Thankful for the Sabbath

Peaceful photo by Vera Kratochvil

It's been 2 years now since I started my Sabbath Experiment and yesterday was a sheer delight. It started off with a wonderful adult Sunday School class, followed by an inspiring worship service. Rather than going out to eat after church, we decided to head back to that house and make brunch there. What a wonderfully fun day! Our daughters, Bethany and Jessica, were here with their children, Lincoln and Laura, as was my mother who is visiting from Manheim (Lancaster County, PA). 

There was food and playing and giggling and singing and, oh yeah, the unfortunate knock on the door when someone stopped by to let us know he'd hit my daughter's car as he was backing out of the driveway across the street. Yeah, not so fun. Common sense... look where you're going.

After Bethany and Lincoln  left around 8:00, Bill, my mom and I sat down for a second night of Pinochle. We played until midnight and then I cleaned up the mess in the kitchen from a Sabbath Day full of fun and relaxation. I didn't come into my office and turn on this computer even once on Sunday. It was such a nice reprieve, and until I embraced the luxury, and necessity, of the Sabbath, I never would have done this in the past. I would have excused myself from the festivities downstairs and I would have come up here to make sure there were no urgent emails from clients. Ahh, the wonder of honoring the Sabbath. I sit here at my desk now, feeling revived and ready for the week ahead. 

If you haven't given the Sabbath Experiment a try yet, I encourage you to do so. Go back and read my first post about it. And then read the one when I decided it was no longer a Sabbath experiment, but was a Sabbath experience instead. 

I'm looking forward to this beautiful week ahead. I hope yours holds many, many blessings.

Hana

What do your Sabbath days look like?

The ebb and flow

Photo by Glenda Green

“When you love someone 

you do not love them, 

all the time, 

in the exact same way, 

from moment to moment. 

It is an impossibility. 

It is a lie to pretend to. 

And yet this is exactly what most of us demand. 

We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, 

of love, 

of relationships.”

-- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

A Gift from the Sea 

My car is DVD-free. What about yours?

Welcome to the September 2012 

Natural Living Blog Carnival: Kids in the Car  

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Natural Living Blog Carnival hosted by Happy Mothering and The Pistachio Project through the Green Moms Network. This month our members have written posts about kids in the car.

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Last month, while on vacation in Virginia, my husband and I were browsing through Goodwill. There was a television on in the back of the store and the movie Lion King was playing. A young girl (maybe 5 or so) was transfixed on the screen while her parents shopped. When it was time to leave, the girl put up a bit of a fuss, to which her dad responded to with a "We'll turn a movie on in the car. Let's go." She happily skipped out of the store. 

I was perturbed. Deeply. At what point in society did we come to the conclusion that children need to be entertained at all times? Even a simple drive to the store and home requires movie viewing. Really?

I, for one (and maybe the only one), do not believe in DVD players in vehicles. It appalls me that parents will pick their kids up from school, plop them in the back of the car and turn on a movie. And in some cases, turn on two different movies to suit the separate tastes of two children in the back seat! Whatever happened to talking to kids?! Does no one else see an issue with children needing to be entertained, even during short 10-minute or so car rides?! 

My husband and I drove to Virginia Beach with our 3-year-old granddaughter, Laura. It was an 11-hour trip and guess what... we didn't provide her with any electronic entertainment during the drive. But however did we keep her occupied? Well, let's see. 

We

• talked
• read books
• told stories
• sang songs
• played games

Was it tiresome for us at times? Of course. But we made some pretty sweet memories. 

Some of the best times I remember having with my own kids when they were young involved car rides. We had fun when we traveled, which we did fairly often, as we would drive 240 miles on the Pennsylvania turnpike to visit my mother on the other side of the state. 

If you are one of those parents who has fallen prey to this on-the-go technology, I urge you to reconsider. The time with your kids in the car is a precious opportunity to bond with them. If there is sibling bickering behind the front seat, don't simply assuage it by slipping in a DVD. That does not solve the problem, it exacerbates it. Yes, you may have a few minutes of peace, but at what cost? Kids need to learn to work things out, not just tune things out. And, I'm sorry, but if your kids can't even cooperate long enough to watch the same DVD, you have some serious problems, my friend.

I imagine by now I've stepped on quite a few toes. It's not my goal to make you uncomfortable. I just want you to think about what you are doing. Just because every other kid in daycare/at school/in your neighborhood has their own portable DVD player in the car/van/SUV doesn't mean your kids need one. Rise above the crowd and have fun with your kids on your drives! Here are some of the things we do with Laura as we drive. You can adjust the activities according to your children's ages.

• Look for rectangles, ovals, keystones (easy to find in Pennsylvania!) and other shapes
• Look for things that start with the different letters of the alphabet
• Tell stories by taking turns with each phrase. For example: Bill -- "Once upon a time, there was a rabbit and..." me -- "a spider, and they were arguing about who had nicer feet. The spider proudly showed off each foot, while the rabbit..." Laura -- "stomped his furry feet in the snow." Back to Bill to keep the story going. 
• We also play a rhyming game where one person says a word and the next person has to rhyme it and then they say a word for the the next person, and so on. Bill -- "Car." Me -- "Star. Night." Laura -- "Right. Mouse." Bill -- "House. Street..." Well, you get the idea.

Keep in mind, these are games with a toddler, and yes, at times we listen to child-appropriate CDs, like Sandra Boynton's enchanting Rhinoceros Tap. A little bit of whimsy goes a long way when there are seemingly endless hours spent in the car. We also sang endless choruses of "There was a farmer who had a dog and Bingo was his name-o." 

With older children, there are other games to play, like auto bingo and the Ungame. 

I know you must have some car activities of your own I haven't mentioned. Aside from watching movies on the go, what are some of your family's favorite travel activities? Do you find car time a pleasure or a curse?

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Visit Happy Mothering and The Pistachio Project to learn more about participating in next month’s Natural Living Blog Carnival! Please take some time to enjoy the posts our other carnival participants have contributed:

Win a bunch of goodies from Hyland's!

I love Hyland's Homeopathic products, don't you? When they contacted me recently and asked me to be a Hyland's Ambassador, I didn't hesitate with my answer. After all, I love to promote products and companies I believe in. And guess what? One of you is going to benefit from my decision to join the team. Why? Because I am hosting the "I Am the Voice of Hyland's" giveaway, and let me tell you, it's awesome! 

I Am the Voice of Hyland's Prize Package

Here's what you can win:

Hyland's Baby Vitamin C Tablets
Hyland's Baby Tiny Cold Tablets
Hyland's Cold n' Cough 4 Kids
Hyland's Complete Allergy 4 Kids
Hyland's Calms Forte
Hyland's Leg Cramps
Hyland's DEFEND Sinus
Hyland's DEFEND Cold & Cough
Hyland's Muscle Therapy Gel with Arnica

Approximate retail value of $80!

My personal experience with Hyland's started with their amazing Leg Cramps tablets. I have suffered from leg and foot cramps since I was a child. I used to do water ballet and inevitably, while I was floating in formation with my long skinny leg extended skyward, my toes would cramp. Not good. As an actress in my teens and twenties, my biggest fear on stage was not that I would forget my lines, blocking or choreography. It was that I would get a cramp in my foot... especially in freeze scenes. I wish I'd known about Hyland's back then! They have one more product for leg cramps I recently found out about but have not tried. It's the Leg Cramp Ointment, which I'm sure would be incredibly helpful in addition to the tablets for times when my cramping is recurrent. Because Hyland's makes it, I'm confident it would be effective.

Since discovering the Leg Cramps tablets, I have found the answer. Yes, I still get the cramps, but now I just reach for my bottle of Hyland's next to my bed and I know I'll be okay in just a few minutes. I never travel without them, for fear of having an episode and not having my "fix" on hand. 

As you can see, the wonderful Leg Cramps tablets are part of the prize package, so if you win, you can try them out for yourself. 

As for the rest of the basket, don't you think it's awesome? Especially given the approaching fall season. Being able to arm your family with safe and natural cold and allergy remedies, along with some Muscle Therapy Gel for those aches and pains that follow a hearty leaf-raking session, is just what the doctor ordered... at least the homeopathic doctor, that is!

"Will you be a Hyland's ambassador?"

"Of course, I will!"

Now, here's some more good news for those of you in the Pittsburgh Green Grandma community! On Saturday, Sept. 29th, you will have another opportunity to win a basket filled with the same products at the Allegheny Green & Innovation Festival at Hartwood Acres! Just stop by the Green Grandma booth where my daughters and I will be doing cloth diapering demos, selling my book (hopefully), offering common sense greener and healthier living tips, and giving away samples and holding raffles for great prizes, including the I Am the Voice of Hyland's Prize Package!

If you're not local, you still have the chance to win the package valued at approximately $80! Just follow the directions on the Rafflecopter below. Hyland's wants your comments! The outstanding team listens to your voices and reads every comment!

The contest begins NOW and ends at midnight on September 30th. I will announce the winner's name on Wednesday, October 3rd and will contact him/her via Facebook or email. If I do not have a response within 72 hours, an alternate winner will be chosen.

https://www.facebook.com/Hylands.Health
http://www.amazon.com/
http://www.hylands.com/



a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclaimer: This is giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook or Twitter. The opinions stated in the reviews are just that... opinions. Individuals may have different responses and results when using these products. I was not paid for this post. However, at no cost to me, I did receive the same products from Hyland's as will be sent to the winner. Since Rafflecopter is a fair and nondiscriminatory winner-selection widget, friends and family members are eligible to win prizes. Entries will be verified.

The sticky truth about non-stick

It's been a cool, but sticky, cloudy/rainy day here in Western PA. I don't know about you, but these are the kind of days when I find it difficult to get motivated. Do you know what I mean? I'd rather curl up and read a book or watch a movie than much of anything else. Thus, the late hour for this posting. I ran errands this morning and didn't return home until about an hour ago. Then I checked my emails, scoured through Facebook posts and read some articles. However, I'm now ready to get down to work. It's after 3 and it's about time, don't you think?

Photo by Teodoro S Gruhl

Of course, I feel I should at least give you something of value, since you did take the time to stop in for a visit after all. So here it is. It's about that non-stick cookware in your kitchen. Are you still using it? Did you know it might be full of carcinogens? When you think about it, isn't it a bit silly to buy organic eggs only to fry them up in a Teflon™ coated pan? Yikes!

Not all non-stick cookware is bad for you. At least, not yet. I use my OrGreenic skillet and my GreenPans all the time and I love them! At this point, there is no word out that they are unsafe. But it's been proven that Teflon™ and the likes are very hazardous to your health! Look for words that begin with fluoro or perfluoro and stay away from cookware, bakeware and even other household items, like your stain-resistant fabrics and carpeting!

Teflon™ contains PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) with highly suspected links to liver, pancreatic, thyroid, breast and testicular cancers. Yummy. It is also linked to low birth weights in both humans and animals who have been exposed to it.

According to Washington Toxics Coalition exposure to PFOAs and PFCs (perfluorinated compounds) "also occurs from consumer products, house dust, and food packaging. 

• Grease-resistant food packaging and paper products, such as microwave popcorn bags and pizza boxes, contain PFCs.
• PFOA was used until 2002 in the manufacture of 3M's Scotchgard® treatment, used on carpet, furniture, and clothing.
• PFOA is used to make DuPont's Teflon™ product, famous for its use in non-stick cookware. 
• PFCs are in cleaning and personal-care products like shampoo, dental floss, and denture cleaners."

Ouch! 

Just wanted to make you aware of what to be on the lookout for. 

Do you have any more to add to the list?



See also:

The frightening reality of non-stick cookware

What to do with Teflon?

The value of rest

“Women need solitude in order to find again the true essence of themselves.” -- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Mammoth Park

I spent 4 days last week in one of my favorite places in the world. The Willow House Cottage in the tiny little village of Lycippus in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Connie Baker created this little paradise on her property in the beautiful Laurel Highlands a decade ago by converting her pool house into a cottage oasis. The cottage sits at the end of her driveway and faces her stone house and the road. While it is not secluded, it feels as if it is, especially when you open the sliding glass doors and step out onto the floral retreat of the back patio. Heaven.

Morning devotions on the front porch

On Tuesday, I stepped back inside the Willow House Cottage and was transported to a magical place inside myself that emerges every single time I go there. My husband and I discovered the cottage in 2007. This was our fifth visit. Every time I go there, everything in me resists leaving. It is there that I find a deep desire to have a different life than the one I have. I love the simplicity of life while I'm there. A limited amount of clothing in the closet and drawers. Just enough food for days I'm there. An absence of clutter. Much less stuff. It reminds me of Anne Morrow Lindbergh's wonderful book, A Gift from the Sea, which, interestingly enough, was one of the many, many books Connie stocked the cottage with. Of all the things in the cottage, books top the list. Books and DVDs, which I never even looked at. But if you are a movie buff, you would love the selection, the big flat screen TV and the surround sound. What? A big screen TV in the cottage? Yes. If I've mislead anyone in the past about the Willow House Cottage, let me clarify. This is not a rustic cabin in the woods kind of place. It is a beautiful little cottage with modern amenities. There is a small kitchen with a full-sized refrigerator, narrow 4-burner stove and oven, double sink and a table for two.

The kitchen is separated from the living area by the couch, which faces a large 4-poster bed. Yes, it's all one room. One very comfy room. Completing the cottage is an armoire full of books and games, an electric fireplace, an easy chair with ottoman that matches the red floral couch, miscellaneous tables and chests, and a desk for those of us who cannot leave work behind!  Oh, and wireless Internet. There is also a large bathroom/dressing room, where I soaked in the tub while reading books and sipping wine. 

Out back

Okay, I know I'm supposed to be writing about my Sabbath Experience and I've wandered down a different path. I just wanted to share with you how simply wonderful this place is. In my opinion, many people miss the point of a vacation. They spend their time running around nonstop and they miss the value of resting. I feel so blessed that Bill and I agree on what to do on vacation... nothing. At least, nothing other than restful activities.

While this was a working vacation for me, the time we spent together while I wasn't working, was spent sitting outside by a fire Bill built, walking on the paths through the wildflowers, sitting on the wicker furniture on the front porch reading, playing Bananagrams, listening to music, and walking around the amazingly beautiful Mammoth Park, which is just 2 miles up the road. Oh, and petting Connie's sweet little cat, Cee-Aye-Tee, who loves, loves, loves all the attention Bill pours out on her. Yes, I'm married to a cat man. Cee-Aye-Tee is not permitted inside the cottage, but she spent a lot of time on the front porch with us.

Mammoth Park

What is truly amazing about this place is that any stress I may feel before I get there, completely dissipates once I step inside. 

We were scheduled to come home on Thursday, since Bill had to teach Bible Study that night. But, like I said, once I'm there, everything in me resists leaving. So he left and I stayed. Connie was gracious enough to extend my stay and Bill was gracious enough to drive home Thursday and return for me the next day. 

Despite the fact that I'm a writer, I can't explain in words what being there did for me. If I could live anywhere on earth other than where I am right now, it would be in that little cottage surrounded by flowers and trees and hummingbirds and golden finches and the mooing of cows, the screeching of owls, the buzzing of bees, and yes, even the sound of traffic on the road. I have inside of me, the hunger and thirst of Lindbergh when she wrote, "I find there is a quality to being alone that is incredibly precious. Life rushes back into the void, richer, more vivid, fuller than before."

The bees loved these!

I only had one day to myself at the Willow House Cottage. But it was truly blessed day, and I found myself smiling more over the last 2 days, with a profound feeling of peace, despite circumstances. Yes, Anne, life rushed back richer, more vivid, fuller than before.

I encourage you to find a place of rest and renewal and visit there as often as you can. If you're close enough, give the Willow House Cottage a try. See if it is as magical for you, as it clearly is for me.

One final Lindbergh quote for you moms out there who long for what I describe above:

"By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class." 

Wishing you rest, dear ones,

Hana

Weekend quote by Fred Astaire... along with a bit of Astaire magic!

The hardest job kids face today

is learning good manners 

without seeing any.

-- Fred Astaire                

On that vein, here is a little Astaire for your weekend viewing pleasure!