Frame

Every day. Talks and thoughts about education. How to be there for our children, how to act when they grow up, how to understand their way of reply. Is it something in the air, are we facing a winter tiredness or an early spring? Do we deal as parents with more specific issues than our parents did' ? I don't think so. Born in the early seventies in the Netherlands meant to me a kind of free ticket for a mostly relaxed education. At the same time there were friends with very strict parents. Streams in education will differ in micro and macro settings. Within families, cultures, countries. This week a friend asked me: ''Are we becoming over protected towards our children?'' Maybe, some are, some not. To make life a bit easier and reasonable for both kids and parents, I think we should try to give an education within a concrete context. The context as a frame in which we construct a constellation of family values and expectations. I believe we need some rules to handle family life and to give a rich education. Without the frame I am lost! Talking to friends, parents, kids and following the media give me the same impression. Patience could be a linking pin in the frame and time a magical tool to construct happy and healthy relations between educators: parents and the school and the kids. As education isn't a prefab print, we should have all kind of discussions all time... See and frame.
''What's for dinner mum?'': ''Bio chicken with fresh lemon and parsley from the garden''.

Values & vegetables

Growing up, developing your spirit, relationships and friendships. Taking care of and being more aware of your body. Not always easy. No time to take a shower, tons of stuff to do. So much to undertake. Fun to go outside or sitting in the kitchen: having a break with a yoghurt, fruit, some Lindt chocolate. Homework, emails, facebook and msn. Roller skating, table tennis. family over, a cousin. The girls' house is no longer a girls' residence. There's a boy around, a young adult. We didn't meet the last 1,5 year since a summer vacation in Rome. The girls changed and their cousin did too. It takes time to find a new constellation in the house. But after ten days all four seem settled and happy. It is a learning process, it's a social network. Their perceptions and what they attend of this long visit are not the same I suppose. They all want to spend time together, being a family for this period of time. Talks about his near future and steps to take to prepare an admission at university. Solange will be at this point in 4,5 years. Class of 2014. Seems unreal and yet so close. Growing up. We'll all go through this. So different, so great, unsure, all those questions. Choices to be made. Decisions to be taken. Family values, peers influences. Beautiful memories to remember of my own youth when I hear the stories of my nephew. Makes me thinking of ships that passed by. Life for these young people is bloody serious: live and enjoy every day is my shortest message. For me as his aunt it's a true challenge to have him around. The food allergies he's facing, are vegetable, fruit and nuts related. I need to find some clues: as tomatoes, peppers, zucchinis and eggplant are just not eatable for him. Our table is again a place to talk about the meals we can have. And reading Michael Pollan makes it obvious that we should have - mostly - plants for dinner. Tonight we'll share pumpkin quiche and beteraves salad with onions.

Julia Child

Am I happy. My daughter Nuria just made me a fabulous compliment. 'This veal recipe Mummy could be one of Julia Child's dishes'. Wow. 'Thanks darling'.
I am back in the kitchen for new recipes. My nephew arrived this week for a long stay, probably three months. He is allergic and in a different way than my daughter. It feels as if I need to invent new tastes as he is especially allergic for all kinds of vegetables. Everything that sounds mediterranean is just not his cup of tea. It's back to Northern European roots. Tonight we had broccoli. I boiled the vegetables shortly. Added goat cheese from a local farm and poured honey. In the oven the cheese and the honey melted nicely together. The veal was prepared in sunflower oil and filled with Spanish ham and fresh herbs. Beautiful combination. Nuria was right indeed. Tomorrow we'll watch Julia Child, can't get enough of her.

Motions

Pearls desire
stones deepness
glass longing
mirrors reflecting
images transfer moments
all steps
life chain
daughters love
secrets hidden
images mirrors
stories glass
reflexing motions
colours
character
mirror