Spring! Brings new things...

We had Sunshine today!

It’s so beautiful. I finally have an apartment with east and west windows so I get the sunrise and sunset….. Nice!

My apologize, I’ve managed to read blogs, but barely had time to post or comment…. Everyone has been writing so much lately! Spring in the air everywhere! I follow a really different variety of bloggers. Food of course! I love the ones with pictures, I like to make sure mine looks like its supposed to.. I haven’t gotten much time to post recipes with my little granddaughter {Lavendar the baker} She’s had tons of homework, and I’ve been busy. I hope we can get back to baking at least once in a while! soon!  {whoops, gardening season, hmmm }

I forgot how much work babies are…. watching the grandbabies for my daughter, she works 40 hours, I work 50 {might be why I get so pooped out} Little Sage hasn’t slowed down since he started walking while baby brother was in the hospital being born, last November! If it wasn’t for a playpen, I don’t think he’d stop long enough to fall asleep. If it wasn’t for the playpen, I’d never make it everyday….. My kids grew up going camping or to the park, a lot. Once we moved into a house they had a backyard. Granny lives in an apartment now – upstairs no less, so it’s difficult for me to take the boys outside much around here. It’s been so cold and they’ve had colds and the flu seems like all winter. I’m really hoping as it warms up I’ll figure out a way to get two babies down the stairs and we can go for walks!

I love being outside. It helps me breathe, sleep, relax, think, deal with life….. and sometimes it smells so good, depending on if it’s after the rain, or if someone just mowed their lawn. Once in a while somebody baked something good or the blooms of those beautiful flowers ……. Mind you I like the smell of puppy breathe and horses too..

It gets you thinking about school and the educations children are getting these days. So many budget cuts and extra programs cut – this cut that cut… When ever I ask the grand girls how was school? or what did you learn today? they say ‘nothing’… They are never excited to tell me about school, what they do or what they learn. ….. How are we expecting children to get a good education if we’re boring them, in stuffy stale rooms…… I remember being taken outside during nice days to do our classwork in the school field. We’ve become so bio-phobic, we don’t let our children play outside anymore. Heck, we’ve even put sanitizer stands at the entry to Walmart…. What ever happen to the days of ‘just wash your hands before you eat anything’? I understand we’ve gotten ‘contamination’ here and there, but I think we’re getting contamination fever!  We need to adjust the dial, we’ve gone from one extreme to the other. …….

As many know, I’m a ‘homeschoolin’ mom. My kids did some time in public schools and some time home schooling. Out of 5 children – 3 have GED’s – 1 returned to public school to get a HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA and 1 didn’t complete for ‘technical’ reasons. As young adults, many of the employers and former employers of my kids – have claimed them to be ‘the best employee’, often times, my daughters have received requests asking them to return… So when it comes to ‘educating’ my kids, I think I did ok.  As a home schooling mom, we did a lot of ‘field trips’ and hands on ‘eyes on’ learning, over the everyday, sit in the same room learning. Mind you Papa and I set up a room in our house for ‘school’. No TV no ‘front door’ traffic, basically no distractions for the kids…. and boy was it hard to keep their attention when they were in that room, especially together. … They studied better in the livingroom with the curtains open and the TV on and life happening around them.. As a Grandma, I’m concerned for my grandchildren’s education and how it’s going to continue to suffer the budget cuts.

Others who know me would know,  I’m a writer, like many other forms of ‘starving’ artists, writers have their place. Many years ago when internet and html was coming out { my first computer had a black screen with orange writing and NOTHING was click, cut copy or paste} I learned all that crazy html writing to make web pages…..  quenching my thirst to write {for a while} I had also created my own internet webpage business and that helped pay the bills…

Now, life has changed. I did the social media for a while, Yahoo 360 and Blogger. Then they announced a big shut down, after that ended, I wasn’t really into ‘my space’ and ‘facebook’ seemed more like Jerry Springer - So I went back to blogging. Only this time, instead of keeping my blogs ‘private’ I opened them up to ‘public’ … Guess you could say, it’s my way of writing the ‘book’ everyone around me keeps asking for

I decided to divide myself up – and write specifically in each direction……

GrannyMa’s – {me, the face you see when you meet me and I’ll probably still be in a bathrobe if it’s before noon}

Eco Friendly Daily Livin - I’m an environmental geek {raised in the 70′s by the cryin indian, who is now referred to as native american or aboriginal, to be edictly correct}

The Unique Critique - I’m an Organization Specialist {25 years experience… from a messy office to a hoarder - I can help}

What did you do for summer – Summer Vacation, {Scrapbook blog, with the grandgirls}

Urban Adventures - Our geocaching journey – my hobby and one of the many things I promote!

A Beautiful Rainy Day – The stories of my life { the times you’d talk quietly with a friend}

Now, I also maintain the website for Papa’s company {the bread and butter that feeds me and my crew} @ O hEaghra Enterprise, { I do the paperwork stuff for Papa as well, so he can go out and do the real work!}

Now ….. Here’s where this rambling is going to all come together to a point and hence, give meaning to the title of this very blog… {bet you were wondering if we were ever going to get there.} With all the afore mentioned details, you can really grasp – where this is gonna go now…….

I recently had a ‘guest’ blogger writing for my ‘Eco Friendly Daily Livin’, the subject matter ‘teaching children to think greener’.. This got me looking for ‘environmental’ learning materials. Homeschooling resources didn’t give me quite what I was looking for – so I went to my environmental resources……..

There is where I found it! I found so much, Papa fell asleep and woke up to me, still reading…. I was absorbed! and now one could say – on fire!

First off The Arbor Day foundation, is where I found this cute little family club, nature learning package….. then I found the playground designing concept, the greening your school ….. The World Forum Foundation and the NATURE ACTION COALLITION FOR CHILDREN - the CALL TO ACTION! {Hence, I’m not alone in my thinking that kids need to get outside more!}

Papa and I used the materials I found at Nature Explore @ Arbor Day Foundation, to put together a Nature Explore Junior Geocaching Trek – using the materials and 9 of our local parks…. Papa’s company put up the $500 to buy awards for the kids that complete the trek.. 

Others became interested. Someone said “You didn’t have to use your money”…. Next thing I knew, ideas forming, questions and answers flying via email……..We’ve done the Campfire leader, President of a Football association, Soccer Coach, Fundraising for this, carwash for that….. We’re tired of clubs that cost children’s families money… In today’s economy, the most of the children that need the clubs, can’t afford them. We want to create clubs and events that are free to the children and their families. Things to do, that don’t cost the families an arm and a leg for a few hours of a day or week…

How does a non profit organization get started?

Someone has an idea…

and then a few friends come along,

and Well - head on over to see what’s new in my world this spring…

Adults for Lil Sprouts –

Keep in mind, this site is just getting started and is being build to help us ‘build’ the organization…. Any imput from any of my talented friends would be greatly appreciated…..

We’re hoping to be up running and organized enough to have a local event on June 29th to celebrate International Mud Day! { Yep, there’s really a day to celebrate mud!}

Be sure to visit the World Forum Foundation and the Nature Action Collaberative for children….

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