Times they are a-changing

This week has been glorious. We have spent most every afternoon at the lake. Most afternoons it has just been the two of us, the water so still, the afternoon light fabulous, and the beach quiet, so quiet........just a week ago it was full of life.

There are signs what comes next, what lies ahead.




Still, I wonder when Zoe will wake up and not ask to go to the lake first thing.....will we be alone at the beach in November Zoe swimming to the ladder and back and me in my down jacket, wool socks, hat and mittens pouring carrot and ginger soup from a thermos?

Plannning ahead and someone I would like to meet

or maybe I should rename this post planning behind! for I am still not clear about Zoe's "homeschooling" plan for this year. I thought I had a plan.....continuing her exploration of letters and numbers steadily and gently. However, over the past few summer months I have noticed her change and become much more in her head. Whenever given paper and crayons she wants to write words or numbers, "mama how do you write ......." or "look mama what number is this 31. She can fill page after page with letters and when she gets tired of focussing she shifts to pretend letters. This isn't all bad. Her speech has progressed in leaps.....trying out new words, and sentences daily. But she spends less time daydreaming and much more time "figuring things out." I have noticed her less apt to draw a picture or make something. She seems more stressed out and fearful and for the first time ever is not wanting to leave my side.

She turns 5 in about a month, so she is officially still in preschool

Seeing this change i am thinking about more art, colorful handwork, storytelling, nature exploration, dance, drumming, music and an introduction to the fairy tales. We're going to put away the letters and numbers until Solstice and then re-evaluate.


I have been a fan of Byrd Baylor's books for a while.

The Way to Start a Day
She and illustrator Peter Parnall were awarded a Caldecott Honor for The Way to Start a Day in 1979. Written in free verse poetry, it tells how our ancestors, from the cave people to the Native Americans, greeted, praised and were blessed by the dawning of a new day.
Everybody needs a Rock
Here is my favorite page from this one
"Everybody needs a rock. I’m sorry for kids who don’t have a rock for a friend. I’m sorry for kids who only have TRICYCLES, BICYCLES, HORSES, ELEPHANTS, GOLDFISH, THREE-ROOM PLAYHOUSES, FIRE ENGINES, WIND-UP DRAGONS, AND THINGS LIKE THAT — if they don’t have a rock for a friend."
The Other Way to Listen
those are illustrated by Peter Parnall- super complimentary!
There is also When Clay Sings

are the ones I had already read......
and I just discovered a new favorite

I'm in Charge of Celebrations

I looked for a website and this is about all I can find

Naturalist Byrd Baylor celebrates her birthday on March 28th. Baylor lives and writes in Arizona, presenting images of the Southwest and an intense connection between the land and the people. Her prose illustrates vividly the value of simplicity, the natural world, and the balance of life within it.

and here is a picture of Byrd- Don't you want to meet her?



So our fall reading will include the above Byrd Baylor books as well as some Elsa Beskow "Christophers Harvest Time" and "Woody, Hazel and Little Pip"

I am also introducing some Fairy Tales beginning with Princess Stories



I think we'll also do a unit on the moon, memorize some poems as well as some seasonal crafts.

Bubbles and Sprinklers

childhood magic!

in other blogging news I am participating in a few swaps a kid's stationery kit swap over at Kiddio



and also a Gratitude Swap over at Day to Day- better get crafting!

After much determination and practice.......

MVI_1177
Originally uploaded by HerbalT

she's a Swimmer !

Blazing Star Herbal School

I am so excited about this class that we are hosting in a few days

Anyone who has ever taken a class from me knows how deeply I respect and how much I have learnt from Amanda McQuade Crawford over the years. I am so excited that she has agreed to return to BSHS. She was last here in 2002 (6 years ago!!!) and taught an unforgettable workshop. I am still receiving letters from those lucky people who attended wondering when she'll be back.

Monday August 25 2008

The good news is that this class will be inspiring, educational and informative to the advanced student and beginners alike. So here is the scoop......The class still has a few openings.


What Herb Books Don't Tell You
A Day in the garden with Amanda Mcquade Crawford

Monday August 25
10 am to 4pm (lunch included)
$125

The power of plants to call our deep healing potential to the surface is a gift. Spend the day deepening your connection to the medicinal herbs you know. How the chemistry works with physiology is fun to learn, like learning the back story of your new friend's first home. But the mystery between any two friends, including our connection to our green allies is
rooted below the surface of matter and molecules. Join me for a happy mix of focused meditation and the newest research on healing herbs.

In the second part of our day, studying the people we serve brings case studies and your herb knowledge to life.


Amanda McQuade Crawford herbalist and author of of two popular books on women's health, "The Herbal Menopause Book" and "Herbal Remedies for Women."  She earned her degree in Phytotherapy from Britain's College of Phytotherapy   She is a regular on *What A Relief*,  a show on herbs for Veria, a holistic cable television network. Previously she was in private practice formany years in Beverly Hills, and Ojai, California, where she grew, gathered, and made most of her plant medicines surrounded by orange groves, oaks and avocados. She was appointed the Senior Clinical Tutor at Canterbury College in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she spent 2005 integrating their curriculum, new research and clinical practice.  Her most recent adventure has been caring for family elders while hunting urban weeds and growing an organic garden in the wilds of Los Angeles, California.



Please email me ASAP if you think you might like to attend this class blazingstarclinic (at) gmail (dot) com

Shark Teeth and Fossilized whale bone!

Fossil Panning in South Deerfield was a HIT! I wasn't sure.......Some of her favorite finds were various shark teeth and a piece of fossilized whale bone!

Another Kids market Post

the busy face painter...













Each week this makes me happier and happier....


thanks to the women of ashfield hardware that make this possible-

Blueberry Fields Forever

Bensons Place, Heath, MA

On a dark and stormy night

Songs were sung, prayers shared, peace defined.......and at 9pm Candles were light







“May no harm come to us.
May we love each other well.
May we be kind to all the creatures of the earth.”

from Tenzin’s Deer by Barbara Soros

Tonight !!

Don't forget to Light your Candle for Tibet Unite with more than 100,000,000 people in THE GREATEST LIGHT PROTEST ON EARTH.

Lipbalm and Rainbows!

Zoe and I spent this morning at the local preschool making lipbalm with all the kiddos. Zoe had prepares a chart listing the ingredients


Lipbalm Ingredients
Solids:
beeswax, coconut oil, cocobutter
Liquid:
grapeseed oil, strawberry essence
Accessories:
Glitter (can add color too)
(we used a ratio of 1 part solids : 3 parts liquid)

Each child decorated their container with stickers while waiting for thebeeswax to melt and then the lipbalm to solidify.





We took the left over Lipbalms to the





where Zoe set up her table as a face painter again. This week she sported a great money apron with our good friend Kate made for her during the week.






It was a busy market this week.......The kids market is really one of my favorite times of the week

A Tuesday apprenticeship in photos

I have not posted class photos fora few weeks so here I am playing catch up by expressing my gratitude

Much gratitude for our magnificent tuesday lunches:





For the Pollinators:





For Seeds and Roots

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) (Special thanks Marcelle for giving us the heads up before bulldozing)

Blue Cohosh Berry (Caulophyllum thalictroides)

Early Spikenard flowerhead (Aralia racemosa)

Oats Milkyhead(Avena sativa )