Clucking Nuts!

Last week, every afternoon there was a new guideline imposed about social distancing: no gatherings over 100 people, now only 10 people, libraries closing, playgrounds off limits, stay at home if you can… and my children watched me erase one thing after another off our family calendar, until it was just a book of blank pages. Their feelings were intense. It had started to get really ugly here. One of my kids even tearfully shouted, “I’m just tired of being here with all of you , I need to see other people!” Bitterness was settling in. The announcement about playgrounds incited a small riot in my home. And I was like, “Guys! How many times were we going to play on a playground in the next few weeks? It’s March! The slides are all wet anyway.”  The tension continued building until everyone’s nerves were over tightened. I had a heart-to-heart with my kids and said, “Listen, I know this is hard. But looking at the world news and talking to our friends that live in othe...

This one is for the parents who have found themselves suddenly home with their children, setting up a makeshift homeschool life, in the midst of unprecedented social turmoil. Has it really only been a week since schools closed? I’m that crazy homeschooling mama that chose this lifestyle… well, without the whole “shelter in place” order thing (that sure puts a damper on home education). I am writing to tell you I see you. I do not envy you. The rug has been pulled out from under you and your kids. Maybe you have imposed a rigorous schedule and they are fighting you on it, venting all their feelings of confusion and frustration on the only authority present: you. Or maybe you haven’t even bothered planning, because the news changes by the hour, so what is the point of even looking at the packet the teacher sent you, when you can’t even find toilet paper?! Others of you may have begun by throwing off your schedules with gleeful abandon, celebrating a longer spring break, but are becomin...

I have taken a long break from blogging. I’ve always intended to go back to it, but never felt it was time. In hindsight, I think I needed to grow up and build some more confidence. Being connected to social media does not make me confident. In fact, every time I post something online, I feel like I am handing out measuring sticks and asking everyone to size me up.  But I love writing. My husband tells me he can always tell the difference in me after I have written. In this new year, he has set aside two times every week to give me space to write/draw/journal, to let the things building up inside me flow out into something meaningful. I love words. I believe they are powerful. And I believe choosing good ones matters. I have a great quote on my wall by Mike Rowe that says: “When Hamlet was pondering suicide, he didn’t say, ‘I can’t decide if I want to live;’ he said, ‘To be or not to be…’  When Nathan Hale was asked if he had any last words, he didn’t say, ‘Go ahead...

I used to keep this blog, and I would fill it with funny stories about my family. You see, I have five children, so I have a LOT of stories. I also have 5 alpacas, 2 goats, a lot of chickens, one giant dog, one adorable puppy, and two cats that are probably adorable if you’re into that sort of thing.  My husband and I decided to trade in the prefab American cookie-cutter life, and pursue a different dream, one of wild adventure. Eight years ago, we escaped the bonds of civilized society’s expectations, and moved out to the country. Alex’s response to all the indignant questioning of friends and family, was that he wanted to live somewhere where he could walk around naked in his yard and not get the cops called on him. I don’t know if he has ever even tried this experiment. I’ve never witnessed it, but I suppose the whole point was the lack of witnesses. Whether or not he walks around naked when no one is aware, he has made extraordinary use of the privacy of his own land. He ...