Eclectically Yours,

Pandora Who?

So Pandora was my addiction toy for awhile. About two weeks of leaving dishes in the sink was what it cost me. And then I was healed. I mean, sure, I use it now and again, but the obsession new wore off.

But I have this savvy, of-the-moment friend. And she turned me on to blip.fm. All I can say is don't go there. It's kind of like Pandora went and had kids with Twitter. Really, I'm an adult. I don't get caught up in this kind of thing. I have a life. I have better things to do on a warm spring day. Really.

Just as soon as I post a few songs.

How I Know It's Spring III

How I Know It's Spring II

This is how blue the sky is. ~Ms. D

How I Know It's Spring

Forsooth!

Well, we missed Talk Like Shakespeare Day. However, I do give you the following:

Famous Homeschoolers

Check out this article!

Got Shivers?

Familiar with Playing For Change?

You  may have seen the Stand by Me International Version, that certain people have been blogging.(with thanks to K. for the heads up) Check out this wonderful One Love/Marley version.

I make no secret of the fact that I am a little in love with the guy from France. He may come serenade me in my back yard anytime. If he's a bit busy I'll take the intense Natty Dread from the Congo. Wouldn't you just love to sit in the same room with any of these performers and soak in their talent?

 

Books

Just  a few books I have been enjoying lately and recommend.

Great Gardens for Kids. I wish I had gardens like this when I was a kid! Then again, I had the entire neighborhood to play in. I wish you could take a peak inside this book on Amazon.  However, believe me when I say the photography is beautifully inspired, and the book reads simply and concisely. The plans seem much easier than they look!

The Organic Manual. I loved this book. Easy-peasy for the newbie like myself. I especially liked the information on pest control Very complete! A wonderful compliment to The Organic Manual is The Naturalist's Garden. You'll never think of wildlife in your garden the same! Great overview of beneficial animals and insect, but also how to attract butterflies, birds, bees , and other critters.

On another note entirely is the book Going Green: True Tales form Gleaners, Scavengers, and Dumpster Divers by Laura Pritchet all I can say is "Wow." You think YOUR green and eco? Think you've cut down on being a consumer? Think again. The story's in Going Green might have you saying "Ewwww..." but these people are putting their money where their mouth is. Or NOT putting their money where their mouth is. So here is to anti-consumerism:

Freeganism

Freegan.info

Secret Freegan

And now I must go check my bids on eBay...see I"m into recycling....

Poetry Month

Ms. D is on a poetry roll. Which is good since it's poetry month!

I would like to add the disclaimer than we don't ever drink Kool-Aid. Nor has she ever had "spots and dots", however, I guess that is just creative license. Heaven knows I use it all the time!

Sick (Again!)
by Ms. D

Oh,no!
I wake up, and all I can see,
Is spots and dots covered on ME!!
Great! I'm sick again.
And already I hate it!

About the medicine,all I hear is,
"Yes, you have to drink it."
My hands are all itchy,
I"m sweaty to the core,
And Kool-aid and tea,
doesn't help my throat,
Which is sore.

I open my eyes,
And count to ten: POW!
I am sick, again!!

Full Disclosure

You know I just love sites like this one. And you know how much I love embarrassing my poor husband.

But it is really time to fully disclose the sadness that was me in the 80's. I do this for the future. So the same mistakes are not made.

Let's start with the fact, that at one time I was all sweetness and light. Dorothy Hamill dictated my hair. As did Short & Sassy shampoo, and those great lip glosses from Avon that looked like cans of Coke. I'm not at all sure who dictated my sockwear..but at 9,  who cares?

Here's what my husband was busy doing this while I was 9.

But I digress to the denim jumpsuit with bell bottoms once again. I can't resist. I just can't.

Meanwhile, back to me.....so after the Dorothy Hamill haircut....
....there was puberty.
With very big glasses.
And wings.
Oh, gosh, those bangs....the barrette holding up each side of the hair.
I believe at one time I had a gold/diamond heart at the  lower
bottom of the eye glasses. Remember those?

In my freshman year the wings and the glasses gave way to contacts, turned up
collars and a perm.
And bad posture.
And Chopin turned "just so" to show that I had higher interests than boys,makeup and
hair.

Oh, dear. Then something terrible happened. I cut my hair. That's always
a bad, bad move. Again, with the turned up collar! Notice the shaker sweater.

Wanna see another shaker sweater? I'm warning you....okay, okay, you asked for it....

I know, it shows off the plaid pants, doesn't it? 

And now for something that I am truly ashamed of in every way. It was a very bad move on my part. I'd like to say everyone else was sporting this look at the time, but I'm not all that sure. My memory is foggy on that point. I truly hope there are not others who have pictures like his to embarrass them. I don't know if I"m more afraid of the backwards sweater or the perm. 

I don't think I can stomach any more. I must end there. But at some point on this blog, I will have to share more. It's the right thing to do. Coming clean with your past is a very healthy thing. It's even better if it's someone else's past. And let me tell you, I have a few photos from 6th grade to 12th that include a LOT more people that just me. And they know who they are.

The Cairn

To celebrate Poetry Month, Children and Millay.

The Cairn

When I think of the little children learning
In all the schools of the world,
Learning in Danish, learning in Japanese
That two and two are four, and where the rivers of the world
Rise, and the names of the mountains and the principal cities,
My heart breaks.
Come up, children! Toss your little stones gaily
On the great cairn of Knowledge!
(Where lies what Euclid knew, a little grey stone,
What Plato, What Pascal, What Galileo:
Little grey stones, little grey stones on a cairn.)
Tell me, what is the name of the highest mountain?
Name me a crater of fire! a peak of snow!
Name me a mountain on the moon!
But the name of the mountain that you climb all day,
Ask not your teacher that.

~~Edna St Vincent Millay

Name The Poem

You see, this is what happens when I sleep in. I could NOT get up on Tuesday. Just couldn't. The rain was raining, the bed was cozy. The cat was comfy. I simply couldn't and wouldn't budge. So Devi sat in a window seat and this is what she did. I asked if I could post it. She said yes, I asked if it had a name, and she said "No, why don't you ask people who visit your blog what they would name it?" And so I ask you....what shall we name this poem? (I've changed only some spelling mistakes. I am a MOM after all....)

1

Why is the night sky so gray?
Why does morning turn to day?
Where's my prince?
Where's my knight?
Shall no one save me this winter night?

2

If every petal on every flower,
Were locked away in a tower,
Who am I to scream and cower?
That's how it was meant to be.

3

But if these petals included me,
Who dare know where I'd be!
For, this world has it's never-ends:
Corners, turns,twists and bends.

4

But as I sit, quiet and still,
I am not a prisoner, I am not threat.
In fact, who know's if I'm anything yet?

April 10

I once told a friend, who was deeply into Edna St. Vincent Millay, that I didn't "get" Millay. And my friend laughed in disbelief. What's not to get? What's not to love about Millay? Like so many things, one assumes after a quick read, or a quick listen, as to what one's opinion is. And I gave Millay another chance.

Millay does love, spring and death truly well. And she intertwines the three in wonderful ways. Millay is not too dramatic, slightly cynical, but deeply feeling about all three subjects. This month is poetry month. This month is Spring. And so, a poem.

Spring

To what purpose, April, do you return again?
Beauty is not enough.
You can no longer quiet me with the redness
Of little leaves opening stickily.
I know what I know.
The sun is hot upon my neck as I observe
The spikes of the crocus.
The smell of the earth is good.
It is apparent that there is no death.
But what does that signify?
Not only under ground are the brains of men
Eaten by maggots.
Life in itself
Is nothing,
An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.
It is not enough that yearly, down this hill,
April
Comes like and idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.

Define School

We didn't do much "sit down" work in the last week or so. On Tuesday I was trying to get myself motivated and was talking to Ms. D without really thinking about what I was saying  "Well," I said "let's get focused. Let's do something educational."

She got a panicked look in her eye "Ah, wait a minute...what do you mean by "educational"?"

"I mean, go outside, record the interesting things you see in your nature journal, log and review some of the books you've been reading, take that weather book you love and write out and explanation for me about why it hails, all that Shakespeare stuff we've been reading and watching, compile it in your head and write out to me what you like about it, work on some of your vision therapy, get out the 3-D books and look at them, practice your OT exercises, your yoga, design you garden, review your math, make up some grammar exercises for ME to do, ...you know...just some focused stuff. Have a plan."

She looked terribly relieved "Oh. PHEW. I thought you wanted to do school."

I was just thumbing through a parenting book the other day. It was talking about how girls need mentors. Someone who is NOT their mother that they can talk to, and confide in. Not a peer. But someone who can lead them to make well-thought out choices and decisions.

Long ago, when my daughter was around four or so,(okay NOT that long ago) I was privy to a conversation between my cousin, B. (who has a child a bit older than Ms. D) and my cousins friend, R. R was also B's daughters "mentor", as it were. B  and R were comparing notes as to B's daughters thoughts and feelings. R was just updating B on some of their latest conversations. I thought it was a great thing on many levels. B's daughter had someone else to confide in and talk to besides her "embarrassing"  mom who would probably freak out anyway. And B had someone she trusted to help out with her daughters emotional landscape. I always had kept that in the back of my mind.

I recalled this instance as I picked up the book on mentoring young girls. And I realized that Ms. D has some great friends, whom, by any other name are mentors. She has been able to confide and find friendship with a few moms who are younger than me. Ms. D finds them "cool" and "nice". They take an interest in her and her thoughts and feelings, without judgment of the need to "fix" the problem. At the same time, they gently guide her. They are Mommy figures, but kinder and gentler, as it were. They like cool music and they don't try to be all "mom" to her.

Ms. D also has two marvelous girls who have become extensions of our family.The other night these friends came over to just hang out. They brought their brother and some of his friends. We played Spoons and learned how to swing dance.

And before we actually played Spoons we had to see if we could balance them on our face.

 

Some of us hung out while doing our own thing.

Our lack of furniture gave us the room to dance.

They made supper and dessert.

All I had to do was watch Ms. D have some fun and do some dishes. Win/win, I'd say!

Mentors, schmentors! You can't have better friends than these.

House for a Mouse

Ms. D has always loved story's that involve mice. Redwall, or Avi's story's of Poppy and Rye.

Tuesday she was outside for two hours building her own mice some homes. Which is nice, those mice have been inside WAY too much this winter!

Concentrating....

Who dares interrupt my work?

Oh, Mom, it's just you....I'll smile...

Now go away and leave me and my mouse friends to work...

Spontaneous Report

Ms. D has a friend who said she didn't really know much about Andrew Wyeth, but would like to. Here is some thoughts Ms. D wrote for her ( I have kept mistakes in spelling):

A favoret of mine, a picture called, "Spring" is by Andrew Wyeth. "Spring" was painted in 1978 of a man lieing in the snow. I like this one because it shows a feeling of spring waking, and knowing how it will slowly blossom into summer.

One more I liked was "Ring Road". (painted in 1985) I LOVE this one because it's winter, but also because, scince the world is all white, there would be just snow. But Andrew put it just right because there is a bright yellow road sign in the middle of all the white.

Although not by Andrew, but by his son Jamie, another I like is "Night Wind", (painted in 1983). I like it because even thou you can't see the woman's face, you can tell she's thinking. Maybe thinking of her life, what ever it may be or bring.

Well, there you have it. I like that Ms. D is on a first name basis with "Andrew". Not Wyeth or Mr. Wyeth. Just Andrew. We are fortunate enough to live close to the Wyeth Center where we get to see three generations of Wyeth paintings up close and personal. Maybe that's where the familiarity comes from? A nice thing for a child, I think, to feel on a first name basis with a great American artist.

New Do

It's spring. Time to spring clean, time to vacuum through life. So I went with a new look.

Excuse Me??!!

Okay, you all know how Johnny Depp came to MY hometown. I mean, if you don't, you should really read all about it HERE. And HERE. HERE. And oh, yeah, HERE. And I guess, HERE.

Dear Readers! It doesn't end there! Even if you wish it would. Because I am just THREE degrees removed from Johnny Depp. THREE.
One,two, THREE.
TRES.
Because I have a sister-in-law. And she loves to go to London. You see where this is going,right? No?

Okay...it's like this:

Me: (the year I discovered Johnny=1987)

My husband: (the year I discovered Johnny =1987):

 

My sister-in-law, Lori. (the year I discovered Johnny =1987)

(she's the one in the veil, marrying David's brother)

....my sister-in-law and her husband with Kevin McNally, this fall in London....

and...are you ready for this? Here it comes...

... Kevin McNally with Johnny...

Huh? Did I tell you? THREE degrees of separation between Johnny and I.

Or is it more like four? Do I count my brother-in-law?  I suppose I should....but that is much more depressing. No, three degrees of separation between Johnny and I sound better.

Johnny and I are likethis you know...

Staring At Nothing

Colored Pencil on Paper
"Staring At Nothing"

The artists says:

"I started out with the yellow jacket.I thought it would be interesting to see with all the emotion and color going on around it.  Her hair is another focus, I thought it would be interesting to see it waving in the wind, so you could tell there was wind. I didn't want to draw wind, I wanted you to tell by her hair. The sky is another focus/feature..the color and emotion tells about her life, which might be a little sad since she is staring out at nothing. She might be having something going on in her life. I had the skirt sort of come out towards the bottom. I wanted an Irish feel, because green is a Irish tradition."

Poppy And Rye

    Poppy and Rye by Avi

Ms. D's favorite passage:

"What," Rye said in a choked  whisper, "are you doing here?"

"I came to see if you were all right."

"But...why?"

"Because....you....you dance beautifully," Poppy replied, through it made her whiskers tremble to say it.

"Thank you. And...you dance as if...as if there were moon beams in your toes!"

And, of course, Poppy and Rye get together in the end. How perfect. Mouse love.

What is YOUR  childs favorite passage in a book?

You've Got To Be Kidding Me

Tonight... A chance of snow in the evening...Then snow after midnight. Snow May be heavy at Times after midnight. Snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches. Brisk with lows around 20. North winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 20 mph...Increasing to 15 to 25 mph after midnight. Chance of snow near 100 percent.

Monday... Snow with a chance of sleet. Total snow accumulation of 10 to 14 inches. Highs in the mid 20s. North winds 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.

In A Nutshell

Thursday we visit the Maine State Museum. It is wonderful. We want to go again.

Friday Ms. D is sick. Laying around moaning, "no" to movies, "no" to books, "no" to books on audio  kind of sick.

Saturday Ms. D slightly (ever so) better. Mom is sick. Achy, can't move, can't look at the PC sick. Now that is really,really sick.

So....maybe a hiatus...I'm going back to bed (thanks to David, who is NOT sick. Yet.)

Meme Meme

I'm not into meme's, frankly.

BUT....BUT...this is an easy one and well, it's from one of my favorite blogs, The Learning Umbrella.

The idea is this: Go to your photo's, find the sixth file and the sixth picture. How easy is that?!

Ya...well...why did I take a picture of the boxes in our living room? Boxes and boxes of books awaiting shelves. Maybe it was to remind me that in the very near future I will be disgruntled about something. Something about my never satisfied perfectionist personality. And that I need to look back and see how far I've come.

Today I spent a great deal of time unpacking those boxes. And putting the contents on my brand new shelves.

These shelves look empty in this photo. They are filled to maximum today. It made us realize what we really need is more shelves.....hmmmmm. Or maybe less books. Nah...what am I thinking?

Monday's Storm

I've about had it with winter, I can tell you. HAD IT. THE END. DONE. NO MORE. I'm going to sink into a morass of t.v. and hard liquor if this goes on any longer.

But it was beautiful. I'll give Winter that. You are gorgeous, Winter. And while I sit swilling my next Scotch I"m looking at your icy, cold beauty.

Our power went out. But this time for only 12 hours instead of 24! Hooray!

Here are a few pictures:

I swear there were turkeys back here...I swear it. It's just that I was standing INSIDE when this picture was taken....if you want real Maine turkeys..go HERE.

Pretty bleak, huh? Pretty, and bleak.

However, Tuesday was a beautiful and sunny day....the sunlight glistened off the ice covered trees and I put away my Scotch and actually showered.

 

 

And now it's all gonna melt into a quagmire of muddy,  slushy, snowy ICK. BUT..it will be warmer...and it will smell like spring. And the birds will twitter and frolic, and the days will get longer and longer and the woodland creatures will dance. But that's at LEAST a month away. Sigh.

About Opal

About Opal is a story line that Ms. D is creating about a girl who is a mermaid and lives on land with her friend, Veronica. The story starts out with Opal. (click on the photo to make it bigger)

Discovered Blogs And Awesome Commenters

When I first started homeschooling I remember thinking "What will I use for curriculum? Where will I find the material to teach my daughter?" I honestly laugh at that question, now. I am so completely overwhelmed by the choices out there. It's endless. And I spend too much money on all those great ideas. I get so many ideas and information for school and life in general from other moms who are blogging about their homeschooling life. Here are a few that I have recently discovered: 

Kristine at Wild Oak Academy is not only sharing a peak at her homeschooling days but her site is CHOCK FULL of resources and ideas. I've been over there quite a bit and have chatted with Kristine. She's a wonderful resource in more ways than one! Unfortunately, she's added to my Amazon Wish List and Cart a great deal. My pocketbook will NOT be thanking her!

I had a mom recently contact me and mention that she wanted to do a Waldorf approach to homeschooling. At Renaissance Mama, Dawn is doing just that. There is something about her blog that I find very relaxing and soothing.

And speaking of inspirational, check out Geninne's Art Blog. I try not to be jealous of her awesome creativity and organizational skills...but I just love her ideas. I haven't done one of them yet, but it's great to dream!

Talent runs in Geninne's family. Her boys have their own art blog, which has inpired Ms. D to no end!

I have been terrible about getting back to my commenters. I LOVE comments. Totally and in all ways. Ms. D was tickled and pleased by the comments on her poetry and her artwork. Thank you. And here is my chance to reply and thank you all in one fell swoop! There is Tara, and Heather, and EcoMom, and Urban Mom, and Sara, and Heidi, and Lorna, and Anna, and Candy, and rae, and Val, and Katherine, and Nona, and mrs. g, and bossy, and Aunt Jenny , and Jenny in CA, and sandy feet, and so not cool...and I'm having a total Romper Room moment right now....

...so did I mention I totally love my commentors and I totally love comments? If you've never commented to show me you love me, then please do so....it's really easy...just a few clicks, a few types..go on now you can do it! Particularly GRANDMA (yes, I'm talking to you) who is all computer savvy and literate. (Who should really write her own blog because it would be hysterical and it's a good retirement project when you're not knitting.) And particularly to those of you who are reading and peaking in and NOT commenting and who I consider to be my PEEPS. You know who you are,too....

I leave you with this thought:

Ask Jeeves

The cute around here is just getting out of hand.


And I'm not just talking about me.

~~~"Mom, I am just going through a wicked tragic irony right now...."~~~~

Ms. D (almost 11)