bSimplicity

Magic virtually surrounds us. And, my find at the local thrift store got me excited to share this secret.  On the shelf sat two beautiful ceramic containers ($2.49 each) or crocks, more specifically, that nobody wanted or probably knew what to do with. But, I knew that with a little love, warmth and fresh air, these crocks would help make the perfect gift to a fellow sourdough bread lover.

Sourdough Crocks

Air is rich with fungi, or, more specifically wild yeast. The sourdough bread business has such a legacy in San Francisco because our area has an unusual bountiful supply of it. Yeast can also be found on grapes and other fruits – it’s that white, powdery stuff on the surface, and it’s perfectly natural. I’ve heard aspen trees also harbor wild yeast, though I have yet to experience that find (one day I will!). Different yeasts yield different flavors. And, once a starter is made and fed, it can last and be shared for many years.

Emily Buhler writes a great article with the best explanation about creating your own sourdough starter. And, of course, one does not need a serendipitous find at a thrift store to use. A glass container or jar will work just fine.

Now for a little history: The Klondike Gold Rush prospectors were known to sleep with their starters to keep the yeast warm and alive. In fact, experienced miners or those who survived a full winter were known as “sourdoughs,” apparently a term that has stayed on in Alaska referring to an old timer. The California Gold Rush prospectors had their sourdough starters, too. The bread was a main staple, so starters were highly coveted, protected and enjoyed.

I hope you love the bread as much as I do. However, if you find yourself sleeping with the sourdough starter, have a friend knock some good old fashion sense into you.

An understanding parent will put up with the pet snails, slugs and caterpillars. And, certainly we’ve had our share of beehives, silk worms and earthworms. We even look forward to some bullfrog pollywogs this season. But, last Friday’s guest, a three inch Madagascar hissing cockroach, was decidedly one that upped the ante of our creature visitors.

Hissing Cockroach Creates Smiles

Personally, before Friday I was still recovering from a surprise encounter twenty years ago in Belize when a reef dive was accompanied by a family of angry cockroaches in my snorkel. But, I’m happy to report Friday’s fellow actually made me accept its species as a marveling work of nature. With sleek black and dark brown colors, its design is rich and very modern looking. And, once you experience the tickling crawl on your palm, you might begin to find it . . . intriguingly beautiful.

The Insect Discovery Lab out of San Francisco makes school and house visits, and they did a great job showing the children and willing moms a sampling of the wondrous diversity of Earth’s creatures.

Black Toothbrush Moves

And, what luck, our local librarian introduced us to “fresh off the press” The Smithsonian Natural History – The Ultimate Guide to Everything on Earth. There is one big “wow” factor on every spread of this tome. The book was immediately added to my Amazon Wish List, and every homeschooler or nature lover would find this a centerpiece resource.

And, “No, Kai. You cannot keep the cockroach.”

It's Alive!

Once again, the children have demonstrated that the most precious projects can be made with nature’s help.

Nature's Gift

Victorian Era Wardian Cases or terrariums make beautiful home accents and creative gifts. But first, one must enjoy a hike in the woods and seek the oldest growth about – not the Redwood Trees,  but the soft mosses and spiky ferns nestled in the shadows of the forests.

1. Have ready a glass jar or vase (reuse opportunity!).

2. Layer first pebbles and/or sand (we had some colored varieties, thanks again to Marin Freecycle).

3. Next, layer a bit charcoal, only if you plan to keep jar covered (this helps with moisture control).

Small Fern adds Touch

4. Add layer of sphagnum moss (Spanish moss) – this helps keep the soil above in place.

5. Add potting soil (not soil from forest unless you want some crawling “pets”).

6. Finally, add layers of found moss, a small fern or fiddlehead (baby fern in an artful spiral!), shells, lichen or any other beautiful objects you’d like.

7. Mist with water every few days. You can also keep the lid on the jar to help with water retention and humidity. However, we chose not to do this.

Our daughter has been studying ferns, as well. So far, she’s identified Goldback, Maidenhair and Sword ferns. Some found fronds are being pressed for future art projects, and this summer she’ll surely try propagating ferns using the spores.

Also in the summer and fall when the Goldback fern spores on the underside of the leaf are mature and golden, we like making fern prints by pushing the underside of the leaf (side with the spores) onto our clothes – we’re often quite decorated at the end of a day’s hike!

Perfect Accent for the Windowsill

A report on Plants That Never Ever Bloom by Ruth Heller will wrap up the language arts for this segment of home studies. The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock is a fantastic resource for more projects and studies (mind you, this book was originally published a century ago!).

And, finally, wrap a ribbon around your homemade Wardian Case for a finishing, personal touch. Voila!

Clearly the carved wooden chair legs below don’t stand in my home. Antique golden motifs of the queen’s head, cherubs, grapes and lions simply don’t mix with my living room decor.

My children discovered these exquisite details at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.

Sketching Legs

In fact, my own legs probably walked right past this fanciful furniture while my eyes were busy admiring the abounding paintings and sculptures by European Masters higher off the ground. But, that’s why we appreciate docents, those gifted teachers who can get us to look at and understand art in new ways.

Our particular docent put the children down on the floor, front and

Renaissance Furniture Legs

center,with eyes looking down instead of up.

And there the children discovered figures and expressions most of us adults would never see – and they happily sketched their finds for a solid 20 minutes.

There was more. Inspired by books presenting old architectural elements, the children drew motifs and forms with colorful oil pastels.

Using Oil Pastels

A water color wash finished the project. Now newly created art hangs high on our walls at home.

Perhaps my legs do look rather dull. That is . . . my chair legs, of course.

. . .  forget the lemonade. Go for the vodka and make limoncello!

Harvested Lemons

After harvesting a mere fifty pounds of Eureka lemons from my parents’ tree, with the help of Kai and Grandpa, we can now start thinking summer. Of course, that season is still four months away, but after lemon picking we’re thinking ahead to those warm evenings sipping homemade limoncello al fresco style. It’s Italy’s national drink after all, and since I’m married to an Italian, I view this act as a family obligation.

Last year I made 25 bottles. This year, I plan for more, because last year’s supply disappeared faster than I could properly enjoy after giving to friends and family and using as prizes for sailing events.

Limoncello is the easiest thing to make – you just need lemons, vodka (I use 80 proof despite recipe), a sharp knife, and a few big jars (got mine gratis from Marin Freecycle and use them for many things, including Kombucha, Autumn lanterns & terrariums). Add time and patience for two months (though I wait for three), then add sugar water syrup, more vodka, more time and voila! It’s summer!

And, of course, Kai and Maia will continue managing the summer lemonade stands – ask them about the “speakeasy”.

The Central Valley in California is known by some as being “the greatest garden in the world.“  Bedroom communities have also grown.  And, if you look hard enough between the strip malls, used truck dealerships and foreclosed homes (the area was hit hard), you might find a few ethnic markets that virtually encapsulate other civilizations. We have fallen victim to Afghan and Mexican markets. We can explore the shelves for hours and emerge with bundles of cultural riches.

Basil Seeds for Health

Yesterday we had the pleasure of meeting a kind Afghan woman who gave us some lessons on a new find -  a seven ounce packet of Tukhamaria (Basil Seeds) for $2.99. We figured they weren’t for planting, but what else are they good for? According to our new friend at the market (backed up with a little internet search), many use them for a healthy constitution. Mix a tablespoon of seeds with water, add rose water (bought that too for $1.89), and a bit of sugar, and you’ve created a tasty elixir for health. She had her strong views about the Western’s dependence on pharmaceuticals, and she felt that if we used more homeopathic solutions, we’d all be healthier for it. I told her many people have forgotten the power of the simple seed.

The store was filled with handmade signs of pricing (a human touch!) along with a friendly owner who has the time to talk about the  days’ happenings, culture, food, language and politics. But, I had come to the market specifically for the Afghan bread, an unleavened sort that spans the height of a four year old. I was directed to the back, down a long dark corridor lined with boxes and milk crates. And, there, through a hole in the wall,  I found two smiling guys amidst the heat and aroma of fresh bread. My five loaves (each $1.50) were pulled hot out the oven and packed with those continuing smiles.

And, of course, I couldn’t leave without picking up my favorite sour cherry syrup ($4.99) from Slovenia, and, Polish candies (caramel like) from Poland.

Hot Chocolate - Mexican style!

The nearby Mexican market is another showcase of treasures. I’m not sure I buy the box of Mexican chocolate for the fanciful octagon packaging (think future kid projects!) or the chocolate itself.

Tortilla Dough

I always get two bags of tortilla dough – one for me and one for a neighborhood Guatemalan nanny who says it’s the best, and I believe her. There is nothing like making up your own tortillas hot off the grill – my kids love them!

With a welcomed break in the week long rains, we took advantage of a walk in the woods, though it never is a true walk. We meander, we poke, we smell and today we even whistled.

Grass Whistling

Long grasses can be a nice sight, but when you pluck one blade and set it between your thumbs, it makes a nice sound, too. Even the nearby osprey and red tail hawk seemed to take notice of the high pitched whistle that surprised even me after blowing.

Sprouting of a Buckeye

And, there is nothing like a buckeye – it’s smooth, round form is perfect for a child’s palm. We collected a few and observed each stage of its development into a small tree -  the exterior cracking, a sprout emerging and one had roots developing on the sprout that found its way into the fertile wet earth.

The kids have created a “Secret Garden” near the creek, where found seeds and pods have been getting buried. They encircled the garden with river rocks. Spring is around the corner, so we anticipate something to grow eventually. But, now it matters not. Just getting fingers dirty and finding the right stick for a shovel is satisfying enough for them.

Planting Buckeye in the Secret Garden

. . . unless you homeschool, perhaps. Or, have a passion for the ocean.

It’s becoming customary for us to do the atypical, and with that comes some extraordinary experiences, as our family got to enjoy this wintery, rainy and cold day. Early we headed out into the inclement weather to fish for, what else, but, plankton, at The Farallones Marine Sanctuary Visitors’ Center in San Francisco.

[slideshow] Peter Winch, the Naturalist, gave us a private and most stunning lesson on phyto and zoo plankton. And, since nobody else showed up for the class, we got all his undivided attention.

Inside the center is the monkey faced prickle back eel that eyes you carefully and the starfish that slowly moves food to its center then has its stomach pop out to consume the morsel of ripped squid. These creatures begin to take your mind to the extraordinary science fiction-like realm that fills our waters.

We walked out along a pier to another building that sits over the churning waters of SF Bay. With a special net, Peter captured water in a jar. And, in that water under microscopes, a tiny world opened up to us -copepods, barnacle larva, a mini jelly, chain diatoms, marine worms and so much more. These are the life forms that help keep the ocean alive with sharks, dolphins, whales and all the marine life we love.

One Eyed for an Hour

Maia, the sketcher in the family, asked for a piece of paper. I had none but the blank back of a Trader Joe’s receipt (note to self: bring notepad next time). She sketched a detailed copepod with intent. Kai kept finding creatures in his microscope and each time he made a new discovery, we’d have to abandon our own finds to observe his.

Why gifted naturalists are not celebrated in the same manner as movie stars or sports figures, I will never understand. They are indeed our heroes of today, as they exert so much of their time, energy and passion to help us understand our magical, but delicate world. And, it’s a world we need to understand better and change our habits fast to accommodate it with proper respect.

And, yes, pastries do sure go well with plankton, especially when they’re served on a silver platter!

I get an ache in my stomach this time of year, one filled with longing for an ancient country I had the luck of a dragon to experience almost fifteen years ago. The only found remedy for me is a good dose of Chinese jiaozi and time to reflect on my memories of the beauty and craziness of China. I lived and taught English for one year at Nanjing University, the oldest university, scholars claim, in the world.

[slideshow] Luck came again this year, the Year of the Rabbit (did Bun Bun have something to do with this?), when good friends Diana Liu and Ben Benet offered to teach a class to our homeschooling bunch the art of Chinese writing . And, what is a Chinese New Year celebration without food? Husband Mark had called me a Chinese dumpling after I returned from China – I had gained nearly thirty pounds in ten months, proof to my practicing the importance of good appetite to please hosts!

Chu’n – Spring, new beginnings. The large sun brings new hope.

Writing "Spring"

This is the character the children learned. Each stroke is a thought before it’s created. One must slow down, control the ink and water on brush, listen to your breath and create with full, thoughtful intention.

Heavenly Niangao

Diana whipped up her sister’s homemade niangao, and the taste on my tongue shot me back to moments in China I had completely forgotten. The power of our senses! The kids ate heartily and enjoyed tastes and customs from a country where you honor your ancestors, children eat only after the eldest begins and it’s really polite to slurp noodles (for long life) merrily.

Of course the children received a customary red envelope with a gold coin – a Native American dollar. They bowed with respect saying Xie Xie Ni, along with a giggle or two.

Diana and Ben recently returned from Hunan where Diana’s extended family from around the world honored her father, Liu Yeh-Jau or “Jimmy”, a highly respected artist, with a Centennial Exhibition showcasing his works at the Changsha Provincial Museum in his hometown. Jimmy had immigrated to America and made his most recent home in nearby Tiburon, California before passing on seven years ago at age 93.

Changsha Family Portrait

For Jimmy’s hometown to honor him was a remarkable event in and of itself – he had not been a follower of the communist Mao and had really escaped with his life sixty years ago. Communism still rules in Modern China, but clearly Jimmy’s powerfully beautiful art can transcend politics.

A huge Xie Xie Nimen to Diana and Ben for sharing their skill, talent and wisdom. It was an honor for us.

I wrote this poem about seven years ago. Again, it seems like yesterday

You sit in your chair,
High above the ground.
Bare feet wiggle and kick.
Creamy yogurt gets a lick.

Out the window, branches sway and jiggle.
After choosing a pea you point.
Click click, with your tongue.
Is a horse nearby?
I only see leaves and trees outside.

Miss Maia, are you seeing things?
You choose another pea, a piece of cheese.
Click, click, with your tongue.
You point again.

I see shadows dance against the fence.
I watch leaves bounce and shake.
I hear the rustle and blow.
How pretty the wind makes it so.
But, I see no horse, Maia dear.

Click click. You giggle and smile.
Do I have a child who’s wild?
There is no horse, only wind and trees.

But, look, yes, maybe that’s how a mane may be.
When galloping fast,
Across hills, through woods.
His mane may flow. Like those leaves, it could.

Now I see the trees and shadows as such.
How wild a horse runs right past our fence.
Not one, but many, mustangs must they be.
You see poetry, my dear. You are free.

I wipe the yogurt from your face.
Tick tick, the clock. Shoes. It’s time to go.
Cry? Maia dear, please don’t.
The day moves on.

This much I know.