Winter Postcard 6

Hello Friends,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Today we celebrate Amelia's 14th Birthday...14! I made her this loveliest of lovely cakes to celebrate her special day, but Amelia and I had to cry when we ate it because someone (I am not naming names...) decided to thaw fish in the fridge where this Bavarian-cream filled dessert was being stored. Jerome is very happily eating the cake. I will try again with another dessert tomorrow. Fishy cake is redeemed by a new pair of red cowboy boots. Tonight we will sit in our cozy living room playing Settlers of Catan "Seafarers Expansion" and eating a huge bowl of Guacamole (sans fish).

Blessings, LisaAnne

Winter Postcard 5

Merry Christmas!

Winter Postcard 4

Dear Friends,

We are taking a short winter break from our homeschooling. So far this year, we have strayed from the Main Lesson work we have done previously. We have not given up on Waldorf Education, but I am trying to adapt to the needs of my teen. She has need to be more independent and I have the need to not be "everything" to my child. I have found our middle ground in supporting a natural lifestyle: celebrating and living within the circle of the year, working with our hands, finding community, and focusing on the academic needs that Amelia needs to achieve her future goals- everything splattered with music and art as much as possible. This year Amelia has wanted to travel more and experience "mini"-internships. With friends all over the place and strong ties to agricultural and crafts people, Amelia has opportunities to have many experiences outside of home. We have adapted our curriculum so she has the opportunity to move around more. After our winter break, we will do a few main lessons together (Physiology, Platonic Solid Geometry, and the Industrial Revolution) and then go back to the independent work she started this fall.

Just thought it would be nice to talk about the homeschooling that is happening here, since it IS the reason I started blogging in the first place and a subject long neglected in this space.

Blessings on your Eve of the Eve,
Lisa Anne

Winter Postcard 3

Dear Friends,

My dear Amelia has done a lot of traveling this year, but one of the trips we were most excited about recently was a visit to meet our new baby niece who was born this past Summer Solstice. We were finally able to meet her a few weeks ago. I took tons of photos and snuggled and played with her as much as we could on this short visit back to Ohio. It was worth the driving and being delayed in a snow storm on the way back just for the few precious moments to see her. This photo is of the sweater I made for her, I won't show the baby wearing it as she is not mine to show. The sweater fit like a dream, despite all my fears to the contrary.

Now, if only there was an easy (cheap) way to make it to Taiwan or back to France to see more family babies.

More soon, LisaAnne

Winter Postcard 2

Hello Friends,

Our Mary is making her way along the star path. Amelia set this tableau up after spending the first few days of Advent at a friend's house where they had one. There are twenty-five stars along the path and Mary moves one star forward each day. When she finally makes it to the creche, the Child of Light, the Christ Child will be there waiting for her on Christmas morning. Santa Lucia is nearby lighting the path for Mary, as well as stones, plants, and animals to guide her on her way.

Amelia is nearly 14 (the day after Christmas!) but she never grows tired of our old traditions or finding new ways to celebrate this time of year.

Winter Blessings, LisaAnne

Winter Postcard 1

Hello friends,

I have been neglecting this space and in hopes of getting back into the rhythm of blogging I will write a few postcards over the next several days to update what we have been doing.

The snow has settled into our valley and things have truly slowed down on the farm (yeah!). We had an extra long season this year because of added hoop houses and some winter row covers over some of our beds; keeping salad greens, root vegetables, and other hearty vegetables going a bit longer in this region. The snow and ice have collapsed most of our tunnels now and no one wants to go outside and harvest when it is 18 degrees so we are calling it a season.

We are looking forward to a long winter's nap. See you soon,

LisaAnne

Shafts of light

There is a way that is being shown to me that is very clear.

I read this in an article last night: "Michael may point the way with shafts of clear autumnal light, but we must choose to go that way". I am trying to forge my way forward, there is courage I must muster to make my vision solvent. I have so many self doubts and self-created fears. I have been here before and when I found my will to manifest, it really changed my life for so much good. There is so much wisdom in celebrating and acknowledging the seasonal festivals, I am living Michaelmas.