Milkweed Pods

This spring as the earthed warmed from it's winter's sleep I was enthralled (like I always am) by new growth. As little seeds opened themselves up to the wonder of living things, I watched with fascination at the workings of nature. In the spring plants began as young shoots and by fall have transformed into something very different. One plant that caught my attention was milkweed.

In early spring when it just begins it's rise towards the sky and is less than 15cm tall, it is edible. I've never tried one but it is said to be as delicious as asparagus, cooked greens or vegetables. There are poisonous look alike so be wary. When I get to know the plant and am positive in identifying it, I will become familiar with it's taste. Until then I am observing and learning.

As it gets energy from the sun, minerals from the earth and water from above it grows and flourishes into a plant as high as 5 ft tall. In late summer flowers bloom and become a haven for monarch butterflies, honey bees, humming birds and other insects.

Soon comes fall and flowers turn into pods where silky white milkweed fluff is stored. I recently found a patch of these tear dropped pods and collected them for the children in my life. I knew that these treasures would bring excitement and awe to their great, creative minds.


The pods were opened and small fingers took out the soft fluff. Each pod holds many seeds and each seed a new plant. We watched as the breeze gently carried the seeds away, drifting, floating like a dream. Without a word or a formal lesson children understood the importance of wind in the cycle of life. Stories are like that sometimes told without a word, without a sound and felt in a space that is deep within.


Here is an empty pod that we will keep for a future craft. With our imaginations we will find a creative use for it, a boat perhaps, a flower petal maybe, time will tell. I love how mother nature provides us with craft supplies that are free and biodegradable. Thank you mother Earth for providing us with such abundance. :)

Before I leave you, here is a little verse to do with your friends:

In a milkweed cradle all close and warm,
(place cupped hands together)

Little seeds are hiding safe from harm.
(keep hands closed)

Open wide the cradle now. Hold it high.
(open cupped hands, raise them above your head)

Come along wind, help them fly.
(Sway open hands in the air).

Taken from Earthways by Carol Petrash which is a great book if
you are looking for activities that are simple and earth friendly.
Ciao for now!

It's November and this is when I take a break from the world and retreat. At night I do bed time routine with the kids, take a bath and curl up under the covers with my book. In all of that I am working on feeling guilt free from my lack of productivity, things have been put on hold and that's ok. I hope you are well. :)

There is something about walking through the woods that is grounding for me. There is peace to be found in the serenity of trees, the beauty of water, the sun shining, clouds roaming the sky...
Within this beauty there is a silence a powerful strong silence that says "I am here". It says that compared to all there is you are small and insignificant and within all of that I hear another voice that whispers; "yet as insignificant as you are, you are part of it all."

I felt this strength of the Great Mother as I hiked through the woods with my dear friend Jay. She (Earth Mother) touched, caressed and grounded me and reminded me of the need to keep grounded within myself. I found this grace as I often do while in nature.

We began our forest walk on a well trodden path which led us to a beautiful lake. Here we decided to go around the lake. In this decision we found ourselves bush whacking it, trail breaking around the body of water.
We were grateful to be wearing good rubber boots as they waded through cold water and climbed rocks. We felt joy as our feet connected to the ground that makes up this huge planet that we live on.

Every turn held a surprise, bright green moss, huge mushrooms, a beaver damn...

a reflection of God's gifts .

Busy beavers left signs of their work.

Mushrooms of different kinds adorned trees and sprouted through wet earth.

By the time we circled around the lake the sun was setting. We took a moment to
sit back and appreciate the sun set. I felt so blessed to be there in that
moment with the sun and it's display of colors, the cool air caressing my skin
and with a great companion.

The sun at our backs we began the long journey home. As our feet walked through rusty leaves the sky became silver with moon light. The full moon graced us with her presence and
lit our way home.

I am so affected by the cycles of year. In spring I feel like a new woman and so alive and marvel at new growth. Summer is the season where I swim, canoe, kayak and enjoy the warmth of the sun. As fall arrives I am ready for entering the dark months of reflection. As a Canadian I often complain of the cold months. I am making a promise to myself to no longer complain of mother nature's expressions. I vow to live in the moment with what is, to always stay in awe of the great landscape that I am presented with in any given moment.
In these moments I come to realize that I have all that I need, that nothing is more important than what I already have; my health, clothing, good food, a comfortable home and most importantly my family and great friends.
Blessings to you!

That night when we arrived home we ate by candle light :)

I love my kids

Zoe and Owen had been drawing on the white board. I didn't pay much attention to it until later. My heart glowed as I read the message: "Love the Word"....Ah....Zoe and Owen I love you.

Owen's Pumpkin picture he is so proud of. Notice how he write his name? Omen...he is my good omen both my kids are....
Happy Halloween to you.

Pizza Fridays

Pizza Fridays is a big hit around here. Who doesn't like pizza? All of our guys and girls love it and devour it in minutes. Not only do they have fun wolfing it down but they have a blast making it! Try it yourself you might like it :)
Here is our homemade pizza dough recipe.

Above you see a blue bowl in the blue bowl is 4 1/2 tablespoons of active dry yeast in 2 cups of warm water, 2 tablespoons of sugar cane and 1/4 cup of olive oil. This mixture makes me feel like a mad scientist as we let it sit for 10 minutes and watch it bubble. With the kids we talk about how it's volcano or bubble city or whatever their little imaginations bring us.

The next bowl brings us 5 cups of mixed flours. I like to use spelt, whole wheat and whatever else I have on hand rice, oat flour etc... What do you have hiding in your cupboards? Added to the mixture is 1 teaspoon of salt.

Once the yeast has bubbled we mix it into the flour until it's sticky. Create a little mountain of flour in front of each eager child and have them roll the dough into the flour. They love this!!!! Trust me. In fact I get lots of satisfaction in rolling out the dough as myself. Adults can have fun too!
Each child rolls out their own small piece of dough while I roll out the "mama" dough. When ready "mama" dough hugs her small ones (roll small ones into big one) and they become one big happy family.
We put our dough family into the oven with the light on to let rise for 1 1/2 hours. Children then put fixings (pizzasauce, broccoli, peppers of course cheese!) bake in the oven at 250 until the bottom is golden brown. Eat, enjoy and be merry it's a pizza party!

Adventure

It was a warm fall day, mist hung low in the mountains, the lake reflecting it's white enchanting beauty. The recent rain allowed the nearby stream to flow with greater strength. We set out in our rubber boots and adventurous spirit to explore the bubbling brook.

We jumped on rocks and balanced on logs. Zoe got a soaker and was a good sport about it.


The forest was vibrant with life and death, moss clung to rocks shining bright green. Leaves still clung to their branches not ready to let go reminding me that often I have problems letting go.
There was a glow in the forest that day, a magic experienced by the children and the adults. It is what we love to do, explore the wonder of nature, find adventure where adventure is to be had.

The Funky Mamas

My life is truly blessed. Wonderful experiences keep coming my way and with each experience I learn, learn, learn. Oh! How I love learning. This weekend I had the honour of meeting 5 wonderful women. You might have heard of them as The Funky Mamas. Their band consists of the violin, electric base, guitar, banjo, mandolin and beautiful voices. Their music is geared for young ears and enjoyed by the older folks alike. It's fun and makes you want to dance.

These women met when their children were young. Together they were inspired to play together and eventually became a group. Throughout the years their group has evolved to publishing two CDs and putting on concerts. This weekend they had a concert here in Ottawa at St. Paul's University. It was a hit with 300 dancing fans. Way to go Mamas!


I was lucky enough to spend the weekend with these fantastic musicians. What really stood out was that they are all sincere, down to earth women. I felt inspired to be around music. I listened with fascination as they jammed. I watched their fingers strumming cords creating sounds of joy and felt inspiration well within.

Being around music all weekend got me inspired to delve into the world of music. I've always thought of myself as a non musician now I am ready to move through the block that my mind has created and redefine myself as a guitar player or maybe ukulele player. Let's see what evolves. The new year is coming and I will discover my inner musician.

The Funky Mamas will back in May! Yeah! check out their website at: www.thefunkymams.com If you have young kids and don't have their Cd, it's well worth it. Their music is catchy and will make you want to dance, also it feels good to support our Canadian artists. Go Mamas Go!