Blog Title: just folks

I'm phasing out this website and creating a new one, more topically focused, and just because I want to make something new.

RainSolace

On sabbatical . . .

Happy Easter

Video
Suvetar (Goddess of Spring)
Gjallarhorn

Screen Clean

Many people don't know it but dirt not only gets on the outside of your computer monitor, it can also build up on the inside as well. Simply click the following link and it will clean the inside portion of your computer screen for you.

ScreenClean

(My grandma sent this to me : ) )

Swimmers' sunscreen kills coral

Up to 6,000 tons of sunscreen wash off of ocean swimmers each year (according to a new study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.) Four common sunscreen chemicals (paraben, cinnamate, benzophenone, and a camphor derivative) awaken viruses in coral-dwelling algae. The viruses replicate until the algae explode, thus spilling the viruses into surrounding seawater and infecting neighboring coral populations. The algae, zooxanthellae, provide coral with food and contribute to reefs' bright colors. Without zooxanthellae, the coral bleach and die. National Geographic: Swimmers' Sunscreen Killing Off Coral

Old-fashioned play

"It's interesting to me that when we talk about play today, the first thing that comes to mind are toys," says Chudacoff. "Whereas when I would think of play in the 19th century, I would think of activity rather than an object." from Old-Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills

A growing number of psychologists believe that these changes in what children do has also changed kids' cognitive and emotional development.

Pregnancy and meat aversion

During my first pregnancy I ate a vegetarian diet and I didn't experience much in the way of food aversions, although I certainly craved bean burritos and vegetable sandwiches, specifically from Taco Bell and Subway. My husband tired of getting them for me, so our roommate who had experienced pregnancy cravings brought them to me. I ate tons of beans and rice and cold cereal, gained tons of weight, and had a chubby baby.

During my second pregnancy I ate a paleo diet and had major food aversions to meat and many vegetables and experienced lots of nausea to the point of vomiting. This perplexed me. I had adopted the paleo diet with great conviction and thought I would have a healthier pregnancy. This grain-free pregnancy did produce a remarkably more toned and strong baby, however.

During my current pregnancy I eat a mostly paleo diet, but with rice. I experience my worst nausea ever, although I haven't vomited, and I can barely stand the sight--rather the smell--of meat. But man do I want anything with lots of cheese on it even though I don't tolerate dairy well and swore to avoid it.

I've looked into this meat aversion thing and discovered that many pregnant women complain of the same thing. I read somewhere that pregnant women don't tolerate as much protein as non-pregnant, having something to do with liver function. (I wish I could find the reference.) Although, I see emphasis on protein consumption, with must-have amount charts, in nearly all pregnancy diet recommendations.

In, Morning Sickness Protects Mother and Child, the author states:

The most-observed aversion was to meats, fish, poultry and eggs -- the foods that were more likely to carry harmful microorganisms and parasites before the advent of modern refrigeration and food-handling processes. Strong-tasting vegetables, as well as alcoholic and caffeinated beverages, also are disliked by many women.

In general, pregnant women were most often averse to foods categorized as "meat, fish, poultry and eggs" and "nonalcoholic beverages," mostly caffeinated ones. They also found "vegetables" and "alcoholic beverages" to be aversive. Interestingly, the pattern of food cravings was virtually the opposite: the categories "fruit and fruit juice," "sweets, desserts and chocolate" and "dairy" were the most sought after.

Consistent with this prediction, the three most averse food categories were the ones most likely to contain microorganisms (meat products) and phytochemicals (vegetables, coffee and tea). Alcohol, the fourth most aversive category, is also a teratogen in sufficient quantities. In contrast, the food categories that were more often craved than found aversive (fruits, grains, sweets and dairy products) were the ones least likely to contain microorganisms or phytochemicals. Surprisingly, however, aversions to "ethnic, strong and spicy" foods were as rare as cravings for them.

Radical unschooling rant

Radical unschooling, as I understand it, brings the unschooling philosophy to the rest of life. I take issue with the "radicalizing" of unschooling, not for the reason that I don't apply "un" to the rest of my life, but for the reason that people use the radical unschooling identity to measure one another. I detest labels.

Unfeeding our children:
My kids have food issues. They have serious food allergies, gluten and casein and a few other foods. In addition, one of my daughters shows some autistic symptoms, banished mostly when strictly avoiding gluten and casein and high sugar foodstuffs.

Regardless, I don't control food in our house. Whatever the kids want that we have, they can have. However, I don't bring into the house much that I don't want them to have. Some people call that controlling (or they use the euphemism, "limiting," but use it to criticize me nonetheless.) What they say but don't verbalize: I'm not "radical" enough. I want to ask: Did you diaper your baby? I un-diapered mine.

I had also received criticism for not having a television, thereby limiting my then two-year-old and infant children's avenues for learning.

Currently, on a local unschooling list, in a food issues thread, members have rehashed this debate on whether a parent should (has a right to) limit food in the name of health and safety or should leave it up to the child to learn from experience regardless of the consequences. Of course, food allergies and autism complicate the issue. The people who speak up do so in black and white terms, from one end of the unschooling spectrum or the other.

Annoyance no. 1: Kids don't all have the same needs or the same styles. Some need order, some need a lot more autonomy, some self-regulate well, some don't make the connection between "addictive" activities or foods and how they feel as well as others. Families have different needs and styles. One-size-fits-all unschooling doesn't serve all any better than schooling. Sounds like blind faith.

Annoyance no. 2: I can't count the number of times I have seen people reference Sandra Dodd's articles on letting her kids eat as much junk as they want so that they would learn to self-regulate. I would take the articles more seriously if I had not seen photos of the overweight Dodd family. No one needs to tell me how tactless and uncompassionate that sounds.

Tagged: No name meme

(Tagged by Paxye.)

1. Do you wear a name tag at work? I don't work. Around age 20, I wore a name tag during the two days I worked at McDonalds. Otherwise, I never wore one.

2. What kind of car do you drive? I don't drive.

3. What do you order when you go to Taco Bell? I don't go to Taco Bell anymore. However, I liked burrito supremes and mexican pizzas during the thousands of times I went as a child.

4. Have you ever had a garage sale? Yes. I started holding them at eight years old.

5. What color is your iPod? I don't have an iPod.

6. What kind of dog do you have? I don't have a dog. I miss having a dog. I love lab and boxer mixes. My favorite dogs were a malamute-lab, a boxer-rot-lab, and a boxer-something with a long snout.

7. What’s for dinner tonight? I have no idea.

8. What is the last alcoholic beverage you had? Local raw beer, an India pale ale.

9. Stupidest thing you ever did with your cell phone? I don't have a cell phone. Well, not really. My in-laws did send me one of those pay-per-use ones, but I can count on one hand the number of times I have used it.

10. Last time you were sick? I can't remember, but the rest of my family got sick a month or so ago.

11. How long is your hair? I just cut it even with my shoulder blades.

12. Are you happy right now? More or less.

13. What did you say last? To my youngest daughter: Would you like to look at the pictures on these cards?

14. Who came over last? The neighbor boy.

15. Do you drink beer? Yes, but not while pregnant.

16. Have your brothers or sisters ever told you that you were adopted? No.

17. What is your favorite key chain on your keys? A ladybug pocket watch.

18. What did you get for graduation? I didn't graduate.

19. Whats in your pocket? I don't have pockets.

20. Who introduced you to Dane Cook? No one.

21. Has someone ever made you a Build-A-Bear? No.

22. What DVD is in your DVD player? Thundercats.

23. What’s something fun you did today? Went shopping for treats.

24. Who is/was the principal of your high school? My high school had 4 principals. I don't remember their names.

25. Has your house ever been TP’d? No.

26. What do you think of when you hear the word “meow”? "' me out," as in "let me out." My cats say this often.

27. What are you listening to right now? The loud buzz of my husband's motherboard fan.

28. Drinking? Mango smoothie.

29. What is your favorite aisle at Wal-Mart? I don't have a favorite. I've gone along with others, but I don't remember ever shopping at Wal-Mart for myself.

30. When is your mom’s birthday? March 3, 1959.

31. When is your birthday? April 9, 1977.

32. What’s the area code for your cell phone? 425

33. Where did you buy the shirt you’re wearing now? My in-laws gave it to me.

34. Is there anything hanging from your rear view mirror? I don't have a car.

35. How many states in the US have you been to? 11

36. What kind of milk do you drink? Hemp or rice.

37. What are you going to do after this? Commune with my wintering garden.

38. Who was the last person you went shopping with? My husband and daughters.

39. What is your favorite fruit? Banana.

40. What about your favorite dessert? Fruit cobbler.

41. What is something you need to go shopping for? Nothing.

42. Do you have the same name as one of your relatives? I share the middle name of my aunt, my grandmother, and my great-aunt.

43. What kind of car does one of your siblings drive? My sister drives a minivan of some sort. I have no idea what my brothers drive. My youngest sister, like myself, does not drive.

44. Do you like pickles? Yes, especially home-fermented pickles.

45. How about olives? Yes, especially kalamata.

46. What is your favorite kind of gum? I don't like gum.

47. What is your favorite kind of juice? Mango smoothie.

48. Do you have any tan lines? No.

49. What hospital were you born in? Sacred Heart in Eugene, Oregon, same as my mother.

I won't tag anyone this time.

Tagged: 7 Weird Things

(Tagged by Kim at The Falcon's Nest)

I'm a little late on this. But here goes . . .

Firstly, there's nothing weird about me ; ) However, some people consider these things weird:

1. I try to avoid the words and forms of "to be." (e-prime) I don't always do it, but I do think about how I might express myself without the "offending" words. I do this for the reason that I believe "to be" words to limit expression, avoid responsibility, label people and others in concrete terms, etc.

2. I avoid post-paleolithic foods--grains and dairy products. I don't believe that these agricultural foods suit human bodies.

3. I breastfed my daughter into her fourth year and continue to breastfeed my three year old.

4. I don't have a driver's license and have never had one. I did learn to drive, but never sufficiently reconciled my aversion to car culture to actually hold a license and own a car. As a teen, I hated cars for the road killed animals and the pollution. I do still ride in a car about once every week or two.

5. I would never again choose to give birth in a hospital. During my only hospital birth, I think that I got lucky to get in and out with an unmedicated birth. The hospital staff certainly tried to intervene in many ways. I had to fight them off when I wanted to labor in peace.

6. I have never sent my kids to day care or a sitter. Whatever I want to do, I include my kids. I meditate every morning, and even that oftentimes includes my three-year-old nursing in my lap. I do Kamana sit spot with my kids. I chose to homeschool primarily for the reason that I want to live life with my kids.

7. My husband and I sleep in different rooms. I sleep in the bottom bunk of my daughters' bunk bed with my youngest daughter. My husband has his own bedroom with a queen-sized bed. When our new baby arrives, he will move to the bunk bed and our three-year-old and I will move to the big bed with the new baby.

(Since I did this so late, I won't tag anyone.)

30-day sit spot challenge

Wilderness Awareness School's first 30-Day Sit Spot Challenge begins Friday. My girls and I plan to meet the challenge. I have let cold weather keep us from our favorite spot, and what a wonderful way to greet the spring.

Predators

A week or so ago I spotted a dead deer curled up under a tree across the field next to my house, apparently having frozen during a cold spell. This morning I saw another deer curled up in the same manner in the middle of the field. I tried to examine it through weak binoculars, but I couldn't tell if a large predator had killed it. I wanted to know if a cougar had come so close to my house. Just this morning I had seen a gray fox out there, and had never seen one in the field before.

I told my husband I planned to walk over and check out the deer, but he told me not to get close to a potential kill and definitely not to take the children over. He leaves the house to go to work, and shortly I see him over there standing next to the deer. (I roll my eyes here.)

Anyway, based on my husband's report, I think the neighbors took the deer from under their tree and tossed it into the middle of the field, and then the little fox came and chewed on it.

At the possibility of a cougar nearby, my husband initially wanted to call animal control in hope that they would trap and relocate the cougar. Perhaps I show naivety in this, but I would not want a predator removed. I would just want to know about its proximity. A cougar lived in the woods behind our previous house, and it never hurt a person that I heard of. I review with my kids what to do when encountering various predators each time we go into the woods.

Lessons from my daughter

My children's father makes more rules than I do, such as eat only in the kitchen, draw the blinds at night, supervise the children at all times . . . . Much to his annoyance, during the day I often choose not to enforce all his rules with our children. He wouldn't find out that I didn't "respect" his rules if my eldest daughter didn't tell him, "When you're not here, we break your rules, ya know." In response to his recitation of one of his rules, she informs him that she didn't and isn't gonna follow his rules.

She often tells me that she likes breaking rules, and lately she added that she gets this (as in inherited it) from me.

I would prefer to withhold the truth, keep the peace, but my daughter puts the truth out there. Perhaps she feels that energy drain from inauthenticity.

Not to give the impression that my daughter actively disrespects her father, or me. For the most part, we live harmoniously together. She just speaks up for herself and negotiates well.

Smart kids lie

Third pregnancy

I didn't plan to get pregnant a third time. However, I thought about it a lot and must admit my happiness at finding myself in the midst of this adventure. I had the perfect midwife during my last pregnancy, bus I no longer live near her, and she no longer lives there either. Otherwise, I'd probably go stay with family just to have her attend.

I contacted the one midwife in my town and learned that she will vacation during my due month. The next closest midwives work for a birth center two towns over, but they do home births. However, I must go to them for checkups, unlike the home visits I received from my previous midwife.

Honestly, I would rather not receive prenatal care. I do like the comfort of a midwife's presence at my births. I hemorrhaged after each birth, and didn't really notice this myself. I passed out after my first daughter's birth. This, in addition to my partner's big fear of unassisted birth, puts me in a less than ideal place. Plus, I learned that if I have a twin pregnancy, the midwives cannot legally attend. I do not want to go to a hospital and risk all the horrors they offer.

My mother had twins for her third pregnancy. My youngest daughter keeps correcting me every time I refer to "the baby." She says, "TWO babies." Perhaps she says this to express her preference. I don't sense a twin pregnancy. In fact, I dream only of a single baby boy.

I've got many months to figure things out. I changed my plan dramatically during the course of my second pregnancy.

Help me win $50

Vote for this photo of my daughter.

Ray Tracey ring for sale

If anyone has interest in buying a Native American ring, I just listed a southwestern sterling silver Ray Tracey ring with onyx and turquoise inlay for sale on ebay. Women's size 7.

elimination communication children's story

For anyone who has interest in infant potty training, I made a Lulu book version of the elimination communication children's story that I made for my children when they did EC.

Psychic stuff

. . . or whatever you want to call it. As a child, I didn't question the existence of spirits or overthink my experiences. I feel grateful to have had an open-minded mother. I didn't really begin to hear the doubting and disbelieving messages until school age. Anyway, as a child, I saw what I thought of as spirits and I had conversations with what I thought of as angels. I did believe in demons and feared them. I got scared, especially at night alone in my bed when I would feel something heavy pushing against me. I had nightmares every night for my first seven years or so.

During the following years, the spirits began to fade and blur and appear less often. The nightmares went away. I stopped talking to the angels.

My dad told me, not so long before he died, that he also saw spirits regularly. I can't remember how this came up in conversation, but it surprised me.

Anyway, since I revisited my childhood during the writing of a memoir, I've resumed having premonitional-type dreams and the fun "powers" I had forgotten from childhood dreams, i.e., lesser gravity floating/flying and control over energy from my hands.

I write all this here, because I don't know anyone to talk about it with, except my little girls.

My littlest daughter tells me that she chose me for a mommy. During pregnancy with her, I had a very clear image of her face and saw her surrounded in white light. She does look exactly as I saw her.

A Tale of Two Cockies

A friend sent this to me--A Tale of Two Cockies

Nursing child

This photo came up in an image search for Roma. I liked it for the mother nursing her toddler, apparently without reservation, and for the proud-looking women.

I posed for a crime photo one time while I nursed my baby. Someone had hit me in the head and an officer asked to photograph my injury. I was nursing my baby all the while I filled out paperwork, and I stood for the photograph with my baby still nursing. If the officers thought anything, they didn't say so.

The woman in front reminds me of my mother. She dresses like her and stands like her. I remember someone shouting, "Get out of the road, Gypsies," one time while my mother and I and my siblings ran across the street.

Actually, my mother comes from another traveling group called Irish Travelers. Her great grandmother grew up in a family who still traveled. They rode around North America in a covered wagon, letting a Ouija board determine their destinations.

Lakota secession

On Dec 19, representatives of The Lakota of the Sioux Nation announced their withdrawal from all treaties with the US. They intend to reclaim their pre-1851 land. These representatives invite individuals to move to that land, renounce US citizenship, and join their nation.
http://www.lakotafreedom.com
Common Dreams

I have heard, however, that not all Lakota agree with this decision, and that not all support those who purport to speak on behalf of their people.

Wildlife in town

Yesterday, I looked out my window and saw my neighbor's cat lying in the empty lot a few feet from one of the two nearly grown deer who frequent the field. I and my neighbor's cat have watched these two deer grow up. I live downtown, two blocks from Main Street. I saw a gray fox two blocks across the other side of Main Street. It actually stopped and looked at me before ducking back into the brush. Then it popped back out to look at me again after I had passed.

Even when I lived closer in to Seattle, people saw cougar and bear in the neighborhoods. I look around at the tiny islands of woods and wonder where these large animals live.

Story of stuff

I just watched The Story of Stuff with my 5-yr-old daughter. She got pretty upset by it, but I think it gave her a better idea of the consequences of the system of consumption. She cried several times, but she also got angry at suggestions to consume less.

Eggs

During my depressed mumblings after the passing of yet another tiny blue egg and its nest, my husband supposed that he does not mourn the loss of his sperm as I do my eggs for the reason that his sperm don't stay with him for long, whereas my eggs have existed as part of me since before my birth. Each egg represents a possible future. Perhaps I mourn the passage of each egg as the passing of an opportunity I will not have again, a point of no return, a path I can no longer take. My future changes.