Creativity

So, remember way back when I came up with that word for the year???? LOL! Yeah... I hardly remember either. Anyway, my word was PROPORTION... intended much in the way that you would mean "balance". I have been trying to find an outlet for my creative side... and I'm struggling. See, I was trained as a biologist, and I have a knack for using my BRAIN, but not really just going with the creative flow. When I thought about art I almost ran out to buy a book on how to draw/paint/whatever. But that's not really what I'm after here...

I bought some little tiny canvases to try out painting... but I have a feeling that I'm more of a multimedia artist. I've been checking out blogland for some ideas... and here is my favorite so far...

Nichola at Pixie Hill is starting something called "Make A Mess Monday"... and I'm in! Today she's talking about the power of words (right up my alley sister!)... and as I was cleaning this weekend I ran across a really ratty copy of a magazine from 1920 that a friend had given me years ago... and it had some perfect stuff in it... let me show you!!! (Oh... and I really have no idea where all of this is going... I don't know what the project is, but I can tell you that I just know it's gonna be fun!!!).

There were entire poems that I cut out... not knowing if I'd want to use the whole thing or just part of one... (this looks like a poetry contest... they all have the same title... and they're by children!).
And it wasn't just words... the PICTURES!

Oh... now if I only had ANY idea of what to do with them!!!

Back to the point...

Ahhh.... spiritual path... right. That's why I started this blog. Mmmhmm. Well, let's get back to that, shall we? (Although I will update you on the school stuff... at some point when I have real news).

(My four-year-old wrote this: "I love all fairies")

I've always believed in fairies in some removed sort of way. I guess, it's that I've always WANTED to believe in fairies. As a kid, often, these "fantasies" get turned off. Peers, and sometimes parents, don't want to hear about it... they want to live in "reality" and want you there with them... and it just feels safer not to acknowledge that desire and ability to see things that are not easily seen. After all, we depend on these people to fill all kinds of needs, and if they say that fairies don't exist, then we need to go along with it, right?

But, lately... I've read a few really inspiring blogs... encouraged my children to believe, and looked into gardening with the nature spirits... and I just really DO think they're out there. I haven't seen one yet, but I've seen lots of evidence that they are in my yard and my house... interacting with me even. Just today, I was looking for something... went round and round the house opening closets and cupboards... sure it was there SOMEWHERE. I stopped, thinking, and looked down, and there on the floor were two shiny stars. I was sure they had not been there when I came by looking earlier... so I opened the closet they lay right next to, and.... holy smokes... THERE IT WAS! I know it was a sign...

So, in honor of our new interactive relationship... knowing that we're possibly getting the first snow in 35 years this weekend, I thought I'd set up a little refuge for the fairies. It's not much right now, but a work in progress.

Do you know the fairies at your house?

Doubts

So my book came... The No-Fault Classroom... and though I love the theory, in trying a No-Fault home I'm finding it difficult to put into practice. I've started with the kids... it works beautifully with my 6yo, but my 4yo is a whole separate personality type... and cooperative does not appear in her discourse. It's shaking my confidence in cooperation... and especially in introducing it into the classroom. I really want things to get better. This is going to take a lot of work on my part... and I don't have a lot of energy for it... I'm done tapped out fellas. Yet, all of the unhappiness and stress around here is working my nerves... I just don't understand why people can't just get along. Why can't we tell when it's something important and when it's not... why can't anyone else in my house be committed to this so that I don't have to do it alone... I just feel overwhelmed by totally revamping communication among four people TOTALLY alone.

So how in the WORLD would I do that for 27 people in a classroom?

Oh yeah... and Happy Valentine's Day. LOL... I'm such a scrooge...

Happy Imbolc season

I missed it... I just did. There's a lot going on, and I don't feel particularly strongly about Imbolc. I have been thinking more about Hestia lately, though, so maybe I'm with the season anyway. We've also had unseasonably warm weather here so the signs of Spring are out there. The rains we had a few weeks ago ended with this... and it's been beautiful weather ever since...

And the trees have taken this to heart. Our acacia is blooming prolifically (as it always does when we have a wet early winter and then the sun comes out)...

One of my pluot trees has also decided that it's spring. This is unfortunate, as this tree is scheduled to be moved on Monday because we're doing some work on our house and I don't trust the construction guys to value my trees the way I do.

So, there we are... the garden is awakening. I feel like I missed winter all together... in fact, my season table suggests that's true... as it's still decorated for autumn. Guess I best get a move on...