Traditions | The Organic Sister

I Had To Smile

April 13, 2009 By TheOrganicSister

I’ve always allowed myself to feel disappointed when a holiday didn’t hold up to my expectations of traditions. I’d think about the past and feel as if I was losing something. I’ve spent many holidays feeling like things just weren’t “right” and letting that affect my mood.

This year, my family decided to cancel the annual Easter Egg Hunt for the kids, cancel dinner and instead eat at a restaurant. Of course my first inclination was disappointment, something Justin and Zeb shared with me this time. There were just too many reasons not to join them; finances, our wish to eat locally and healthy, an attempt to break our habit of eating out, as well as a sense of Easter tradition and a restaurant dinner not fitting our ideal.

So, we stayed home with our own traditions and created some new ones. And for once, I didn’t feel disappointed. I had to smile. All day long, as we played or baked, everytime I turned around I had the urge to smile. It was a beautiful day.

Each year we do a scavenger hunt: a clue inside one egg, leading to the next egg with the next clue and so on until Zeb finds the basket at the end. These days he’s less about a basket and more about getting one good gift, which of course meant LEGOs.

But this was he first year he did a hunt for me! His clues were really good and tough and clever. And at the end, I had an awesome LEGO creation to place on my dresser (with the assurance he wouldn’t take it apart for pieces).

While he spent his Easter diligently building 1,000+ piece Republic Shuttle and Justin was busy catching up on sleep, I spent my time in the kitchen, listening to Ray LaMontagne, dancing among the dirty dishes, baking this recipe of hot cross buns, and reading up on their history.

There was nothing extraordinary about the day. But I had to smile anyway, every time I turned around and remembered the special Wonder of the day, and the quiet enjoyment spent loving what we have.

We met the family for dessert at my grandmother’s house, played amongst her flower beds, indulged in a swing with my niece and enjoyed a game or twelve. And as much as I loved all that, it didn’t compare to the joy I felt just being at home, doing nothing extravagant, and being happy about it.

And just because here are a few more of my favorite photos from the day (with a couple more here):

Filed Under: Celebrations, Organic Wisdom, People I Love Tagged With: choosing happiness, easter, embracing, photography, Playing, traditions

The Family Piano

November 6, 2008 By TheOrganicSister 5 Comments

My grandparents purchased a brand new baby grand piano a couple years ago. My grandma had played some for years, while my grandpa only plunked around. Now in their 70′s, they’ve decided it’s a great time to expand their knowledge and began taking serious lessons a few years back. Their new piano was a gift to themselves. Who says you can’t learn to play unless you’re young? They haven’t heard my grandparents playing Big Band or Gospel.

We were blessed to have space and inherited their old piano. This sweet thing has been in the family for nearly five decades and now adorns my dining room. If you press down on several of the keys you can see the names of my grandparents and aunts and uncle lightly scrawled in pencil by a rambunctious 5 year old in the 60′s.

On occasion, Zeb will sit down on the piano seat his great-great-grandmother embroidered and play around with the keys. He has such an ear for music and rhythm and despite the piano being slightly out of tune, I love to hear him plunk away on it. We found a few “Teach Yourself Piano” books, which he loves to use to play Christmas carols in June or teach himself chords. But mostly he loves to create his own songs. Tuesday, he had sat down for no more than 10 minutes and put together a few notes that I’ve been humming every since. Perhaps someday (maybe even in his 70′s) he’ll decide to expand his piano skill as well. Until then I’m enjoying things like this that prove to my mom that her grandson is, in fact, a genius:

Filed Under: Organic Learning, People I Love, Things To Remember Tagged With: creativity, examples of unschooling, music, piano, traditions, video

Happy New ChristmaHanuKwanSolstice!

December 7, 2007 By TheOrganicSister 2 Comments

“Happy Holidays” is just too impersonal and “Merry Christmas” leaves a lot of people out. So there ya go.

It does not feel like anything close to Christmas-time! If it were not for Z insisting on the holiday music station and “gently” reminding us of our festive duties, we’d probably forget all together. Not to brag, but when it’s just starting to drop below 60 degrees, it’s hard to imagine Ol’ St. Nick poppin’ in anytime soon.

Between my niece, S, going home yesterday and all my exciting duties for Ron Paul, we haven’t had much time to do all the things we did last year (we celebrated or studied, to some extent, every freakin’ holiday possible last December, as well as baked, made snowflakes and other assorted crafts and G-d knows what else). But we have done something!

I read an article about buying fresh trees that can be composted as opposed to fake trees that will go in the landfill, so I think I’m convinced to keep the fake one in the attic from now on (we usually alternate years with fake/fresh trees).

Tree shopping (with a lil’ off camera tree-hugging):

Christmas tree decorating is always a bit sad for me. I’ve lost all but one of my childhood ornaments…but at least it’s the best one I still have, a spinning ballerina that I failed to get a pic of:

Ah, yes. This would be what happens when you ask your 8 year old to put the P-E-A-C-E stocking holders up for you:

I had to share this pic because I’m soooo proud of how yummy my Turkey Leftover Soup came out. I didn’t burn it or the pan!

I know these pics are kinda dark but I just thought my walls looked so prrrty! (Click on them for the full effect):

Hmm, what else is going on? I’m gettin’ crafty! I’m making just about all our Christmas gifts as well as holidayish pillow coverings for my anything-but-holiday-colored-pillows, dishcloths and other stuff I can’t reveal because recipients might be reading. I’ll be sure to share all my crafty glory after Xmas.

We’re also dedicating ourselves to a “green” Christmas…less consumerism, more handmade, homemade, recycled, gifts with less packaging and less wrapping. The only dilemma thus far is finding Z the perfect gift. He’s a hard kid to shop for when you’re trying to cut down on your consumerism. So he might be left out of our green resolution.

Hmm, this post makes it look like we had a lot of Christmasing going on around here. Well we haven’t. We’v been so busy campaigning for Ron Paul that our bins that did contain our decorations are still sitting in front of our fireplace and I keep putting off our Xmas pics and cards. Grr, crap. Christmas letters. I gotta go.

Filed Under: Celebrations Tagged With: christmas, traditions

Oh Brother

September 10, 2007 By TheOrganicSister 4 Comments

After checking emails and checking groups, checking blogger and checking forums, my mind sought a relief from the devil’s playground and I turned my idleness around to face her. Just two days after acquirement, she has already become a common fixture in the spare room. Sitting untouched and partially disassembled; the ominous presence of this twenty dollar lady all but hidden. There she was, as if asleep, among grocery ads and empty water glasses.

Deep breath. I can do this.

With inflated lungs and apprehension, I placed

myself upon the beaten wicker chair in front of the extra desk and stared at this little monster. I cleared the space of its accumulated clutter and pulled her close, inspecting: knobs I had no names for, numbers and squiggly lines who’s meanings I can only presume. I twisted circular handles and flipped switches, absorbing, savoring the moment.

I sat thinking of what her purpose would be; what magnificent things would she help to create. I laid my head beside her and stared sideways at the needle, imagining it steadily jabbing with my digits nearby.

And as I inhaled with my head on the desk, time flitted away and I was my mother’s child again. An aroma of warm metal and fuzzy particles of thread; of industrial comfort and nostalgic craftiness. Of my mother holding a torn seam, flipping on a switch and whirring away as I watched in mild fascination. It was the scent of all being good and nothing being able to hurt, with the exception of that fearful needle.

I sat up, feeling a sense of placement, as if I was slipping on my mothers shoes and knew it was about time. I pulled the peddle from the plastic bag and searched for the plug-in. I flicked the On/Off switch to On and smiled as its small hidden bulb lit, suddenly recalling that forgotten but still familiar glow.

I paced across the house to find an old t-shirt wadded in the bottom of the plastic bin of rags and flattening it out to practice straight seams, I wondered how Z had ever fit into such a size.

I remembered my mom adjusting the fabric then flipping something before starting. Reaching underneath, I found the lever I memorized in my mother’s movements and secured the worn fabric.

Here goes nothing; line it up, press the peddle and watch your damn fingers.

And away she whirred; that old familiar sound, the comforting buzz that lulled me as I lay on the rickety trundle in what was the spare room. Propped on laced pillows, my cheek against the cold white rail of the bed; I remember now.

I’ve only attempted to learn one other time. Somewhere in my preteen years, I sat in front of my moms machine as she attempted to guide me through it. I managed approximately 2 minutes, before deciding I’d be content just taking my mending to her.

Now here I am, sitting under a sunny window as my mom had, fiddling with adjustments and sewing and resewing lines across the old shirt, trying to understand the differences between settings and getting nowhere fast.

I felt a connection to history as if suddenly I was every women before me, in generations past. It felt comfortable and steady, as if I were right where I should be.

Leaning back, slowly pulling my uneven stitches out, I tallied a list of needed supplies: scissors, fabric, patterns, thread…and more things I don’t have a name or known use for; words I remember but can’t place, like bobbins or spools and what about a thimble? Would I need a thimble?

I’m anticipating the opportunity to pick the brains of the experienced, anticipating something comfortable with a drawstring…anticipating band-aids.

I wonder if Z will share the same memories I share with my mom, or if some day I’ll be able to teach him.

I wonder if they now carry patterns not reminiscent of a school teacher…or my mother’s wardrobe.