Batter up!

Last winter, the idea of joining the New York Life softball team with Miles sounded like a fun idea!  I've always wanted to participate on a company team!  We got cool, official-like jerseys and everything!  Yay, team!

And then the week before the first game arrived.  "What do mean there's NO practices?!?!?" I yell at ask my husband.  Just games?!!  We just go right into the GAMES?!?!  I haven't played since I was NINE!!!!  It hits me, then, what softball means.  Softball=having to catch balls.  I don't do balls very well.  And sometimes they come at ya FAST and HARD!  Sometimes they go up real high and you have to run, run, run and CATCH that thing or else you look like a douche.  Sometimes they are grounders and my low-back HATES those and they pop up in your face sometimes....
And then there is batting.  Actually hitting the friggin' ball when you're supposed to and knowing when NOT to cuz it's going to be a "ball". 
This SUCKS!!!   I suck at sports!!!!
And I sure did for the first 2 games.  Out in left field.  Again.  Hey, they recognized I'm ALWAYS out in left field.  I rock that left field!  Just like when I was nine.  Standing out there....looking at the clouds....pickin' and sniffin' the clover....lost in a daydream....swattin' mosquitoes. Happily I get no ball action out there.   At least Miles is out there with me keeping me on task. 
"Hey, I can RUN, though!  That I'm good at!  If only I could HIT the softball so that I could actually run to first base....."

Before and during the next 2 games, when we had the chance, Miles and I (and sometimes, Willa)would throw the ball to each other.  A first I could not get my glove to work.  Stupid, brand new, stiff glove wouldn't work right!  But then, all of a sudden, I was catching balls!  I was doing pretty well!  And throwing them not so much like a girl anymore!  OK!  I got this!  I might just be able to catch a ball if one comes my way.  My confidence was growing.
Then came last night's game .  It was a double header because the first team's opponents couldn't make it for some reason.  I was looking forward to the extra batting practice because we've not been able to get over to the batting cages.  I don't know what happened...but I hit that first ball pitched to me, pretty hard and well, and after that I hit every goddamn ball that came my way!!!  Every one!  I was SO friggin' excited!  I'm actually a contributing member of the team, now!  Not the one who makes everyone groan when she steps up to bat.  Not me, baby!
 I said goodbye to that gawky spacey 9 year old out in left field because her mother wanted her to do SOME kind of sport....  I told her, "I'm so sorry your confidence was SO low.  That you were not supported and encouraged in a positive way by coaches and teammates.  You HAD the ability, kiddo!  It's was already there!  All it took was confidence and faith in yourself... you needed  someone to help you find it but they weren't there.  I'm sorry it's taken 43 years to get there."

 

But we're HERE, NOW.   And I "found it" myself.  In the last year, between the running, rowing, and softball, a competitor has emerged. 

And I'm LIKING it!

Next time your kiddos are sick...

...let them manifest their crummies into lovable germ stuffies!

When Lo was sick with a fever last week it sparked quite an interest and much discussion about GERMs-mainly bacteria and viruses. She wanted to know what they are, how we "get them" and what they do in our bodies. Lo also repeatedly asked about bacteria and the difference between bacteria, germs, and viruses.

We started off by talking about what an organism is- living things
+
what microscopic means-something soooooo tiny that it can't be seen with our eyes. A million viruses could fit on the head of a pin.
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what a micro-organism is-a tiny living being that can only be seen with a microscope.

Lo had been under the impression that germs are actual bugs, insects and other icky thingies.
She then learned that a germ or is a non-medical term for micro-organisms that are like tiny invaders that can make our bodies sick. These invaders can include parasites, fungi, bacteria, and viruses, that are so small and sneaky they creep into our bodies without being noticed. When they get in our bodies, we don't know what hit us until we have symptoms that say we've been attacked!

We talked about bacteria- tiny, one-cell creatures that get nutrients from their environments in order to live. In some cases that environment is a human body. Some infectious bacteria can cause sore throats, ear infections, cavities, and pneumonia, but some bacteria are good for our bodies. These bacteria help keep things in balance. Good bacteria live in our intestines and help us use the nutrients in the food we eat and make waste from what's left over.

We learned about viruses and how most can't survive very long if they're not inside a living thing like a plant, animal, or person. Whatever a virus lives in is called its host. When viruses get inside people's bodies, they can spread and make people sick. Viruses cause chickenpox, measles, flu, and many other diseases.

And last, Lo discovered the "good soldiers"-proteins known as antibodies. They identify, attack, and destroy germs and other foreign bad stuff in our bodies. Remember the scene from Fantastic Voyage? Where Raquel Welch gets attacked by the antibodies?!?! FREAKED.me.OUT! My first intro to antibodies and i NEVER forgot what those were.

One evening Lo went through a good chunk of a ream of paper drawing pictures of germs and "soldiers". She was creating these scenarios and making the pictures talk to one another! I thought it might be fun to turn those drawings into something tangible as well, and suggested making stuffed micro-organisms from her drawings.

Watching her drawings take on a 3-D life of their own was a blast! Older kids will fare better with these stuffed germs without needing so much assistance. Lo required a lot of help but was still very much involved. She was the art director-she picked out the fabrics, felt, floss colors, beads, buttons, etc. and decided on the placement of everything. She helped a bit with the sewing but was a little intimidated by the needle after she pricked herself! She loved stuffing her germies when they were set to go.
The octopus lookin' one is a "good" bacteria and the 2nd one was supposed to be a virus but it was so endearing to her that it ended up turning into a "good virus" who is friends with the bacteria. In her game, I got to be the host body. Yay. She loved up one those goofy things all day and they all snuggled together in bed last night. Lo and her germs.

Even though it's Monday...

Warm and cozy, snowy Sunday...

TRANSITIONING through walls of LAZURE

I have always appreciated the idea of-and attempted various applications of- creating living and working spaces with the purpose of bringing about a sense of belonging, safety, and nourishment for the eyes and the soul. Looking back at my past living environments(and there were many back in the college days!) there were 2 or 3 places that felt "right". There was an ease of flow, an inviting feeling within, they were the gathering places of many friends and special times. I LOVED offering a haven for the special people in my life. Then there were the places that, despite the colors I used, the placement of objects, etc., the vibe and course of energy in that space was just ...stagnant.

The basic premises behind the art and science of balancing the energies of any given space to promote health and well being had always come naturally to me. Before I had ever delved into Feng shui or Vastu, I was manipulating my environment with texture, light, color and object placement to create my home as sanctuary. The only area that I never explored was painting the walls! Not for lack of interest, but because I always lived in rentals!

Last year, through my experiences with Waldorf education and the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, I learned about the Lazure painting that one often sees in a Waldorf environment. Lazure is the technique of painting several layers of color using thin transparent paint to create a sense of color in the space, rather than flat on the wall. The effect is gorgeous, harmonious, nurturing. I've been dying to paint the girls' rooms as well as my massage space with this technique. A couple weeks ago I received an email from Miss P. (Lo's kindy teacher)looking for volunteers and jumped at the chance to help Lazure the walls of her classroom at the Waldorf school!

The day before the Lazuring, her walls were painted a bright white in satin finish and allowed to dry. On the morning of the Lazuring, a lot of time was spent mixing the Stockmar watercolors with water and glaze to get the right consistency and tone. Once we had our colors of the rainbow, the actual painting only took the 5 of us about an hour and a half! Miss P. had also poured a different essential oil in each of the color jars so the room smelled heavenly!

Here are some before and after shots. The camera did not do the painting justice. The room looks AMAZING! What wonderful surroundings for a child to spend time in!

This explains Lazure quite well:

"....An unusual, more spiritually oriented painting technique, separate from sponging, ragging and typical glazing is the Lazure technique. Color is a vital consideration in 'tuning' a room for its intended use...the white surface behind lazure color reflects light back through the layers of glaze making the colors appear to be 'in the space' rather than simply on the wall ... The combined colors in the lazure method weave an enlivening variety for the human eye and Spirit. Never intruding, always inviting, the colors interplay with the subtle nuances of Nature, creating a depth not normally present on most interior walls."

~ From Home Design from the Inside Outby Robin Lennon

Some professional work by Charles Andrade~