Down Memory Lane--Friends

Jazzie's best friend ever, Mara lived in Ajo and moved away a couple of years ago. Here's some picture of the girls. I wish I had more.

Their very own street side sale. They had so much fun creating it and hawking to passerbys that they were completely amazed when someone stopped and bought something from them.

Climbing trees

Dancing folklorico

Her other Ajo buddies, Eddie and Willie, became even more important to her after Mara moved away. These boys were unschooled for the year I was here but have since moved away to go to a "good" public school. They were our only unschooling friends locally. Jazzie was friends with both boys, but Willie was very special to her--she planned to marry him.

Jazzie with Willie and Eddie at their house. She always adored going to their house.

Jazzie and Eddie at our house creating with clay. Of course they adored coming to our house.

Jazz and Eddie carving an ice block to find the animals inside. Fun for our triple digit weather.

Jazzie and Willie

Playing dress up.

Jazz adoring Willie


At the beach

Again

Sword fighting

They found a dead bird and decided to bury it.

......and decorate the grave in tribute to the bird

Angie bought the house across the street from us and fixed it up to sell. She's fun and high energy and adores kids and dogs and they adore her back. Jazzie spent hours over at Angie's helping her and chatting at her while Angie fixed up the house or playing with the dogs. What a great role model to watch a woman jump in and remodel a house. Angie is very handy and also taught yoga. So Jazz learned some yoga moves too. Jazzie missed her terribly when she moved.

Angie and Jazz and the dogs

Artist Trading Card Party!!!

I've been a little immersed in Sufi poetry as part of my new project and today this one was with me.

Act as if there were no one on earth but you and no one in Heaven but
God.----al-Antaki

I had the most beautiful meditative workout this morning while Jazz was at swim team practice. I could feel that really all there is is me and God and I'm God, too, and everything is gloriously beautiful beyond description. I'm so thankful to have moment like these.

Our friend Jewel comes over on Tuesdays for dinner etc. Today I called and asked if she would like to join us in making ATC's, one of our current passions. (I found another fabulous link on making them and examples of differnt styles) We also invited another friend, Mari. Both Mari and Jewel are artists living at the Curley School, a historic school renovated into live/work lofts for artists just one block from our home.

We spent a good part of the day cleaning and organizing and getting ready for the party while listening to The Wizard of EarthSea. Jazz is still busy writing in her special notebook and made cute little cards for the table.

Our guests arrived and oohed and aahed over our chicken eggs. Bess has laid a cute little green egg three days in a row, and Guieniverre has laid one cute little pink egg yesterday.

We had a lovely dinner and then pulled back the pretty table cloth to the plastic paint-stained one underneath and got to work.

Mari and Jazz busy creating

Just as I was finishing the card I was making, Grandma came home and took my spot at the table and got to work too while I put another batch of pesto (the 4th in 3 days) into ice cube trays to freeze.

Here are some results of this evening's fun.

My ATC. I painted the background yesterday and today I tissue paper collaged the rest.

Some of Jazz's beautiful ATC's....

....and more....

...and another. Aren't the wonderful!! This is a medium in which she shines. Yeah!


My mom really got into doing this card. Isn't it lovely?

This is one of Mari's cards. It's superb!! We found out she has been keeping a collaged journal for many years and I shamelessly invited myself over to see it.

Goodbyes were said and our guests left only to find this guest on the front walk.

Later this evening I got on the computer to post, but somehow found myself at The Sparkling Martins which is just perfect for me right now. All is perfect. Dayna is so upbeat and optimist and is manifesting the life of her dreams and helping her children do the same. I've been on the Law of Attraction path for a least as long as her but I'm still stuck in "They are so lucky to have wonderful lives, I wish I could but...." Well I can have the life of my dreams and help Jazz have hers too. Amen.

I'm starting a new project!!!!

My next project in Freedom 101 is to do an art series with dragonflies and Persian poetry (e.g. Rumi, Hafiz). Actually I may do other things beside dragonflies, I'll see how it goes. I've been wanting for a long time to do a series of watercolors with Rumi and Hafiz poems, but I never have started. Today I did it. They are ATCs (Artist Trading Cards)and this small size is fun to start with although I can only fit short poems onto them. I plan to start The Artist's Way again and do at least one small art piece every day this month. Yeah!!!

Here's my dragonfly

I did a couple of other ATC's with watercolor and I didn't really like them. They are starting to grow on me a bit so I'll post them, too.

I don't think I've posted about Freedom 101 yet. In March 2009, I went to the HENA conference, my first and only homeschool conference and I heard Grace Llewellyn speak on Freedom 101, a curriculum for parents to prepare them to give their children more freedom. The basis of the curriculum is to do 4-6 projects in the year and to watch yourself in the process, being a good observer of your own style, quirks, hang-ups etc. While I'm not really doing the Freedom 101 curriculum, I'm thinking in terms of doing projects. The first was putting in gardens and fruit trees at my mom's which was already in process at the time of the conference. The next was to start this blog and now the Art series and I haven't decided on the next one.

This afternoon Jasmine came home from summer camp and immediately started working on copying poems and song lyrics into her notebook. She asked me to read Mind of a Raven to her while she worked. Then we had a lovely cuddly, tickly time together. Eventually we got up to do our housework while listening to The Wizard of Earthsea on CD.

In honor of starting my dragonfly series, I'm posting a wonderful story.

----------The Waterbug Story-----------------

Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of waterbugs. They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun. For many months they were very busy, scurrying over the soft mud onthe bottom of the pond. They did notice that every once in a while one of their colony seemed to lose interest in going about with its friends. Clinging to the stem of a pond lily, it gradually moved out of sight and was seen no more.

"Look!" said one of the water bugs to another, "One of our colony is climbing up the lily stalk. Where do you think she's going?" Up, up, up it slowly went... Even as they watched, the water bug disappeared from sight. Its friends waited and waited but it didn't return...

"That's funny!" said one water bug to another..." Wasn't she happy here?" asked a second..."Where do you suppose she went?" wondered a third...No one had an answer. They were greatly puzzled. Finally one of the water bugs gathered its friends together. "I have an idea. The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to come back and tell us where he or she went and why." "We promise" they said solemnly.

One spring day not long after the very water bug who had suggested the plan found herself climbing up the lily stalk. Up, up, up she went. Before she knew what was happening, she had broken through the surface of the water and fallen into the broad and free lily pad above. When she awoke, she looked about with surprise. She couldn't believe what she saw. A startling change had come over her old body. Her movement revealed four silver wings and a long tail. Even as she struggled, she felt an impulse to move her wings... The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from her new body. She moved her wings again and suddenly found herself above the water. She had become a dragonfly.

Swooping and dipping in great curves, she flew through the air. She felt exhilarated in the new atmosphere. By and by the new dragonfly landed happily on a lily pad to rest. Then it was that she chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond. Why, she was right above his old friends, the water bugs! There they were scurrying around, just as she had been doing some time before. Then the dragonfly remembered the promise. Without thinking, the dragonfly darted down. Suddenly she hit the surface of the water and bounced away. Now that she was a dragonfly, she could no longer go into the water..."I can't return!" she said in dismay. "At least I tried. But I can't keep my promise. Even if I could go back, not one of the water bugs would know me in my new body. I guess I'll just have to wait until they become dragonflies too. Then they'll understand what has happened to me, and where I went." And the dragonfly winged off happily into its wonderful new world of sun and air...

Saguaro fruit, miracles, and the history of art

The rain has dried up and it was time to harvest saguaro fruit again. We headed out to Alamo Canyon in Organ Pipe National Monument where there are huge stands of fairly short saguaros--all the better for picking.

Alamo Canyon, Organ Pipe National Monument

A beautiful red head

Loaded with fruit

We got home and found this; our first egg (on the right) from our girls. You go, girls!!

One of the local eggs we've been buying (left) and Bess, our Araucana's, first beauty (right)

I found Jazz playing my guitar a la August Rush

After we got the saguaro fruit into the dehydrator and everything cleaned up, Grandma decided she wanted to watch a movie, How Art Made the World: How Humans Made Art and Art Made Us Human. Jazz absolutely did not want to watch it, but before long she was deeply into it. In fact when Grandma went to take a nap, Jazz kept watching and didn't stop until I insisted that there would be another opportunity to finish this 290 min. movie. Learning just keeps happening.

Last week, one of the mom's from my homeschool group asked me if I stopped [homeschooling] for the summer. I replied that Jazz is learning all the time. Well lately she has been doing more schooly stuff. She went to public school, her choice, for about 4 months during the first grade school year. During this time she learned to read (she was well on her way anyway) but she has not been interested in doing much of it. This week she has been asking to read to me out of a 1950's Alice and Jerry reader given to her by a little old lady down the street. And even though she hasn't read much more than a few signs here and there, her reading has improved tremendously in last 5-6 months. The Alice and Jerry reader is easy for her now, which she loves because it allows her to read it dramatically instead of stiltingly.

She's also writing again--this time copying down song lyrics into a special notebook. A few months ago she was writing a novel and taking notes about chickens and horses from some books she got from the library. Since then, she hasn't written much, but like the reading her writing has improved. This is something I've noticed several times as she has been writing things for a long time but tends to go through phases. Each time a new phase starts her writing has improved. Practice makes perfect does not apply to developmental tasks like reading and writing. And in answer to the homeschooling mom's question, "Not only is she learning all the time, I couldn't stop it if I wanted." Well I suppose I could suppress her passion and joy in learning by imposing a curriculum on her. Thank goodness I'm on this path and thank you to all the books, blogs, and websites that have helped on the way. I have some posts linking to stuff that did help inspired that journey here and here and here.

This evening, I just barely got on the computer and before I knew it I was watching this. Oh my word how did I find this when I need to hear the message so badly right now. Oh thank Universe for your goodness. Amen.

Thinking about Science Education

I've been thinking of science education as I've been reading Mind of a Raven to Jazz, which also could have been called "mind of a scientist." I've realized I never did a lick of real science in school. (Well, OK, in high school my physics and chemistry teacher decided my friend Kris and I were far enough ahead of the class that we could be set free in the lab by ourselves and... we made a bong.) It was all memorization and canned experiments.

Just from having heard Mind of a Raven and not having done the canned science and having the time and space to explore her world, I think Jasmine at 7, is miles ahead (in science)of what I was at anytime during my school career.

I just ran into a paragraph from post an ephinany of the educational kind from Quotidian that brings to my random musings solidity and now I can post this.

Science increasingly found its way into the curriculum to replace the languages, but as many excellent thinkers had prophesied, science as a school subject can't fill a formative goal. No child knows enough math to do "real" science and so he ends up memorizing a bunch of second-hand information that he can never test for himself, and performing contrived demonstrations which are called experiments. Real science can only be evoked in the lower years through nature study and development of the habit of observation.

That's what was at the tip of my thoughts "real science can only be evoked in the lower years through nature study and the development of the habit of observation." Thanks Willa.

Happy Birthday, USA

In honor of the 4th of July, we have been reading Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull. We are both enjoying it and both learning a lot about some of our previous presidents.

Jazz decided to make figures for the building she created yesterday.

Our friend, Vivian, who moved to California is in town for the holiday. Vivian and my mom shared vacation pictures and Vivian recieved a tour of the new gardens. Jazzie performed the things she's been working on on the piano and a flamenco dance and Grandma, Vivian and Jazz were off to a 4th of July party leaving me to do my thing--working on the blog, reading ACIM, and playing the piano. Fun was had by all. .

Looking at vacation pictures

Jazz performing the flamenco for Vivian

Jazz and Grandma headed off for evening festivities together. It's rare but good for both of them to spend time together. I really don't enjoy the fireworks celebration and I got time to play music and play on the computer and even make pesto.

I'm still on strike from much food prep, but I did make a couple of batches of basil as we are taking out 3 large basil plants from the garden the chicken tractor is being moved to. The garden bed that the chicken move off of will be planted with a traditional monsoon garden. I was scooping pesto into ice cube tray as fireworks went off.

Oh my and these keep multiplying

Another Creative Day in the Life of Jazz

I'm still only wanting to meditate, read Course in Miracles, and finally let go of my negative thinking and I'm thankful that it's happening--almost in spite of me. I'm thankful for fresh whole foods to eat....and that I get to choose the thoughts I think....and for living with a piano....and getting the privilege of watching my daughter follow her own heart on a daily basis.

We had picked up this movie from the library and Jazz really wanted to watch it. We both enjoyed it and I ordered a couple more in the series, Moses and David. My Old Testament knowledge is pretty weak and what better way to spend the sizzling hot summer. So here's to learning the stories that have shaped nations. Jazz decided to make a little building while watching the movie perhaps inspired by architecture she was watching. She then added some furniture.

I just love how she comes up with her own ideas and goes with them. I feel priviledged to watch the process.

All is Perfect

All is Perfect (sung to the tune of Frere Jacques)

All is perfect, All is perfect,

When I see, When I see

With the eyes of God, With the eyes of God

Peace, Love, Joy; Peace, Love, Joy

From The Joyful Child: A Sourcebook of Activities and Ideas for Releasing Children's Natural Joy
by Peggy Davidson Jenkins

I am thankful for this little dittie (I've been singing it to myself a lot lately) and the book it came from. A complete gem of a book thought fairly unknown as I see it is now out of print.

...and rain, and air conditioning, and learning that I can change my life by changing my thoughts.

.....and I am thankful for our local library. The librarians are wonderful and support our local homeschooling community. I lost a book recently and these ladies told me I need not pay for it because I am such a heavy user. And I am a heavy user... usually with 40-50 items checked out at a time. I live in a small town but have access to the entire Tucson-Pima library system and use it. I almost always have books I've put holds on and I use the interlibrary loan system if I want to read a book the Pima County system does not own.

Well maybe thinking I'll participate in Thankful Anyway Thursdays created it's own fulfillment. Today I am hitting the wall of my own garbage. I don't want to cook, clean, do laundry or any other "productive" thing, actually this has been going on for 2-3 days. I just want to meditate but the "tyranny of the shoulds" is plaguing me. And I am so thankful because I can bring it all to God. I've been fighting this battle for my whole life--thinking I "should" be doing something other than what I am doing but now with enough Byron Katie, Course in Miracles etc I am ready to just let it go. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

The temperatures have soared to their normal levels in the triple digits and the humidity has gone up early. In celebration, I ordered Artic and Ananartic movies from the library: The March of the Penguins and Never Cry Wolf. The March of the Penguins already came in so here we are holed up in the air conditioning watching; Jazz making 4th of July decorations, me blogging.

And then....

Monsoon season is here!!!

Jazzie decides to go an a walk-about in the rain.

dancing...

...right into the water.

Ain't she cute!

The electricity went out and was out the rest of the night and of course it was just perfect.

The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil

This is a great movie and as of right now the whole thing is posted on You Tube.

Jun 30-Joy, Chocolate, and Saguaro Fruit

On Tuesdays, my mom's official hours at the clinic are from 10am-7pm so we were out saguaro fruit picking this morning until 9am. I came home and emptied and filled the dehydrator. Here's the haul so far not bad for a weekend.

Sun-dried saguaro fruit(left), a pile of saguaro fruit leather(right),

and dried tomatoes(behind).

Joyfully, Jazz and I organized and cleaned and played more 10 days in Europe. She is becoming somewhat competent on European geography already. Me I'm so tired of cooking and processing food (I've been putting up tomatoes, corn, and saguaro fruit) and cooking, or uncooking as it may be, two different meals all I wanted was a day of junk food. We went the store and bought chocolate, coffee ice cream, and Kettle chips and I didn't cook a thing. But I got some organizing done and stayed out of the hot kitchen. After more Mind of a Raven and cuddling and chatting with Jazz, I came to computer to blog but instead I went to Path to Freedom and explored. I've been meaning to check it out as I keep seeing it referenced. It' s the site of a family in Pasadena, Californina who are growing a huge amount of food on their small urban lot. They've been doing it quite a while and have inspired a lot of people. Here's a short documentary, Homegrown Revolution, about them.




While I was in this frame of mind, I checked to see if they had The Power of Community:How Cuba Survived Peak Oil on You Tube. They do, at least for now and I'm posting it here in it's own post. It's a very inspiring movie.