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Monday
May312010
From one lily pad to the next
May 31, 2010
The Bay Area is a little harder for me to take in than Humboldt was. I look at the cars and wonder, "Where are you all going?" There are so many houses. Everything is big.
It's beautiful here. We went to Muir Beach the other day and burrowed into the sand. The kids made friends and dug some big holes with people. Chinua went for a little walk around to the next cove and accidentally discovered a nude beach. Why is that man wearing no pants? he wondered, before spotting another dozen people with no pants.
The strange thing about staying in this house with our friends is that the last time we did this, their kids were our kids age, and ours were either babies or not even thought of yet. Then they moved overseas and rented this house out. And we moved overseas later, and in the meantime, they came back.
Now we are back here together. They have teenagers and we have young kids. I remember trying to stay out of my friend's hair while she did school in the morning with her kids. Now they are in the local middle school, and I'm the one at the table, homeschooling. At the table beside the window that looks out on the lovely valley with all the houses.
The oldest of their kids turned eighteen yesterday. We had a party and I volunteered to make Indian food. Another old friend came by who is probably the best cook that I have ever met, and she assisted me in making chapattis. I joked that I'd come up in the world, having her as my assistant. It was fun. It felt like home, like Goa with all the food on the rooftop.
I'm working on necklaces. I hope to have a bunch more in the shop by Wednesday. It's so lovely to have handwork to do. I sit and oversee Math and make knots, thread beads, play with tangible things. In the early morning I play with intangibles, the world of words, trying to put what I see in my head down on paper.
Making necklaces is a more reassuring practice, but I guess craftwork and writing go hand in hand.
It's beautiful here. We went to Muir Beach the other day and burrowed into the sand. The kids made friends and dug some big holes with people. Chinua went for a little walk around to the next cove and accidentally discovered a nude beach. Why is that man wearing no pants? he wondered, before spotting another dozen people with no pants.
The strange thing about staying in this house with our friends is that the last time we did this, their kids were our kids age, and ours were either babies or not even thought of yet. Then they moved overseas and rented this house out. And we moved overseas later, and in the meantime, they came back.
Now we are back here together. They have teenagers and we have young kids. I remember trying to stay out of my friend's hair while she did school in the morning with her kids. Now they are in the local middle school, and I'm the one at the table, homeschooling. At the table beside the window that looks out on the lovely valley with all the houses.
The oldest of their kids turned eighteen yesterday. We had a party and I volunteered to make Indian food. Another old friend came by who is probably the best cook that I have ever met, and she assisted me in making chapattis. I joked that I'd come up in the world, having her as my assistant. It was fun. It felt like home, like Goa with all the food on the rooftop.
I'm working on necklaces. I hope to have a bunch more in the shop by Wednesday. It's so lovely to have handwork to do. I sit and oversee Math and make knots, thread beads, play with tangible things. In the early morning I play with intangibles, the world of words, trying to put what I see in my head down on paper.
Making necklaces is a more reassuring practice, but I guess craftwork and writing go hand in hand.
Reader Comments (4)
It sounds like you are settling in. I can imagine you at your window. Nice. Give all a hug from me.
I must have told you this before but it is truly what I feel.
I feel calm, serenity and peace when I enter your blog and read your words, each one of them infusing me slowly. I drink it in and try to remember them when I get angry (which I do a lot, wrongly).
So I find my self thanking you for this.
It's funny how life changes, isn't it. I'm referring to how you spoke about your friends kids being your kids age, and now they are teenagers.
You remind me of the woman in Proverbs 31. She blesses all around her.
Rae,
I love following your beautiful journey on line. I spent many years in the bay area, but am now settled on a small island in New Zealand. You mentioned you were working on math. I am also aware that you have a unschooling philosophy. (So do I) I have developed a math curriculum based on rhyme, whimsy and characters that will be available from amazon soon. I would love to send your family a complimentary copy in gratitude and support of your path. Look around my blog- arithmetic village web site is not up yet- and let me know if you are interested.
Many blessings,
Kim
.-= Kim´s last blog ..http://kimberlymoore.wordpress.com/2010/05/31/lesson-plan-lessons/" rel="nofollow">Lesson plan lessons…. =-.