August 19, 2018
Truth is a fruit that can only be picked when it is very ripe. –Voltaire
When a tomato is juicy and ripe, it’s time to pick it. Timing is everything, which is why the tomatoes we purchase in the grocery store, picked before they are fully ripened, are never as good as the ones plucked from the vine in our garden. When we say, “The time is ripe,” now is the time to act on an intention or an idea. A “ripe” cervix is ready to give birth. Ripe means ready.
As we approach back-to-school time, teachers and parents are considering whether they and the children are ready. Preparing the supplies, moving the children back into a school year rhythm after a long summer outbreath, and fretting about the children’s (and our own) state of readiness for the challenges to come seem to be part and parcel of this time of year.
Remember to take a long deep breath, enjoy the sun-ripened fruits of your harvest, and take pleasure in the remaining days of summer as you get ready for the fall. Blessings on your week and the fruits of your labor.
Mary O’Connell, Your Living Arts Blog editor
Creative Exploration
Here’s a fun rhyming song for early childhood teachers and caregivers to share with the children! You might use this as a laptop or table/floor puppet story-song, or a movement circle, or simply as a singalong.
Where do you go? with Pamela Perkins from LifeWays North America on Vimeo.
Where Do You Go?
By Pamela Perkins
“Little bright-eyed brown calf, brown calf, brown calf,
Little bright-eyed brown calf, where do you go?”
“To nibble sweet red clover, clover, clover,
To nibble sweet red clover, that is where I go.”
” Little clucking red hen, red hen, red hen,
Little clucking red hen, where do you go?”
“To find some bugs and eat them, eat them, eat them,
To find some bugs and eat them, that is where I go.”
”Little pouncing kitten, kitten, kitten,
Little pouncing kitten, where do you go?”
“To catch a floating feather, feather, feather,
To catch a floating feather, that is where I go.”
”Little hopping green frog, green frog, green frog
Little hopping green frog, where do you go?”
“To swim in cool blue water, water, water,
To swim in cool blue water, that is where I go.”
”Little prancing pony, pony, pony,
Little prancing pony, where do you go?”
“To play out in the pasture, pasture, pasture,
To play out in the pasture, that is where I go.”
”Little frisky puppy, puppy, puppy,
Little frisky puppy, where do you go?”
“To run and jump in circles, circles, circles,
To run and jump in circles, that is where I go.”
“Little spotted piglet, piglet, piglet,
Little spotted piglet, where do you go?”
“To find a muddy puddle, puddle, puddle,
To find a muddy puddle, that is where I go.”
“Little fuzzy donkey, donkey, donkey
Little fuzzy donkey, where do you go?”
“To jump for joy and hee-haw, hee-haw, hee-haw,
To jump for joy and hee-haw, that is where I go.“
Or : Little stripy gopher, quacking duckling, slithering grass snake, hungry bear cub, etc. Create verses with the animals in your unique environment, play with movements to suit them and then add “where they go”! In the video, Pamela uses wooden figures from Ostheimer.
Nurturing Care
Even when we know we are leaving our children in capable hands, the first day of school or childcare can be even more challenging for mamas and papas than it is for the children. If you are feeling angst about the separation, please read this excellent article by Jennifer Grimes, “We Can Do It (Leaving our Children in Capable Hands)”.
You’ve got this.
Social Awareness
The wishes of the soul are springing,
The deeds of the will are thriving,
The fruits of life are maturing.
I feel my fate,
My fate finds me.
I feel my star,
My star finds me.
I feel my goals in life,
My goals in life are finding me.
My soul and the great World are one.
Life grows more radiant about me,
Life grows more arduous for me,
Life grows more abundant within me.
Rudolf Steiner
Practical Activity
Cherry Tomatoes with Garlic and Fresh Basil
These fermented tomatoes taste amazing just hours after putting the ingredients together, and are even more flavorful after a few days of fermentation.
Yield: One Quart
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
5 fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Brine:
1 T. kosher salt dissolved in 2 cups water
- Wash tomatoes and basil in cold water. Put the basil and chopped garlic at the bottom of a 1-quart canning jar; fill the rest of the jar with the cherry tomatoes, leaving at least 1 inch of space at the top.
- Pour the brine over the tomatoes, submerging them completely. Cover the jar with a lid. Be sure to open the jar at least twice per day to “burp” it.
- For best results, taste the tomatoes a few hours after they are made, then 24 hours later, then again 48 hours later, etc., to determine what flavor you prefer. Ferment for up to three days at room temperature. ideally between 60º and 75º. Once fermentation is complete, store in an airtight glass jar and refrigerate. The tomatoes will become softer the longer they ferment. They are best when eaten within a couple of weeks.
I am surely enjoying these Living Arts Weekly Blogs! I meant to comment on ‘Gathering’ two weeks ago, which arrived the day after our annual family reunion in the Midwest. I was still riding the wave of joy and love from our family time together. Each week has a timely message, and I look forward to a few peaceful moments to read these emails on Sunday morning. Thank you to Mary and all the contributors for providing these thoughtful, fun, delicious slices of life.
Thank you, Robin! Your family reunion sounds like it was rich and joyful!
Oh thank you for your early childhood story! That is exactly the kind of thing I am looking for!
These simple and sweet stories are like magic for young children, aren’t they? We are so grateful to Pamela for sharing these.