We're Home!

It's a beautiful Wednesday in Connecticut, but we can hardly move off the couches.  We got in after 1 a.m. from a glorious trip to Orlando's Universal Studio's Wizarding World of Harry Potter in celebration of the kiddos' 11th birthdays!

Vacations are hard work.

And blogging about it will take a long time.

But since it's finally summer, I have some time.

Summer Fun 2016

It's that time again:  our summer fun list for 2016!  Today was the last day of school and it definitely feels like summer, with both the heat and the exhausted grumpiness the kids get when they're together too much.

This year's list is shorter than years past, with hopes that we actually do most of it.  We already have concrete plans for several things.  It feels like a longer summer than usual, with no snow days tacked on and the first day back in September, not August.  I haven't counted weeks yet, though.

Let the fun begin!

1. Party/activity in honor of Aunt Sis
2. Go swimming at Y with friends
3. Inspirational Art Rock Drop (decorate rocks and leave them in public places)
4. Playgroup Open House idea
5. Meet friends at ice rink
6. Attend town festival in June/volunteer at historic house--DONE
7. Birthday trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando
8. Beach trip in city
9. Look for sea glass at beaches
10. Putt-putt golf
11. Create Minecraft server
12. Make ice cream
13. Have a lemonade stand (Bud asked to do it for Autism)
14. Play in sprinkler
15. Go to zoo
16. Biking
17. Celebrate 4th of July
18. Celebrate Solstice
19. Celebrate Mama's birthday
20. Birthday parties for kids
21. Decorate chalkboard for summer
22. Learn to cook weekly dinners
23. Make ice cube candles
24. Make soap
25. Learn an ASL sign a day
26. Create a Zentangle tile-a-day
27. Make friendship bread starter and share



Attend friends' Friday Night Dance Party
Start afternoon tea party tradition
Kite flying
Wash car
See Finding Dory
See Secret Life of Pets
See Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Harry Potter and the Curse Child book party
Set up tent in backyard
Zentangle classes with Sis and Bud helping

Beach Book

It's a week of early dismissals here, with school almost over.  I think we have a party every afternoon!

Yesterday, it was our Mother-Daughter Book Club meeting, which was held at a local beach.  And, yes, we did manage to discuss the book!  It was L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, which I had never read.  

And in truth, I didn't finish.  I started it late and the first several chapters were rather slow going.  It did pick up--with vignettes on Anne's life on PEI (Prince Edward Island.)  In fact, that vignette structure is very familiar from other "girl's" books such as the Little House series and even Little Women--the crisis at school, the crisis at the ball, the crisis at church, the crisis in the kitchen, etc etc etc.    Montgomery combines the lyrical and poetic imagination of her protagonist (the White Way of Delight, Dryad's Bubble, etc etc.) with a materialistic account of her surroundings--all those flowers, her "wincey" dress, various dress designs, the different types of tea sets, all the food (boiled pork and cabbage, raspberry cordial/currant wine) and richly drawn character studies.  I'm definitely enjoying it now and will finish it soon.

We did some activities, such as choose your own name like Anne wants to be called Cordelia.  I was "Meg" (from Little Women, also clearly feminine, which mine name isn't and it so bothered me as a child unable to find bookmarks or shoelaces or whatnot with my name and some pink, always rockets), Sis chose "Alex," and Bud was "Kevin."  (He was hanging around and so he got to choose a name, too.)  We designed the kind of dress Anne would like (with those puffed sleeves!) and tried to guess the nicknames she gave various land features.  And then the kids played a kind of red light/green light with one being Aunt Josephine.  

It wasn't PEI, but it was indeed a beautiful day at the beach.  The kids played in the shallows, finding hermit crabs and avoiding the razor-sharp clam shells.  I couldn't find any sea glass, just a bunch of rocks, no doubt from long-ago glaciers sweeping over the area and now coming down the rivers.  I also didn't find any arrowheads or the like (though I'm not sure I'd recognize stone tools on a beach) from the native inhabitants who used the site as fishing grounds, pre- and early-contact.  


I did find some nice stones and decided, last minute, to decorate one and leave it on the beach.  An Art Rock Drop . . . the kids and I have decided to leave several in various places this summer.  My first one, with just the Sharpies on hand, has the quote from Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tonys sonnet.

The full text of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s sonnet:

My wife's the reason anything gets done. She nudges me towards promise by degrees. She is a perfect symphony of one. Our son is her most beautiful reprise. We chase the melodies that seem to find us Until they're finished songs and start to play. When senseless acts of tragedy remind us That nothing here is promised, not one day This show is proof that history remembers. We live through times when hate and fear seem stronger. We rise and fall, and light from dying embers Remembrances that hope and love last longer. And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love; Cannot be killed or swept aside. I sing Vanessa's symphony; Eliza tells her story. Now fill the world with music, love, and pride. 

Second Junior Girl Scout Year

I've been trying to keep track of our GS years.  Here's what we've done so far:

• Daisy 1
• Daisy 2
• Brownies 1
• Brownies 2
• Juniors 1

And now, our second Junior year.  We've been busy:

• Mystic Seaport Sleuth overnight for Detective Badge
• learn ABCs, numbers, simple words, Pledge of Allegiance and GS Promise for ASL badge
• Bike ride for Practice with Purpose Badge
• World Thinking Day--self-reflection with handmade journals
• Bronze Award!!!!!
• team building
• planning recipes 
• visit from soup kitchen organizer to discuss food insecurity
• make Christmas cards and Cupcake Paper Angel ornaments
• homework:  plan, shop, and bake cookies
• gather to create cookie platters
• attend soup kitchen party
• discuss experience at soup kitchen party
• learn cupcake decorating skills
• decorate 100+ cupcakes for soup kitchen Valentine's Day dinner
• deliver and distribute cupcakes at soup kitchen dinner
• Star Wars Cookie Booth
• Savvy Shopper badge and field trip to store
• Junior Aide  (GS values egg hunt, petal activities)
• Bronze Award ceremony

Tonight, the girls bridge to Cadettes and also receive their Bronze Awards.  I spent the whole morning  ironing and sewing on patches to her Junior sash that Sis has gathered over the last two years and prepping her Cadette vest for the ceremony.  

I think we need to teach sewing ASAP!

Saying Goodbye to a Friend

On Sunday, a huge group of playgroup moms and kids gathered to be a fond farewell to our North Carolina friend, Miss S.  She is returning to her home below the Mason-Dixon line after eleven years up here in Connecticut.  She's not the first playgroup friend to move but the first one so close to all of us for so long to move so far.  We ate and drank, took many photos, and marveled at the passage of time, most obvious in the large tween kids running around the yard.  We had first met when the kids were mostly a few months old.  We'd gather weekly for hours, sharing lunch and joys, fears, and hopes, with lots of questions and advice.  All of us were first-time moms who probably had only that in common in the beginning, but that is a strong bond that has stayed with us more than a decade.  We sent our friend off in fine style, with lots of food, stories, laughter, and tears--pretty much like playgroups of old.  Except there were some gifts . . . and some husbands, too.  We all made promises of keeping in touch--easy enough in this day and age--but we also know that it is never the same.  But the memories are golden.

-=-=-=-=-

Miss B's Maple Bacon "Crack"

1 lb. bacon
1 pkg Pillsbury crescent rolls
½ cup maple syrup
¾ cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet (like a 15x10) with foil and liberally grease the foil with cooking spray. Unroll the crescent rolls into one single plane of dough and pinch any perforations together to seal. Stretch the dough out to fit the size of the pan with your hands so it's even. Prick the dough with a fork all over. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook your bacon. I like cooking mine in a skillet, but you can bake it - whichever you prefer. Cook it until it's technically safe enough to eat and just about done, but still lighter in color and not quite crispy. You don't want it fully cooked and crispy as it will continue to cook in the oven. I pulled mine out of the pan right when they were a medium-pink color. Drain the bacon on a paper towel-lined plate.

Drizzle ¼th cup of the maple syrup over the crescent roll dough. Sprinkle with about ¼th cup of the brown sugar. Top with torn pieces of the cooked bacon. Drizzle the remaining maple syrup on top of the bacon pieces, and top with the remaining brown sugar.
Bake for approx. 25 minutes or until bubbling and caramelized. Remove from the oven and allow the pan to come to room temperature or warm to the touch before cutting or breaking into pieces. You can serve this at room temperature or slightly warmed. It tastes best the day of, but can be eaten the next day if stored airtight.

Affirmations 2016, Continued

Here's another update to my Affirmations list  (my original list of Affirmations is from last March, April, October, and then March 2016.) 

I have not had severely debilitating back pain in almost 5 whole years (my major episode was 6 years ago!)  Two years ago, Memorial Day 2014 when I had back pain, I still functioned and did things.

My surgery was more than a year ago and I am so much better.  

• I can drive as far and walk as much as I did before my surgery.
• I can do so many things without my brace:  go on outings, play the piano, cook dinner, push the cart around the grocery store, fold the laundry, unload the dishwasher, watch tv from the couch, sit to meditate, sit at the dinner table, clean the litterboxes, meditating on my zafu/cushion, and do all of my stretches and exercises.  And I can do several of these in a row in one day without any problem, most days.  Some of these were hard before surgery; my PT thinks my core might be stronger than before.
• I know what foods most upset my system and can work around them.
• I am more skillful at staying in the present when I have pain or anxiety.

Recently, I have successfully navigated:

• a long 5-day workshop to become a Certified Zentangle Teacher;
• a retreat at Kripalu;
• my piano recital of "Greensleeves";
• explorations of Providence (before CZT), Philadelphia (before a friend's installation), Northampton/Western Mass (with Historic Deerfield, Magical Wings, and Webs Yarn Store!!);
• a nighttime Owl Prowl and a hike up a mountain to see wolves; 
• Gong's citizenship ceremony;
• a Taize service;
• volunteering and attending the school play for three days;
• festival at historic house with games and activities;
• giving several historic house tours;
• filmed historic house video;
• teaching my very first Zentangle class to adults and then my first class to students;
• purchasing and riding a bicycle;
• visiting Connecticut Hospice;
• HAMILTON!
• extra driving to and from play, to doctors' offices, etc;
• gone to the movies;
• pushed a cart at the store without my brace;
• evening performances at Lincoln Center and Broadway;
• the all-day rehearsal time and then performance of Bud's kung fu at Lincoln Center;
• walking 10 blocks, eating in a restaurant, and walking back 10 blocks;
• back-to-back museum exhibitions;
• test driving and buying a new car;
• conducting various GS meetings (including Bronze Award!) and standing at the GS cookie booth;
• being in charge--rides, meals, chores, etc.--as the only adult for the whole weekend;
• parented alone for a whole weekend, with all the driving and meals etc;
• complete a huge crocheted blanket;
• passing my CPR test, with 3+ minutes of demonstration of compressions, etc.;
• driving Bud to a performance, staying to watch, and driving home;
• walking the marsh and the beach to look for the Snowy Owl;
• lightsaber sparring with Bud; 
• cleaning the porch with Mama;
• pick up dear Mr. P and carry him when he was ill;
• walked on rocky/shelly beaches looking sea glass (home and Block Island);
• attending a weekend knitting retreat (with lots of sitting!);
• walking labyrinths (at retreat and Block Island);
• walking on wooded paths, where I saw an owl (retreat);
• attended several parties;
• sat through SW7 three times (once followed by dinner!);
• Chinese New Year, with several sessions of kneeling to pray;
• regular doctors' appointments;
• one word:  colonoscopy;
• and more that I can't even remember.

Hospice Heaven

Yesterday, I visited the Connecticut Hospice, founded in 1974 as the first hospice organization in the U.S., based on the idea of British physician Dame Cicely Saunders.  Apparently, it's on the site of an old corporation, who left the land to the organization against community pressure to open up the prime coastal real estate in Branford.  Apparently, that's all water under the pier so to speak now and it is a well-respected organization which provides hospice services all over the state.

It was such a beautiful, peaceful, well-cared for place that exuded an air of quiet calm, with trees enveloping one side of the building and the oceanfront looking towards the Thimble Islands on the other.  It's a good place to die, I would think.  And the inside is similarly beautiful and peaceful.  I had an opportunity to watch some of the staff at work--they cared for a woman from my community that I've visited some, outside of my official hospice volunteer parameters (she's the sister of a local person.)  They spoke to her with such kindness and gentleness and respect, caring for her fragile body so gently.  There was no chaos, no noise, no loud televisions, no beeping alarms, no obviously disgruntled and over-worked staff, no dirt, no awful smells, no decaying infrastructure.  The best facility I've ever been in, for sure.

I realized while I was there one of the reasons I love hospice:  for me, it's a form of community service.  Our communities today help new parents, support the education of children with schools and scouts and sports, have services for people in need (adult day care, soup kitchens, food pantries, etc), provide YMCAs and senior centers and libraries and hospitals . . . and then we practically abandon people at their most vulnerable, when they or someone they love is dying.  For me, hospice is a community's way of taking care of their members at the end.  It's one of the ways I can serve my community.

And I want to volunteer there.  I believe I can handle the drive and I'd like to learn more about hospice from them, be a part of what they've created.  I met the volunteer coordinator and will give her a call soon, though summertime is the worst time for me to try to start something new, because the kids are home.  But I think this would definitely be worth it.   I haven't given up on chaplaincy.  I'm just not ready to go back to school yet, for the kids or for me.  So, I'd like to immerse myself in residential hospice work, maybe then pursue some chaplaincy training at a local hospital and then go get my MDiv.  And I think I really could help and learn at Connecticut Hospice.

Class Engaged!

Today, I had the honor and pleasure to be invited to give a Zentangle lesson at a local elementary school by a friend and neighbor who teaches there.  She had taken my very first Zentangle class a few weeks ago and wanted to share it with her fifth graders.  This was the perfect time, as school is winding down and kids are getting antsy to be indoors.

And it went wonderfully well.


I gave them each a kit with tiles, a pen, pencil, and a special Zentangle bookmark.  And then I began drawing on my easel.

We started with the word "Zentangle"--a combination of Zen (which refers to Japanese meditation--I didn't mention Buddhism) and art, or a tangle of lines.  Zentangle drawing is an art in which you can elicit meditative feelings of calm and focus by creating repetitive patterns in beautiful works of art.

I started with some questions:
Have you ever felt angry, sad, scared, nervous, tired, bored, frustrated?  How did your body feel when you felt those emotions?  How is it different when you are happy or satisfied or excited?  I told them that meditation was a way to transcend some of those emotions, especially the negative ones, a way to rest and calm their bodies and minds--by using their breath!  Everyone breathes, you can do it anywhere, without any supplies, like when you're tired of waiting in line or scared to go into the doctor's office.  And so we tried a short breath meditation--in through your nose, out through your mouth.  Feel the change in temperature, the breath over your lips, the rise and fall of your chest.  A few of them giggled, some huffed and snorted and sighed, but they tried it for several moments.   I tried to stay away from cliches like "being grounded" and "center yourself."

And then we started.  They pulled out their kits, with the tiles, pen, pencil, and bookmark.   I worked through the steps at my post-it flip pad and easel (with big black marker and gray shading marker)--gratitude and appreciation, corner dots, border, string, tangle shade, initial and sign, and appreciate again--while they followed along on their tiles.  We did a pretty typical first tile--z-shaped tile with basic strings crescent moon, hollibaugh, florz, and printemps.  I told them about a lot of variations (which only make sense if you know Zentangle)--drawing squiggles or loops in their borders, putting dots between auras in crescent moon, shading the spaces behind the lines in hollibaugh, shading the lines of hollibaugh, putting dots in the spaces behind the lines of hollibaugh, drawing printemps or crescent moons in the spaces of hollibaugh, putting other shapes at the intersections of florz, making big and little spirals in printemps, connecting the lines of hollibaugh to the lines of florz, putting a few printemps in the spaces of hollibaugh or florz.  Several of the kids gave the variations a try.  It's a lot like the first tile I ever did in my own first Zentangle class last year on retreat.  While they drew, I kept a somewhat constant Zentangle narrative going, while I walked around the room:

• If they can write "iSCO," they can do most of the strokes in Zentangle patterns
• No eraser = no mistakes (but, just in case, I pretended to mess up and then showed them Bronx Cheer to cover it  up)
• What does a "hollibaugh" really look like?  Nobody knows!  There is no right or real in Zentangle.    The names are non-descriptive, just a way to give us a shorthand for talking about the art and to each other
• Shade as part of the design (not trying to create consistent internal light source)
• Look at tile at arm's length
• Turn it around to look at it from several angles--no right side up!
• Go your own pace
• Everyone is different so make it your own
• Go back to your breath meditation if you get frustrated
• Borders are made to be crossed
• Lines don't have to be straight 

While they finished up their first tile and placed it on my tablecloth for the class mosaic, I  showed them the Apprentice video chapter 6 of Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas talking about how they were inspired to create the steps of Zentangle.  I then explained that Maria and Rick didn't invent patterns (those are everywhere--in nature and human-made items), that they came up with the list of steps to access meditation through art.  We looked at the class mosaic and saw how the tiles were all different, all creative and all individual--with same instructions!  Then I distributed Apprentice letter to parents and announced that they were all Zentangle Apprentices.  Harkening back to the beginning, I asked them how they felt now.  "Good," they yelled.  I told them they could tap into this feeling, creativity, and beauty whenever they needed or wanted to.

      

I was there about an hour and they were so focused, curious, and excited.  I even gave them two extra tangles (zander and pokeroot) because they wanted to learn more, even though I had to rush them.  I pointed to the tangled border of their Apprentice letter to parents and said there were so many patterns--they could even make up some!  (If they'd name them after me.)

I was surprised with how hesitant they already were at 10 - 11 years old to make a mistake; most of them admitted being very hesitant when looking at a blank piece of paper and asked to create something.  But once we got the dots, borders, and strings on the tiles, they settled in.  Still, at each step, they wanted reassurance that they weren't "wrong" and that their designs were "good."  Both the teacher and I kept reiterating that there were no mistakes, that they made the creative choices, that different was okay.  Even still, at the end, a couple of students wouldn't join their tiles to the mosaic. 

But they begged the teacher to do more Zentangle patterns.  I left the Apprentice DVD with the teacher and two extra tiles for each kid (plus some extra pens in case some broke.)  I told them they could look up Zentangle online and find all kinds of patterns, that they could make greeting cards or pencil cases or whatever they wanted.  The teacher said it was the most focused her class had ever been all year.

Maybe next year, we should offer the lesson in the beginning of the year, and then the teacher can introduce new tangles as they go and the students can add them to projects at Valentine's Day or Mother's Day; they can tangle when they are anxious about a test or done with their work.  I know I would have loved it when I was a student, just like these kids did.  Just like I love it now.

A Day in History

In addition to the play this weekend, we had our annual festival when we open the historic house for tours and children's activities, including dress-up, games, and painting.  Sis and Bud decided against attending their morning activities so that they could help out.  They even had new colonial outfits, since they had long outgrown their costumes.  Bud had the same kind of "nutmeg"-colored vest as before but in a larger size; Sis had a red bodice over a shift with a floral print, plus her cap and apron. I wore my new short jacket, with its pink and green floral print, over a navy skirt.

It was a hot day, so I was glad to have air conditioning.  Bud and I did demonstrate the old game of graces outside for awhile, walking up and down the street attracting some attention.  They also both gave tours.  Bud gave his first--he hopped right in talking about how colonists made bread, toasted it, and made butter to go with it; then he moved on to the parlor to talk about tea parties and "liberty" tea and help visitors make tea bags with herbs and coffee filters.  He was great!  Sis has given tours before and gives a good one; she also did some stenciling with a few young visitors, showing them how to paint.

I love that they love the historic house and want to help out.  They've attended programs, planted gardens, ridden in parades, demonstrated games and crafts, and told people about the history of Connecticut.  I love that we can share the history together.  I'm so proud of those kids.

The Show Went On

I can't even put the wonderful experience of the weekend into words.  The kids' elementary school musical was phenomenal!

Well, for an elementary school production.  But I'm a proud mommy and I thought it was marvelous.

Way back in January, they had been nervous about auditioning for the show, even though everyone gets a part.  Still, standing up and singing in front of people is very intimidating.  But they did it and both got into the ensemble.  Bud had a callback and had hoped for a small speaking part.  Instead, he became one of the dancers.

For months they practiced every week.  Hours.  The last week, they rehearsed until 8 pm on Tuesday, 6 pm on Wednesday, and 9:15 on Thursday.  And behind the scenes, many parents were busy.  I stepped in to coordinate the healthy snacks for the performers during the show (the last person left no notes and, of course, I wasn't involved last year so it was a steep learning curve all the way through the weekend.)  Mama served as a backstage runner/stage door manager so someone else could see the show on Saturday.  I bought make up, found the right shoes, filled out forms to buy t-shirts and DVDs, and designed our congratulatory ads for the program.  We did a lot of driving back and forth.  Other parents spent everyday at the rehearsals and nights making sets and costumes and props.  So much hard work by so many dedicated and enthusiastic people.

We were all atwitter on Friday for the hour or so between their arriving home on the bus and their needing to be back at school.  It was a long wait for all of us.  Finally we got the kids freshly showered and deodorized (imagine 80+ sweaty kids without deodorant under hot lights with no air conditioning in rooms together.)  I got the snacks and paper goods into the car.  Off we went.

After getting them where they need to be and setting up the snacks in the cafeteria, Mama and I took our seats for the first show.  So excited for them, so nervous for them.

And they both shined!  Lit up the stage!  What can I say?  I only watched them.  Sis was in a flowery dress with a pink bow on her head.  Being shorter than almost everyone else, she looked about five years old.  Sweet and cute.  She doesn't like dresses, being "sweet" or "cute, though she likes pink but not bows.  We told her she was a great actress to pull off the role!  Bud started in a dark suit with a cap, then removed the jacket to show his suspenders and hiked his pants like knickers (with this handy little elastic thing.)  Later, he'd put on a band uniform.  And he danced and danced with great expression and joy.  Of course, I got all teary.

We saw them perform twice--Friday and Sunday--and spent Saturday helping backstage.  The kids got into costume, then went into hair and make up, and then waited in the cafeteria for their various cues.  They ate fresh fruit and veggies, had lots of water, and talked relatively quietly with their friends.  Sis played UNO and read.  Bud ate lots of fruit.

After each show, we went out, mainly to a late supper at a local place.  Just like real Broadway stars!  They told stories with their friends, wolfed down fries and shakes, sang songs together, gave one another back rubs, and signed each other's special shirts.  The adults sat, ate, and marveled at the kids' energy.  Bud especially talked and talked about the whole thing; I wish I could remember everything he enthused about.  (If I do, I'll insert it here.)

And then it ended much more suddenly than it all began.  Three days, three performance, the end of the show and the weekend.  But we all made a lifetime of great memories and, I think, awakened a little bit of the performing bug in each of them.

I'm glad they have one more year in elementary school so they can do it all again.

The Last Book

My hospice patient with dementia likes to be read to.  He doesn't really care what and so I picked up a Reader's Digested condensed volume with four stories--one was a romance, one a WWII thriller, something else I can't recall, and The Bear, a wilderness adventure about the duel between a huge grizzly and a hunter (I believe it is taken from James Oliver Curwood's The Grizzly King.)  I chose the last one, since he hasn't really liked discussing the war on previous occasions (he lost three brothers in WWII and served in Europe himself.)   So we've been reading The Bear.  It has long descriptive passages on the beauty of the mountains and the life of bears; occasionally, there is a big scene with the bear and the hunter.  My patient, who is usually too confused to comprehend what happens around him, has responded well and even reacted to and commented on the book.  He says he likes the way I read.

My other hospice patient, with Parkinson's disease, has trouble with her eyes and so I've been reading to her.  She had chosen Inge Auerbacher's biography I am a Star:  A Child of the Holocaust, which is a book for young people.  It is a harrowing story, but my patient, who is Jewish, has numerous books about the Holocaust and also Judaism on her shelves.

As I read to them both, I realized something quite profound:  these could very possibly be the last books they read, or have read to them.  Their very last books.

Wow.

What would I choose, if I could?  I've thought about it briefly and think, if I could choose, I would choose Little Women or Little House on the Prairie.  These are childhood books, familiar and comforting.  They are also easy to read aloud.  Through hospice, I've realized how some things just aren't meant to be read aloud--some poetry is very difficult--and the sports page just sounds stupid.  I might also enjoy Jane Austen or Charles Dickens, but I've known Louisa May Alcott and Laura Ingalls Wilder much longer.  Or Harry Potter--I forgot all about those books!  I could definitely hear those again or read them myself.

There is something about books being read by a person to another.  It's more intimate and engaging than all the televisions turned up so loud in nursing homes combined.  I can modulate my speed, I can pause, we can discuss; my patients know I'm talking just to them.  Audio books might be too fast, not tailored to the listener, easy to get lost in.  Though, I've never tried them.  And none of my patients have had audio books or even talk radio; some have music, but it's just filler.

So, what would you want to read, or have read to you, as your last book?

WHEW!

Wonderful!  Marvelous!  Fantastic!  Super!  Great!  Wow!

What a weekend!

The kids were in the play three times this weekend, with parties after each one.  They are elated and exhausted.

On top of that, we had a big day at the historic house as part of a festival and were there for hours on Saturday, dressed in costume and giving tours and leading activities.  Such fun!

I was a proud, happy Mommy.

And I don't even mind that I'm behind in my chores and tired, because it was all just so great.

More later.

Here We Go

Tuesday:  play practice til 8 pm!!!

Wednesday:  play practice only til 6 pm!!

Tonight:  play practice and full dress rehearsal until 8 pm!!

Tomorrow:  OPENING NIGHT!!!!

Bud and Sis are appearing in their first school musical as part of the ensemble.  They have put in a lot of work and are very excited.  I can't tell you more because they are keeping it secret from us for when we see it the first time.  We have tickets for all three shows.  Then there will a big cast party.

And then just nine more days of school, only 6 of them full days!

Look for my summer fun list soon!!!

No doubt, I will also post a glowing review of the play.

Happy Birthday, Mom!!

YAY!!!

The report from NJ:  Bud won GOLD in all of his events!!!!  First Form, three staff, and spear!!!  And the team did a great exhibition performance.

Mama and Bud, plus Ma and Gong, will stay the night and drive home tomorrow morning (early, to avoid the tropical storm.)

We're so proud of Bud!!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Improvement

Sis had no fever today!

She's still quite tired and only just began to regain her appetite.  But she did rally in order to bake biscuits all by herself this morning and then some cookies this evening.  See, she discovered the "Kids' Baking Championship" and watched it through this weekend.  Apparently, they made Oatmeal Lace Cookies and so she wanted to try her hand at it; I found a recipe on Martha Stewart, knowing her recipes to be fairly reliable.  Oh, they're so good.  they aren't as pretty as the ones on the website, but we'll eat them all so quickly that it won't matter!  I'm not sure Mama and Bud will get any by the time they get back Monday night!

They are having quite the time on the Jersey shore--they've played putt-putt at five different mini-golf courses and eaten seafood all over.  Bud even had ice cream for breakfast!  Today they climbed a 217-step lighthouse.   Tomorrow is the big kung fu competition.  I'll keep tabs on it via text.  We wish Bud well and hope he enjoys himself and his teammates.

Tomorrow, Sis and I will continue much as we did today.  We've watched a lot of television, in addition to the kids' baking show--"Flash," "Arrow," "Cupcake Wars," plus Ant Man and The Princess Bride.  Tonight, I let Sis channel surf, which was a novel experience for her--we almost always watch Netflix or Amazon--and she enjoyed it.

She chose "American Ninja Warrior Las Vegas!!!"  She loved the parkour/rock-climbing-inspired tests of strength and agility.  And seeing the first woman to conquer the "spider walk" (the course is made for taller male bodies, closer to 5'10" and so women haven't ever passed that test.)  In fact, we're taping six more hours of the competition overnight.  She always was "danger baby"--and she is taking rock climbing camp this summer.

While I was watching all of the above, I did some tangling.

This is the design for a square on a friend's baby quilt.

Tangle play.

I made this for Sis.  I'm rather proud of the bunny.

Sis is asleep now and I'm watching Julian Fellowes's new "Doctor Thorne" on Amazon, based on Trollope's novel (he was one of my paternal grandmother's favorite authors.)  Tomorrow, I'm sure we'll do much of the same.  I've got some dough rising for Sourdough No-Knead Bread.  And there's more "Flash" and "Arrow."  And who knows what else the day will hold.


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Oatmeal Lace Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3 cups uncooked rolled oats (do not use instant)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Let cool a bit and add all remaining ingredients except the eggs. Stir well to combine, then add the eggs. Mix thoroughly. 
3. Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter at a time on the parchment, leaving at least 3 inches between cookies. Flatten batter into a circle with the back of a spoon. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until just golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

   
   

   
   

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   Sourdough No-Knead Bread

   • 3 ½ cups/425 grams bread flour
   • 1 teaspoon/6 grams kosher salt
   • ¾ cup/180 grams sourdough starter, “fed”
   • 2 tablespoons/9 grams sesame seeds

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   1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
   2. In a small mixing bowl, stir together 300 grams (about 1 1/4 cups) lukewarm tap water with the sourdough starter, then pour the mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a tea towel and leave it to rise overnight, about 10 to 24 hours.
   3. The next day, dust a clean kitchen surface with flour. Scoop out the dough and place it on the surface, then dust with more flour. Gently fold the edges of the dough from the outside in, to form a round loaf. Dust a clean towel with yet more flour and place the dough on it, the seam side down, then cover and allow to double in size, about 2 hours.
   4. Meanwhile, heat oven to between 450 and 550 degrees. Place a covered enamel Dutch oven or heavy pot with a lid into the oven and allow it to heat for 30 minutes or so. Remove the pot from the oven, take off its top, and carefully invert the risen dough into it, so that the seam side is now facing up. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, then put the top back on the pot and return it to the oven.
   5. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, then take the top off the pot and allow it to continue to cook until it is brown and crusty all over, an additional 20 minutes or so. Put the loaf on a rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Weekend

Well, it's not what we had planned, but that's how things go sometimes.

Sis has Flu A.

So, Mama and Bud are heading to the beach weekend we'd planned on the way to his kung fu tournament.  He'll compete on Sunday.

And Sis and I are at home.  Her fever is down from last night--102.4F--but it'll probably go up a bit and she is totally exhausted, listless with no appetite.  And coughing up a storm.

We'll take it easy--watch some movies, eat some take out when she's hungry.  I have crochet and books and Zentangle, too.

And eventually, we'll get down to the shore all together.

Have a good weekend!

Two Words

Flu A.

Blah

Sis is on her fourth day home sick.  On Monday and Tuesday, she had a terrible cough and a low-grade fever (around 100F.) Because of the cough, we took her to the clinic Tuesday evening--her lungs are clear and it's probably just a virus. Wednesday she was achy with all of the above until midday when her temp spiked to 102.6.  Later, it was 103.4F  She's pretty miserable.  We'll be heading to the pediatrician today.

And Mama is now home sick, too.

What a disappointing week.  Sis has missed an orchestra performance, play practice, the official play photos, and now today she is missing field day.  She's sad on top of ill.

Now we're changing our big Jersey shore weekend plans.  Instead of five days on the coast on the way to Bud's kung fu competition, we might just go to the competition without anything else.

Just blah.

Our Kripalu Weekend

Zentangle.

Kripalu.

Gommie.

Wow, what a weekend we just had.


Friday:
Even the drive north on small, wooded backroads into Massachusetts was special.  I had traversed those roads with Mama years ago when the kids were small, so it was wonderful to be up there again.  The landscape is lovely--spring green trees, rocky streams, bubbling water.  We stopped a few times to admire the woods and river, watching the fly fishermen at work.  It's my favorite kind of landscape; Gommie was mesmerized.

Kripalu is a retreat center nestled in the Berkshires not far from Tanglewood, the concert venue and summer home of the Boston Symphony.  And it is gorgeous!  It used to be the Shadowbrook estate, if I understand correctly--the remains of the stone gatehouse are visible up front (apparently, the foundation of the mansion is there, too, but I didn't go looking for it.)  The setting is miraculous--mountains (or hills--I'm a flatlander) with a lake nestled in the valley, expansive lawns, lots of trees, and so much sky.  Many times during the weekend, we would just sit on the terrace of the main Shadowbrook retreat center and admire the view.

The view from our room.

Being on retreat at Kripalu is a lot like college, or as Gommie said, camp for adults.  We had classes and meals and downtime in our little room (two twins, great view, awful water control in the shower.)  But there was no stress, no responsibility, no unpleasantness.  Even before we checked into our room in the Annex which overlooked the grounds and the lake in the distance, we enjoyed lunch in the big cafeteria.

View from the terrace.

Oh, the Kripalu food.  Ayurvedic in theory (which has 6 flavors and ideas about balance of warming and cooling foods), seasonal and sustainable, with vegetarian and vegan options.  Over the six meals, we had delicious fresh salads with this great House dressing, veggie burgers, Moroccan tomato soup, coconut carrot salad, spiced chicken tagine, Greek kale salad, sauteed rainbow chard, Indian chickpeas, roasted potatoes, warm lentil salad, roasted carrots with maple syrup, kale and more kale!, oatmeal, museli, granola, vegan brownies, soy masala chai, Moroccan mint iced tea, orange Rooiboos tea, and the list could go on (yes, I bought the little booklets of recipes in the shop but there are many here, too.)  Makes me hungry just typing that up.  Breakfast was eaten in silence, a way to begin the day mindfully.  We tried to take every meal in the room overlooking the mountains and lake, soaking in the beauty and the fresh air through the windows.

Entrance to the labyrinth

After eating and unloading our bags, we headed straight to the labyrinth.  I love labyrinths, as you know, but hadn't realized there was one at Kripalu and so I hadn't brought anything to leave at the center.  Still, we walked it that first afternoon and I was just filled with this amazing joy.  Each time I walk a labyrinth, I have different reactions.  Friday was brimming with joy.  Joy to be with Gommie all to myself.  Joy to be in beauty.  Joy to be studying Zentangle, which fills me with excitement.  Joy, joy, joy.  It was Gommie's first labyrinth so I went over the basic etiquette about quiet and stepping to the side when you pass another.  The walk certainly set the tone for the weekend.

Tile #1

That evening, we had our first Zentangle class.  We'd run into the founders, Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts and their daughters Molly and Martha on the terrace earlier and had a chance to say hi.  I can't really describe what it's like to take a class with them--their stories, their humor, their rapport with each other, all of their mantras and saying of encouragement.  Even though I'd taken a long seminar just a month ago, it was all fresh and interesting again.

As at the CZT seminar a month or so ago, we received lots of great items--not just pens and pencils, tortillons and tiles, but an "Anything is Possible One Stroke at a Time" bag and a brand new journal. The theme of the weekend was extending our Zentangle practice, mainly how to connect tangles to one another, "tangle to tangle." We did a pretty straightforward hollibaugh-pokeroot-crescent moon variation for the first tile.

After class, we soaked in the cool mountain air while the bright full moon blocked out most of the stars.  We were tired and went to bed soon after.


Saturday:
This was our full day of great food, wonderful classes, beautiful views, and lots of R&R.  Gommie even took a gentle yoga class while I took a long nap.  We also walked the labyrinth again and this time I had something to leave in the center--one of the Zentangle bookmarks and a little piece of metallic rainbow bismuth I picked up in the shop.  This walk for me was more about contentment.  And I realized why I walk labyrinths:  I walk labyrinths because there have been times when I couldn't.

Tile #2

Philosophical.  Gommie and I had a lot of personal and philosophical conversations, like we haven't had . . . since the kids were born, perhaps?  It was special and important.  It even carried over into our Zentangle class.  Gommie asked Maria Thomas what creativity was and why we were drawn to it; they had a discussion about how, for Maria, creativity was central to her personality and was about liking even needing to do things differently--she still goes outside borders, figuratively and literally!  They even took this conversation to the whole class later, talking about how creation is central to the human condition--it's how we express ourselves, how we contribute to the world, how we serve.  And they thanked Gommie for sparking this reflection.

My tile #3

Tile #4--this took 2 hours!

We did a lot more complicated tiles on Saturday--"high focus" which is code for advanced. There was tile #2 with a tripoli center and rixty weaving in and out of fracas; there was tile #3 with a huggins variation and a new tangle named peeld.  I hadn't seen some of the tangles and even Maria made an oops (on the number of orbs in the huggins variation in tile #3 and so had to squeeze one in sideways) and tried to start over until the group chanted "No mistakes!"  And Maria just worked with it and it was beautiful.  Tile #4, with its spiral of nzeppel bursting into mooka and pokeleaf, took two hours!  Gommie had been tangling on her own for a year; this was her first real class.  I'm sure it was all a little overwhelming, but she did a wonderful job following along and not getting frustrated when she didn't understand. I came away with some new techniques, my favorite being peeld, seen in tile #3 where the line just seems to peel away from the design.

That evening, we attended a special optional session where we tangled another treat, a pencil case.  Apparently, you can coat canvas with Mod Podge Fabric and tangle it to your heart's content with an Identi-pen and a gray Fabrico marker for shading.  It was fun and came out beautifully.  Gommie really likes the thicker pens we used and will probably stick with a Micron .08 instead of .01commonly used.

We ended the evening on the chilly terrace, where the moon glowed eerily through the increasing cloud cover.  Another beautiful mountain night.


Sunday:

Tile #5--this also took 2 hours

We were up early with the singing birds, putting our luggage in my car before breakfast.  Then we sat on the terrace until class, communing with the chipmunk that came looking for food.  We saw it every time we were outside.

Class was one Renaissance tile that took two hours to complete--with the crescent moon variation, the raspberry center, the squib petals, the perf orbs, the etching technique on the leaves, all the shading in graphite and white chalk.  But, oh the results!  And when we put everyone's tiles together in a class mosaic, the arches could be connected in circles or pathways.  Beautiful.  And a great way to end our Zentangle class.

And our visit.  We opted to skip lunch, which was still an hour away, in order to get home so Gommie could spend more time with the kiddos.  It was a little hard to leave the peace behind, but I know we took some of it with us.


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Kripalu House Dressing

Makes about 2 cups

1 cup sunflower oil or grape seed oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
¼ cup tamari (natural soy sauce)
¼ cup lemon juice
1/3 cup sesame tahini
2 cloves garlic
½ tablespoon dry mustard powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon chili powder
pinch cayenne
½ cup water

Combine all ingredients and blend using a standard blender or immersion blender.

Kripalu Moroccan Mint Tea

Makes 6 cups

6½ cups water
½ cup fresh mint (stems and all), washed
2 tablespoons or 6 tea bags green tea
1 to 2 tablespoons sweetener of choice (organic sugar, agave, or honey)

Bring water to a boil. Turn off heat, add mint, and allow to steep for five minutes. Return to a boil, turn off heat, and add tea. Allow tea to steep no more than three minutes. (Green tea becomes bitter when steeped too long.) Remove tea and mint; sweeten to taste. Serve hot, or make iced tea by refrigerating until cold, or pouring cooled tea over ice.

Masala Chai

Makes about 4 cups.

2 tablespoons whole cardamom
2 teaspoons whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 whole stars of anise
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon slice fresh ginger
4 black tea bags
2 cups milk (or substitute soy milk)
2 cups water
1 to 3 tablespoons sweetener of choice

Combine all spices and tie them in a cheesecloth. Using a rolling pin or other heavy utensil, lightly pound the spices to crush them slightly. Place milk, water, and spices in the cheesecloth in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Bring water back to a boil, turn off, and add black tea. Let steep for 5 minutes, then strain. Add sweetener of choice and stir to dissolve. Serve warm, or chill over ice for a cooling afternoon treat.