simple.green.organic.happy.

Snowdrop

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:22:00 +0000

"When will it be summer?" asked the Flower, and she repeated this question each time a new sunbeam made its way down to her. But the summer was yet far distant. The snow still lay upon the ground, and there was a coat of ice on the water every night.

"What a long time it takes! what a long time it takes!" said the Flower. "I feel a stirring and striving within me; I must stretch myself, I must unlock the door, I must get out, and must nod a good morning to the summer, and what a happy time that will be!"

And the Flower stirred and stretched itself within the thin rind which the water had softened from without, and the snow and the earth had warmed, and the Sunbeam had knocked at; and it shot forth under the snow with a greenish-white blossom on a green stalk, with narrow thick leaves, which seemed to want to protect it. The snow was cold, but was pierced by the Sunbeam, therefore it was easy to get through it, and now the Sunbeam came with greater strength than before.

"Welcome, welcome!" sang and sounded every ray, and the Flower lifted itself up over the snow into the brighter world. The Sunbeams caressed and kissed it, so that it opened altogether, white as snow, and ornamented with green stripes. It bent its head in joy and humility.

"Beautiful Flower!" said the Sunbeams, "how graceful and delicate you are! You are the first, you are the only one! You are our love! You are the bell that rings out for summer, beautiful summer, over country and town.

from Hans Christian Andersen's story "The Snow Drop"

I came home yesterday from a weekend away, and my husband immediately grabbed my arm. "I have a present for you," he said, and guided me outside to see the snowdrops, knowing that this would make me happier than any store-bought trinket.

No, he didn't plant them, they were here when we moved in. But knowing how delighted I would be, to lie in wait for me to walk through the door so that he could show me right away-- well, I suppose this is why I married the man.

And so the emergence of the snowdrops make me doubly happy this year. Who would have believed such a thing to be possible?

Spring in My Step, Spring in My Heart

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:51:00 +0000

Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart.
-Victor Hugo

The weather is warming, the snow is melting, I can see the word "spring" on my calendar.

I am becoming cautiously optimistic-- perhaps this winter will end, after all.

I saw on Twitter that "Round here there are 4 seasons. Winter, still winter, almost spring, construction." My Facebook friends were quick to point out that before Construction comes Mud Season, and oh, won't Cassidy be delighted when all this snow melts, our driveway becomes a sloppy swamp, and she can get really, really dirty.

Turbo Tax Gift Card WINNER is.....

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:26:00 +0000

Comment #8:

Jeff Schroth.

Congrats Jeff, I'm going to need your address!

Thanks to everybody who entered my very first giveaway.

A Little Boredom is Good for You

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:53:00 +0000

The life of the creative man is lead, directed and controlled by boredom.
Avoiding boredom is one of our most important purposes.

-Saul Steinberg

The ongoing caption for this photo is "Tell my kids to go out and play and what do they do? Build a snow couch and watch snow TV."

Know why? They said they were bored. So I kicked 'em out the door.

They resisted. There's nothing to do, they said.

I believe a little boredom is good for you. Makes you think. Makes you band together to pull a good one on Mommy. Makes for good photo ops.

Have a lovely weekend... hope it's boring enough for you to come up with something good.

Philadelphia Zoo Pt. 2: McNeil Avian Center

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:48:00 +0000

I hope you love birds too.
It is economical. It saves going to heaven.

Emily Dickinson

Now, had it been up to me, I think I could have happily passed all four hours at the zoo in the McNeil Avian Center. Usually it's quite crowded and you get a bit of that "cattle drive" feeling walking through it-- just keep moving or you'll be trampled.

On this post-snowpocalypse windy day, though, the place was nearly empty, and nice and cozy and warm. The birds were braver and landed on branches just overhead, as if to get a closer look at you.

I think this fierce little guy is a Kingfisher of some sort. Isn't he cute? I wanted to toss him in my pocket and take him home with me.

The children were delighted by the dental work on this one.

I was less inclined to want to throw him in my pocket.

I'm sure he has a lovely personality and all... in my mind he has a voice like Gilbert Gottfried and he's doing vaudeville routines.

At one point the birds got to take a shower, which made them all happy and dance-y.

I do like a nice shower myself.

(Side note: Cassie's favorite zoo thing is the flamingo exhibit, so we had to head there first. The flamingos were inside, obviously, in a building with lots of windows. They were also getting a shower, and they were dancing like crazy. Flamingos know how to party.

The National Aviary in Pittsburgh has a program called the Flamingo Connection where you can get into the exhibit, and the flamingos will come and check you out; if you're lucky they will preen you. There's also a Penguin Connection. I've already had the chance to pet a penguin, but I think the kids want to as well, cheeky things. I see a trip to Pittsburgh in the near future!)

This one has a hairstyle similar to Jacob's, overstyled and spiky.

If we dyed Jake's hair green and purple I'm sure the resemblance would be uncanny.

Check out the mohawk on this one!

I wanted to touch the curls on his head- they look like they could feel like curls of chocolate, or the curly waxy petals of a hyacinth- but apparently they frown on that sort of thing.

Sigh.

Another awesome hairstyle. This makes me yearn for the 80s.

This is the Victoria Crowned Pigeon, by the way.

Next time I'll bring a notebook and try to match up all the names with the faces.

If I remember correctly, this effect is achievable with egg whites, Elmer's Glue, and a hair dryer.

Or Rave #4 in the pump bottle. Do they still make Rave hairspray?

Another round of snow expected today... and better arrive, to justify the kids being off school.

They're calling it a "snow hurricane," which feels like overkill given the NOTHING that is sticking at the moment. But if we do get snowed in and get bored we can try on bird hairdos... beats playing another 100 rounds of Connect Four!

Stay warm, stay sane! How many days until spring?

Giveaway: Turbo Tax Deluxe Gift Card

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:31:00 +0000

I like to pay taxes.
With them I buy civilization.
~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

OK, nobody really likes to pay taxes. But the order-loving side of me enjoys the calculations involved, the collecting of relevant papers, the sorting of numbers and then the filing away of another year.

Even though everybody and their mother insists that you should have "someone" do your taxes when they get the slightest bit complicated (my husband lives in one state and works in another part of the time, I am a freelancer and independent contractor), I've always used Turbo Tax. It's easy and gets easier every year. It took me less than an hour to prepare my tax returns for federal and two states, and I can do it in my sweats while watching TV (always a selling point). And then it printed out vouchers for me to use while paying my estimated taxes for 2010.

Turbo Tax also saves your info from year to year, and now is linked to Mint.com. Mint is a free online budgeting and tracking system that I just recently signed up for, and I can already see how much easier it's going to make next year's taxes-- I can just flag anything that was purchased for business, and it'll upload next year along with real estate taxes and mortgage interest as appropriate for deductions. AWESOME. Turbo Tax is also linked to Quicken and Microsoft Money, but as I don't use those programs, I can't speak as to how seamless that process is.

Anyhoo, the reason I'm telling you all this is because Kelly, a lovely local lady over at The Centsible Life, DM'd me on Twitter last week to let me know that I'd won a gift card for Turbo Tax-- but I'd already done my taxes the week before! Nothing unusual there, really; that's how my life works.

I was hoping that it would still be good next year, but alas, it specifies 2009.

So my loss is your gain! Win a Turbo Tax Deluxe gift card-- redeemable at TurboTax.com and good for one free federal + state preparation and e-file with TurboTax Deluxe Online 2009.

Just leave me a reply below letting me know how you feel about taxtime to enter, and on Sunday, February 28th at midnight I'll pull a random winner.

Philadelphia Zoo in Winter

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:54:00 +0000

In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.

~William Blake

Maverick has been selected to participate in the Junior Advisory Council for the Philadelphia Zoo, so Jake and Cass and I trekked up to Philly on Saturday for some facetime with the animals.

Want to know the best thing about the zoo after 40 inches of snow? NO HUMANS. At least, not so many that you feel obligated to catch glimpses of things and then move on so someone else can get their turn. Nope, you can sit and take purty pictures to your heart's content.

Here are some of my favorites; more to come.

Captions are just what popped into my head so proceed with caution.

Stanley looked cool & detached,

but then, penguins often do.

"High five!"

I hate Mondays.

"My spoon is too big!"

The bus will be here soon.

Whatever. Later, bitches.

Winter Olympics, Extreme Elton Style

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:36:00 +0000

There are only two lasting bequests
we can hope to give our children.
One is roots;
the other, wings.

~ Hodding Carter

For my Valentine's Day present, Jeff cleared the deck of snow so I could start hanging laundry again.

For the kids' Valentine's Day present, he took that snow and built a sled run named "The Terminator."

The snow we got this month was fairly light and fluffy, so all of this had to be packed down and then built up. A labor of love to be sure, and certain to still be here for weeks to come, getting icier and faster all the time.

The sled run consists of a mens' start with a steep slope, a ladies start some four feet below, and a jump high enough that it has to be climbed. It then winds down the rest of the hill. Jeff made me take a picture from the top, but it doesn't look like anything. Just whiteness. So you'll have to try to gain some sense of perspective from this photo- Jeff is at the top, I am at the jump, which is about a sixth of the length from the top.

The run is long.

On to the games! Maverick catches some big air.

Note the dramatic foot pointing. Bonus points.

Jacob opts for face first positioning.

This was a risky decision that paid off with extra points for jump distance.

Here we have some team sledding.

At this point Jeff decides we need to up the ante with the jump,

so he crouches down so the kids can jump over him.

He declines a helmet.

I considered cropping this photo so you can see the expression on his face, it's priceless.

The obstacle jump was successful. No Eltons were injured.

Up next: snowboarding.

Have a great weekend! Get outside and play.

This is a Public Service Announcement

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:15:00 +0000

If you have any overhangs or rain gutters on your porch or deck that look like this:

Then be very careful slamming doors today, so you don't get caught under this:

Children Are Like Kites. Also, Children Like Kites.

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:29:00 +0000

“I went to the park and saw this kid flying a kite. The kid was really excited. I don't know why, that's what they're supposed to do. Now if he had had a chair on the other end of that string, I would have been impressed.”

-Mitch Hedberg

It's funny how you lose sight of who you were as a child.

When my parents died, I had to ruthlessly toss boxes and boxes of photos. My father documented everything when we were young (OK, it's hereditary, what of it?) and I just couldn't save every photo.

Among the few that I saved were shots of my brother and me flying kites at Cape Henlopen State Park. It's one of those quiet moments that one recalls decades later with perfect clarity for no good reason: the wind blowing your hair in your face, the tug of the string.

Judging by the look on Cassidy's face in the photo above, this was a moment I had neglected to share with her before now. She was beside herself when that kite caught and took off.

Do you remember what it was like, when you were amazed that a kite could fly?

Now, I see people and their kids flying kites all the time, especially at the beach. It is a different thing entirely to hold the string yourself, feel the pull, shake the hair being blown in your face. Flying a kite is to return to the child you once were.

These are the moments I strive to provide for my kids, these simple memories of catching fireflies, skipping stones, climbing trees. The sort of uncomplicated memories that get called up from the depths by the smooth feel of a stone, the beat of tiny insect wings on your skin, the sound of leaves rustling. The tug of a kite at the end of the line. The sorts of memories that give you peace.

The boys were not so overt in their enthusiasm for kite flying- seems they found out somewhere that there are these things called kites, and they go up in the sky using the power of wind- but they were certainly quick to claim their turn.

Of course, when they were actually holding the string, they had to go and be all nonchalant. "What, me? I'm just hanging out in the water. I'm holding this kite for my sister so it doesn't get away. I'm so not involved with the flying of this kite, I'm not even looking at it."

Right.

Here's a little something to leave you with this weekend. I couldn't locate an author to attribute it to:

Children are like kites.

You work so hard trying your best to get
them off the ground. You run with them until
you are both breathless, dodging obstacles,
avoiding tangles. They hit roof tops. They
crash. You patch things up, make adjustments
and learn.

You watch them lifted by the fickle
wind and pray it will help keep them up.

You assure them that someday they will reach
great heights. But they always need more
string to soar.

Go fly a kite, people. Fly 'em with your kids so that when, as an adult, they hold a kite for someone, they can be reminded with perfect clarity this quiet time they once shared with you.

I Take My Children to Get Tattoos

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:19:00 +0000

The great thing about getting older

is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been.

-Madeleine L'Engle

Just kidding. I took the kids to Sesame Place.

But they did get airbrushed tattoos, which lasted over a week.

We got to play in the Count's Splash Castle for two whole hours before the park opened.

There were only three or four other families there, so we pretty much had the run of the place.

We went down the water slides forty-three thousand and eight times. I counted.

I have never been so exhausted by 9 a.m. in my entire life.

My children have probably never been so clean, and most likely never will be so clean again.

We'll look back on this as the cleanest day of our lives.

We were there for a segment on the local Fox morning news, and like an idiot I didn't think to have anyone tape it for me. I've become so used to everything being available on the internet!

I didn't exactly elbow anyone aside to get my moment of fame. By the time they were taping, I'd had eighty-two million buckets of water dumped on my head and I'm sure I was looking mighty purty.

Every time that bucket would get me, I'd scream. I just couldn't help it. I am a sissy.

I may have enjoyed Sesame Place even more than my kids did. They are at an age where it may not be so "cool" to admit you are excited about seeing Cookie Monster and Grover.

At my advanced age, however, I have no such inhibitions.

Moments before this picture was taken, my oldest son melted with embarrassment and withered away into nothing, as I shoved my camera into his hands and yelled- YELLED, people-

"BERT! BERT! IT'S BERT!
JACOB, WILL YOU PLEASE TAKE MY PICTURE WITH BERT??!!"

Please, do not judge. I love me some Sesame Street.

This trip is one of a series. As I now work from home, I've been rewarding the kids with one day a week of undivided-attention Mom time. I'll be posting in-depth about each of these trips on another blog, if you are interested in the details.

Cassidy Is 5

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:10:00 +0000

A daughter is the happy memories of the past,
the joyful moments of the present,
and the hope and promise of the future.

-Unknown

Cassidy turned five in July, and all she wanted was a pinata, a tiara, and a trip to the zoo.

So in the photo above we are enjoying our trip to the zoo, and below, we have the pinata.

I can't say I've ever really understood the allure of the pinata, the need to beat something with a stick to get at the goodies inside, but whatever. Kid wants a pinata (thank you, Jon & Kate, for letting her know that she NEEDED a pinata) and a pinata she had.

The boys chipped in on the candy to ensure we got the good stuff instead of the usual pinata fare of cheap plastic toys and chalky sweets. The downside to that was, the thing was packed so tight that nobody could bust it open.

We tried-

and tried-

until finally Jeff broke the stick on the thing's back.

So, we just opened up the trapdoor on the thing's butt and dumped out the candy, and Cass has a lovely souvenir from her 5th birthday.

(Note: the candles in the top picture caused some sort of weird reflection in the camera lens, which resulted in Cassidy appearing to wear a tiara made of fairy fire. The actual tiara was broken maybe ten minutes after escaping its package. But it's a neat effect, eh?)

Happy belated internet birthday to my darling girl, my girly girl, full of fire and enthusiasm and bubbling laughter and cheer, who loves everything and everyone and makes me strive to be a good mother and a good person, to be every good thing she perceives me to be.

To the Sane and Free

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:08:00 +0000

To the sane and free it will hardly seem necessary to cross the continent in search of wild beauty, however easy the way, for they find it in abundance wherever they chance to be.
Like Thoreau they see forests in orchards and patches of huckleberry bush, and oceans in ponds and drops of dew.
Few in these hot, dim, strenuous times are quite sane or free; choked with care like clocks full of dust, laboriously doing so much good and making so much money- or so little- they are no longer good for themselves.

When, like a merchant taking a list of his goods, we take stock of our wilderness, we are glad to see how much of even the most destructable kind is still unspoiled.

-John Muir

Many thanks to those who left me comments and emailed me to welcome me back to the blogosphere! It means very much to me.

As you may have guessed, I managed to save up for a snazzy new camera! I haven't had much time to figure it all out quite yet, so bear with me in the days ahead. I can tell you this, though, my next big purchase will be a snazzy telephoto lens so I can finally capture those elusive crows that visit me each morning. (cough, cough... Want to help me out with that? There's a tip jar in the sidebar... Just click donate...)

To be quite frank, I have felt neither sane nor free these last few months, and it is an immeasurable relief to be back behind the lens and enjoying my self-imposed solitude, seeking out and taking comfort in the wilderness that perseveres in spite of our carelessness and industry. To focus on the little things and have no sense of time. To sit eye-to-eye with a toad.

"O brave new world,
That has such creatures in't!"

Another beautiful July day outside, so I am unplugging for the afternoon, taking stock of our wilderness- the most destructable kind- the sort that we carry within.

Hope that you are doing the same!

Feeling Sheepish

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:32:00 +0000

No one will notice if I slink quietly back in here, right?

And pretend I've been here all along?

I've been a very bad blogger. The reasons are varied and complicated and I'll get into that some other time.

For now, just want to say hey, I've missed everybody, and I'm back. No getting rid of me now.

And for now, wanted to share my very most favorite thing I've come across during my absence. I've been waiting so very long to show it to you.

It's the polite umbrella:

[via PSFK]

Do you love it?

Spring

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 19:41:00 +0000

The book of nature is like a page

written over or printed upon

with different-sized characters and in many different languages,

interlined and cross-lined,

and with a great variety

of marginal notes and references.

There is coarse print and fine print;

there are obscure signs and hieroglyphics.

We all read the large type more or less appreciatively,

but only the students and lovers of nature

read the fine lines and footnotes.

It is a book which he reads best who goes most slowly

or even tarries long by the way...

For my part,

my delight is to linger long over each page

of this marvelous record,

and to dwell fondly upon its most obscure text.

-John Burroughs

Spring.

Totally worth the wait.

I Am So Freaking Happy

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:26:00 +0000

Who would have thought it possible

that a tiny little flower

could preoccupy a person so completely

that there simply wasn't room for any other thought?

-Sophie Scholl

Cassidy has a favorite book by Margaret Wise Brown called The Color Kittens that is one of those rare children's books, that are a joy to read aloud.

Brush and Hush are two kittens with green eyes, who mix and splash their buckets and buckets of paints to make all the colors of the world. They fall asleep and dream a fantastical dream....

And suddenly Brush woke up and Hush woke up. It was morning. They crawled out of bed into a big bright world. The sky was wild with sunshine.

The kittens were wild with purring and pouncing-

They got so pouncy they knocked over the buckets and all the colors ran out together.

There were all the colors in the world and the color kittens had made them.

That's how I feel, like today there is color where no color existed before.

I feel wild with sunshine. The air is delicious.

I follow bees from flower to flower and drink in the color and the buzz.

I cannot speak; I purr.

Weekend Reading, Desperately Seeking Spring Edition

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 20:11:00 +0000

To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring - these are some of the rewards of the simple life.

-John Burroughs

Oh, so ready for spring. Checking daily on the progress of the green sprouting from the earth, that will soon be purple crocuses and yellow daffodils!

To that end, I'm all signed up with Project BudBurst and the National Phenology Network, citizen science projects where participants report the life cycle phenophases such as "leafing and flowering of plants, maturation of agricultural crops, emergence of insects, and migration of birds". By collecting this data, scientists can better see environmental trends and the effects of climate change.

I just like having a scientific reason validating my need to be patrolling the grounds looking for signs of life...

**********

We moved into this house three, nearly four, years ago, and we still haven't painted all the rooms that want painting. This is due to the fact that we refuse to paint rooms white- too boring- but are too indecisive to choose color palettes for the main living spaces.

Check this out- color palettes based on NASA photos of heavenly bodies.

Is that awesome or is that awesome? I'm thinking the dining room is destined to become the Jupiter room and the kitchen will be the Saturn room. (via PSFK.)

**********

The EWG has updated the Dirty Dozen of produce; the likeliest contenders to be harboring pesticides, making them the best choices for buying organic. New to the list: kale, lettuce, and carrots. Happily, these are the items I'm most likely to find selling for about the same price as conventional...

**********

It's been brought to my attention that West Philadelphia has a tool library, which got me really excited and I was reading to Jeffrey about. Until I hit the bit about their having a "few hundred tools", from "complex power tools to hammers, handheld tools and gardening supplies."

At which point Jeff rightfully stated that he probably owns more tools than they do. Maybe we should start our own Southern Chester County tool cooperative?

**********

Speaking of cooperatives, Stephanie sent me a link to this story about the "economics of self-help". (Thanks Stephanie!) As she puts it, "people in the Great Depression got together to form co-ops to work and get food through the tough times. Definitely showcases "that American resilience" that people around the blogosphere sometimes talks about."

From the article:

It all worked on a time-credit system. Each hour worked earned a hundred points; there was no hierarchy of skills, and all work paid the same. Members could use credits to buy food and other items at the commissary, medical and dental services, haircuts, andmore. A council of some 45 coordinators met regularly to solve problems and discuss opportunities.

One coordinator might report that a saw needed a new motor. Another knew of a motor but the owner wanted a piano in return. A third member knew of a piano that was available. And on and on. It was an amalgam of enterprise and cooperation—the flexibility and hustle of the market, but without the encoded greed of the corporation or the stifling bureaucracy of the state. The economics texts don't really have a name for it. The members called it a “reciprocal economy.”

....It embodied the trusty American virtues of initiative, responsibility, and self-help, but in a way that was grounded in community and genuine economy.

Initiative, responsibility, and self-help. Not waiting for the President to fix the economy. Not pointing fingers and assigning blame. These people worked it out for themselves. Why don't they teach you about these things in school?

**********

The other night the boys and I were discussing the concept of heaven, and Maverick asked why they didn't just wait until someone was almost dead, and then bring them back to life with the paddles, and ask them if they saw heaven. Which then evolved into a conversation about near-death experiences, and the white light at the end of the tunnel, and all that, and whether the brain universally triggers these elements when deprived of oxygen, and whether if the brain causes these feelings of well-being and belonging, does that necessarily mean it's not heaven? Can heaven be a state of mind? And so on.

The following day I came across an article claiming that scientists discovered the brain's "God spot", and show that faith helps human survival. Basically, the same area of the brain was fired up when participants of varying faiths were asked to ponder religious and moral issues. Some scientists suggest that this implies that religion is evolutionary, Darwin at his finest; those with religious conviction were able to withstand hardships that those with no such beliefs could not.

My father would say that this part of the brain acts as the signature of a Creator- he was fond of the watchmaker analogy. Throw all the parts of a watch into a box, wait a few eons, and see what evolves.

I say, fascinating. Seriously. No matter what your beliefs may be. I'm not looking to spark a theological debate, I'm just saying: the human brain, what a wondrous thing.

**********

21 Sickening Statistics: The Only Motivation You'll Ever Need.

A little list to remind us, as Dr. Seuss did, "Have I ever told you how lucky you are?"

**********

Lastly:

Move over Snuggie, it's something weirder....

It's a sleeping bag! It's a jumpsuit! It's the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man! It's.. a..

....it's a Lippi Selk bag.

I don't know. Brilliant? Ridiculous? Warm, that's for sure.

That's it for now! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

We Make Pasta

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:13:00 +0000

No man is lonely eating spaghetti;
it requires so much attention.

-Christopher Morley

We eat pasta once a week, one of two weekly vegetarian dinners. I like this arrangement because it basically means I'm off the hook for dinner that night- just boiling water and opening a box. Jeff, however, always moans and groans on pasta night. Recently he commented that he likes freshly made pasta, and he'd eat it all the time if we made it. As long as he had freshly grated parmesan. And a loaf of bread on the side.

OK then. I bought a pasta machine.

It was a pain at first, the pasta wasn't cutting all the way through and so I was having to separate each strand. Thinking all the while, there is NO WAY it is worth the time to do this, not when a box of pasta can be had for a dollar. After our first few trials, though, we got the hang of it and everything went much more smoothly- I think maybe we just didn't let it rest long enough. (I can hear my Italian friends laughing at me. Keep quiet, you.)

Jeff had started a loaf of "rustic bread" earlier in the day, and as we finished up rolling and cutting our fettucine he checked on the dough, ending its second rise. I don't know if it was overproofed or whether he just handled it roughly, but it just went pfffft- deflated into a pancake. He was ready to toss it- angrily, I might add- but I suggested that he knead it one more time and leave it alone for a bit and maybe it would rise again.

It did, and he brushed the top with some butter seasoned with a witch's brew of god knows what- I suspect steak seasoning- and put it in to bake.

It was better than any of our breads thus far- the crust was both flaky and chewy, the seasoning was yum, and the texture was perfect.

Lesson learned: never give up, never throw anything away.

The pasta was delicious- we topped it with Mr. Newman's red sauce, I'm all out of the stuff we froze over the summer. We were worried it wouldn't be enough- it doesn't look like a lot, does it?- but had leftovers for lunch the next day. They really "plump when you cook 'em." Fully organic meal, too.

We really felt like we had done something productive with our day. As opposed to the leaf raking, which today's high winds have completely undone.

Lesson learned, part two: Don't leave raking half done.

I think next week we'll show the boys how to roll and cut the pasta, and let them cook on Sundays. It's really not hard and I think they'll enjoy being responsible for a weekly meal.

Anyway, that's something I learned to do this week. Did you learn anything new?

Snowdrop

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 05:29:00 +0000

If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom.

-Audra Foveo

My new favorite flower: the delicate snowdrop, who only yesterday was yet covered by a thin blanket of snow.

Tiny and unassuming, modest and hiding its face. Sheltered in the shade, uncovered by a young hand desperately seeking spring, and seeming to whisper: Thank you for your patience, for weathering the cold and the storm. I am here, take heart, gather hope. Soon, soon. The best is yet to come.

I am thrilled to the very edges of my soul.

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 01:12:00 +0000

Many, many thanks to reader Linda who let me know that the following can be recycled at certain recycling centers in Delaware:

Computer components and/or parts
Main frame computers
Mini computers
Terminals
Printers
Personal computers
Monitors
Keyboards
Mice
Cables
Laptop computers
Notebook computers
Notepad computers
Copying equipment
Electronic typewriters
Calculators
Telecommunications Equipment
Telephone systems
Terminals
Telephones
Telex
Facsimile
Pay telephones
Cordless telephones
Cellular telephones
Answering machines
Radio, Television, Electro acoustic Radios
Televisions
Video cameras
Video recorders
Tape recorders
Audio amplifiers
VCRs
Cassette players
Record players
Toys
Game boys
Electronic toys

The list of recycling centers that accept these electronics can be found here.

Now the hard part: convincing everybody we don't need to hang onto the Atari or Sega Genesis.

White Lion

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 23:51:00 +0000

The March wind roars
Like a lion in the sky,
And makes us shiver
As he passes by.

When winds are soft,
And the days are warm and clear,
Just like a gentle lamb,
Then spring is here.

-Author unknown

I know that March is supposed to come in like a lion, but come on. Talk about one last hurrah- we measured nine inches on our deck.

I've been suffering from a doozy of a head cold- who knew that one human head could produce so much mucus? It lasted a full two weeks, during which all sound seemed as if it were travelling through water. Which, in a disgusting manner of speaking, it was.

I'm somewhat proud that I managed to get through it without breaking down and buying a box of tissues. My dainty floral vintage handkerchiefs weren't quite up to the task, so I used our cloth napkins. Really, not as gross as it might seem, when compared with having to toss a pile of used tissues every morning.

It occured to me the other day that many readers only access this site through RSS or email, so they have not seen what's new on the sidebar. I've been writing for a number of other sites, and that has contributed to my absences here. (The other main factor being an overwhelming desire to lie down whenever I had more than two minutes to rub together.)

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday I contribute over at Eco Child's Play, a site dedicated to "helping families live a healthy, eco-friendly life".

On the first of each month, I have an article or two over at Root&Sprout (this month's is on preschoolers and stranger anxiety, a topic I am more familiar with from a firsthand standpoint. My preschoolers were most decidedly not shy.) Root&Sprout is for parents, by parents; and always inviting new writers.

I'm also the Green Moms editor over at Type-A Mom. Type-A Mom is also looking for writers on all sorts of topics! Check it out.

I spend a fair amount of time as "eltonmom" on Philadelphia MomsLikeMe, a forum for moms. If you live in the Philly area, come join the conversation! If not, there are momslikeme forums all over the country. There's coupons, advice, and most importantly, opportunities to vent without judgement.

And, finally, I'm on Facebook and twitter. I don't know how to link you to my Facebook page, you're going to have to type in my name. Sorry! Small effort to be friends.

I'm waaaay backed up on emails and DMs and Facebook messages and comments, so if you've contacted me in these past few weeks and I've neglected you you're in good company. I'm biting the bullet and responding to everything tomorrow, and then I'm turning off the computer and going outside.

This will be the first true test run of the camera since it went into the mud, so keep your fingers crossed for me. What if the snowdrops and crocuses and daffodils pop up and I can't record it? My head will explode.

Weekend Reading, "Think Spring!" Edition

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:09:00 +0000

We have always held to the hope,
the belief,
the conviction that there is a better life,
a better world,
beyond the horizon.

-Franklin Delano Roosevelt

The only thing that has kept me going all through this cold, wet, dreary winter is the fact that one day spring will come; and oh, what a glory that will be.

I was culling my pictures to free up some space on my hard drive and found my shots of those first shoots of spring: the wonderful, wonderful crocuses, first splashes of color against a desolate landscape. DATED MARCH 28.

Three days later, I have shots of fully grown daffodils; five days after that, the bush beneath my kitchen window is captured fully exploding into bloom.

I AM VERY VERY EXCITED. The countdown begins...

This story has been all over the green blogosphere lately, but in case you missed it, Americans are being taken to task for their toilet paper use:

The tenderness of the delicate American buttock is causing more environmental devastation than the country's love of gas-guzzling cars, fast food or McMansions, according to green campaigners. At fault, they say, is the US public's insistence on extra-soft, quilted and multi-ply products when they use the bathroom.
-(from The Guardian)

More than 98% of the toilet paper sold in this country originates in virgin forests, as opposed to abroad, which purchases up to 40% recycled product.

I'm sort of shocked that this is such a hot issue; it's old news to me. At the risk of "too much information", I buy Marcal, which is 100% recycled paper. I have pretty much always bought Marcal because it's cheaper and they often print coupons in the Sunday paper, making it super-cheap. Recently, though, they've changed the packaging to highlight how buying their product helps to "Save 1 Million Trees", complete with background photo of trees and fields of flowers; the new packaging costs a dollar more than it used to, even though the product inside has stayed the same. I guess that's the cost of progress.

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I have been nagging Jeff to build me a cold frame (as promised) to extend my growing season, and Chelsea Green has helpfully published a tutorial on how to do just that: here's Part One and Part Two. For my part, I have helpfully printed out these posts and taped them to the bathroom mirror.

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Speaking of nagging, Unclutterer has unearthed the perfect job for me: professional nagger. Options include "daily nag, a power nag, an on-going nag, a week-long nag, and a community nag." Excellent! Please keep me in mind for all your nagging needs.

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Is Facebook hurting our brains? I've been reading an interesting book titled Endangered Minds: Why Children Don't Think And What We Can Do About It, which sets forth the theory that childhood exposure to TV and other electronic media effectively "rewires" the way the brain develops, at the cost of higher-level cognition.

Similarly, Baroness Greenfield, an Oxford University neuroscientist, feels that sites such as Facebook and Twitter rewire youth, shortening attention spans, encouraging instant gratification and making them more self-centered.

'We know how small babies need constant reassurance that they exist,' she told the Mail yesterday.

'My fear is that these technologies are infantilising the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a small attention span and who live for the moment.'

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Last year I tentatively wrote my township suggesting they use some public lands for community gardens. I never heard anything back, but after reading this comprehensive article on starting a community garden, my resolve is renewed. This site is an incredible wealth of information; check it out.

Or, if you're really lucky, you'll find your area already has a community garden after searching the national database.

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Wondering where you can recycle your electronic whotsits? According to Best Buy,

Now you can bring almost everything from TVs and computers to DVD players and more to any U.S. Best Buy store, and we'll recycle it. Best Buy does not charge a fee for recycling most consumer electronics. However, we do charge $10 for TVs 32" and under, CRTs, monitors and laptops, which is offset with a $10 Gift Card.

Note that we currently cannot accept TVs greater than 32" or external/internal hard drives which need to be removed before recycling laptops and desktops.

We accept up to two items per household per day.

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This week's call to action: the Jeans for Teens campaign. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, the majority of homeless and runaway youth are between the ages of 15 and 17. Raise awareness of youth homelessness, help clothe homeless teens, and recycle your gently used jeans by taking them to an Aeropostale store near you.

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Falling under the "I just can't resist" category this week:

Man Pleads No Contest to Sex With Car Wash Vacuum.
Man charged with felony "sudden snatching" after stealing a laptop to check Facebook.
Man Catches 3 Foot Rat. Quote: "I did it, I caught a rat the size of a cat!" Where's Dr. Seuss when you need him?

That's it for this week... What good stories did you see?

My Tree is Leaking Icy Tears

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:39:00 +0000

Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee,
Whether the summer clothe the general earth
With greenness, or the redbreast sit and sing
Betwixt the tufts of snow on the bare branch
Of mossy apple-tree, while the nigh thatch
Smokes in the sun-thaw; whether the eave-drops fall
Heard only in the trances of the blast,
Or if the secret ministry of frost
Shall hang them up in silent icicles,
Quietly shining to the quiet Moon..

-Samuel Taylor Coleridge

One of our trees is crying.

I see no other reason for it to be producing icicles, in the absence of any rain or snow.

"It is such a secret place, the land of tears."

-Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

What's a tree got to cry about?

The boy stayed away for a long time.
And when he came back, the tree was so happy
she could hardly speak.
"Come, Boy," she whispered, "come and play."
I am too old and sad to play," said the boy.
"I want a boat that will take me far away from here.
Can you give me a boat?"
"Cut down my trunk and make a boat," said the tree.
"Then you can sail away...and be happy."
And so the boy cut down her trunk and made a boat and sailed away.
And the tree was happy...
but not really.

-Shel Silverstein,
The Giving Tree

“If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.”

-Jack Handy

Any fool can destroy trees. They cannot defend themselves or run away. Through all the eventful centuries since Christ's time, and long before that, God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand storms; but he cannot save them from sawmills and fools; this is left to the American people.

-John Muir

I think that might be the cold meds talking.

Seriously, though, any ideas why the tree is forming icicles? Should I be concerned?

I Wish I Was in New Orleans

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:21:00 +0000

New Orleans is my essence, my soul, my muse,
and I can only dream that one day she will recapture her glory.

-Harry Connick Jr

I love New Orleans. I love the blatant debauchery of Mardi Gras, the soulful beauty throughout the year. I love the sultry heat. I love that the voices of everyone there seem to sing. I love the food, the music, the tourists and the natives.

I do not love the pictures of me that have been taken there. At least at Mardi Gras. Yes, I was 18 and 19 at the time.... still, I think I'll spare you. This was the only one I deemed not too humiliating. That's me at center, Jeff at my right. Don't ask me how he got all those beads.

This picture was taken at Andrew Jaeger's House of Seafood on Royal St, a restaurant I've visited every time I've been in New Orleans; if it still stands and you ever find yourself in that area you must try it.

Do you like how three of us shared the same jar of Manic Panic to dye our hair for the occasion? That's classy.

Today, I wish I was in New Orleans; instead, I am getting ready to take all three kids for three consecutive dentist appointments. Fun!

Happy Mardi Gras, everyone. Laissez les bon temps roulez.

REVIEW: Snapshot Adventures: Secret of Bird Island

robinelton@comcast.net (Robin) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:17:00 +0000

Recently the good people over at Large Animal Games sent our family a PC game to try out, called Snapshot Adventures: Secret of Bird Island. This game was created in collaboration with Cornell's Lab of Ornithology, the same organization which hosts the "citizen scientist" projects Celebrate Urban Birds and the Great Backyard Bird Count.

The basic plot of the game, as penned by Jacob (who is 11): The player's grandpa has been lost, and for some reason his friends don't know where he is. To find him, has to go from state to state to find clues. This is where photography comes in. Each one of his friends has a magazine or blog or something like that. They challenge you to take pictures of certain birds. They reward you with praise, a clue, or an item to help you with your photographs.

I was actually impressed by the whole photography aspect of the game. There are tutorials on what constitutes a good shot- bird facing the camera, wings outstretched, level of zoom, and so forth. When you wind up with multiple shots of birds, the game asks you to select your best shot. Maverick (8 years old), ever a perfectionist, was very careful to always try to achieve "magazine cover" shots; even Cassidy (4 years old) quickly recognized the basic rules of photo composition.

By asking the player to take pictures of specific birds (pictured at the corner of the screen for the non-reader), the kids learned how to narrow down characteristics to identify a bird. Cassidy would carefully scrutinize the picture- the bird pictures are fairly realistic, by the way- and decide that bird she needed to find had a red chest (robin). Then when she saw a red-winged blackbird or a woodpecker, she knew to ignore it, it didn't have the marks that she was looking for.

What made this game really fun for all three of my kids- and that's a fairly serious age range, 4 through 11- was the capability to create and name your own birds, write their descriptions and release them into the "wild". My hooligans, of course, named their birds things like "Dad Stinks" and "Moonchomp" (Moonchomp eats only moons and suns)and this amusement alone will keep them going back to the game, even though they've beaten it.

Importantly, this invented bird section is completely separate from the main part of the game; there's no "Death Star" birds hobnobbing with cardinals and hummingbirds.

From a mom perspective, I'd like to point out that the accompanying music was nice and soothing, with bird calls in the background, and I didn't want to throw anything after listening to it for an hour. It would have been nice if there was an option to have text read aloud- Cass can't read yet, and Maverick is sometimes a slow reader; but this didn't seem to diminish anybody's enjoyment.

Is this game a substitute for going outside with the kids and doing your own birdwatching? No, of course not. But it did teach the kids some bird species and calls they didn't know yet, and prompted them to voluntarily take the camera out to "capture" some birds (as opposed to me dragging them out with me). Birding has been legitimized and is somewhat cool again around here. For a kid just developing an interest in birds, I'd say this game would be ideal.

Sure, I'd rather they spent all their time reading and painting and playing outside. On a rainy Sunday, though, all they want to do is play video games. I figure time spent playing Snapshot Adventures: Secret of Bird Island together, as a team, is time they're not playing Sly Cooper: Band of Thieves (the most annoying game in the world). And really, that's good enough for me.