Happiness is: A Waldorf Store in Our Neighborhood.

A certain little boy will be turning two in less than two weeks. Somewhat serendipitously a month ago Mama disovered a Waldorf store hidden just blocks away...blocks!  We've been there twice...They have a lovely playroom...and shelves and shelves of Waldorf books, toys, dolls, and craft materials.

  The online store is called Palumba, but the retail storefront and manufacturing store is called Camden Rose,

Some of the things we purchased.....Beautiful beeswax crayons by Stockmar.

Photo Credit: Palumba

 Sweet little Waldorf baby doll...Although ours is African American.  Same hat and red dress though!

Photo credit Palumba

 This rainbow play silk is so pretty and has unlimited play potential.

 Photo Credit Palumba

 Another little car for his wooden vehicle collection. 

Photo credit Palumba

 This is part of a lovely series of seasonal poems and songs.

Photo credit Palumba

So....what shall we get the birthday boy?

Perhaps a broom that's just his size...

Photo credit Palumba

  Or maybe a little friend for doll play...

Photo Credit: Palumba

  Some wooden tools....

Photo Credit: Palumba

 Or maybe some knitted food for his play kitchen...

Photo Credit: Palumba

House and Harmony

Things continue to progress at a nice pace on the house front.  If everything continues to go well, then we should be moving in around early summer.  (Fingers crossed).

I can't post pictures of the actual house yet as we haven't taken possession but I can give you some visual hints as to the feel of the place...The first illustration looks nothing like it but it reminded of the coziness and charm of the place.

Painting by I. Murdoch.  (Too bad they spent all their money on a giant fireplace and couldn't afford any furniture.)

Wood House, 1934 by Paul Turner Sargent.

Credit: Retro Renovation. Vintage kitchen!

1924 Decorating magazine.  Similar fireplace with two flanking windows.

photo credit coastal living. Wood paneling? Oh yes.

cottage garden in virginia. 

The words I would use to describe the house and garden.  are vintage cottage charm meets rustic elegance meets mid century colonial revival.

In a way reminds me somewhat of  New Harmony, Indiana.   The link is to a blog by Rebecca D. Thompson, a poet and resident of New Harmony.  Her pictures definitely remind me of the house!

I can't wait to be able to post pictures of the actual house!!  Very excited....a home of my own to decorate and care for!  No more apartments!  A garden!  A yard!  A dining room! 

Though to be honest...our dining room walls are actually painted. There is a built in cabinet but it is smaller than that one in the example picture!   I would never do a blue and white nautical scheme with wood paneling. Unless I wanted to live on a yacht. But that's just me. :)

The rest of the house (save the kitchen of course)  has unpainted wood paneling and wainscoting.  So, if you were apply that to the walls, ceilings, and floors of the living room from 1924, you will have a pretty good idea of what it looks like.

ramblings from the family tree

I am looking into becoming a professional genealogist.  Genealogy is something I've enjoyed doing, on an amateur level, since I was twelve years old.  However, I seriously considered it to be something I can do professionally.

Tonight I was meandering around Ancestry.com and discovered their Careers link.  Most of the job openings are in Utah and most have to do with technology and computers.  Which makes sense because Ancestry.com primarily exists on the Internets. There was also a listing for a position called Assistant Genealogist.

As I read through the job description....I thought:  I can do that!

"Conduct research at various archives, libraries, online and on site as directed to solve genealogy problems"

Sounds like fun!  No. Seriously. It does!  Nothing says excitement to me like microfilm reels of quit claim deeds. 

"Write, format and edit scholarly reports, blog posts, articles as requested."


Heck, I actually went to college to learn how to write and edit scholarly articles.   I also worked for a local religious publication when I was in my twenties. Writing and editing stuff. 

"Collect and organize data and complete accurate data entry."

I am very adept at collecting and organizing data. I can also keep numerous ancestral lines in my head...including names, dates, and relationships. On top of that I have prior work experience in data entry. 

Degree in Family History Research or 1-2 years of professional genealogical research or 2+ years of amateur genealogical research 

I've been doing genealogy since I was twelve years old!  I think that is above and beyond 2+ years they're looking for. 


Anyhow, even though I won't be moving to Utah to become a genealogical research assistant (seriously this job sounds like grad school only they pay you to do the work) ....it is nice to know that such opportunities exist in the world.  
 
So....I started doing some research on How to Become a Professional Genealogist 


It is something that I could definitely do...at my own pace, and in my own time. There are on campus and online academic programs through colleges as well as a home study program through the International Genealogical Society.  Plus, there are many continuing ed opportunities through various conferences on national, regional, or local levels.  After you've done course work, logged research hours, and participated in various conferences you can study for board certification.  There are also the Association of Professional Genealogists.  

While I am sure that some people do hire genealogists to help dismantle the brick walls in their family history research, aside from Ancestry.com's obvious need for them....I wondered what exactly can a professional genealogy do to earn money?  

One area of specialization is in adoption reunion work.  If an adoptee wants to seek out her birth parents she may hire a professional genealogist to assist in the search.  


Attorneys often hire genealogists to find heirs to settle estates.  Some genealogists even go to court to provide evidence in estate disputes. 


Some genealogists are involved in deed platting, map making, and explaining old property lines in contemporary terms.  If you've ever read an 18th century deed from Virginia you will understand the need for this.  It was very common for property to be described as being between yonder apple tree near the creek that runs through the edge of Johnson's land, and then twenty five paces of a six foot tall man in boots under the moon at seven o'clock, and up until the tides come in, and then seventy five yards toward the setting sun, whence ye shall view a robin's nest in the third oak tree from the small ridge where the lilies bloom, and then forty eight acres to the north, to the river, and up to the field where the brown cows of Smith graze. 


I'm exaggerating. But not much.


 

 
 

Marching (Slowly) into Spring

First, thank you for the wonderful, thoughtful comments left after my last entry.  I read them and took each one to heart to ponder.  What I am discovering is this:  I am still a novice in this motherhood thing, a postulant when it comes to Waldorf, and still very much a seeker when it comes to craft, textiles, and fibers.

Perhaps when I am on my fifth pregnancy I, too, will live with a flock of hens and knit twelve sweaters a year for my Waldorf inspired homeschool children.  I am just not there yet, but there is no shame in being a beginner to all of this.  

Oh, the desire for change and growth that comes with spring.  Grass, sunshine, and flowers helps lift me out of my doldrums and winter meloncholia.  Lengthening of days brightens my spirit a little more each day.

Things are still hard in many ways, yet....evening walks bring smiles and moments of easy conversation...visits to the park give us muddy shoes and rosy cheeks...good books read on the balcony show me a way past the anger, a way towards gratitude, a direction for faith, a glimmer of hope.

Some changes ahead:

A summertime move to...if all the stars align...a home of our own.  Our eye is on a charming little cottage with a lovely garden. 

Working through issues each individually and soon, together.  There is something to be said about the theraputic process.

Returning to the Church. It is not perfect, but it is Holy and the grace of the sacraments is so needed around here.  

Lent is a slow growth time...and then suddenly, flowers are blooming, the leafy green is covering the trees, the sunshine warms us enough without the sweater.  But meanwhile...slow growing but progressing. 

Making more conscious decisions about what I digest in terms of reading, music, and visual media.  Is it uplifting, yet thought provoking?   Does it challenge me without degrading my spirit?  Does it speak to something relevant?  I find myself moving away from the anxiety producing crime dramas....toward stories about Amish families for entertainment that is also spirit filled.  Avoiding the mommy message boards in favor of Mother Jones.  Trading in Bust for Bitch because I need my feminism to come in paragraphs rather than photographs of indie band girls with knitting needles.  I love them....but words are where I am at. 

 My favorite television program of all time ended on Sunday.  I recorded the episode because I am not quite ready to say good bye to Big Love just yet.  Typically, I like to watch something once and then move on. Yet, this program: I can watch over and over. I have the first two seasons on perpetual rotation in the DVD player.  If I were to get all the seasons I could probably happily give up pay TV.

Stuck.

February was a bad month.  Stress, grief, anger, frustration, depression.  Not really the kind of things that you want to carry around in your heart...but the truth is that life is not perfect, people are fragile and can get broken, and conflict and hurt feelings happen.

Sometimes I wish I could escape into one of the pictures on Soule Mama.  Things look so peaceful over there in Maine.  I wish I could take up knitting, baking, and chicken raising in one hand, while I unschool my children and decorate my old farmhouse with the other.  Then blog about it to adoring thousands.  While writing a book. With my loving adoring husband.

God. I envy that woman.  Thinking of her reminds me of a book entitled, "I Don't Know How She Does It."  Really. I have no clue.  How does she do it?  How do you guys do it?

I bought her books hoping for some insight and advice.  After all, she has four kids. I only have one.  And a much smaller home to manage.  Pretty much what I got was this:  Don't watch TV and get up earlier.

Giving up TV I can get behind.  I watch it because it is there and find myself avoiding life because of it.  Then I feel guilty and sick to my stomach so I watch more.  It is on all the time. Even though I know better. Even though I know that Little Bear is no substitute for a childhood for my little one.

TV is how I cope with unrelenting loneliness.  Not to mention the insomnia that has gripped my life.  Which makes getting up earlier kind of a joke.  And the day one long drowse fest.

My circadian clock is not keeping the correct time.  I am awake during the night, and barely functioning during the daylight hours.  If by chance I do sleep at night, it only lasts for one day.  Going out during the day will exhaust me for the next couple of days.  One day of happiness can be followed by several of depression. 

I take care of my child. His needs are met. Some of his wants too.  But I am not sleeping or eating well or coping well for myself.  The only things I do are some thrift store shopping occasionally and a little reading.  Other than that I am failing miserably at life.  At marriage.  At motherhood.

Mostly, I am moving from angry to sad and back again. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.  I see all the wonderful things that blogger I follow are doing. I am jealous and sad.  Wishing I had that ability to get unstuck. I wish I could just suck it up like E. on Apples with Honey. 

But I am stuck.  And I don't know how to move forward.

I don't know how to get better.