Random Travel Thoughts

A weekend trip to the city inspired in me a number of thoughts on travel.

#1. Driving through farm country would be much more enjoyable without crop dusters flying overhead and dropping carcinogens on the fields. My husband pointed out that I don't know that they are actually spraying poisons- they could be spraying beneficial nematodes. Yeah, right, that's likely. Next...

#2. My brand new- freshly aligned tires will no longer be aligned after driving Interstate 80. I've driven on smoother highways in Third World countries. Even though the 80 is basically a long stretch of potholes and drop-offs, everyone is still in a big hurry and driving 90 miles an hour.

#3. If any member of my family does not have food on a regular basis, they will become a wanker, myself included. We must travel with food at all times, or it will be ugly. My car is crumb covered mess, but in a worst case scenario, we could probably survive for a few days on the food particles under the seats.

#4. It's good to note that in Japantown, most of the food will have some sort of fish taste, whether it actually contains fish or not. (The kids and I were fine with this, poor husband didn't look so impressed.)

#5. An amazing number of children seem to think it is acceptable to walk in front of people who are in the middle of an interactive museum experience, and start messing with it as if you're not even there.

#6. An even larger number of children (and adults) do not have the attention span to read the instructions on interactive museum exhibits, let alone stick around to see what the exhibit is about or does. Instead they just run from display to display pushing buttons in a spastic frenzy that would make an excellent Ritalin commercial.

#7. Art is very subjective. People who take too seriously a canvas that is just painted solid blue can be rather amusing. Really, depth and meaning? It's solid blue- nothing but solid blue. There was a white one too. It, of course, inspired a much different mood.

#8. I think having unreliable internet access is more annoying than having no internet access at all. With spotty service, I just keep trying to get on. I'm failing most times, but since I got on that once, I just know it can be done. If there was just no internet access here, I wouldn't even be wasting time trying in the first place. In fact, I might have just left my laptop at home instead of lugging it on this trip. I'm glad I finally gave up and went on a walk.

#9. My children are great at finding ways to amuse themselves in the car. They're set up with all the travel games, sketch books, car games and hand crafts, but after a while they like to play things like “Let's see if we can hold our breath over every bridge.” Especially interesting over long ones such as the Golden Gate. I hope they didn't lose too many brain cells.

#10. I love traveling with my kids. Truly, I do.

Spur of the Moment San Francisco

We were supposed to be camping on Lake Shasta today, but when the forecast called for a 25% chance of thunderstorms, we decided that taking an aluminum boat across the water to sleep under the stars during potential lightning sounded less than fun. So, my brilliant husband suggested we take a spur of the moment trip to San Francisco instead. I just have to love that adventurous spirit which remonds me of when we were young and free. We've been wanting to go for months, and a travel deals email newsletter I subscribe to just happened to recently post a special on the newly remodeled Hotel Tomo in Japantown. We booked a room yesterday, loaded the animals food and water bins last night and hit the road at 6:30 this morning. I gotta say, the internet is just so darn handy for travel. In less than an hour on a Sunday night I was able to book a bargain room and find more than enough free and cheap stuff to do all over the city.

After sleeping through the alarm and snooze, we still arrived in time to start a walking tour of Fisherman's Wharf. We had to bail on the tour early, as it was freezing and although the guide was nice enough, at every frigid stop he just took too long with his talking, and we were shivering. I know public speaking isn't always easy, but limiting “uuuum” and “uuuhhh” from a speech really can keep things moving. We needed to buy beanies for the kid's heads and eat chocolate at Ghirardelli, so we snuck out on our own. We explored boats, shops and maritime history, played with antique amusements, and ate $50 worth of clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls which we do every time we go to San Francisco (so much for cheap.) How wonderful to be in a city where you can just walk into an art gallery and see works by Dali, Picasso, Chagall, and Warholl.

After we had our fill of the area around the piers, we headed to the Presidio which has some beautiful old buildings, lovely waterfront and wooded trails and of course, lots of history. Fort Point is at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge and has all sorts of wonderful old brick halls, spiral staircases and passageways for kids to run through. If it hadn't been windy enough to blow Dorothy back to Kansas, we might have walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, but it was beyond blustery, so we skipped that.

We checked into the Hotel Tomo, which I must say is the funnest hotel in the Best Western chain I have ever stayed at. It features Japanese pop culture décor galore, cool chairs, colorful doors, and full wall anime murals in every room. After a bunch of snacks, multiple trips up and down the elevator- stopping at most floors, a few short moments of rest, and a much deserved glass of wine, we are off to go explore the neighborhood. Adventure is good.

Chicks A Hatchin'

Our baby chicks started hatching last week. These weren't planned- the last thing I need is more chickens, but since no one collected our chickens eggs when we went to Sacramento last, and that darn rooster likes to keep the eggs fertile, we came back to a bunch of broody hens setting on eggs. Some of the eggs were probably just laid that morning, but others had been there for 4 or 5 days, which is pretty far along in chicken embryo development. It only takes 21 days to get an actual chick, and by 5 days, you have a beating heart. Of course, I wouldn't dream of eating eggs that might in the slightest resemble little chicks, but since they had the potential for heartbeats, we didn't want to toss them either. So, we let nature take it's course. The nests were all in the eggs collecting boxes about 4 feet off the ground in the coop. There at times were 2 and 3 hens piled on top of each other on each nest, even though there were 9 more empty nest boxes they could have sat in. Most of the ladies stopped laying, some seemed to stop eating and drinking. Their combs started getting pale and droopy, and their attitudes were awful. They just went crazy with broodiness. (I have known humans to exhibit similar behavior.)
The first baby hatched about 4 days early- which I think qualifies it as a preemie. I found the poor little thing laying cold next to the hens who were doubled up sitting on top of each other on top of the rest of the eggs. They were all fighting over who sat on the eggs and no one was paying any attention to the actual chick. I brought the poor pathetic thing up to the house, and set up a little chicken intensive care unit for the preemie. It was a pretty sad little thing-just laying there peeping loudly. My daughter named it Peepers McCheepin, and was a wonderful nurse.
Over the next couple of days more chicks started hatching. Leaving them in the coop was not safe for several reasons- they could fall to their death, drown in the water dish, get pecked by the other birds, get eaten by pretty much anything etc. Plus, they had at least 9 psycho hens fighting over them. So, I took a sweet little Banty  hen, who has successfully hatched several batches of chicks, as well as a duckling for me in the past, and moved her to a separate cage with the first 3 babies. I slipped 2 more under her wings in the night and she accepted them into her flock. She's too small physically sit on and keep warm very many babies, so I took a chance with a young Aracauna hen who seemed very determined to set. I moved her into a private suite with the few chicks she hatched. I've slipped a few more each day until she now has 9 babies. She's doing great, and is a very sweet mother. Chickens are hysterical in their confused looks when they wake up with more chicks than they went to sleep with. Most of them seem to just roll with it though, and mother everyone.
The last chick to hatch was under a very “intense” hen called Serious. She has been a good, although strict mother to chicks in the past. While some hens lovingly cluck at their babies if they wander, Serious gives them a good peck upside the head and they come back. She is the “spanking type.” She is also fiercely protective and viciously pecked my hand in 2 places, breaking the skin even, when I was attempting to section off a private area of the coop for her and her baby. I pity the fool who tries to mess with her baby. Unfortunately, she occasionally mows over the poor baby in her attempts to attack the rest of the world, but I think they will both do fine.
Poor Peepers had a rough time. We had 3 separate “OH NO, Peepers is dead!” moments. The first 2 when we picked her up and rubbed her little body in sorrow, she started gasping and breathing again. She even started running around pecking the other chicks between relapses. She ate and drank, but never really seemed to be growing (chicks grow Very Quickly.) Finally, despite all her special care, Peepers passed on. We had a ceremony yesterday.
Now, were up to to 15 living chicks, and our one departed Peepers. The circle of life continues on the Jorrick Family Farm.

Mother's Day Tidbits

I guess it isn't just a holiday to keep the florists and jewelers in business while remembering our mother's. Apparently, there's a lot more to Mother's Day. There are early Egyptian, Roman, Greek and European celebrations that go way back. The first North American Mother’s Day was the idea of Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the Mother's Day Proclamation in 1870, and it had nothing to do with taking your mom out to dinner. Howe called on mother's to come together and protest what she saw as the futility of their son's killing other mother's son's. Interestingly, Howe also wrote The Battle Hymn of the Republic 12 years earlier, but apparently had seen enough destruction in the Civil War. Following is her passionate proclamation calling for an international Mother's Day celebrating peace and motherhood:

Arise, then, women of this day!
Arise all women who have hearts,
Whether your baptism be that of water or of tears
Say firmly:"We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands shall not come to us reeking of carnage, For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
"We women of one country Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."
From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with Our own.
It says, "Disarm, Disarm!"
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice!
Blood does not wipe out dishonor Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have of ten forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war.
Let women now leave all that may be left of home For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace,
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, But of God.
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality
May be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient
And at the earliest period consistent with its objects
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions.The great and general interests of peace.

I had no idea. There is more interesting history to the modern Mother's Day celebration in America, but I'll have to leave that to another time. This mother is being summoned to read stories.

History Day Is Done At Last

After all the time, stress, and hard work having a child participate in History Day has been, it is finally over (well, the kids are having a few celebratory parties, at which I think they should provide the dedicated parents red wine but I am digressing.) Overall, it was a good experience, although truth be told, we had no idea what we getting into. My daughter chose to do a group performance imagining that the work would be divided with each student taking their areas of strength, and allowing the other kids to focus on their parts. In reality, each decision was labored over painstakingly by three kids, each with their own style, distinct personality and different ideas on how to best tackle the project. There was conflict. There was compromise. There were moments when I wanted to shake them all and holler “Just make a blasted decision so you can move forward, or I drove all the way here and wasted 2 hours for nothing!!!!” But, I didn't, and they did make countless decisions, ending up with a really good piece on the actions and legacy of John James Audubon.

In the process, these kids learned much more than history. They researched, wrote the script, built the set, designed and created the costumes. Most importantly, they learned teamwork, which was probably the hardest part of all. As a fairly relaxed homeschooling family, the required annotated bibliography in MLA format seemed a little intense for an 11 year old (with a slacker mom), as did the competition at the state level in Sacramento. I saw 3 girls in tears, and one actually threw up in her performance. I am not sure if she was otherwise sick, or if it was stress, but at times, the tension was so thick I had to go outside just to breathe. (Disclaimer, I really dislike crowded places anyway.) In bigger counties in southern California, kids first competed at the their school with winners competing at district, then county levels before proceeding to state level. I can honestly say, this bunch of homeschooling kids from Shasta County, who had never been to History Day, let alone completing projects and competing with them, held their own and shined.

The most impressive thing was seeing kids from all over the state full of passion and excitement about their history projects. At one of the speeches during the closing ceremony, someone said “You often hear about all the things wrong with education. What you are seeing here in this room is what's right.” As I looked around at the hundreds of kids who had worked so hard, and accomplished so much I actually got teary eyed for a moment. After briefly pondering when I became a sappy person who gets teary eyed, I went on to feel so very proud of the kids. Of course I am somewhat bias to the Shasta County ones because I've watched many of these kids grow and come so far over the years, but they all truly did amazing work- it's the kind of thing that really makes a person optimistic about the future.

So long Mr. Moo Cow

We drove up to our house last night to see that my husband had butchered the cow and had it hanging up. It's always something new and surprising to come home to around here... One day in February, my husband called me on my cell phone to confess that he had bought a cow. Note to husbands- I would not recommend bringing home something as large as a cow without at least talking about it first. Especially when your wife had just sold 2 goats that she liked in order to reduce the number of animals grazing on her pasture that has not had enough rain in two years. Especially when a cow eats more than all of her goats put together, and leaves very, very large piles of manure. Especially when it's the day before Valentines Day and your wedding anniversary, and you have no other gift for her. No fellows, I really would not recommend that at all. “It was a really good deal” does not make it a suitable surprise. Not that I'm bitter or anything. Did I mention that the cow advertised as a “steer” and delivered in a major downpour of a rainstorm turned out to not even be neutered, and was therefore actually a young bull- with horns even?

In any case, with the last of the cool weather upon us, and my husband having a number of summer commitments, he decided that yesterday was butchering day. Apparently we got home from town quicker than he thought we would (he neglected to mention that it was butchering day), and young Mr. Moo Cow's carcass was hanging there. My husband had hoped to have it out of sight before we drove up since we have the gross out factor when it is at the stage in between what looks like cow, and what looks like meat. But, he didn't quite have time, so we got the full visual.

Later, when my husband was taking the guts and other parts too gross for even dogs out to be an offering to the wild things at an old homestead a few miles away, our larger dog pulled the hide off it's hanging spot and began to chew on it. I got the dog away, and tried to pick the hide out of the dirt, but it was really heavy, not to mention gross, and I gave up. My Indian ancestors would be ashamed of what a wussy I am. Eventually hubby got back and dealt with it.

This morning, I'm looking up hide tanning info (it's a lot of really gross work, but Mr. Moo Cow, may he rest in peace, did have a nice coat) Apparently, many tribes traditionally boiled the hide with the brains to soften it. Others chewed on it to soften it. We won't be doing that though as the brains went with the rest of the offering to nature, and the chewing thing is just not even an option for me.

One kid is now dissecting the heart and the other is helping make jerky. I think I'll be going for a long walk and hopefully it will all be put away when I get home. And I think I'm eating tofu for lunch.

Stereotypes

I heard an interesting story the other night from a fellow homeschooling family. My friend, a homeschool mom who also happens to have been homeschooled herself (when the idea of homeschooling was MUCH less common or accepted than it is today) told us about her younger sisters recent experience at university. This sister, who was also homeschooled, is now off at Cal Poly studying engineering or architecture or some such thing. Through dorm life and social activities, she started hanging out with a group of pretty smart and hip University kids. Naturally, most of them went to traditional schools, whether public or private. The former homeschooler is a cute and stylish young woman, which surely helped her get into this group. Apparently, this group had no idea she had been homeschooled, and during  library "study times" they would make fun of other students they suspected of having been homeschooled based on their ugly clothing and lack of style!
I imagine the poor young thing was slightly uncomfortable, and it was a few weeks before she finally confessed to them that she was in fact a homeschooled child.
"Oh, you mean like while you were on vactaions during the school year?" No, she admitted that she had been homeschooled her entire life. The other "cool" kids couldn't believe it.
“But, you dress so normal!” was the universal response... as though poor fashion choices are a requirement of the homeschool lifestyle. Do they think we all wear prairie dresses and bonnets, or pants pulled up to our armpits? Apparently so. Where is my denim jumper anyway?
Now, I have seen and know enough homeschooled kids to know they come in all styles. Some are very fashion conscious, others have their own thing going. The same is true of school kids, and people in general. The thing is, these homeschooled kids are allowed to be different, to be whoever they are, and still be accepted.
Yes, there are some whose look is not magazine style cool, but not every kid in public school is a budding pop star either. But, the homeschool kids aren't subject to ridicule or isolation based on the way they look on a daily basis. The other kids don't seem to care so much. I know homeschooled hip hop teens who hang out with rockers and jocks and intellectuals. They are all nice enough to help out little kids at park day, and aren't too cool to talk to the moms. It seems highly unlikely any of these kids will be called names, beat up, stuffed in lockers or trash cans, given atomic wedgies, or any of the other fates that can happen to kids who are unfortunate enough to be “less than cool” in a school setting. They just get to grow up and be who they are. What a concept!
As for the university kids and their stereotype of what a homeschooler looks like, it's hard to know what to say. I certainly find it ironic that homeschoolers are often accused of not teaching our kids about diversity or acceptance of people different from ourselves. Those kids' traditional education helped them to make it into a university, but the prejudice they had towards homeschoolers (when they didn't in fact know any before then) doesn't seem very accepting or broad minded to me.

Rocket Fuel in Baby Formula?

This news makes me so incredibly sad....
“Rocket Fuel Component Found in Baby Formula”
http://blogs.usatoday.com/betterlife/2009/04/rocket-fuel-component-found-in-baby-formula.html
How is it that we have come to a place in this world where chemicals from rocket fuel make their way into baby formula? It's not as if this is the first time contaminants have made their way into artificial baby milk. There have been numerous recalls for things like salmonella, and bits of broken glass- things that would never make it through a womans breasts. Melamine in infant formula led not just to sickness, but to tragic deaths of babies in China last summer. Reading the ingredients on the label of a can of formula is enough to give me pause- corn syrup solids- for babies? Hello diabetes. Then the long list of unpronounceable synthetic things- somehow, it's just obvious to me that nature made a better way- the perfect way to feed babies. I breastfed my kids, and believe every baby was born to breastfeed- it's obviously the superior product, but the reality is that not every baby will be breastfed. There are a very few and rare medical reasons not to breastfeed, a whole lot of misconceptions about it, and just the choices that some folks make. But in the end, every baby deserves a clean, safe, nutritious food source, no matter what. What scares me even more than this chemical being found in formula, is that it has also been found in a lot of drinking water supplies (which everyone is drinking, and is often being used to mix the formula-giving those babies a double dose) and even in a few mother's milk. What have people done to this world?

Wow, apparently I have managed to NOT write on my blog AT ALL in the last 3 weeks. Right after I set it up , a friend told me that blogging was addictive. I seem to be suffering more from distraction. When I've thought about my blog, I start towards it, but get sidetracked reading other people's blogs. My poor little blog is just sitting there being neglected wondering why I never spend any time on it. I am wondering when I will have the time to work on writing, and the answer is probably when I set aside the time and just do it.

But, my blog is not the only thing I'm neglecting. There's also that Etsy site. OK, I know I said I'd have it up and running in a week or so. I did do the set up, I got that far. I also collected a couple of cute things, and took some pictures. Then, I got sidetracked again, and onto other projects that distracted me from figuring out shipping, and listing and all those little details that you have to do before you can actually sell anything. When I do go onto Etsy, I start looking at other people's shops, and eat up all my free time wondering how I'm going to get my pictures to look that good, and how those models manage to keep those “I am so much more beautiful and cool than you could ever be” looks on their face. I mean, I don't think I can pull that off. But, at least I've been getting inspired. Not by the models- although they are amusing. I'm being inspired by all the fabulous things people create. There is a lot of talent, and a lot of wonderful ideas out there.

Now if I'd just get quit being such a sidetracker, I could manage to create some lovely things myself.

Etsy Inspiration

Thanks to the inspiration from another artist mama friend, I am opening an Etsy shop to sell my handcrafted clothing and accessories, as well as vintage goodies I find. The shop is the perfect excuse to make time to create art; wearable and otherwise more often. I used to make and sell jewelery and clothing on a fairly regular basis, and my kids are now big enough to keep busy, help create, or at least not eat the beads used in my creations, so it's time to get busy and use that Fashion Design and Merchandising education that's been getting dusty in a closet. It also eases some of the guilt associated with purchasing yet another fabulous wool coat or embroidered purse when I have a closet full. If I buy it for myself, it looks bad, but if I buy it for my Etsy shop, I am a business woman helping contribute to my family, while offering to share beautiful treasures with other people. And, if something I love that happens to be in my size doesn't sell, then darn, I'll have to keep it for myself.

The shop should be up and running within a week or so, but the set up process has given me some eye opening information. Apparently, I am vintage. Now, I usually associate the term “vintage” with something my great grandmother might have owned, but apparently vintage is something 20 years or older. Since I graduated high school in 1989, this makes my 80's teen style vintage. Ouch.

I'll be sure to post when my shop is open for business, but in the mean time, check out my friend's fabulous shop- http://www.rubymanchester17.etsy.com/