km-adventures

[km-adventures]

Small Steps Forward Together

One of the challenges this country and we all face is unity. We need to work together to solve problems. We need to reach out of our comfort zone, our privilege, and our immediate community. How and what that means is different to us all. 

This month - I am going to attend three events that were sponsored and planned by communities within my larger community.  But I am going to learn, support, grow and resist together because small steps forward are the only way we are going to unite.

Here are three events that I am planning to participate in during February to continue to take small steps forward together.  Please join me and pass the information on!

Saturday, February 11 Moral March on Raleigh: Join us and a few thousand friends as we march together. Here is some information directly from the website: The Moral March on Raleigh is part of a love and justice movement. We fight for an intersectional agenda to support public education, economic sustainability, workers’ rights and livable wages, health care For all, medicaid expansion, environmental justice, equal protection under the law without regard to race, immigration status, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation, voting rights for all, and criminal justice.

I am taking the Planned Parenthood Bus leaving from Chapel Hill with my daughters and friends. As of yesterday, there was still plenty of room. Join us - it will be powerful to go as a group.

Thursday, February 16 Smith Middle School is Planting Hope: Join us that evening (6:30pm) in the auditorium as the some of the youth authors of PORCH’s Planing Hope, along with children’s book author, Susie Wilde, PORCH representatives and Carrboro- Chapel Hill School Staff speak about community partnerships and communities coming together to find Hope. Please support our local youth!

Thursday, February 23 Characters of Color Count: How to use children’s literature to talk about race and racism.  Children’s book author, Susie Wilde and retired CHCCS librarian, Blue Ribbon Mentor and member of the Campaign for Racial Equity in Our Schools are presenting at the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter- Day Saints.  In January, this talk had a packed house and we hope it continues. 

And an offer to anyone that wants to join us: 

Sunday, February 5 Letter Writing with Youth: I am hosting a letter writing, postcard making, snack eating afternoon at my house from 2-4:30. I will have pre-printed postcards, blank cards, sample letters and snacks (along with 100 postcards stamps and some regular stamps to get us started). Feel free to pop in for 10 minutes or 2 hours. 

[km-adventures]

Ways to Resist With Children

I realize that many families with children of all ages (mine fall in the tween and teen category) are looking for new, more or first ways to resist.  I am going to list a few that we do or friends have suggested. And I would say, you are the best judge of what fits your family:

Large Events: There are different large events that we can all participate in.  Rallies, vigils, and marches are a good way for children to feel like they are part of a bigger movement. They can see that they are not alone and that by uniting we can solve problems. (and for the record, even this adult, needs to be surrounded by larger groups of people to be reminded that we are not alone) Standing together is a powerful force. The next march we are planning on attending 11th Annual Moral March on Raleigh.

Letter Writing Campaigns: There are many out there. Feel inspired - write your own for what you believe in. Need some inspiration - here are two sources: 

League of Women Voter’s NC

Women’s March

(These are tough times, if you know a political figure or local business that has stood up for what is right - support them, show them the love and thank them on their facebook page, twitter and other forms of social media. We need to stand together and often we forget that means to also thank and not just demand action.)

Locals: I am going to be posting on my facebook a test run of a postcard/letter writing day at our house for all ages. If it is successful, then we will do more.

Phone Calls: Call your congressperson, your senator or local officials on topics that are important to you and your family.   Here are some good sources of information:

Find your elected officials through Orange County

Here is a great article to read from TeenVogue (yes, TeenVogue is quite the political read these days) on Phone Call tactics.

Chapel Hill - Carrboro Public School Parents: The next delayed opening is next Thursday. That is a great opportunity to get a few business hour phone calls in with your youth.

Read: What books are you reading as a family? Reading Harry Potter - good -that has some good morals to discuss, about the youth being the leaders and perseverance. It took 7 books to have a resolution- we are only in the first week of this presidency.  

Find books that bring discussions about past, current, and future.  Hard topics are even more important than topics we want to address.  We just finished a very long book - so we are breaking for a graphic novel - next up:

The Silence of Our Friends: The Civil Rights Strugggle Was Never Black And White: Mark Long, Jim Demonakos and Nate Powell

Most important - if you read the news -  stick with the real news sites - 

Boycott: I am adding this one because I realize that we do this and talk about it as a family.  If we know of a company (large or small) that holds very different values, we do everything in our power to not use their services. Our kids know this and we have seen them make the choices on their own.  

Participate:

Find what you believe in and seek ways to be part of the movement. Volunteer your time. Donate what you can. There are small and big opportunities out there every single day. Find the one(s) that spark your interests and follow them.  Here are five local ways to participate and all are part of the bigger resistance. 

Book Harvest: Have your child clean out their bookshelf or have them do a book drive. 

PORCH: Join the volunteer efforts in the community in helping to feed our neighbors. (Leave a bag of groceries out for your neighborhood PORCH volunteer, help with a food sort or sponsor a family or school.

Ride for Choice: Participate in the Bike Ride for Planned Parenthood

SONAM: Listen to music on from 7-9pm on February 11 (at Judea Reform) and all proceeds will go toward refugee support in the area. 

Compost: Compost at home, bring it to the Carrboro Farmer’s Market (and even volunteer to be the compost greeter)

Still Need Ideas:

Book Clubs: Start a book club and pick books that spark youth interests and address challenges we are facing. 

Community Get Togethers: I just read about a group in our areas having a potluck to talk about Unity as a direct result of a hate crime that occurred after the election. 

There are so many more ways that we all can do more and must do. This is just a start and hopefully, one or more idea will be helpful or spark an idea. Share your ways you RESIST as a family.

[km-adventures]

We are:

We are a family. We are a family that loves each other.  We are a family that strives to do our best to make the world a better place. We are a family that is not perfect. But, in this time in our country and our world - we are a family that:

Talks: We talk about what concerns us. We talk about what is going on and we don’t sugar coat it. 99% of the time, one of the girls will initiate the conversation. We will talk at the table, during homework, on a walk or in the car.  And when the talking isn’t enough, we seek help. This is not a time to be shy and not admit when we need help.

Listens: We listen to what is concerning around us in our community, nation, and world. We will listen to stories, we will listen to speakers and we listen to our own instinct.

Reads: As a family, we’ve always read together. Now is more important than ever. Two, three or four of us can be found every night sharing a book. Sometimes the books are for escape (like the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan), some are read like we are on stage (Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson) and some are to find hope and leaders to inspire. (I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, by Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai)

Writes: There are different ways to we use writing.  We use journalling for self-reflection.  We write postcards and letters to elected officials - and sometimes, those are to thank them for standing up for a tough position. And sometimes a school assignment turns into a way to process what is going on. My favorite is the time when one class assignment ended up being a letter to the editor of the local newspaper.

Focuses: We are a family that focuses on specific concerns. Right now, it feels as though ever single value we hold dear is at stake. And if we do not work on everything, we often feel like we will fail. The truth is - you have to focus in on a few issue areas and trust your friends that they will cover what they are most concerned with and together we will solve the problems.  If a friend calls for help - we will support another cause and in return we hope others will do the same.  On a daily basis, we have picked our priorities and make our donations whether they be goods, financial or volunteer time.

Marches: We are a family that marches.  The March on Washington was not the first, but by far the largest march the girls participated in.  And it will not be the last. We will participate in the 11th Moral March in Raleigh on February 11 at 8:30am.

Resists: We are a family that will resist being divided. We will stand together and we will refuse to allow hate to rule. We will see truth, not lies. We all belong. We will resist.

[km-adventures]

Updated Gluten Free Challah Post

This is an updated post to my last GF Challah Post: 

For this Rosh Hashanah I decided to make Raisin and Chocolate Chip Challah. I used the Round Challah Roll Pans. (These are super useful - I make plain ones and freeze them - so that I have snack for the kids when they go to religious school or other events. )

After I mixed the dough I added 1/4 cup of raisins and 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.  I used the challah recipe from Pamelas gf mixes... however - I used GF King Arthurs flour today. 

Here is the originally post:

Gluten Free Challah can be a challenge. It doesn’t matter if you make it or if you buy it. In preparing for my daughter’s Bat Mitzvah I was sure I had solved the problem - I had found a baker that could make a gluten free challah. I figured I wasn’t going to have time to make a challah or two or three or more for the weekend.  Long story short - the plan didn’t work. 10 days before the Bat Mitzvah I was faced with the following options:

1. No Challah for my daughter - you know the one who was becoming a Bat Mitzvah, the one who every Friday is faced with not having a Challah when we are not at home…  Yeah, that option was not going to work this week!

2. Order one online and have it shipped. I am sure there are others  - there is only one that I know of… Katz has a whole line of gluten free products and overall pretty good for being shipped a bunch of states away…  I could have ordered a large Katz Challah for both Friday and Saturday and be done with it for $70.  Sure, that is a solution, but as the Mama - I needed to come up with a solution that sang fresh, local love.

3. Make it from scratch. Well, technically, I could spend a long time in the kitchen making the challah perfect. I do have a favorite cookbook I use on a regular basis for homemade challah. Nosh on This by Lisa Stander-Horel and Tim Horel is my go to book for the classics. The Challah and Hamentashen recipes have been game-changers in our household. And to be honest - the hamentashen recipe is possibly our favorite post or pre gluten free requirements.  However, this special weekend, I needed to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible. I wanted to embrace every second I could so that I could look back and replay moments with my daughter, all of my family and friends and not the kitchen….  

No, I needed a middle ground…  which led me to option 4.

4. Make it from semi-scratch. That meant using Pamela’s challah recipe and bread mix. And using a challah pan. A what you ask? Yup, a pan shaped like a challah. Is that Kosher? Well, I found this little treasure while on vacation last year at a synagogue gift shop. So for me, that works.  This recipe is simple - put the ingredients in one bowl, mix and pour into the pan. Then let it rise and bake. My little trick - I find the silicone pan cooks it a little faster than the recipe calls for. So I take it out after about 45 minutes. Pop it out, brush it with egg and cook it for another 10-15 minutes.  I made one Thursday night and one Friday afternoon.  (I also made one and froze it as a backup).

The problem was solved, I was not in the kitchen all afternoon, it looked great, my daughter got challah but most importantly, I got to savor every minute of her…

[km-adventures]

Wait, I Can Get a Pita With That?

Originally, written for 42Local.com in 2014

Last year, my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  I immediately took to action and cleared the way for a gluten free home and lifestyle.  Those first few months were rocky. I was the lady you would pass in the grocery aisles holding a product in one hand and my smart phone in the other. Not only was I checking the ingredients, I was cross references the companies web page.  It would take an hour to buy three items on my grocery list.

Overtime, I have gotten pretty good at maneuvering through the gluten free world and it does not take me a day to get a bag of groceries.

It took several months after the diagnosis before  we were ready to venture out to eat.  Upon my daughter’s request, our first stop was one of our local favorites, Mediterranean Deli. Every single items is clearly labeled for food allergies, so we felt like this was a good start.  Many of their items are locally sourced. To top it off, they offer homemade gluten free pita bread.  My daughter’s eyes got huge and she said,

“Wait, I Can Get Pita With That?”

Yes, you can!

Mediterranean Deli’s  gluten free pita has  been certified 100% gluten free by the Gluten Intolerance Group.

This is the only  gluten-free pita sold locally both at the restaurant and Weaver Street Market.

In doing online searches – this is one of the only gluten free pitas available nationally!  And…

The price is by far the best out there.

$4.99 for Mediterranean Deli’s 4-pack of gluten-free pita

The  brands I was able to find online were: $63.66 for  a 24 pack; $52.88 for a 24 pack and $19.98 for 2 pack.

Thanks Med Deli for keeping it local, keeping it reasonably priced and keeping a smile on my daughter’s face!

[km-adventures]

Books, Books and More Books

In the summer of 2014, a friend asked us to help out on a project. So, we picked up five cartons of books and headed over to a local elementary school. Then we set up a free mini bookstore.

It was there, we learned what Book Harvest and PORCH really meant to our community.  It was there that we quickly learned both would become a big part of our world. 

For both girls and myself, from that moment on, it became a monthly commitment. Every month, we grab our boxes of Book Harvest books and set up at the same elementary school. We then help distribute both PORCH groceries and Book Harvest books to members of our community. 

Klara knows some of the children by name. Some we can see jumping up and down in their seats anxious to go get their free books.  Even in some cases, Klara knows the parents and if the kids aren’t with them, she will have a several books and put them in the passing car. 

So it was no surprise when Klara began to think about doing a service project for her becoming a Bat Mitzvah she would turn to books. Even in her D’Var Torah (speech given during her service) she says: 

One cause that’s been important to me is Book Harvest. Book Harvest is a local nonprofit that gives free books to children. I have organized book drives and encouraged others to do the same. Each month, I participate in Well Fed and Well Read, which is a partnership program between Book Harvest and a food insecurity group called PORCH. While families collect groceries from PORCH (Miriam volunteers there), I help children pick free books to keep, read and love. Everyone should be able to read a book. Everyone should be able to read lots of books. When we have access to books, we can understand views not shared. And that helps us have a better and more fair world.

She was so determined to reach a goal of over 1000 books that she approached different groups. She asked her Middle School to set up a book drive at the end of the school year and her orthodontist (Severt Smiles) even held a book drive in both their locations.  (We are also happy to report, that her efforts, inspired others to donate money to Book Harvest.) Together, with her guests, friends, family and her own money she was able to surpass her goal.

Though this book drive has come to a close, her dedication has only grown. In Klara’s own words: 

Reading has become such an important part of my life that I work with Book Harvest to help return this gift.

[km-adventures]

Simple DIY Centerpieces

We just celebrated as our oldest daughter became a Bat Mitzvah. It was her desire to keep the celebration local, green and gluten free. As a family we embraced her choice and worked together to be creative and using as much up-cycled and waste free items as possible.  

We began with her interest. Klara loves a local nonprofit called, Book Harvest. Book Harvest provides free books to children in our area. Through the help of friends, family, her school and orthodontist - she collected over 1300 children’s books to be donated so that children in our community could love and read their own books.  We took  stacks of the books and wrapped them in ribbon from the Scrap Exchange, a local reuse nonprofit.  We then placed Book Harvest descriptions on the table.  

To top them off - we added herbs that were grown in our friend’s garden. The little vases that we used were originally used by a friend’s daughter seven years ago. We added our own personal touch by painting the inside of the glass globes with green and blue paint (previous Scrap Exchange finds). The goal was to give them an “earthy” feel. 

awaiting the fresh herbs

diy earth globes

The final step taken was to add a little color and function to the table. We wrapped the cutlery in green and blue napkins and placed them inside the drinking glasses. 

close up: pre fresh herbs

different viewpoint

Total Cost: $25

Books: No cost

Ribbons: $5 in total - (Scrap Exchange)

Book Harvest Descriptions: $20 to print in color at print shop (we cut them ourselves)

Painted Vases: No cost (vases reused, paint found at Scrap Exchange but from previous project)

Fresh Herbs: No Cost

Waste: None

Books: Donated

Ribbons: Reused or Donated back to Scrap Exchange

Painted Vases: Some given away at event and remainder donated

Herbs: Some given away at event and remainder composted

Book Harvest Descriptions: Some were taken and the remainder were recycled

[km-adventures]

Gluten Free Dessert Decisions

photo by JP’s Pastry

I bet you are expecting me to say that finding gluten free desserts for a Bat Mitzvah were going to be a challenge?  And what about ones that are made locally? Or even ones that the baker will work with you so that you can still have a waste free celebration and you will only allow them to use paper wrappers and not foil? And I bet you are thinking.... even if they find all of the above - how will it taste?  

Well, picking JP’s Pastry was one of the easiest decisions we made.

The four of us went to JP’s Pastry well in advance and sampled a bunch of cupcakes.  My girls had a ball seeing the place where the cupcakes are made, meeting the bakers, making the choices on the flavors and even discussing the cupcake wrappers and designs. 

photo by JP’s Pastry

So many choices.... We all had our favorites, but in the end we decided on four flavors: lemon, vanilla, chocolate with nutella frosting  and vegan chocolate with vanilla frosting. 

photo by JP’s Pastry

And the taste: Did I forget to mention that all the guests were thrilled with the cupcakes? I am sure that several attendees were hesitant to believe that an entirely gluten free cupcake dessert display could taste this good!  But, it was that good and more! Many guests were sampling each flavor. As a matter of fact one friend told me the only problem she had with the desserts, “ They were so good, I HAD to have a second.”

Though we have three years until the next Bat Mitzvah, it is clear that we already know who we will be reaching out to for desserts...  

Lucky for us JP’s Pastry just started to sell some of their products at Weaver Street Market. (Try the Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin.)

And if you are wondering if Klara was happy with her cupcake selection...  I think this should answer your question.

[km-adventures]

Gluten Free  Challah Solutions

Gluten Free Challah can be a challenge. It doesn’t matter if you make it or if you buy it. In preparing for my daughter’s Bat Mitzvah I was sure I had solved the problem - I had found a baker that could make a gluten free challah. I figured I wasn’t going to have time to make a challah or two or three or more for the weekend.  Long story short - the plan didn’t work. 10 days before the Bat Mitzvah I was faced with the following options: 

1. No Challah for my daughter - you know the one who was becoming a Bat Mitzvah, the one who every Friday is faced with not having a Challah when we are not at home...  Yeah, that option was not going to work this week!

2. Order one online and have it shipped. I am sure there are others  - there is only one that I know of... Katz has a whole line of gluten free products and overall pretty good for being shipped a bunch of states away...  I could have ordered a large Katz Challah for both Friday and Saturday and be done with it for $70.  Sure, that is a solution, but as the Mama - I needed to come up with a solution that sang fresh, local love. 

3. Make it from scratch. Well, technically, I could spend a long time in the kitchen making the challah perfect. I do have a favorite cookbook I use on a regular basis for homemade challah. Nosh on This by Lisa Stander-Horel and Tim Horel is my go to book for the classics. The Challah and Hamentashen recipes have been game-changers in our household. And to be honest - the hamentashen recipe is possibly our favorite post or pre gluten free requirements.  However, this special weekend, I needed to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible. I wanted to embrace every second I could so that I could look back and replay moments with my daughter, all of my family and friends and not the kitchen....  

No, I needed a middle ground...  which led me to option 4.

4. Make it from semi-scratch. That meant using Pamela’s challah recipe and bread mix. And using a challah pan. A what you ask? Yup, a pan shaped like a challah. Is that Kosher? Well, I found this little treasure while on vacation last year at a synagogue gift shop. So for me, that works.  This recipe is simple - put the ingredients in one bowl, mix and pour into the pan. Then let it rise and bake. My little trick - I find the silicone pan cooks it a little faster than the recipe calls for. So I take it out after about 45 minutes. Pop it out, brush it with egg and cook it for another 10-15 minutes.  I made one Thursday night and one Friday afternoon.  (I also made one and froze it as a backup). 

The problem was solved, I was not in the kitchen all afternoon, it looked great, my daughter got challah but most importantly, I got to savor every minute of her... 

[km-adventures]

A 9 year old explains Saturday School

This year the Chapel Hill School District faced a dilemma. With our unusual weather the Board had to make up time in the calendar. I am not saying this was an easy solution - however the choice of Saturday School - is not the default answer. 

As a parent of two children in the school district I am disappointed in the choice the Board made (and it was a choice- not the only option). I wrote my letter and Stephan went to the Board. However, we are the parents- not the children.  

If you want to know what one 9 year old said about it- here is her response to the class assignment: Write a persuasive essay on why or why not we should have Saturday School.

Saturday School

by Miriam 

I think that children should not have to go to school on Saturday. In my paper I will state 3 reasons that I believe supports the topic. I believe there are many different reasons for no Saturday School.

I think it is not fair to the teachers. The weekend is our teachers time with their families. NC teachers don’t get paid fairly. It’s alot to ask them to come to school on the weekend. Also lots of teachers have second jobs. They may lose them because the have to go to school. If teachers are at school then they have to hire a babysitter.

Saturday is a Religious holiday for Jewish people. It’s important to know that for a Jewish kid going to school on Saturday is like a Christian kid going to school on Sunday. It is disrespect for students and teachers who are Jewish. Saturday schools make Jewish kids and teachers feel like they don’t matter, they are not important and people don’t care. Many families had to choose between going to school or following their beliefs. 

Even my first day back one student really hurt my feelings. He didn’t understand how important it was to me and he did not care.

Saturday school gives not enough time to rest on the weekend. With Saturday school it is a very short weekend to do your own things. Many people have to clean and get ready for the new week.

I believe there are better ways to have make up days instead of Saturday school. One example is we could make up the time by adding an extra 15 minutes to each day to the school week. I have a friend in my dance group that gets there late because her school is doing that.  As you can see in my paper there are many reasons why Saturday school is not a good answer.

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GF Grandparenting

There is nothing like being a grandparent, from what I have heard….

My kids  (and my parents) remind me of that EVERYDAY. See – I live in a multi-generational home.  My house consists of my parents, my husband, my two daughters and a pet frog, Harry.

To me, this seems normal. When I was a child, we lived with my grandmother. My other grandmother liked the independence of living on her own – but she would visit regularly and often stayed for months at a time. (And for the record my grandmother lived on her own until she was 101 years old.) My husband, being from Europe, it was much more common and expected for grandparents to be part of the home. Each set of his grandparents lived with one of their children and grandchildren.

There are many great things about my children growing up with grandma and grandpa. They see grandpa every morning before going to school. (Grandma is NOT a morning person, so we all let her sleep.) They see grandma after-school every afternoon (Grandpa takes a nap at that time – since he has been up since 5am.) And they eat dinner together almost every night of the week.

There are of course many little perks that we all take for granted. My youngest can stay home with her grandparents, if I need to take my older daughter somewhere. If I am running late, there is always someone there to meet the bus or drive to school. In turn, I am known to be a great chauffeur for long trips or health crisis coordinator.

One of our most complex areas we have to come to terms with is food. Living together has created compromises on both sides of the table. My folks cooking and tastes differ from my husband and my tastes.  My folks are also on a no sugar (but use sugar substitute) no salt, no spice diet. My dad’s palate didn’t include rice until their 10th year of marriage. To add to the mix, we are gluten free. We have to keep the kitchen gluten free for health reasons, so we have to be 100% sure there is no cross contamination.

When we moved in together, we did not know that being strictly gluten free was on the horizon. As we navigated that start-up phase, it took a little getting used to on all sides of the kitchen table.

Even if there are no grandparents living in your house, as long as they are visitors –  you will encounter the discussion of food.

For all those that this hits home – here are some helpful lessons we learned:

Weekly Meal Plan: On Sundays, my folks know our schedule for the week and what we plan to eat for dinner. This gives everyone the freedom to chose whether or not we eat together or find alternative options.

Coming to Agreements: We came to an agreement early on – that the priority is everyone’s health. We made the kitchen a gluten free zone, this meant removing all storage or cooking materials that might not usable again due to gluten contamination. (And that went for the beautiful Italian Pasta Maker my mother bought my husband for the holidays that year – only used 3 times before we discovered the health issue.)

Gluten Zone: I admit it – Grandpa is allowed his bagel. And every once in a while my folks get take out from Neal’s Deli. For these gluten treats, they eat from the garden view. Basically, they eat their sandwich in their living room on a little table where they have for afternoon tea or play cards with friends.  There is a gluten toaster that is on a tray away from everything else. Any kitchen items used like a plate or knife must bewashed immediately and put in the dishwasher. Any food item that is touched must be eaten at that same time or kept in glass clearly marked. An example would be if he used cream cheese and double dipped the knife – that would need to be used at that seating or placed in a marked glass bowl to avoid cross contamination. A cloth is used to wash the area and placed in the washing machine right after one use.  (OH yeah – we are all that strict.)  To be honest, overtime, we have found enough meals and food to keep in the house that there is little to no need for this. If my folks are going to enjoy gluten – it is 99% of the time done at a restaurant.

 Restaurants: We all like to go out to eat together.  My folks like to take the girls out. To reduce the stress, we all have found several restaurants that all 6 of us like, can find options and it is gluten free savvy. (Venable Bistro, Med Deli, Alfredo’s Pizza, Refectory and Jason’s Deli) My folks have been to Primal which is an entirely Gluten Free Restaurant in Durham. They enjoyed brunch!

Modify Favorite Recipes: With three generations in the house, we all have our favorite recipes. Several are passed down from my grandmother’s recipe box. Over the years, my mother had cut or found alternatives to the salt and sugar required. And so, the tradition continues, we have revised all our family favorites to  be gluten free.

It is OK Not to Eat: Initially, my parents thought it was essential they eat every meal with us and show the girls that they are supporting our gluten free life. The truth is, there were meals before and after this change, that my parents are not going to enjoy. Once we all came to terms with that,  we could make alternatives. Sometimes, my folks will eat with us, but eat something else. Other times, they will take note of a particular dish they are not fans of and make arrangements to join friends at a restaurant (and usually, one of their favorites that the girls cannot go to).

Treats: Many grandparents love to treat their grandchildren with a little surprise here and there. My parents are no different. Particularly, on days when they are alone with the girls, they like to spoil them with a little treat. We worked together and came up with some basics, that they know are safe. Here are some of the grandparents favorite gluten free treats for the girls.

Local Sweet Favorites:  Imagine That Gluten Free, Daisy Cakes and Chapel Hill Toffee

Store Sweet Purchases: Whoopie Pies, Dandies

NonSweet Treats: Farmer’s Market Strolls Together, Mangos, Smoothies and Fresh Popped Popcorn

And finally…

Go With the Flow: I say we have a weekly meal plan – and we mostly keep to it. There will be those nights, where someone is running late or something has come up. We always have that emergency meal that we can whip up and everyone can be satisfied. For us it is gluten free pasta and tomato sauce. The main thing I can tell you is we are all together. Life in a multigenerational home has its ups and downs and many more topics beyond food. I would say there are many more ups then downs living with my parents. (And I think my folks would agree.) If you asked my kids, they would tell you there is nothing better! And to me, that is the best reason.

[km-adventures]

Book Harvest

This was originally published on an old blog of ours - but we are merging efforts and thought this was too good to lose... 

One from Klara:

Every year for our birthdays, my sister and I ask our friends not to give us presents. Each year, we ask our friends to bring something to donate. In the past we have collected books for our school library, school supplies, food drives and pet supplies.

This year I decided to do a book drive for Book Harvest. A couple weeks before my birthday, we volunteered for Book Harvest.

(My little sister is on the left)

I saw how happy all the parents and kids were to have these books. I know how much I love my books and how important they are to me. I have dyslexia and it took me much longer to learn to read then most of my classmates. I know how reading has changed my life. I also love to have my favorite books by my bed and new ones to read.I collected about 200 books for Book Harvest. 

Friends and family members cleaned out their shelves and brought their books to me. My sister and I looked at our own bookshelf and passed on some of our books. We went to the PTA Thrift Store and purchased additional books. I also heard from other friends who dropped off the books at different Book Harvest Collections (one at Flyleaf Books). My Uncle Jimmy said, since he lived in Michigan he would make a donation to his library in honor of my book drive.If you can, take a couple minutes to look at your own bookshelf. Maybe there are a few books you can donate.

Donation Locations

And if you do not have a book to donate but you would like to Book Harvest has a wishlist on Amazon, virtual and through indiebooks! Check it out. The list is on Amazon, but don’t forget you can still buy it locally. Maybe at Flyleaf Books, the Regulator or Letters Bookshop or one of our other local bookstores.

[km-adventures]

Compost This!

Klara's Blog Post:

Even though my Bat Mitzvah is still months away, my family has started to make plans. I keep focus on my studies and work with my tutor, Amy Newman. My parents have begun to reach out to our out-of-town family and friends.  We also have talked about what might be the right fit for my celebration. However, that was not a difficult conversation.

My plans for the celebration are simple: local, green and gluten free. Those are three very important commitments I have made in my life and so no doubt their important to my Bat Mitzvah. One of my hopes is to make my Bat Mitzvah a zero waste event. That means, I am working on having no - or as little waste associated with my event.

One way, we are doing this - is by starting with the food waste and the items associated with the meal. At the end of every luncheon, there is garbage. We have come up the best way to deal with that: not have any!

We will work toward having only either reusable items (like cloth napkins and real utensils) or recyclable items (like items accepted in the city recycling).  We have already hired a local company called, CompostNow for the weekend. For $100 they will deliver two large compost bins (on wheels) to Judea Reform a few days prior to my celebration and pick up the following week. We will have these available for use starting on Friday and until they are picked up. CompostNow collects ALL food scraps in addition to many other items. The full list: http://compostnow.org/compostables/

I want to share this with you now, in hopes you might consider doing this for an event you are hosting at Judea Reform.  This is only one small step to making a difference, but it is one we all can consider with little cost and effort.

Here is a photo of compostnow staff and their bins…

[km-adventures]

First Bat Mitzvah Task Completed

A while back I posted about Klara's tallit making. However, there was one more step involved. The final step was to add the kosher tzittzit (the strings at the four corners.) to the tallit. (A tallit is a Jewish prayer shawl. For Klara - she will begin to wear this on the morning of her Bat Mitzvah.)

We ordered the kosher Tzittzit from World of Judaica. It was the only new item used as noted in the previous blog all the material Klara used was upcycled.  Once we had the tallit completed and the tzittzit in hand - the four of us plus our dear friends Ivy and Megan and YouTube were by our side. 

Ivy and Megan had done this process already - they found a great video tutorial on YouTube that we used as our guide.

Since there were four corners, Klara, Miriam, Stephan and I each were responsible for one.

Ivy monitored Stephan and my process. Megan monitored the girls. 

We went step by step with the video. Prayers were said, knots were tied, tzittzit dipped in water and in the end... We ended with four kosher tzittzit.

Most importantly, Klara ended up with an amazing tallit and we were all part of it.

To me - this was one of the most meaningful moments we have shared as a entire family. And so glad we shared it with our friends.

As a parent - I am proud beyond words and cannot wait to see the next step this makes on her journey. 

In the meantime, Klara's tallit anxiously awaits it's permanent role in Klara's life.

[km-adventures]

Today marks a special day for our family

"Please don't take Ms. Angie away from me."

Those were the first words that came to my daughter's mouth when I told her the good news. After years of struggling and trying to figure out why this wonderful being could not read, after working at home with her, after endless meetings at school and finally after we hired a specialized education evaluator; we discovered our daughter had dyslexia. 

"Before Ms. Angie I would open a book and only see swirls. Now, when I open a book, words pop into my eyes! Mama, I can read!"

I had just received a letter from the school, that after their own evaluation, they agreed with the results of our education specialist and indeed our daughter had dyslexia. They would begin to offer her special services after the first of the year. 

Walking home from the bus stop, with a now sobbing child - I realized what I thought was a victory; she saw as a defeat. After years of struggling to find out why she could not read, after hours of struggling through what should have been minutes worth of homework, I felt vindicated. I knew all along something was out of her control. I knew we needed to find the missing link, so she could thrive and not just survive.

Looking back the signs were there all along. Crap! I struggled with it my whole life. But, I had come up with coping mechanism and suppressed the reality of what might face my child. 

And now, after only 8 weeks of tutoring  with Ms. Angie she could read. We could see a change in her already. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I think she even grew a couple inches. 

When we entered the house, I sat down with her, wiped both our tears away and promised her. "No matter what, Mama and Papa will not stop your tutoring with Ms. Angie. This is a special program you started with her and you will finish it with her. The path is set before you - and it depends on you!" 

Four years, hundreds of hours (I stopped counting) and the twelve Wilson books later, this chapter in her life comes to a close. There have been many hiccups along the way. She has faced health issues, school changes, family life (with us - it is always an adventure) but through it all - this kid NEVER complained about going to this extra training. 

"Do you know how many sleepovers, parties and activities I had to give up?"

That was what she recently said to me. When I asked her if she regretted that - she told me no. She told me she loved reading, she loved succeeding in school and she loved herself for pushing through. She realized what an amazing accomplishment it was to complete it. She also realized how lucky she was to have had this chance. 

And for all those reasons and more we love her.

We may not love dyslexia, but it has given us gifts. (And in some moments, those gifts are hard to appreciate)

 It has given us a bookworm. It has given our daughter a power, strength and determination, that will guide her through life. She will be whatever she chooses and for that we are forever grateful for the gift of her time with Ms. Angie. 

For more information about Dyslexia and Options Out there:

Dyslexia

International Dyslexia Association

The Augustine Project

Thank You, Mr. Falker (children's book by Patricia Polacco)

[km-adventures]

I Always Listen to My Mother, But My Daughter Writes About Her

  I can write about other important women in my life. And I have.

  This past year I sent a story I wrote to a competition called, Listen to Your Mother. I auditioned and was accepted to share my 4 minute and 13 second tidbit of life and memories to two packed houses alongside 14 other dynamic women.  My story was about Motherhood – it was about a specific struggle in my life. It was also about my love for my maternal grandmother and my daughter.

As it turns out, to this day, I have not let my mother read my story. Perhaps it was guilt for not sharing with the world what an incredible person I have for a mother. Perhaps it was the feeling of not being able to express my love for her. Or perhaps it was the fear of disappointment, that she would not see the reason for her being left out of my story.

It was not until my oldest daughter asked me to listen to a poem she had to write for school. She would need to read it in front of the class and she had worked hard and needed a sounding board. It was not until then, did I realize the true reason why I did not write about my mother.

 My daughter wrote a love poem about her grandmother. She wrote about her glorious stories. She wrote about her deep and intimate moments that my mother has placed upon her heart.  As I listened to my daughter read her poem about the woman I could not find words – I realized – that my daughter’s words captured so much more than I could. 

It is not an excuse and perhaps someday I will write a story about my mother… but for now I am humbled by the lessons I learned once again from my daughter. And it is because of my daughter's words - I am finally able to share my Listen To Your Mother Story with my mother. I am grateful that I am able to listening to both my mother and my daughter.

   Sweet Song Of Stories

By Klara Altmueller

Let me tell you a

Story, my grandchild

Grandma says as

We curl up in

Bed

  Hungry as can be

I can smell the food

That Mama cooks

Grandma and I munch

On a snack of chips

  She smells like

Roses

Her colorful clothes

Make the stories

Brighter than

Day

  Grandma’s words are

Like honey

The sweet

Song of stories

Trickling off her

Lips and drizzling their way

Into my

Heart

  Out of this world

When she speaks the stories

I leave this world

I’m now the dog

That ate the

Turkey off the Thanksgiving

Table

  I’m now at

The campground in

The ice cream

Shop

  I’m now on the boat my family

Sailed across the sea for

A new life. I have hope in

Me

  I’m now with grandma’s mama

Cooking the

Sweet sugar pudding

And it

Melts in my

Mouth

  Interrupted from the story

Just as she was talking

Grandpa walks

In

  Grandpa smiles with

His bulldog smile

It signals that

It is dinner time.

[km-adventures]

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Today the world lost a precious jewel in the world of literature and human rights. Maya Angelou you will be missed by many today and in the future.

When I was recovering from a surgery (and it was a journey) and friend send me the following poem. I still have keep it in my writing area as a reminder of the power we all possess and how we can and must continue to live, love and head toward justice.

Ironically, I have Dr. Angelou's book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings on my dresser. Can't imagine a better day to move it to the bed stand to be inspired.

Phenomenal Woman

BY MAYA ANGELOU

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size But when I start to tell them, They think I’m telling lies. I say, It’s in the reach of my arms, The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.

I walk into a room Just as cool as you please, And to a man, The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees. Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees. I say, It’s the fire in my eyes, And the flash of my teeth, The swing in my waist, And the joy in my feet. I’m a woman Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman, That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered What they see in me. They try so much But they can’t touch My inner mystery. When I try to show them, They say they still can’t see. I say, It’s in the arch of my back, The sun of my smile, The ride of my breasts, The grace of my style. I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.

Now you understand Just why my head’s not bowed. I don’t shout or jump about Or have to talk real loud. When you see me passing, It ought to make you proud. I say, It’s in the click of my heels, The bend of my hair, the palm of my hand, The need for my care. ’Cause I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.