Zenmomma's Garden

A Stitch in Time

2011-08-07T16:11:00.000-07:00

Michaelangelo is quoted as saying "Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it." That's the thought that popped into my head when I saw this vintage dress that our friend Kat had gifted to Qacei.

Awesome, but slightly...dated, no?

While not a block of stone, it was also not something that Qacei would wear in its current incarnation. Vintage is cool and all, but a girl's gonna wear only what a girl's gonna wear. And let's face it, what girl wants to dress like she's stepped out of the pages of her dad's bar mitzvah?

I will probably get grief from both Jon and Qacei for this picture.
It's totally worth it.

But the bones of this dress were good. Who doesn't love purple polka dots? And there was a whole lot of cute hiding under all that fabric. I could just see it. So I set to work. Armed with only a pair of scissors and $5 worth of ribbon and tulle from JoAnne's, I set to work.

The result? In only hours we had so much cute it puts cute to shame.

Check out the adorable sandals.

The girl is stylin'!

And now, this little restyled dress is cute enough to wear to the prom with Duckie.

Isn't she pretty in polka dots?

Kind of Random

2011-08-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

Our latest press release that probably won't make it to print.

**************************************************

Business owner takes controversial stand in defense of kindness, declares August to be Random Act of Kindness Month.

Sunnyside Up Café is giving away 1,000 lattes in celebration of kindness. Aware that some people are strongly opposed to the concept of kindness and even in the concept of themed months, Sunnyside Up is determined to not let this controversy stop them from taking a stand for what is right and for what is good in this world.

Speaking with owner Jon Gold about the controversy, he said, “There are those who believe that kindness is a finite resource. We respect their right to believe that but we feel that kindness should be shared. It has been medically proven that hoarding kindness can lead to low spirits, apathy and general curmudgeonlyness.”

“While many people equate kindness with charity, it is proven that kindness often doesn’t cost a thing. For example, let someone go ahead of you in line at the ATM or grocery store, park father away so someone else can have the closer parking spot, hold the door open for someone behind you, fold over the end of the tape on itself so it doesn’t stick to the roll, return a shopping cart to the corral even if it wasn’t your cart, help someone across the street, have more patience for the DMV clerk, refill the ice cube tray before it’s empty.”

Working in conjunction with several businesses in downtown Corvallis, Sunnyside Up will be handing out 1,000 Random Act of Kindness cards which entitle the bearer to a free latte, mocha or chai. The recipient of the card may redeem the card, or in the spirit of things, may pass it on to someone else.

Participating businesses include Peak Sports, Sibling Revelry, Mod Pod, Gracewinds Music, Block 15, Robnett’s Hardware, Stoker’s VitaWorld, Many Hands Trading and Golden Crane.

Share the latte, share the love!

Better Than I Think

2011-07-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

"When people ask me how I am these days, I say, 'Better than I think,' because it's good to notice that my life is pretty great, even if my mind isn't." ~ from Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott

Poetry in Action

2011-07-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

Every year that I go to the Oregon Country Fair it brings a different experience. Sometimes I want to do some people watching. Sometimes I'm ready to party. And some years I go with a purpose.

This year felt different again as I seem to have moved into a post-shock-and extreme-depression-but-not-sure-what-comes-next phase of my life. And so I went to the fair to spend time with Qacei more than to experience it myself this year.

Girls Gone Fair.

The weather was perfect and the people were colorful, extravagant and wonderful as usual. But for some reason I felt out of place. And I couldn't help feeling like I was a part of someone else's fetish at some points. Hard to describe and not something I've felt there before. I think it has a lot more to say about my own state of mind than anything else.

But there was something special waiting for me anyway. The fair brings its own magic and this year didn't disappoint. Because it was at the fair that I became poetry and poetry lived just for me.

The Poem Store. What an original and amazing idea.

As I tried and tried to think of a silly subject to give as the focus of my purchased poem, the beautiful poet suggested I just go with something that's been on my mind lately. So I told her my mom had just died and I was sad, but I was also so happy to be at the fair with my beautiful daughter.

Jacqueline Suskin

At once her fingers flew across the keys. The words were flowing out of her heart and onto the paper. She stopped only when she was finished, a mere 3 minutes after she started. This is what she gave me.

I have never received anything so beautiful.

Best Prom Photos Ever

2011-06-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

Story and Qacei heading off to the Alt-Prom.

Condolences

2011-06-14T11:57:00.000-07:00

I've been sending out messages left and right these past two weeks. It seems like every day I'm either letting someone know that mom died or thanking all the wonderful friends who helped keep me going with their love and support after the fact.

Yesterday, amongst all those emails, notes and messages I decided to Tweet a message to Tim Booth. He's written and shared his own experiences with his mother's aging and failing health so it just seemed appropriate to share.

I certainly didn't expect an answer. But it was just a short while later when I received this reply in a private message.

I know it's silly, but that really meant a lot to me. He's a sweet man.

One Word Meme

2011-06-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

Yourself: grieving
Your partner: supportive
Your hair: graying
Your mother: gone
Your father: strong
Your favorite item: iPhone
Your dream last night: bizarre
Your favorite drink: latte
Your dream car: electric
Your dream home: clean
The room you are in: messy
Your ex: clown
Your fear: time
Where you want to be in ten years: content
Who you hung out with last night: myself
What you're not: perfect
Muffins: bran
One of your wish list items: clarity
Time: whatever
The last thing you did: blog
What you are wearing: jeans
Your favorite weather: sunny
Your favorite book: undecided
Last thing you ate: muffin
Your life: good
Your mood: meh
Your Best Friends: unschoolers
What are you thinking about right now: mom
Your car: roadtrips!
What are you doing at the moment: typing
Your summer: lazy
Relationship status: married
What is on your tv: craptastic
What is the weather like: Oregonian
When is the last time you laughed: yesterday

There's Nothing Like FINALLY Completing a To-Do List

2011-06-12T13:43:00.001-07:00

I feel so efficient. I had this done by noon.

The Day the Earth Stood Still

2011-06-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

I'm back. Apparently all I needed was a smack upside the head from the Universe to bring me out of blogging retirement.

My smack-down came almost two weeks ago on the last evening of the LIFE is Good Conference. I was sitting in a room with hundreds of people waiting for Kimya Dawson to take the stage. This year's conference had been a roller coaster ride of ups and downs, mischief and magic. It was both exhilarating and exhausting and I was glad to have gotten through to that last concert when I could finally relax and enjoy the moment. Ha! The Universe had other plans for me.

Thanks a lot Universe.

For it was right at that moment that I got the news that my mother had passed away. It literally brought me to my knees. Although my mother was 89 and had been frail for some time, her death still came as a shock. Luckily I was surrounded by friends and was taken care of from that moment on. I felt an outpouring of love that made me appreciate my unschooling community more than ever. And if I've got the time line right, my mom actually left this world while we were all singing Exactly with Amy Steinberg. I guess I was exactly where I needed to be.

Thanks for the reminder mom. I'll try to remember.

I've got a lot to process and the blog is calling me. So I'm back for now. Thanks for listening.

Seventeen Years and One Day Ago

2011-02-08T16:23:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday to Q

Happy birthday dear Qacei

Happy birthday to Q!!

Coming Soon...

2011-02-05T12:08:00.000-08:00

...to a Chocolate Fantasy near you. (Assuming you live near Corvallis, that is.) Sunnyside Up's contribution to the Chocolatier Competition.

OMG Brownie Bites with Kahlua infused frosting and topped with a
chocolate covered espresso bean.

OMG Brownie Bites with Grand Marnier infused frosting
and topped with candied orange peel.

OMG is right. You know you want one!

A Visual Interpretation of Depression for People who have been Blessed not to Experience it

2011-01-21T13:07:00.000-08:00

"Imagine being trapped in a 1,000 foot jello mold with nothing but a toothpick to get yourself out. You can see a blurry reality through the jello and so you start digging your way out with your toothpick. If you have someone supporting you, your toothpick can be bumped up to a chopstick. If you choose to go to a doctor for help your chopstick becomes a plastic spoon. As you continue on with your therapy your plastic spoon becomes a wooden spoon and soon it turns into a ladle. Digging has become easier, but you still have a lot of digging to do to make it to the sunshine on the other side."

Excerpted from a post by Moosh in Indy.

Thought for the Day

2011-01-21T12:10:00.000-08:00

"Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts." ~Buddha

Reality Check

2011-01-20T10:49:00.000-08:00

It's often embarrassing to admit in mixed company (as in when I'm mixed in with people who actually have some brain cells left) but I love reality TV. I'm what you might call a reality TV junkie. I love 'em.

I'm old enough to have watched the first season of The Real World, granddaddy of the reality genre. Heck I'm even old enough to remember back to 1973 when that very first slice of reality, An American Family, first aired on PBS. That was before the editing became slick and reality became a money maker.

These days when I need to escape from my own reality, I'm inclined to watch shows like Toddler & Tiaras, Survivor, Project Runway and yes, I'll say it...Big Brother. And don't get me started on The Real Housewives franchise. Those ladies are over the top fabulous entertainment. It's like you can't believe people would actually open their homes (and families) to be filmed, edited and laid bare in someone else's version of their life. And there's always a good helping of staged drama and bad behavior. All for money.

I realize some of these shows are contests of a sort and I appreciate that. But still, every act within the contest is filmed and edited and used to create a story of the producer's choosing. So even though I love to watch the drama and comedy and ridiculous actions that arise from this "reality," I'm not sure why anyone would sign up for it.

Even the shows with a gentler, more informative approach like Little People, Big World are shaped, formed and edited to tell the story that will get the biggest ratings. And in the process, the participants open themselves, and their community, up to judgment from nameless, faceless viewers like me. Viewers who, in reality, know nothing of the subject's real lives at all.

And that is the point of this post. I've just been made aware that there is an unschooling family about to start filming a reality show based on their unschooling lives. I've said it before and I'll say it again, no good can come from a reality show about unschooling no matter who is the star. Unschooling does not work in sound bites. It shouldn't be presented to the world through editing by producers who are not intimately familiar with unschooling. Unschooling is a choice that requires you to examine your core beliefs about how children learn and thrive. It requires a paradigm shift to step away from a school-based life and towards a life-learning family dynamic.

I've already cringed when I've seen supposed unschooling families show up on Wife Swap. Predictably, the unschoolers were portrayed as nutty, over the top and ridiculously laissez-faire in their parenting choices. This is NOT my unschooling reality. And I say "supposed unschooling families" because I have no idea if these families understand unschooling or not. That's my point. Unschooling was presented, talked about and ridiculed in each episode and the family in question, in that moment, represented my community. Poorly.

I, for one, do not want my unschooling community to be represented by one family, no matter who that family is or how wonderful their lives may be. Unschooling requires thought, daily examination and constant tweaking to get it to work best. It's an individual journey for each family that thrives when it is NOT under the microscope of school based comparisons, mainstream expectations and, yes, a TV audience.

These are the things that clog my brain and leave little room for anything else.

2011-01-19T12:31:00.001-08:00

My friend Craig sent me the following screen shot off of his daughter's Fable III game, along with this note:

Looky here, Effie found the ghost of you-know-who hiding in Fable III - dancing a little jig for her pleasure.

You-know-who?

Why I do believe he's referring to James front man, the amazing Mr. Tim Booth, who has been known to dance a little jig every now and then.

But this wouldn't be the smiling Tim Booth.

I'm thinking this is a more sinister Mr. Booth, getting in touch with his villainous side.

And loving it.

Works for me! As long as he continues working on his new solo album that's coming out this Spring. I'm REALLY looking forward to that.

Click on the pic and check out his new tunes.
So. Much. Good.

I'm still here, more or less

2011-01-15T17:57:00.000-08:00

So I got this note from a friend on ~~Timesuck~~ Facebook wondering about the status of this blog. Yeah, I've been wondering about that too.

She asks "Where is Zenmomma's Garden...and do I need a parachute to connect since said hijackery?"

Damn! A parachute, I knew I forgot something.

She goes on to say "Mary, be kind to me...it's Friday after a lonnnnnnng care giving week :) :)"

I'll try to blog, but I'm not sure I can be very funny.

The honest truth is that my words (and sense of humor) seem to be stuck in my head and buried in my soul lately. I get that way sometimes, especially at his time of year. But I'll dig deep and dig out. Promise! Afterall there's only so much time a person can spend watching reality tv. Even me.

So in the spirit of senseless blogging content, here's a random picture I've been saving on my desktop just waiting for the right moment.

Now see THAT makes me happy.

So does having friends who miss me when I'm gone.

???

2010-11-15T01:47:00.000-08:00

Help! I've been kidnapped.

2010-11-15T00:50:00.000-08:00

Friday morning conversation

2010-08-27T11:04:00.001-07:00

Me: I'm having a mid-life crisis.

Hubby: Does that mean you're leaving me and buying a flashy sports car?

Me: No. It just means I'm feeling old.

Hubby: That's not a mid-life crisis. That's just failure to die.

Friday Fill-Ins

2010-08-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

1. Laughter is pouring out of the next room. What a wonderful sound.

2. "She was flexible" are the three words that started off the last email I sent. You are free to fill in the details.

3. What I'm most looking forward to today is in the past, because today is essentially over. But the highlights of my day were acupuncture, getting the dog groomed (finally!), and an evening with the Sabos and NBTSC campers.

4. This little guy puts a smile on my face.

5. Where in the world would you travel if you could travel anywhere in the world?

6.Community Acupuncture is just what I needed!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to SLEEP!, tomorrow my plans include possibly working at the cafe and Sunday, I want to finish the novel I'm reading!

Get your Friday Fill-Ins here!

Countdown to spiritual renewal

2010-08-09T20:42:00.000-07:00

"You need music. I don't know why. It's probably one of those Joseph Campbell questions: why we need ritual. We need magic and bliss, and power and myth, and celebration and religion in our lives and music is a good way to encapsulate a lot of it." ~ Jerry Garcia

In other words...

One More Time!

2010-08-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

If this is summertime, then I must be up to something. Cause, you know...

So I've been busy getting plans in place for next year's LIFE is Good Conference. (Y'all know I like to get started early. ) The contracts have been signed, I'm lining up amazing speakers and thinking about fun activities for next year's shenanigans.

In other words... I'm ready when you are and registration is now open for LIFE is Good 2011!!

The conference will be held over Memorial Day weekend, May 26-29, 2011 and we will be at the Red Lion Hotel again this year. Plus we've got a Super Early Bird price for registrations made before Sept. 30.

Time for some much needed catching up

2010-07-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary,

OMG I have SO much to tell you.

Remember that band James that I mentioned ~~way too many~~ a couple of times? You know, it's got that lead singer Tim, who's an unschooler but doesn't know it yet? And that cute little daisy logo that I may or may not have tattooed above my right ankle? Remember?

That's right, the band that I kind of like a little.

Okay maybe a lot.

Alright, I admit it, I'm a fangirl.

But diary, it keeps me young!

Well anyway, the past few months have been filled with all sorts of new James love that I haven't even had a chance to write about. Let's start with the mini-album, The Night Before, that they came out with in April.

I LOVE it!!!

And there's a companion album coming out in September with even more new songs. Oh my heck diary, it doesn't get any better than this.

Except it does. It really does. Because they're finally doing another US tour this Fall. And I'm going!! Oh boy am I going. This time we're hitting (at least) 3 states and traveling coast to coast. Luckily for me they're playing down in Florida. You know, where Jon's parents (who really could use a visit from us after so long already) live? I just love a multitasking in-laws visit, don't you?

So get ready diary, because this time around it's not just a road trip.

And one for THAT dad

2010-07-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

How could I forget the dads who joined in the carnival? Here's your very own retro dad button.

Speaking of THAT mom

2010-07-28T16:43:00.001-07:00

Wow! The "I'm THAT mom" blog carnival really took off like wildfire. There are so many great entries and Ronnie is keeping track of all of them here. Very inspiring and lots of fun to read.

I also created this handy dandy blog button. (Flo's brilliant idea.)

If you'd like to share the carnival love on your blog, feel free to copy and save the picture, load it on your sidebar and link it to Ronnie's original post.

I'm THAT mom

2010-07-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Flo's post here, Ronnie started an impromptu blog carnival! Join in!

I'm THAT mom.

I'm the one who thinks it's not just okay, but perfectly right if her 21 year old son doesn't have it all figured out yet. I don't need him to be doing what anyone else is doing at 21. Because he isn't any other 21 year old. He is and has always been himself.

I love that he's still living at home. I think it's cool that he chose not to go to college. I'm also excited by the fact that he's looking to move out, even though he doesn't have an entirely clear plan formed as of yet. I'm happy to help him with this next step. I trust that it is all part of the process and each step is a step towards true and happy independence.

I'm the mom who isn't at odds with her 16 year old daughter. I don't freak out because she has a boyfriend, or wears (appropriately) skimpy outfits to Rocky Horror or sometimes has rainbow colored hair or asks questions about sex, drugs and rock & roll. I'm the mom that answers questions honestly, including the ones your kids might ask.

Yup, I'm THAT mom. Not perfect. Still figuring it out. But also thoroughly enjoying the ride.

Saturday Night Five

2010-07-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

5 Treasures* spotted on my recent trip to Portland/Vancouver

*aka Stuff I totally didn't know that I needed until now!

1. This stained glass shopping cart. I mean really, how awesome would I look pushing this bad-boy around the Safeway?

2. A Dolly Parton doll. Granted neither the hair nor the boobs are at all big enough for Dolly, but still.

3. Apparently there's a record that will make you lose weight just by listening to it. Maybe it's a compilation of Kenny G, Twisted Sister and John Tesh songs, set on repeat. That would certainly tend to kill my appetite.

4. A Wienie Wheel! I don't even eat hot dogs, but I totally need this.

5. And finally, a mustache comb for those adolescents perpetually stuck in the 1950's and experimenting with dangerous 1970's porn star facial hair.

Friday Fill-ins

2010-07-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

1. I feel good about what's next.

2. I don't need to catch up. It will be there when I get there.

3. Do what is right for you.

4. I am completely unique.

5. It's hard to know how much suffering's on a face that's always smiling.

6. If today follows suit, today's gonna be a good day.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to thinkin' some thoughts,

tomorrow my plans include meetin' up with the tribe and Sunday, I want to blog, baby, blog!

You can find the Friday Fill-Ins here!

Speaking of Sabos

2010-07-23T14:56:00.001-07:00

Ginger left a folder on my desktop last time she stayed with us. And really, no matter how close our friendship is...

Have you met the new neighbors?

2010-07-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Old friends make the best new neighbors, don't you agree? And we are lucky enough to now have the absolute best kind of old friends/new neighbors right here in our very own close-enough-to-borrow-a-cup-of-sugar neighborhood.

Recognize these smiling faces? Yup that's right, we got us some Sabos right here in the hood. Jeff, Ginger and the kids are the bestest kind of guitar playin', blog writin', hug givin', Facebook pokin', unschool livin' families around. And of course when I refer to them as "old" friends I mean friends we've known and loved, not friends who are somehow past their sell-by date.

In fact, truth be told, we're happy to be the Fred & Ethel to their Ricky & Lucy as long as we can be in on the joke and along for the ride.

So welcome friends!

I got you a little something for the new house.

Hope you like bacon.

Weekend Shenanigans, part 1

2010-07-20T19:31:00.002-07:00

We had friends of the most delightful variety visiting us this weekend. They had been on a mission to deliver their eldest to her new digs, and as long as they were in the neighborhood, they decided to mosey on down our way. What can I say, shenanigans ensued.

First up, a tattoo. (Not mine!) The story behind it is lovely, and I'll leave it to Ronnie to tell. But I do have a few pics of the event itself.

There was lots of hand holding.

And foot/leg rubbing.

And support from the peanut gallery.

The tattoo artist was adorable.

And the tattoo is wonderful.
This picture is new and raw and doesn't do it justice. But I'm sure Ronnie will post a fresher one soon.

Next up: We've got new neighbors!

You, Your Kids & Your Johnson?

2010-07-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

I guess it's the American way?

Friday Fill-Ins

2010-07-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

1. This is what life does. It lets you feel it all, because the bad obviously, and poignantly, balances the good.

2. What do you do to remind yourself to appreciate the moment? Share your zen with me in the comments.

3. Upon reflection my life is good and my house is a mess.

4. I have been waiting for James to come back to the US for quite a long time. But my wait is almost over. More on that to come!

5. Later, you wake up , if you're lucky.

6. I do believe the menfolk are planning a guy's getaway to the far and boundless sea.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to celebrating Jon's birthday with friends at Block 15, tomorrow my plans include DaVinci Days and Sunday, I want to maybe buy some more James concert tickets for a totally irresponsible but completely awesome girl's getaway to San Francisco! Either that or I want to come to my senses. We'll see.

You can find the Friday Fill-Ins here!

For Jon

2010-07-16T11:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday!

If I was Marilyn Monroe I would totally call you Mr. President.

Did you miss me?

2010-07-15T17:18:00.000-07:00

So, yeah, I guess I'm back.

Back from the dead.

Not that I was like literally dead and came back to life.

Because, dude, that would totally be like a zombie apocalypse.

Or a religion.

Neither of which I'm interested in participating in.

No, it's more like I'm back from my own personal enough-with-the-friends-and-friends-of-friends-and-parents-of-friends-and-husbands-of-friends-and-wives-of-friends-dying-already.

It started with my friend Janice's death in February and just kept going. And while most of these deaths were nowhere near as personal to me as Janice, it still seemed to silence me. Death has a way a reaching inside and removing whatever voice you may have had.

But I'm pretty sure I can find it again.

Please Stand By

2010-07-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

Actual blogging of a semi-regular nature is rumored to be starting up again ~~momentarily~~ real soon.

Thank you for your patience.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-08T19:24:00.000-07:00

The Journey of a Lifetime

2010-04-27T11:28:00.000-07:00

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I was asked by my friend Kelly to give a talk about my unschooling experience. Since there's been a lot of discussion online and in the media lately about unschooling and what it means, I thought I'd dust off my story and bring it back out into the light of day. In rereading it now, seven years later, I am happy to say that it still holds true. I am now more certain than ever that our departure from the school system and entry into natural, life-long learning was the best decision we ever made.

The Journey of a Lifetime
August 23, 2003
Live'n'Learn Conference in Columbia, South Carolina

Good morning. It’s wonderful to be here and to be able to feel the energy from so many unschoolers in one place at one time. It doesn’t happen very often…..yet…..

I was thrilled last October when Kelly asked me to speak at this year’s conference. Oddly enough, it seems I am fulfilling a dream that I didn’t even know I had.

If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be asked to share my thoughts in front of a group of people, I would have laughed. Or maybe cried. First of all, I would have told you that I am not a public person nor am I a public speaker. Add to that, the fact that I was sure I had nothing to say that anyone would want to hear, and you would be left with a person who attends conferences but does not speak at them.

And yet, here I am…happily looking out at all of your attentive faces and I’m left to think…What a long strange trip it’s been.

And that’s actually what I’d like to talk about today, this long strange trip that each of us is on—this journey of our lifetime and how unschooling fits into it all. You see, this particular experience has left me thinking about our children and what they need to pursue their dreams, to forge ahead on their journey.

After all, if I, as a 43-year-old woman am still surprised by the turns in my life path, how can I expect anything different from (or for) my children. I cannot hope to know NOW what their own dreams or passions will be 10 years from now. I cannot know with any degree of certainty what skills or bits of information they will absolutely “need to know” or do to fulfill their dreams or pursue their passion as a lifelong career.

And yet, NOW is all we have isn’t it?

For many of us, the earliest parts of our life’s journey was clearly defined and laid out for us. Go to school, get good grades, do as you’re told and you will be successful. We were led into a structured, systematic education. It’s what our parents understood to be best. It’s what we as a society now accept as a universal truth.: Education…advancement… success… equals school.

I was schooled conventionally for 17 years. Seventeen years!! Makes me tired, and ju-u-ust a little tense, pondering the enormity of that number. That’s my entire childhood and beyond. That’s a lot of desk time. A lot of busy work. A lot to learn. But in reality, for me, it was a lot more to happily forget. And it was a lot of stress for a little girl to go through just to get a taste of some book knowledge.

Looking back now, I would have to say that the biggest lesson I learned in those years was how to do school really well. Which is a useful piece of knowledge for someone forced to be in school. So in that regard I can say that my school years were successful and I learned what I needed to know. Unfortunately, I was so busy being a success at surviving my school experience, that I never really thought too carefully or deeply about what would happen once the school years were over.

I was bored during a lot of my classroom time, but I was a good girl. I got good grades, tried hard and bought into it all. I worked for those “A’s” and received praise and awards and recognition for achieving the highest of school honors.

I was proud to be an active participant in all of my classes. My favorite question was the famous and ultimately profound… “Is this going to be on the test?”… I cared much less, or next to nothing really, about the topics actually being covered. Only how to ace the test and prove my knowledge. Prove my worth.

Once that task was completed, I let go of whatever information I had just soaked up like a washerwoman wringing out a sponge. After all, I needed to make room for the next round of facts and figures that I would be asked to absorb.

So I memorized times tables and important dates in history. I recited poetry and diagrammed sentences. I wrote papers on topics chosen for me and endured the social pecking order of junior high school. Somehow… and I had been told this repeatedly… Somehow this was preparing me for life. That place of release that I would go to at the end of my school career. That nirvana of the real world.

Looking back, I can see that this was really an admission that school is NOT considered living in the real world. (But try to get ANY school official to admit THAT.) Sadly, it seems I was not living in my real life either, only preparing for it to begin at some future moment. But I’d be prepared when it really started because I knew how to solve for x. I could tell you the import/export status of Bulgaria. This was key. They promised.

From the outside, I’m sure I looked like a happy, successful student. But school wasn’t about learning for me. There was no joy or excitement. It was mostly a chore. Something to get through so I could stop thinking, stop trying so hard. I had no time to discover my own interests because I was too busy fulfilling someone else’s requirements.

When I think back to my childhood now, I wonder why I didn’t make more time to read a book for pleasure or to lose myself in a hobby or passionate interest, but I didn’t. And it wasn’t really a problem. I never really thought about it at all actually. School didn’t teach me how to think. It taught me how to accept and retell the information I’d been given. And that was fine by me. That was just the way it was.

No need to question the way the system works. …Right?…I went to kindergarten to get ready for 1st grade. I went to elementary school to ready myself for junior high which got me prepared for high school which was of course the stepping stone into a good college.

So…when I finally emerged from college and stepped tenderly into the real world I had prepared for, for so many years, I was sure that I had been given all the tools and knowledge that I would need to succeed in life. I would get a good job, make a lot of money and succeed. And best of all … I would NEVER, EVER have to learn another thing in my life! I had a college degree. Obviously I knew it all.

I was 21. Needless to say, I was in for a few surprises.

My first task upon graduating was getting a job, starting the career my degree had so painstakingly prepared me for. There was only one small problem. I had majored in Psychology because it was…well… easy… and so I could therefore continue getting those “A’s” that meant so much to everyone. I didn’t want to be a Psychologist or to do Social Work or to do any of the other career paths that this degree would seem to prepare me for. I wanted to do well in school. And I did. So now what?

Well I learned pretty quickly how to write. The real world required that I do some real writing. I needed a resume after all. Forget Creative Writing 101, this was creative writing at its best! Camp Counselor became “Summer Recreational Activities Coordinator.” Babysitting became “Child Development Technician, Specializing in Somnolence stratagem and modalities.” (That means putting the kids to bed—I may have overused the Thesaurus a bit.)

I checked out the job possibilities for someone with my vast school-going skills and began to hunt down the job of my dreams. Well more precisely I was hunting for any job that would take me and pay me a livable wage. But that was a dream in itself.

I was kind of surprised the first time I was in a job interview and I realized the interviewer was actually listening to my answers. They had meaning for him. He wasn’t arbitrarily testing me. He needed to know what I knew. What I was capable of. What my skills were and how I could use those skills to the company’s benefit. And nobody, not even once, ever asked me to recite the periodic table of elements or to recall the date of the Spanish-American War. Imagine that.

So what was my perfect career? Well of course I went into the career that every young girl dreams of. I became a Claims Examiner for a large and stuffy life insurance company. And there I stayed for 8 years. Dutifully performing my duties, following the rules, getting promotions and gold stars. It felt a lot like school actually. But I had succeeded. I guess.

(And I’m not kidding about the gold stars BTW. I actually received this little gem of an incentive called a PAT token. A Personal Attention Token. My office was actually trying to use a pre-school type of gold star program to get its employees to give good service to customers. Do your job right and get a gold token. Get enough of these tokens and you could trade it in for a water bottle or other nifty prize. This system didn’t last long, thankfully.)

There I was again, feeling bored, tired, manipulated and stressed by continuous demands and assignments that meant nothing to me. So…school had prepared me well. And I guess I would have stayed there indefinitely if I hadn’t begun to question the effect of all that stress on my health. To look at where I might truly like to be as opposed to where I thought I was supposed to be.

So, no, I didn’t stop learning when I graduated from college. That’s actually when I believe my real education began because that’s when I started thinking, listening and truly searching to regain my True Self.

Now I wish with all my heart that I could tell you all that I had all this wonderful insight about learning and school and self-awareness figured out 14 years ago when my first child, Conor, was born.Or even nine years ago when it was time for him to start Kindergarten. I wish that I could say I easily recognized the folly of a forced education and boldly and with great foresight refused such a bland, meaningless and potentially damaging childhood experience for my own child. I wish I could… but Conor is here and I just know he would step right up to set the story straight.

So, forced to tell the truth as I am, I will have to admit that even though I knew somewhere deep in my heart that I had suffered through all those years of boring and sometimes socially tormenting school experiences, I was not yet ready to bring it close enough to the surface to buck the status quo. Even though I knew how amazingly wonderful the first five years of Conor’s life had been, spent at home, living and learning and being Who He Is, I was still willing to accept that school was a necessary rite of passage. Unpleasant, yes, but necessary if one was going to succeed. Again, I was sure of it. So Conor endured through the 4th grade of public school.

It was never a good fit.

While I had spent all of the energies of my youth learning to play the school game, Conor spent all of his energies just protecting himself from the school experience. He had been confident and curious and joyful before starting school. After just a few short years, he became fearful and sad and –according to the experts—“learning disabled.” His natural learning rhythms were no good in a school setting. He now needed a label and extensive intervention to get him to fit in.

I thank the Universe everyday for making this child so unwilling to play the school game. Unwilling to accept what was being done to him in the name of it being done for him.

I am thankful for his refusal to be pushed before he was ready, for his refusal to participate when he was disinclined to do so, for his refusal to feign happiness when what he felt was stressed and overwhelmed…in all of that, was the truth I had been searching for in my own life. It was the path to the truth of living outside the box society had prepared for me and my family. It was the path to questioning the answers instead of only answering the questions.

So in 1999 I finally stopped listening to the experts telling me there was something wrong with my son, and I started listening to my son telling me very clearly with his words and actions that he needed a better way. I turned away from school and towards a better, more meaningful way to live. I discovered unschooling.

I remember clearly my moment of awakening, as I’m sure many people here in the audience do. It was my AHA! Moment.

It was during a discussion with the school principal and Special Ed teacher. After an awful encounter with the teacher’s aide, we were brainstorming ideas of what “to do” with Conor. After many different suggestions and much discussion, I asked the principal the question that would change our lives. I asked her what the school’s goals were for my son. Was the goal to help him on his way to becoming a productive adult, informed of a certain body of knowledge, and capable of participating and contributing to our society in the ways that best suit his talents and abilities? Or was their goal to have him learn to sit in his desk and do as he was told?

At that moment the principal took a breath… as if she needed to ponder the question. When she took that breath, I knew I would never return my child to that system again.

She eventually told me that their goal was for him to do both and she tried to explain. But it didn’t matter. I was already gone. My goals for my child were clear in my mind and they had nothing to do with sit down and shut up.

Our first steps into unschooling, while incredibly freeing and joyous, also felt a little like what it must have been for Dorothy as she was unceremoniously dropped into the Land of Oz.

Like Dorothy, we too had been living in a world of black and white. It was the dreary landscape of public school. I myself had battled with my share of Miss Gulch’s in Conor’s defense. We had all been let down by a system that we thought was there to protect and help us. And in the end we were thrown into the cyclone of tests, IEP’s, Social Workers, Occupational Therapists and Learning Specialists. And just when it seemed that all was lost, we stopped the schooling and the cyclone ended. Boom. Just like that. It was quite a jolt.

I could see that this new world of unschooling was going to be completely different than the dreary, but predictable, world of forced education that I had always known. As Dorothy so memorably put it “I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

Our lives changed almost as soon as we left the school building. We could feel it as soon as we stepped into our Oz. It was a sense of freedom. A sense of newness. A sense of ultimate possibilities. But it was also frightening because it was so free. It was not anything like what we were used to.

I mean…no tests? Really?! No grades? No classes, no subjects? How was this possibly going to work? I needed more information clearly. But I also needed more time. I needed to leave what I had always known, to move away from my comfort zone. To journey further into this Land of Oz to find the answers I was looking for. I had to follow that Yellow Brick Road, this one leading towards a lifetime of learning. I had to begin the journey.

Now of course with a movie, we’re lucky enough to see how it all works out for the main characters, and we’re able to see that resolution within a few hours. So it becomes clear by the end of the story, that as Dorothy follows her path, she is really in search of something she never lost—her True Self. All she really needs is the brains, the heart, and the courage to let go and trust her natural, spontaneous instincts. It all makes sense to us in the end. We slap our heads and think, of course!, it was there all along. Why couldn’t she see that?

If only life had a fast forward feature to allow us a sneak peek at the answers. (Oops there’s my school brain talking again. I need those right answers.) But if not the answers exactly, then at least a way to reassure ourselves that our hearts and minds are taking us in the right direction.

With real life though, we don’t have the luxury of getting a peek at the ending. We really do have to find the courage to let go and find our own natural, spontaneous instincts. And it’s hard in the beginning to regain that trust. After all, it was pretty much stifled through our own schooling experiences. And society doesn’t do much to support independent thinking. But it’s in there. I know. Because I’ve seen it, I’ve felt it, I’ve lived it.

So how did we follow this Unschooling path? What does the path look like? Will it look the same for every family? What IS it that makes for an unschooling life?

There is an article up on the web at a wonderful site called the Natural Child Project. The article is by a dad named Earl Stevens and is entitled appropriately enough, “What is Unschooling?” It has a great description of what unschooling isn’t. It says:

"Unschooling isn't a recipe, and therefore it can't be explained in recipe terms. It is impossible to give unschooling directions for people to follow so that it can be tried for a week or so to see if it works. Unschooling isn't a method, it is a way of looking at children and at life. It is based on trust that parents and children will find the paths that work best for them - without depending on educational institutions, publishing companies, or experts to tell them what to do."

I would add one more thing into that mix and that is balance. It’s understanding that all of life, and the learning that’s all wrapped up in our lives, has a natural rhythm, a natural balance to it. Unschooling isn’t something that looks the same every day. It’s not always Shakespeare and it’s not always Sponge Bob. Some days will feel like a learning bonanza, and others will just laze away providing the lulls that are needed for our brains to process and incorporate new information.

There were times, especially during that first year of unschooling that it seemed that at least once a month I was certain that unschooling was not the way for us. It was a failure. It was not working. Stuff was getting in the way. The kids were bored or I was cranky or the TV was bugging the heck out of me. That of course meant that they weren’t learning anything, they would never learn anything and this whole unschooling experiment was a BIG failure!!

But it would pass, as cycles naturally do. And just as naturally my children would emerge with a newfound passion, a particularly insightful question or a great new interest to pursue. Suddenly unschooling was working again. Imagine that. And as I began to get a feel for this rhythm of our natural days and nights and weeks and months, I could see that it was NOT the unschooling that was the problem. It was any number of normal, natural life occurrences.

So for awhile, I had a sign that I put up on my mirror that said “It’s NOT the unschooling, it’s ___________ and then I would fill in the blank. It’s not the unschooling, it’s P.M.S. (That was a big one, thus the once a month nature of my panic attacks.) or It’s not the unschooling, it’s flu season. Or it’s not the unschooling it’s time for the in-laws to visit. (Another biggie.) After I filled in enough different variations, I realized that I really needed only one sign to remind me what it’s all about. It’s not the unschooling, it’s LIFE.

If you find yourself getting stressed and doubtful you might want to create your own sign, with your own understanding of what will fill in your stress blanks. Perhaps it’s a pregnancy, a nursing toddler or a fearful 7-year-old. These are all occurrences in the natural path of our life cycles. We can let them get in the way and use them as an excuse, or we can flow with them, around them and through them. Part of life is about accepting those things that just ARE. Things happen. But it doesn’t mean that our kids are suddenly unable to learn. It just means that life is happening. And when life happens, learning happens too.

Once I was able to see this as True, I was able to more comfortably stay on this path even when it seemed to be turning in ways I didn’t expect, trusting that it was leading me to where my family needed to be. If one day or week or even month seemed to be caught in a lull of activity or groundswell of boredom, the next was just as likely to be bathed in activity and interest.

So that’s a bit of what unschooling isn’t. It isn’t a recipe or a textbook to follow. It isn’t set in stone and will not look the same everyday. So what is it? you might be asking. Good question. :o) Here’s a little more from Earl Stevens:

"A large component of unschooling is grounded in doing real things, not because we hope they will be good for us, but because they are intrinsically fascinating. There is an energy that comes from this that you can't buy with a curriculum. Children do real things all day long, and in a trusting and supportive home environment, "doing real things" invariably brings about healthy mental development and valuable knowledge. It is natural for children to read, write, play with numbers, learn about society, find out about the past, think, wonder and do all those things that society so unsuccessfully attempts to force upon them in the context of schooling.
While few of us get out of bed in the morning in the mood for a "learning experience", I hope that all of us get up feeling in the mood for life."

In the mood for life. That’s a great way to look at it. And I think that escribes our family and how we try to approach our days. We don’t look for learning experiences, we look to live.

We don’t teach reading, we READ. We read books and comics and video game text and recipes and instant messages.

We don’t practice our handwriting we WRITE. We write letters to friends and grocery lists and poetry and comic strips and cheat codes for games.

We don’t worry about memorizing our math facts, we’re too busy counting out change at the store, saving up allowances, figuring the tip at a restaurant, measuring a bedroom to estimate how much we’ll need of that perfect shade of blue or breaking out the recipe books to whip up a batch of fudge brownies.

When information is needed, we know where to find it. When we want a new skill, we seek out those who can share it with us. All without a classroom. All without grades. All without tests along the way.

We live and we learn what it takes to live. We learn.

I’ve been doing some reading these past few months about starting and running a small business. As Kelly mentioned, my family recently moved from Utah to Oregon and began an adventure we’ve been dreaming for years. We bought a small business. A coffee shop. (Notice the combination of dark circles under my eyes along with the definite jittery shake to my hands? Now you know why.) It’s been the ultimate unschooling experience for all of us.

So I’m reading lots of different books and articles on the subject when I get to one that my husband Jon recommended. It’s by a man named Michael Gerber—a fascinating man with a fascinating life story. None of it involving school or extensive degrees by the way.

I shouldn’t have really been surprised, but I was nonetheless when I realized that Michael Gerber, in his book The E Myth Revisited,was speaking about running a small business as if every small business owner needed to be a perpetual unschooler.

Now he didn’t use that term exactly. I don’t even know if he’s familiar with the concept. But I did see him recommending ideas that go against the mindset that the schools are continuing to instill in young people. That idea of sit down, shut up and do your work. Quite the contrary in fact. He believes small business owners get much too caught up in the day-to-day, do your work tasks and forget the bigger picture and larger overview of managing and growing, a business. He wants us to think for ourselves. To learn while we do. To make mistakes by taking risks. To think outside the box. To innovate, create, and listen to our hearts.

I’d like to read you a brief excerpt from his book. A paragraph that spoke clearly to my heart and confirmed that there are parts of the real world that do indeed support the ideas we embrace in this little unschooling community of ours.

He says:

"Contrary to popular belief, my experience has shown me that the people who are exceptionally good in business aren’t so because of what they know but because of their insatiable need to know more.
The problem with most failing businesses I’ve encountered is not that their owners don’t know enough about finance, marketing, management, and operations-they don’t, but those things are easy enough to learn—but that they spend their time and energy defending what they think they know. The greatest business people I’ve met are determined to get it right no matter what the cost."

Wow. That’s unschooling—the insatiable need to know more. And I do want to get it right. So what does that mean for me?

Well, really the only way to really “get it right” in unschooling is to live an unschooling life. And to live an unschooling life you need to focus your attention on the here and now. To be mindful of the multitude of seemingly insignificant questions, interests and activities that spark an interest for your children. For these are the very things that make up every life. That fill in the pieces of the vast puzzle each of us creates to understand our world.

Unschooling, at its best, is not a destination but a journey. It is a never-ending inquiry, an ongoing investigation, an active participation in a life worth living.

And while it may not seem obvious, this fascination with an extraordinary unschooling life is not the same as a fascination with success. Certainly not the success we normally think of. Some end point which, having reached it, enables us to say, “I did it!” Because my experience has taught me only too well that end points are instantly replaced by beginning points. Today’s answer is replaced by tomorrow’s question.

So what is success then?

When I was a child, success meant surviving my days in school, producing good grades, being a good girl and making my parents happy. When I did these things the way I was “supposed to” people…society… could look at me, and my parents, and say yes she is successful. They are successful.

When I was a young woman in my 20’s, success meant a job and a place (anyplace) to live. For many years that meant an odd, dark little basement studio apartment on the wrong side of the tracks. I felt like I had won the lottery with that one. The sweet smell of dark and dusty success.

Further on in my stellar career, success meant a healthy paycheck , steady promotions, and the ultimate success…buying stuff.

Then came my first baby, and success was clearly taking a shower, finding a t-shirt that was not covered in spit-up and managing to eat something before 4 p.m. Okay, so priorities change.

As a mother, success was all happily tied up in happy kids and a peaceful home. Money, gold stars, stuff and society’s expectations mattered less than a well-fed tummy, a curious toddler mind or an active and engaged 8-year-old.

Lately, my definition of success has included packing or unpacking. If I have either packed or unpacked, the choice of which I will do of course being dependent on my location …if this is Utah, I must be packing, if this is Oregon, I must be unpacking… but some form of packing makes for a successful day. The end of the packing/unpacking cycle will make for a successful move. Unfortunately, now that I’m here in South Carolina I’m all confused…so it looks like I may never get there. It might be time for another redefinition of success.

I have this wonderful little fridge magnet that a dear friend sent me for my birthday and I think it has a wonderful definition of success. It’s called appropriately “Success” and its origins have been debated through the years. The magnet I have attributes its authorship to Ralph Waldo Emerson, but I have since learned (another unschooling moment, I researched it because I wanted to know more) …I have since learned that it was penned by a woman, a mom, for a magazine contest in the early part of the last century. Well, whoever wrote, wrote from the heart. It says:

Success
To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better,
whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.

My success, my family’s success is about remaining true to ourselves. It’s about being Who We Are.

I really believe in what I said to that principal all those years ago. My goal is to help my children find their own path to becoming productive adults, informed of a certain body of knowledge, and capable of participating and contributing to our society in the ways that best suit their talents and abilities.

Our success is supporting each other as best we can in this new adventure we’re on, and cutting each other some slack when we find ourselves overwhelmed in the details of a day.

It’s learning a new business and exploring a new part of the country. It’s reconnecting with old interests and finding new ones along the way.

It’s continuing to recreate our lives as we continue on this wonderful journey we call life. It’s being sure enough about what we’re doing, and how we’re ALL learning, to come here to share it all with you.

Throw in lots of joy. Sprinkle in a little bubbly enthusiasm and I guess you could call that a recipe for unschooling after all.

More to the point, you’ve got a recipe for life.

A life worth living. A life with meaning. A life that is lived and not just prepared for. A life that begins NOW.

Life is good.

Thank you.

You've been talking behind my back, haven't you?

2010-04-27T00:40:00.000-07:00

I'm an ISFP? Okay!

2010-04-19T22:59:00.001-07:00

You Are An ISFP

The Artist

You are a gifted artist or musician (though your talents may be dormant right now).

You enjoy spending your free time in nature. You are good with animals and children.

Simply put, you enjoy beauty in all its forms. You live for the simple pleasures in life.

Gentle, sensitive, and compassionate - you are good at recognizing people's unspoken needs.

In love, you are quiet and sweet yet very passionate. You love easily.

You have an underlying love for all living things, and it's easy for you to accept someone into your heart.

At work, you do best in an unconventional position. You express yourself well and can work with almost anyone.

You would make a good veterinarian, pediatrician, or composer.

How you see yourself: Sympathetic, kind, and communicative

When other people don't get you, they see you as: Incompetent, insecure, and overly sensitive

What's Your Personality Type?

Blogthings: Discover the Parts of Your Personality that Have Been Hiding

It doesn't get any better than this

2010-04-13T23:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Robin sent me an amazing little gift last week. She knows I'm up to my ears in conference planning. What could be better than a handy-dandy folder with a built in device to help me with all of those pesky decisions I have to make each day?

Why a bacon themed decision making folder of course!

Oh yeah, I am now the proud owner of a What Would Bacon Do? folder. I especially like the answer that bacon would, of course, "Tempt a Vegan."

And while this is awesome all by itself, what I found while doing a Google image search for the above picture of it just made my heart sing. It's the perfect combination of religion and pork.

Ladies and gents, please take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the What Would Jesus do For Bacon? t-shirt.

What indeed...?

Friday Fill-Ins

2010-04-09T23:54:00.000-07:00

So I have 5 minutes to get my Friday Fill-ins in on time. Can I do it??

1. In 1992, I was the mother of an amazing 3 year old boy.

2.Sometimes I fake laughter and smiles, but not often.

3. Do what you LOVE, with what you have, where you are able.

4. Paris! is where I'd like to be.

5. The trees and flowers are telling me to get outside already.

6. The Real Housewives of NY is the argument that just keeps going on.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to finishing this in 5 minutes, tomorrow my plans include spending some time with the hubby and Sunday, I want to figure out something good to do!

Say hello to my little friend

2010-04-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

Scarface. Best school play ever. Except it's not really. But it's still awesome. I especially dig the popcorn cocaine.

Happy ~~Easter~~ Zombie Jesus Day!

Friday Fill-Ins

2010-03-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

~~1. Today I will be making jewelry while I avoid cleaning my house.~~

Wait that's not entirely ~~accurate~~ truthful...

1. Today I will be making jewelry while I avoid straightening up and putting crap away so that Merry Maids can come in and actually clean my house on Monday. They can't vacuum if they can't find the carpet! But they will be able to admire all the pretty jewelry. So it was a day well spent.

2. The powers that be say "no single-payer health care" and I say why not?

3. What do you think of the t-shirt design for the 2010 LIFE is Good Conference? (Designed by unschooler Laura Bowman!)

4. At some place that is NOT Sunnyside Up it's free Pastry Day til 1030 Friday!

5. People say that what we're all seeking is connection. I tend to agree.

6. The image I cherish most is that one where we're together and smiling and happy. You know the one I mean, right? Yeah I just love that one, don't you?

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking a shower (finally), tomorrow my plans include not avoiding the house cleaning issues that are piling up around here along with everything else and Sunday, I want to help Qacei plan her and Chloe's 16th birthday bash!

Leopold is Scary

2010-03-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

It came without warning, bringing fear to the hearts of ~~16 year old girls~~ men and women alike.

It was the stuff of B-movie nightmares.

There was panic and mayhem!

There was danger!

Could nothing stop this giant creature?

But wait, in the dark of night a young woman has very bravely trapped the behemoth under a plastic bowl and left a call for help.

~~Is she kidding?? I HATE spiders too ya know.~~
Have no fear, SUPERMOM is here.

And in one valiant act of extreme bravery,
Leopold has taken up residence in the backyard where he belongs.

The end...

...or is it????

Breaking News!

2010-03-14T13:44:00.001-07:00

Of course the hard part is trying to stay awake until 2 am to set the clocks ahead

2010-03-13T21:54:00.000-08:00

Kind of like my life sometimes...

2010-03-12T11:10:00.001-08:00

Sunnyside Up 3.0

2010-03-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

I guess the time has come for me to get back into the blogging world. What better way to start than to announce that Sunnyside Up is about to grow up! Check out the following blurb being sent to the local media. I hope to see many of you at our Grand Re-opening on Friday night. Kinda Delicious is playing and you know what that means...kinda awesome, oh yeah!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From it’s inception over 10 years ago, Sunnyside Up percolated happily along serving the great coffee and baked goods in downtown Corvallis. Then in 2005 owners Jon and Mary Gold launched Sunnyside Up 2.0 with a full kitchen and new space to serve organic breakfast in Corvallis. Now, five years later it is time to unveil Sunnyside Up 3.0.

With a full liquor license and a new décor they are adding to their repertoire with coffee- and tea-inspired cocktails such as the Espresso Martini, Hot Buttered Rum and Irish Cream Coffee.

The Sunnyside Up Mochatini

Weekend breakfast will feature their Bloody Good Bloody Mary and Mimosas made with fresh squeezed orange juice. Along with their tasty new libations, including local beer and wines, Sunnyside Up has added a fabulous dessert bar featuring carrot cake with maple frosting, New York Style cheesecake with caramel rum sauce, and flourless chocolate cake with Grand Marnier raspberry sauce. Jon and pastry chef, Diana Jenner spent some time recently with Brad Potter at Belle Vallee winery to create the perfect beverage pairings for their new dessert creations.

With expanded hours they will be serving dinner until 9pm Monday through Saturday. On Friday and Saturday nights they will also be serving up late night breakfast from 9pm to 2am for the late night crowds. There will be more music on the weekends starting with Kinda Delicious getting down and acoustically funky on Friday March 3^rdaround 9pm ($2 at the door).

Owner/Janitor/Executive Chef/Plumber Jon says, “The vibe is definitely laid-back. There are plenty of high-end establishments and lots of pub grub in Corvallis, we thought it was time for a place where you can enjoy an organic meal, a unique cocktail and a great dessert that won’t cost an entire paycheck.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just look at the bunny

2010-02-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

See how cute?

So. Very. Cute.

I like the bunny. It makes me smile.

Smiling is good.

In case you haven't heard, my friend Janice died on February 5th while I was en route to NY to see her. My friend Ginger said Janice and I were both flying at the same time. I like that. This past week has been spent in grief and love. In memorials and connections. In tears and hugs.

I'm not quite ready to start blogging again, but soon. Jan has moved on to What's Next and I will move on to what is. But for now...just look at the bunny.

And smile.

Smiling is good.

For Janice

2010-02-03T16:08:00.001-08:00

It's time for a trip in the WABAC Machine

2010-01-27T00:05:00.000-08:00

Let's travel back in time shall we?

Mr. Peabody, if you would be so kind...

Back, back we go...

2009...not nearly far enough...

1989...nope, a little further...

1978..now we're getting somewhere...

1972...a good year for plaid...

1966...almost there...

1963...adorable, but I'm thinking even further...

1961...just a little more...

1960...now we're talking...

January 1960...ta da!

Happy Birthday to me!

The end*

*This was going to be a way cooler post with funny stories and insightful bits of life's lessons learned. But then I decided to find and scan all these pictures. And after all that I was too tired to post anything else. So feel free to make up your own stories and amazing insights on my behalf. I won't mind. Seriously. I'm too old to mind much of anything.

And I probably won't remember anyway.

What?

Message for a Monday Morning

2010-01-18T00:15:00.000-08:00

I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point,
"If this isn't nice, I don't know what is."
-Kurt Vonnegut

Good morning

2010-01-17T12:38:00.001-08:00

Don't mind me, I'm just practicing my "old lady" schtick.

Satan Responds

2010-01-15T22:13:00.000-08:00

Satan responds to Pat Robertson's abhorrent remarks about the tragedy in Haiti.

Dear Pat Robertson,

I know that you know that all press is good press, so I appreciate the shout-out. And you make God look like a big mean bully who kicks people when they are down, so I'm all over that action. But when you say that Haiti has made a pact with me, it is totally humiliating. I may be evil incarnate, but I'm no welcher. The way you put it, making a deal with me leaves folks desperate and impoverished. Sure, in the afterlife, but when I strike bargains with people, they first get something here on earth -- glamour, beauty, talent, wealth, fame, glory, a golden fiddle. Those Haitians have nothing, and I mean nothing. And that was before the earthquake. Haven't you seen "Crossroads"? Or "Damn Yankees"? If I had a thing going with Haiti, there'd be lots of banks, skyscrapers, SUVs, exclusive night clubs, Botox -- that kind of thing. An 80 percent poverty rate is so not my style. Nothing against it -- I'm just saying: Not how I roll. You're doing great work, Pat, and I don't want to clip your wings -- just, come on, you're making me look bad. And not the good kind of bad. Keep blaming God. That's working. But leave me out of it, please. Or we may need to renegotiate your own contract.

Best, Satan

Originally penned by Lily Coyle as a letter to the editor on StarTribune.com.

To contribute to relief efforts in Haiti you can text HAITI to 90999 (Red Cross, $10 added to your phone bill, 100% goes to charity) or 20222 (Clinton's charity, $5), or text YELE to 501501 ($5 to Wyclef Jean's org). Also check out the Google Crisis Response page for information and other ways to donate and help.

Details? We don't need no stinkin' details!

2010-01-13T19:06:00.001-08:00

So...remember way back when?

C'mon, you remember.
When I announced the upcoming Non-Con and 50th Birthday Bash Extravaganza?

Remember that?

And remember how at the time I also promised (and I quote)
"Exact details to be announced."

What was I thinking?

This is a NON-con. As in it's not a conference and I don't plan ~~shit~~ anything. Well except that I did declare that we're having the non-con and I picked the date and the place and okay so I plan SOME things. But "exact details?"

I should know better.

But, things being what they are and me being who I am, I can't leave us with absolutely no plan at all. So here's a couple three things that might, in some small way, be considered details.*

*Subject to change at any time. I'm just sayin'.

Friday: Potluck and game night at Sunnyside Up, starting at around 7:00 pm or so. Bring a dish or some snacks to share. The locals will provide the games. (Hey locals! Please bring some games, okay? Thanks.)
Saturday: The 50th Birthday Bash Extravaganza, 7:00 pm at (where else) Sunnyside Up. No gifts necessary. All ages welcome. Food and drink will be provided. Musical performance by the fabulous Greybeards. Bring your dancing shoes.

Things To Do & Places To Go in Corvallis for all the times that are not #1 or #2 above:

meet, greet and hang out at Sunnyside Up
bounce away at Corvallis Bounce
join the local homeschool group for playtime at the Homeschool Central Family Fun Friday from 10:30 am -1:30 pm.
swim, swim swim at Osborn Aquatic Center
wander around Downtown Corvallis
stop at The Toy Factory for a kid friendly, play friendly visit to our local toy shop
Diana's house! She's got lots of yard, lots of video games and lots of energy. Ask her, she'll happily tell you how to get to her place.

UPDATED TO ADD:
Food Shopping:

First Alternative Co-op Linda H. says: "I really love this place for to-go potlucky food, and it's right down the road from Sunnyside Up."
Safeway
Natalia & Cristoforo's Italian Deli
Albertsons
Diana reminds everyone that "Kitchens are available for any outta towners who want to cook."

If you're a local with more ideas, let me know and I'll include them here. Otherwise, just get yourselves here on January 29 and

Tales from the Cafe

2010-01-05T17:35:00.001-08:00

Shhhhh...it's a secret.

Hope

2010-01-05T16:36:00.000-08:00

hope

1.	the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best

2.	a particular instance of this feeling

3.	grounds for this feeling in a particular instance

4.	a person or thing in which expectations are centered

5.	something that is hoped for

Hope. We've got it. We're holding onto it. We're not letting it go.

The news from NY is better than expected. Not great, but just a little bit hopeful. So welcome after a moment when any hope at all seemed completely out of reach. My friend Janice has been moved to an excellent hospital in NYC that has access to all of the latest research and treatments. She's in good hands and surrounded by love. Her pain is being managed (FINALLY!) and the real work of reversing this thing started today.

Keep up the healing vibes!

What's Going On

2010-01-03T15:52:00.000-08:00

I've got nothing funny or uplifting to post today. I contemplated saying nothing at all, but that doesn't feel right. So I'm here to share what's going on.

You see my dear friend Janice was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma last week. She went into the hospital thinking she would receive treatment for an ulcer. Now her world, as well as the world of everyone who loves her, has been turned upside down. Apparently this isn't a "good" type of cancer to get. (As if such a thing really exists.) With this one, once you've got symptoms it's already spreading and it's aggressive.

So...yeah...

But we are not ones to give up hope. And Janice is ONE. TOUGH. BROAD. If anyone can beat this, she can. So you know what I say?

Please keep Janice in your thoughts. Send her your light and love. Do whatever feels sacred and healing and send the vibes her way. I'll do the same.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Happy Whatever

2010-01-01T01:15:00.000-08:00

The Venn Diagram Explains It All Again

2009-12-29T21:44:00.001-08:00

Merry Happy!

2009-12-24T08:36:00.000-08:00

Whoa!

2009-12-20T13:04:00.000-08:00

This is quite possibly the most insightful comment this blog has ever received. It's from (who else) Anonymous.

"Dear Author zenmommasgarden.blogspot.com ! I am sorry, it does not approach me. Perhaps there are still variants? "

Perhaps there are, Anonymous. Perhaps there are.

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-12-18T15:11:00.000-08:00

1. No, we will NOT be exerting more control over our kids. But thanks for your concern.

2. Not much table can be seen at the old kitchen table.

3. I watched the steam rising from the hot cup of coffee and thought: It's a good thing I own a coffee shop or this would be one expensive habit I've got going on here.

4. I may or may not steal a couple of girlfriends and fly to London to see James in concert next April, but either way it's going to be okay.

5. I'll take anyone who wants to come with me to London. Are you interested?

6. Life is good, at least from my point of view.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to Cloud 9 for dinner and some music, tomorrow my plans include Diana's Solstice Spiral and Sunday, I want to continue NOT stressing over the holidays!

Get your own Friday Fill-Ins here!

Tales From the Cafe

2009-12-14T19:30:00.000-08:00

SSU Holiday Blowout '09

We partied the night away.

We even had our very own surprise ~~guest~~ ROCK stars,

Kinda Delicious!
(they are)

(Accompanied by Miss Diana on Mama's Got a Squeezebox)

They rocked the house.

They had us singing.

They had us dancing.

A good time was had by all.

Me too!

C'mon admit it. Don't you wish you worked here?*

*Okay except maybe for the part where that video of you dancing somehow makes it to the interwebs.

How did that get there?

It's a Holiday Giveaway!

2009-12-11T10:33:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd let you all know that I'm doing a giveaway from my Etsy shop over at The Women's Colony. Up for grabs are these cute little earrings which are also available in green or purple. If you win, you get to pick your color. The contest ends Thursday, December 17 at 6pm CST. On Friday, the 18th, The Women's Colony will update this post with the name of the winner. Be sure to check back.

Good luck!

Best of 2009 - Blog find of the Year

2009-12-07T19:26:00.000-08:00

December 7: That gem of a blog you can't believe you didn't know about until this year.

Forget anything socially relevant or morally uplifting. I'm going with TFLN, Texts From Last Night.

"A gem of a blog?" Not so much. But really funny in all the worst "our civilization is surely coming to a bad end" kind of ways.

Remember kids, only you can prevent drunk texting.

Best of 2009 - Workshop or Conference

2009-12-06T21:49:00.000-08:00

December 6: Was there a conference or workshop you attended that was especially beneficial? Where was it? What did you learn?

Hmmm.. my favorite conference? How about I give you three guesses and the first two don't count.

And next year? It's going to be even better! You WILL want to be there. Because you know what I learned? I throw one heck of a good ~~party~~ conference.

Best of 2009 - Restaurant Moment, December 2

2009-12-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

December 2: Share the best restaurant experience you had this year. Who was there? What made it amazing? What taste stands out in your mind?

Sorry to be repetitive, but I'm going back to Paris for this one too. My very best food memory is of Gusto Italia. We found this adorable tiny little Mom & Pop Italian restaurant just around the corner from our hotel. We loved it so much that we ate there on several occasions.

The owner is a character, and there is a wonderful neighborhood feel to the place. We were first enticed in by an oh-so-charming Italian young man. He was the maître d’, waiter, busboy, prep cook and as it turns out, street-side patron wrangler. And wrangle us he did with his charming Italian accent and charming Italian ways. He charmed us right inside for dinner.

It was a beautiful night of food and drink and conversation and silliness and laughter. Oh and did I mention the food? It. Was. Amazing.

Gusto has the best pizza in Paris. (Yes, we went to France to eat pizza. Get over it.) We had an antipasti plate to die for and the freshest ricotta cheese that I have ever tasted. I swear they had the cow in the back giving the milk to be made into that cheese. Mmmmmm...

Gusto Italia was a sweet little find and a wonderful memory.

And now, of course, I'm hungry.

Best of 2009 - Trip, Pretend I wrote this on December 1

2009-12-06T19:59:00.000-08:00

As usual, I'm a little late to the party. I never do seem to get to these things in a timely fashion. This time it's the Best of 2009 party that seems to have left me in the dust. Ah well, better late than never, right? And there's always the idea that I'm being fashionably late. I mean really, dahling, who wants to read the December 1st post precisely on December 1st anyway?

Sooooo...I doubt I'll get to them all, but some of these prompts sound fun to explore. So I'll just pick and choose my way through the list and catch up eventually. Care to join me?

December 1: What was your best trip in 2009?

Well this one's easy, of course. Ahhhhhh.....Paris. Our first vacation together alone in 20 years and totally worth the wait.

We indulged our senses in all the best ways.

We renewed our Selves individually and together. Plus I learned something very important.

Let Jon take the self-portrait pics if I want to be in them.

Remember

2009-12-05T18:18:00.001-08:00

Sometimes a banana holder is just a banana holder.

Snippet...probably NSFW*...

2009-12-05T14:43:00.000-08:00

...of an Instant Message conversation between my friend and I about what may or may not happen if I steal his wife away for a ~~completely irresponsible but SO FUN James concert~~ week in London.

Me: Jon wants to know where you two can have the "Hookers and Blow Party" while we're gone.

Him: ANOTHER one?

Me: Like you can have too many?

Him: I do have a strong preference for Midwestern hookers and Bolivian blow - lemme Google it and see what I can come up with.

Him: "And the day I posted that on FB was the day that my dream of a political career came to a screeching halt . . . . "

Indeed, my friend. Indeed

*NSFW: Not Safe For ~~Work~~ Wives

Best Holiday Lights Display Ever

2009-12-03T15:15:00.001-08:00

One More Thing

2009-11-30T16:43:00.000-08:00

Unless you've got Tim Booth all wrapped up for me in a pretty purple bow (in which case you are my hero), no gifts are necessary for the 50th Birthday Bash & Extravaganza part of the Non-Con weekend. Just having you all here will be enough of a gift for me.*

(*Dear god I sound like my mother. Except for wanting a gift-wrapped Tim Booth. I don't think she ever said that. But you never know.)

Non-Con Update

2009-11-30T14:42:00.000-08:00

There is now a Non-Con page on the blog with information about the upcoming event. Details will be added as we plan them, so check back every now and then for updates. You can access the page from the nifty new button on the sidebar.

I just added some UPDATED LODGING INFO, courtesy of the lovely Shonna Morgan and Gillian Mayer. Click away for the latest scoop.

James is Touring!

2009-11-29T19:25:00.000-08:00

You remember James, right?

They're finally doing another concert tour! (Happy dance!)

Next April. ( Too close to LIFE is Good. Must. Resist. )

In the UK. (Of course. Because I just got back from a trip to Europe and now have no apparent means to get back there in the near future. That's how these things happen apparently.)

Anyone want to buy some jewelry to help me add to my UK concert fund? I should only need to sell about ~~a million~~ 100 pairs of earrings by Monday when the tickets go on sale. (A girl can dream...)

At least they've also got a new mini-album coming out as well. I suppose I'll have to make do with that until they get their act together to tour the US again. Time to get my (bacon-wrapped) James Tractor Beam tuned up and ready to pull them on over here.

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-11-27T19:36:00.000-08:00

1. Wait! Wait, don't forget to buy handmade and/or local this holiday season. There's lots of great stuff over at Etsy. Go have a look and support your favorite artists!

2. My dog's farts are followed at once by her running away frightened by the noise.

3. The trouble is she never does learn where the noise is coming from. How is that possible?

4. Conor was many miles away, but now he's home again.

5. With a faint pop my knees announce my intention to sit down.

6. A good arch nemesis is shadowy and ominous.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to buying nothing, tomorrow my plans include stocking the shelves with my jewelry designs for sale and Sunday, I want to meet some folks for brunch!

Want to play along? Get your own Friday Fill-Ins here.

Thanksgiving Special

2009-11-26T11:30:00.000-08:00

I am so very grateful for so many things today. My life is blessed and my cup is full to the brim with a sense of wonder at all that is, all that has been and all that is yet to be.

I am so thankful that my family is together today. We've had trips up and down and all around the globe these past few months. Our adventures were vast and our time away from each other was well spent. But now we're back at home, together under the same roof, and I couldn't be happier.

And I am thankful for you, my dear friend.

Yes, YOU.

Whether we've known each other for years or only days or maybe have yet to meet up "in real life," I am thankful for what you bring to my experience of this world. Because YOU are the best part what makes my world a better place.

The rest is just details.

Namaste.

Tales From the Cafe

2009-11-22T10:28:00.001-08:00

It's time for another episode of...

Not Really "Extreme" But Actually Very Cool Makeover: Cafe Edition

Featuring fresh new paint...

with cool new details...

and cool new lighting...

WAY COOL.

Don't cha agree?

At the sound of the tone, please leave your message.

2009-11-18T18:56:00.000-08:00

Hello. You have reached the home of Zenmomma's Garden. Zenmomma is not available to blog right now. But if you'll leave your name and comment at the beep, she'll get back to blogging as soon as possible. Thanks.

BEEP!

(Check it out, Zenmomma's actual answering machine.
Did she mention how old she'll be in January? Oy!)

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-11-13T13:00:00.000-08:00

1. The last band I saw live was Paolo Nutini, a singer/songwriter from Scotland (yes, Scotland). I went with Diana and Carolyn for a Girl's Night Out. We had entirely too much fun. It was a seriously good time.

The band is kick-ass-good and Paolo has a full rich voice and wide range of musical styles. He's none too hard on the eyes either.

See? Damn the boy is cute!

My friend MJ, who first gave me Paolo's CD, Sunnyside Up (for obvious reasons) corrects me that he's not cute, he's HOT. Agreed...in theory. But let's face it, I'm old enough to be his mother, so cute it will have to stay. sigh

2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is good food, good friends and time to enjoy them both. And pie. I really look forward to pie.

3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is not something I'm ready to think about yet thankyouverymuch.

4. Thoughts of the Sunnyside Up makeover fill my head. More on that, with pictures, to follow soon.

5. I wish I could wear my heart a little further up my sleeve.

6. Bagpipes make me sad. I'm always reminded of a funeral.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to resting up for the big work weekend ahead, tomorrow my plans include working Dad's Weekend at the cafe and Sunday, I want to get through the day!

Want to play along? Get your own Friday Fill-Ins here.

Boo!

2009-11-13T08:58:00.001-08:00

From savagechickens.com

One more from Japan

2009-11-12T19:05:00.000-08:00

"Deer are fucking cute...right up until they eat your rail pass." ~Conor*

*Today's Facebook update.

Emails from the World of Tomorrow

2009-11-11T16:22:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't know, Conor is in the middle of a three week tour of Japan with Eli Gerzon's Worldschool Travel Tours. Amazingly, he's actually been in touch to let me know his general whereabouts. Not surprisingly his messages are short and to the point. So very "Conor" in their succinct and no nonsense format. He probably would have loved the old telegrams of yesteryear.

But emails are free, so I actually got a couple of extra words. And lucky for me there are some bloggers in the group so I can get a few details and lift some pictures.

So here they are, my Hello from The World of Tomorrow emails. (That was actually the subject line of the first email.)

I'm doing fine, Japan is amazing. I would have called but I can't get a signal and it would have been about midnight for you anyways. I'll try for daily emails but we both know that won't happen. (zenmomma's note: LOVE the honesty!)

Doing fine. We've just arrived in Kyoto, I really hate this keyboard and yeah I think that's about it. (zenmomma's note: I'm not sure where this picture was taken, but apparently he's rubbing the Buddha's head for luck.)

Really tired. Lots of trains and moving. But yes I am having fun. (zenmomma's note: Don't let the lack of smiles fool you, he almost never smiles in pictures. But, yup, they sure do look tired.)

We'll be spending the rest of the trip here in Kyoto, We're staying in a traditional Japanese house home like thing complete with one bathroom and two beds and yeah doing fine. A bit home sick but good. (zenmomma's note: There's a smile! They must have ~~threatened~~ bribed him.)

So that's what I've got, four emails from the other side of the world, ~~filled with wonderful stories and interesting details~~ short and sweet and true to the nature of my son. Pretty amazing actually. Almost as amazing as the fact that MY KID IS IN JAPAN PEOPLE!

You can see more photos and read other people's blog posts about the trip here and here.

Jesus and the Dinosaurs

2009-11-10T09:27:00.001-08:00

Because Jesus was awesome like that!

Isn't this just too perfect for words? Check out the coloring hints. This isn't a real coloring page. It's the brainchild of artist Derek Chatwood. But from what I've seen about the Creation Museum, this could definitely be in the gift shop because "Biblical history is the key to understanding dinosaurs."

Look what just got added to the LIFE is Good webpage!

2009-11-07T16:01:00.001-08:00

Family Concert

It's a LIFE is Good tradition! We are once again fortunate enough to have Amy Steinberg on hand to rock the house with a family friendly, unschooling loving and absolutely awe inspiring concert. If you haven't yet heard Amy's music, you can check out her MySpace page and have a listen. Her music is fun, inspirational, irreverent, funny, zen, quirky, sweet and thought provoking. Her voice is powerful and her spirit is filled with joy. Her concerts just sweep you up and take you along for a wonderful ride.

What happened to Non-Con?

2009-11-06T17:31:00.000-08:00

I'm glad you asked. Because it's time to announce:

Zenmomma's Non-Con and 50th Birthday Bash Extravaganza!

Who: YOU!
What: The 4th annual (if a few months late) Corvallis Non-Con
Where: Corvallis, OR
When: We'll start gathering at Sunnyside Up on Friday, January 29 in the afternoon. We'll hang out, talk, laugh, plan and get into general mischief. The main event will be Saturday evening, exact details to be announced.

For lodging I would recommend the Holiday Inn Express (right on the river and close to downtown) or Motel 6 (nice enough and really good rates).

Non-Con: Not a CONference; a gathering of some cool unschooling families looking to hang out, chat, sip good NW coffee, share, laugh, play, bond and celebrate life just a wee bit.

25 Reasons You Should Drink More Coffee

2009-11-05T19:38:00.000-08:00

Think coffee is bad for you? Think again. Here are 25 ~~excuses~~ reasons to down more java.

Disclaimer: This information is being shared as a Public Service Announcement only and in no way indicates an attempt on the part of this blog's author to lure people into Sunnyside Up for a cup of the most excellent organic, fair trade coffee in town.

From the website The Health Nut:

Are you aware of the debates over that wonderful smelling cup of java you have in the morning? More than 50 percent of Americans drink coffee every day, up to three to four cups each, which adds up to more than 330 million cups per day. While some researchers have claimed that coffee is not good for some people (and it isn’t — especially for pregnant women), other studies show there may be some merit in that coffee pot’s ingredients.

The following list points to positive aspects about coffee and your health and the health of the environment. All links, which lead to articles that support the argument, are listed in alphabetical order within each category. Some articles also warn that coffee may harm some individuals, so be aware that all the points made below are not made-to-order for everyone. Some links will provide alternatives for those who cannot drink coffee, so enjoy (without cream and sugar, please).

Health and Well-Being

Antioxidant Boost: Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffees contain an antioxidant called trigonelline. Antioxidants are chemical compounds that fight free radicals, which, if allowed to grow, will attack our body and cause disease, most commonly cancer. Chemical analysis shows that freshly brewed coffee contains the same amount of antioxidants as three oranges.
Prevent Cavities: While coffee can stain your teeth, a cup of java made from roasted beans has antibacterial activities against certain microorganisms, including Streptococcus mutans, a major cause of dental caries.
Dietary Fiber: Brewed coffee contains a significantly higher amount of soluble dietary fiber than other common beverages.
Energy Boost: Caffeine does not have specific nutritional value, but it does demonstrate medicinal properties. It is particularly helpful in keeping the mind alert and the body action-ready. In fact, the International Olympic Committee calls caffeine a powerful “ergogenic agent,” meaning it promotes the ability of muscles to work.
Headache Buster: While people have complained of caffeine-withdrawal headaches, other people swear by caffeine to eliminate migraine headaches. Cafergot, a mixture of ergotamine tartrate and caffeine, is used to treat or prevent vascular headaches such as migraine and cluster headaches. Side effects, however, may be serious for some.
Weight Loss: Harvard School of Public Health in Boston doesn’t say you’ll lose weight by drinking coffee, but you will gain weight if you continue to spike that coffee with cream, whipped cream, chocolate and more additives. Black coffee contains caffeine, which is an appetite suppressant, it may stimulate thermogensis (body generating heat from food digestion) and it is a diuretic — but diet and exercise are better weight-loss tools.
Pain Killer: Two cups of brewed coffee may reduce post-exercise muscle pain by up to forty-eight percent.
Reduce Suicide Risk: A ten-year study of 86,000 female nurses showed a strong link between coffee intake and lower suicide risk.
Increases Sexual Drive (Rats): Scientists from Southwestern University found caffeine increased the female libido in experiments on rats. Further research is needed before anyone knows whether it works as a sexual stimulant on humans.

Disease Reduction

Alzheimer’s Disease: A case-control study was used with 54 patients with probable AD fulfilling the National Institute of Neurologic and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the AD and Related Disorders Association criteria, and caffeine intake was associated with a significantly lower risk for AD (independently of other possible confounding variables).
Bladder Cancer (Smokers): A study published in the January 2001 issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community suggested that non-coffee drinking smokers were seven times more likely to develop bladder cancer as non-smokers. Coffee-drinking smokers were only three times more at risk.
Cirrhosis of the Liver (Alcoholic Drinkers): A study published in 2008 showed — out of 125,000 coffee drinkers — that one cup of coffee per day cut the risk of alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver by twenty percent. Four cups per day reduced the risk by eighty percent.
Colon Cancer:
Diabetes: In a report that combined statistical data from many studies, researchers found that people who drank four to six cups of coffee a day had a 28 percent reduced risk compared with people who drank two or fewer. Those who drank more than six had a 35 percent risk reduction.
Gallstones: Men who drink at least 2 cups of coffee a day may reduce their risk of developing gallstones by 40 percent, and women showed a twenty-five percent lower risk of gallstone development.
Gout (Men): Men who drink four or more cups of coffee per day reduce their chance of developing gout by 59 percent.
Heart Disease (women): Out of 27,312 postmenopausal women who took part in an Iowa Women’s Health study, the women who reported drinking one to three daily cups of coffee at the study’s start were 24 percent less likely to die of heart disease during the study, compared with those who didn’t drink coffee.
Ovarian Cancer: A study found that caffeine may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer in women by a fifth. The risk is even less for women who do not take the Pill or do not use hormone replacement therapy.
Parkinson’s Disease: At least six studies indicate that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80 percent less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.
Stroke: In an observational study, scientists at UCLA discovered that of people who reported drinking one to two cups of coffee per day, five percent reported a history of stroke, compared to three and one-half percent of people who reported drinking three to five daily cups of coffee and about three percent of people who said they drink six or more cups of coffee per day.

Environment

Biofuel Source: Coffee grounds — currently wasted or used as garden compost (see below) — could become a cheap and environmentally friendly source of biodiesel and fuel pellets, says a study from SciDev.Net, a member of the Guardian Environment Network. Scientists at the US-based University of Nevada, Reno, used an inexpensive process to extract oil from the leftovers of making espressos, cappuccinos and other coffee preparations from a multinational coffeehouse chain. This oil was then converted into biodiesel, which could be used to fuel cars and trucks.
Cleaning Grounds: Coffee grounds are abrasive and acidic, providing them with an edge in cleaning pots, pans and stainless steel sinks. Plus, rinsing coffee grounds down the drain can help eliminate drain odors.
Great for Mushrooms: Mushroom expert Paul Stamets discovered that oyster mushrooms grow great in coffee grounds. Once you’re through with the coffee grounds, go to #24.
Natural Fertilizer: When coffee grounds to into the landfill, they create methane, a greenhouse gas. But, if you take those grounds and mix them with a little soil, you can produce a healthy fertilizer and/or compost for your home garden that worms love. And, a healthy garden loves worms.
Repel Slugs: Don’t use chemicals, which can harm other wildlife and humans, to eliminate slugs in your garden. Instead, use coffee grounds sprinkled around on the ground. Caffeine has been found to be more effective than the chemical metaldehyde in killing slugs.

Make it a double

2009-10-30T20:05:00.001-07:00

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-10-30T10:44:00.001-07:00

1. It was a dark and stormy night, and the Captain said to the Boatman, "Boatman, Boatman tell me a tale" and this is the tale he told. "It was a dark and stormy night... "

2. They were banning the best ones, so I offered to take the books myself.

3. Rushing out, I remembered that there's no sense in rushing. I'll get there when I get there.

4.Was that Allen Ginsberg's ghost? ...I think I heard a howl!

5. Shhhh... Be Vewy, Vewy Qwiet ...I'm huntin' for Twick or Tweaters.

6. Take me back to Paris give me something good to eat!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to helping Conor double check his packing for his big trip to Japan tomorrow, tomorrow my plans include driving the
"mom taxi" to Portland to shuttle the kids hither and yon and Sunday, I want to recover from whatever shenanigans Jon and I are going to get into while our house is empty Saturday night!

Get your own Friday Fill-Ins.

Doing my best to get the hell off the "Fuck You Express"

2009-10-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

Step 1: Go for a long walk with some good ipod tunes for company.

Step 2: But for god's sake turn off the My Chemical Romance. "Welcome to the Black Parade" is simply not helping.

Step 3: Return home with a (hopefully) clearer head.

Step 4: Sip with quiet intent from one hot mug of kava tea.

Step 5: Veg out in front of the tv. The more banal the program choices, the better. (Can you say reality tv to the rescue?)

Step 6: Think about developing a thicker skin.

Step 7: Abandon step 6 and realize that callouses are so unattractive. Who wants thick skin?

Step 8: Instead, strike a sassy pose. Oh yeah.

Step 9: So. Much. Better.

It's not a very zen place to be but...

2009-10-27T15:48:00.001-07:00

Good Mood Gig

2009-10-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

My friend Cid is trying to win a job as a paid "Good Mood Blogger" (seriously, that's what it's called) and she needs our help. All it takes is a click of your mouse to give her your vote. Won't you be a dear and go over to the contest site and vote for her. And if you want some extra good karma, repost this request on your blog or Facebook page and really help her get the VOTE FOR CID! momentum going.

Good Mood Gig from SAM-e

A Little Bit of Paris

2009-10-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

...as told through my Facebook vacation status updates.

Facebook sez... Mary Gold is packing for Paris and pursuing other alliterative antics.

Zenmomma adds...Antics like attaining altitude! We flew Iceland Air. We even changed planes in Reykjavik.

Facebook sez... Mary Gold is updating her status from her Paris hotel! Ooh la la!

Zenmomma adds...Our crash pad after 12+ hours of travel.

Facebook sez... Mary Gold strolled through the Louvre, sipped cappucino at a cozy cafe and ate yet another decadent chocolate pastry. How's your day?

Zenmomma adds...We did it all. We not only went to the Louvre,

we also checked out the Musee de l'Erotisme.

Facebook sez... Mary Gold Happy Anniversary to us! 25 years. Spent the day viewing the works of Rodin, Cezanne, Picasso, Van Gogh, Renoir, LaTrec and more. Yummy crepes for lunch. Indian food for dinner. This does NOT suck!

Zenmomma adds...We also saw lots of modern art. This was my absolute favorite.

And to be honest, the ridiculously large screen playing continuous Bollywood musical numbers during our dinner did kind of suck, but it was also kind of awesome! Luckily the Indian food ended up happening the day after our anniversary. That evening was sweet and romantic and nothing you need to see pictures of.

Facebook sez... Mary Gold Off to the Latin Quarter!

Zenmomma adds...Check out the name of this Japanese restaurant in the Latin Quarter.

Facebook sez... Mary Gold did some shopping today. C'est bon!

Zenmomma adds...The street markets were amazing! OMG are those James daisy tarts?

Facebook sez... Mary Gold just awoke from a much needed nap. In Paris for another day!

Zenmomma adds...Another day, another 10 trips on the Paris Metro.

Facebook sez...Mary Gold loves her life, loves Paris and loves you! ♥ ♥ ♥

Zenmomma adds...And this guy. I really, really love this guy. ♥ ♥ ♥ I mean seriously, how French can you get without being picked up by the Cliche Police.

Facebook sez...Mary Gold is off to pack and then enjoy her last night in Paris. What a romantic, exciting, enriching, indulgent way to spend a week.

Zenmomma adds...

"Respirer Paris, cela conserve l'a me.

To inhale Paris preserves the soul."

~Victor Hugo

Did someone say there were pictures?

2009-10-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

As usual, Jon is way ahead of me. (Good thing for me or nothing would ever get done.) So please do click on over to his blog and enjoy some pics of our time with the world's most recognizable phallic symbol as designed by Mnsr. Eiffel. Or as we like to call it That Damn Tower.

I'll post soon.

No really.

I will.

We're Back!

2009-10-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

It was an amazing trip and I have lots to share.

Hey look!
It's us.
In Paris.
For real.

Right now it all feels like a bit of a blur. But soon enough I'll recover my sense of time and place enough to post some real pictures.

For now just call me...

If it's October, this must be Paris

2009-10-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

Au revoir mes amis.

Zenmomma's Garden is going on hiatus for a couple of weeks as I'm on my way to Paris today to celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary!

~~Wahoo!~~ Ooh la la!

In the meantime, Mr. Bacon and Mnsr. Tofu will entertain you as they fight to the death. Or to the dinner plate. Whichever comes first.

So what's your day been like?

2009-10-01T18:15:00.001-07:00

For God's Sake Sit Down, Kanye!

2009-09-22T14:23:00.001-07:00

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-09-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

1. My car is covered in polka dots and daisies and elicits the funniest looks from people.

2. A visit from my in-laws is coming up next. Then, Paris!

3. Lately, things seem to be happening all at once. Life is like that.

4. Out for my daily walk is one of my favorite 'hiding' places.

5. What happened next, I wonder?

6. Living peacefully (and happily!) with teenagers is not impossible!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hanging out in my newly clean house (god I love Merry Maids), tomorrow my plans include keeping the place clean until the in-laws get here Monday and Sunday, I want to enjoy the calm before the ~~storm~~ visit!

Get your own Friday Fill-Ins.