Friday, February 18, 2022

Good Morning From My Flower Farm

Good morning, friends. It's Friday. It's sunny, again, but still chilly in the mornings, and after the sun sets. Yesterday I invited the chickens out of their run, and they made bee lines for the best sunbathing spots. Sun, and dustbathing, were the pleasure of their day. I sat with them, and then Thistle hopped onto my arm. The trust of an animal, having a pet come to me, or follow me around, may be in the top ten of things that can turn a day around. Sweet Thistle. I am so glad to have all of these hens, and goats, and cats.
It's official. I am a Calendula Farmer. Sweet alyssum and spoon tomatoes, too, pop up volunatarily, so with very little participation from me, I have plenty, everywhere! And the oregano grows like a hedge, so if you could use any, just say so. I am crossing fingers for the chamomile to stick around, like the calendula, so that I can rely on it to show up every year. That would be lovely. If the tiny tomatoes do as well as they have in the past, I can look forward to inviting Spencer, Bex, and Simon over to harvest and feast on them. I pick them for some dishes, but they are so prolific and tiny, that the best thing is watching the young ones go wild for spoon tomatoes hot off the vine!

Maria texted from school about Open Mic, for the Creative Writing Club, something that she was thinking of attending, but snuck up on her. Her focus has been heavily on robotics, incuding screenprinting the shirts. I encouraged her to go to Open Mic, to read, even if it was a work from last semester. She came home, after doing outreach work for robotics, to have some dinner, and I braided her hair, pinned it back. I thought it would be an audience and stage kind of event, and I happily agreed to tag along, because I cherish each chance to observe every bit of this last high school season. It turned out to be a more intimate experience, and I feel so privilleged to have been welcome. We sat in a circle, the lights were dimmed, and each participant, in turn, read some of their works. They give each other feedback, not criticism, but support, affirmations. It's not for grades, nor evaluation, and I felt such a deep, admiring appreciation for the trust and empathy, the space they hold with one another. They engage, face to face, with tremendous grace and mindful kindness, and I am in awe of the dignity, integrity, of what they hold, and share. It is sacred. It is a comfort, an honor, to be among young people, and to feel, once again, the hope they instill in me.

Bird House News: Mike finished painting our *healthroom!* This marks the end of my suffering over paint chips and tile samples... mmm, no, maybe not. There is the question of the backsplash and my urge to make my own mosaic there, instead of using the blue trim going in the shower. Okay, but I promise to refrain from agonizing over the decision, and either do it, or move on. Honest. Also, the paint choices we went with are such a big departure from what we had, that the room truly feels like a whole new space... and we are loving it! I can't wait to see it all completed. February 16, 2022

10 comments:

Nicole MacPherson said...

I AM HERE FOR THE FLOWERS!!!

I love that your daughter is into robotics so much - my younger son has been taking robotics and also enjoys it very much.

Natalie, the Chickenblogger said...

Nicole, the flowers are here for YOU! It makes me so happy to think these garden snapshots are being enjoyed, and not just by me!

So is your son in a robotics class, or is it something that is part of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)? They hold annual competitions, for different grade/age levels, grade school through high school. It's an amazing program. I'd love to learn more about what he's doing. (Cheese, I miss our STEM outreach and mentoring days!)

Come Away With Me said...

Beautiful photos, Natalie. Maria has grown into a lovely young woman. Inside and out, and so talented. I want to also thank you for your kind comments on my recent blog posts. There is still a little community out there among my former blogger acquaintances who keep in touch. I don't know if I will jump back into it again full force . . . still considering. But in the meantime, thank you for your own lovely contributions to this space.

Sarah said...

How nice it is to see flowers in February! My kids are still fairly little, but I love hearing stories like this about teenagers - usually it's the negative side and this makes me look forward to my own kids at this age!

Natalie, the Chickenblogger said...

Thank you, Sara, about the flower photos. And thank you for sharing your thoughts on Maria. You and I have been sharing our blogs and stories for a long while, so I know you *know* Maria. It's a unique kind of relationship what we can experience through social media, and I appreciate when it's more than mere acquaintanceship. I am thankful that we have enjoyed so many meaningful and supportive exchanges. Though it's 'only' virtual, I feel as though we have a community, and I count us very fortunate for the connections.

Natalie, the Chickenblogger said...

Sarah, teenagers are wonderful! We've raised four, and had a few more hang around so long I count them in the line-up! Don't fall for the idea that young folks, at any age or stage, are inevitably going to be "trouble." I think culture and stereotyping do troubling things to our ideas and expectations of children, and then some people repeat their worst fears so loudly and frequently that they get what they manifest. Growing is not easy, and a lot has to be figured out, so it can get hard, or frustrating, or even scary because of the uncertainties... but messes clean up, and confusion clears up, and I am always just in awe of their strengths, resilience, and capacity to shine. You will love it. My tips: Feed them well, and often, laugh together as often as possible, keep your expectations high and your patience higher! (I don't pretend to have all the answers, or that we haven't had our challenges... it's just so much better than some will have us believe.)

Nicole said...

My son is just in robotics class at school (or he was, last semester). That program sounds great! I don't think we have that here, or if we do, he's not in it.

Natalie, the Chickenblogger said...

It's so great that classes like that are offered in his school. FIRST is international, but it's not always a school's curriculum, and usually more of a club activity, something a school might accommodate on the side. And it's a huge commitment, so it helps to have a lot of parents, teachers, mentors, and even corporations supporting it.

Janece said...

You know - I should keep up with my commenting. Posting closer to when you first post would allow me to connect with and make more online friends with your ChickenBlog community. But, it is also nice tagging along after and seeing the conversations that have been had (like your comments about teens 💛💛). It's like a bonus blog post after the original one. ;)

Your flower photos are stunning, Natalie!

Natalie, the Chickenblogger said...

Janece, the days when you dive in with comments are like a holiday for me, like a big gift, with lovely wrapped layers, and indulgences. Sarah, I think you will find that Janece is another parent that will confirm: Teens are great!