A Time to Cocoon

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A Time to Cocoon

One of the things I adore about meditation retreats are the blunt conversations one has with strangers. For a stint of a weekend/five days/two weeks a group of strangers are thrown together without any historical baggage or expectations of future interactions. It lends itself to very honest conversations.

Like the one I had at the end of our stint in India for the 10,000 Course for World Peace. We were checking in to the hotel in anticipation for our 4 am departure the next morning back our own beds.

“Are you insane? Why did you bring your kids?” Identical badges hung around our necks.

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Cheers to a Full Freezer of Banana Bread

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Cheers to a Full Freezer of Banana Bread

It has been many many moons since I posted a recipe.* However, times change.

The juggle of the school bus, after school activities, and my inner push to not feed by children denatured oatmeal in the form of cereal for breakfast or cheesy bread/pasta every night means that I have had to focus time and energy on weekend feasts that turn into leftovers (frozen or otherwise) during the week.**

One of my favorite breakfasts, snacks, and or desserts is banana bread. It took me a while to land on a recipe that is both sugar free and gluten free - but this one really works.

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Sleeping Nestled In Prayers

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Sleeping Nestled In Prayers

One of the fun things about being an adult - I am “allowed” to write on my bedroom walls. Wall decor is entirely my choice. And any costs associated with repair, repainting, etc are for me to bear.

Last fall I was repeating to myself over and over certain prayers from Rob Wergin. So much so, I decided to record then on my bedroom walls.

The aim was to have a constant drip of attention/awareness on those thoughts.

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Letter to my children: Hay jumping

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Letter to my children: Hay jumping

Dearest Beloveds,

Recently Dragon and I were driving along some country road and admiring a surfeit of round hay bales. Many acres of fields were shorn yet all of the bales were concentrated on one field.

“Momma! Look how close those hay bales are! If they were closer I could jump between them.”

“Yes, you certainly could, that is very true. Would you take a running leap or try to bounce like a bunny?”

“Bounce like a bunny.”

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Thoughts on the Ego, Time, and Global North conditioning

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Thoughts on the Ego, Time, and Global North conditioning

In my experience of yoga retreats, meditation retreats, whoo whoo doings (as my mother would say) - they are great on experiences and terrible when it comes to starting on time, ending on time, sticking to a schedule.

I felt myself very confronted by this fact recently and I spent some time sitting with it.

Then I realized - of course meditators are terrible at time - time only exists in the world of the ego.

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Homeschool Learnings: Waiting for your Brain to Grow

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Homeschool Learnings: Waiting for your Brain to Grow

Dearest Dragon, you and I are now fully ensconced in the first grade curricula. And, just like your sister, we are having conversations like this.

“This is too hard!”

“I know my love, but they only way to get better at this is to practice, just four more words then we can run around the house for five minutes before math.”

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Letter to my children: Motivation, Rewards, why Zingermans (Visioning) Rocks

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Letter to my children: Motivation, Rewards, why Zingermans (Visioning) Rocks

Dearest Beloveds,

I recently ran across an interview with Dr. Tony Nader and Daniel Pink about motivations and rewards. Your Momma was cringing as I listened to their discussion because it dawned on me that all day long I am offering you contingent rewards. As Pink calls them, an “if then” reward.

“If you don’t eat your breakfast we can’t go to camp.”

“If you don’t set the table, I will dock you one strike. As you know, after three strikes you won’t get your allowance.”

“If you don’t do you math lesson, we can’t read stories.”

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Letter to my children: The Teachings of the School Bus

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Letter to my children: The Teachings of the School Bus

Dearest Beloveds,

The school bus - both incredibly useful and also a huge teaching tool. Who knew?

When we have time, it is joy to meander down the road, looking at the autumn olives and the late blooming iris (poor thing, right before the frost hits). We hold hands. I sing Waltzing Matilda…

“Down came the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred. Up came the trouperrrrsssss!” I hold the note and look over at the two of you, - perhaps I give your hands a squeeze.

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A Dieu Mordechai - Go Play with Bonaparte

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A Dieu Mordechai - Go Play with Bonaparte

8 months into our marriage, Bonaparte and Mordechai joined the family. I had grown up with cats, my partner with dogs - so the compromise was one of each.

We chose Bonaparte first, a puppy the size of a full grown cat. I walked him through the cat cages of the ASPCA to see if he would bark at cats - nope. Then we saw Mordechai, asleep in his cage, regal even as a kitten - self-composed and strong.

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Homesteading Middles: All Hail Green Goats!

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Homesteading Middles: All Hail Green Goats!

Two years ago we cut down trees to have a view of the Hudson Valley for our Tentrr site. As I mentioned recently, nature is all about growth.

Faced with a steep rocky hill we called in the local goat grazing team - not realizing that they are the goat grazing team for the entire East Coast. Green Goats Rhinebeck is family operation that has been doing good work for 17 years.

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Letter to Bean: The Self-Driven Child and Homework

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Letter to Bean: The Self-Driven Child and Homework

Dearest Bean,

As the life popsicle of Meme’s brain slowly melts - certain calcified memories persevere. They form the popsicle stick in this metaphor.

One of Meme’s popsicle stick memories is about not being offered the choice to become a serious pianist. Apparently, Meme’s parents were told that Meme had sufficient innate piano ability to become a virtuoso if given the proper instruction. Meme’s parents declined, deciding they wanted her to have a “normal childhood” (whatever the hell that means). Meme did not know this opportunity existed until many many years later.

Even now, she can no longer remember the name of her sister, where she was born, what day it is, but the piano memory? Sharp and intact. “Corinna, I could have been a concert pianist! I would have loved that!! I could have been so good. I love music!”

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Homesteading Middles: Juicing Apples

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Homesteading Middles: Juicing Apples

“It’s crazy! They take out the pits! They take out the seeds! It is delicious! It is so good!” Dragon sipped fresh juice as the machine whirred on its next batch.

“Tell me why you like making apple juice.”

“It’s fun watching.” Dragon put down his glass and stood on a stool assuming his observing stance - hands on knees, all the better to peer into the moving parts of the juicing machine.

“Because it is fun looking at this.” Bean pointed to the extruding pulp/skin/seeds from the rotating arm. She pushed the plunger down. “I like doing this.”

“I like the watching the stuff - the detritus coming out.”

English Major Momma point!

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