small things that have no words

Do you remember the little chick from the last post? I am very sorry to say he didn't make it. Our best efforts could not stoke the spark of life; we hiked into the woods tonight to bury him.

We had a conversation about birth and what miracle it is when everything comes together just so to form a healthy thriving baby and that sometimes, despite our best efforts, that fragile life slips away. What a gift it is for children to spend time with animals, It gives us an opportunity to talk about the biggest topics of life...to feel them and digest them.

As a child I had special prayer that I always recited when I laid an animal to rest, here it is -

Dear nature, hear and bless

Thy beasts and singing birds:

And guard with tenderness

small things that have no words.

calling the chicken underground

My son's class hatched chicks this week, one of the chicks took a long time to come out, in fact I believe the teacher let them help it along (probably not a good idea) She took a long time to stand and didn't open her eyes for a day and a half. Her feet are crooked and point in. For all of these reasons she was having trouble getting food and water with the group. My son was hand feeding her in class and found out the farm didn't want her back...well, guess where she is now.

This is all very, Charlot's Webb, but we can't keep another chick. We will care for her until she is more self sufficient, but we would love if she could find a loving home. She came from a brown egg - that's all I know.

Are you in love yet?

motmots for community building

I've been having a long distance love affair with a country for years. The pioneering spirit, rough untouched forests, and simmering politics keep me fascinated with learning about Nicaragua -- well, we're finally going to meet.

This journey has been a long time in the making and is important for so many reasons. Two of our childrens' grandparents are from Nicaragua and this experience should be part of their childhood. They will experience beauty, they will peek at luxury in a foreign land, and they will see tragic poverty. My husband has traveled to the country many times as a child and teen - I have never been.

I'm excited and nervous, the considerations are different than for other places we have been. Here are some things that I imagine might happen:

1. I freak out at the airport and refuse to get on the plane. I am terribly afraid of flying, the last time I was such a stress ball for hours on end that I couldn't stand up straight by the time I got to Amsterdam.

2. I decide we can't go home and send Armando back home to tie up the loose ends. I fall in love with being anywhere new. I have a strange mix of gypsy and homebody, this plays out by having an insatiable desire to move to new places -- I'm thrilled by being somewhere new and I'm "home" at the same time (I'm currently living the longest I've ever lived anywhere)

3. I become overwhelmed by the need to do something - this could get heavy, and I'm wondering how I will digest it. We don't plan on staying in tourist areas, we want to see it all.

5. well, I imagine a lot of stuff......

A little more about # 3 - I was given a pamphlet about a charity called Center for Development in Central America http://http//www.jhc-cdca.org/ I checked them out and it seems like they are doing some very good work. While I was weeding the garden today I was thinking about the beautiful motmot, the national bird of Nicaragua and how I should try to create it in paper mache. The amazing colors are similar to the birds I make now. I've decided to make motmots and donate half of the proceeds to the Center for Development in Central America. On the website they break down some of the costs of helping citizens with starting businesses, converting to organic farming, and community health care - you would be surprised at what you can do with a relatively small amount of money!

The paper mache motmot is being conceived as you read this, I will post some images soon.

Here are some of my other paper creations to give you an idea of where I'm going with this http://http//www.rosemarymarkowski.com/papermache.htm

art classes

This summer I will be offering art classes in my home and in the Wissahickon for ages 6-9. The schedule is as follows:

July 6th and 7th, 10:00 - 1:00

Paper mache animals

$35.00 for both days, materials and a healthy snack included.

July 13th and 14th, 10:00 - 1:00

Drawing and painting the landscape - plein air. We will be walking in the Wissahickon and packing our supplies and lunch. Wear comfortable shoes, bring a backpack and pack a lunch.

$50 for both days, materials and a healthy snack included.

July 19th and 20th, 10:00 - 1:00

A second plein air session.

the first strawberries

The young chickens are very playful! If I am weeding or picking they like to get a running start and hop up my back and on to my head....this needs to stop.

The first strawberries were picked this evening; here's a simple and delicious salad idea that really shows them off:

Any delicate green will do, but I prefer mache. Slice the berries in half if they're small (most homegrown ones are a bit smaller than the tasteless behemoths in the grocery store) and toss with some cubed semi-soft cheese. Throw some ribbons of basil on top and then splash with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. This salad really is the essence of summer!

purpose & ice cream

I believe it was Kate Moss who said, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" Although this may be an effective mantra for keeping bony, I can think of a few things that might give skinny a run for its money.

I try to be good, but here are the top three offenders in the kitchen right now.

1. goat cheese

2. sunflower seed butter - I know, you wouldn't think sunflower seed butter right away, but sometimes I get a craving for spreading it on Fuji apples that must be satisfied.

3. Ben & Jerry's Willie Nelson's Country Peach Cobbler ice cream - no explanation needed.

This is not a diet blog, but I have noticed something interesting that ties this weight thing back into my usual topic. When I'm on a roll creatively I never think about my weight. I was working on a double portrait this afternoon, things were coming along nicely and I took a break to clean some brushes, I also went in the freezer and grabbed a spoonful of peach ice cream -- a little jiggle in the jeans? Big deal. I was also happy with just a spoonful - Balanced mind balanced body.

I hope my daughters never waste their peace of mind on obsessing about their weight. I had times as a teenager when I did. What I know now is, if you find something you love and you feel confident in your abilities there's really no need for the mind to wander about looking for power over weight, or people, or possessions...there's a peace to purpose and it's my job to guide my children there.

shake it till your label falls off

It's not all about dirt, chickens, and kids around here. Last night we went out downtown with a couple good friends for a postponed birthday celebration. We shared delicious food we didn't have to cook and took our time to really savor it...no ants-in-their-pants little ones to speed the night along.

Earlier in the day I chaperoned a field trip, primed and sanded panels, weeded the garden, helped clean the garage, did homework and served dinner to the kids. After this I contemplated backing out of our plans. This has been happening lately; feeling tired and over scheduled. In fact it has brought on the painter's equivalent of writer's block, the dreaded, "What is it I'm supposed to do with this paint brush?" feeling. It doesn't go anywhere good from there. Well, I can say that a night out dancing did not leave me tired for the battle with the block; It left me feeling more like myself, my mind is solving problems in a new way, and my husband and I enjoying a renewed appreciation for each other. Dancing is great for tuning-up the unspoken communication.

Am I a believer in the healing power of dance? Why yes, yes I am. While I was outside in the garden with my man this morning I was wondering about why we're so detached from the very things that keep us feeling young and alive? Many people are more likely to seek professional advise regarding their lack of energy, or trouble with their relationship before they just go do the things they always knew they loved. I'm thinking it might have something to do with our "life style" obsession. Everyone is subscribing to websites, watching TV shows, or reading magazines that offer the guidelines of a "life style" I've seen this escalate over the past ten years. Many of them will offer the label "free thinker" but require that you follow strict laws of fashion, diet, and parenting style. It seems it's a thin line between belonging to a community that supports our positive growth and one that restricts us. We're saying "that's not me (anymore)" far too often...moms are famously afraid of judgment and I think this is why they're endlessly targeted.

I believe dance is the perfect antidote for our self imposed limits - blood flows and is replenished with oxygen and nutrients, synovial fluid circulates flushing out pain and stiffness, and our mind is stimulated. We share, without words, with those around us and we hear our own quiet thoughts more clearly.

Dance is the language of the soul" - Martha Graham

So, shake it till your label falls off!