Summer Musings, Parenting, and Other Random Bits.

The summer has well and truly settled upon me. I drift slowly through my days in a kind of torpor. Semi-hibernation. Dormancy. Time has collapsed; I'm forgetful, slow(ish), and I have to say, not exactly motivated. I think people refer to this as being "in holiday mode", but to me it's as though I was in the middle of something important and then a possibly somewhat wicked witch, (but, hey, we like those don't we?), cast a spell on me, and I wander around trying to remember what it was I had to do...slay a dragon? Spin straw into gold? Clean out the fridge?

It's quite pleasant but also unsettling, this flagrant self-indulgence. There are picnics, and delicious invitations, but I'm not being much of a social butterfly this summer, and have been keeping things simple. Seeing close friends only, and letting the outer ripples of the social circles fade a little. They'll be there when everything is in full swing again. I think my seasonal cycles are a little topsy-turvy, because I contract my energy in the summer, and feel far more expansive in the colder months.

 There's much to be done, and the year is about to unfurl very suddenly and reveal its very busy self. And there are Big Things on the horizon. Oh yes. But right now, chez Nettles resembles Sleeping Beauty's castle - with various human and non-human creatures draped snoozing and oblivious across books, chairs, beds and couches, and often the floor. 

A bit like my house at the moment. But without the many bearded chaps. And Prince Charming.

(image: Prince Charming finds everyone in Sleeping Beauty's castle asleep, from Les Contes de Perrault, 1867. Illustrated by Gustave Dore, from Wikipedia Commons).

The Summer has made Night Owls of us, and the evenings are filled with books, art, crafting, conversations - both here and long-distance, and surreptitious games with dolls, teddies, and other props played beneath the bed covers, late into the night when certain 8 year olds are supposed to be sleeping: "ok mama, in a minute. I just have to put my dolls to bed. They have cholera". Ahem.

I'm wondering what this year will hold, and have been thinking carefully about how I want to integrate different, and often competing activities and impulses, (isn't this so often the case for all of us, but perhaps most particularly for those of us who are parents perhaps?) Namely, study, creativity, paid work, the desire to wander and travel again, (which is so strong right now), and my wish, my need to focus on my family, and the love and the dreams, that are calling me there. The full moon in Cancer was a big, dreamy, fullsome one was it not? Drawing us home to some real or possibly imagined emotional centre. I think I sunk deeper into my daze, and am only now just emerging.

But the way my brain is "working" at the moment, lulled by the steady clack of my bamboo knitting needles, (yes, I am engaged in irrational summer crafting involving very warm red wool), and vaguely kicked into gear by a steady supply of earl grey green tea, I find it easier to focus on random snippets, and perhaps share some interesting ones with you dear reader...

* Discovering Fairytale Magazine. And also this fairytale-related blog...I mean, how can I resist such lovelies? 

* The ultimate, (in my very humble opinion), oat cookie recipe, (with chocolate chips! And maple syrup! And vanilla! Ok enough!) It's found in my fave recipe book of the moment Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair, which I seem to be referring to for inspiration for many, many dinners. But these cookies are so good. You can find the recipe here at Attachment Mama.

* A free knitting pattern for Wicked Witch Stockings from this fabbo site of wool and wit. The stockings are stripey of course. Need I say more?

* This beautiful, wise post from Mama Om has stayed with me, not only because it aligns with so much of what I feel and believe, but it also made me think how dramatically different my approach to parenting is now compared to how I first started out, and definitely before I had my child. It reflects so much of what I've come to learn over the years as a parent, and how much I've changed since becoming a parent. You know, before I had a child, I was sure that my child would be super well-mannered, and well-behaved, and that that was also Really Important. I didn't have much patience for messiness and "badly" behaved children, or more particularly, their parents who lacked "control". Hehehe. Oh bollocky-bollocks. Yes. Quite. Laugh at me dear reader, because I was a silly young gal.

On the whole the Moon is actually lovely, (bias alert!), and she has pretty good manners for sure. But I'm not setting out to raise a courtesan, or a people-pleaser. I would rather have a child who is happy, confident and strong, and who has courage and respect for herself, (as well as for others), and who is guided by a sound inner compass and intelligence, than a "good", super-polite, pliant-and-keeping-everyone-or-at-least-adults-happy-and-always-worrying-about-what-others-think child. Who hasn't seen the results of this in adults they know? And it can breed years of unhappiness, angst, and a natural inclination towards dishonesty and manipulation. Once upon a time, I wanted my child to reflect certain values that I held, (and this is natural to a degree isn't it?) But I now realise that some of these were complete bloody blind-spots born of my idealistic cluelessness, naivete, and a good dollop of judgemental thinking, (who me? judgemental? heh). It was also inherited from my own well-meaning parents. And, well, simply not worth holding on to.  

Ah. There you go. Rant over ; )

* Saw this production of Mary Poppins with the Moon on Sunday night. Here I was steeling myself for 3 hours of, er, somewhat wholesome fun, (being somewhat disinclined towards musical theatre in general I have to admit). But I found myself having a ball and it was quite brilliant fun! It may also have had something to do with the look of absolute glee and delight on the Moon's face throughout the entire show. 

* Thinking of getting hold of this book all about natural dyes. I've dabbled with natural dyes many years ago, but I'm interested in taking it all a bit further. Another string to the ol' bow. Has anyone out there done this sort of thing before? Any tips me hearties?