Teaching the Alphabet Through Mandalas

This week marks Peter Ray’s third month!  Where does the time go? I am gearing up for our last quarter of Grade One, as we took several months off to enjoy and soak him up.  As summer solstice approaches, we have a baby rhythm unfolding, and lessons seem doable again (we did a lot of reading together in the meantime!).

I sat down to do a bit of writing with my First Grader, and discovered the past 3 months of “baby break” left him very rusty.  His letters were looking sloppy, he was having trouble remembering to form them “from heaven to earth”, and he grumbled when I pulled out the handwriting practice book.

Here are the “a’s” in his handwriting practice book… he grumbled all the way… and I felt this method was just not working for us (he responds the same way about most of the form drawing figures I’ve introduced so far, too).  I really hate to feel like a schoolmaster, driving him forward on a task that is obviously painful. I could almost hear those “a’s” moaning, “ahhhhhhhhhhhhh”…

So, I did the most natural thing a Waldorf-inspired mom could do. I asked myself, “What would Steiner do?”

Just kidding.  I did *not* really ask myself that Instead, I prayed and asked for wisdom about what my son needed to really love his letters. I was given an immediate answer in a flurry of inspiration- to work on letters with him through mandalas.  As I sat down to create my own as an example, I found it incredibly balancing and relaxing.  Mandalas are used by Buddhist monks as a method of meditating and internalizing images or symbols to the point that a very complex mandala can be summoned up in the mind in full detail.  I thought of what a perfect parallel this makes to form drawing, as we seek to help our child “live into” the letters and fully grasp them in all of their significance. Steiner said-

In regard to handwriting, it is so that people do not have a writing, rather the writing has the person… That means, we have in our wrist, in our hand, a certain writing trait. We write mechanically out of our hand. This fetters the human being. The human being becomes unfettered when he writes in the way that he paints or draws, when each letter next to the other becomes something that he draws.

He says again in another lecture-

Take for example, writing.  The boy writes something like this, does he not? Now it will be for you to set to work and take the utmost care and pains that he shall gradually change his handwriting and develop it into a finely formed script.  And you will find that while he is doing this, there will be clear signs also of a transformation taking place in his whole inner constitution.

So here is my first attempt at a mandala, which I used to introduce him to the concept, as a guide…

And a second one, which I drew together with him as he did his own… didn’t get a chance to color this one in yet… and it has several mistakes, but ah well, good attempt for a mother holding a wiggly baby, right?

And his complete mandala for the letter A… he enjoyed creating it very much!

It was surprisingly easy to do these, and if you watch this short tutorial on growing a mandala, I think you’ll be pleasantly delighted at what a simple, enjoyable task it is! The key is to turn the paper as you go.  We did use a compass to create a circle at the beginning; I felt that since my son and I are sanguine it would suit our temperaments to work within a defined area as the basis of our effort, rather than “growing out” by working from the inside out as an introvert might wish to do, since we tend to be expansive enough in who we are as individuals already.  We used Mercurius color giant pencils, but I think it would be really fun to paint them with watercolors, too.  I see a summer filled with letter mandalas in our future!

As my inner work has gotten on track, I truly feel “inspired”- or being “In Spirit”-  in building our lessons and our lives together.  I have been realizing just how boxed in I feel when I try to do lessons the “right” way.  Instead, I feel a calling to listen to the voice within and bring something very personal to our lessons, to add my own flavor.  Perhaps, that was Steiner’s ideal all along?

Waldorf Book Review: “Music Through the Grades- In the Light of the Developing Child”

I am super excited about this new book.  Diane Ingraham Barnes has really done us a huge service, and for every Waldorf-inspired homeschooling parent out there with children in the grades, I feel this is a must-have.  She has collected over 200 songs, divided each song by grade and the themes of that grade, and based all of this on over 20 years of insight into child development.  There are certainly plenty of song books available for kindergarten-age children already on the market for the Waldorf niche, but this book takes you through first to eighth grade and features 3 CD’s for the first three grades, enabling those still learning to read music to hear each of the songs before attempting to play. She includes wise notes and suggested activities to accompany the songs, with pedagogical insights on how to best meet the children where they are at during each grade, too.

Grade One comes with 17 songs to mark the seasons and passage of time and speak to the themes of the year; 21 more such songs which are also in the mood of the fifth; and 7 songs specifically geared for learning to play the pentatonic flute.  Grade 2 selections offer 31 theme/season related songs with notes on both lyre and kinderharp.  Grade Three offers 30; it also offers four songs particularly suited to teaching/playing C-flute.  All 112 of the Grades 1-3 songs are sung on CD by Diane so you can better learn to play them if, like me, reading music is not a proficiency for you. In Grade Four, the round is introduced with plenty of songs particularly suited to it; in Grade Five, iron rod activities are discussed; in Grade 6, Diane explains how to meet the child studying the Renaissance period with chants, canons, and Renaissance dances.  Seventh grade is particularly suited to the fugue and madrigals, and eighth to the opera and beginnings of choral singing as puberty and changing voices allow for it.

I plan to spend the summer becoming familiar with playing the second grade songs, especially ones related to saints and fables, as I immerse myself in D’aulaire’s Saints and Fables books (and would you believe, my dear librarian ordered five books of saints geared towards children just for me after I came in asking about them recently and there were none to be found? So sweet of her!). I do have three copies of Music Through the Grades available now (it was brand new in late April, and already my supplier sold out of their first shipment, so I had to go directly to the publisher to meet all the orders for it from our May book sale).  Please take advantage of 20% savings with the code JUNE20 and low $1.99 shipping rate. This code will also work on other products storewide, although after the last very successful sale in May the shop is a bit wiped out. I will be restocking soon! And our next co-op order is coming up very shortly in early July… wait til you see all the new things that are going to be available!

Stay tuned for another book review soon- I’ve just ordered Christine Shafer’s latest book, Magic Wool Fruit Children for the shop and have a few copies of that available, too- and one for me, you know, ahem- for reviewing purposes I can’t wait to dive into this bit of needle-felting, nature table delight!

Beyond “Making The Best of Things”

This weekend we visited the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania and spent some time among the beautiful trees in the woods there, collecting twigs, branches, and pine needles for a small fire in one of the shelters and learning about fire safety…

And last night before bed, we embarked on our theme adventure for the summer… “Summer Camp”. It was rainy and damp outside, but inside, we gathered the sleeping bags and made a little fire in the playroom.

Our “fire” was just a few pieces of kindling propped around a flashlight with a yellow silk draped around it.  We had a blue silk “pond” with stuffed swan, turtle, frog, and lobster; a “woods” with bears and bunny; and we told stories and sang camp songs.  Nothing too complicated in this season of life with a newborn, but it was still a fun way to welcome summer in our family, and each child truly enjoyed it (even wide-eyed Baby Peter, who soaks it all up in amazement!).

After my last post and a bit more Wayne Dyer (I’ve finished “Your Erroneous Zones” and moved on to “Real Magic”), I’ve felt such a huge boost.  Moving beyond “making the best of things”, is a place of pure joy and realization that things really are the best they can possibly be, as every moment offers the opportunity to walk along this magical path of life in communion with my Source and the four wonderful little people whose destinies are lovingly, intricately woven together with mine.   I realized I had been subconsciously pinning my happiness to an ideal in which my husband is home for dinner and on weekends, is super involved with the kids, and is around to occasionally give me a break from it all. I was essentially telling myself “I will only allow myself to be happy if (insert ideal scenario) happens.”  The potential to add peace, joy, and laughter to our days always exists- whether daddy is home for dinner or not- so I’m giving myself permission to enjoy every moment!

The Heart of It (Inner Work!)

After writing the Are You Waldorf Enough? quiz with a humorous look at what being influenced by Steiner may look like, I’ve pondered it in a more serious tone.  Around the web, two other lovely blog posts have hit home on the subject of what “being Waldorf” looks like- Carrie’s post “Am I Waldorf Enough?” and Sheila’s “What Waldorf Looks Like In My Home”.

For me, the most inspiring aspect of Waldorf education is the importance of the mother/teacher being a vibrant, growing, striving human being- fulfilling a meaningful role (destiny)- and co-creating goodness, beauty and truth into existence on this earth from seed thought to physical reality.  As I take in the world around me, and “digest” it into bits and pieces that are manageable for my children, I nourish their mind, soul and spirit in the same way that I would physically nourish my newborn babe at the breast.   This is the picture I have of learning at home after studying Steiner- we study the world around us, and each bit of information we bring to our children is filtered through, and dripping with, “Mama Love”and Trust in the Goodness, Beauty, and Truth of our Source. 

In order to be this vibrant, growing, striving human being, inner work is paramount. Quite honestly, I have felt like a failure lately, because my own inner work has been weak.  I grew up in a Christian home and attended a Christian school.  I attended church 2-3 times a week.  It was hammered into me over and over that to be a successful Christian, I had to have a regular time of prayer and reading the bible.  But, to be perfectly honest, when I read the bible, I struggle.  The only way I  have been able to come to terms with God as depicted in the majority of the Old Testament and even parts of the New, has been to sort of “live” within the Garden of Eden.  I recognize and connect with the God who created a paradise in which to fellowship with us.  I recognize that there was a disconnect between the Divine and humanity, and the greater part of the bible is showing us the impact of that disconnect, until the gap could be bridged.  So- now that the gap has been bridged, I have a hard time dwelling on anything less than that Garden of Eden state.  We were made for, meant for, and spawned of perfection, goodness, beauty, truth, love… reading about the discord that existed in the middle does nothing to  nourish my soul right now.  I’ve listened to so many people speak about these words of the bible with a lot of ego inserted, that it has been used as an attempt to: motivate me to get involved in their personal work or cause; convict me of my shortcomings in a harsher way than God Himself would have dealt with me, leaving me “bruised”; convince me to interpret the words I am reading through another person’s perspective and experience, as if they are the authority and speak “gospel truth”; and produce their vision of holiness in my life.  Although they may have had good intentions when they took to the pulpit, the result is that there are many times where I simply feel used and abused when I read these words again, and incapable of determining what God Himself is trying to say to me personally amidst the clamor of what these words meant to other people.  I grew up feeling guilty and scared of God; I only just started to see Him in a different light after my teen years, but with the business of marriage and 4 children, there hasn’t been much time to reconcile how God was presented to me through my childhood and how He makes Himself known to me one-on-one. It will take some healing before I will be able to read the Bible and come away renewed and encouraged.  So, I have floundered a lot with what to do for inner work.  After a consult with Melisa Nielsen through her wonderful Thinking, Feeling, Willing program, and some words of encouragement from the other ladies on this journey, I  keep coming back  to Dr. Wayne Dyer.  His ideas really give me the lift I need.

I always want my blog space to be a happy one- a “complaint-free zone” in my life.  So I don’t often share personal struggles in depth here.  But recently when I reached out to the Thinking, Feeling Willing support group mamas, I was truly surprised by how many other mamas share in my struggle of feeling alone and overwhelmed.  So many of our husbands are working two jobs, or working and going to school.  Just around the time I had our fourth baby, things got very busy for my husband and he is only home a few nights before the kids go to bed. I know I really need some strong inner work now, to face feelings of overwhelm/resentment, and shift my paradigm.

When I listen for answers, I hear two messages.  First of all, this is a loving opportunity for me to become stronger as an individual; to rely on my Source… as my friend Becca shared with me…

“Remember God/Love is the true parent. Trust God to meet all your needs. Your children’s needs too. It doesn’t come from you. You just naturally reflect God’s parenting, Mothering qualities. That shift is so freeing for a Mother.  From feeling like we’re ALL to our children, to feeling like God is Mothering you and your kids together. Rest in action, you reflect God! You get all your strength, courage, Love from Divine Love & that is inexhaustible & never ending. Feeling that love is restorative. You are completely cradled in God’s love just as you cradle that little one & all your bigger ones too. Let all your cares melt away and just feel the joy that is always there. Joy doesn’t come & go. It isn’t attached to a person and absent when they are. As a quality of God it can only be eternal, never ending, it’s there always. Just part the mental cloud that obscures it. These aren’t just words. It’s Truth! & as you live it and feel it you’ll notice more proof of God’s care. All those little signs and messages, saying, ‘hey, I’m here for you, I haven’t left you alone.’”

After Becca shared this, my children did the sweetest thing.  They spent a few hours outside creating a circus show just for me.  I had been wallowing a bit in self pity, but by the end of their show, I truly felt as if they put this together for me as one of God’s “little signs and messages”, as Becca wrote.  Here is a picture I took of one of their “acts”- you know, the classic “bunch of clowns pour out of a tiny car”. What little blessings they are to me!

Secondly, I have been meditating on the idea that my work “alongside” my partner is not limited to physical proximity.  Being “by his side” in spirit is no less powerful in his life.  Feeling “alone” is a mental construct that will only bring me to a negative place.  There are seasons of life, and during this current season, I get to experience the more powerful aspect of giving him vital spiritual support.  It is only a season; eventually, he will be able to shed some responsibilities.  It doesn’t need to be a season of resentment, jealousy, or overwhelm; it can be a time for me to draw closer to Source, spend evenings I would have shared with him reading or knitting or planning; and the baby and beautiful spring weather has been such a joy for the children, I don’t think they are feeling the loss of a family member being present, very strongly right now.  Beyond that, I have the opportunity to create new opportunities that don’t currently exist.  Who knows what possibilities may allow our family to be together more often, that I am not yet able to see?

I hope this might encourage other mothers who share my circumstances- it seems there are many more of you than I would have imagined!

Another mama suggested creating an inspiration board with pictures and quotes that keep her “calm, inspired, motivated, and focused.” I hope to make mine prettier, but to get started I put some sticky notes on a foam presentation board that I happened to have around.  Here are the highlights of the first chapters of Wayne Dyer’s “Your Erroneous Zones: Bold But Simple Techniques For Taking Charge of Your Unhealthy Behaviour Patterns”…

And the two questions to ask myself throughout the day…

Care to share any of your favorite inner work resources? Maybe we can archive them for future reference!

Are You Waldorf Enough? Take This Quiz…

What is it about the Waldorf method that can be so inspiring and beautiful and curative, and simultaneously demanding, guilt-inducing, and overwhelming to bring to our children (and ourselves!)? Lately there have been a number of mothers in my path who have decided to walk away, take a break, or wrestle with “being Waldorf” out loud.

I’ve been there… and I am no purist. Steiner was anti-dogma, and so am I. But I tend to like the things he liked, and I tend to like other people who like what he liked. I guess, in a nutshell, that is the value of the “Waldorf” label- to help you find somewhat like-minded people in this big wide world of all sorts of diverse people. If I thought the world needed even more labels and micro-classifications, I would invent my own philosophy… it would be called Natural Life Learning, and would incorporate Steiner + Hippy Freak + Unschooling + My Crazy Self. But I don’t think the world needs more labels or micro-classifications. I think we need to just “be with” ourselves and others, honoring their contributions and our own, and stirring it all up and letting it stew in the soup pot to develop some rich flavors that harmoniously blend.

But if you’re feeling overly melancholic-with-a-touch-of-choleric today, here is a quiz for you to take and determine- Are You Waldorf Enough?

Question 1.
You’re at a playdate with several other young mothers. While they talk about intellectual stimulation, you…

(1) show off the latest “educational” iphone app you downloaded for your toddler
(2) wonder how long it’s been since you last did a fingerplay or nursery rhyme with little Johnny
(3) choke, spewing biodynamic raw milk out your nose when someone asks you if you’ve ever tried “My Baby Can Read”
(4) excuse yourself and guide your little one away from the board books- too “awakening”- and over to an open-ended wooden toy

Question 2.
You’re at a friend’s house and she offers to put on PBS for the kids. You…

(1) Sigh with relief and forget the kids are even there as they sit mesmerized by the boob tube and you delve into the latest gossip
(2) Wait ten minutes and suggest going outside for a walk- after all, it’s a beautiful day!
(3) Lure your child away from the tv with a homemade Millet Surprise granola bar (it’s Wednesday) and pull the homemade felt busy-book out
(4) Wonder if her tv-damaged kids might not be the best playmates for your screen-free child and suddenly remember an appointment you are going to be late for, making a hasty exit

Question 3.
At the natural food store, you run into a mom from your Waldorf Co-op that you haven’t seen in a while. You…

(1) Duck into another aisle, hoping she didn’t see your toddler playing with the iphone you handed her to keep her busy while you shop
(2) Compliment her Bolga Basket and ask her where she found that biodynamic goat milk yogurt
(3) When she says she’s having a rough day, ask her how her rhythm is, and wonder to yourself why you haven’t seen her there before since Thursday is always “Market Day”
(4) Wonder why she even brought her children to the store- you always leave yours with your partner to avoid over-stimulating them

Question 4.
Your in-laws give your child an expensive set of plastic superhero figures for Christmas. You…

(1) Thank them- now your son’s collected the whole set!
(2) Wait til your child gets home, then put the set into rotation for a little while and donate them once your child stops playing with them often
(3) Politely accept the gift, then use the gift receipt to exchange them for something less commercial and more open-ended
(4) Ask them if they received the Nova Natural catalog you sent full of circled items and remind them “we don’t do plastic”

Question 5.
You’re helping with childcare at a church or community event. While another parent gets frustrated over a child who keeps getting into trouble and hitting other children, you…

(1) Agree the child should sit in time out for awhile
(2) Keep cheerfully reminded “Hands are for helping” and try to engage the child in some meaningful work
(3) Gather the children for an impromptu story about a kitten who plays too roughly with the other kittens, and how she learned to play more gently
(4) Break out the kinderlyre you brought for such a time as this and lull the children into a pentatonic music-induced trance

Question 6.
You’re asked to teach a Sunday School class for a few months. You…

(1) Say “Sure- is there a bible story curriculum I can teach from?”
(2) Gather up some playsilks and a bunch of wooden toy props for your first lesson
(3) Make sure you’ve packed an apron for your first day of class to protect your etheric energy, and observe the children with a keen eye so you can arrange them in the room according to temperament
(4) Refuse to cover the Old Testament stories if children under 2nd grade will be present

Question 7.
You are ready to introduce art supplies to your kindergarten age child. You…

(1) Lay bare your local Walmart Crayola section- finger paints, books, markers, and glitter glue!
(2) Post to a Waldorfy yahoo group asking if Stockmar is really worth the extra $$ before investing in it
(3) Order a set of Stockmar block crayons, watercolors, and modelling wax and designate Painting, Drawing, and Modeling days for your weekly rhythm
(4) Find a set of carmine red, lemon yellow, and ultramarine blue Stockmar block crayons and dole out one crayon a time at first, being sure to use them on high quality paper with a homemade “coloring mat” underneath to improve the texture of the coloring surface

Question 8.
When asked to come up with a craft for the VBS or summer camp you volunteer with, you…

(1) bring your bag of stickers, foam shapes, glue sticks, and construction paper and let the kids have-at-em
(2) bring your bag of popsicle sticks, felt, and tissue or kite paper and create a lesson-based craft to guide the children into
(3) have the kids scavenge for found nature items and create a collage or nature mandala with them
(4) teach everyone to fingerknit with upcycled wool yarn you salvaged from thrift shop sweaters

Question 9.
While other moms in La Leche League chit-chat about cloth diapers and babywearing, you…

(1) Hope no one will notice the sound of sposies crinkling as your babe crawls nearby
(2) Shudder and adjust your baby’s wool bonnet as another mom packs her baby into a front-facing carrier
(3) Show off you organic cotton prefolds or handmade cloth diapers and the wool longies and shorties you knit, then teach an impromptu class on how to re-lanolinize wool
(4) Sing the virtues of wool undergarments from months ending in “er” through April or May

Question 10.
It’s almost bedtime. You…

(1) put a short dvd on, hoping your kiddo will settle down and/or fall asleep
(2) read a bedtime story
(3) give your child a bath, bedtime snack, and tell a story from memory
(4) do the nightly bedtime routine and tell a special story that addresses behavioural issues from the day, play the kinderlyre for a few minutes, and then meditate on your sleeping child before leaving the room and asking for their angel’s guidance

For each (1), give yourself 1 point; each (2), 2 points, each (3), 3 points, and each (4), 4 points. Add em up…

If you scored 10-15- you might be a Waldorf Poser
If you scored 16-25- you’re a Pedagogical-Pupil-In-Training
If you scored 26-35- you’re a Rhythm & Rhyme Diva
If you scored 36 or higher- you’re too Steiner for this blog

And really… that is the way to handle it when that doubt-inducing inner voice starts poking and prodding you about whether or not you are “Waldorf” enough.  Laugh it off, remembering the most important question is whether or not you are “You” enough.

Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Susie, whom Random.org picked as the giveaway winner for the Trout Lily Fairy & Needle-Felting Book!

Last night we walked to the pond and caught tadpoles to observe.  I hear they eat boiled lettuce leaves chopped finely, any other suggestions?  They are so small, it is hard to find bugs little enough for them.

Waldorf Book Review- Green Fingers and Muddy Boots

I’ve been wanting to offer a weekly book review for some time, since there are so many Waldorf titles and it can be hard to decide which ones are gems and which ones might sit on the shelf and collect a bit of dust (plus my official status as Waldorf book reviewer is a great excuse to add to my collection, ha ha!).

One book our family has been enjoying lately is Green Fingers and Muddy Boots: A Year in the Garden for Children and Families.

We are using this as part of our science curriculum, and it was actually developed by the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society of Scotland to be a very accessible guide for 7-14 year olds wanting to learn the art of gardening. It comes with a cd-rom of 34 printable worksheets, which your child can complete and then send for a “Young Gardener Certificate” directly from the Society (worksheets are not so Waldorfy, but if you don’t care about the certificate, you can just use them as a “Teacher’s Guide” in implementing the projects).  My eight-year-old has his binder filled with worksheets and is excitedly completing them to get his certificate- which is also helping practice reading and writing, as we have finished our fairytales and quite honestly, both he and I are tired of fairytales after a year of “first grade lite” after I realized he wasn’t quite ready with an April birthday, and then “first grade for real”. The book is prompting us to learn all sorts of unexpected things as we go on bunny trails to find out, for instance, what our exact altitude is (I looked on the google map- about 3000 feet above sea level!).  The worksheets follow along with the projects in the book, which are designed to encompass one year in the garden (12 months of activities and learning), as follows:

1. Recording the weather
2. Wildlife in your garden
3. Keeping a garden diary
4. Garden Tools
5. Hazards in the Garden
6. Making a Bird Table
7. Bug Safari
8. Experimenting with Soil
9. Making a Mini Compost Heap
10. Drawing and Naming Plants
11. Trees
12. Identifying Common Weeds
13. Sowing Seeds
14. Pricking Out
15. Growing Sunflowers
16. Seed Collecting
17. Taking Cuttings
18. Growing Spring Bulbs in Pots
19. Growing Potatoes in a Bucket
20. Growing Plants in Shopping Bags
21. What Are My Vegetables Worth?
22. Garden Vegetable Soup
23. Fresh Fruit Tasting
24. Hanging Baskets
25. Making A Pallet Garden
26. Watching Seeds Germinate
27. Making a Floral Necklace
28. Keeping Cut Flowers Fresh
29. Grass Heads
30. Garden Scarecrow
31. Drying Flowers & Leaves
32. Floral Decorations
33. Making Monsters
34. Christmas Decorations

When I was deciding which book to start with for what I hope will be a weekly, or at least bi-weekly, review, I had just received news that GMO wheat has been identified as having “jumped” test fields and is now infiltrating traditional wheat fields.  Will other countries who are more proactive about protecting food supplies from GMO’s now stop importing our wheat and wheat products?  Will Monsanto begin to sue the poor farmers whose fields are accidentally infiltrated, as they have in the past with corn crops?  What will happen to the animals who eat this wheat… and the people… over the long-term?  With wheat being a cereal grass, what other crops may be at risk of cross-contamination?  Teaching our children the art of maintaining their own food supply and protecting food diversity has never seemed so important to me than now.  Even without a plot of land, we can grow bucket potatoes, herb pots, and shopping-bag-veggies and translate the wonder of growing things to children.

I am pairing this book in our gardening lessons with the amazing Stella Natura 2013 Biodynamic Calendar, which prompts a deep connection to the cycles of the earth.  What constellations is the moon crossing?  When are eclipses, perigees, apogees, and planetary conjunctions and oppositions? Which are good dates to plant and harvest by the moon (harvesting at the right time means less rot and better storage quality!)?  What about retrogrades?  This has prompted deeper inquiry into astronomy, and the beautifully illustrated Stargazer’s Almanac 2013, designed for naked eye viewing (no telescope necessary!), has been poured over with enthusiasm.  All of these books lend fresh eyes of wonder, and for some reason, a feeling of familiarity… as if we already know these ancient rhythms and laws of nature deep down, and are just being reminded.

Gardening with a newborn has been challenging this year, so I have been thankful for my son’s enthusiasm… we have managed to get our heirloom, certified GMO-free corn planted, along with beans and various greens, so far.  The children have been excitedly helping me either plant seeds or decorate the beds.

I’ve been planting lots of spirals this year, since I find in nature, the plant world doesn’t really come in squares or rectangles, does it?  I also seem to fit and grow more in small spaces using concentric circles.  Wait til you see our strawberry patch, a huge circle spilling over with abundant, luscious strawberry plants- and much easier to weed than our rectangle patch, too- but I’ll wait til the strawberries are ripe before I post photos.

Last day of the big shop sale, and to enter the giveaway…