A children's garden made by children and a new years ritual.

As I sit here in the airport with a six hour lay over waiting for my connecting flight to Copenhagen,

I was delighted to "find" a password that allowed me free internet connection.

The little garden below is one that Keenan and Kaleena have been working on for a few days now, 

and when I say working I mean working.

It is funny and lovely to observe how much they still imitate the work they see around them, and how much pleasure goes into their creations, they really take it very seriously.

Kaleena claimed this particular spot as hers in the first days living on the land. 

It is a spot that gets a little morning sun but is otherwise shaded, 

and it can be seen from the kitchen window.

The only help they received was having Miguel bring the biggest trunk for the table, 

everything else they have done and they are still working on it.

Planting flowers and decorating with rocks and broken tiles that they found yesterday

is still in progress.

I am looking forward to see how it will look when I return. 

For years now we have been floating little lights on New Years eve with wishes for the coming year.

The children look forward to it, and while we have been doing it for many years,

 it is a little different each year. 

The first year we floated little walnut shells with birthday candles in the pond that

 Miguel had built in our garden in Miami.

In North Carolina we sent our little lights floating in a big bowl as we had no other water close enough.

In the Dominican Republic we floated the lights in their big pond, back in Asheville

in my sisters creek in her back yard and this year we walked through the dark woods to the cenote

with our little lights already lighted, 

sitting on little pieces of coconut shells and set them afloat with our wishes.

It was lovely, so quiet and peaceful (besides the constant chattering of Keenan)

Both Keenan and Kaleena were sure that we were all wishing for the same thing this year,

and while they were both concerned that our wishes might not come true

if we talked about it out loud, we assured them that it is 

the intention behind the wishes that matters most.

So this year we said a joint wish out loud and kept a moment of silence after.

It was beautiful and fitting, and is a lovely tradition that we all enjoy deeply.

~Blessings~

The little things..

I thought I might share some of my more challenging moments from these past days, but why put my attention there?

 Part of life will always be challenging and it will always depend on how we deal with these challenges that determines how much they affect us.

The constant mess and dirt in the house, with workers constantly in and out can certainly drive my crazy if I let it, and sometimes I do let it. 

Yet if I remind myself to take a deep breath, and tell myself that this too shall pass, 

that everything, this included, is temporary, then I can take a step back, 

and allow the mess to be, and go on with my day and my work.

The same goes for our toilet situation which is also getting tiring, especially for Kaleena and I,

who must crouch in the forrest floor and hope to not encounter critters or stinging plant while doing so.

Yet I know that soon we will have the composting part of the toilet ready and will once again enjoy the simple pleasure of sitting inside in peace to take care of business.

This way of living certainly has a way of teaching us to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, 

and not take anything for granted.

Such as going to the bathroom inside, a hot shower (it will probably still be awhile before we can add that to our everyday comforts), cooking inside on a stove (yeahh, we now have a gas stove and no longer need to start a fire to boil water), having closets to put away things and doors so that not every little critter of the forrest will enter when the rains makes them seek shelter.

Yes, surely it can be uncomfortable and messy living like this, but as we each day make little progresses

we can truly see and feel the fruit of our labor and that alone is very satisfying.

Also the beauty always helps to bring peace to our hearts, because each day there is something new and amazing to wonder at, and to remind us about the perfection of the natural world.

~Blessings~

Children at play and daily rhythms...

How different life is these days.

I get up with the rooster at sunrise and more or less go to bed with the sun also,

well not quite but these days I am usually in bed around 8pm.

Each morning the first task is turning on the fire to boil water and toast the bread,

sometimes getting eggs from the chickens and making scrambled eggs is included.

Then I head to the garden where in just a few days we have already made lots of progress.

Usually by midday I head to town to Skype with my dad and get things that are needed. 

Then back in the garden until it is time to get the fire going again for dinner, then story and bed.

I truly love this work, tending the land, being part of it...... it is wonderful.

What I enjoy the most though is watching the children and how their creativity

is blossoming once again. They are so peaceful out here, they always 

find something to do, and always something creative.

Keenan is working with his tools since early morning, and Kaleena too actually.

They go exploring, find little special areas, where they clean up plant flowers or climb trees.

All day they are entertained and happy, a sense of peace that I have not felt from them since 

our house in the woods in NC.

This is indeed why I want to raise my children in nature...

 Kaleena made this little house for her cat Lily, she made the latter herself and the little cat shelf, also the bed with all her little homemade collars too, so precious..

 One of the newly hatched chicks was killed by fire ants and 

the children buried the little creature tenderly.

 Here are some of the areas that I have been working on, it is hard to really see the progress because I have been dropping all the weeds and cuttings on the ground as mulch. But I have planted many

Papaya trees, a couple of bitter Orange trees, an Avocado tree and many Chaya bushes.

Also many flowering bushes and colorful foliage. 

I am looking forward to see everything settled and established.

 One of their many wanderings...

 Last night we picked the first ready Pak Choy and cooked it over open fire, it was so delicious!!

 ~Blessings~