Ordinary Time

<<But then this is the part that I just loved. Not only did it [doing some sort of tangible, creative activity] cause students to flourish, but they noticed an upward spiral where creativity led to positive feelings that were then carried forward to the next day's pursuits and continued. So they linked it to being able to be more engaged in learning in the classroom. And this was a study done by Tamlyn Connor and Colin DeYoung and Paul Silvia called Everyday Creativity as a Path to Flourishing, which I think was the other thing that really needs to be highlighted and then I'll stop. Flourishing, like it's not just to make you feel better, but to make you flourish, which to me is what helps students to really do well in school because now they're in a very positive spiral.>> (f rom The Sheepspot Podcast, episode 110) This little bit of conversation caught my attention this morning as I was cleaning the barn. I'm always interested in the intersection betwe

I have nothing coherent to say, so you're stuck with extreme randomness. I have canned twenty quarts of applesauce in the past two days. This is well over double what I thought I would get. We're pretty much set for the year. Zorro is an excellent rooster. Three times this week he has spotted a coyote and sent his hens running for safety as he stood watch. J. and I have both caught this, alerted to the distinctive danger crow we are now familiar with. As far as we are aware, no hens have been lost, but I'm afraid they will all be on lockdown for a bit while the coyote decides there is nothing to eat around here. Here is my Public Service Announcement for the week. People cannot read your mind. Even someone else loves you cannot read your mind. There is no such thing as "but they should just know". If you can't say what you want out loud, you don't get to be annoyed when your loved one doesn't know. (This is just in general, we're good here, though

It's been a busy fall around here, which means there hasn't been a lot of extra time to do things such as dealing with the apples on our three large apple trees. I really hate to see things go to waste, so this was one of those nagging things I really wanted to be able to get to.  The calendar was free today, and while it did get a bit warm, it wasn't so hot that the thought of having a stove going for hours on end seemed doable. (The ongoing heat also played a role in avoiding the apples.) The first step was to head out and see what the apple situation actually was. The trees were pretty bare. It has not been a good year for apples, especially compared to last year. But I picked what I could and ended up with two large baskets. They are not as pretty as last year's were, either, so it was a good thing I was just planning on doing applesauce and not trying to run them through the apple corer/peeler. It wouldn't have worked. Here is what I salvaged.  The red are from

I am starting to finish up with the clients who volunteered to participate in my action research project on using equine assisted learning to help mitigate sibling conflict. I have 13 more sessions as families finish up. This also means that I see the results of the exit surveys. I'll admit to approaching these with a little trepidation. One likes to think they've made a difference, but it's one thing to think it and another thing all together to ask specific questions and collect data.  So far, the results are positive. Horses combined with new information and tools do seem to make a difference in how families function. I'll rest a little easier when the final survey is in and I have a fairly broad picture across some very different families. Having a beautiful place to work along with some superstar horses doesn't hurt either.

I am not watching the Vice Presidential debate. I am already feeling such anxiety about the upcoming election, listening to JD Vance might just push me over the edge of rationality.  Instead, I have blocked off a couple of days this week to can applesauce and whatever other apple things I decide to do. I've started to refill the pantry a bit with each trip to the grocery store. And I'm looking inti replacements for the supplies, such as wheat berries, that I used to get from my bulk order guy before he stopped doing twice a year orders.  Because I deal with stress over the stability of the world by storing food. It makes me wonder if I had some ancestor years ago who experienced extreme hunger, based on how caring I find a full pantry. I don't anticipate the next month to be restful.