Dandelion Pesto

School has wound down.  A bit of math here, lots of reading there, but for the most part we're done and done and done.  I mentionned summer school before, and here's a sample of what that means.  We're learning about plants and wildcrafting.  Right now we're halfway through a unit on dandelions. 

We made dandelion pesto.  It was quite good, actually.  The kids even tasted it.

If you want to take a crack at it, here's the recipe:

Dandelion Pesto

2 cups dandelion leaves

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup parmesan

Combine the leaves (clean, pesticide free, duh) and the garlic in a food processor.  Add the oil and the parmesan and process until it looks like pesto.  Serve it on pasta, or crackers. 

Couldn't be easier!  Very healthy!  Yum yum!

Bullet Backpack

School's just about out for summer. Is this on your list for next year's school supplies?

According to the website, the instructions are as follows: "Instructions: Hold pack between yourself and the shooter using the shoulder straps as handles. Use as a shield to provide cover for upper torso and head whenever possible. While taking shelter use pack to protect yourself in the direction of the threat. While running away, hold pack high on your back or in the direction of the threat to protect your head and upper torso (vital organs)."

It seems like it would be a joke, but unfortunately not. This is real-live product for real-live people to cover a real-live need. What do you think? Is this something you'd consider buying for your children? Is it too much, or too little?

School Readiness for Eva!

Something made Eva very happy yesterday.

Very happy!

Eva started School Readiness! A big girl of almost 4 years old, she has the same opportunity as her big sister did last year. She spent the morning with 9 other kids singing songs, playing games and practicing her letter A and number 1.

And she looked pretty cute, to boot.


She was even thrilled with the homework she had to take home! Hurray for Eva!

Herbs and Medicinal Plants Workshop

I love love love learning new things! Last weekend I was able to take a workshop at King's Landing on herbs and wild plants that have culinary and medicinal uses.

I've always been very interested in natural healing. One of my favourite books as a kid was My Side of the Mountain. I used to pour over my mom's copy of Sleeping With a Sunflower, and I can't help but be fascinated with how weeds can be helpful, healthy and delicious!

Let's be completely honest though - I have a little extra motivation. Sometime in the future...maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday!...we just might be forced to live in the woods. Whether it's a war (in Canada? It's happened before...), economic meltdown, nuclear explosion, Black Plague (or Swine Flu, I'm not picky), or the Apocalypse, surely someday it will be necessary for us to form renegade bands and high-tail it to the woods. And then, dear friends, what group do you want to be in? The useful group that has basic skills like outdoor cooking, shelter making, emergency medicine, hunting, educating and food finding or the useless group that contributes nothing to the masses? I'd rather be kept around for my skills than "accidentally" pushed down a cliff or eaten for protein.

You'd be wise to acquire some skills, too.

Good golly, what is this blog coming to, anyway? Geesh. Enjoy the pictures of the workshop!

Our guide, Andrew, giving us a tour of his garden.

Comfrey, fennel, burdoch, lavendar and spearmint (in the tea pot).

Our guide, Sherry, demonstrating how to make a poultice.

Making a Comfrey Salve.

Romanian Cooking Class

Romanian Cooking Class last night! We made Mamaglia (type of cornbread), meatball soup and cabbage rolls.
Here's the cabbage roll mixture. There's all sort of good stuff in there: ground pork, bacon (not super Kosher, I guess), rice, parsley, pepper, oil, etc). We made little balls with the meat mixture and wrapped them up in sour cabbage leaves. And, please, no comments on my hand! I know, it looks a bit freaky there...
Richard was the official photo taker last night. He was getting frustrated that the lighting was crappy. That is, until he realized that he kept sticking his finger over the flash bulb. :) That's moi in the red sweater with the shadowed head.
Meatball soup! Very yummy, even the next day. The kids even ate it!
Mamaglia and cabbage rolls. There's a certain je ne sais quoi to the cabbage rolls. There's just a hint of sour/pickle-y/spicy taste in the background. A bit of horseradish was just the ticket with this meal. Yummers!

Schnitzel

Tuesday night - another ethnic cooking class! This time, we were asked to get up and help cook the meal, so it was much more interactive than the first class. It was German night. We made schnitzel "wienerart", apfelstrudel with vanilla sauce and potato salat. She split us into groups, and we each made one of the dishes.

Our group was the potato salat. She brought a bag of NB potatoes and filled up a huge pot with potatoes straight from the bag and asked us to boil them whole, with the skins on. Sounds fine, right? The thing is, NB potatoes are unwashed and some were as big as two fists. We asked if she wanted us to wash them first, but no. Should we peel them? No, it tastes better with the skins on. So, with visions of botulism and parasite eggs, we boiled the dirty whole potatoes. In the end, the potatoes took over an hour to boil, and the water was mud. And you know what? They tasted awesome. I think the boiling killed any critters. :)

The potato salat also had cut up salami in it. Our group cubed the meat, but it was only after everything was said and done that we noticed that we had forgotten to take off the wax "skin" from the sausage before cutting it up. We discreetly picked wax paper from our salat!

Still, best potato salat I ever tasted.

Little Things, Big Conclusions

We had lunch with a couple from our church on Sunday. They work for the local bible school, so we met them at the campus cafeteria for chicken lunch. We got to talking, and come to find out, they used to live an hour away from my hometown in Quebec! They were even regulars at the bible school my dad attended 20 years ago.

I asked them why they went into the ministry, and that led to my sharing with them about the Philippines. She told me that if and when God decides it's the right time, things will happen to let me know. First, one thing will pop up, then another, then someone might say something, and all those little things will add up to a big conclusion.

And, then, Eva ran into a steel chair and got a huge blue bruise on her face. So much for deep conversations!

This weekend has been a big one for thinks. I dreamed of Davao. It's been on my mind a lot. Does that qualify as a little thing that adds up?

Birth, Borscht and Bliny

Yesterday morning, my client's husband called. They were at the hospital and the biophysical profile results were not good. The doctor was calling for a c-section to take place at noon. I called Rich to come home and off I went to the hospital. The usual hour long drive only took about 45 minutes.

It was a strange day. So normal, so casual, almost dull and yet at the end there was a sweet little baby. The c-section wasn't actually until 3 pm, so we sat around and talked for hours. There was no pain, no physical effort, no labour as such. The nurses popped in every once in a while to ask a question, start an IV, shave prep, have waivers signed and listen to baby. My clients and I discussed everything from baby names to cesareans to our favourite foods.

The whole ride up to the hospital, I prayed that God would show me what to do. During a labour, there is so much to think about. You go from contraction to contraction. Often, you're sleep deprived, pushed to exhaustion, and emotionally wrenched by the end of it. However, you feel tremendously useful because of all the comfort measures you apply, the counselling, the educating, etc. Yesterday, though, I wasn't sure what I should do.

In the end, my role was very hands off. I think, though, that I did all I could. Prenatally, I educated, I counselled, I prepared. The day of, I listened, I reassured and I was there. I was there - and perhaps that was what they needed more than anything. A friendly face, someone they knew understood them, and who spoke their language (they are french, and this area is very english).

There's more, of course. As a VBAC, there were many things that I had to put aside in order to be a better doula. Some other day, I'll post on my impressions , but we'll leave a good thing as is for now.

************

I was home in time for Rich's and my date. We've enrolled in Ethnic Cooking classes. Last night, it was Russian fare - Borscht and Bliny. The picture is of Borscht - beet soup. It sounds so gross, but it was awesome! It's chock full of stuff like cabbage, beef, herbs, carrots, parsnips, and of course, beets. You serve it with sour cream. The Russian lady had us eat it the Russian way - you take a bite from a raw garlic clove, spoonful of soup, then a shot of Absolut Vodka. Hoo-ah. It'll put some hair on your chest.

Bliny was nummy! It reminded me of crepes - very thin pancakes. They aren't sweet, and they are almost rubbery. Useful, since you are supposed to fill them with whatever you want (I had Nutella, blueberries and strawberries) and roll 'em up. Yum!

Our Week in Pictures!

To show that I'm human...this is a picture of what happens when you accidently wash an entire cardboard dominoe game with an extra large load of laundry. That bowl shows how much mushed up cardboard I was able to shake off the clothes before they hit the dryer. There was about another bowlful in the lint trap, too! What a mess!

My mom and the kids had a fun day together. They made a sugar cube igloo and jelly candy penguins. Super cute!

Maddie had her last class of gymnastics until the New Year. Here she is receiving her certificate.

Maddie also "graduated` from School Readiness. She`s very proud of her certificate.

Hope you`re having a great week!

Job Shadow

Yesterday was a big day! I had the opportunity to job shadow with a certified-nurse midwife (CNM) in Presque-Isle, ME. She was incredibly gracious and generous with her time. After all, she certainly didn't have to accept to have me tag along with her all day, but with her clients' permission, I was able to sit and observe prenatals, consultations and general GYN appointments.


It was a pretty normal day, no unusual cases, nothing tragic or out of the ordinary. I don't think I learned anything new as far as care, but we did spend some time talking legality and schooling. Up until now, a midwife hasn't had to have a Masters degree to practice in Maine. In 2010, new midwives will have to have the extra schooling. Most states are starting to adopt that rule, and I'm not sure about Canada. A CPM doesn't have a Masters, and not necessarily a Bachelors, either. It all comes down to where I would want to practice.

If we go to Newlife, then I'd be able to get my associate's degree, possibly a bachelors. That would make me a CPM, provided I pass the NARM exam. This would limit me as to where I can practice. The laws are up in the air in NB right now, so I have no idea what I would need to practice here. In Alberta, for example, you must be a Certified Nurse Midwife to practice - no direct entry midwives are recognized.

So - I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, there is the CPM way - more holistic, shorter, intense, practical, my style but limited in the areas I can work. On the other hand, there is the CNM way - very medical, long & drawn out, very expensive, but better chance at working almost anywhere.

Honestly, I don't know if I can take 7 years of University. That's a long, long time to be sitting behind a desk. The schools in Canada use mostly case studies and fake patients. Nothing like palpating a plastic baby in a rubber belly. And, for the expense of it, when I'm finally done with my decade long study, who's to say I won't be totally burned out but obliged to work anyway to pay off the mountain of student debt?

Grrr...I'm too tired to think about this right now. :P

Struggling

Somedays, I really struggle. I mean, really, really struggle. I'm not going to go into all the ins and outs of it all, but I'm being seriously tested right now!

Since I've been a kid, I've seen missions in my future. Since I was a teen, I've known I've wanted to do something medical, in the birth area of life. Since being pregnant with my first child and hiring a midwife to follow me through that pregnancy, I've narrowed it down to midwifery. I checked out various schools in Canada (BC, MB, PQ, ON), but none really clicked.

Then, two years ago, I found it. Newlife International School of Midwifery (www.midwifeschool.org). It's a midwifery school/clinic in the Philippines that gives free prenatal care & births for women who cannot afford healthcare. It's non-profit, and all tuition goes toward running the clinic. Best of all, it's a Christian school. It sounded perfect for me - education for the mind, spirit and character, missions, midwifery all wrapped into one. For over a year, I prepared myself - I lived and breathed midwifery & the Philippines. I started reading through the required reading list, I followed some of the students' blogs, I e-mailed with the director, students, missionaries, scrimped and saved. I became a birth doula, had another baby...

Finally, this summer, we felt that it was time to make a decision. On the advice of a missionary I met at VBS, we asked 10 people to pray for us to finally figure out if it was time to apply. And the answer was "no", loud and clear.

WHAT??!! We had asked for clarity, and we got it - debt started piling up in the form of leaky rooves & broken-down cars, I became so busy with the kids, their schooling, work & life in general, Richard started enjoying his job, certain key people pulled out their support, extended family started getting sick...it was a no go, but I didn't understand.

Why would God allow me to find the school in the first place, give me such a huge desire to go, get me all hyped up, then take it all away? I am left confused, angry, frustrated, disappointed, resentful and very alone in my struggle. Is this a test from God to see how faithful I am? Is this a test to see how much I really want this? Is this a test to see if I will give up what has been most important to me for years in order to honour and obey my husband? Is this a joke?? Or, as some people have commented, is this an attack from "The Enemy" (note here: I hate when people call Satan "The Enemy". I mean, obviously, he is, but "The Enemy" sounds so silly, like we're in a role playing game, and wearing capes and swinging swords. Why not "The Terminator" or "Space Captain"?) to wear me down and steer me away from what might be God's plan for me. How do I know the difference? WHAT IS GOING ON??!!

Wishy washy, some weeks the desire is back and it looks like it could be possible. Then, we're back to square one with a reminder of the "no" answer. I am tired.

So, for those who are following this blog - please pray for me. Please try to understand that I need encouragement, and on the days that I am not my usual cheery self, I might need to talk. I need to be reminded that it will work out. Please don't take it personally if I vent. Please pray for peace and healing. Thank you!