Cat Nips

Satch planted the fresh basil after we made some tomato risotto (an idea borrowed from his Grandmother S). I had visions of having fresh basil whenever we wanted it, but Elvis (our cat) ate it...he ATE the basil!

We are enjoying a new shadow casting book in our bedtime book basket! It makes bedtime an exciting event. Satch is fascinated to learn that some animals only come out at night.

Nocturnal animals have become a new topic of conversation for Satch at bedtime as well as other non-sequitur notions...

"I don't have a blow hole, mama, I have a nose"!

Have a good weekend!

*Word from the Oz is that my tag cloud will no longer work until Blogger does something. In the meantime, I tried to make an index with links. However, it does not bring up all the posts in each chapter.

Another Natural Remedy for Cabin Fever

It's either been too cold or too wet to play outside, so besides baking brownies we had to come up with some other ideas to stave off cabin fever.

I went to a local craft store and bought a simple shadow box, then filled it with natural aquarium gravel for an indoor mini-quarry. The gravel is free of heavy metals and is non-toxic.

What Can You Do?

It's raining and it's cold and I found some terrific remedies for cabin fever!

What can you do with a paper bag?
C'mon over to our nest and we'll show ya!

Satch practices cutting with his safety scissors and exclaims, "YOOK mama, I made a costume"!



And another amazing coloring/activity book by Taro Gomi!
(Way too cool for words)


Tell me....what can you do?

Most Alive Monday: Under Water Edition

At least twice a day Satch stands on a stool at the sink and plays with his sea animals so we thought we would indulge his current interest and take him back to the aquarium. I called ahead to get the skinny on feeding times of the animals so we could make the most of it.

He watched the giant rays being fed and the diver came up to the window and waved at Satch (which freaked him out). The diver lured the huge ray right up to the glass so Satch could see it's mouth as it ate a squid. A large zebra shark then stole the meal bucket away from the diver. Satch insisted that the shark in this photo was "Bruce" from Finding Nemo. With that in mind, we looked for the pacific reef tank where Satch met "Nemo", "Marlin" AND "Dori". (all the children were squealing over these fish).












We then went to the touch tank where Satch touched a horseshoe crab and a slimy whelk. Seeing the whelk egg cases on the table beside the tank brought back fond memories of Fire Island (a barrier island across the bay from my childhood home) He brought out a zebra shark egg case for Satch to see as well as skate egg cases which again flooded my mind full of memories.

We watched some dolphins play ball and then we went to Chipotle where Satch scarfed down a vegetarian burrito bowl and sipped lemonade while playing with some new sea life toys that dada purchased at the gift shop. The new editions to his family are a walrus, a leopard seal, a crab, a squid, and a new whale (that he did not have), but we still need to find a hammerhead shark.

In other news - my tag cloud "Life in Chapters" is now missing from my blog. The original Java script that I added is still intact in the template, but the cloud has vanished. I read that the problem is on blogger's end. So until they fix it, you can't search by subject (sigh). If there are any Java-geniuses out there who could give me a hand, I would greatly appreciate it.

*About Most Alive Monday: I've decided to make at least one "most alive choice" each day and post my favorite each Monday. This, of course, is to motivate me to consciously "live juicy"! I hope you'll join me and share your "most alive moment" in the comments section so we may inspire each other.

Interview With a Ladybug

"What are you going to buy at the market, Satch"?

"Goo-goo-gots...ga-bay-rayz...boo-bay-rayz...and bagoes"!

(apricots, strawberries, blue berries and bagels)
Have a good weekend everyone!

Blueberry Tongue

...and he has this habit of wiping his mouth on the sofa.



This sure does come in handy! I think it may become my new bible.

Most Alive Monday: Out of Sorts

First the good news. While eating breakfast, I remembered reading about Firefox mishaps and thought, "I must have exported a copy of my files at some point"...because I'm a little neurotic that way.

I knew that Firefox keeps a back-up profile, but mine was empty and I read that you have to act quickly to restore your original profile before Mozilla refreshes. I didn't notice that my Mac had completely reconfigured itself to its original state...from 2002...until the following morning. Even the time was reverted to military time. Applications were absent from the dock and some were completely missing from the apps folder.

I ran a search and went back to playing with Satch and when Satch and I went back up to the studio, there was a little folder named bookmarks on my desk top....and inside was a copy of my link log. I think it's almost everything.

I want to thank everyone for their support, encouraging words, and sharing their linky loves.

My photos are still a big mess on my LaCie. Imagine if someone took everything you owned and threw it altogether in 5 big piles organized only by year....THAT is what happened to my photos. Thousands of them that were meticulously organized so that I could find each and every one quickly. I have no idea how long it will take me to fix that mess. One day at a time.

My most alive moment was watching Satch play in a cardboard box in the studio.

I'm going to try to stop thinking about my computer woes and instead think about MLK.  My husband (a former history teacher) will be explaining to Satch (in simple terms) why we honor MLK and will be reading a snippet of his speech.

"At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love. A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom. " - Martin Luther King Jr.


*About Most Alive Monday: I've decided to make at least one "most alive choice" each day and post my favorite each Monday. This, of course, is to motivate me to consciously "live juicy"! I hope you'll join me and share your "most alive moment" in the comments section so we may inspire each other.

Illuminating Fog

"Derive happiness in oneself from the illuminating fog that surrounds us" - Henri Mattise


Last night while working with a mac genius on a backup of my system, my computer went wonky and I lost, among other things, firefox. I had to reinstall it and in the process have lost ALL my bookmarks.


Hundreds of contacts/links...the best places to buy my supplies, educational links that I've been storing for Satch, as well as the links to all your blogs which I may never find again because I can't remember the addy's to all of them.

It has taken me years to build a system of files that were an invaluable source of information and now it's gone...information that has helped me help others. I feel as though I've just received a lobotomy...I feel empty and not in a good way.

My precious photos survived the back up and are on my LaCie, but the intricate filing system that I created that enabled me to find any one of my (over 7,000) photos is gone. The titles of photos are also gone and have reverted to the camera's original file name. So I have to find a way to create a new filing system. And I can't imagine how long it will take me to rebuild a system that took me 5 years to build....when the only free time I have is when my son is napping. This all happened at a time when I was ramping up to re-build my art business which has dwindled a tad since the birth of my boy because of lack of time.

That said, if any of you have links to share, please post them in this comment section. My interests are homeschool /educational links where I can find information on subjects in science, math, art etc. (So to be able to answer Satchel's questions correctly)

• links to your blogs and your faves, particularly crafty, artsy, momma blogs
• vegetarian links
• art/design links/crafty links
• green links
• and anything else that you feel might be of interest to me

I will be most grateful and try to rebuild . In the meantime, I will try to keep up my diary here on Mother Rising, but posting may be limited while I try to recover a wealth of information. Mom to Mom interviews are booked until October and are already cued up to post so they will still be on schedule. Our seasonal reading list will be posted on schedule (on or before the first day of the season). As for "Most Alive Monday", I can't promise anything today as my mind is in a complete fog. Thank you for understanding.

The Great Clothespin Launch of 2008

Another one of Satchel's successful experiments...



(He will no longer sit in his high chair, but has found another use for it)
Have a good weekend everyone!

BAWLS!

And inspired by Katurah....I made some felted wool snowballs for satch because we haven't had much snow.

He loves his bawls (and they jingle when you shake 'em)!

Litter

I received this book for my birthday and now I'm addicted to making these pups. The litter is growing.....

Most Alive Monday: Rolling Down the Hill

An unseasonably warm day...riding, running, and rolling....there was much laughter and perhaps equal parts mud.

Lets Talk About Stuff, Baby!

Now that the holidays are over...can we talk about stuff?

The word consumer has always made me cringe...and with good reason. By definition it means to devour, destroy, use up, expend, waste! I don't want to be a consumer. I would rather be a conserver.

When my printer died in December of 2006, I called Epson and they offered me a "great deal" on a new one which I took because I was desperate, but it disturbed me. I called them back and gave them a piece of my mind about the wastefulness of it all and you know what? They sent me a shipping label, fixed my old printer and returned it looking and working mighty spiffy AND threw in a bag of new inks too...AND it was all done for FREE!

Until recently, I've been using the same corded phone for so long that I can't even tell you when it was purchased. It was only last week that I gave it away on freecycle because I received a used cordless phone from freecycle. As the mom of a toddler, I felt it was time to get a cordless so that receiving a call would not interrupt our play and I could put it on speaker-phone so Satch could be a part of the conversation. The phone looks like new, and works GREAT...even outside and on the third floor...AND it was free!

So why aren't more people buying refurbs, or used or freecycling? Call me crazy, but I'm guessing that if more people bought used goods or refurbished goods then the manufacturers would stop making junk that breaks. Hmmm! My friends can tell you that back in the 90's I was running my mouth off about what I called "forced obsolescence", but the actual terminology is....

Visit Story of Stuff Site for the entire scoop...there you will find the full length movie to watch or download for free as well as posters etc to help spread the truth!

Conserve or Consume....you have a choice!

Humpty Who?

Here's a fun book for the mamas and papas who can't remember more than two lines of "Hickory Dickory Dock". "Humpty Who?" is a book/cd combo...a crash course in Mother Goose for parents with some fun facts thrown in to boot.

The music by "Hell's Kitchen Moms and Babes Ensemble" is terrific!

Of course, there are some nursery rhymes that I care not to remember like "The Woman Who Lived in a Shoe"...sounds like child abuse. I think, "The Little Girl with a Curl" is degrading, and "Three Blind Mice"is violent.

In our gentile, little vegetarian nest, this little piggy eats roasted BEETS! What does your piggy eat?

I think we still have a buzz from all the holiday giving. I've been cleaning out closets, as I do every January, and giving away some of our un-needed stuff on freecycle. Satch enjoyed helping me and I explained that we don't like to keep more stuff than we need so we give things to people who need them.

Satch has now come up with his own celebratory phrase that covers all bases... "birthday-holiday", he shouts joyfully...the happy is a given!

On that note...I would like to give a copy of "Humpty Who?" to the first person who can tell me WHEN we go around the mulberry bush?

Most Alive Monday: Holiday Replay

Satch mentioned a red rocket ship a few days 'fore Xmas and luckily Santa came through. We loathe plastic character toys, but sometimes one must bend the rules a bit. It was worth it to see the joy on his face. (By the way, the toy is WAY too loud!)

*About Most Alive Monday: I've decided to make at least one "most alive choice" each day and post my favorite each Monday. This, of course, is to motivate me to consciously "live juicy"! I hope you'll join me and share your "most alive moment" in the comments section so we may inspire each other.

You may also post photos of your "most alive moments" in my most alive flickr pool! (If you post a photo in pool, be sure to include your link in the comment)

Mom to Mom: Shana

Happy New Year, everyone! Lets bring in the new year with a new voice...meet Shana!


Mom: Shana
Of: Julian (11), Maia (2)
Where: Wisconsin
Blog: Monpon

1. In what ways has becoming a mother changed you?

First it completely deconstructed me, then it gave me a sense of hope and renewal. It was shocking how vulnerable I felt when my son was born, and I wasn'’t so sure I liked that feeling! I really had to recreate myself as the kind of mother I wanted to be, which took tons of effort at the get go. The biggest hurdle was the aftershocks of surviving my own family of origin, of which any sense of predictability and security was devastated by mental illness. I had recently lost my younger brother to suicide and was in many ways was still grieving. Suddenly I found myself a mother to a boy, a son, of whom I wanted to keep safe and be healthy and to nurture but I had no idea how to really do that. Now, eleven years later, I am a wholer person, less full of fears and anxieties about raising a child and more trusting in myself, my extended family and friends, and the world.

2. What is one tip you would like to share about mothering?

Be present. Be patient with your child and trust that they will be just who they need to be. In my experience, the past has a lot to do with how one parents. Being aware of your own fears, anxieties and early childhood experiences can help you to empathize with your child as well as gain insight into your own actions and reactions in stressful situations.

3. What is your creative outlet/medium?

Currently I am very excited about Book Arts. I like the fact that Artists Books can be anything from a collection of transferred images, drawings or photographs to multimedia, 3-d constructions.

Any art form can be included, and I like the idea of using traditional paper making and bookbinding techniques, which are done by hand, in conjunction with design software like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. I also am a bibliophile and someone who loves to write, so it appeals to me on lots of levels.

4. How do you find time for creativity?

I work to a deadline; just clear the deck and focus on what must be done next. My husband is a lot like me so we understand each other’s need to shift gears and responsibilities in order to get the job done and move on. He just started practicing Neurology this past July and we are still figuring out how to cope with the intensity of his “on call” schedule, which means I am primary parent during the week and do a lot of my work late at night, early in the morning or on the weekends when he is home. I also decided to go back to school a few years ago to work on an art degree, so I always have a few hours a week blocked off for studio classes, which is a life saver on some days!

5. Why do you blog/journal?

My BA is in English Lit and writing and I just love both of them. I used to do “The Artist’s Way” morning pages (Journaling) and it helped me sort out my thoughts, emotions, fears, longings, etc. It is great tool to use when feeling stuck. I also love to read personal accounts (autobiographies or creative nonfiction) of women’s experiences either growing up or having to do with mental health issues or parenting because they reassure me that I am not alone. Sadly, parenting young children can be a very isolating experience, even when you have friends with small kids, because of nap schedules, work hours, siblings or other responsibilities. There are days when it is just you and your kid for hours upon hour upon hour! Blogging provides a creative outlet as well as a connection to other parents which can be accessed any time of the day or night, and most happily during naps!

6. Which blogs do you frequent?

I think there is so much variety out there in the blogging world. Mom blogs, dad blogs, infertility blogs, blogs about the loss of a child, or adopted children, arty blogs, expectant parent blogs, moms of twins, etc., and they are all interesting to read. I am fascinated by all aspects of parenthood and mothering, and though situations may differ, there is always something that makes me think about things from a different perspective. The ones I most enjoy are the bloggers that use space in a visually interesting way, using photos, drawings, collage or craft and have honest and thoughtful stories to tell about their lives.

7. Who are some bloggers that you would like to meet?

• The author of Gilhooly, who I have met briefly, is the one who got me blogging in the first place. A friend sent me a link to her blog back when she was still expecting her son, Z. I was hooked immediately and I though... I must do this too!
• I’'d love to live next door to the author of Lucky Beans (But then I’d have to move to Malawi... which is a place my husband would like to return to someday : Muli Bwanji Lucky Beans!)
• or the oh so crafty author of While She Naps
• the wildly creative author of “My Topography”
• Jocelyn of “Jocelyn’'s Stories”
• and “Hula Seventy,” just because they have outrageous adventures in a photo booth! A thank you to Wendy for being organized and passionate enough toinclude the Mom to Mom section in her own meditative and thoughtful blog (withgreat pictures mind you)!