The health benefits of trees confirms why I love this new house in the hills and struggled with the sparsity of trees down in Wattle Grove. I liked this..
In one famous 1970s study of patients recently liberated of their gall bladders in a Pennsylvania hospital, those whose rooms had a view of trees recovered more quickly than those looking out at another building. Medical technology is far from developing any device that can help people recover from purposeful incisions to the abdomen just by looking at it.
If you haven't seen the Inglorious Fruits and Vegetable video it's worth a look- a great idea by the French I hope it's something that we see in all supermarkets sooner rather than later.
Who knew Carrots weren't always so orange?!
Talking about Carrots this Mediterranean style Carrot salad looks yummy!
On IQS this week an anonymous Dietician calls 'Bullshit' on her own association's condemnation of the "Paleo" diet. Interesting reading.
This weeks episode of The Paperclipping Roundtable is one of the best they have ever done. Lots of stuff that just makes sense and takes some of the pressure off of scrapbooking our stories.
The rather long named Alliance of High Quality Early Childhood Education in the Early Years of Schooling put out a discussion paper in March. The idea is great but I think the paper itself is soft and if we're going to move so slowly then I think that a lot of children will be adversely affected before they reform their stupid reforms.
This article: The difference between Bill Gates and Maria Montessori sums up quite nicely the issues we are seeing in education here in Australian and in the states.
Talking about Children this post of words and pictures from children in Australian Detention centres is post fascinating and totally heart breaking. It is completely wrong that any people are treated as these people are but to detain children with out basic human rights like education is criminal and the Australian Government should be ashamed of their record on this matter.
My favourite from Teacher Tom this week: Letting Us Stand Upon Their Shoulders
I loved these quotes:
It begins with warmth. I love the children that pass my way, and in each interaction I try to find a way to express that unconditional acceptance to them. Physically that involves eye contact, smiling, active listening, and gentle touching. Emotionally that means setting my own petty feelings to the side, being with them of course, but not being subject to them, wiping my own emotional slate as clean as humanly possible, leaving a space in which I can understand the feelings of another untainted by my own. And spiritually it is about stillness; being present. Of all the things I do to express warmth, it's this stillness that is most vital. I don't always succeed, but this is what I'm after each time I drop to my knees and get face-to-face with a child.
This is the greatest gift we can give children because it's only when they know they are loved and accepted that they can fully engage with the world around them, without reservation and without fear.
Secondly, a natural teacher, I think, is someone who knows that she is teaching fully formed human beings. I will not be your master, nor will I be your servant. Perhaps at times I will be your guide, just as there will be times when you are mine. It's a stance that says, you are competent and respected; that you have the same rights and, indeed, responsibilities as the rest of us. It's an approach toward children that acknowledges that the most important things children are learning (as opposed to mere academics) are things that we adults continue to learn throughout our lives, and that we have no lock on profundity or expertise.
Having watched my own first child head off in his Sunday best this week to take have the first interview in the process of join the ADF in about 18 Months Cathy Zieske's words reflected my thoughts quite poignantly.
Thanks to Glenna for the link up to these cuties by Michelle Coffee on Etsy
I need to get Kieran (and Lisa) the T-shirt of infinite Bacon!
I thought this Sushi Nail Art was pretty cool... not for me but very well done.
♥
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