Quick, Catch Up!

It's been awhile. I'm not proud. I had a difficult spring and a difficult start to the summer, and that may be all that needs to be said about that. But during my absence, life just kept going on. Let's see if we can't do a quick catch up.

First, someone turned 5! 

Underwater Adventures

One day, back in the dark depths of winter, we took a trip to the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. We had been before but were due for a dose of penguins, and seals, and frogs, oh my. In addition to the regular exhibits, they had touch tanks where visitors could pet manta rays and nurse sharks. I did; Duncan didn't; rays are slimy; sharks feel like sandpaper. We watched the visiting meerkats, checked out the river otters, and ogled the moon jellies. We caught an IMAX movie about sharks, which was Duncan's first movie in a theater. It was a fun day out; a day of ocean creatures is a great antidote to the mid-Winter blues.

April Fools

This is Duncan's first "collection" of 2011; it consists of items he collected in the yard and on the few walks we have taken since Spring officially began. I was certain his little cache was a true sign of Spring, yet it has snowed not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES since I took this photo. Today, I am choosing to believe that we got lucky. The original forecast was for 10 inches of snow between Thursday night and Saturday morning. We awoke to about 1" of snow, which melted throughout the day, even as the snow continued to fall. We still have green grass, daffodil sprouts, and blooming crocus so I am certain today was just a blip on the radar, so to speak, but really, Mother Nature.  REALLY???!!!

Amenia Winter Farmers' Market

I love the Amenia Winter Farmers Market. The market is still only in its first year; the summer of 2010 marked the beginning of the Amenia Farmers' Market, and on the heels of its success, the participants decided to experiment with a winter market. The truth is, I only went once during the summer. I wasn't impressed that day. It was early in the summer, and there were only about six vendors; also, as a CSA member, I really didn't need much in the way of produce. When I heard the news about the winter market, though, I was really excited. The market was held each week between Thanksgiving and Christmas and then once a month during the endless, cold and snowy winter. The winter market really opened my eyes to local farmers, craftspeople, bakers, and cooks I might not have known existed. In addition to the farmers and food vendors, there's a local woman who makes knitting supplies (needle holders, knitting bags), local potters, a woman in Millbrook who spins yarn, and a nice gentleman who builds birdhouses. I've become addicted to fresh eggs and locally grown meat, and there is a hydroponic farm in Wassaic that kept us all in salad greens throughout the winter. Until November, I had no idea most of these things were available in my community. In this season alone, I purchased, all locally grown and/or made:  greens, apples, potatoes, onions, pumpkins, squash, bread, cheese, eggs, hamburger, jellies and jams, chocolate covered pretzels, cake, granola, yarn, and seeds. I'm sure there is more that I am not remembering.

I love the Amenia Winter Farmers' Market because I think it is important to buy local and reduce the carbon footprint of the food and gifts I buy for my family. I love the Amenia Winter Farmers' Market because I think it is important to support local farmers and business owners. I love the Amenia Winter Farmer's Market because I am endlessly amazed by what is available in my tiny community. Mostly, I love the Amenia Winter Farmers' Market because it gives me hope, hope that if we all start to see the value of what is available locally, we may begin to heal our earth, our economy, and our sense of community. If I have a farmers' market, chances are you have one too. Stop by and buy something. You'll be glad you did.

Going on Five; Going on Fifteen

Sometimes, I would swear Duncan is going on fifteen. When I get home from work, or when I pick him up from school, inevitably I ask "How was your day?" to which he responds "Good." I follow with "What did you do?" There are two possible responses:  1)  "I don't remember."; 2)  "I don't want to talk about it."

Part of me wants to be offended. These are social niceties:  have a good day; how was your day; what did you do today.  The thing people are supposed to do is...well...answer. It's not just that I'm his mother, and I care about what he did all day when he wasn't with me; it's also that in polite society, you come up with something to say back. Luckily, the wise woman in me, the one who peeks her head out once in a while and says "you might want to rethink that" has helped me to be quiet and patient. Many times, if I just keep quiet with my ears open, I will hear my answer. As he unwinds and develops some distance from school, he remembers things he wants to tell me. It's not so much that he doesn't want to talk about it; I think it's more that he hasn't really had a chance to think about it yet. He went to school; he lived it; he hasn't really processed it yet, and suddenly there's this overly involved woman who wants all the details. If she'll just shut up, she will eventually get the story.

If the wise woman in me doesn't get the answers, the teacher in me (whoa is the teacher in me strong!) can usually get to the heart of the matter, for she has learned that sometimes you have to ask the question in a different way. "What was your favorite thing you did today?" "What was your least favorite thing you did today?" "What did you have for snack?" "Did you build anything today?" Usually, changing the question, narrowing it, and making it a little more manageable opens up a great discussion of the day's events.

The fun part of these social conventions is that Duncan has begun to ask us what we did at work. There is little that is cuter in the almost-five set than "So, what did you do at work today, Mama?" Interestingly, the answer is usually "I taught some kids. I answered some e-mails. I went to a meeting." As I write it down, it sounds a lot like a 46 year old version of "I don't remember; I don't want to talk about it." It's almost the 16 year old "You wouldn't understand." 

Maybe if I tell a better story, I will get better questions. 46 going on 16. The teacher in me is strong. Stop talking and listen.

Hearts 2011

We've already had two snow days this winter, which is rare for a boarding school. During the last storm, Duncan and I decided to make sugar cookies, which is another rarity. I simply don't have the patience for the endless rolling, cutting, and decorating, but we were in the Valentine's Day spirit, and I thought it would be a good project to keep a young boy with ADHD occupied for a good chunk of a day at home. Once I acknowledged that we would, indeed, make a colossal mess, and that Duncan would, indeed, mix up all the frostings and sprinkles to resemble something from a bordello, we had great fun. They don't look like Martha baked them, but they were entertaining and tasty!

Hearts Abound

I have been thinking about Valentine's Day since the day we took down our Christmas tree. I know it's crazy, but it was sort of a rebound effect. A Christmas hangover, so to speak. I just couldn't bear to say good bye to the decorations, the baking, the crafting...I can't pretend I did all that much for Valentine's Day, but I did dream a lot about projects I could make and cookies I could bake. It has kept me going through the various versions of Snowpocalypse 2011. I haven't gotten around to photographing all the hearts around our house yet, but it all started with this. Duncan saw "egg in a hole" in one of his magazines and requested that I make it for him with a heart cookie cutter. Eggs and love. Why not?