Welcoming Autumn

Autumn (and winter) are going to come whether I get my shit together and welcome them or not. Yes, I am dreading the loss of sunlight and outside time and, omg, beach weather but the seasons change and these things must ebb and flow and the best I can do is lean into the wind and enjoy the lusciousness of harvest time.

So!

There's an awesome thread over at mdc about making Autumn Altars. Perfect! This gives me an opportunity to declutter, go through the harvest decor, get creative and focus on the things I love about Autumn. Tonight I decorated a couple of white pillar candles for the space. Here they are, with my bewbs for background:



Tomorrow I plan to declutter the altar spaces in the kitchen and living room and set up seasonal altars. I'll pull out the harvest decorations and get them sorted. I will only keep and display what I love. The rest I will box up and bring to my coworker who works at a domestic violence shelter during the day. She helps set women up in apartments. Many of the women there have no holiday decorations, since they often left with nothing but their children and whatever clothes they could grab.

I also made a Wecoming Autumn playlist. It's a work in progress.

I want to get a month of menus going so as we start all the extra curricular stuff, we'll have something to count on each night. This is such a wonderful time of year for cooking and eating! Sweet potatoes and squash and stews and baked macaroni & cheese and roasted root vegetables. Yum!

Money troubles should be easing up very shortly. I have faith that we can put some of that anxiety away for a bit.

Oh, the dude just brought me a pumpkin martini. Goddess Bless Autumn. Read more "Welcoming Autumn..."

Social Studies Lesson Plans & Resources

Migration to Ancient America

Ancient America on KidsPast


Ancient Predators in Beringia video from Nat Geo

Wiki Beringia page

Texts:
What Your 3rd Grader... pages 120-122
Build Our Nation text book page 36
American Indian (Nat Geo text) pages 29-33




Week 2: The Maya, Aztecs and Incas

What Your 5th Grader... pages 107-116
Build Our Nation pages 40-43 and 48-51

Scholastic's lesson plans on Ancient America

Videos from NeoK12 Read more "Social Studies Lesson Plans & Resources..."

TGI 3 day weekend

We all have sleepover-hangover here at Casa McFarm. Jules had 2 friends sleep over last night. People are cranky. We need caffeine, greasy food and naps. :)

Some things I stumbled upon this week.

People of Walmart (It's a website, google it. I'm not linking it.)
I think this site is both classist and racist. I'm no fan of Wal*Mart to be sure, but I really dislike this kind of nasty picking on people. Not that I haven't done something similar IRL with friends, but somehow it seems grosser in written form. Plus, there is a shitload of fat-hate on there. Ick

Tip Junkie September Really great check list for stuff that might need to be on your September to do list!

Now do this! You give it a list, it tells you to do it!

Sex without orgasms, on purpose Yeah, I don't know. If the underlying assumptions she makes are actually true, polyamory makes a lot more sense than no-orgasm sex. Read more "TGI 3 day weekend..."

Season's Change

It's September.


I'm not very happy about that. Generally, I welcome the change of seasons, the start of a new academic year, the coming of harvest time. But last year's battle with seasonal depression was so ugly, so rough that I find myself mired in anxiety about the upcoming fall/winter time. I am "should-ing" all over myself. I should have gotten my blood work done, gotten a doctor, started researching meds, worked on moving the toxins out of my diet, etc etc etc. Boy, is that a dark road to the self-fulfilling prophecy of insecurity and depression! Whee!

I do want to be proactive and there is still time. So, without further ado, here's a list of things I'd like to work on to insulate myself and give a med-free winter one more shot:


1. Increase spiritual practice
I want to do ritual or yoga or meditation on a daily basis, more if needed. I am sifting through and trying out different guided meditation podcasts. I would like to incorporate a morning ritual or prayer from my Pagan Home Management binder. I used to do this, with a short yoga flow routine and I really enjoyed it. I bet I can get at least Charlotte on board.

2. Vitamins
I want to incorporate a daily multivitamin and EmergenC. Rob does this in the morning, before he even has coffee. I can do it too, surely.

3. Vitamin D
This may be my big deficiency each winter. I do try and get my face out there in the sun, but it's hard. So, a vitamin D supplement and a light box or maybe even tanning. I still need to do research on these things.

4. Move!
Yoga, walking, bellydancing, whatever. But it needs to be regular and often.

5. Keep the emotional toxin intake low
There were some relationships dragging me down last winter. I'm generally pretty cutthroat about keeping negative people outside my circle, but it's harder when I'm weakened by depression or anxiety. I need to keep on top of this as proactively as possible.

6. Keep the nutritional toxin intake low
I'd like to learn how to cook Japanese food. This sounds like a great way to replace some of the wheat and dairy in my current food intake.

7. Weekly splurge
Spa night, a manicure, a date, fancy martini night, out to dinner with my mama. Whatever. I want to make sure to have something special and decadent to look forward to every single week.

8. Sex
And a lot of it.

9. Art
Yarn arts, paper arts, crafting, writing, whatever. But staying connected to my creative side is pretty important. There is also, I hear, some sort of endorphin released when doing something repetitive like knitting.

Anyone else with grand ideas? Read more "Season's Change..."

Japan!

I've got some kids obsessed with Anime and Japanamation and, well, all things Japanese. And I was thinking of putting together some lessons on Japanese cooking and culture and language, as sort of an educational Before to some video game playing parties for the teen/pre-teen set.

And then I found Cooking With Dog. Omg, new fav show.

Bento box episode:


More bento goodness at LJ.

And then my friend Forte turned me on to the Cookbook over at Kids Web Japan.

Anyone else have great resources for some mini lessons on Japan and Japanese culture and cooking? Read more "Japan!..."

Most boring vlog ever

Untitled from bethany farmer on Vimeo.

Read more "Most boring vlog ever..."

Menu Planning Monday

Monday
Cole slaw
Pizza

Tuesday
Tossed salad
Spaghetti & meatballs

Wednesday
Tofu stir fry
Veggie eggrolls

Thursday
Tomato or Mexican tortilla soup
Grilled cheese sammies
Raw veggies and hummus

Friday
BFD: scrambled eggs, turkey bacon
Veg. sausage, blintzes

Saturday
Crudite
Beanie weenies

Sunday
Leftovers or BFD II

Read more "Menu Planning Monday..."