On Ponding

Years ago, when we still lived in our old house, Brad mentioned that he thought he would like having a pond. So when we looked at this house, with two ponds in the backyard, we were kind of excited. It was late fall at the time, and inexperienced as we were, we were undaunted by the fact that the ponds were low on water, and full of leaves.

We thought we could clean them out in the spring, fill them with water, throw in some fish, and that it would be fun. Fun! We were wrong. I'd always thought of ponds as nothing more than landscaping. But they are much more than that. More than a hobby, even. A lifestyle.

The spring after we moved, we were so busy with the inside of the house, that we didn't really do anything outside. And the ponds sat. Stagnant water. Our backyard was a mosquito city. I'm not sure we went out there at all that summer, unless it was absolutely necessary. The next year, when we started on the smaller of the two ponds, it looked like this:

And it smelled really bad. See the slimy pile of leaves in the back? The overgrown lamium patch to the left? The weeds growing through the rocks? It was awful. We drained it, scrubbed it, and filled it. Then we added water, plants, and fish.

But it wasn't actually that straightforward, because I don't like to jump into anything. I always like to do a lot of research first. Find out the best way to clean the pond, whether to add anything to the water, what to do about mosquitos, whether to add fish, and which kind of fish to add. Lots of details. It was overwhelming.

When we ended, the pond looked like this:

Not exactly the lush, green landscaping jewel I'd pictured, but it was a huge improvement.

So I have learned a lot about ponds in the last few years. I have learned about the different types fish and plants, and how to maintain a healthy little low-maintenance eco-system in our backyard. While those things are interesting to know, I have also learned that they are unimportant compared to the lessons in patience and delayed gratification that ponding has taught me. The excitement of waiting for the pond to thaw, to see if any of our little feeder goldfish survived the winter. Then discovering they had, and experiencing our first algae bloom and having to wait a month for our plants to establish themselves and clear the water so we could see the fish again.

Rhythms and routines have always been something I have always struggled with in my day-to-day activities, but during the past few years, I have come to appreciate the rhythm of the ponds. From the first cleaning in the spring, to the final cleaning in the fall. The way the ponds rest in the winter, but are full of life again in the summer. Even the somewhat annoying nightly ritual of moving the water hyacinth to the big pond and the morning ritual of moving it back to the small pond, to keep the raccoons from eating it.

It's not something I would willingly undertake, but I am glad we stumbled into it.

My Top Ten TV Crushes (and Who I Would Actually Have Ended Up With)

I know, for someone who is so opposed to letting children watch TV, I do have a lot of TV related posts. We don't even watch all that often ourselves (and only after the kids are soundly sleeping, of course), but sometimes I run out of anything more interesting to write about. It can't always be about kid stuff, right?

21 Jump Street crush: Officer Dennis Booker joined the Jump Street team during season three, and he stole my 13 year old heart at the same time. He was kind of like Tom Hanson, but a little more suave, a little hotter, and with bigger hair. At least in my mind.

Reality: Officer Tom Hanson was a lot like my crush, Dennis Booker. Just a little less suave, a little less hot, and with smaller hair.

Backyard Fun

I have to admit, it has been kind of nice having Brad home more this spring, because we've been able to get a lot done in our yard. It was pretty weedy and overgrown when we bought our house, and we didn't do much the first year because we were so focused on the inside of the house. We kind of left the "garden" areas, to see what would grow. As you can see from this picture, nothing but weeds grew.

The sidewalk on the left continues around the yard in a "U" which leads to the ponds. I was told the people who lived here before us had a garden in the bottom of the "U" but whatever they had is long gone. Not sure what's going on next to the garage there either, but there is a little spot outlined in cement (we're working on a fairy garden in that area), and the section of yard on the other side of the sidewalk was also full of weeds.

By our second year here, it was a beast. The lamium around the small pond managed to completely overtake the back garden area, obscuring the hostas, daylilies, and even a gorgeous peony bush we didn't know was there.

Last fall, we mowed everything in the "U" down, and piled all of our leaves on top. I bet the neighbors behind us were horrified. This spring, we cleared away the leaves and were left with a relatively weed free area. Right now, we're working on installing a butterfly garden, which has been a great learning experience for all of us.

We're doing it on a budget, of course. The bad thing about having extra time because you're unemployed is that there is no extra money to do the things you'd like to do! So we're adding to it gradually, using small perennials and annuals. Next year we'll add more perennials, but now it looks a bit wimpy. I'll probably add more annuals soon, but I am trying to take things slowly this year, rather than doing what I usually do, which is buy five flats of flowers when I can't possibly plant them all before they shrivel up and die from the heat. See? Frugal.

We haven't had many new butterflies this year, but we have these guys every year (I think they're actually moths, but don't tell the girls!). If you're outside in the sun on a warm evening, you can't keep them from landing on you.

Especially if you are a butterfly princess.

Check out what's left of the weed patch behind Lissie. I was feeling a little discouraged the other day, but after seeing that picture from two years ago, I'm feeling a lot better about what we've done. Unfortunately, I discovered poison ivy growing in that section, which has slowed me down a bit.

Delphiniums (blue)

The Dormouse and the Doctor

There once was a Dormouse who lived in a bed
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red)
And all the day long he'd a wonderful view
Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue).

A Doctor came hurrying round, and he said:
"Tut-tut, I am sorry to find you in bed.
Just say 'Ninety-nine' while I look at your chest....
Don't you find that chrysanthemums answer the best?"

The Dormouse looked round at the view and replied
(When he'd said "Ninety-Nine") that he'd tried and he'd tried,
And much the most answering things that he knew
Were geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue).

The Doctor stood frowning and shaking his head,
And he took up his shiny silk hat as he said:
"What the patient requires is a change," and he went
To see some chrysanthemum people in Kent.

The Dormouse lay there, and he gazed at the view
 Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue),
And he knew there was nothing he wanted instead
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red).

The Doctor came back and, to show what he meant,
He had brought some chrysanthemum cuttings from Kent.
"Now these," he remarked, "give a much better view
Than geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue)."

They took out their spades and they dug up the bed
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red)
And they planted chrysanthemums (yellow and white).
"And now," said the Doctor, "we'll soon have you right."

The Dormouse looked out, and he said with a sigh:
"I suppose all these people know better than I.
It was silly, perhaps, but I did like the view
Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue).

The Doctor came round and examined his chest,
And ordered him Nourishment, Tonics, and Rest.
"How very effective," he said as he shook
The thermometer, "all these chrysanthemums look!"

The Dormouse turned over to shut out the sight
Of the endless chrysanthemums (yellow and white)
"How lovely," he thought, "to be back in a bed
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red)."

The Doctor said, "Tut! It's another attack!"
And ordered him Milk and Massage-of-the-back,
And Freedom-from-worry and Drives-in-a-car,"
And murmured, "How sweet your chrysanthemums are!"

The Dormouse lay there with his paws to his eyes,
And imagined himself such a pleasant surprise:
"I'll pretend the chrysanthemums turn to a bed
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red)!"

The Doctor next morning was rubbing his hands,
And saying, "There's nobody quite understands
These cases as I do! The cure has begun!
How fresh the chrysanthemums look in the sun!"

The Dormouse lay happy, his eyes were so tight
He could see no chrysanthemums, yellow or white.
And all that he felt at the back of his head
Were delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red).

And that is the reason (Aunt Emily said)
If a Dormouse gets in a chrysanthemum bed,
You will find (so Aunt Emily says) that he lies
Fast asleep on his front with his paws to his eyes.

-A.A. Milne

Books Through the Seasons

I recently framed these pages from the book Chicken Soup With Rice by Maurice Sendak, which got me thinking that it might be fun to follow up my post about spring books with one about books that cover all the seasons. This is one of our favorites (seriously, can you tell I love it? We don't even eat chicken!) for reading at the start of each month. Our original paperback copy was falling apart, so when I found a hardcover in nice condition, I grabbed it. Of course, it has taken me months to get a frame, but I think it turned out well. I love the illustrations, and I thought it would be nice to have each poem on display during its month.

Here are some of our favorite seasonal books that we keep on the bookshelves all the time. Some, like Chicken Soup With Rice and A Time to Keep, we read from at the beginning of each month. Some, like The Barefoot Book of Blessings, A Child's Calendar, and A Child's Garden of Verses, I use as sources for seasonal poems (as well as poems and blessings that fit in with our daily routines). Linnea's Almanac is a fairly recent addition to our library, but is I think it is going to be a great resource. The rest are just good stories that go through the seasons. Maxine is particularly enamored with The Flower Fairies Changing Seasons. I always thought the Flower Fairies books were commercial and gimmicky, but I kept seeing the alphabet book referenced on Waldorf blogs, so I finally checked them out and they're quite lovely (although this one has tabs you pull to change the pictures, so it is a little gimmicky). 

From left to right:

1. Listen, Listen by Phillis Gershator

2. A Child's Calendar by John Updike

3. The Barefoot Book of Blessings by Sabrina Dearborn

4. A Time to Keep by Tasha Tudor

5. Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak

6. The Story of the Root Children by Sibylle Von Olfers

7. A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson

8. The Flower Fairies Changing Seasons by Cicely Mary Barker

9. Linnea's Almanac by Cristina Bjork

10. Children of the Forest by Elsa Beskow

11. Stories Around the Year by Thornton Burgess (this one is not pictured, but I wanted to include it because it's one of Max's favorites right now--which probably explains why I couldn't find it. It looks like it might be out of print, but can be found used fairly inexpensively).

Senior Prom

It is so hard to believe that I have a senior this year. Even harder to believe that the year is almost over. I don't usually write too much about her, because teenagers can be sensitive about that sort of thing, but I just had to share these pictures.

Isn't she lovely?

Friday Painting

Red + yellow = happy.