I am Sarah: 38 year old Canadian-American, tea-drinking, feminist, homeschooling, agnostic, crafty, domestic-artist-wanna-be, island-dwelling mother to Maxine (age 2), Asa (age 5) and Lee (age 8).
this blog is dedicated to creative endeavours and household minutiae.
we walked up to the St. Lawrence Market to get some treats and go to the show at the Market Gallery: Toronto Island Narratives, Past and Present. admittedly this is of particular interest to us, but i really enjoyed it. (so did Lee, but Asa said it was the "poopiest field trip ever. this isn't a SHOW! it's just some stuff." But i hope he secretly liked it)
It was a tribute to the recently deceased keeper of the Island Archives - some great historical photos and artwork inspired by Island history.
today is the national Terry Fox Run day. Terry Fox is a Canadian icon and hero- for those of you who don't know who he was, here's an introduction from the Terry Fox website:
Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and raised in Port
Coquitlam, British Columbia, a community near Vancouver on Canada's
west coast. An active teenager involved in many sports, Terry was only
18 years old when he was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma (bone
cancer) and forced to have his right leg amputated 15 centimetres (six
inches) above the knee in 1977.
While in hospital, Terry was so overcome by the suffering of other
cancer patients, many of them young children, that he decided to run
across Canada to raise money for cancer research.
He would call his journey the Marathon of Hope.
It was a journey that Canadians never forgot.
After 18 months and running over 5,000 kilometres (3,107 miles) to
prepare, Terry started his run in St. John’s, Newfoundland on April 12,
1980 with little fanfare. Although it was difficult to garner attention
in the beginning, enthusiasm soon grew, and the money collected along
his route began to mount. He ran 42 kilometres (26 miles) a day through
Canada's Atlantic provinces, Quebec and Ontario. However, on September
1st, after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 miles), Terry was
forced to stop running outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario because cancer
had appeared in his lungs. An entire nation was stunned and saddened.
Terry passed away on June 28, 1981 at the age 22.
The heroic Canadian was gone, but his legacy was just beginning.
To date, more than $400 million has been raised worldwide for cancer
research in Terry's name through the annual Terry Fox Run, held across
Canada and around the world.
:::::::
today we Islanders and friends are participating in the Terry Fox Run with heavy hearts.
a few days ago, a friend and neighbour, Margaret, died after a 4 year battle with cancer. Margaret was only 43 and leaves behind her husband and 4 children, ages 6- 14.
one of things Margaret did to try to fight the cancer was drink fresh organic vegetable juice every day. some friends organized a supply of vegetables and a team of people every day to 'scrub' and 'juice' day-in and day-out for the past 2 years (the date of her most recent cancer diagnosis) and deliver a mason jar of juice to Margaret's door every day. there were over 50 people involved in this labour of love.
one of Margaret's neighbours planted this tribute to Margaret and her band of juicers in his garden this spring.
Margaret will be sorely missed.
:::::
I am challenging myself to run 10K today- i've never run that far before. i know how hard Margaret fought to live and i want to do something hard to recognize her struggle. if you would like to donate to the Terry Fox foundation, here's the link.
starting just this week I set up a triple dinner with my friends Gen and Nina. Tuesdays I make dinner for all three of our families, Wednesdays Nina gives me dinner, and Thursdays Gen does.
tonight i made corn fritters with fresh sweet corn and cheese, salsa, shrimp with red chile, and salad.
i have made these corn fritters three times in the past two weeks.
all 3 of my kids like them! nothing short of a miracle. (the only other foods in this category are pizza and noodles)
if you want to set up your own dinner trade, consider the following:
1- omnivore or herbivore? spicy or mild? or other dietary restrictions. 2- what time do you eat? and how close do you live? (we all are blocks away so we can deliver hot meals- although there's nothing that would stop you from making something to be reheated and delivering at another time) 3- how much food do you need/will you make? i try to make more than enough because my family's the largest- i figure it is more fair that way and they can have leftovers for lunch. 4- be honest if you don't like something!
I don't have to cook again until Friday night!! can I tell you how happy I am about this???
treats for the smallest Islanders: one of our neighbours puts candy and small toys in the old milk door on her side porch. do you see it there under the mailbox?
we usually stop about once a week- but every day as we pass by i hear,
we're finally recovering from Gala Day. late nights, old friends, lots of fun.
Gala Day weekend events include lawn bowling, volleyball, soccer, beer tent, white elephant sale, kids' midway, beer tent, Dixieland Band, baseball, tennis round robin, arts and crafts sale, games: basically 3 days of fun.
Lee and I sold his t-shirt company's newest design at the arts and crafts sale. (more on that later- I have a silkscreen tutorial in the works)
each year on the Island we have an event called Gala Weekend. it's sort of a homecoming celebration: Islanders, old and young, those of us who live here and those of us who have moved away, hang out and party for 3 days on the August long weekend.
Gala Weekend is kicked off by the Fire Parade. On Friday night, we join up at dusk by the Clubhouse- this year we were treated to a show by some flag performers and stilt walkers. the Island band - the Arhythmics percussion ensemble - gets everyone going and we walk through our little streets to the beat of the drums, all carrying our 'fire'- lanterns made by or at workshops taught by Island artist Kathleen Doody. (check out the bundle buggy lantern- very important for getting stuff to and from the city!) Lee made his own lantern this year. Of course we finish with a bonfire on the beach. We do love our bonfires!
here in Toronto we are going into month 2 of a city workers' strike and that includes ferry service to the island we live on. (here's a link to a news article with some good photos of our 'ghost town' island) the city has provided a replacement service for residents during the strike (for which we still pay our $6.50 or use our monthly passes) but it is small, and cannot accommodate bicycles, wagons, or carts.
my usual weekly shopping routine includes a bike and bike trailer, or our giant push cart, to get us and our groceries to the ferry and back home. here's what i did most recently- everyone was telling me to have a good trip as i was on my way to town. i couldn't do a 'big shop' but it is pretty okay.
it's strange having the island so empty (it's a city park with beaches, a little amusement park, a petting farm, cafes, playgrounds, and lots of greenspace- closed due to lack of services- no washrooms or garbage collection in addition to the difficulty in getting here!). the island businesses are seriously hurting and we miss centreville!
this is an old post- written last Thursday, had to get photos from a classmate's parents as i forgot my camera! (thanks Rachel!) i'll still resume posting again next week!
today was Lee and Asa's last day of school. yay summer!
Asa's school had a 'flying-up' ceremony. each age group of children at the school is a birdhouse- Hummingbirds, Chickadees, Blue Jays and Robins. Asa was a Blue Jay this year, and next year will be a Robin (kindergarten year). the children made 'nests' in the meadow next to the school and, dressed in the colours of their new birds, 'flew' from their old nest to their new one.
it was so sweet and simple and beautiful and meaningful.
BUT the biggest change is... Lee wanted a haircut (i think he just felt like a change) so he went to our very own Island salon- Alice's House of Big Hair- with a picture of Professor Indiana Jones.
he is going to donate his hair to Cuts for Cancer, so Alice had to was and dry his hair first. Her cat Creamy sits on all her willing clients' laps.
here's Lee before:
and after:
he is so pleased- he can't stop smiling at his reflection.
we have a lovely little school here on our island. Lee went there for pre-school and kindergarten, and Asa is now there for his kindergarten years (in Ontario we generally have junior kindergarten- JK- which is an optional year, and senior kindergarten- SK- or, at WMCC- 'blue jay' and 'robin' years) I feel extremely lucky to have this little school for the kids to blossom in!
yesterday was the spring concert- Animals of the Island Sing Songs About Animals. (I like the self-referential nature of the theme.) The teachers really went all out for the sets and costumes- all made from stuff they had laying around the school! You can see the forest on the left, the lake in the foreground, the meadow in the centre back, and the city (including the CN Tower) on the far right. I don't know if you can tell, but the 'grass' is green faux fur. Asa is the fox in red.
**i have to say, i am very self-conscious of this post after reading Urban Craft's rant about 'craft blogs' going off topic. I am for sure guilty of posting pictures of my garden, my children and my food! (and my childrens' kindergarten concerts) I guess i always considered my blog a 'craft blog' BUT i guess it must be more of a creative lifestyle blog (okay, I try). I personally like reading about aspects of peoples' lives other than just what they've made. What do you think?
one of the best things about our Island, and one of the hardest things to write about, is our community. that's a word that is thrown around a lot but one that i think most people don't ever experience in a true sense. i know i never did until i moved here 10 years ago. i read an interesting article on mothering.com about co-housing, ('It Takes A Village To Raise a Child') and it struck me that 'this is what we have!"
On our Island, we have no stores and the mainland is a ferry ride away, so we borrow from each other a lot. (DVDs, food staples, a bottle of wine here and there)
Our houses are very close together (often about 10 feet or so between houses) and our lots are small, so we know a lot about each other's lives, for better and worse sometimes!
There are no cars on the Island, so we see each other coming and going as we walk or cycle, without barriers of glass or metal, and we have a 12 minute ferry ride during which to visit on our way to town or on our way home.
There aren't too many of us: 250 houses. We are varied in our ages (6 months old to 94 years old) and our socio-economic standings (some of us deliver the newspaper and return bottles for a living, while others of us are doctors or lawyers). Our houses are part of a community land trust so that this diversity is protected.
We socialize together (Talent Night, Gala Weekend, weekly community dinners) and have our own traditions (Spring Equinox Bonfire, Easter Egg Hunt, Fire Parade). We have a wooden cut-out stork that makes its way around to announce each new baby on the Island, and after each of my children was born, neighbours brought 3 course home cooked meals every night at 6 pm for 2 weeks!
Our next-door-neighbour Grahame is someone who, in another place, we might never have gotten the opportunity to get to know. But because we are 'together' almost every day, he has become one of our close friends, and godfather to Asa. He takes the kids to the playground, lets Asa play the drums at his house, takes Lee out to hit the ball, and pushes Maxine in the "weeee!" (swing). Last weekend, he even stepped in and helped Lee with a paper mache project for school. All this, and he also takes care of all our gardening needs, as he is a professional gardener. I like to think we don't get all the benefits of this relationship. Grahame doesn't have any kids or grandkids, so i think it's nice for him too.
living here has made me feel blessed, and part of something bigger than myself.
we've been enjoying some sun this week. the kids and i rode down to Far Enough Farm, a city-parks-department-run farm on Toronto Island. it's about a 15 minute bike ride for us and we go down a lot when the weather is nice. at this time of year we usually have it all to ourselves. we have: horses (retired police horses), donkeys, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, peacocks, rabbits, emus, and pheasants.
more than 25 years ago, my mother-in-law Mary and her friends started the egg hunt for their children. now with grandchildren, Mary and Lacey are still the Easter Bunny helpers today. everyone on the island drops off their eggs (40 dozen dyed eggs this year!) and goodies at one of the helpers' houses, and very early Easter morning, Mary, Lacey, the Bunny and her teenage human helpers go out and hide the eggs. as an island rite of passage, when children decide they are too old for the hunt they can become helpers- complete with an initiation ceremony. at 9 a.m. sharp, Mary and Lacey give their Bunny speech and children set off into the woods and the wet meadow to search for eggs- both real dyed and chocolate. after all the eggs are found, we gather for a pot-luck brunch, a bonfire (we islanders love our bonfires) and music.
Mary says: "...the first Sunday after the full moon after the spring equinox is Easter. What about the full moon? The full moon doesn't rise until the sun sets. The full moon rises, the sun sets. Every other time of the month it's a little bit different- it's very mysterious. So, we've got the sun energy and the moon energy together. We have the sun all day going across the sky and then we have the moon coming out so we get them both here on earth helping us. The special thing about this time of year (the rebirth and renewal of Spring), and why (this celebration) is right around the full moon is because we need the energy of the sun and the moon. The man and the woman. The yin and the yang. The in and the out. The heart and the head. we need it all..."
**sadly, i've removed the photos from this post as i have noticed a lot of views of it that stemmed from Google image searches of things like "little girl undies" etc. I am disgusted and sickened, but i guess not too surprised. i should have thought of that...
i haven't written about it much here, but we did infant potty training
(or EC, Elimination Communication- I hate that term though) with
Maxine. I highly recommend this book if you are interested. it makes
so much sense. we started from birth, but i wasn't hardcore about it-
Maxine did wear diapers until about 10 days ago. BUT she hadn't pooped
in her diaper since she was 6 months old, and peed on the toilet about
50% of the time- more if i could take the time to get in sync with her
rhythm. because of the potty use and cloth diapers this time around we
used way way way fewer disposables (the City of Toronto has a
composting program- including for diapers- so we even could compost the
ones we did use) which makes me feel really pleased, even if it is a
drop in the bucket. the funny thing is we didn't do cloth diapers or EC
with Asa, but he was out of diapers at 21 months also- completely at
his own request.
the last one, this girl is growing up. i've written before about being sad that Maxine is our last baby- i do love babies and breastfeeding and pregnancy and childbirth. i especially love that sweet sweet baby smell and the heft of her in my arms. but i recently realized that while i might want a fourth baby, i really don't want a fourth child. i may never get over the urge to have more babies but three kids is just perfect.
lately i have been thinking in terms of the bright side of babies getting older, which makes taking the growing up easier. what i find challenging right now is that Maxine wants to be held in my arms almost all the time, or 'help' me with whatever household task i may be doing. i try to accommodate her whenever possible, but i know someday she will be happily playing near me or with her brothers while i am trying to do laundry/make dinner/sweep the floor. right now i am almost always overwhelmed and 'behind' on the house. maybe the best part of children getting older is that i will have more time to work on things that are important to me.
this feeling of being glad about the approaching end of this stage of my life is a brand new one. and while i am sure i will still mourn the passing of my children's babyhood, i welcome a new chapter.
last night was one of my favourite island events- the spring equinox celebration. we all save our christmas trees and burn them in a huge bonfire with drumming and merry-making. a week or so before the event, some trees are hung near the ferry docks, reminding us as we arrive on the island that spring is indeed on its way.
we gather just before dusk on the first day of spring with our trees and parade to the beach- about a 5-10 minute slow walk.
we each throw our trees on the bonfire and make a wish for the upcoming year
i am moved by this event, so much, every year. i love the rhythm of the drumming and the ridiculous procession, dragging our old Christmas trees down the sidewalk. i love how our community has these crazy traditions that we all count on and look forward to. and i love marking the changing of the seasons in such an earthy pagan-like way.
at times like this i am reminded how truly lucky we are to be living and loving and raising our kids in community.
i'm Irish, if you count that my ancestors have been in North America for at least 5 generations. my whole life people have told me i look Irish, but i always thought of the generic red haired blue eyed Irish lass. when my man and i cycled through Ireland on our tandem way back in 1996, i was blown away- everyone looked like me! dark hair, green eyes, high forehead, big head! wow.
here's a picture from the last time i mustered enough St Patty's spirit to dress in green and document it- 2005.
Lee and I were alone this morning and both working on projects. (i can't tell you mine because it is a gift for a friend who reads my blog- some day it will be revealed in all its glory)
we have had such a nice quiet day and easy companionship.
i love that Lee is finally at an age where he can do projects independently and we can work side-by-side for hours. i also have been noticing his maturing humour and thoughtfulness- we can relate to eachother as people more now that he's getting older.
i feel fortunate that i can appreciate this at the same time that i am feeling sad about the end of the baby stage in my life.
one of my long term projects is to bring some beauty, order, and functionality to my very small 'studio' space. also the home of Lee's desk and the family computer, it is about 6' x 15'. very challenging. i drool when i see rooms like this.
someday i'll post some pictures of the finished space, but for now here's one of my beautification solutions:
bankers boxes covered with maps.
i had a bunch out of old National Geographic magazines. I think I used Russia, Alaska, China, the Prairies, and Germany. they look really nice and give some cohesion to a very cluttered area.
these lovely hats were crocheted by Buff (my mother-out-law) for the kids for Christmas, but they were a bit itchy. last night i got them out and finally sewed fleece liners (dollar store hats) into them. a small project but how many months have passed since Christmas??!! thank you Toronto Craft Alert. I Got 'Er Done. the kids woke up this morning and wanted to put their hats on right away. (Asa was still sleeping for the photo op)
Asa and Max went off this a.m. wearing them (did I tell you about my little plan for some time alone? it's now!! the kids are at my friend Karen's for the day. I have big plans... gotta get off the computer though)
Lee didn't want to wear his because "I really like it. it's weird and cool. but i'm not going to wear it to school 'cuz the person i am at home is different than the person i am at school. i don't wear hats like this at school." sigh... we are actually thinking about an alternative school for next year, where i think my little boy could actually be his quirky "weird and cool" self.
saturday is my big day in the city- gymnastics for both boys, visit with cousin X, and the weekly grocery shop. Maxine always falls asleep on the way there, so i have started bringing her special napping bin. i can move her from the car seat to this bin without waking her up. it's pretty handy and funny too.
today was the Island Mallard Cup- an annual shinny (informal pick-up hockey for all you non-Canadians) tournament extravaganza on the frozen lagoon. picture tons of people of all ages, skating and playing hockey, with a
smoking bonfire in a barrel and classic rock on the sound system, with
the sun blazing.
i am embarrassed to say today was my first time on skates this year, and as usual i wish i had gone out more. i went with some friends for a skate a few kilometers down the lagoon.
it was gorgeous and so nice to get out!
i really needed glorious sun and fresh air- i have been so cranky today about not having any freedom or time alone. i was trying to get someone to watch Maxine so we could go skating (it all worked out- we took her out and she napped in a stroller on the ice!) and i couldn't find anyone, and i was feeling so angry and resentful about never getting to put my needs first and my life being so kid-focused! (which i normally don't mind so much. it's possible that this raccoon mum needs more sleep, and also i think almost 2 year old Miss Maxine is pretty intense right now in her needs/desires.)
what i really really want is a day to myself at home- to putter, reorganize my little nook, maybe make something, take a bath, read a little. i have a plan- it may happen soon- fingers crossed, 'cause mama needs a little time!
oh my. my little lovely Maxine. she is so sweet, stubborn, strong and funny.
here she is the other day trying on my shoes- determined to walk in them, have me take a picture, and see the 'baby' after on the screen.
i know that all of the things that make a challenging toddler make a very interesting adult.
but some days, after she has climbed everything in the house (table, highchair, boys' chairs, stairs when the gate is left open) and taken the dirty dishes out of the dishwasher, and thrown all her noodles on the floor, i can only sigh. if i don't notice her infractions, she calls, "Mama!" and points to whatever it is and waggles her finger "no, no, no!"
sigh. today was one of those days! a combination of: teething and a cold have been making Maxine extra wanting-to-be-held, but still so determined to do and get what she wants. and maybe i am tired and have a bit of a sore throat. and it was raining, so we were inside all day.
there were some bright spots where i felt i wasn't completely failing her in my lack of patience.
often Max will often stand on a chair while i do stuff in the kitchen, and today after she had poured the water out of the kettle (twice!) i thought i should set up some 'pouring' for her. (i have a Montessori background- check out Montessori From The Start: The Child At Home, from Birth to Age Three. sigh again, Maxine has gotten so much less of this stuff than the first two kids...) anyhow, she LOVED it. she poured water from one container to another for an HOUR!
we also made bread and Max and Asa made shapes, which ended up in us getting out the play dough and the silly putty.
i love doing all this stuff with them, but i didn't get much else done, and that is really hard for me to let go!
reminding myself to enjoy the baby years. so mama intensive, but when else will i be this important to anyone?
Lee had a skating party yesterday, as is his tradition. the boys and some friends skated on the harbour in the glorious sunny winter weather
and had an "8" cake- two angel food cakes put together. this is the first year Lee hasn't wanted a themed cake- a sure sign of our boy growing up.
while i am sometimes sad at the baby Lee leaving us, i am loving getting to know the young man he is growing into. luckily i still get lots of hugs and kisses from my boy.
tonight we had a birthday dinner for Lee and his Grandpa Bruce. (Lee's birthday is tomorrow)
i made Ultra Orange Cake, from the Joy of Cooking. it is a vegan cake- and i highly recommend it even if you're not vegan. I iced it with Seven Minute Frosting and made pink and orange sugar cookies to go all around it
(the heart cookies were my only attempt at anything for Valentine's Day this year. i like making Valentine's cards, but the kids had zero interest, and as i have a lot of other things happening i didn't push it.)
it is typical that i make dessert for family gatherings, but i definitely spent more time on this on than i had to. the in-laws had the kids for a while before dinner, and instead of getting ready for Lee's party tomorrow or cleaning up the house, or any number of things i probably should've been doing, i made the cookies and decorated the cake. i have to do some fun creative things or life is just too dull!
here are the recipes. i doubled each one for a 2 layer cake.
Ultra Orange Cake
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup orange juice
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon orange zest, grated
1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 8"x8" baking pan or line with parchment.
Whisk together dry
ingredients in large bowl. Add the rest of ingredients and stir until
smooth (no need to use mixer or beat, just a few whisks will do it).
Scrape batter into pan and spread evenly.
Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes.
Seven Minute Frosting
1 cup sugar 1/3 cup water 1/2 t cream of tartar 2 egg whites 1 t vanilla
beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form, set aside combine water and sugar in small saucepan and bring to a boil, until sugar is dissolved as slowly as you can, drizzle the hot syrup into the egg whites while you beat them on high- beat until very fluffy and holds a stiff peak add vanilla
