{life with a curious and crazy 10 yr old}
If you were to ask her what our little gal misses right now, she’d probably say ‘Pear’ and the beach (the former being her friend, and the second her Summer heart’s desire). We try and distract her with goings-on but there isn’t much to interest a 10 yr old these days except work, and she wants no part of that. We’ve never been parents to bribe or threaten our child but we’ve come to a place where incentivization is a priority we are trying to navigate. She has a small interest in an allowance (mostly because she thinks it all goes to a new puppy, so the faster she can accumulate, she thinks the faster we will get a puppy, though we are planning for 2022) but that wanes pretty quickly. ‘Helping’ to her comes and goes, sometimes she’s a real peach and loves to be a part of the job and other times she runs and hides. Ha!
Yesterday was a special treat – a knowledgeable and gracious mycophagist (mushroom forager) and his very adorable daughter-assistant came to show us the ropes. We learned a lot! And are more comfortable taking the next steps of further identification and hunting. The girls filled a basket from the woods, as well, for a particularly exciting faerie house they built after our trek. We found lots of stuff not to eat and a few surprises (some baby chanterelles and Lobsters)! So much fun – thank you so much for adding to our growing foraging practice!
And we’re making some plans to try and make a Bread & Puppet Circus this year – it seems so important to us in this political climate to make the travel to the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont to see this brilliant troupe (and brilliance of the Schumann’s), and since they are a big part of my dissertation, it seems like a lovely journey. But a quick one – there and back plus the event/museum in one day – whew!! I hope we find a chicken/dog sitter. I really want Duende to be able to experience it, even if the subject matter only touches her peripherally. We have a rolling list of places we want her to experience, and of course, now is not the time but hopefully we can figure it out, hopefully there will be a new world (I’m fantasizing about kind and caring TSA, environmentally-friendly flying and sensible travel options – I know, my fantasies are large!!) – D.C., Athens (Gr), snorkeling in crystal waters, Machu Picchu, to see the Northern Lights, Angkor Wat, Stonehenge – places like that.
Until then, we wander our woods, eat our weeds, make the bread, and live our lives together – the best we know how. We wish you the best, too.
Rock Bottom Homestead 