Springtime greetings to you!
We are knee-deep in seasonal change. Many formal faiths celebrate the change of seasons and in them, we can often find similar threads of hope and renewal. Our local chapter of the Anthroposophical Society reminds us that Spiritual Science shares that common thread.The life that has been gathering strength out of our sight, within the nourishing, sheltering earth, is now stretching upward once again to live outwardly in the air and sun. Humans, as members of nature, are also stretching outward towards the air and the sunshine. We are celebrating surviving through the long winter and through trials and tribulations. We are upright and productive and valued. We are together in that common experience even as we are physically apart.
Some activities that accompany this seasonal celebration include the following ideas.
- Planting seeds– peas, squashes, radishes, and hearty green leafy vegetables can be sown directly into the outside soil at this time of year.
- Watching the moonrise, there is always a full moon during this particular week of seasonal celebration. Take the family out to see it rise and enjoy the freshness of the air, the new light it casts over burgeoning earth and the renewal you feel.
- Egg decorating– celebrating symbols of renewal by decorating eggs with color or inscribing them with hot beeswax as in pysanka, Ukrainian egg decorating tradition. If you wish to learn more about the Pysanka method please feel free to contact us at wca@waldorfmoraine.org.
- Raising chicks and honey bees– this is a time of birth for many creatures and it is no surprise that families are drawn to the delicate nurturing of new life.
- Baking dough, whether our acknowledgment comes through unleavened dough or yeasted, rising dough, delivers a gift of beauty, good taste, enticing aroma, and all-around nourishing quality. (as evidenced by shortages of flour in the markets).
- Taking a walk in the woods– Discover new growth, new scents, sounds, and lively activity. From peepers to beavers to frogs and insects, new life abounds in the wild.
We celebrate your thriving presence during this season and we wish you fortitude and blessings in all the rich ways you choose to acknowledge them.
As you may have read last week, we are starting a series of stories from our fellow Waldorf families about our new routines at home.
Our New Normal
This week we welcome an update from fellow villagers, Jessica Brand Alves, Dennis Alves and kindergartner, Emerson, who just turned six-years-old on March 26th. In addition to her role as founder of A Cookbook Club (ACookbookClub.com), Jessica has been managing our faculty/staff lunches all year long. Thank you, Jessica!
Here is their family’s new normal.
The Alves family is feeling very cozy in their home in downtown Salem. Both Dennis and Jessica are working full-time at home — the norm for Jessica, but an adjustment for Dennis. Emerson (Kindergarten) is ever-present and really feeling the urge to stay close to either one of us. At times, he’s had to rely on our dog, Kent, to be his companion while he plays. There are days when it feels like the chaos around us creeps into our home environment. The dirty dishes (lots and lots of cooking and “making inventions” with Emerson) pile up more than usual, toys seem to be finding new homes throughout our space (oftentimes in the high-traffic areas), our sofa converted into a fort that stays up for days, scattered laundry, dog toys, and more. Instead of being consumed by the feeling of chaos and overwhelm, we’re doing what humans do best — adapt. All of this is part of our evolution. We won’t be the same people on the other side of this as we were before. A new normal awaits us, and so we wait. Together.
So, dear villagers, how are you doing and what are you doing?
Please let us know if you would like to contribute to our story series.
Send us your interest or anything you wish to compose. We can print more than one family update so go ahead and start writing!
wca@waldorfmoraine.org
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Book Group
Our next zoom call gathering is TBA around the middle of May. We are reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall-Kimmerer. It is a refreshing take on the mothering we receive from our human mothers to Mother Nature. Join us by writing to Deann Reyes-Wangh at dreyeswangh@waldorfmoraine.org
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Keep in Touch
Keep your photos coming. We love to see what you are up to at home. If you all have any ideas or requests for us please do contact us at wca@waldorfmoraine.org