Learning about Northampton, the Valley, and Being a Mom…One Day at a Time
My in-laws are about to walk up to the front door for a week-long visit, so I don’t know how much I will be able to write, but right now I’m thinking SNOW: sledding, and skiing (cross-country or down hill), tubing, angel-ing. If you have any suggestions for good places to enjoy the snow, please share in a comment. Maybe we’ll see you whizzing down the hills this week. xo
If you are looking for other fun activities for this week, check out Hilltown Families.
Every year about this time, I start thinking about how I can teach my children something about giving during a time when, at least for them, it is all about getting. I have a friend who celebrates her children’s half birthdays by making goodie bags and delivering them to children in local shelters. She does this every year with her children.
Last year, my daughter, then six, and I went to the toy store where she picked out a special stuffed animal for a child in the hospital. I was hoping that we might be able to give the gift directly to a child who was sick and spending the holidays in the hospital. I had called around, but couldn’t find any hospital with a “program” like that (in hindsight, I should have just shown up with my daughter and a gift. I’m pretty sure a nurse would have taken us to someone’s room). What we ended up doing was depositing the gift in a large gift box at the Children’s Floating Hospital in Boston. It was a little anti-climatic for me, but my daughter still loved the idea of some child in the hospital opening her gift.
Another idea I’m going to try was inspired by a Gazette article I read the other day. I want to have a special giving jar in the house where we can deposit loose change, and each year the children can decide (taking turns, of course) where the money will go. I think of all those loose coins on the window sill, under the sofa, the laundry machine…
Here are some other ideas I found:
I am still looking for the perfect giving opportunity. One that will help someone else, or at least make them happy, and also resonate with my children. If you have any ideas, or experience, giving with your children, please share it with us in a comment.
If I would have known what planing a birthday party in the winter meant before my first child was conceived, I might have planned things a little differently. But it does take me a while to learn a lesson, so I had another child born in December. That makes TWO winter birthdays to plan. I suppose I could move to Florida, where it really wouldn’t matter what time of year my child was born. But then we would have to live in Florida…
We go to those dreamy August birthday parties at sprinkler parks, or October birthdays at apple orchards, and I find myself thinking “How can I have an outside birthday in December in New England?” A sledding party would be fun, if it were in your backyard so you could then serve up food and cake without having to serve it on a hay bale. Last year, when we skiing at Nashoba Valley, I read about a snow tubing birthday parties! Who wouldn’t love that? But, at $32 per person, I would have to get a second or third job to cover the cost of the party. And even then, they could only invite three friends, max.
Consequently, I am always on the search for a a good space for a birthday party. Why not have it at your house, Ms. Cleaver, you ask? Well, since my two older children have birthdays two weeks apart, they like to have a joint party, which I am TOTALLY down for. This means that I only have to go through all the birthday rigmarole once; it also means I need space. So, come November, I started asking around: “Where do folks have indoor birthday parities around here?” Here’s what I got:
Universal Kids. I didn’t go for Universal Kids because I don’t like to be restricted by the number of children we can invite. Here, you can have 12 kids for $150, and then you have to pay $10 per extra child, with a maximum of 15. Now, call me a party maniac, but what’s a party- for TWO- under 20 people?
Hampshire Gymnastics in Amherst. Same issues as above, and it;s more expensive, at $200. But it is gymnastics, which is pretty cool.
Children’s Museum at Holyoke $136 for an hour and a half. 14 kid maximum.
Mad Science Parties which sounds really cool, fore the slightly older birthday boy or girl. $185 for one hour of entertainment.
The perk of paying for a birthday party is that so much is taken care of for you. Often times the cake, the snacks, the f!@#ing goody bags, and even the invitations. But the restrictions…
In the end, I DID end up having it here. We had 15 children in an 1100 sq. foot house. Sheer madness. But fun, and the kids got to decorate the house, bake and decorate the cakes, and best of all… have their friends over at their house. And if and when we move into a larger house, we can have a LARGER party, and you’re all invited.
If you know of any other places in the area that hosts birthday parties, or if you would like to share your opinion of one, please share in a comment.
I wish I could say I have read all these. Sadly, I am still working my way through the best of… when was my first child born? Ah, yes, Best of 2001. But it doesn’t keep me from dreaming! I listened to On Point’s show today about the Books of 2008, put down several of them on my on-line book list, and then kept digging for more good recommendations. Because you never know when the hurricane will become a sweet breeze- one that is perfect for laying in a hammock with a good book. Better know which one to pick up…
Some of the picks from On Point:
Joseph O’Neill’s Netherland
David Wroblewski’s The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
Shannon Burke’s Black Flies
Charles Bock’s Beautiful Children
Toni Morrison’s A Mercy
Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain
Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth (Her Interpreter of Maladies is one of my all time favorites!)
Other Fiction from New York Times Ten Best of 2008 List:
Stephen Millhauser’s Dangerous Laughter
Roberto Bulano’s 2666
I’m not a big Washington Post fan, but their entitled to their Top Ten, I suppose…
Roxana Robinson’s Cost
Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of Hedgehog
Gil Adamson’s The Outlander
(There is more, of course, in non-fiction but fiction is where I find light and grow. So, if you’re curious about the Non Fiction Bests, please check read more from the above links. 
There were more listed, but if you have time this year to read more than these, then you need to share your secret with the rest of us. If your favorite book from 2008 isn’t listed here, and you want to share your opinion, well, that’s what blogs are for. Please leave a comment.
Happy reading.
Just in time for the holidays, try this easy and delicious almond torte as an alternative to the standard pumpkin and pecan fare. This recipe is one of my favorites because it is alway popular at dinner parties and, though it looks like it’s the work of an expert baker, it is simple as…pie.
8-10 servings (if you have to share)
Pastry:
1 cup flour
1 TBS Sugar
pinch salt
1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 TBS pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. water
Filling: (so tasty, I could eat it by the spoonful)
3/4 C sugar
3/4 C whipping cream
1 TBS Grand Marnier or other orange flavored liquor, straight from your snifter
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
pinch salt
1 C sliced almonds
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 9? tart pan with removable bottom. In food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter. Pulse until mixture resembles course meal. In small bowl, combine vanilla and water. With processor running, gradually ad vanilla mixture to flour mixture. Process until dough just comes together. Press into prepared tart pan. Bake until set and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. (Don’t forget this part, like I usually do, or you’ll be bummed in the end. But you’ll still eat it.)
In small bowl, combine sugar- salt. Beat with fork until slightly thickened. Stir in almonds and mix well. Turn into prepared crust. Bake until the top forms a crust similar to pecan pie, 45-55 minutes. Remove from oven and cool thoroughly before serving- if you can.
Though I live a stone’s throw from Whately, I found out about Enterprise Farm’s new Winter CSA program from Laura and the Cambridge Moms Blog. Someone from the Davis Square farmers market had told her about it, and now it’s time to share this exciting news to Mass. folks East and West.
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, where you buy a “share”from the farm and in return receive a weekly shipment (or pickup for some farms) of produce, based on what is available on the farm. This is a way to support local farms and avoid buying sad (or happy but extremely expensive) supermarket produce. Based in Whately, MA, Enterprise Farms sells at farmers markets and runs a local CSA.
What is unique about this Winter CSA is that Enterprise farms has partnered with other farms along the east coast, so you will receive more than root vegetables from storage or hot house greens (like tomatoes, oranges, etc.) The brochure lists the following information. Note - the contents of the share would vary every week and they have provided a “typical” week’s box for reference.
Small Share: Includes 9 - 10 lbs produce each week and costs $27.50 per week. Typical Week’s Box: 4 oranges, 4 apples, 1 head lettuce, 1/2 lb tomatoes, 1 lb sweet potatoes, 1 lb carrots, 1 lb winter squash, 1 pepper, 1 onion, 1 eggplant, 1/2 lb green beans
Large Share: Includes 15 - 16 lbs produce each weeks and costs $37.50 per week. Typical Week’s Box: 6 oranges, 8 apples, 1 head lettuce, 1 lb tomatoes, 1 lb sweet potatoes, 1 lb carrots, 1 lb winter squash, 1 pepper, 2 onions, 1 eggplant, 1 lb green beans, 1 cucumber, 1 bunch basil, 1 bunch red chard
Enterprise Farm
413-665-8608 www.enterpriseproduce. com benneth@enterpriseproduce.com
This post was written by a friend of mine, Joan, who has chosen to focus her energy on eradication of nuclear energy in order to protect the environment and her family. She came to a GREEN Northampton meeting with me, where people were discussing ways to reduce the local carbon footprint. In her opinion, the best thing we could do to reduce our footprint is to close down the local coal plant and replace it with a greener energy producer. “Why is nobody talking about this coal plant in our backyard?” she wondered. I asked her to write what she knows about this local factory. It is surprisingly hard to find out information about it, she said, which only makes her more concerned about how anything will ever be done about changing it. In her own words:
So, here I am, a mother of two small children living at the foot of the Mount Tom Coal Burning Power Plant. What else can a woman, who has as much time as I, do but think about what is in the dust that I wipe up from the window sill and how it is connected to my local coal burner? I like to believe that all of us think about dust on a microscopic level. But seriously, what about all that mercury you hear about that comes out of the coal burners’ smoke stacks. I do hope you know that the big tall tower that you can see from I-91 is part of our very own, definitely not locally owned, coal burning power plant. So here we are living under it and having babies under it. Personally I would love to know what we are subjected to regarding this machine. As always the EPA is a good place to start.
So shall we begin a search for answers to this coal burning power plant we breath beneath, breed beneath, whose dust I wipe from my windowsills? What say you? I say that (not so) silent indignation swells inside of me, partly because I know we can do without Mount Tom’s measly 146 Megawatts and partly because my babies are left to consume its waste while some stock holder is reaping the benefits, and partly because I have been too lazy for the last 8 years to teach myself about this elephant in the room. Anyone care to know? Here is a super report pulled together by a few leading environmental groups. It is a fairly easy read for the lay person. Chapter 21 is good, but don’t be fooled by the following chapter. More to the point, please don’t think that all the politicians listed were the ones who thought to start monitoring mercury pollution. You know who it is. It is the fishermen, the hunters, the mothers who are the movers and shakers on this biz. Shall we shake it up around here? Hook me up with some more good links if you come across any. Here is some local activity that I came across.
Oh, and to mention more on local activity. Has anyone notice how heavy the trains are coming through town these days? Anyho, how does the sight of that tower affect you every time you see it? Let us know.
This year, when everyone around the globe is feeling the crunch of economic hardship, and non-profits are wondering how in the world they are going to maintain their crucial human relief and environmental services, how about we treat holiday shopping a little differently, and think about giving by giving…and giving again?
Here are a few great gift-giving programs, where you can give a gift of water for a village, a pig for a family, or an acre of land to preserve for our children. I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that when financial times are tough, a gift like one of these makes so much more sense than another snazzy tie.
Oxfam America UnWrapped One of the most reputable charities in the world offers so many options for good giving, it will make you think you’ve entered the Mall Of Love!
World Wildlife Federation How about this for an idea for your child’s gift: choose an endangered animal to adopt in your child’s name, and they mail your child the same stuffed animal to cuddle up with. Cool.
RainForest Action Network’s Protect an Acre Another great organization. I gave this gift to my father-in-law a couple of years ago, and he received this great certificate letting him know that his gift contributed directly to forest communities struggling to protect their rainforest homelands.
Heffer International This organization has mastered the science of bringing real economic change into poor, rural families around the globe. They have also mastered the art of good giving; they have a frickin’ gift catalog!
The Nature Conservancy The gift receiver will get a personalized certificate stating that he/she has helped to conserve precious coral reefs. They also get a membership card, and a year-long subscription to their very informative magazine.
The Internatinal Rescue Committee’s Gift Baskets I wouldn’t leave out my favorite charity. The IRC has put together very creative gift baskets you can purchase for your loved ones that provide crucial resources for refugees.
Those are the ones that I am personally aware of. If you are looking for more option, check out this blog– wow. If you know of others, please share in a comment.
This juicy nugget found by Maria, from my sister site, Cambridge Moms Blog.
OK, so we know we’re supposed to be limiting all media and screen time, but if you don’t live entirely media free (if you do, I applaud you, although I suppose you are not reading this blog. You are like a vegan to me; I admire your dedication, but many never quite understand how you manage it….)…..Here’s a parent-moderated site that brings you tasty little G-rated You Tube videos (some nice classic Sesame Street and Electric Company on there).
