Values

Last night at dinner we had the following conversation:

Elena - Mom, can we make that rice thingy? For breakfast again, it was so good!
(She is referring to a rice porridge that I bought back from GSA in Minneapolis. It was Mahnomin wild rice hand gathered in canoes smothered in heavy cream -ok, maybe not so native, maple syrup, toasted nuts, and dried fruit - get your own here: http://www.hellskitcheninc.com/all-items/porridge-kit/ )

Mom - That wild rice is actually hard to find, and pretty expensive.

Elena - They don't have it at Echo Hill? I've seen it.

Dad - yeah, but not the native kind, it's different.

Mom - It would be really cool to take a trip to Minnesota and see them harvest it and learn about rice. That would be cool! (to Jake) We should do that for sabbatical...we should travel all over visiting sustainable food sites.

Dad - and how are we going to pay for this?

Mom - we could get a full bright? Or write a book and get an advance! (spoke with authority, like one of us has ever written a book, let alone gotten an advance). Then we could rent the house to who ever is our replacements and....(extensive external mental planning)...maybe we should start saving now!

Dad - So....we either save for the kids college or go on sabbatical.

Elena - Mom, which one would you pick.

Mom - (looks away with guilt...)

Elena - You should save for college. I want to go to college.

Egan - I want a monkey riding a pony.

And there you have it folks....

2012

The grace that Egan picked out of the box for dinner tonight...


No longer forward nor behind
I look for hope or fear;
But, grateful, take the good I find,
The best of now and here.
- John Whittier


An appropriate blessing to start 2012.

We slept through the official start of the new year, tired from our December travels. Woke up and make pumpkin-ginger-cinnamon scones (times two for coffee hour at church), listened to lovely music during the New Years service, then explored a new greenway/park on the way back to Kutztown and had a picnic, home to do some cooking, dinner was (excepting olive oil, wine, salt, etc) entirely from our garden or nearby - roasted chicken with our onions, carrots, garlic, and fresh herbs, our sweet potatoes with local honey, and greens from the cold frames, house is relatively clean, kids are relatively clean, and now to bed on time. Good start to the year.