On Roots and Wings

"There are two things we should give our children:

one is roots and the other is wings."

Quotation attributed to Hodding Carter and Henry Ward Beecher

I began studying early childhood education and child psychology in 1996 after working as a toddler classroom teacher at a daycare center in Seattle for one year. One of the earliest concepts in education to catch my eye was a book on the desk of one of the graduate assistants who taught me, Roots & Wings: Affirming Culture in Early Childhood Programs by Stacy York.

If I have one goal in educating my children and all children, it is this: to help each individual feel strongly enough rooted in their love and family history that the world is seen through a lense of capability, possibility and love for all humanity. May it be so that I can achieve even a little bit of this goal in my own journey of living, loving, and teaching.

A few sunflowers, one little bug, and a moonflower.

Just a few pictures for this monday morning- and little to do/ to wish list for me:

• Finish September Toddler Curriculum for month one of "Fall Into Art"
• Plan menu for my birthday party next week.
• Resume Exercise routine for the week.
• Make the myriad of doctors appointments necessary for this family's health and well being.
• Make peace with what is realistic and necessary in the treatment of my mother in law's Alzheimer's disease. Phew. Thats a big one.
• Focus on how to be as loving and compassionate with myself and others as possible through this difficult time.
• And TRY to stay focused and organized on all the tasks ahead of me.

Blessed Be and Happy Monday!

Living and loving through the blur of days . . .

My days are really nothing but a blur right now, and I am not really sure what day it really is even! I am knee deep in the lessons of life that INSIST we live only in the present moment. Sometimes we meditate on that- living in the moment, and other times, we are not really given a choice.

There is beauty in this blur of days, even though it is difficult to see sometimes.

My mother in law is fine in this present moment, and currently staying in a nursing home while we observe and contemplate. My father's girlfriend is spending much of her time resting and recuperating from her chemotherapy. I'll see her Sunday. At home, we contemplate what is it we are able and willing to do when there is something to do, but for now, we must make peace with things as they are, not how we want them to be.

We make peace with this, and must always be grateful for the moments and places we have to relax, to sit back and just look at the world around us. I am thankful for this, for having a place to try and be at peace.

We learn from those in our lives who give us the lessons of bliss, and remind us that there is little more fun to be had than gazing at the world from a pedestrian overpass.

Sometimes we have to run and laugh and play and smile, no matter what is happening in our lives. I'll take this lesson and run with it tonight as I celebrate the birth of one of my dearest friends eating at a fabulous restaurant, drinking many drinks, laughing and reminiscing, and practicing as much merriment as I can muster up. I probably won't run, but I sure might dance.

And then- the sunflowers.

I've got the sunflowers for a few more weeks at least, and so do you I guess :)

Have a peaceful and present day!

Maybe a day late but never a vote short . . .

Forgive me if I am a little distracted these days, but I must admit I let the 89th anniversary of the 19th amendment pass me by yesterday.

89 years ago, ten years before my beautiful mother in law Saribenne was born, women were finally given the right to vote in the United States of America. This is a day we should not let pass us by unnoticed. When we remember and recognize day like yesterday, we have the opportunity to celebrate our rights, learn from our collective history, and pass that knowledge on to future generations. The passing of the 19th amendment was hard won and is evidence that committed individuals can bring about positive change in the world.

We can make the world a better place.

Election Day, November 2008.

Saribenne casts her vote for Barack Obama.

Less than a year ago, I took my beautiful mother in law to cast what was very likely her last vote for a president, and I know how deeply important this was for her. Saribenne is a woman of the first generation of women to grow up assuming the right to cast her vote in elections and whom embraces that vote with a love of politics she has carried the majority of her life. She was well aware of and experienced harshly the realities of discrimination against women growing up, but she took that and turned it into the life of a strong, independent and well informed woman.

So- happy 19th Amendment Day, if even a day late.

Don't forget to to tell your kids about it.

If you don't have kids, tell someone else's kids about it.

Heck, maybe make a cake but perhaps vote on the flavor first.

They rarely do . . .

I ended my last post with those words, wondering how my Saturday would go.

The short story is that my day did not go as planned, and the last few days have been spent in the hospital with my lovely mother in law. She has been diagnosed with pneumonia, and we are hoping for the best possible outcome, whatever that may be, whatever form that may take.

Today, my husband is spending as much time at the hospital as possible, and I am at home trying to concentrate on a work deadline. Trying without much success. There is an extra young person here today, and for that I am grateful. We all walked hand in hand through the garden, and the sunflowers were awe inspiring to this soon to be five year old.

And that work deadline? Creating a curriculum for a toddler fall art class. The theme? Sunflowers and Fall Fruits. At least I am in my element, but the concentration part alludes me.

I do have one part done, a song and fingerplay for toddlers about sunflowers:

Here's my little sunflower full of seeds,

some for the birds and some for me,

The flower grows old and the seeds fall down,

then they scatter on the ground.

I am may pull out a third verse about waiting through fall and winter for more, but this is good for now. They key for toddlers is short and sweet.

So, that is where I am at, what I am doing, and what I am thinking about. Saribenne and the Sunflowers.

Things sure do get interesting some times.

Today, my husband and son have gone to help my father's girlfriend,

a woman I love dearly, a woman who has loved my father in a way no one else can,

They have gone to help her move from her home into an apartment.

The apartment will likely be her dying place, and she is likely to die soon.

Today, a new sunflower bloomed in my garden.

Today, I am running later than expected because I stayed behind to make sure my mother in law,

a beautiful woman who is angry and fed up with not us, but with her disease, is okay.

I have stayed behind to ensure she takes her morning pills and eats something- anything.

I have stayed behind in the hopes that I can leave her for a few hours to rush to my dad's,

say hello and hopefully not goodbye, and then to rush home for lunch with Saribenne.

Today, I found this beautiful green life happily munching on a gorgeous red bloom.

Today, I finally took a picture of the thick,

sticky web that has adorned my dianthus flowers for weeks.

The web, so beautifully delicate and simultaneously strong,

casts an interesting look upon a beautiful set of blooms.

Today, I tried so hard to just listen and feel, and let others feel, as they walk the line

between life and death, between hope and acceptance.

Today, I will try and do that again in another setting, but I will try not to cry,

try not to place my burden on another.

I will do this so that what needs to be done simply gets done

with little fuss or mess.

Today, I found one sunflower just beginning to fade and wilt,

sporting holes from japanese beetles, drooping a little lower than yesterday,

dropping down enough to make room

for a newer, younger sunflower to rise and bloom.

Today, I notice that my garden could use a little rain.

Today, I am sad but hopeful,

a little scared of the days to come,

but trying with all my might to embrace it all.

It is all beautiful when we choose to see it. I really believe it.

I know that with a lot of love,

even more forgiveness, enough laughter,

a few flowers, and a lot of music,

I will get through every bit of it.

Every bit, and so will we all,

we just won't know what it looks like til we get there...

And you know what's funny?

Maybe today just won't go like I think it will after all.

It rarely does.

Besides, it is good to know that even Bob Dylan still has rough days sometimes.

Seven More For Sanity and Sadness' Sake

So, one isn't a sunflower, but it was a nice surprise. A pretty little butterfly (or maybe a moth) fluttering down to say hello and then running off just as quick.

I know I posted seven photos earlier today, but loved the darker contrast of this set. I love the orange and red hues that change everyday.

Taking these pictures and looking at them is my stress relief, and goodness knows I need it. I am so grateful for being able to replace my camera battery.

I am glad for the pictures, but most glad for the flowers. If I didn't have my garden, I am not sure what would keep me sane some days. These are so beautiful to me, Their bright and dark faces shining at the sun. I am excited to know that many more blooms are coming around the corner.

I don't even have the energy to type it or the inclination to wax on about it to the world, but my heart is heavy these days, making these gestures of beauty in my life all the more important. Some one I love dearly will be gone from my life soon, and that is just so . . . . . What can a person even say or do about that?

Blessed be to all of you, and please- tell the ones you love that you love them. In fact, don't just tell them- show them. Somehow, let them know.

(and I don't know why this formatting is so nuts but I give up!! It isn't stress relief when it is causing you blogging stress!)

Seven Sunflowers for a Satisfying Start to the Day (too bad it's not Saturday)

Sweet Relief. The sunflowers are blooming like mad, and I have my camera back. Rest assured there will be more sunflower pictures soon.

5 Things You Could Be Reading Instead of My Blog

I keep meaning to post something thoughtful here at Unmitigated Bliss, but somehow it keeps getting pushed aside.

I asked last October, What is it about Autumn that makes us think we can take on the world?

Well, this year I am keeping that thought in mind in August as I prepare for the upcoming months ahead. I am keeping it in mind yes, but that doesn't seem to be keeping me from committing myself to even more than last year! Wish me luck as I try my best to keep my head straight.

In the mean time, perhaps you might enjoy some of these links instead of a little bliss blogging action. I'll be back soon, and hopefully I'll have a new camera battery too. These sunflowers are passing me by!

1. Reviving the lost art of naming the world. This little commentary is close to my heart and a big part of my efforts at teaching kids about (and learning myself along the way) the natural world around them.
2. Working Without Specialists for Children. This Montessori article touches on my basic philosophy of education and helps teachers cope with funding cuts in the classroom. Even though I myself am a "teaching specialist," I really think we are pretty expendable. Learning together is about a fully integrated lifestyle, learning style, and teaching style.
3. The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee website. In September my fellowship will discuss how we as a congregation can take more direct and intentional action for Social Justice. For me, part of this will mean keeping up with the UUSC's current goals and missions.
4. Inner Light . . . Radiant Life. I linked to this blog last week, but my good friend Paul has been blogging lately about issues that are a big part of my life. I don't always make the time to comment to him how much I enjoy his blog, but I really do get a lot out of it. And to further stroke his ego- he is a damn good poet, and I love good poets.
5. Street Farmer. A New York Time's article on growing local food in the city. For me, this is just a feel good piece to read. I love hearing and learning from people who are working within the current system to change the current system. We really can make the world a better place.

And a bonus track for your edifying pleasure: FARM AID. The mission: The concert. I am really excited about checking out the musical stylings of Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, Wilco, and others all the while supporting a great cause.

And for me- It is a family reunion. New friends, old friends, family friends, my husband, my kids and best of all my mama will be coming along for the ride!

Blessed Be and have a wonderful day!

Dahlias will do the trick when in a picture taking pinch.

At the end of a busy, fun, slightly stressful at first, productive and beautiful day,

I am mourning the death of my camera battery, and waiting for a new one to arrive.

The flowers in my garden seem as beautiful as ever these days and sunflowers are bursting out all over the place.

It does occur to me however, that I have yet to share these beautiful dahlia photos taken in my friend's garden about a week ago. She called me on Friday to tell me about her huge beautiful pie pan sized Dahlia, and she knew I'd come right over with my camera.

In fact, I went twice that day.

Her garden has been both an inspiration to me and mine,

and the bearer of more than a few of my seedlings and bulbs.

I doubt I'll be getting any of her Dahlia bulbs though. One, she probably wouldn't give them up anyway, and two,

I don't think I'd have the patience for a flower so delicate for this climate

that it would need to be dug up and brought inside every winter.

But I sure am glad I get to take walks in her lovely garden every Friday afternoon

while she teaches my boy how to play me sweet music on the piano,

and teaches me how to make a garden beautiful.

A beautiful and blessed day indeed.

A Sunday Sunflower Garden Journal Post

A couple of days ago, my boys and I sat down at the table to make some sunflower art for the garden journal. I was happy that my 12 year old was ready and willing to join in the fun!

(as always, click to enlarge if the text is too small to read)