beginning of a tradition

It's been thirteen years since I've been "home" for Thanksgiving. (I use quotation marks because I've long since made my home where I am, but there in the quotation marks I'm referring to my parents' home.) Cardo and I have been together for most of those years (and, Pic has been around for almost half of that time) and we haven't really ever done much to celebrate (that or any other holiday). Celebrating holidays just isn't one of our things. Holidays tend to make me sad because I start to think about what I'm missing. To stave off the lowness, I just attempt to avoid the whole holiday deal (except Halloween, which I continue to love). I've long since known that my strategy doesn't quite work and I always allow myself to wallow a bit.

So, this year, we decided to establish what we will eventually be able to call our Thanksgiving tradition. Becuase of the work I've been doing for the last many years, I'm home with Pic that day, but Cardo doesn't have that same luxury. He worked twelve hours this last Thanksgiving. When he got home, we were off to the movies. I figured there is always some general-audience-type movie that comes out right around Thanksgiving and we had several options this year. (That's probably always the case, but we don't go to the cinema often, and I don't really pay that much attention to what is going on there.)

After the movie, we stopped at a friend's place for a bit and then came home to make dinner. I don't cook meat, so I bought some already-cooked turkey breast at the grocery store. We did make sweet potato casserole together and I made chocolate chip cookie dough (I don't think I ever got around to making the cookies that night.) We might have eaten something else, but I can't think what. Sparkling cider also made an appearance.

Overall, it was an okay day. I love our friends, but I'd really rather it was strictly a family evening, so next year, I'm asking that it be just that. (That's the plan for now, anyhow.) A trip to the movies and a small dinner at home. Sounds good to me.

even more monday music: happy nevada day! happy halloween!

"The Killers - Nevada"



"Monster Mash"

happy (belated) equinox!

Okay, so we're not at all big on celebrating stuff 'round La Casa B. I would actually kind of like to celebrate more than we do, but I set about creating such big fantasies of what our celebrations could be that I never actually get around to anything. (Hey, there, that describes so much of my life. Oh, to live in the moment! Someone get that through to me already!)

This year, though, we had a built-in celebration set for autumnal equinox: camping! For one reason or another, we didn't make it out camping at any other point this summer, although we did talk about it a lot (hey, it's not just me, apparently!).

Autumn is my absolute favorite season. I love the late light of summer and the reawakening of spring (and there's probably a lot of awesomeness associated with winter, I'm sure -- oh, like moonglow reflecting off hills covered in freshly-falled snow), but autumn? O, loverly, beautiful autumn. I marvel almost daily that, "Wow, it's not even seven and it's getting dark!" and "Oh, look at that tree! Look at that tree! Look at THAT TREE!" Halloween and harvest decorations make me happy.* There's the food, too, certo: apples, pumpkins, roasted vegetables for breakfast or lunch or dinner. What's not to celebrate about autumn?

So, this year, a small group of the homeschoolers went camping, beginning on Equinox. Some of the group are regular campers (I wouldn't call us that for several more years) and one family was embarking on their first camping adventure. We had about an equal amount of adults, children and pets. (We even camped with a cat -- not ours -- who did fabulously.)

The trip was everything camping should be as far as I'm concerned: setting up/taking down, cooking/eating, hiking, talking, laughing. Also, I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've camped as an adult and have not taken my work with me. I refused to this year.

I hope this becomes a regular event. If not a yearly camping trip with the homeschoolers, though, we have plenty of other camping friends. And, yes, we could always try camping on our own again (we haven't done this since Pic was a about a year-and-a-half).

But, camping to celebrate autumnal equinox? It seemed so perfect. It was.

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* For the most part. There's a house we sometimes walk past that has an array of variously, and freakily, painted mannequin heads hanging from the the tree in the front yard. This tree does not make me happy.

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P.S. I just ate a lot of ice cream. That might just explain the strangely hyper tone here. Perhaps.

'i sure appreciate you being 'round'

Fifty-four years ago today, Paul and John met. Kind of silly to commemorate, but kind of worthy at the same time. ;)


"the Beatles - Help! (Music Video)"

Thank you, Universe.

file under 'too good to be true'

An e-mail in my spam folder boasted in it's subject line, "University degrees in just 10 days. No studying required."

I'm not that handy with my computer skills and I don't have Photoshop or anything, but I could probably fashion my own degree should I so desire (which I do not, just to be clear).

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Happy Fourth, by the way!

nourishment

It the beginning of last month, Grandma J turned 88! I made a simple dinner, and we headed over to her house. I was also going to make dessert, but we were at least one ingredient short for every recipe I wanted to make. And, I was running out of time. And, I was starting to melt down.



I am thinking, as I've thought many times before, that giving food for birthdays and any other special days is the way to go. I'm not big on giving stuff, as there's just so much stuff everywhere we turn. But, food? Food that I've made myself. That takes (so, so much) time and effort and is really, no matter how simple it seems in the end, how I'm showing you, on a plate, bowl or pan, that I really do care about you.

(And, all this babbling makes me realize that I need to make something for Uncle A's birthday, which was yesterday. What to make? What to make?)

Also, it's National Blueberry Month! Happy baking!

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This all has a somewhat upbeat tone, but Grandma J isn't doing so well. For those of you who can spare a positive thought or two, please send some her way. I thank you.

solstice-morning baking

So, what to do on solstice morning, when I was up around six and had a wee guest in the house? Among other things (deep clean the cat pan, wash dishes, take out the recyclables, sweep, put away some books and puzzles), I did this:



Moosewood's Vegan Chocolate Cake, which is super simple to make and wonderfully moist and nice with a bit of powdered sugar sifted on top.

(And, can I now say that every time I sift powdered sugar onto a dessert, I think of that scene in Flowers in the Attic (movie version) when the grandmother is sifting rat poison (or something) onto the cookies before serving them to her grandchildren? Yes. Also, at one point, my mom stopped letting me watch that movie because I was so freaked out by the mother and grandmother in that family. For me, there was that same idea of people stopping to stare at a car accident.)

Anyhow...Happy Summer, all!

happy birthday, al!

Today is the anniversary of Albert Einstein's birth. Just thought I'd mention it.

In honor of him, and as a note on unschooling, I'd just like to quote him, "The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."

on gift-giving

Cardo and I were sitting on the couch last night watching the Groundhog-Day Stargate SG-1 (the actual episode title is "Window of Opportunity," I believe) when he turned to me and said, "We've been thinking about what to do for Pic's birthday, but I haven't even figured out what to get you for Valentine's Day yet."

I looked back at him and replied, "Are we doing that now?"

"I don't know," he shrugged.

"Do you want something for a Valentine's Day gift?"

"No."

"Neither do I."

So, that's settled. We've never exchanged Valentine's Day gifts, so I'm guessing he just feels obliged to get me something because TV and such tells him he should. I don't know.

"let's hope it's a good one"

"Happy Christmas (War Is Over)"

happy (belated) solstice!

Oh, my.

We enjoy a very sedate end-of-the-year holiday season. Nevertheless, by Solstice, I was worn down. Okay, so I was overly tired and didn't properly nourish or hydrate myself until late in the afternoon. Also, Pic and I missed the bus twice -- once because we were just a couple of minutes too late and once because the bus was eight minutes early -- which meant it took three hours to get across town. (Again, ugh.)

We got to Cardo's work and our day brightened when we spotted Auntie C. Pic and I sat and had a nice, long chat with her. Eventually, though, Auntie C had to leave and Pic and I took the car to head out on a quest for Cardo's gift. By that point, we didn't have much time (or much luck) and we returned to Cardo's work giftless. In just moments, I was a weepy mess. Cardo and I were both exhausted, but we ran a few errands and ended the evening by finally buying a tree, decorating it and opening gifts.

The ornaments are a combination of store-bought and handmade, with a few gifted ones.

Pic was the only one to open any gifts on Solstice. She opened a gift card to JoAnn's from Nana and Papa, an easel from us and the gift she insisted we wrap for Snuggles.

I wonder what Snuggles got?! (He got a little remote-control mouse. I'm not sure who was more excited, Pic or Snuggles.)

We're fancy here with our gifts strewn haphazardly about the floor. We finally ran out of a very old roll of wrapping paper and moved onto newspaper.

Wednesday went more smoothly. We dropped Cardo off at work and then ran errands. Pic and I had to make a mall run to get See's candies as a gift for Grandma J. There might be other See's stores in town, but I have no idea where, so we had to go to the mall. Just the thought of going made me tense. I clearly explained to Pic that we were there for one reason only. However, as soon as we walked in, we discovered the new play area the mall owners had installed. "Discovered" in the sense that we talk about 15th- and 16th-century explorers "discovering" the "new world." There was an overwhelming amount of kids all over the place. Just the sight of it filled me with anxiety. Pic, though, was deeply delighted. She asked if she could play for a while. Because I'm such a wonderful person all of the time, I started to snap at her. But, I got over myself and followed after her. I headed to a seat intended for guardians to occupy while keeping close surveillance on their wards (really, the rules state that kids should be closely supervised or the mall might implode...or something). We only stayed for about fifteen minutes, but Pic's face was shining happily. I love that she is so easily pleased; I feel like such a jerk because I'm so easily miffed. We got the candy -- including a few pieces for us, certo -- and headed off to allow Pic to use her gift card and to find Cardo's gift.

Among the items Pic got with her gift card, she chose a painting kit. She painted the little dogs and dressed them up. They now reside in her bedroom.

Yesterday, Pic and I baked, which I might have more to say about later, and then all of us spent an evening at Grandma J's.

Today, Pic and I slept late. We had breakfast at 5th St Bakehouse. Baker D came out to sit with us for a few minutes and he brought Pic a cookie on a little plate. He asked her, "Do you know what that is?"

"A gingerbread man," she replied.

"It's a gingerbread Jabba the Hutt." He proceeded to do a few impressions. So funny!

(I don't think either Cardo or I have ever seen a full Star Wars movie and Pic has never seen even a part of one, but I do get the reference and know what Jabba the Hutt looks like.)

More baking and gift opening happened today, after a nice long walk (yea!). Cardo finished his evening by falling asleep on the couch and Pic and I finished ours with a little painting, using the new easels. After editing (perhaps) and posting this, I'm off to bed with "C" is for Corpse and then some rest.

To all: Happy Holidays!

over the interweb and through the ether

(Or something.)

I'm having a weirdly difficult time getting back to "real" blogging here (is there "unreal" blogging? that's what I feel like I've slipped into). Therefore, I'll try to ease my way back in as my tension from the last four months begins to ease.

Yesterday, we had quite a nice snowstorm. I was set to be finished with my paycheck-earning obligations on Thursday, but some other people had different ideas. Instead of being able to stay warmly wrapped up in my cozy, cozy bed, I had to get up early yesterday to turn in a last bit of paperwork. I made it a little way down the snow-covered road before our car very slowly slid out of our lane. I bumped into the curb, but I was going so slowly that no harm was done. I got the car situated at the side of the road and I called Cardo. I turned the car around and went back home. My dearest partner drove me where I needed to go while Pic slept in the backseat. Stuff got taken care of and now I have a few moments to relax before it all starts up again.

In the meantime: snow! While my first instinct is to hibernate when it's cold and snowy outside, that doesn't work for the whole family. Instead, we went sledding.

Who said you need a sled?

Much of the snow was washed away by the rain today, so we went for a good long walk. I love walking for so many reasons. It keeps me mentally and physically healthy (although, to be fair, I'd have to walk about ten hours a day to combat the amount of junk I've been eating lately). Our walks are also a time when Cardo and I dream about the future. And, our walks are times when we can really spend one-on-one-on-one time together. Most of the time, Pic rides along behind us in the wagon, but we often run around at a park or two when on our walks. I think Pic just puts up with us and our meandering ways because of our park outings.

Before the snow bombarded us, we took our annual pajama-clad, hot-chocolate-sipping drive to check out the solstice lights*. We don't have many traditions, but this annual outing has become one. Every year, we spend an evening driving around checking out the decorations on the houses.

This year, we stopped at the grocery store to buy doughnuts. Pic chose yellow cake doughnuts with chocolate frosting. When I asked her if she had eaten her doughnut, she responded from the backseat, "Yeah, I ate my doughnut, but first I played with it. I pretended it was a tire."

I had a tag-along!

We've also done a wee bit of shopping. We got Pic a couple of gifts: an inexpensive tabletop easel and some puzzle erasers (they're little erasers in different forms like animals and food; apparently you can take them apart and put them back together...hence the puzzle part). We didn't want to get one of the fancier tabletop easels with a nice drawer, just in case we ended up with no interest in the whole venture. (I should say that I got an easel for myself also. I asked Cardo if he wanted one, but he said he'd share mine.) We also bought a set of fine-tipped permanent markers to use for artwork at home. We got 36 markers for less than five dollars, which seemed like a fluke, but it turns out they were on clearance (score!). The markers are kind of for us all to use -- a family gift, if you will.

Pic is very excited about the prospect of opening solstice gifts. She and I still have to get something for Papi. He wants either a new pair of Keens or a car jack that's so heavy I can't even begin to lift it (gift card, perhaps?).


"Brady Bunch - Car Jacking"

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Anyhow, we finished off our weekend (for us, the weekend is Friday and Saturday) with a trip down to Carson to cheer on the Ace of Spades in a production of Alice in Wonderland, Jr. at the Wild Horse Children's Theatre. The show was fantastic and I'm so glad the snow had cleared and we were able to make it. I can so totally imagine Pic up on stage. Immediately after we left, she started making plans for her own productions.

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* Yes, I realize most people probably don't celebrate solstices and equinoxes, but we do (in as much as we celebrate anything). It makes sense to me that the lights on the houses this time of year might be there to celebrate the soon return of more daylight. Maybe they're there to shine some (wonderfully-colorful) light through the dark days.

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Wow, apparently I can go on and on. I'll sign off with wishes of warmth and happiness during this festivities-laden season.

psa: thrift sale

Tomorrow, Savers is hosting one of its 50%-off sales on clothes, shoes, accessories and bed & bath items. Books, sadly, are not on sale. That's okay, though, I much prefer to buy my books at Goodwill or at library book sales. (I can't wait to read what I picked up last Sunday!)

We might be picking up some warm clothes for Pic tomorrow.

We're getting to the time of year I really would like to hibernate in my warm bed. Yesterday morning, we woke up and the thermostat read 48 degrees. Yikes! I was, once again, thankful we live inside and also that I could turn on the heat to warm up the condo a bit.

Tomorrow is, of course, Veterans Day, nee Armistice Day. I'm never quite sure how to observe such days, other than send silent "peace be with you"s for those who have fought in and those who have lost their lives in military service. I will never understand war, really, no matter how much I learn about its causes, but I still grieve for those who have lost their lives and for those who have to/choose to partake in such endeavors.

I didn't mean to completely shift there, but I find it interesting that we use special occasions as opportune times for sales. I'm glad I'll be able to buy inexpensive clothes at an even lower price, but I'm not really sure how hosting/attending a sale is observing such occasions.

a little (un)holyday music

Every year, in this, my favorite month, I'm reminded of elementary school music class with Ms T. I picture our little selves in the classroom with brown industrial carpet. The bass drum has a picture of Garfield on it. Ms T plays us recordings of Banshee squeals (perhaps there was a song that I just don't remember). Ah, Elementary School, you're one of the reasons it was so difficult to decide homeschooling was best for us. So, I'll be Ms T for Pic. Here's some of what I'm sharing with her:

"H-A-double L-O-W-double E-N Spells Halloween" -- I did not like the video (hence my not embedding it), but I had a hard time finding the song otherwise.

"There Was an Old Woman All Skin and Bones" -- The version I sang looks like Martin Sutton's from February 10, 2007 (scroll down to see it). There is a lot of variety to this song.


"Bette Midler - I Put A Spell On You"
This isn't from elementary school music class, but I have been watching this movie yearly since just after elementary school.

Also, a more grown-up version of the "Skin and Bone" song. (The woman is turning tricks? I'm not sure if his lady is the lonely old woman.) [Don Shearer - "Skin and Bone"]

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And, Nevada's birthday falls on Halloween. I also learned "Home Means Nevada" in elementary school and I still sing it to myself often. (Should I admit that? Ah, well, too late.)


"home means nevada w/lyrics" -- I included this video because it looks like something Auntie Peecho and I would have done at this age had we access to this kind of technology. :)

aaaah-tumn

We've almost reached the autumnal equinox. While I have been trying to not wish away time, to wish for the summer to end and the leaves to turn fiery, I've kind of been doing just that. There's something (so much) about autumn that I just love.

Sunday, Pic and I headed out for a walk. I had on my windbreaker and she had on a hoodie. Our hair danced around our heads in the brisk breeze. Although it was only about five in the afternoon (evening?), the sun was already so low in the sky. I wanted to walk forever.

I've been going through a bit of a rough phase for a while. The kind that has me counting down (many, many) days. The kind that kind of has me wishing away time. Next year, I think, Next year, I'll do things differently. I'll listen to my instincts and to what I know about my family and our rhythm. I'll let go more easily. Check back with me in a year and see how I've done.

In the meantime, Pic and I are hoping to start a new tradition or two to celebrate the autumnal equinox. I hope this isn't just one of those plans we never follow through on. So, here's to autumn and here's to new traditions. (Hmm, does that phrase even work? Here's to something that'll be new to us now, but that we hope will be considered tradition years from now? Chissa?)

Right now, I'm off to respond to my body and get some rest already.

tradition!

There are very few traditions we participate in, but the Great Reno Balloon Race is one of them. We have been going for several years now, although I never went to the Reno races before Pic was born. Growing up, I remember attending a similar event down in Vegas with my mom and Auntie Peecho. We'd get up horribly early, pour hot chocolate in thermoses, stuff ourselves into puffy winter coats and head out to watch the festivities. I loved it. I love sharing that with Pic.

Last year, we were woefully late (sorry, again, Auntie C and Uncle A), but this year, we hope that won't be the case. Cardo and I've informed Pic that it's her job to wake us up when the alarms (yes, plural) go off.


(Yes, that's how early we have to be up and out there, but it's definitely been worth it for us.)

'father's day' food

For Father's Day, Pic chose to take Cardo out for breakfast. This is a bit funny because Cardo is the only one here who earns a paycheck, so he essentially took us all out for breakfast. Ah, well.

Cardo loves breakfast. He likes what I consider to be standard breakfast foods: eggs, sausage, pancakes, bacon, diced and seasoned potatoes. He'll eat oatmeal or cold cereal, although not often. He ate a lot of these after his heart trouble. He really enjoys juevos rancheros, if he can find a place that makes it the way he likes it (he doesn't make this at home). Cardo enjoys eating breakfast out, probably because I don't eat most of the above cooked breakfast foods and, therefore, I don't make them.

Pic, like Cardo, enjoys a good hot breakfast. She likes her papi to make her an egg and bacon. Maybe toast. She loves rolled oats -- she hasn't taken a liking to steel cut oats yet. She'll just as soon eat a handful of grapes or a banana or a handful or crackers for breakfast, though.

If we're dining at home, I'll most likely either have a fruit-and-greens smoothie or a bowl Koala Crisp for breakfast. I go on long kicks when it comes to breakfast. At one point, it was a slice of peanut butter toast and applesauce for every breakfast. When I was a few years older than Pic, my grammie made us eggs and bacon for breakfast what seemed like every day.

I'm not one for most breakfast foods nowadays. If we're out, I'll order a sandwich. If the lunch menu isn't available, I'll be hoping there's some oatmeal. I love breads, so I also enjoy some sourdough toast or a good muffin or a good scone.

Recently, we were out of town and needed to find a breakfast place. Someone recommended a place down the street. Every breakfast (of the four listed on the regular menu) included eggs. No thanks. I noticed a small placard listing the specials and I grudgingly ordered pancakes with strawberries. The pancakes were like soft, squishy sponges. I couldn't finish my breakfast.

So (geez, am I longwinded!), I decided we'd make a special breakfast for Cardo for Father's Day. However, we hadn't shopped in a ridiculously long time and Pic chose a meal out. A couple of days later, though, we all made cornmeal pancakes with poached spring berries* for dinner. Cooking in our home always becomes a big production. We could totally skip the whole sitting down to eat together by the time we've spent all evening cooking the meal together. It's definitely fun, though.

These pancakes? Pic almost literally gobbled hers up. She didn't even wait for us to join her at the table. She preferred the pancakes senza berries. Cardo and I both had two servings each. And, Pic actually ate two pancakes. These were heartier and much tastier than those foam pancakes I last ate. We'll most likely be making these again...one day.



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* This is a recipe from my Cooking Light 2001 cookbook. I can't find it to link it online, though.

a mother's day retrospective

-- late to bed.

-- late to rise.

-- set butter out to soften (or, "soften" as it turns out).

-- housework.

-- check butter.

-- shower.

-- check butter.

-- Cardo home. Walk!

-- decide butter will just have to do and speed through process of making cookies.

-- deliver cookies.

-- read bedtime stories.

-- eat dinner.

-- taste cookies (and confirm that I don't enjoy M&Ms).

-- stop in here.

All in all, it was pretty laid back, which is the way we like things around here.

I hope it was a restful day for all.

everybody's working for the weekend

I feel that for the past several months, I've been existing simply to reach Fridays. I think, Ah, Friday. We'll spend some quality family time together. We'll run some errands. I'll get stuff done and feel relaxed when the weekend comes to a close. So, yes, we do spend lots and lots of quality family time together (I desperately cling to that in these few months before our family dynamic shifts in a way I'm still not sure I'm comfortable with or ready for) and we do run a few errands, but I haven't felt relaxed at all in a very long time.

We somehow manage to wander around, doing little errands, but neglecting to go grocery shopping (which lead to me eating some very questionable left-over couscous for dinner last night). At the end of each weekend, I feel myself longing for just a bit more time.

A couple of weeks from now will mark the first time in two-and-a-half decades that I've gone a full year without being a full-time student. I took off one semester after Pic was born. The plan was for me to take an entire year, but I wasn't capable of taking a full year.

I need to be busy. I need to be doing. I worry about my inability to just chill out, to spend some quiet time figuring out what to do next, but bills keep coming and life keeps moving and I feel at a standstill. (I'm pretty sure I sound like I just contradicted myself there. It is definitely possible for me to be at a standstill in my life and feel not at all chill at the same time.)

When my hours aren't filled, I am at a loss about what I should do, so I shut down. Not good. (Probably also not good is my sleeping something of an average of four hours a night when I was a grad student/teacher, but I (barely) survived that.)

So, for now, I feel that I'm muddling my way through the week, hoping for the weekend when Cardo will be off and available for me to pester full-time for two whole days. I'm sure he truly relishes this.

In the past few days, I have been presented a couple of opportunities for the coming year. Neither are perfect as I'm imagining perfection to be, but they are something. I'm not sure where to go from here. I have no sense of direction and here I stand with no map. I don't even have a set of "turn left at the second dead tree" kind of directions.

Anyone interested in doling out advice that I might or might not use to act on? This would require some one-on-one time, but I feel that I need actual feedback because this floundering around lost stuff just isn't working for me.

[A lot of this is always brewing in my head, but I've especially been mulling over Coach J's "The Right 'Stuff'" since the moment I read it. I love when a piece of writing sticks with me and forces me to think.]

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Wow, I meant to write a post joking about Cinco de Mayo and the fact that Cardo is baffled that that's something "we"* celebrate here, but instead that gush of crap emerged instead. Sorry.

* We, as in our family, does not celebrate this commemoration of Mexico's defeat of the French at Puebla (a battle in a war Mexico lost, by the way). I didn't really know anything about this holiday until Cardo explained it to me. I have no idea what I thought it was about when I was younger.

when (and if) i grow up

Today is National Teacher Day. Happy day to all of you teachers out there, whether you are of the working-in-a-school category or a teaching-outside-of-the-traditional-school category.

I'm not exactly sure where I am on my path to being/becoming a teacher. I feel that I haven't done much teaching lately, when it comes to my time with Pic. I'm working on it.

I have been lucky enough to have a great amount of teachers I've loved in my lifetime. This ranged from kindergarten to college. I've also been lucky enough to know a great many teachers outside of those teaching me, both in real life and here on the interweb.

I was three when I first declared that I wanted to teach. I reached a wall during undergrad when I wasn't pleased with my teacher education and when I was afraid to actually get up in front of a class and teach. I was offered something of a last-minute opportunity to teach, early in my grad work and I took it, hoping that I wouldn't throw up on my students the first day. My mom still laughs that I told her that it made me anxious to think that all of my students would be looking at me during class. (Yeah, I know. Where else did I expect them to look?)

I've been going back and forth (and down many side-paths) lately about where I'm going next as far as my teaching goes. I hope to figure it out soon (like, three months ago).

In the meantime, I'm grateful to all of the fabulous teachers I've had, both in my regular schooling and out. I'm grateful to know so many other wonderful teachers who are gracious in sharing their own methods and techniques. I'm also very, very grateful for this here interweb connection which has made it possible for me to really explore the ways and meanings of teaching.

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"The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young* minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards." --Anatole France

* "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young." --Henry Ford

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P.S. Speaking of teaching, check out the new link I've added in the sidebar for the Organic Sister's Unschooling Coach.