Progressive Pioneer

Keeping the Computer Off

It's a love/hate thing my computer and I have going on.  I love it, I really do.  Where would I be without Google?  Email?  Pinterest?!  But, then half the time, I think, "Who needs you?  Stop being so needy all the time.  Give me some space for crying out loud!"  I don't like taking a quick peek each time I walk by the computer, I don't like trying to read a quick article, while I have a second while the kids are playing quietly.  And I certainly don't like saying, "Hang on just a sec!" to those kids either.  So, since I've realized it just doesn't work to try and grab quick snatches of internet time throughout the day, my goal instead, is just to leave the laptop shut.  The whole day.  You're right, it doesn't work all the time.  And I'm not militaristic about it.  But just making that goal, and sticking to it most of the time, has made a big difference.  And the little trick I use to keep it off, is so simple, I don't know why I didn't think of it before.

Child Labor

I'm all for it!  Not the making iPhones and cheap trinkets kind, I'm talking about the not-playing-video games-all-day or thinking-mom's-a-live-in-maid kind.  The kind where kids, even little kids, do actual work.  My parents made my brother and me work (me totally more than my brother, I swear) and Sam (who's three) has chores that he's supposed to do every morning (doesn't always happen, I assure you). I even have little chores for Vivi.  Do you make your kids work?  What sorts of jobs do you give them?  Here are my favorite kid-friendly jobs.

Raw Experience

I often have trouble with gift giving.  For one thing I just kind of stink at picking out the perfect thing.  And for a lot of my growing up years, money was tight, so if a gift was to be gotten, it had to be good, and it had to be EXACTLY what the person wanted and needed, and not just something to fill a gift bag.  Also, not to be a scrooge, but I just think there's a lot of stuff in this world already, and if you live in a first world country you're really not hurting for much, so gift giving sometimes seems a little, I don't know, silly?  So with all that overthinking of gift giving swirling around in my head, when it comes time to give birthday and Christmas presents, I often feel completely lost!

I love what our friend Greg got for his wife Megan, for her birthday.  Something absolutely perfect for her, that she loved, that wasn't more stuff, and that she could share with her friends!

What Grandparents are Good For (and How to Sew Elbow Patches)

My parents flew out for a solid three weeks over the holidays and it was absolutely blissful.  My mom couldn't tear herself away and decided to extend her stay a few weeks more, so she's still here!  The more time my kids spend with their grandparents, the more ridiculous I think it is that we live so far away from both sets!  I noticed some pretty important and wonderful things happening with my kids when my parents were here.  There are just some things that grandparents do better...

Time Bending

This is less an instructional post, than a casting about for answers.  I have this ever-present struggle that varies in intensity.  Sometimes it's no big deal, and other times I find it completely overwhelming.  And those are the times I think, "Am I the only one that feels like this?  Or am I just not doing something right?"

New Year's Goals

As soon as Christmas is over I'm all about taking down the decorations and whipping the house into shape.  It's one of the few times I'm motivated to clean:)  I get excited about the new year!  Do you make resolutions?  My theory about resolutions, at least for myself, is the fewer the better.  I have a list a mile long of things I'd like to change: start exercising regularly, cut out sugar (again!), get up earlier, be more patient, read more fiction etc. etc.  But instead I make two do-able, but important goals that I hope will make a big impact and maybe one or two fun goals, like

Shiny and New

You might have noticed that things look a little different around here!  The new look is thanks to Vada Creative Studio (if you dig it, leave a note; the people there are so nice and they would love to know you like it!).  It's also in honor of me feeling ready to blog again:)  Sort of like a new outfit for the first day of school.  After my break from regular blogging, I decided

On this Autumn Morning

Sam is on a bike ride with a friend, Vivian is napping, and I'm enjoying the stillness, a little remembering and some day dreaming.The taste of summer in Maine is still lingering; it just might carry me through these winter months.  That and some knitting, hot chocolate and a few good novels (any suggestions for a cozy read?). 

A Few Random Things, and I Just Missed You

What a great summer!  And what a simply gorgeous fall.  It's my favorite time of year.  It would be tied with spring, if not for the mud.  And, of course, fall has cozy sweaters, apple cider and dreams of knitting.  What projects are you dreaming of starting in these colder months?

The End of a Season

I've been writing this post for awhile, in my head, at least.  I've known from the beginning of the blog that it would have its season and then come to an end; most things are like that.  I certainly wasn't anticipating being a blogging granny or anything:)  But with my mom in town this spring it just became really clear that the time to move away from the blog is now. Mom's are so great at shedding light on what is true and gently steering you toward it.  It wasn't so much what my mom said, but rather how I remembered what sort of a mother she was (and is!), how much she sacrificed and devoted to my brother and I.   The thing is, I love connecting with so many amazing people, and I love the emails I get from people saying that the blog has made a difference to them.  My favorite was a woman who decided not to go back to work after her second baby because she and her husband were finally in a financial position to do so.  Just that one mom's decision would have made the whole endeavor worth it to me.  But now I have to think about my own babies.  I've tried to blog only at night or during naps, but of course, that means I'm not doing other things (like cleaning!  I always find an excuse not to do that...) and that often, when I'm with them in body, I'm creatively drained from pouring so much into this project. And I want to give the best of myself to them!

It's a funny thing about blogging, often only the pretty, the orderly, the sweet, the inspiring gets posted, and readers may begin to feel that that this blogger has somehow figured it all out; they're a master at time-management, they always seem to discipline their kids with love, dinner is always healthy and on the table with fresh flowers and handmade placemats etc. etc.  Well, let me tell you, in the past year I have eaten fast food, shopped at Walmart, yelled at my kids, slept in sheets that Viv peed on and ignored Mt. Everests of laundry, blogged (not during nap time) instead of spending time with my kids, thrown recyclables in the garbage because I was feeling lazy, gone to bed angry with my husband when I should have apologized, and forgotten to bring my handmade, cloth grocery bags to the store more times than I can remember!  There is sometimes a dark underbelly to blogging where the pretty posts come at the expense of real life lived.  I think that perhaps some people just manage it better than I do.  But, the truth is, I need all the energy, love, and creativity I can muster to be the very best mom and wife I can be to my beautiful children and husband.  You know that I believe there is no job in the world more important, more rewarding, more difficult, or more crucial to the health of our world and the happiness of individuals than that of mothering.  I actually have a lot to share on the subject and for a long time have wanted to write a book.  That's another reason you won't find me in this space anymore.  At night, when the kids have gone to bed and Clay and I are curled up on the couch reading, I'll be researching the topic of motherhood with notebook and pencil in hand.  The book is already begun and I plan on letting it take as long as it needs to, no computer (until the very last draft), no taking myself away from the kids (that would rather be missing the point, wouldn't it?) just working on it quietly in the evenings more as a personal exercise than anything.  I hope that at some point I have something to share, because there's no subject I feel more strongly about.  If so, I will definitely announce it here.  If not, I hope I will be all the better for having spent so many evenings pondering the signifigance of motherhood.

I plan to leave the blog up, all the archives will still be available.  And I'll still be around; I'm a social creature and I would miss you all too much to just drop off the face of the earth!  I hope you'll keep in touch.  Friend me on facebook or become a fan of the blog's page (new posts automatically post to my personal wall and anything else blog related I'll post on the Progressive Pioneer wall).  If you're a twitterer (I'm not really, but I have an account and new posts automatically post there as well) you can find me @ProPioneer, and if you have a feed reader, make sure you're subscribed.  That should about cover it:)  I'll post important things like new babies, moves to the country (and a call for neighbors!), books published(!) and anything else I just can't keep to myself:)

Thanks so much for reading these past few years.  I've learned so much and made some wonderful friends; what a great adventure it's been!  Thank you SO MUCH for your support, advice and for the stories and thoughts you've shared.  Please keep in touch!

How to Be A Mom

I've been thinking, recently, about motherhood.  There was the recent holiday, and the book, of course, and I'm also working on a little project with my mom that I'm excited to show you soon.  All of these things have got me thinking about this amazing, exhausting, exhilirating profession of Motherhood. 

One of the things that struck when reading all the essays in the book, were just how varied the experiences of mothering or being mothered were, and yet how poignant each one was.  There is a depth and power to each and every story, whether a glowing tribute to a mother or a complicated dance of misunderstanding and trying again.  That was really the common thread, that motherhood is messy, complicated, hard to define and yet we know it when we see it because something there resonates with us, on a gut level.  It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with blood and birth, though that is often a part of it.  It doesn't necessarily have to do with titles or marriages, though those things certainly factor in.  My essay talks about the connection I feel to a mother who hasn't been a part of my life since I was seven, and who yet is inextricably interwined in who I am.  It also touches on my relationship with someone who is in most ways even more of a mother to me, my step-mother.  Crazy, complicated, beautiful stuff this mothering...

I won't go into too much detail about this project I'm working on with my mom (step-mom, for clarification); I don't want to ruin the surprise!  But, can I ask you a question?  Or a few?  What do you think are some of the most important things for mothers to know?  I mean, if you had to sum up a few crucial ideas for a mother-to-be, what would they be?  Tips on juggling it all?  Reassurance that she can do this?  Encouragement to trust her intuition?  Advice on keeping teenagers close while giving them their independence?  How to keep your kids safe in this crazy, scary world?  Or just to relax, it's not that crazy and scary?  What do moms really need to know about how to be a mother?

PS Here's a little excerpt from my essay.  You can get the entire book for $4.99 and enjoy the whole range of essays.  I promise; it's totally worth it!

Breast cancer has its virtues, though few. It doesn’t steal in and snatch away loved ones in the dead of the night. The process is slow; there is time to prepare. My mom, Tinnel, told my step-mother that she thought God had hand-picked her to raise me. And she was right. I can’t count the number of times I have thanked Him for the gift of a loving (step) mother. I’ve told my step-mother everything, even about the time I brushed the dog’s teeth with her toothbrush during a fit of teenage rage. But my biological mother, there are a lot of things I wish I could tell her.

When it became clear that the end of my mom’s life on Earth was near she began to write me a book. It ends abruptly and is composed of mostly blank white pages, an apt metaphor for her unfinished life. She was only 37 when she died. But within the first few pages of her graceful handwriting and watercolor illustrations are as much wisdom and love as she could conjure up in those last few moments.

Of breastfeeding, my mother wrote, “I loved to nurse you. It created the bond we share to this day (the day you’re reading this), and I was sad to give it up even after 2 years.” I would tell her that she was right, that I can feel her in my body and my being, that I am made of her, as my own daughter is built of my very essence, cell by cell. No distance or death can change that initial construction. I have the feeling that those early years when she poured herself into me both literally and emotionally, gave me strength for difficulties ahead.

images from Stock Exchange

In My Head

So, I have this dream.  I almost feel kind of funny putting it out there for all the world to see.  But, it's exciting and I want to share it.  You have dreams like this too, I'm sure!  For I-can't-remember-how-long I've wanted to move out somewhere with some space, some land, room to run wild a little bit.  I mean, I guess I always assumed I'd end up out in the country at some point.  I'm not a city-dweller at heart, though it certainly has its perks.

In addition to this dream of living on a good-sized chunk of land, I also dream about the neighbors I'll have.  We have a few friends and family members that are on the same wavelength about room to roam, home schooling, gardening and whatnot, and I get so excited about the idea (the possibility!) of buying land together, of being neighbors, having our kids grow up together, sharing resources and friendships.  I mean, why not?  Mostly the home schooling is what I think would be really exciting about buying land together and living near like-minded friends.  Not all the families want to homeschool necessarily, but enough that it would be a really great support system and social group.

I actually got pretty excited about pre-fab houses recently and how much less waste is created by building that way.  Although, I do have this plan for a house that has been percolating and getting refined and tweaked in my mind over the years.  I finally put it down on paper, though, I continue to erase and adjust. 

This idea that I have isn't exactly co-housing, or a commune, but rather just the simple idea of having good neighbors who you can trust, who share some of your ideals and who are, well... neighborly, in the old-fashioned sense of the word, the "Norman Rockwell" way:)  I'm just excited about sending my kids out to play and knowing that there will be other concerned and caring eyes watching over them.  When I was growing up in a small town in Maine, if my friends and I misbehabved, say we went five or ten miles over the speed limit driving through the center of town, you'd better believe our moms would hear about it through the grapevine before we even got home!  And that is exactly what I want.  Is that a crazy pipe dream?  I think there are a lot of crazy pipe dreams out there, except that if you hang onto it, keep thinking about it, keep working toward it, those dreams eventually become a reality.  I'm not the only one with wild dreams, right? 
By the way, this book is really inspiring me!  These ideas about neighborhood design are exactly what I'm talking about...

Hard Conversations

I'm constantly amazed at the perspective I gain by seeing the world through my children's eyes.  Today we went to the Home Depot to get a bunch of tiny cacti for party favors.  As we were leaving the parking lot, we had to pause while waiting for traffic.  There was a homeless man with his cardboard sign, there on the corner.  I felt slightly inconvenienced because I felt awkward not acknowleding him beyond one somewhat warm, though not overly inviting smile.  I try to always smile at homeless people and look them in the eyes, rather than pretend I don't see them.  But, I also don't want to invite them in too close.  It's one of those things that leaves me feeling uneasy, my desire to help tempered by my desire to keep my family safe (Elizabeth Smart, anyone?), a belief in the importance of treating everyone with dignity, complicated by my desire to not be inconvenienced physically or emotionally.  And so, it's with those conflicting emotions and motivations that I dole out my semi-friendly smile, but that's it.  On this day though, traffic was particularly heavy and so we stayed mere feet from this particular man for quite a few minutes.  Without really thinking about it one way or the other I suggested to Sam that he wave to the man, that it would make him happy.  So he did, and it did.  But it also opened up a whole new topic of conversation and corner of the world for Sam. "Who is that man, mom?" he asked me.  I explained about homelessness.  He wanted to know why he didn't have a home.  I explained that there are a few reasons, and that it was also likely that the man used things that made his body feel good momentarily, but were very bad for his body in the long run.  I try to give him real answers, but in terms he can understand and with a level of reality appropriate for his tender age and heart.  Sam was very interested in this notion of not having a home, and very concerned about how this man might find a home.  We talked about homeless shelters and soup kitchens.  He wanted to know if we could bring him home to our house.  I couldn't figure out a way to explain why we couldn't.  I told him that perhaps we could volunteer at the shelter or soup kitchen and we could help him in that way.  Though it squeezed my heart to see his sweet heart so wide open and full of love and being so newly exposed to one of the harsh and sad realities of life on earth, I still felt that the conversation had gone well and that I had answered him in the best way possible, or at least pretty close to it, if there is a best way. Tonight when I went in to kiss Sam goodnight he asked me again about the homeless man.  Bedtime is often the time when concerns or just things that have been on his mind come to the surface, and it's a time for us to lay quietly and process them together.  We spent about half an hour talking about this man.  Sam did most of the talking and I just listened, ocassionally offering explanations or suggestions.  By the end of the conversation I had tears in my eyes at the tenderness of Sam's heart and his capacity for compassion.  He was worried that the man would be outside in the rain tonight and would have to sleep in the dark.  I told him that I hoped he had gone to a shelter tonight.  "Does he have a mother at the homeless shelter?" he asked, "He needs a mother to help him find a new home."  He wanted to know how he would get to the shelter, he thought a train might be a good way.  He worried that he had lost his coat, because he hadn't been wearing a coat when we saw him.  "I want Heavenly Father to show him how to get there," he said.  "You could ask him that," I suggested.  And so he rolled over onto his knees and said, "Dear Heavenly Father, please help the homeless man to find the shelter.  He doesn't have a house and I don't want him to die.  Please do that.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."  It was the most serious and sincere prayer I've heard him say.  I don't even know where he got the idea that the man might die.  From there he asked me how the man would walk if he died and how he would get back to Heaven.  My goodness, such a heavy conversation for a toddler, and for this mama.  But, so good to talk about, I think.  I don't really know if I handled it right, or if there is a right way.  I mean, really, what is the answer?  Homelessness, and the myriad other painful, difficult things about the paths we tread, don't have easy answers, they simply are sometimes hard and sad.  I think I often shut myself off from them, with the half-friendly smile and then the avoidance, because I just can't immerse myself in the sorrow of all the sadness there is.  I can't bleed for each homeless person I encounter; at times I feel too much and just get overwhelmed at all the heartache that exists and the fact that I can't fix it.  But, on the other hand, there are babies being born, hundreds, if not thousands of them, in the time it's taken me to write this.  Insurmountable joy is coursing through new mothers' bodies, lovers are uniting, friends are lifting each other up, fathers are beaming with pride as they watch their sons become men, and families are spending simple, sweet moments together in the happiness that comes from that familial combination of love and sacrifice.  It's a crazy, complicated, rich, and wonderful world we live in.  I'm so grateful for the  wise, little souls that are sharing my journey. photos from stockexchange.com

I've Missed You

Well, hello spring!  So nice to have you back.We spent most of our weekend outside, enjoying the deliciously warm sunshine.  We've been falling into bed at night, dog-tired and sun-kissed.  Sam, overhearing his dad and I talking about planting, has been eagerly poking holes in the ground and scattering dirt about, doing his own version of planting.  We've been sorting seeds and getting ready to set up our indoor garden so we can hit the ground running when the weather is warm enough.
Sam has an eagle eye for spotting flowers and loves giving them to me; he equates giving me flowers with being an adult.  Once he was telling me about what he was going to do when he was a man (that's how he says it); the list included, "going to Idaho to build stuff, driving a truck, and giving Mom flowers."  I love observing what he picks up from us as crucial "grown up" acts.  I think he's off to a good start, if he thinks giving flowers is one of the defining tasks of manhood.
One of the wonderful things about the warm weather is that as long as we're outside, the kids are are happy.  All I have to do is lay out a blanket and everyone's happy as little larks.  I even got some reading and writing done, which was icing on the cake.  What about you?  Has spring come calling yet, or are you still waiting?

Steps Toward Simplicity

Recently a sweet reader emailed me about time management and simplicty, hoping "to be able to benefit from [my] habits and structure."  Ummm...  about that...  You see, I'm trying to simplify and pare down and find more time just like everyone else!  She talked about struggling to find a balance in her life as a new mom and looking for fulfillment and greater peace (me too!).  For her, the answer was greater simplicity, she just wasn't sure how to go about making it happen.  I wish I had the answer.  Like so many things, I don't think there is one answer or a quick fix, but rather many small changes that gradually amount to something greater.  
And so, in honor of baby steps, and for this reader and so many others (including, and especially, myself!), I am resolving to implement small changes each week that will bring me closer to my own goal of a life lived more simply, more streamlined, more focused on the important and less on the "static," toward a life more marked by simplicity.  I hope you'll join me and share your own small steps, ideas, and progress along the way.
Simplicity comes in myriad forms and can touch all aspects of our lives.  There's a difference too, between simplicty and convenience.  For me, saving time by prepping for several meals at once brings me a feeling of greater simplicity, while picking up dinner at a drive-through does not, even though it may save time.  I'm looking for ways to cut out time-wasters while increasing the time I spend on important things like my kiddos.  I'm also looking for simplicity in areas such as what I put into my body (homemade bread, for example, though a bit more time-consuming, still counts because it's a simpler food (less ingredients) and has traveled fewer miles to get to my table), how I travel, what I consume, etc.

I'll try and cover a variety of areas: food, time management, kids, consumer goods, daily living and homemaking.  I'm excited; I'm feeling more zen already!  Do you have any ideas about good steps to take toward simplicity?  Or areas you're trying to de-crazy and bring a little more peace and balance to?

PS Speaking of simple foods, Margot over at Old School posted my almond milk tutorial.  Go have a look if you missed it here!

                     

I Am a Productive Human Being; I've Got Mittens to Show for It

Some days I feel as if I can't get out of my own way.  At the end of the day I can't think of a single thing I've started and actually finished...  Nothing to show for my incredibly long, exhausting day!  Such is the life of a mom.  The "product" we produce is a lack of chaos, nothing you can hold up proudly and say, "Look what I did!" but rather, a lack of dirty dishes in the sink, a lack of hungry tummies, a lack of piles of dirty laundry.  If we do our jobs well enough, it's hardly noticeable, just a clean, well-run home to show for it.  It looks so easy from the outside!  I think this is why things like sewing and knitting, and creating things are so appealing to me.  There's actually a concrete object to show for my work, something I can hold in my hands (aside from sweet, happy babies, of course; they're plenty holdable, huggable and clear evidence of a labor of love). So, after a day of feeling as if I've accomplished nothing, it feels good to sit down to a quick and satisfying project.  The mittens I made Sam last year got a hole in the thumb.  I fixed it, but it made the thumb considerably shorter and they were getting a bit small anyway.  So, I dug into the basket of felted wool sweaters and whipped up a few more pairs for Sam.  The first time I traced his hand to make a pattern.  This time I just traced the already made mitten, adding a bit more for a seam allowance to to make them slightly larger, since he's a year older.  These are the absolute easiest project in the world, and it feels so satisfying to see a stack of something, anything, actually finished.  It helps when Sam dances around with glee when I make him things too:)  I also whipped up a few pairs of leg warmers from some worn out socks for Vivian.  Got to keep those babies warm!

Namaste's Shelf

We have some Nepali neighbors and one in particular has become quite a good friend, though a friend with whom we don't share a single word in common.  He speaks no English and we speak no Nepalese (except "goodbye" and "thank you" which we can both say in English and Nepalese).  Sam refers to him Namaste because that's what we have taught him to say, while putting his hands together to greet this gentleman.

In the summer he comes by to admire the garden and we often give him produce.  He talks to Sam and loves to pick him up and to hold and talk to hold Vivian.  He often makes gestures as if he's blessing the kids.  He's like a sweet grandpa and Sam really likes him.  Some days he sits and watches Clay at work in his shop.  One day he asked Clay, in gestures only, to build him a little shrine, just a simple shelf really. 

Weeks went by and Clay just never had time to devote to the project (still waiting on those benches...  *ahem*), but it was always on the back of his mind, and Namaste (as we call him) stopped by often and asked about the bench.  Finally, one Saturday before Christmas he built this sweet shelf and delivered it to Namaste's house.  They were overjoyed!  Some younger girls helped translate, which was a treat as it was the first time they'd really conversed.
Although there wasn't a lot of diversity in Maine, my parents always cultivated a love of, respect for and curiosity about other cultures.  We were lucky enough to travel a bit (my dad even visited Nepal!) and have interesting friends from interesting places.  One of my mom's dearest friends is from what was then the Belgian Congo.  Her mother was the queen of a tribe there and her father a Belgian army officer!  She was raised in an orphanage with her "sisters," daughters of Belgian fathers and African mothers.  She is one of the most Christ-like, beautiful, sweet women I have ever met.  Anyway, that wasn't really the point of the story, that was just an interesting tangent.  Where I was headed, was that once one of her sister's was visiting with her little son and it was his 8th birthday.  They hadn't planned anything special, but my mom who adores feeding people (I think it's her Swedish heritage) decided to throw him a little party and make a birthday cake and just go all out.  This always stuck with me as being such a great example of how to treat people visiting our country, whether tourists on vacation, or refugees here for the long haul. 

It's amazing how food can be such a bridge between cultures.  While we don't understand most of what the other person is saying, when we share food with Namaste, we connect.  Once he brought us a paper plate of food from a celebration with his family and we were so touched.  Equally, he has always recieved food from our garden with such gratitude and enthusiasm. 

PS This is kind of what I wrote about in my last edibleWasatch article (zoom in to read).

Two Simple Goals

I used to get all gung-ho about New Year's resolutions, making long, ambitious lists, aiming to completely revolutionize my life.  But, as you can imagine, those goals fizzled out pretty quickly.  And this meant that since I wasn't succeeding at all of them, I just let them all slide.  Now I only set one or two goals at the start of the new year and find that much more manageable, and it's much more likely that I'll actually accomplish the goals and see real, lasting change in my habits and life. 

So, this year I have two simple goals.  The first, inspired by a friend, is to have morning devotionals with my kids.  Nothing fancy, long or planned ahead of time.  Just while we're at the table, eating our breakfast we'll sing a few songs, read our family mission statement and each read one verse of scripture.  Sam repeats his verse after me and I read Viv's for her:)  We started a few days before the new year and so far it's going well.  I'm finding it sets a nice tone for the day and Sam is really enjoying it, especially the singing songs part.  It's simple enough that I'm hoping it will weave its way permanently into our routine and can change and adapt as our kids grow. My second goal is to have people over for dinner more often.  Every Sunday Clay and I get home from church and inevitably one of us says something along the lines of, "You know, we should really have the so-and-sos over for dinner some time..."  And we really do want to, and so we wait for the perfect opportunity, a time when we don't have to catch up on yardwork, and nobody has a cold, and we're not exhausted from one of the kids waking us up all night long, and I've got the house spotless...  Needless to say, we haven't had many people over.  So, my goal is to simply make a point of having people over on a regular basis whether or not the house is put together and our lives are perfectly organized, because that's never really going to happen (those are New Year's goals for another year!), and in the meantime we really want to enjoy some good company! How's your new year shaping up?  Are you feeling good and optimistic?  Excited about a fresh year, full of possibilities?  I hope so!

Post Holiday Vegitating

It's been rather quiet around here.  We spent a wonderful week at the cabin, away from everything, but family and good food.  We bundled the kids to within an inch of their lives (we've got this great baby sleeping bag thing that we put Viv in and Sam was layer upon layer on felted wool and Gortex).  Then we all piled onto the snow machines and loaded our gear into sleds and headed up to the cabin.  The road to the cabin isn't plowed, so the last mile of the trip is either made by snowmobile or ski.  I often think of pioneers and remember the descriptions in Little House on the Prairie of them bundling up in the sleigh.  Although I love the novelty of having to carry everything in for that last mile, I'm certainly grateful for the warm car that drove us the other five hours of the trip!

The last couple weeks I've been thinking about time, energy, emotion, creativity, and how best to allocate those precious resources.  My feeling is that I'm in a season where I want to devote a bit more of those things to my family and home, so you'll likely find me in this space a bit less often.  Though I'll certainly be dropping in now and again.

I love the slow post-holiday pace of life.  After the whirlwind of the Christmas season (no matter how simple we aim for, there's just no getting around the fact that there are so many loved ones to see, songs to sing, surprises to make and cookies to eat, yes?), it feels so good to simply hang around the house and just be.  Be silly with my little ones, be creative in the kitchen (or maybe just stick to my old standbys!), be indulgent in a bubble bath with a good book...

Sam made Vivian a makeshift entertainment center by tying some of his toys to the underside of the table.  And a mirror that I've been meaning to donate, but has been languishing by the front door, has turned into an impromtu easle.  It's a good thing we didn't spend a lot on toys this year:)

Hope you're enjoying the slower pace of these short and cozy winter days too.

Years Bound Up in Boxes

PS I just had a semi-related-to-this-post thought.  The written word makes a great gift!  For Christmas this year I've requested a book from each of my parents.  From my dad, a collection of the stories he used to tell me about when he was a kid.  I always used to ask him, "tell me a story from when you were little..."  I want my kids to hear those stories too.  And from my mom, a collection of her thoughts; she has such a wonderful perspective gained from lots of contemplation and study and life experience.  I really want to preserve that wisdom for my kids and grandkids as well.  We're going to have them printed through Blurb so they're nice hardcover books we can save.  Clay's brother solicits a one page summary of the year from each sibling, along with a current photo, for a book he makes for his parents each year.  These sorts of things are pretty inexpensive to have made (even cheaper if you do the whole thing yourself) and become such treasures.  Maybe you have someone close to you who would be honored to make you a book for Christmas, or perhaps you know someone who would like a book from you...

An Announcement

In my ongoing quest to simplify our lives and focus more energy on the truly important things, I've been thinking over and over about how to spend less time in front of the computer.  The thing is, I love the online community of creators, parents, gardeners, sewists, readers and thinkers, all the bloggers, all you wonderful readers that always teach me something new with your comments and emails.  Since starting this blog I've felt connected to this huge network of people that I never would've known existed.  I've felt less alone in my crazy ideas and lifestyle.  Of course I can't give that up!  (You thought this was a breakup post didn't you?  Of course not!)  So, the quest was to find a way to continue with all the good aspects of maintaining the blog, while cutting back on my screen time.  The breakthrough came when Clay offhandedly said, "Wouldn't it be funny if someone had a blog, but not a computer?  If they just wrote letters and someone else posted them?"  Hmm... funny, perhaps...  Brilliant?  Oh, yes!  Once that little seed was planted in my brain I couldn't let go of the idea.  And so, the handwritten blog was born.

I've enlisted the help of my dear friend Kjirsten, another desert-dwelling Mainer.  I had to think of someone who wouldn't be bored to tears by letters about such things as the nuances of sourdough and the subtleties of cloth diaper styles.  Kjirsten was my gal, someone who's also into all the crazy stuff I am and who I'll look forward to writing letters to.  I hope that you will read the letters to her, in part, as if they were also addressed to you.  Because, of course, I have each of you in mind as well as I share the things on my mind.

Have you ever noticed, if you speak another language, how when you speak in that language your personality is a little different?  Some languages have a whole handful of words to describe a concept we only have one word for, and vice versa.  It's nearly impossible to say exactly the same thing in two different languages.  I happen to be a much more bubbly person in Spanish:)  Similarly, I think the medium in which you are writing has an impact on your thoughts and words.  As I slow down and put pen to paper, I have a feeling that my ideas and the language I use may reflect the new medium.  I have always loved writing.  Like my mother I have stacks and stacks of journals, every page full of slanting script.  I'm really looking forward to the chance to reflect several times a week in the contemplative manner that letter writing so easily lends itself to.

Tomorrow I'll introduce you to Kjirsten, my partner-in-crime, fellow Mainer and lover of all things green and beautiful.

Some fine print: This will be a thirty day experiment.  After thirty days we'll decide whether or not to continue posting in this way.  I'll still be doing Friday Make and Do posts as normal, and probably book reviews as normal too.  Most of my other posts will be handwritten letters that I mail to Kjirsten for her to scan and post.  I'm still reachable by email- this is no crazy rejection of technology; I love my laptop and cell phone! -Though, I may take a wee bit longer getting back to you.  I'm actually quicker at responding to questions asked in the comments than in an email.  I'm also thinking about getting a PO box, so if you'd like to write me a bonafide, handwritten letter I'd love it!  Let me know (in the comments) if you have any questions.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

With the arrival of our newest bundle of joy have come quite a few changes around here.  A few of those changes you'll notice here on the blog.  In order to keep doing well what I love best (being a mom and taking care of our home), I'm going to cut back a bit on the blog.  This will likely mean posts about three times a week or so, instead of daily.  It will also mean that I will be posting when I'm particularly moved to or when there's something really exciting that I just have to share.  I hope that it means that the posts that do go up will be slightly more thoughtful and a bit more interesting to read as well.  I'll keep putting together the Friday Make and Do lists though, as I really enjoy them myself:)

A few other changes you might notice are that while I'm still happy to give exposure to small companies through giveaways, I'll be asking them to provide the content rather than writing it myself.  So, the sponsor will write a paragraph or so about their company and about the product they're giving away as well as provide a few pictures.  I'll still only be accepting companies whose products I think are great, but just know that the words are coming straight from them, not from me.

Speaking of sponsors, I'd been trying to decide what to do about that.  I didn't want the pressure of creating daily content, but I also didn't want to take away the chance for wonderful companies to connect with you all and vice versa.  So, I just dropped my rates a good chunk and am encouraging more trading, than a straight monetary payment.  Just thought I'd let you all know in the spirit of transparency and whatnot:)  Oh, and I won't be doing a post about the sponsors each month anymore either.

Otherwise, you should still expect to see the same types of things covered here; organic gardening, natural parenting, holistic health, whole foods recipes and lots of DIY projects. 

I hope you'll keep in touch!

Warmly,

Amy

A Virtual Baby Shower of Sorts

The time is rapidly approaching for little Vivian's arrival; I can't believe we're less than a month and a half away from meeting her!  I was recently approached by someone about doing a guest post for their blog during the month after their baby arrives.  And I'm now shamelessly stealing her brilliant idea.  I thought I would see if any of my talented, clever, crafty readers might like to do a guest post or two towards the end of the summer.  It would be such a treat for me, and hopefully fun for you as well.

Here's how I envision it working.  If you're interested in writing a guest post, send it on over to me with the text and pictures all within the body of the email, if possible (please title the email "Guest Blogger: Post Topic (with your topic in place of the last two words, of course)).I think it will be great fun to share projects, thoughts, ideas and resources with each other and connect in a bigger way than just through the comments section.  I'll schedule the guest posts to run a few each week through the end of the summer after Miss Vivi's arrival.  And, of course, I'll be thrilled to link to your blog and/or shop, if you'd like. 
Here are a few ideas for post topics, though don't feel limited by them.  The beauty of this little project is that hopefully we'll get all sorts of neat perspectives and ideas that I wouldn't have even thought of myself.

• How-To and Tutorials; food, sewing, building, fixing, painting, thrifting, giving new life to thrifted items, taking portraits, gardening etc.  Are you particularly great at something?  Share the wisdom and the know-how!
• Thoughts about attachment parenting.
• Traveling, hiking, camping, outdoors-ing with kids.
• Nature projects.
• Urban homesteading (or regular old homesteading)
• Home schooling
• ...

Take a minute and think about what special thing(s) you might be able to share with Progressive Pioneer readers, something you're particularly passionate about.  And I will be forever grateful to you for lightening my load and helping me keep this an interesting place to visit, learn and share, while I learn a new balancing act with two little ones!  Like the birth stories, it will mostly be a first-come, first-served type of situation, though hopefully I'm able to share all of them! 

PS The posts don't have to be new and original, just new to Progressive Pioneer readers.  So, if you maintain a blog and have a neat post or two that you think everyone would enjoy, please pass it along!

Progressive Pioneer on the Radio

I forgot to tell you guys, I'm being interviewed on FaveCrafts Radio!  I believe this link will take you right to the interview.  It's happening at 5:00 mountain time today, but should be archived so you can hear it whenever.  It's such a treat to be able to share some thoughts and ideas, and to share the air time with such fun, talented ladies. 

Desert Rain

Maine is pretty rainy in the spring.  And I lived in Oregon for awhile and it defines rainy.  So, a little rain rarely puts me in a gray mood.  In fact, this rainy, rainy spring we've been having here in Utah has actually made me feel quite cheerful!  Each rainy day has felt like something of a celebration. Every morning that I wake up to the sound of rain on the windows I think, "Oh goody, I don't have to water the garden!"  And I think about how much the dry, desert ground is just loving this outpouring of moisture and soaking every last drop up.  The mountains are green all around us and our own yard is growing lush and green before my eyes.  You can practically watch the plants unfold and deepen in color, knowing that they have to act fast while the feast is upon them. 
We even had a little snow this morning, which was kind of wild.  But that's moisture too and it was more than welcome!  All the things in our garden right now are pretty hardy and cold tolerant, and the lettuce has been extra sweet with the chill weather and extra rain. 
I find that the more I love the rain, the more I love it.  Do you know what I mean?  I think that's kind of a general principle in life, and it works particularly well if you're not especially fond of something: a chore, a person, a day of the week etc.  If you decide you love it, the more you put effort into really enjoying it, the more you find that it becomes effortless.  Kind of neat how that works:)