Wholesome Homecoming

Is there such a thing as a wholesome homecoming weekend? Sifting through the blog, one would never think we were the site of 3 giddy freshman girls primping for the dance. As the designated driver, I was privy to the eye candy out in front of the high school. In case you weren't aware, skin is "in"; showing lots of it and leaving little to the imagination.

This trip through homecoming weekend brought me to a nostalgic place. I can't remember anything about my time at the actual high school dances, only the time preparing for them....finding a date, a dress, a hairstyle and primping with the ladies. It made me miss my g's (aka girlfriends). This weekend also enlightened me about the effects that Britney Spears can have on a generation of girls and the wardrobe choices they make when given a little stylistic freedom. Spirit week is held during the week leading up to homecoming weekend. This year, Wednesday was 80's day. The 80's .... my high school decade .... another cause for nostalgia.... driving us straight to YouTube to ponder the hmmm...progress? First stop, Tiffany.

Now, I know what your saying, "one hit wonder ..." but this song is still a dance club sensation. What we noticed at first was that Tiff is in the mall. As a Jersey Girl and a red head, I feel a kinship coming on. Second, and more to the point, the girl is wearing clothes. She is a talented singer, a lukewarm dancer, and probably would have had more than one hit if she showed a little skin. But, this was a hit and she is dressed for a New Jersey autumn, in layers.

Fast forward, why don't we, to Britney Spears

Now the girls getting ready for last weekend's homecoming dances and bustin' the moves with the dudes on the dance floor in the cafeteria grew up with Britney, came of age with low riders and whale tails and tramp stamps, and thanks to an obesity crisis, the muffin top. All I got, courtesy of the 80's, was an off the shoulder sweatshirt, leg warmers, a Boy-Toy belt and a can of Aqua-Net.

I'm not proposing censorship or greater oversight at dances or a boycott of Glee (Yup, even in a house without a TV, you can watch TV online). I just love to look at the changes in adolescent society over time. I'm curious about how our girls' minds and hearts get shaped by their exposure to society. Adolescence is the first chance most girls have to make choices and experience a thread of independence. It is the place when, as a parent, I suck in my breath and hope all we've talked about over the years, at the dinner table, in the car, at the bedside....all those teachable moments add up to the sum of a well-balanced soul. Here I sit, having launched my oldest heart off into the homecoming dance....wanting for a wholesome weekend.

There are 10 years between our oldest and youngest.... We have Emma to thank for teaching us how to be parents and Flora to thank for testing out all our strategies. On Sunday night, I taught Emma how to milk the cow for the first time. She approached the situation with a modest amount of trepidation, preferring Facebook to the barn. I hardly ever push her to participate in farm work, wanting to meet her where she is whenever possible. However, there are some things I want her to leave the farm saying with pride that she knows how to do and milking the cow is one of those things. When she does join us in a farm adventure, I love her company, her humor and the gift of time spent with family. I also love that she's willing to stay inside and make us a delicious pie to eat when we come in from the field.

These 3 piglets arrived at the farm for the 2nd time on Thursday. They are named Dotty (the pink male with the dots on his rump), Window Seat (the other pink guy who seems to be found most frequently next to the window in the pig pile) and the girl with the mask is ChewChew. Flora has inherited Emma's role of naming new animals who arrive at the farm. This includes insects, rodents, livestock, and songbirds captured by naughty cats. The piglets are living in the front of the house, adjacent to our driveway. They are doing the hard work of overturing the sod in this area so that we might plant in to a garden in the spring. With great ease and fine fertility, the pigs have co-operated nicely over the years to help develop the small gardens throughout the farm. Each spring and fall, we find a new spot that wants to be developed into a garden and that becomes the seasonal home for the pigs. This winter will be especially lovely on our favorite Farm TV station. This is what we call the winter view from the window by our kitchen table. A glance up from the Times Reader on my iPod at breakfast reveals cows, sheep, chickens, geese, ducks and now pigs. The first time these pigs tried moving to the farm, they were way too small and snuck right through the wires, sending us on a crazy, dark pig chase the likes of which I would be happy to never experience again.

And now you probably want to know what's in your share this week. We have 2 more weeks to go after this one.

This week's harvest:

Lettuce

Kale

Spinach

Potatoes

Carrots

Leeks

Onions

Candy Roaster Pumpkin

Butternut Squash

Rosemary

Celery -- really an herb rather than an "ants-on-the-log" snacker.

Radishes

Giant Kohlrabi -- wow, I can't believe we're distributing these monsters... From the Fedco seed catalog: "Unlike other kohlrabi, this Czechoslovakian heirloom doesn’t get woody even when it grows enormous. Gigante’s crisp white mildly tangy flesh will add zest to your meals while you await the first edible greens of spring. Sow in spring for late fall harvest. A root cellar staple and a favorite of market grower Jason Kafka who plants a 300' bed." Recipes...

Blessings on the meal,

Stacy