Leaf me be

I was going to make a big speech about how I'm tired of my previous blog posts, but by the time I figure out a way to say that I could have written 10 new ones, so here's something new…

I am a tree.

At least I pose as one. Limber, silent, my leaves gently sweeping with each passing summer breeze. And, posing as a tree keeps me from screaming at my kids.

For days—months, really—they have been at each other's throats. They scream and then I scream to stop them from screaming. It's a vicious cycle.

Until today, that is. For I am a tree.

It all started yesterday morning when my yoga instructor said she practices a tree pose to relieve stress. I took it a step further. I used it to curb my temper.

Yes, a tree.

I can see it now. Isabella will lunge at Ava, who just stole something of hers, bumped into her or whatever. Ava would then cry out, retaliate and I'd blow my top. "STOP IT NOW!" But this time I would be silent; standing in a tree pose on one leg with the other foot bent and resting on the straight leg. I'll be centered. Balanced. In control.

How could I possibly raise my voice when I'm trying not to fall? It's karmic therapy.

I'm a tree.

But then what?

How long am I supposed to stay like this? I was hoping the situation would actually present itself so that I'd have some truth to draw from, but I'm slightly alarmed at my lack of planning. I think it's life trying to tell me something.

You will always be surprised. Even if you are a tree.

Fine. But in my mind I'll hold the pose until one of the kids, or possibly the cat, knocks me down. The girls will go back to their bickering, but I won't yell. I'll tell them they have until the count of three to calm down or I'll make them do a tree pose. I hope they choose to hold their own tree pose, which could be good for a few giggles, and somehow they might forget about their fight. I'll just be proud to have kept my composure. For like a tree, I believe I can bend. At least until I fall over. Laughing.

Lettuce eat a lot of greens

A year ago I didn't know kale from maruba santoh. Our weekly CSA from Earthkeeper Farm (community supported agriculture - we pay a share upfront to receive a weekly supply of vegetables from the farm) just gave us both. This year I might even know what to do with them.

I'll admit I was a little overwhelmed when I walked into the kitchen and saw the counter filled with greens. You see, I had one of those rare mommy moments where I went to the hairdresser while Dino took the girls for the afternoon. To my surprise, I came home to find that he had washed and sorted everything. More surprising was that he thought I had a plan for this enormous load of greens.

Um, no.

What you see would normally take us a couple of weeks to eat and I now have a week before the next market day, so I have to finish this post quickly or I won't have time to research recipes that will satisfy our picky eaters.

Actually, our first-grader is a bit easier to please. She actually liked the maruba santoh dish with garlic, olive oil, onion, summer squash and roasted red peppers over farro. At least she said she did. Once she cleaned her plate she declared it was, "not that good." I don't know what to make of that. Our preschooler wanted chicken nuggets and carrots. She has amazing eyesight and clucks when she walks.

I knew the CSA would force me to work within a fixed menu, but I forgot about the kids. It's truly going to take some work to make these greens palatable for them. They think asparagus is exotic. Honestly, at their age I didn't like asparagus either, so they're light years ahead of me, but they're still kids who prefer green beans over broccoli.

I've been preparing mostly vegetarian meals for a while now, so I figured out everything from the CSA without help except for the maruba santoh, which I promptly used in last night's dinner so I wouldn't have to be afraid of it any longer. It's just Chinese cabbage, after all. Suffice to say we are eating a lot of greens this week. Dino says at this rate we'll all be photosynthetic by the end of summer.

So, one meal down, six to go. And true to my upbringing I'm trying to make sure nothing goes to waste. As my mom used to say, "What about the starving children in China?" I told her to send them my food. Thankfully, at least one child in the house likes Chinese cabbage.

lapiduli

"The events of her life are like the lapiduli of a grand mosaic: each of them is a small thing, but the combination of them makes such a picture..." {Richard Baptist O'Brien}

Leaf me be

Lettuce eat a lot of greens