Kids and Parents Yoga Starts Tomorrow!

Terryn, from Inner Light Yoga, is teaching us another kids' yoga class. It's from noon until 1pm Thursdays, for 6 weeks. Participating children and parents are $5 each per class. Bring a check for $30 for each person tomorrow to 2807-44 Avenue (across from Coopers on 44 Ave, just off 27th Street, park in Coopers parking lot and walk across 44 Ave, you'll see the sign on the door). It's SUCH a fun class and so far I've heard nothing but rave reviews from those of us who just completed the first 6 week session. We'd love to fill the class with all homelearners again, so come join us!

crafting anyone?

I'm really missing the crafty Fridays we had last year. Am I alone in this? I'd like to start it up again and am willing to organize the first one. I've been doing collage with my kids and they love it. I'm proposing we get together with all of our interesting scrap paper, books, mags, maps etc. and some glue and let the kids go at it. We could even do a huge group collage. Pretty much any morning except Thursday works for me and we can use my house if there are just a few people interested. Anyone up for it?

Invitation to Celebrate Imbolc

Edit: we will meet at 9 o'clock. Please try to come a few minutes early so nobody is standing in the cold waiting for the rest of the group. Exciting!

Please come to our house (5799 Barker Road, phone #503-1147) the morning of February 2 (in the comments we can discuss what time will work best for everyone) to celebrate Imbolc. True celebrations would begin at dawn -- anyone up for that?

"Imbolc" means "great belly" and refers to the life growing inside the earth, but not yet visible to the eye. It is a time of cleansing and symbolic preparation for our own new growth. Imbolc is the mid-point of the dark half of the year and is a celebration of renewal and preparation for Spring, a celebration of the waxing of the Sun. Spring cleaning begins on this day and the first seedlings are planted into eggshells filled with soil. Traditionally this was also when the candles were made, and in Scandinavian countries, the maiden wore a crown of lighted candles imbedded in a wreath of holly during the celebrations (Karen? hee!) Traditional foods were made from seeds (to symbolize growth) and raisins (fruit of the Sun God).

So, here's what I'm envisioning:

- a great cleansing fire (bring anything you'd like to ritualistically burn -- maybe old habits you're done with, written on paper to renounce and throw into the fire?)

- planting of some seeds (after each seed is planted we wave our hand over it and say "Grow, grow tall and free. Grow, grow tall as a tree.")

- did anyone gather any sweet grass last Autumn? hee! this is the day to lay it out in the sun, invoking the awakening of the Goddess who has been sleeping all winter...

- anyone know any songs that we could sing around the fire? "Circle Round" is a good one (Anne Hill - if you'd like a copy let me know) It's simple and easy to remember.

- I'm suggesting that Denny, Aidan and Cass come join US for this celebration and bring your guitar and recorder! Everyone else should feel welcome to bring instruments to sing to the sun, as well. I think drums would be especially effective.

- And any symbolic foods you want to bring to share.

- Also, this is a time to go through our homes and clean out what we don't need/value anymore and give it those who need it more than we do. I thought it would be neat to bring anything you want to donate to the Imbolc celebration so that we can all to a symbolic release of it together.

- And lastly, this is the day of the bride. Not the bride as we know it today, but more the goddess -- but white is very symbolic of the rebirth of the goddess bride. If any of the little girls are inclined to dress up as a bride, this would be the day to do it! As weird as that seems in our current culture...

So? What do you think? Use the comments section to share your ideas and thoughts and feelings on this, please.

dancing

Hi - I just want to mention that Evan is doing a boys' HipHop class with a really outstanding young teacher - Nikki, who is also my modern dance teacher. Anyway, she is open to doing things for people if there is demand (she spends Thursday evenings in Falkland for all of us Falkland dancers) and I was just thinking that if there were a group of similarly aged kids who wanted to dance together, I bet we could ask her to do a homeschooling camp in the summer for a week, or do a homeschooling dance class next year at the studio (Accentz, by Nature's Fare) or something like that. Evan loves his class, and this is a kid who doesn't take classes because he doesn't like being told what to do. He won't even take any more swimming lessons. She teaches many styles of dance and is very fun and always has great music and a big smile. The HipHop is very challenging (she has done a bit with us and it is extremely difficult) but the boys are totally into it. We really love her.

Documentary

In my SPUD newsletter there was an interesting article about the documentary titled "Who Killed the Electric Car". It says the director's film has all the elements of a murder mystery as he looks at the birth and death of the electric car and its place in the history of a larger car culture. Did you know there were more electric cars on the road 100 years ago than gas-powered ones? It sounds very interesting and it's out on DVD.

Also, if you know anyone who is looking to get married, there is a new magazine out for eco-savvy brides and grooms. It offers beautiful, inspired, smart wedding ideas that support an environmentally and socially conscious lifestyle. The premier issue just launched this month.

www.portovert.com

That's my news for today.

Denny

Imbolc, February 2

I would like to have a big fire down by our creek and some festivities to celebrate Imbolc. Is anyone interested?

Test Post

This is the first post on the new Homelearners blog site. The purpose of this blog is to facilitate an efficient, easy way to communicate between all of us. We're thinking it will be a great place to post ideas, projects you're working on, activity invitations (like "We want to skate tomorrow, anyone want to meet us at _____?"), plans, etc. Everyone will be given the password so we can all post whenever we wish to. What do you think?