variations on heat

variation one

Summer seemed to get real start this week here in Richmond, Virginia. It was unusually lovely here for most of June and July but the southern steam has returned, transforming us Richmonders into sultry, slightly damp citizens, lounging in front of fans and drinking mint juleps. The seasonable warmth also brings the about a round of shouts throughout our home, "Are the AC's off? I'm washing clothes (or running the microwave)." Off the children run to turn off the AC's so as not to trip a circuit. Such is another consequence of summer.

variation two

Jalapenos. I've got five pepper bushes more prolific than Picasso. I've taken to bribing people into the coffeehouse for free peppers, tried stuffing and grilling them, chopping and tossing them in anything the kids won't eat and I was running out of ideas until the Sriracha ran out. I thought, "Hey I can make my own hot sauce!"  I started processing some peppers on Tuesday around 11 am, went to work at 2pm. Around 4pm, my left hand (the one that did not hold the pepper cutting knife) began thrumming with a dull burn that lasted, very noticeably, til 9 pm that night. Thankfully, I did not touch and delicate body parts. Rubber gloves, goggles and a mask will I be donning when I process the rest of those spicy, green gems

variation three

I've been a parent for nearly ten years now and I still feel like I'm winging it most of the time. Just the vast difference between child one and child two has been enough to completely befuddle me. For instance, girlchild (5 1/2) is a fiery one. She is quick to temper and when frustrated or angry, is prone to lash out with her body. This is not something I ever ecounteresd with calm, gentle boychild. Feeling unequipped to be the mother of "the hitter", I have managed to make progress. Mainly, her pushes, slaps, and scowls are reserved for big brother but there have been occasional playground skirmishes and one such incident occurred last Tuesday at our regularly scheduled parkdate with our homeschool co-op.

Anwen and I had a long talk about how I could help her prevent such outbursts. We talked about anger and frustration and how to know when it is coming. We developed a code system. Code orange meant that she was beginning to feel frustrated and angry. During code orange Anwen would take a deep breath and come find me. We practiced throughout the week. I also decided that I would make sure to be in close proximity whenever Anwen was near the child she was having trouble getting along with. It would be more fun for me to chat with my friends but I know when I'm needed.

On our way to the park THIS Tuesday, boychild asked me why the news always reported on "bad stuff." He was trying to ascertain my angle on the media following a conversation he had with his Dad about negative reporting the night before. I asked him why he thought news shows chose to report on the "bad" stuff. He said he thought it was because it got people's attention. An astute observation.

I told Cruxien that it was our job to look for the positive and report it in our daily lives to help balance things out. I said that our positivity would spread like wildfire.

Anwen was listening.

At the playground I reminded her to smile, not scowl to the child she had altercated with the week prior. I'm proud to report that the two five year old girls had a very positive interaction. I made sure I was nearby to support Anwen in her endeavor. They each had great fun playing with and sculpting a piece of cheese wax of all things. It was nice to see them smiling together.

One the way to ur van Anwen said, "Mom, I understand what you were saying." To which I replied, "Saying about what?"

"Being kind is like a power, Mom."

"Yes it is, Anwen. It is a super-power."

teasel, a specimen

Whilst we were making our way out of Staunton,Virginia we saw a very large, rambling,abandoned building that I though looked somewhat like a Kirkbride building. A quick call to Courtney confirmed that it was not a Kirkbride building but was the old state asylum, Western State. It would have been amazing to explore but it was boarded up and and ominously surrounded by gates and signs. However, at the front gate I encountered a plant I'd never seen before, the Teasel.

I thought it was a thistle at first but  a wildflower field guide tells me it is Teasel. Mrs.M.Grieve's A Modern Herbal says an old name for it was the Fuller's Thistle. Apparently, it's sharp spiny flowerheads have been used by clothmakers tease or nap cloth.

It is an invasive, alien species but I sure did enjoy meeting it ! Below is a photo I found on a UK site with a stained glass representation of the Clothmaker's Coat of Arms on St.Olave's Church in London. Notice the prominent Teasel Flowerhead!

matters

Sometimes we visit places that are so lovely and inviting we start fantasizing about moving. Such is the case when we visited dear friends in Staunton, Virginia this weekend. The idea of moving to the Shenandoah Valley, engaging in some variation of urban communal living, and enjoying the bounty of fresh air, clean streets, mountain views, farmer's markets, arts with everything in walking distance was tempting. Indeed, it was even more tempting when we returned home to our urban bungalow to find gang of hooligans hanging out front. Yes, Staunton is so nice we could live there.

Visiting with good friends was a salve for the soul. I don't even think I realized how much I needed to play Pictionary, drink wine, and go to the Farmer's Market with a friend until I was chatting with a farmer and examining patty pan squash. I was suddenly awash with a faintly familiar feeling...I think it is called tranquil. Courtney's frittata made from lamb sausage and bright lights chard was sublimly medicinal. Basking and climbing around on rocks in the Goshen Pass cleared the dust out of my brain and rejuvenated me in ways that a regular day or two off never could.

Good friends, good food and a river is definitely my prescription for happiness.

naming things

One of my passions is identifying wildlife and plant life. Field guides are the most used books in the house. Last week, we all went for a nice long walk in Osbourne Boat Landing. Ani rode her bike while Crux tooled around on his scooter. We stopped here and there to throw rocks in the James River, catch toads or watch the dragonflies. The best thing about my compulsion to know the names of plants and animals is that our kids pick it up quickly. It is gratifying to hear our son telling his friends about the Sycamore or having our daughter point out the Paw Paws! 

Along our walk I snapped a few photos. I'm particularly happy with this one. I spent a few hours trying to name this critter and I was fairly certain it was a Mayfly of some sort. I decided to ask my favorite bug website for some help. They confirmed that this little critter was a Mayfly in the subimago stage of life.

Another interesting specimen I was happy to come upon was the Jewel Weed. Jewel Weed likes to grow in wet areas. I've found it in marshy areas outlying the James and Rappahannock River. Both times I have found Jewel Weed, it has been all tangled up with Poison Ivy. Interestingly, Jewel Weed is a remedy for Poison Ivy. Brilliant !

Hopefully, in January, I'll be taking a Master's Naturalists class. Amateur naturalist, no more !

two seasons later...

The last time I wrote on my cozy shimmerglimpse blog, I was fretting over the same thing folks worldwide fret over....life's necessities. I find myself in the same space. My husband, who was laid off in October, is still looking for work.  I have been engaged in all matter of activities related to trying to lower our mortgage payment, to no avail. I applied for food stamps and was kicked off because I made a little more money last month. This month, there will be less money since I had a one week unpaid vacation....

Although times are trying, Chris and I find ourselves in a unique position. This is our time to redefine our goals. It is also a time to test our relationship. Winter and spring were simply crazy. We were, in essence, reversing our roles and acclimating to them. I now work at the coffeeshop full time. I manage daily operations, cook, make up menus, coordinate events, place orders, and make delicious lattés for the good people of Richmond! I really, really love my job.

Chris is taking care of the daily operations of home, cooking most of the meals, shopping, doing laundry and schlepping k the kids to playdates. He's also looking for work and working small jobs here and there. With the help of family, we are somehow scraping by and for the most part we are happier...if only there wasn't the stress of money.

Alas, I take heart in knowing that we are not alone. Our modest home, paid for vehicles and big ole veggie garden do a whole lot to make a woman feel secure. Indeed, modest living will definitely be our saving grace!

On the homeschooling front, I've discovered some very interesting things this year. I've always leaned toward but been reluctant to fully embrace unschooling. In October, when Chris was laid off, we in advertently became WAY more unschooly and we decided to go with it. With the exception of teaching boychild (9 1/2) long division and two learning co-ops, we did no other structured learning. 

Our free time together is spent reading, building with Legos,investigating nature, with friends, outside in nature, or working on projects, like owl pellets, papermaking, nature journaling or deep Star Wars exploration . Life is learning, and not just for the children my friends!