Discovering A Local Community Garden

We have a garden in our suburban yard, but I am, at best, a lazy gardener. My raspberries do well, despite my neglect. I have hit or miss vegetables in several raised beds every year. (Usually planted late.)

I have always been fascinated by the community garden idea. My first exposure was in Kiel, Germany. Where many, including my host family at the time, benefitted from the availability of garden space near apartment housing. Then again later, I enjoyed visiting community gardens in Boston, where there is a community garden located on the same ground as when it was begun, as a victory garden, during World War II. Still thriving, it is located in the Fredrick Law Olmsted Emerald Necklace green space of the Fenway in Boston. You can learn about that historic community garden from their website Fenway Victory Gardens.  More recently, during my day to day travels of driving my teen-aged children around, I've been stumbling upon local community gardens in my current Chicagoland stomping grounds.

My 17 year old son has a new job. Sometimes (usually), teenager jobs require the commitment of a parent or other adult. Since he doesn't have a car yet, or for that matter, a driver's licence. His job requires a driver. I'm typically that driver. I don't mind, he has taken on a new responsibility, is learning a lot and I have been experiencing the opportunity to travel a new path because of it. As a result, I have been making a few new local discoveries. The Old Schoolhouse Community Garden being one of them. Located just steps away from the parking lot of my son's work place, the well manicured garden called to me and my camera.

Included are some of my photos of the Old Schoolhouse Community Garden in Westchester, IL.

Their welcome sign is a little bit contradictory. I stayed on marked paths and was careful not to disturb anything. Every raised bed had it's own wonderful and delightful beauty. So many wonderful, sweet surprises to photograph.

Located next to an old schoolhouse with property owned by Immanuel Lutheran Church, the garden is a delightfully well maintained community garden of raised beds. Their website is very informative and complete. It includes an application to secure the use of a raised bed, as well as all of the guidelines for participation. Somewhere, there is a great organizer behind the scenes!

Beautiful, healthy and productive melon plants. Someone is going to enjoy the fresh taste of that one!

A bit of creativity is added to the mix with these colorful little beaded plant identification markers.

The garden is complete with hospitality for the butterflies.

Gardening related classes are offered at the old schoolhouse itself. Unfortunately, I missed the recent canning class. Hopefully, I'll be able to benefit from some of their other upcoming classes.
They do have a few more events listed for this fall.
http://www.oshcommunitygarden.org/events-classes

For further general information about the Old Schoolhouse Community Garden in Westchester, IL, their website is at:
http://www.oshcommunitygarden.org/.

Community garden or home garden, this little tool collection plus folding stool is useful. Click on the image to head over to amazon to view and/or purchase. This is an affiliate link. Thanks for visiting!

What do teen athletes do for fun?

More sports of course!
Believe it or not, the young athletes I know continue to be physically active during their off time. Like all teens, they do their fair share of video games, texting, social media and just chillin' but it seems, the norm of physical activity they are used to, continues even into the off times when they are not scheduled to practice or compete. Movement is their norm, too much sitting still just doesn't feel right to them.

A few of the recent off season activities that have been engaged in by the non-stop movement people in my life.

• Hitting a bucket of balls at the driving range.
• Badminton in the yard.
• Spikeball at the beach.
• Rock climbing at the climbing gym.
• Beach volleyball.

Having a wide range of movement opportunities allows a young athlete to use different sets of muscle groups, try new things and actually have a little down time, The variation in mental attention also gives them a break from the intensity of focus required if they are engaged in a highly competitive sport. All of the above activities have also offered an opportunity to include friends or family members for some fun and casual social interaction. 

We love Spikeball!

Try Spikeball at the beach, at the park or in the yard.
Amazon affiliate link.

http://amzn.to/2dhmN7e

Home State Travel

When planning a family vacation, central Illinois may not be the first destination that comes to mind. However, we have visited the state capital of Illinois on several occasions and if you have the opportunity, are interested in American history, are teaching it to homeschooled children or reinforcing a school curriculum, I'd highly recommend a stop in Springfield, IL.

Surrounded by beautiful and productive farmland, Springfield's biggest draw is it's historical connection to our most famous of presidents, Abraham Lincoln. There are a series of attractions in Springfield that offer an informative and revealing look into his life and times.

Lincoln's Tomb Association website.

A life of hard work, dedication to learning, greatness, tragedy and mostly his legacy of commitment to freedom and of ending slavery, learning about Abraham Lincoln is a key to understanding the history of the United States of America and it's foundation of liberty.

Visit these attractions for an in depth view:

• The Lincoln tomb at Oak Ridge cemetery has an interesting history itself.
• The Lincoln Museum and Library presents the information and artifacts in an engaging and accessible way for visitors of all ages. Excellent gift shop, too! The Lincoln Museum website.
• The Lincoln New Salem State Historic Site is a reconstructed village of where Abraham Lincoln spent his young adulthood. It is located about 20 miles northwest of Springfield and presents a - you are there - experience of the 1830's. Check days and hours of operation.

Abraham Lincoln - discover more about the man, the president, his life and times in Springfield, Illinois.
                                          
A few good Lincoln reads, available at amazon.

And more history resources at Schoolhouse Teachers. To explore click the image below.

Sharing the Shining Summer Season in Rhyme

The Wind by Robert Louis Stevenson

I saw you toss the kites on high And blow the birds about the sky; And all around I heard you pass, Like ladies' skirts across the grass--                   O wind, a-blowing all day long,                   O wind, that sings so loud a song! I saw the different things you did, But always you yourself you hid. I felt you push, I heard you call, I could not see yourself at all--                  O wind, a-blowing all day long,                  O wind, that sings so loud a song! O you that are so strong and cold, O blower, are you young or old? Are you a beast of field and tree, Or just a stronger child than me?                 O wind, a-blowing all day long,                 O wind, that sings so loud a song!

Or if you'd like to hear an arrangement of Robert Louis Stevenson's poem The Wind set to music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76YWxHrG34Y

Here's another lovely one about the windy summer fun of flying kites. Hold tight to that string!

http://www.daphnelister.com/about.html

Another great poetry resource with a home in Chicago: The Poetry Foundation

A Summer Read

Secret Daughter 

by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

After a few years of only scattered reading of novels, I am finding encouragement and titles to draw me back into reading fiction. I am gradually returning to reading novels more consistently again for pleasure.

Inspiration to read.

In need of a good read for a flight and some time relaxing on the beach, I bought a copy of The Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda in anticipation of a trip to Virginia Beach. The story is engaging and moved steadily enough for me to return to it over and over during our travels. The pace was exactly what I had hoped for, perfect for traveling.

The Secret Daughter is primarily the story of two women, countries and cultures apart, whose lives intersect despite the distance and cultural differences between them. The author's personal knowledge of Indian culture informs her descriptions. She writes with understanding and authority about the situations her characters find themselves in.

Throughout, the story is infused with revealing insights about general cultural differences between east and west and specifically those pertaining to women and marriage. With vivid descriptions of her characters and their surroundings, the story creates a bridge between cultures and addresses issues universal to women.

In this novel, author Shilpi Somaya Gowda, shares an understanding of relationships and motherhood within a multicultural context. Her story is informed by her own life experience. She touches on issues of class and gender roles with insight and personal understanding. The story explores the influence of culture on her characters experience and how cultural expectations define an individuals experience of important relationships.

Are You Sharing Poetry with Your Young Ones?

In no way shape or form am I an expert or even a connoisseur of poetry. I can't tell you about or name more than a couple of the many forms of poetry, without doing a little research - haiku and limerick are two I know, for example. However, I know what I enjoy when I read and am often inspired to read something aloud to enjoy it more fully. Reading poetry aloud increases the understanding and appreciation of a poem for both the reader and listener.  Give it a try!


I own an old set of Child Craft books, my mom bought them when I was a child. I poured over each volume individually as a child myself and I remember my mom reading to me from them when I was very young. The one I most remember being read to me, was the one filled with poetry for children.



I have and am still trying, on occasion to share a bit of rhythmic and/or rhyming verse with my teen children, usually at times when I have them captive; at the dinner table or while doing homework in a common space in our home. They may roll their eyes and and grin at each other when I do but there are times when a little poetry reading fits the occasion. Something might still sink in and quite possibly bring them a new insight or appreciation of rhythmic verse.

The poem below is delightful and perfect for reading following the common midwest summer experience of discovering a milkweed plant. If you are really lucky, you'll find a beautiful monarch butterfly on the milkweed and you'll be able to turn the experience into a unit study or you and your children will be inspired to write a few summer poems of your own!

Dainty Milkweed Babies

Dainty milkweed babies,

Wrapped in cradles green,

Rocked by Mother Nature,

Fed by hands unseen.

Brown coats have the darlings,

Slips of milky white;

And wings - but that's a secret,

They're folded out of sight.

The cradles grow so narrow, what will the babies do?

They’ll only grow the faster, and look up toward the blue.

And now they’ve found the secret, they’re flying through the air,

They’ve left the cradles empty, - do milkweed babies care?

First two stanzas found in STANDARD CATHOLIC READERS BY GRADES SECOND YEAR by Mary E Doyle. (page 28)
The third stanza not attributed.
If anyone knows, please comment.

Based on personal experience, I have learned that most poetry is best enjoyed by hearing it or reading it out loud. The rhythms and collected together sounds of the words bring new appreciation when heard. Doing a few poetry readings or listening together can be lots of fun.

Enrichment Studies offers excellent resources for engaging children in the arts including poetry. The packages they offer are clear, easy to use and visually appealing. Check out what they have to offer by clicking on the image below.

The book Poetry Speaks to Children is wonderful collection of poetry meant for children that comes with a CD for listening. It includes poems by Jane Yolen, Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni and other great wordsmiths. If you don't feel like reading, just listen to a few from the CD together. An excellent activity for a little quiet time on a summer afternoon. 

Available form amazon.

Another Gymnastics Season Completed

She did it! With an outstanding All Around finish in 11th place in her age group at USAG Level 9 Eastern Nationals my daughter, Adah, has another gymnastics season under her belt.

After a few minor set backs of illness and family financial considerations this year, Adah had a fantastic season competing USAG level 9. She does the hard work of training and conditioning and we do our best to support her through each season. We are fortunate to have a young gymnast who appreciates the commitment and sacrifice it takes from her family for her to excel in this demanding sport.

A gymnast's season encompasses it all!

Congratulations, Adah on another year well done!
Adah's 2016 season on youtube