I know that it must seem like my life revolves around issues of health care and insurance, what with my last two blog postings. The truth is, these issues actually play a very small role in my life. Mostly my life is taken up by two things: the zen garden of the Jen’s daycare, and the UU fellowship in Chico.
The daycare grows by leaps and bounds every day. Literally. I cannot believe how tall the plants suddenly are. It’s like I blinked and then suddenly the yard was full of green and growing plants, bright with flowers. Of course the tulips bloomed a while ago. They were the first and Jen protected them like her first born. She was joking the other day how it is sometimes best to occasionally really lose it, like she does with the first tulips of the year. She said that when you do this, the kids help each other remember. “You can hear the toddlers out there saying to each other, ‘Oh man, you just don’t want to even go there! Jen will just lose it!” “Now,” she said, “They don’t even go near them.” Which is true.
The roses started blooming this week. She has the most amazing set of climbing roses, all with lovely scents. The sweet peas are going too. She has a set with strings all reaching up to the eaves of the garage so they will form a nice little ‘tunnel’ for the kids to walk under. She tried to create another tunnel with the bean plants, but the last frost of the season chomped down on that lovely little idea. Which is too bad because one of the toddlers remembered what she had told him two weeks before—he was walking down the path with several other toddlers when he stopped and noticed the tiny sprouting bean plants. He pointed and said, “Those are bean plants. They are going to grow up and build houses for us to play in.”
Jen is hoping that I will absorb gardening from her; she is constantly asking me to look at such-and-such a plant to see how great it is doing. I have no idea what she is talking about most of the time and have to ask her to actually point the plant out. Which she does, with a full explanation of what type of plant it is, how it grows, what it can be used for, and so on. Still, even with my aging brain, the information will eventually soak in, so she isn’t too far off.
The children are blossoming as well. Each season brings new challenges. It is easy to get caught up in thinking, “how many times do I have to say that?” The truth is, every new thought takes days and days, sometimes months and months, of time to catch and take root. Like sharing—a seemingly simple concept, but it is really a very complex and highly evolved idea. Caitlyn likes to grab onto both of my legs and claim, “Mine!” It is my job to patiently repeat, over and over and over and over, “You have to share me.” Then I pry her hands off both legs, give her one leg and leaving the other free for a second toddler to hug and say, “This is your leg.” Well, it is a work in process, and I have to meet them half way.
Even so, you can see progress within the chaotic mash of same-thing-everydayness. That is why we say it is the Zen Bootcamp: we, the adults, have much to learn from our masters—the children—who know just what we need to work on. What is happening right now? What are those nuances? What are the details? So much to learn, so little time!
Besides the Zen bootcamp, I have taken on many more tasks at church, the Chico Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. This past year I have been doing the newsletter, a monthly task. I have also been on the Moderator Committee. We don’t have a minister, so the moderators have to work with varying levels of speakers to put together the Sunday services. If we have a UU minster speaking, there is not as much to do; if it is a lay person, we might have to do everything except for the sermon itself. This committee has been a challenge because before this year it was a committee of one and this very competent lady is having a hard time having faith and letting go a little. Just getting the committee has been a work of finesse and patience.
This spring, however, I have been drawn to do more. I joined the pledge committee, which we decided was really a stewardship committee. Our church is in transition and the changes need to be handled delicately. Our kick-off was last weekend and it went very well (strawberries and champagne). In addition to this, I have joined the Peace Committee and the Welcoming Congregation Committee. They are both committees where I have lots of experience to share, and so how could I refuse? Finally, I am seriously considering being on the board next year.
Finally, Jen and I have been in the CARES program this year. I can’t remember what it stands for, but basically it is a program that pays daycare people for getting more education. We have gone to lots of workshops this year. Lots of things we know already, but there are always some good ideas too. And we get to meet other in-home daycare workers, so it is a great way to network. The highlight of our CARES program this year was going to a conference in Sacramento where the keynote speaker was the Ooey Gooey Lady. She was awesome!
As a connected part of this, I have gotten involved in one of the sub-committees of the Local Child Care Planning Council (LPC), the Quality, Quantity, and Access to child care sub-committee. Out of this, I was just invited to be on the LPC, and I think I am going to do it. They only meet every other month, and it could be useful as well as possibly helping kids.
I have filled up my time with committees and work. I am meeting fun and interesting people while also doing good work. What would I do with my time if not this? I would watch TV and play computer games. I figure I might as well being doing good. My mind doesn’t really need the extra clogging.
The daycare grows by leaps and bounds every day. Literally. I cannot believe how tall the plants suddenly are. It’s like I blinked and then suddenly the yard was full of green and growing plants, bright with flowers. Of course the tulips bloomed a while ago. They were the first and Jen protected them like her first born. She was joking the other day how it is sometimes best to occasionally really lose it, like she does with the first tulips of the year. She said that when you do this, the kids help each other remember. “You can hear the toddlers out there saying to each other, ‘Oh man, you just don’t want to even go there! Jen will just lose it!” “Now,” she said, “They don’t even go near them.” Which is true.
The roses started blooming this week. She has the most amazing set of climbing roses, all with lovely scents. The sweet peas are going too. She has a set with strings all reaching up to the eaves of the garage so they will form a nice little ‘tunnel’ for the kids to walk under. She tried to create another tunnel with the bean plants, but the last frost of the season chomped down on that lovely little idea. Which is too bad because one of the toddlers remembered what she had told him two weeks before—he was walking down the path with several other toddlers when he stopped and noticed the tiny sprouting bean plants. He pointed and said, “Those are bean plants. They are going to grow up and build houses for us to play in.”
Jen is hoping that I will absorb gardening from her; she is constantly asking me to look at such-and-such a plant to see how great it is doing. I have no idea what she is talking about most of the time and have to ask her to actually point the plant out. Which she does, with a full explanation of what type of plant it is, how it grows, what it can be used for, and so on. Still, even with my aging brain, the information will eventually soak in, so she isn’t too far off.
The children are blossoming as well. Each season brings new challenges. It is easy to get caught up in thinking, “how many times do I have to say that?” The truth is, every new thought takes days and days, sometimes months and months, of time to catch and take root. Like sharing—a seemingly simple concept, but it is really a very complex and highly evolved idea. Caitlyn likes to grab onto both of my legs and claim, “Mine!” It is my job to patiently repeat, over and over and over and over, “You have to share me.” Then I pry her hands off both legs, give her one leg and leaving the other free for a second toddler to hug and say, “This is your leg.” Well, it is a work in process, and I have to meet them half way.
Even so, you can see progress within the chaotic mash of same-thing-everydayness. That is why we say it is the Zen Bootcamp: we, the adults, have much to learn from our masters—the children—who know just what we need to work on. What is happening right now? What are those nuances? What are the details? So much to learn, so little time!
Besides the Zen bootcamp, I have taken on many more tasks at church, the Chico Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. This past year I have been doing the newsletter, a monthly task. I have also been on the Moderator Committee. We don’t have a minister, so the moderators have to work with varying levels of speakers to put together the Sunday services. If we have a UU minster speaking, there is not as much to do; if it is a lay person, we might have to do everything except for the sermon itself. This committee has been a challenge because before this year it was a committee of one and this very competent lady is having a hard time having faith and letting go a little. Just getting the committee has been a work of finesse and patience.
This spring, however, I have been drawn to do more. I joined the pledge committee, which we decided was really a stewardship committee. Our church is in transition and the changes need to be handled delicately. Our kick-off was last weekend and it went very well (strawberries and champagne). In addition to this, I have joined the Peace Committee and the Welcoming Congregation Committee. They are both committees where I have lots of experience to share, and so how could I refuse? Finally, I am seriously considering being on the board next year.
Finally, Jen and I have been in the CARES program this year. I can’t remember what it stands for, but basically it is a program that pays daycare people for getting more education. We have gone to lots of workshops this year. Lots of things we know already, but there are always some good ideas too. And we get to meet other in-home daycare workers, so it is a great way to network. The highlight of our CARES program this year was going to a conference in Sacramento where the keynote speaker was the Ooey Gooey Lady. She was awesome!
As a connected part of this, I have gotten involved in one of the sub-committees of the Local Child Care Planning Council (LPC), the Quality, Quantity, and Access to child care sub-committee. Out of this, I was just invited to be on the LPC, and I think I am going to do it. They only meet every other month, and it could be useful as well as possibly helping kids.
I have filled up my time with committees and work. I am meeting fun and interesting people while also doing good work. What would I do with my time if not this? I would watch TV and play computer games. I figure I might as well being doing good. My mind doesn’t really need the extra clogging.
1 comment:
Such a lovely intertwining of garden and children. I often reflect on the symbolic overlap. Our tulips are just coming up and already the rabbits have gotten to them. Our snow drops and crocuses are blooming. Spring is such a wonderful time of possibilities when I believe that I really can take care of all my gardens and all the new projects I'd like to add to it. Those hot days of August bring the reality of what one person can actually do against the weeds. For now, I am commenting out loud on every sing of spring and hope, "look, a robin", "Oooo, the buds are starting to open" etc. Its like each spring is the first spring-just like Jen's tulips and just like children teach us to see the world.
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