots were defined and the sod was removed and rolled.

The crazy crew feeling victorious! 8D

It was a wonderful day, with much being accomplished.

Now, we are looking forward to April 24th; the Comcast Cares Day. Where we will install the fence posts, fence, build a shed and benches, put up the sign and perhaps even plant some flowers. Woohoo!

I Am Carrying On a Great Project and I Can Not Come Down!

One day last summer a couple of girls rode their bikes past our home. They stopped to chat with us.
The next day they came back. An hour later we had 10 kids in our back yard.
The next day we had 12. Upon finding out that we homeschool some asked if I would teach them during the Summer. I agreed.
Nearly everyday for the remainder of the Summer I had kids coming over. Most would do some sort of school. Some wanted to do Spelling, while others wanted challenges in Math. Others wanted to play basketball or skate. What they really wanted? Someone who cared about them. A safe place to play without worry. A snack and a friend.
So our family became the caring face and listening ear. Our home and yard became the safe place; we played basketball, let them ride our skates and our bikes. We would dish out snacks and we definitely made friends.
One girl in particular would stop by nearly every day. Before long I noticed a spark about her. I knew she had faith. One day the Holy Spirit nudged me to ask her what she prayed for. So I did. I will always remember her answer.
"I pray that my friends and I will be safe!"
I knew God had called me to open my home to these kids and I now I knew why. Our home, our family was a direct answer to her prayers.
Fall came. Kids went back to school. Temperatures dropped and the kids came around less and less.
All except Taylor!

She would come over every now and then. We had tea parties, played school and board games. Before long she was joining us on trips to the YMCA. So we helped her get a scholarship so that she could come with us every time. Eventually pretty much everywhere we went Taylor came too. And then Chi.
Chi started coming over with Taylor and we loved on her as well. Sharing meals, conversations, games, trips to the Y; life.

They have joined us on skiing trips, trips to the animal farms, parks, the circus and the Youth Gardening Conference.

Here is a picture of Taylor getting over her fear of snakes at Nature Discoveries Go Wild weekend.

These girls have become more than my neighbors, they are my adopted daughters.

I am carrying on a great project and it is this; TO LOVE MY FAMILY AND TRAIN THEM UP TO BE FULLY FUNCTIONING CITIZENS! AND TO LOVE MY NEIGHBORS! FEEDING THEM, LOVING THEM, TEACHING THEM, NURTURING THEM AND ACCEPTING THEM AS THEY ARE AS IF THEY WERE MY OWN.
I am carrying on a great project and I can not come down!
My desire for this year is to involve my new family in something productive and rewarding. So we will be starting a youth community garden a couple of blocks away from my house. Together we will dig up the earth, plant seeds, weed and water. We will see the fruits of our labor. I will pour into them in every way possible. I hope to teach them more than how a plant grows. I hope to show them how they too can grow into productive people. I hope to show them that they will be known by their actions as either good fruit or bad, the choice is theirs. I hope to see them succeed both in gardening and in life. The teacher in me hopes they will learn great things. The mother in me hopes they will know they are loved. The neighbor in me hopes we can be a positive light to our community.

Today in church I learned that Nehemiah was in the midst of rebuilding the wall, doing a great work that God called him to do, while others tried to call him away from the work. His response every time was, "I am carrying on a great project and cannot go(come) down." He kept to the work God called him to do and did not let the opposition steer him away.

I take from that this; I will not be called away from my calling to care for these kids. Be it two or twenty. Even when I get crazy looks and glances when I arrive somewhere with my "Gaggle of children." Even when I struggle to transport them to the various things we may do. Even when life happens and they go through hard times, especially then. Even when my garage door gets beat up from skates banging into it. Even when the pantry is thin. Even if our vegetables refuse to grow or the labor is hard.
Even then... I am carrying on a great project and I can not come down!

Our Intro to Community Gardens

As a child I hated vegetables. I know hate is a strong word but when it came to vegetables it adequately communicated how I felt about them. With the exception of carrots, corn and ketchup I fought every bite my parents forced me to take.
As an adult I was a vegetarian for 2 years; exploring all types and varieties of vegetables. Slowly over time I learned to love them. Even my childhood nemesis, green beans!
At this stage in my life it appears I am entering yet a new level with the green earth and that which it produces. I, my friends, will be involved this year in a community garden.
Last month I got word of a meeting for those interested in starting a community garden on the Southside. After seeing the Hunter Park garden and all the positive stuff happening on that side of town, I was definitely interested so I attended.
I was encourage, inspired and über excited!
I began seeing this as a way for my neighborhood kids to get outdoors. Learn about nature. Take pride in growing their own food. Having a safe place to hang out and do something productive. I began to dream.
The kids and I attended the Youth Gardening Conference where we gained an immense amount of information. Two of my adopted neighborhood kids came along too. We were all hooked and definitely wanted to do this community garden thing ourselves.

Tomorrow is another planning meeting for the Southside community garden which will be located at the corner of Jolly and Pleasent Grove across from the firestation. If you find yourselves in this area and our interested in joining our efforts and vision casting yourself, JOIN US! Let's make a positive change in our neighborhoods.

Community Garden Interest Meeting Saturday, March 6, 1-2:30 p.m., Lansing Fire Dept. Station #6 Community Room (5135 Pleasant Grove Road)

For those in the greater Lansing area, call the Garden Project to find a garden near you. Literally 20-40 gardens are in the works in and around Lansing. Chances are there is one near you!
To contact the Garden Project you can email gardenproject@ingham.org or call anytime! (517) 887-4660

How about you? Are you involved in home or community gardens? I would love to hear what you are doing.

Keepers of the Pond

While Grandma and Grandpa were away on vacation the kids and I had the responsibility of taking care of their pond. My mom has a beautifully landscaped yard that is home to fish, frogs, a turtle and many, many birds. Each day we came over to bring in the mail, feed the fish, care for the garden and fill the bird feeders. There is a lot of love and care that goes into this yard. Here are some snap shots of this morning, our last day as keepers of the pond.

They Have Arrived

Recall the Unit Study that we began back in January? At the time we thought it may take 3-4 weeks from our ants to arrive, perhaps longer if weather was extreme. Then the weather got extreme and the wait continued. Over the weekend I noticed that the shipping fee was finally cashed, meaning they should be on their way. Yesterday afternoon, they arrived. Active and alert. With warnings on the tube and paper:Ants will sting! Do not handle! Adult supervision required.

So we transferred them to their new home. One escaped, DS freaked out. "Get it Mom, get it. I don't want to be stinged." (Insert hero music) I got the ant handler stick and to my delight, she cooperated and in no time was back in the enclosure. With all ants in, we made sure it was sealed tight! We watched them scurrying about until it was time to go. When we returned a few hours later they were actively making their tunnel. We watched in fascination as they clip off pieces bigger than their heads and carry them up and out of the tunnel to the top layer. Cool stuff, I tell ya.


More exciting news on the science front. The seeds planted last week have started to sprout. There little corn poked through the dirt. Making for one happy boy. He was just beginning to get discouraged. Perhaps we need to reread The Carrot Seed.

Here's our three little sprouts. We are still awaiting appearances from th pumpkin and the melon.

Thanks for letting me share our science adventures.