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Livin' the Good Life
Jul. 9th, 2009
10:17 am - Nathen's Post on his Dad
I am going to direct this post to my son Nathen's blog entry for today. He wrote a touching piece about his dad that I think is well worth reading. I encourage you to read my comment as well. The post offers a little insight into how Steve operates in life and into the response of our deep and insightful son, Nathen. I was moved to tears, because Nate got it so right.
http://nathensmiraculousescape.wordpres
Jul. 8th, 2009
12:00 pm - Recalling my July Births
Whenever my kids' birthdays roll around, I always reflect on what their births were like. On the day of their birth, I imagine myself in labor with them and relive the experience, noting what I was feeling and doing at the time I'm remembering it. I make sure to acknowlege the actual time they were born and visualize the birth.
Ely was born in my mother's apartment with the help of a male chiropractor who called himself a "midwife". (I really liked him, but I never quite got why he called himself that.) The day before, Steve and I had gone swimming at a friend's house, and I remember feeling especially worn out from the day. In the middle of the night, my contractions started. My dad and my brother were each there to film the birth (with the latest technology... super-8 cameras!) I was a Lamaze natural childbirth teacher at the time, and I had no films to show my students. Back in 1973, birth films were not readily available nor affordable. So I decided to use my birth as a "demo" for my students. I still have the film, though I don't show it anymore because it demonstrates techniques that we don't use in Bradley, and there are such great Bradley method videos available now. The labor was fast, about 6 hours total. My brother fainted briefly when the baby came out, so we only had one film of the actual birth. (Sorry, Don, I should have prepared you better!) I loved having my whole family around for that birth. Having given birth once before, I remember feeling very confident of my birthing abilities. I felt like an experienced parent, knowing just what to do with a newborn, so that whole experience was a positive one for me. I wanted to go back home to Joshua Tree ASAP and felt plenty strong enough to do so. We left the next day. I went right back to milking goats, tending the garden and canning... 17 quarts of peaches when Ely was just 5 days old. Not a good plan!! I came down with a raging breast infection. Too much, too soon. I learned a good lesson from that birth.... just because you feel like a million bucks after a homebirth doesn't mean you need to go right back to your routine. Rest for a week or two and just focus on the baby. That's my advice from experience.
When Ben was born, we were living in our present house in Joshua Tree. My cousin, Pam, is a midwife, and she was my primary caregiver. She and her husband and three children brought their motorhome to our house a week before my due date so they'd be right there when I went into labor. I started labor about three in the morning, and it came on in earnest. Three hours later, I was pushing. The kids were all up by then, and there was a lot of hustle and bustle around me as the family prepared and ate breakfast. Pam skillfully dealt with both me and our combined children while I labored. I felt like a pro, just quietly and intently going through the intense work of bringing a baby forth. Everyone was present to witness Ben emerge. (Steve, Nathen, Ely, Damian, Gabe, my dad, Pam, her husband Greg, their kids Jonathan, Tenaya,and Asia Rae... that makes 11 people.) When Ben came out, he took a while to start breathing, but Pam had the equipment to help revive him and soon he was breathing and pinking up nicely. I was always so grateful to her for being there and knowing what to do. She was very calm and reassuring when I nervously asked... "Is he all right?" "Yes, yes, he's fine." She put me and the baby to bed, and all the kids gathered round me to see and touch the baby. Pam treated me like a queen for an entire week, feeding me and bringing me whatever I needed, as well as taking care of all the kids. Steve was great too, as always. (He has always been helpful and supportive during my labors and in caring for the kids afterwards.) The night after I gave birth, we had an earthquake, and I remember feeling very protective of Ben, holding him very close the rest of the night. He seemed so fragile to me. And very soft to the touch.
In retrospect, I should have labored in our back bedroom, away from the crowd of people. The labor was so short and intense that I could have benefited by some quiet time with just Steve and the midwife. I guess we didn't realize how fast things were progressing and really didn't have time to move to the bedroom. Hindsight is 20/20. At least everyone got to witness a beautiful birth and a mama who is not afraid.
I'll tell about Gabe's birth on the 11th.
Jul. 7th, 2009
09:16 am - Birthday Week
Me having given birth to three of our sons between July 6 and July 11 has always caused a flurry of activities for our family at this time of year. Steve actually dubbed this "Birthday Week" decades ago, and the name stuck. With good reason too. We never seem to stop celebrating. By the time we get to Gabe's birthday on the 11th, we are pretty much "partied out". Poor guy. This year, Gabe will not be with us on his birthday, since he and his girlfriend, Maggie, headed back to Eugene yesterday after a week-long intensive yoga training session in Palm Desert. Ely and Christina were only with us on Sunday, the day before Ely's birthday, so we celebrated Ely and Gabe together on the 5th. I don't think either of them minded. Ely turned 36, and Gabe is turning 29. Ben is 23 today. But, he's doing his ambulance shift and will not be home till tomorrow. (He missed Sunday's party altogether.) So we celebrate Ben tomorrow. At this point in everyone's lives, it doesn't seem to matter when we celebrate, just as long as everyone feels duly appreciated and acknowledged as an important part of our family and knows that we are oh-so-glad that they were born. We wouldn't be the "Lester Family" without them.
Jul. 1st, 2009
06:32 am - Playroom Photos
A long time ago, my friend Jeannie requested that I post pictures of the playroom on my blog. Here are some pics I took of the room, all cleaned up after yesterday’s party. 
These are the Waldorf dolls I wrote about in a previous post. I bought them from Kathy Kruse, a well-known doll-maker (who is, by far, my favorite). I created the doll bed from a wicker laundry basket, and I made the polka-dot, lace-trimmed coverlet and tiny pillow from scraps I had laying around. By the way, that’s Heidi in the bed, under the blue silk “blanket”. Her friend, Anna, is sitting in the wicker chair beside her.
I bought the contents of this playroom primarily with money that I earned as a Bradley natural childbirth teacher. I decided that the money I made should go right back into my students' children, as my teaching efforts are all about their welfare, and any step I can take to help further those children is enormously appealing to me.
There is a cotton-lined white wicker basket that holds a myriad of costumes I’ve bought/made over time (not pictured). My latest find was a “wolf” hat. Really cool! There are fairy wings and capes and, of course, the six twirling skirts I’ve laid out for better viewing below: (I know, I know. I got carried away with the skirts! They were just SO FUN to make!) 
At this point, my costume box is glaringly devoid of boy costumes. As soon as the toddler boys in our group grow up a bit, I’ll be sure to remedy that.
At the bottom of the costume box are the “driving reins” I made for kids to “play horse”. (Sorry, I didn’t get a picture of them.) I saw some in a catalog once and thought, “I could make those!” I did it by cutting the top couple of inches off an old pair of jeans, so I could wrap them around me like a belt and snap the snap. The belt loops in back are used for clipping the “reins” to, which I created with two dog leashes. I felt pretty clever avoiding a relatively expensive purchase by recycling my worn-out jeans. It turned out so well, in fact, that I bought a tiny pair of kids’ jeans for 25 cents at the thrift store and made a child-sized harness, complete with jingle bells. I have to admit that I look forward to playing this game with kids. It’s been a long time since I’ve let out my “inner horse”!
I bought this child-sized table and chairs at Big Lots. It has held up well, so far. I made a point to keep a child’s point of view in mind as I created this room. Everything is close to the floor and within easy reach. Even the pictures on the wall are at a child’s eye-level. 
This tea set is the favorite plaything in the room... by far. I don’t know what it is about serving pretend tea and cookies that is so attractive to little kids. They just love it! The tea set is the first thing that kids go for when entering the room.
These silk scarves are beautiful, delightful, feather-light, and oh-so-soft! The children like to fashion them into skirts, tops, capes, and headdresses. Wonderful for creative play.
This bookcase (which Damian built years ago) holds various games, puzzles, and books. I poured over Montessori catalogs, Waldorf catalogs, and other favorite catalogs that sell all things “natural” to find toys that appealed to me.
Right now the bookcase houses a macaroni-sorting game, where the child puts a different shape or color of macaroni in each cup of a muffin tin. (The kids actually prefer to serve dry macaroni in their tea set play.) I have a game called I Never Forget a Face, which is a cool matching game. There’s a wooden vegetable-cutting activity. There are various wooden puzzles and a wooden block-sorting wheel for babies and toddlers. I have a fishing game, where the child fishes with a magnet on a string and “catches” magnetic sea creatures, which are also wooden puzzle pieces to be returned to their places and then “caught” again. There are lots of high-quality picture books that I’ve collected over the years. I’m very picky about the books I read aloud to children. I only make available books that I’d be willing to read over and over. 
On these shelves I have a finger-puppet/book activity on top. The middle shelf is a “table-setting” activity. The bottom shelf holds a wooden bead stringing activity. The doors of the bottom “cupboard” hide surprises… often something good to eat, like fruit-leather!
(Oops! I didn't get the bottom "cupboard" in the picture.)
Twelve miniature furry horses, each one with its own little “stall”… what kid could resist that? Plus, they have a wooden fold-up corral to contain the herd when they are taken out for exercise. And, of course, I think a Jack-in-the-Box is a must for any playroom!
This futon on the floor is for lounging. I imagined a place to read and nap.
OK, I guess it’s obvious by now... I’m just a big kid! AND MAY I NEVER GROW UP!!
Jun. 30th, 2009
04:23 pm - A Tea Party for Five Little Girls
Today I had a tea party for some little girls from my moms-at-home group. Nine were invited, but four were out of town this week. I made twirling skirts with flowery crowns for each of them, so they could "dress up" for the party. Here are some scenes from the gathering.
I served fresh strawberry "ice cream", made with coconut milk. As you can see, this little sweetie thought it was delicious! We also had peach iced-tea, sweetened with organic apple juice. Yum!
The girls each picked out a skirt to wear for the tea party. I think they felt mighty fancy!
checking out the toys
playing side by side with guidance from an experienced mom
teachable moments in conflict resolution
caring for babydolls
playing with a family of toy mice
Dancing
and twirling
round and round she goes!
They loved the puzzles!
hard at work, and "what shall I play with next?"
This is just too much fun!
Being in control of ALL of these horses... wow!
These children are a complete delight! I expect to dream up other special days for them in the near future. A big song of praise goes to their mothers who enjoy being at-home moms and take their 24 hour a day jobs very seriously. I couldn't ask for a better bunch!
Jun. 29th, 2009
07:26 am - some history...
By the way, the reason "When I'm Sixty-Four" is so appropriate for Steve's birthday is that he used sing that song with Damian and Gabe when they were little. They did the harmonies and the counterpoints while he sang the lead. They even performed it at various functions. It was a favorite. Sixty-four seemed like a long way away back then. Really old! But, now that it's here, it's not old at all. It's just "mature".
Jun. 25th, 2009
05:44 pm - Steve is Surprised
Steve turned a year older the other day, and Damian and Gabe had a song to sing him as a kick-off for the festivities. Here it is... and guess how old he turned! (Sorry about the code... I don't know how to get rid of it.)
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Jun. 22nd, 2009
08:58 pm - Two Announcements!
In the last week, we received two announcements from our sons: Ely is engaged to Christina, and Ben is engaged to Rebecca! Neither of these announcements came as a surprise, as both Ely and Ben have appeared to be very serious about their girlfriends. Ely and Christina have not decided on a date yet. Ben and Rebecca say two and a half years, which is when Rebecca will be out of nursing school. Two and a half years sounds like a very long time to wait, but they seem to be a practical pair, and that's what makes sense to them. I can guarantee that Ely and Christina will not be waiting that long!
CONGRADULATIONS to both our sons and their "future Mrs. Lesters", as Christina describes herself. No one can know what is in store for others, but I predict these will be happy marriages. I know for a fact that marriage is a healthy thing for people who are motivated to make if work, and I think both of these couples are motivated. I believe in marriage!
Jun. 18th, 2009
04:05 pm - Ten Mamas for Lunch
I wish I'd taken a picture of my playroom filled with happy mamas and their little ones yesterday. (I served them an "appreciation" lunch, and everyone was in high spirits!) There was lots of "dressing up" using my dress-up basket. Here's what's in the basket: (I made most of these things) a Wonder-Girl outfit, fairy wings, two twirling skirts, a red cape, harnesses and reins for playing horses, silk scarves, and various bead necklesses.... hmm... I guess that's all. Note that most of the dress-up outfits are for girls. That's because the majority of the older children in our group are girls, and of course I loved making "girly" costumes for a change! There were not enough to go around, so the girls had to share. The moms did a great job of helping them do that peacefully. I can see I'm going to have to come up with more costumes... shoes would be nice. Those little girls just LOVE dress-up shoes... especially ones that sparkle! If I could score some red shoes that sparkled, the little girls would be so happy! (I'm going to start haunting thift stores.) I noticed that the girls were continuously trying on each other's shoes. And they are only three years old! Geeze, I wonder if I did that? I don't remember being interested in clothes at all, but I was definitely interested in dolls by that age. Anyway, the tea set was a hit, and so were the Waldorf dolls. I think the children played with everything, actually. They thoroughly explored the games and puzzles and large beads for stringing and puppets and lots and lots of my favorite classic picture books. There's not a bit of plastic in the room. Mostly asthetically pleasing, high-quality toys made of natural materials.
I have to admit.... it's a very nice playroom.
Jun. 7th, 2009
02:03 pm - House Cleaning Parties
Our mom's group is officially taking the summer off, as far as meetings go. But, I proposed at the last meeting that we have "house cleaning parties" this summer. Back in the 70's, my gardening-enthusiast friends used to have garden parties where once a week we got together at someone's house and worked in their garden or yard for two hours, rotating houses each week. The host would serve lunch at the end of the work session. We'd have about 7-10 people show up for these work parties, and it was amazing how much work could get done in two hours. Their yards would be transformed!
Using this model, I proposed that our group of moms do the same thing, only cleaning each other's houses. These moms are so busy with their children that the heavy cleaning often doesn't get done. This is an opportunity to get the windows washed, the floors scrubbed, the tub cleaned, fingerprints removed from walls and doors, new shelving paper put in drawers and cupboards, fridges cleaned out and lots of other stuff. The hosting mom will supervise the children who come along with their mamas and will provide a simple lunch at the end. Moms can get out of the house for a morning, hang out with their friends while they work together, and their kids can play with their friends at a new house each week. I think it's a great idea! I'm organizing it right now, and I'll post about it once we have the first session.
Jun. 3rd, 2009
05:00 pm - First-Rate Moms
I am so happy today! I just got back from a meeting with "my moms". What a pleasure! In my opinion, these mamas are the cream of the crop! Their parenting skills are light-years away from what mine were when I was in the thick of parenting. I think I was an effective mom, but these moms are masters!
The group today had in-arms babies and kids up to five and six years old. Then there were those fiesty three year olds! The kids were having their typical tug-of-wars over coveted toys, and the mothers were handling it with real sensitivity and understanding of the children's needs and abilities. Though there was a bit of crying and storming at times, the moms held and talked with the kids in compassionate and accepting ways. They helped their children work through their feelings and then would guide them toward finding some mutually acceptable resolution to the conflict. These children are all being raised in the attachment-parenting style, and it is such a pleasure to see the results! Children who are not left to cry in their beds at night, children who are listened to with good attention, children whose diets are carefully watched over, children who are encouraged to communicate their feelings and thoughts with words, children who are allowed to breastfed into toddlerhood (and beyond, in some cases), children who are treated kindly and are taught how to treat others kindly, children who are clear that they are their mama's First Priority. The results are striking. I just may have to write a book about it someday!
May. 24th, 2009
10:27 pm - Says Ben...
I was going through some of my notes from last winter today, and I came across a quote from Ben I that I'd like to share here. Thank goodness I thought to record it, because I would not have remembered it. Sometimes Ben really surprises me. In this case, I was pleasantly surprised and touched:
In response to me saying that I didn't like "Simpson-like humor" (as in the Simpson's TV show that our son Ely animates for and our whole family -minus me- enjoys) Ben said:
"You are such a naturally joyful person who sees the fun and humor all around you all the time. The rest of us who are cynical and dour need crude, in-your-face kind of humor in order to laugh."
Don't know if that's true or not, but I took that as a compliment.
May. 23rd, 2009
01:44 pm - Do Unto Others...
A friend of mine was talking to someone she'd just met in the park while they were bouncing their babies on their laps, discussing the old classic question, "Is your baby sleeping through the night yet?" My friend is part of my moms group, and we adhere to "attachment parenting" principles, so her answer was something like, "I don't pay much attention to that. I'm breastfeeding, and I want to keep up my milk supply. Frequent feedings throughout the day AND night are optimal for making sure I make enough milk for my baby. Plus, my baby wants to be with me at night, so we have him sleep with us. It's so comfortable and cozy, we just love it! I can rest better knowing that he is safely beside me, and frankly, I don't care how much he wakes up. It's no bother." I teach my moms that parenting responsibilities don't stop at bedtime. Parenting is a 24 hour a day job, and in the early years that means waking up at night to tend to our little one's needs. And one of baby's primary needs is to be close to its mother. Look at any other mammal. They all sleep near, if not ON, their mothers, nursing often.
The other mother said she would have none of "that night waking stuff". That "night time is MY time". She explained how she used a "sleep training program" that has her put her baby in its crib, then firmly and cheerfully say goodnight, turn out the light, and close the door. She needs to let her baby cry (scream, if necessary) until it goes to sleep. It could take an hour or more, she was warned, and that her baby may only stop and go to sleep when it's too exhausted to continue. The next night, she should do the same thing. The baby should only cry about half the time this time. By the third night, the baby will not cry but a minute or two. After that, she can expect her baby to go to sleep without crying anymore. Mission accomplished.
This was the method used by my mother, and many mothers of her generation. I can't believe people are still going for this inhumane treatment of babies. I had nightmares for years in which I was crying for my parents in the dark because I was scared and lonely and wanted comfort. No one ever came in those dreams, nor, apparently, in real life.
When I remember the Golden Rule, I just can't believe that people, and most of all Christians, can go for this method of dealing with their precious children. I remember reading about a group of women from an undeveloped country (can't remember which one) who were being interviewed about their childraising practises. The interview came about because some Westerners had the brilliant idea of supplying strollers to the local stores for these poor, uneducated, behind-the-times mothers who carried their babies everywhere in slings made from shawls. Surely they would love to be relieved of the burden of carrying their children everywhere on their tired aching backs! But, no one bought a single stroller. When asked why, they said they wanted their babies in their arms WHERE THEY BELONG! When asked about their practises of sleeping with their babies, (and wouldn't they prefer to put them in cribs so they could have privacy and space?) the answer was that their babies were "much too valuable" to be separated from their mother's watchful presence for ANY length of time! Amen!
Imagine for a minute the unlikely scenerio that you, yourself, are scared, sad, mad, or in need of comfort at bedtime, and all you want is to be held and reassured. But, your husband (or wife) says, "No you go sleep by yourself in the other room. This is my time for myself. I'll see you in the morning." So you go off to the other room and cry yourself to sleep. It takes an hour, and your partner never comes to comfort you, all the while LISTENING TO YOUR CRYING! It happens again the next night. Only, you become exhausted sooner this time and only cry for a half hour. By the third night, you know that your partner is not going to come, so you give up after a minute or two. By that time, you've learned that no one will be coming. You give up on comfort. You give up on the other person. This kind of thing probably rarely happens to adults (and if it did, it surely would result in a divorce!), but it happens to children all the time. And there's nothing they can do about it. Here we adults enjoy the comfort and companionship of sleeping with our spouses, but we expect a small child to be happy about sleeping alone. What sense does that make?
When considering the best way to approach bedtime practises, I believe that each parent needs to put themselves in their children's place and ask themselves, "How would I like to be treated at bedtime?"
May. 18th, 2009
10:03 am - I'm a Grand-Aunt!
Here is a picture of me and my cute little grand-niece, Ashlynn, 3 months old. Isn't she adorable? She's bright, alert and inquisitive. Very active. Her parents, Darian and Rebekah, are the best! The want so much to make this world a better place, and they are already doing that by maintaining a solid, loving relationship. I witnessed excellent communication between them. And they are attentive, enthusiastic parents! Chalk up one more blessing for this earth!
And this is my brother, Don, who, without him, I would not be a GRAND-aunt! (I love the sound of that!) Isn't he wonderful?? He's the best brother ever! (And I'm not prejudiced.)
May. 15th, 2009
06:18 pm - More Photos from Oregon
Here we are on Mother's Day at an Indian restaurant in Eugene right across from the University of Oregon. Nathen will be graduating from U of O in about a month! Whoo hoo!! (Maggie was taking this photo.) We were all taken by a little Indian boy that was hanging out in the restaurant patiently waiting for his mother to finish work. So very cute! Wish we'd gotten a picture of him.
Me and my Gabe:
11:14 am - Back From Oregon
We just returned from our two week trip to Oregon, and I'm so thrilled to be back! It was cool and rainy for about 2/3 of the trip which seriously cut into my hiking and biking plans, but our main goals of delivering Dad to my brother's house and visiting with relatives on the way were accomplished big time!
We arrived at my brother's house just in time to receive the big news: my niece Alyssa just got engaged! It was a very romantic story. Her boyfriend, Tyler, told her father (my brother) that he needed to ask him an important question and could they have a meeting? I won't go into the details, but he asked Don for his blessing in asking Alyssa for her hand in marriage. Then, Tyler asked her to marry him at her "pinning ceremony" at the conclusion of nursing school, on one knee, in front of the audience! No one but my brother was expecting this, so it was quite an exciting surprise! There was quite a stir at their house for days afterwards, and we got to be in on that part of it. Here is a picture we took during that time
(left to right) Tyler, Alyssa, sister Mikaela, brother Darian, and his wife Rebecca
Here's a meetup at Nathen's house in Eugene
(lf to rt) me, Nathen, Dad, Gabe and Maggie 
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The above and below photos are of us on a bike ride on the beautifully maintained bike trail along the river in Eugene. That's Nathen and me having fun ...and the trail goes over a bridge (notice my clothes... I'm still not acclimated to the cool Oregon weather!)
When we got home, I just walked around my house grinning! I was so tickled to be home! I love my home SO much!!
Apr. 29th, 2009
08:49 am - Kudos to Brigham Young University
I’ve been thrilled and inspired by my Mormon friend’s recent blog entry about her son graduating from BYU (bless you Jill!). BYU has long had the reputation of being THE place for Mormons to meet other marriagable Mormons. Now I know why it works so well. Here are a few of the statistics about this university that made me sit up and take notice:
The 2009 graduating class had more than 6200 graduates
53% were male, 47% female, average age 25
54% were married
24% graduated with a “Family Home and Social Sciences” degree (aimed at women, no doubt)
What exactly is a Family Home and Social Sciences degree, I wondered? Is it really a “home economics degree”? So I looked it up on the BYU website, and I found out that it is, indeed, a degree that prepares a person for marriage, among other things! My jaw dropped! Can this be true? A school that values the career of an at-home mother and the career of being successfully and happily married... enough to give out degrees in the subject? As I’ve lamented before, we train for all these money-making careers, and yet most of us get married and go into this awesome commitment and responsibility completely GREEN. No preparation whatsoever, other than what our parents may or may not have taught us! So many times, my moms fret to me about the fact that their babies did not come with “instruction manuals”. So many people enter marriage without any expertise in the areas that they will need to know right away, if not yesterday! Looking over the courses available at BYU, I think, “If I was a young woman, I’d take those classes. They sound really interesting!”
Classes such as:
Sewing (all the way through advanced) and Tailoring
Cooking
Nutrition and family meal planning
Managing a home
Household budgeting
Successful marriage practices
Childbearing and childrearing
Child psychology and development
Teen development
(There are also classes on fathering, and I don’t know what else for or about men)
And more… Check it out for yourself.
I can’t believe it: A college that prepares women to be excellent wives, mothers and homemakers? (Like a form of “finishing school” that offers a degree?) That just sounds too good to be true! This is exactly what I’ve been wishing for for our world and didn’t think existed. Do non-Mormon colleges have these classes and programs that culminate in a degree?
If I were a man, I would happily marry a woman who graduated with honors in Home and Family Life. Wouldn’t any man love to be married to an excellent cook who keeps good nutrition in mind when preparing meals, someone who can confidently sew, make, and mend things, someone who can skillfully stay within the family budget, someone who can run a smooth household, someone who is interested in, and has a clear idea about, how to maintain a successful marriage, one who wants to prepare herself for childbearing, who understands the needs of children and how to take good care of them, who knows something about teenagers and their needs, and finally, values all these roles as being just as important as any other career… one that contributes to the family’s security, happiness, and well-being?
Well, about 1500 women just graduated from BYU with a degree in these subjects. Theoretically, 1500 Mormon men will marry them. Lucky guys. When are other colleges going to get with it and offer degrees in these subjects? That possibility is so exciting to me, I’m jumping up and down inside!
In fact, I think I just died and went to heaven!
Apr. 28th, 2009
12:35 pm - Gypsy Life
We will soon be taking a vacation trip to Oregon in a borrowed motor home (THANKS, Robert!) with the express purpose of delivering my dad to my brother’s house. My dad, “Grandpa Bob”, has been looking forward to this trip for months. He’s been somewhat of a “gypsy” for the last 40 years. It’s been important to him to be free to move around at will, so that he could experience all the great things going on everywhere. He usually moved according to the seasons, sort of like the Canadian “snowbirds”. If there was something exciting happening somewhere, or if an interesting project was offered to him, he was there! People have consistently made him welcome by requesting that he come stay with them, rent free, making offers that were hard for him to refuse. “Come teach this class” or “I’m studying such and such. You want to come work on this project with me?” or “I have a group of people who want to meet you” or “Come on down, the weather’s perfect!” He made the rounds regularly to see his grandchildren, sometimes staying a year at a time. As I’ve mentioned before, he was a wonderful asset in the homeschooling of our children. He taught them so many things! He just had such a knack for making himself useful to everyone. If there was work to do, he was up for it!
At 90, my dad doesn’t work anymore, and he has no interest in doing projects. But, he still is up for enjoying life to the fullest of his ability. He enjoys family get-togethers, and he dearly loves to be entertained! But, he’s been here for 6 months, now, and he knows that the one hundred degree weather is just around the corner. He tells me he's ready to go again. He’s looking forward to meeting his first great-grandbaby in Oregon. He will enjoy the many church-related activities that go on in his son’s family’s life. And he especially loves to watch his maturing grandchildren and their many sports events. For a while…
After a month or so of that, my dad will go see his niece in Idaho. I’ve posted before that she runs a unique daycare center in her home, and Dad enjoys hanging out with those children all summer! He truly loves the attention and the energy that young life has to offer. He will stay there until it starts cooling off too much for his warm-weather-loving body. (He likes the temperature to hover in the 80’s, and he moves on when it dips into the cool weather range.) We’ll look forward to his return in the fall.
Whenever I take my dad out, people comment to me about how “cute” he is. It happened again yesterday. People find him charming and enthusiastic and an inspiring picture of what 90 can look like. It’s common for me to hear people tell him, “I hope I look as good as you do when I’m ninety!” We intend to keep moving him around as long as he wishes to do that. As long as he is willing and able, we will assist him in living his cherished “gypsy life”.
Apr. 27th, 2009
05:42 pm - Deep in Study
I'm still deep, deep in study. It feels like I'm on a spiritual retreat. Can't write about it yet. No words.
Apr. 23rd, 2009
11:29 am - Balancing PH in the Body
I've read numerous times over the years that a body whose PH is more on the alkaline side is much less likely to get sick and that cancer cannot grow in an alkaline environment. So during the last year or so I've been experimenting with keeping my body's PH in a "healthy range". I do this by eating primarily alkaline-forming foods. Those foods include most fruits and vegetables. Acid-forming foods are all the others: meat, dairy, grains, and anything containing sugar or chocolate. Cutting back on grains has been challenging. Sugar was an easier thing to avoid, and, though I love, love, love chocolate, I have no trouble eliminating it if I decide it is for a higher purpose... like improved health! I check my PH a couple of times a day, and it's quite interesting to note how my levels go up and down in a matter of hours after eating certain foods. I also read that PH can be affected by stress, so I (subjectively) monitor my stress levels as well and take that into consideration.
What I'm finding is that it is fairly easy to keep my PH within a healthy range. Though I eat from all food groups every day, and I sometimes indulge in sweets, I keep coming back to the fruits and vegies as my staple foods. It's a system that works pretty well. One thing I've noticed is that if I go on a high-acid diet, I tend to crave more acid-forming foods. If I stay on the alkaline side, I don't crave the acid-forming foods. If you Google the subject, you can find extensive lists of foods broken down into acid and alkaline-forming catagories. There's lots of information available on the subject. It's intriguing to think that I have a new form of, somewhat-objective, control over my health and that it is really quite easy to accomplish.
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