Turning Your Front Yard Into A Garden.

I got Dreams.

Glorious Garden Dreams in the middle of the Winter.

Sigh.

I have been pouring over photos from the lovely book I received for Christmas. "Edible Landscaping With a Permaculture Twist: How To Have Your Yard and Eat It Too."

Michael Judd is a local boy (from Frederick County) who spent many years in Mexico and Nicaragua learning  about and experimenting with Permaculture. He is a genius at turning Yards into low-maintenance Gardens and Orchards. No weeding, no watering (except for in the beginning). Seriously, why Garden any other way?

He's transformed the Gardens at Volt.

You may have heard of that place.

I listened to him speak at the Holistic Family Health Conference in Frederick, last Spring. He's a dynamic speaker. When he mentioned an upcoming book, I was thrilled.

The book didn't disappoint.

Gorgeous photos. Clear directions. And, brilliant ideas.

I am all about digging up that grass and planting useful and beautiful plants.

Even though, I was familiar with a lot of what was in the book, it was great to see more examples of "Herbal Spirals," learn about growing Mushrooms and be given so much information of Uncommon Fruits that grow well in this region.

Judd's section on Rainwater Harvesting, Swales and Rain Gardens may completely change your relationship with your Yard.

I had never heard of a "Hugelkultur" (which is a shame because it's a terrific concept and would have been helpful to know about when my Sister had all these fallen down trees in her Yard).

If you are in Maryland or Northern Virginia, you are in luck. He does 1 1/2 hr-2hr consultations starting at $175 (depending on where you are located). His schedule fills up fast, but now is the perfect time to have him come out and brainstorm with you on how to transform your Yard into a beautiful, edible Landscape.

Early Mother's Day present? Or maybe forget that fancy bouquet and expensive dinner this Valentine's Day? Hmmmm....

We will be moving from one rental house to another this Summer, so planting much is out of the question. But, there are always Mushrooms...

After Being Called the Ugliest Woman Alive...

Lizzie Velasquez fought back.

She decided she wasn't going to let a bunch of Internet Bullies define who she was and she certainly wasn't going to follow their suggestions to end her own life.

When she was in High School, she accidentally stumbled across an 8 second video declaring her to be "The Ugliest Woman Alive." The video had 4 million hits and thousands of cruel, negative comments. She read every single one. And, was completely devastated.

Instead of dwelling on such incredible negativity, she chose to set several concrete goals and use the hatefulness directed at her, as fuel for her ambition.

She chose to be Happy.

She is my Hero.

Lizzie was born with a extremely rare syndrome in which it is impossible for her body to gain any fat. At the age of 25, the most she has ever weighed is 64 pounds. At birth, her parents were told she would never speak, walk or accomplish anything. Lizzie has proven those doctors wrong.

She has spent the last 8 years as a Motivational Speaker, completed college and has just submitted the manuscript for her 3rd book.

Her Honesty, Grace and Humor inspire me.

Here is one of her TED Talks, where she discusses how she CHOOSES to be Happy.

You can find out more about Lizzie here.

Living More Fearlessly.

How can we live more Fearlessly? These 10 suggestions from one of my favorite writers is now posted beside my computer.

I love them.

And, I love Karen Maezen Miller.

Her book, Momma Zen: Walking the Crooked Path of Motherhood is one of my all-time favorites.

I'm really working hard on those first two. Man, are they difficult for me!

January. 2014. The Month of Courage.

Better late than never is one of my Mottoes. 

Life got in the way the last two weeks and I haven't been able to write about this Month's Theme...Courage. 

Influenced by my years teaching at a Friends School, I decided to organize my Blog Posts around Monthly Themes. It's a simple way to give some structure to my writing (and the million Ideas that flow through my brain).

I want to share a few folks and groups who I've stumbled across, recently, who have inspired me with their Fearlessness and Bravery.

You can check out my Month of Courage Round-Up 2013 right here. Enjoy!

Bradley Classes

Heart Belly Henna Design - for Valentine's Day! (Photo credit: Henna by Heather - Mehndi in Boston / Providence M)

When you are in the throes of unmedicated childbirth, it can take a lot of Courage to have faith in yourself and your body. 

Spending 20 hours in labor and pushing out a 9 lb baby with no drugs was the hardest physical thing I've ever done. One thing that truly helped prepare me was my Bradley Class.

If you're interested in a natural childbirth, I highly recommend signing up for a Bradley Class. You take classes for 12 weeks, so generally you begin a class when you are 5 months or so. A terrific investment ($350) and a great bonding experience. It's like a built-in Date Night every night, except you talk about things you usually don't talk about on Date-Night. Plus, you met other couple who are due at the same time. Built-in future play-dates!

Our Midwives required us to take the class and my husband initially kicked his feet at having to attend. But, we learned so much and gained a tremendous amount of confidence that helped BOTH of us during labor. It always makes me smile to hear my husband rave about our class.

The illustrations in the book are really out-dated and I wasn't comfortable with the whole heterosexist language used (the official title of the class is "The Bradley Method of Husband Coached Natural Childbirth), but the basic information taught in the class is invaluable.

You learn so much about the different stages of labor and what to expect. Variations, complications and what to expect postpartum are all covered extensively. Way more than that ever be squeezed into the 2 hour birthing class offered at your local hospital.

One of my favorite parts was learning about nutrition during pregnancy. The Bradley Method recommends following the Brewer's Pregnancy Diet. Each week you have homework, including doing daily Kegels, as well as other daily exercises including the yoga poses (Cat and Cow).

Can you tell I'm a big fan? If you are wavering about whether to spend the money, do it...I think it was worth every penny and more.

The Month of Courage Round-up. 2013.

 

It's hard to believe that January is gone already! Over the past Month on Catoctin Mountain Mama, I've shared several inspirational organizations including: Growing Power, Heifer International, Teaching for Change,  The Horse Boy Foundation and Kiva.

I've written about the Power of Poetry and the Bravery of one little boy, Mattie Stepanek.  He wrote this poem and this poem.

Beside Mattie, I told you about my Heroes, Miriam Lee and all the countless Midwives across the country who work so hard to bring Dignity and Respect to the Birthing Process.

I blogged about our awesome new Microgreens Kit and Mushroom Gardening with children. I shared A Wild Toddler Ride.

For Pregnant Mamas, I wrote about Dates and Shorter Labor Times, Herbs for Cold and Flu while Pregnant and how to make a Postpartum Herbal Sitz Bath.

To help EVERYONE stay strong and healthy this Winter, I posted How to make Elderberry Syrup for the Flu Season.

If you haven't read all these posts, click on them and tell me what you think! Don't be shy of the Comments Page. Thank you, for all kind words of support, if you haven't already, click on the Followers Link, which is the second gadget on left side of my Blog Post. Much Love!

Growing Power...Transforming Communities

As someone who grew up on a farm and who finds great joy in eating delicious, local food, I've been thrilled to see the recent surge of interest in Urban Farming.

One of the most interesting Urban Farms, I 've heard about is 3 acre farm in Milwaukee called Growing Power. I first heard about the farm when I stumbled across an article claiming the farm has produced 1 Million Pounds of Organic Food on 3 Acres. I was intrigued.

Will Allen grew up in Maryland and spent much of his time outside of school helping his father farm. While playing professional basketball in Belgium, he started a garden, so he and his teammates could have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. He spent a lot time talking to Belgian farmers and learned several different farming methods from them.

He eventually ended up in Milwaukee and discovered a site in the middle of the city which was zoned for agriculture. Three giant greenhouses sat on the site, once home to a flourishing floral industry.

He bought the land and began experimenting with aquaponics, a method of farming where fish are grown in water that is then filtered and cleaned by plants and continuously repumped through the system. Tilapia and Yellow Perch are raised in the Growing Power's aquaponics system designed by Allen for less than $5,000. Many similarly-sized commercial aquaponics systems cost close to $50,000.

Amazingly, Will Allen can feed 10,000 people on his 3 little acres without using pesticides for herbicides. All of the plants grown in the aquaponics system don't require fertilizer because of the nutrient rich "waste water" from the fish. There are numerous worm bins throughout the property which create incredibly fertile compost. The rest of the vegetables are grown in a soil mix made primarily with this compost. Over 150 varieties of crops are grown at Growing Power.

One idea that I think is particularly brilliant is using compost to heat the Hoop Houses during the Winter. Most of Growing Power's Greenhouses and Hoop Houses have aquaponic systems in them that need to be heated. But, a few have only Winter crops growing in them. These Hoop Houses are surrounded by compost piles on the outside as well as large piles inside on both ends. The steam from the active piles heat the inside of the Hoop Houses, even when there is several feet of snow on the ground.

The farm has provided needed jobs for the area and most importantly has helped feed residents in the food desert of Milwaukee's Inner City. Visitors to Growing Power's Main Headquarters and Training Center will find also find bees, chickens, ducks and goats on the farm. There are now 5 different Growing Power locations in Chicago and two more in Milwaukee.

Allen's successful model of farming in being replicated across the country, including ECO City Farm (in PG County right outside of D.C.). At Growing Power's Training Center, they offer a Commercial Urban Agriculture Program which is a series of 5, 3-day weekend seminars taught from January through May.

Growing Power always offers an on-going intensive program for those interested in learning how to farm using sustainable methods. Over 6 weeks, participants work 6 days a week at Growing Power's Headquarters. All very exciting stuff!

This video gives you a chance to peek inside Growing Power's inspirational walls. Enjoy!

Heifer International and Valentine's Day

 

 

 

Is it too early to talk about Valentine's Day? I wanted to share with you one the most inspirational organizations I know (Heifer International) and one of my ideas for how to support this organization this Valentine's Day.

 

This gift is perfect for a Sweetie who is "socially conscious" and would prefer not to get a massive bouquet of red roses grown in Columbia or Ecuador. Instead of dropping $60 on flowers and a card, why not give a simple gift that has the power to change entire communities? For almost 70 years, Heifer International, has been fighting hunger and poverty one cow at a time.

 

The idea is that you are purchase an animal (or a share of an animal) in someone's name. These animals are given to a family struggling with poverty. When the offspring of the animal is born, they are then "passed" on to their neighbors. So on and so forth...

The animals provide the families with income to better their lives and you have provided the gift recipient with the knowledge that their gift has the potential to change lives. There is a very powerful book called Beatrice's Goat (it tells the real-life story of how a little girl got the opportunity to go to school because of her family's involvement with "Heifer International").

You can have fun coming up with creative ways of pairing your donation with something tangible (possibly edible).

Here are some of my ideas...

1. If you buy a share of a goat (starting at $10)...also give a bar of goat milk soap.

2. If you buy a hive of honeybees ($30) ...also give a bunch of honey sticks.

3. If you buy a flock of chicks ($20)...also give some peeps (you know those cute, fluffy marshmallow baby chicks).

4. If you buy a flock of ducks ($20)....also give a cute rubber duckie.

5. If you buy a trio of rabbits (a share for $10 and all 3 for $60)...also give a chocolate bunny (I've started seeing them in stores already since Easter is so early this year).

6. If you buy a share of fish fingerlings ($30)...also give some Swedish fish.

 

You get the idea? Let your creativity run wild! And if you decide to support Heifer International this Valentine's Day, please tell me about it!

Mushroom Gardening with Children

Oyster Mushrooms 8 (Photo credit: portmanteaus)

It is always heartening to hear about companies coming up with clever, sustainable ideas. One such company, Back to the Roots, has created an easy mushroom kit that starts fruiting after only 10 days.

In 2009, two recent MBA graduates, Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez, stumbled upon the idea of "growing mushrooms on used coffee grounds". Typically, mushrooms are grown on tree logs, but oyster mushrooms also do well growing growing on a "waste" material that usually ends up in the land-fill.

Arora and Velez knew nothing about mushroom farming, but when they found a free source of coffee grounds, they began experimenting. They started selling their oyster mushrooms to Alice Water's Chez Panisse and Whole Foods. Peet's Coffeehouse ended up paying them to haul away their coffee grounds, which means that Back to the Roots (BTTR) not only got their mushroom substrate for free, they were making a little bit of revenue from the exchange. Last year, BBTR, diverted 3.6 million pounds of waste from the land-fill!

After much tweaking, BBTR, designed a simple Mushroom Garden that only requires you to mist it with water twice a day. You cut open the window, mist using the spray mister included, sit the kit on a window-sill and then harvest your pearl oyster mushrooms! You can grow up to 1 1/2 lbs of mushrooms per box and will get at least 2 crops, maybe more. You can use the mix of left-over mushroom roots and coffee grounds as a soil amendment for any outdoor plants, when you are finished harvesting your crops. Pretty cool, right?

Each kit costs $20 and can be found in many Whole Food, Home Depot, Safeway, Nordstrom, Bed, Bath and Beyond stores. Or you can buy it directly from Back to the Roots. They even have a kit that you can decorate yourself. Talk about a cool hands-on Science Project for children. I can't wait to get ours!

Important Things

English: Mr. Keller (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In honor of the snow that fell yesterday in the D.C./NOVA/MD area, I thought I'd share one of Mattie's poems about snow. As I mentioned here, Mattie Stepanek is one of my heroes.

During his short 14 years (spent mostly in a wheel-chair), he wrote 6 poetry books and worked tirelessly on promoting World Peace and visibility for people with disabilities.

Former President Jimmy Carter spoke at Mattie's funeral and said these words,

We have known kings and queens, and we've known presidents and prime ministers, but the most extraordinary person whom I have ever known in my life is Mattie Stepanek. His life philosophy was 'Remember to play after every storm!' and his motto was: 'Think Gently, Speak Gently, Live Gently'. He wanted to be remembered as "a poet, a peacemaker, and a philosopher who played".

If you can, go out and play in the snow today and think of Mattie.

 

Important Things

When I grow up,
I think maybe
I will be a snowman,
Because when it
Snows outside,
I'll already be cold
And like it.
And children will
Play with me,
And laugh
And sing
And dance
All around me.
And those are important
Things to have happen
When you grow up.

-Mattie (December 1993) Age 3

Midwives are My Heroes



My friend who recently became a Midwife posted this video on Facebook. I thought it was a great introduction to Midwifery as it is practiced in the United States today. I believe working as a Midwife is a powerful political act and I am grateful for all those women (and men) who sacrifice having a normal life (and schedule) to help women give birth with the dignity and respect every woman deserves. Midwives are my heroes.

 

 

Making Sense of the Senses

beautiful butterfly (Photo credit: Amy Berry)

Our eyes are for looking at things,
But they are also for crying
When we are very happy or very sad.
Our ears are for listening,
But so are our hearts.
Our noses are for smelling food,
But also the wind and the grass and
If we try very hard, butterflies.
Our hands are for feeling,
But also for hugging and touching so gently.
Our mouths and tongues are for tasting,
But also for saying words, like
"I love you," and
"Thank You, God, for all of these things."


                            - Mattie Stepanek, April 1995, age 4



I am just in awe of Mattie writing such beautiful words at such a young age. Four years old. Incredible. His story is one of the most inspiring I have ever read and helps me through those whiny, self-pitying moments.  Here is the post, I wrote earlier this month about him. He is one of my Heroes.

Putting the Movement Back

MLK Memorial (Photo credit: alvesfamily)

 

Today, is a special day. Not only are we remembering the Courage and Conviction of Martin Luther King, Jr. but our 44th President is being Sworn-in for a second term. In honor of MLK Day occurring on the same day as his Inauguration, President Obama is calling for a National Day of Service.

I'm thinking that something simple we could do would be to go for a walk on one of the trails along the Potomac and pick up trash. It would be fun to see the Capital Building and all the Monuments across the river (and not have to deal with all the traffic and people). The wonderful blog Kidfriendly DC has a list of tons of activities for children in DC celebrating the Inauguration.

One of my favorite things about living in the NOVA/DC area is the bookstore Busboys and Poets.  The bookstore is run by the staff of Teaching for Change, a non-profit devoted to providing "teachers and parents with the tools to transform schools into centers of justice where students learn to read, write, and change the world." Pretty exciting stuff.

"Teaching for Change" is a amazing resource whether you are a teacher or a parent unschooling, homeschooling or just encouraging your child to become a life-time learner. In honor of MLK and President Obama's Inauguration, I want to mention the book Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching.

When I was teaching at a Friends School, I discovered this book; it's full of some very brave and sometimes very ordinary people and deserves to be read and used in every classroom. There are tons of primary sources from such activists and writers as Leonard Peltier, Marcus Garvey, Ward Churchhill, Sonia Sanchez and Gwendolyn Brooks. Not only are there lessons on lesser known part of the African-American Civil Rights Movements but the Native American, Latina, Asian-American, Gay Rights and Women's Right Movements are also examined. There are numerous ideas for teaching students from Pre-School until High School.

I can't wait until my daughter is a little older and I can start using this fantastic resource!

Toddler Fun with a Big Blue Exercise Ball

My mom's exercise ball (Photo credit: cbcastro)

One of Nye-Nye's favorite things to do at 21 months is to bounce on my Big Blue Exercise Ball. I was looking for a fun way to get her energy out and for me to get a little exercise.

In the beginning, I sat her either on my lap or between my legs and bounced her high in the air off of my lap. She would squeal with delight at bouncing so high. It was so much fun! After I got dizzy 4 or 5 weeks ago after bouncing for a few minutes, I realized that my pregnancy had progressed to the point  of it being time for me to give it up.

So now, I either lay her flat on her stomach on the ball and keep my hands on her back or she sits up on ball and I hold both her hips. She then has to use all her muscles to attempt to stay on the ball. It's hard work!

It is not for the faint of heart. I would NEVER play this game in front of my very nervous Mother-in-law. It gets a little out of control and Nye-Nye sometimes lands on the floor (softly). But, I know occupational therapists often use Exericse Balls in their therapy (probably a little less wildly), so I feel little guilt when she falls. Plus, we are both laughing so hysterically and having such a blast that I can't help myself. I'm so proud of my Fearless Little Girl.

What does this have to do with the Month of Courage? Sometimes as a Mama, you just have to take some deep breaths, be brave and let your kid get a few bumps and bruises.

The Good Work of KIVA

Kiva Site (Photo credit: consnam)

Continuing along with my Month of Courage is one of my favorite organizations (besides WWF and Heifer International). KIVA is a non-profit committed to fighting poverty through empowering people to start and improve their own businesses through micro-loans. Each borrower shares a brief bio and photo; there are thousands of stories of courageous people trying to better their lives and the lives of their children. Many of them of are women.

To find a borrower, you can look at specific countries or particular sectors like: Agriculture, Education, Food, etc.... You can even use a filter to search for an attribute like: Fair Trade, Green practices, Underfunded areas or Conflict Zones.

Since it's founding in 2005, Kiva has distributed $256 million throughout 60 countries - many of these loans were lent in $25 increments. They have a 98.8% repayment rate. I've been a lender for several years now and highly recommend it to everyone.

Donating in someone's honor makes a wonderful gift. If you donate $25 in someone's name that person then can keep re-lending the $25, every time it's paid off. It's truly the gift that keeps giving.

Autism and The Horse Boy

This film came out a few years ago and is a powerful testament of the love a parent feels for their child. It follows a couple, Rupert and Kristen, as they literally travel the length of the world seeking help and understanding for Rowan, their autistic child. The three make an awe-inspiring trek across Mongolia in search of healing.

It's beautiful seeing the amazing connection this child has to the animal world - The Horse Boy is an important reminder that each and every person has special gifts to share with the world.

Rupert and Rowan are now working to help "bring the healing effects of horses, nature and supportive community to autism families." Horse Boy World is their foundation. There is tons of interesting information on what they are calling "Horse Boy Learning." Workshops, books, ideas for teaching autistic children. Tons of fascinating stuff.

Do yourself a favor and get cozy one night this winter and watch this film about one courageous family.

"Climbing to Heaven" by Mattie Stepanek

 

I was meaning to share this poem after the shootings at Newtown. It was written by someone whose short life was full of tremendous courage and hope. If you haven't heard the name, "Mattie Stepanek", before...do yourself a favor and read a quick biography about him.

I profiled his mother, Jeni, last year during my Month of Courage. You can read my post here.

I have a few of Mattie's poems, I'd like to share with you, during this Month. They are all from his book of poetry entitled Journey Through Heartsongs that I randomly stumbled upon in the library. It never ceases to amaze me how books always find you.

Climbing to Heaven

In the winter, trees reach
Up to touch the sky.
Without their leaves,
The trees look like hands
And fingers stretching up
So, so, so high.
And if you look at the
Tallest tree in our backyard,
You can see that it is
So, so so close to Heaven.
Perhaps we could go out
And climb
Up the tree,
Up the hand,
Up the fingers,
And into the sky.
Then, we could just step
Through the clouds,
...And into Heaven.

                    -Mattie, January 1996


Mattie wrote these words when he was 6 years old. His life is an inspiration to all. An old soul, if there ever was one.

 

Month of Courage. 2013.

Very soon after the beginning of Catoctin Mountain Mama, I decided to organize my blog around a Monthly Theme. My Monthly Themes were inspired by my time at a Friends School. Some Months have been more successful than others.

This Month, I plan on sharing people and organizations who inspire me. All have demonstrated Courage one way or another. Here is my Round-up of posts from last year's Month of Courage. Hope you find a something that moves you.

Saying Goodbye to January's Monthly Theme

January slipped past and I didn't get a chance to write about Gaviotas, a community of several hundred people living smack dab in one of the most dangerous places in the South America - eastern Columbia.

 I first heard about the village of Gaviotas about 7 or 8 years ago when I read this book. If you are interested in intentional communities or sustainability you definitely need to know about Gaviotas. Amazingly, after planting millions of pine trees in the surrounding area, an indigenous rainforest has begun to grow again! Here is an article with updates on what has been happening in the community over the last ten years.

Another community I wanted to write about is in West Virginia. I read this article in the wonderful magazine, Archaeology. I am embarrassed to say that I had never heard of the Battle of Blair Mountain, although I think I'm not alone.

In 1921, over 15,000 coal-miners participated in largest civil insurrection  since the Civil War. Now the site of this battle is threatened by surface mining (mountaintop removal coal mining). Numerous organizations are working together to save Blair Mountain including the organization called i Love Mountains. If you have five minutes, you can learn more by watching the video below.

The Month of Courage Round-Up 2012

The end of January is almost here, so that means I am wrapping up my posts on Courage and beginning to write about Love. Here is a explanation of my Monthly Themes. I have a long list of people, organizations and books that inspire me with their courage - I didn't even get to scratch the surface...more for next year!

1. Peace Pilgrim

2. Mattie's Mom

3. Pink and Say

4. Innermost House and a Video of Innermost House

5. Molly Murphy

6. Teaching for Change

7. Horse Boy Film and Foundation

8. Urban Homestead Path to Freedom

9. Kiva

10. Courage During Wedding Planning