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As I prepare to head out for my fourth day in Warsaw, I’m a little hesitant. The confidence I built in the first two days took a hit yesterday as I ventured far from the Old Town, and dang! My feet are tired. I also bought a ticket for a six pm boat ride. Even though I gave myself an hour between lunch? and the time the boat left, I just couldn’t make it happen. Can you believe they don’t put the Metro number on the outside of the stations?
I walked down into no fewer than three stations, but never did find the number 2! So I ended up having to take an Uber. That means I’ve walked, taken buses, an Uber, and a boat to get around this city. I may try the Metro today; I think I learned something yesterday. But then again, why get any farther out of my comfort zone?
Only by walking do I catch the name of Jadwiga’s husband, and the 14th-15th Century King of Poland on a street sign in Stara Praga.
Fun? Fact–Russia occupied this part of the city even before World War II. Learning so much history. Sometimes my brain is full.
I don’t use the bus at home, and we don’t have trains at all. I do love riding the subway in NYC though. So, one challenge is to learn how to read the schedules (in Polish), buy and validate the tickets (bilety), board and exit the bus. I am totally grateful for the technology that smart phones put into my hands.
To add to the challenge, I’ve been using two phones. I had a European sim card put into my old iPhone so I can use it for navigating and texting. BUT, it was running out of battery long before I was ready to call it a day. So, I started mapping the route and taking a photo with my new iPhone 16 and then putting both phones into Airplane mode.
Today I’m going to try what just kind of happened yesterday–use the old phone as a personal hotspot and thus have connectivity on the new phone all the time. When I want to save the battery, I’ll put them both in Airplane mode. I’ll let you know what happens.
Oh! and another thing, don’t be afraid to ask for help (I know, it’s not my favorite). Even when they don’t speak English, the Polish people will find someone nearby who can understand you.
I’ve realized as I’ve been sight seeing that everyone I meet who is my age lived under the Soviets, and people my sister’s age lived under the Nazis. To have lived in a free Poland, they would have to be younger than my son-in-law. This is something I’ve been considering as I meet people, like the woman in the book store that pulled up the Warsaw Rising Museum on her laptop for me.
Here I am in Warsaw, exploring largely on my own. It’s challenging for this Libra to have unstructured time on her hands. Decisions are hard sometimes because all the options look good. Or at least good enough. Yesterday I read this post about the month of Leo; it helped me get my bearings and tap into my store of courage. I like this blog and the products from Moon Phase Studios in the United Kingdom. See if the hints and journal ideas resonate with you.
Mermaids are big here. There are a few stories; explore them here. They all include her capture by a rich man who wanted to profit from her beautiful singing. I prefer the story of her solo escape, though she may have had help from the fisherman who loved her despite her interference in their trade. I love this sign in the Old Town of Warsaw.
And this one.
And isn’t this just the right story of courage? Swimming up the Vistula River from the Baltic Sea, making good trouble by releasing fish who were destined for the dinner tables of the wealthy.
I also love this earliest image of a mermaid in Polish lore, made in 1390, while Jadwiga still reigned in Poland and Lithuania.
I’ve learned a lot about navigating on my own, walking through the city to find the remnants of the Jewish ghetto, and then getting back to a bus stop. I happened on this impressive sight toward the end of my first day.
Saxon Garden is a huge park that I’d compare to Central Park in NYC. It’s the home of The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and a beautiful and famous fountaiin. So many people walking, playing and biking.
My map took me through the park, and into Saski business and retail district, and there I found the remnant, theatres and skyscrapers.
I met the challenge of getting back to our apartment without cell service, and discovered a few things about technology along the way.
I’m ready to head out for my third day exploring this vibrant city. Unfortunately I slept too late to get the fine breakfast in our Guest House (pictured here yesterday), but there’s no shortage of cafes with beautiful pastries and delicious cappuccinos. On to COFFEE!
Travel is exhausting but it doesn’t compare to the grueliing ordeal our ancestors survived when they immigrated to the United States.
Last month Ashley M and I enjoyed a lunch meeting at the Trellis Cafe at the Des Moines Botanical Garden with Stephanie Harrington, Natural Resources Program Coordinator with ISU Extension, Polk County. Stephanie trains ISU Master Gardeners to work with school gardens. She does lots of other stuff as well.
She’s been looking for the Teachers Going Green curriculum for a couple years. And she’s had requests from teachers. The lessons haven’t been available for several years, but NOW THEY ARE!
And they are even better than they were before. Ashley updated them to a format similar to the lessons Sara developed for Waukee Schools a couple years ago. Those lessons empower teachers to use their extensive school gardens to teach the science curriculum.
Kids can learn science concepts experientially, while they’re getting outdoors, and learning about healthy food.
Since we developed the first Teachers Going Green lessons in 2009, the Iowa Core was changed to become the Iowa Academic Standards. Ashley combed through the standards and existing lessons to make sure they align.
She also reviewed and evaluated the lessons we’re now making available to you, for quality and clarity. We’re proud to say they come up to the standards you’ve come to expect from Next Step Adventure.
Teachers Going Green lessons for Kindergarten through 5th Grade are available for you to download HERE, free of charge. They are organized by the subject their Academic Standards align with–
We’re excited to offer this new resource to you for your classrooms and other programs. Please take the opportunity to share it with your colleagues and friends. And let us know how you’re using it, and how it works.
Kids and dirt go together, well like dirt on kids. These two kiddos are collecting roly polies in our raised bed garden. June has worked these beds since before she was one, but now she’s six, and her interest in gardening is overshadowed by dance, first grade, and playing pretend. Still, yesterday, she picked a Jimmy Nardello pepper and ate it all up. When kids grow their own food, they’ll eat it!
This is our very October garden with compost cage, volunteer pumpkin and squash. We still have potatoes and carrots to harvest. But our garden is only my personal part of Next Step’s contribution to the Farm to School movement. And the movement has really picked up steam in Iowa over the last several years. Next Step developed Teachers Going Green beginning in 2009 to help teachers connect gardening with the Iowa Academic Standards.
Since then we’ve worked with local schools in Des Moines, Waukee and Iowa City to name a few. Our focus is on the education–We developed School Garden 101, also for Keep Iowa Beautiful. We plan to make the Teachers Going Green lessons available on our website in the near future, with some updates to reflect changes to the Education Standards.
Sara Lockie and the rest of the team train teachers and other youth professionals to work with kids in the garden. One important thing to remember is that it’s not about the plants. It’s about the kids.
But we’ve branched out from developing activities and lessons to coordinating Iowa State University’s Farm to School & Early Child Care coalition statewide. These efforts will expand the Farm to School movement far beyond the reach of Next Step Adventure alone. This year they’ve set goals to develop resources and better access to already existing curriculum.
So join us in celebrating Farm to School month by listening to this podcast from the National Center for Appropriate Technology, imagining how YOU can help connect with local food, and have fun doing it.
“Getting ready for my first garden coaching gig since the pandemic.” That’s how I started this post back in March!
Then this happened…
… and this.
My daughter and her partner got married the end of June in a “fast track” wedding.
My older granddaughter started first grade today, and I’m all ready to start taking care of my 5-month-old granddaughter this Wednesday.
I’ve been really busy in my own garden, turning the front lawn into a Wild and Crazy Garden.
And now that we’re heading into another school year, I’m bringing on some new talent and some new energy. I’m recommitting to Next Step Adventure. Where will it lead? Well, that’s the adventure. Hope you’ll join us.
What comes to mind when you hear the word “breath?” Do you have a memory of getting the wind knocked out of you when you did a belly flop in the pool? Or holding your breath when you were scared? Do you hear the words “I can’t breathe” that have become a mantra of the Black Lives Matter movement?
Last night Shakti Yoga students gathered at Gateway Market for a conversation about breath. There were 11 of us around the table. I started off by asking everyone to write down what they think of when they hear the word “breath.” The answers were diverse, but most common was “life.”
Sandy Gustafson reported on what she’s learned during the months since we decided on the topic. Here are links to some of the resources she shared with us last night.
Dr. Sundar Balasubramanian’s website melds ancient breathing practices with modern science, and offers breathwork for improving your life.
Andrew Huberman, a Stanford professor, offers a number of resources on how to breathe better, including this YouTube episode.
When Joseph Schneider told me I breathe through my mouth a lot, I was horrified! And in denial. But then I paid closer attention to my breathing while I practiced yoga. I had to admit that yes, I was breathing through my mouth. A lot. Then he loaned me this book, with a sticky note marking the chapter on mouth breathing.
I swear reading this chapter kept me awake for two nights, and sent me in search of medical tape to keep my mouth closed when I sleep. Keeping your mouth closed can help with snoring and sleep apnea! Who knew?
Something we take for granted, do from the moment we’re born to the moment we die, is way more complicated than I ever knew.
I tend to think of things like breath in broad strokes. Brette Scott offers a monthly “Energy Tuneup” at Shakti that focuses mostly on the breath. It’s really quite interesting and the sessions I’ve attended definitely shifted my energy.
This photo reminds me of the yoga pose Tadasana, or Mountain Pose. It can be rigid and stiff, or there can be a lot going on inside, including deep, controlled breathing.
Lisa Acheson shared a lightbulb moment when she learned she needed to soften her very focused breath. Working on it too hard had become detrimental to her body. Just like anything, finding the middle is a lifelong project. Breathing deep, softening, moderating, relaxing–all practices for life.
I came to a deeper understanding that the subject of breath is broad, but also particular, and integral to everyone’s life. Well, duh.
These conversations always remind me that there’s still so much to learn, and I can still improve my life and health even as I age. It’s not just good for our bodies but also our brains to learn and think about stuff in different ways.
Using my breath to come back to my body and link it up to my mind is an important part of my mindfulness practice.
I’ve been determined to really pay attention to spring this year, and to share it with some folks who seem to have an easier time being mindful than most.
…since I’ve dug deep into my experience in youth development. Being an educator is hard these days; I think it always has been. Kids, parents, counselors, administrators, teachers face criticism every day. I was excited to share some time with a group of educators working to prepare young people for life.
Preparing for a workshop at Partnerships in Motion, the culminating event of a federal grant to STOP bullying in schools, was a pleasant excavation. My friend Cyndy Erickson recommended me to the planners as the expert in the field of youth-adult partnerships. Flattery will get you…
I have a lot to draw on from my years in 4-H Youth Development. The organization has a long history of involving youth as partners. Older kids help younger ones with their projects, lead group meetings, and finally grow up and volunteer to lead the 4-H groups of their children. It’s seamless; it’s expected and it works.
The Civil Rights movement of the mid-1960s was the impetus for extending 4-H to families of color in the northern states. It required the Land Grant System, created by Abraham Lincoln to extend 4-H to kids in cities and small towns, and the USDA provided funding for staff to do the work. That’s where I came in.
At ISU Extension I worked with kids who weren’t from traditional 4-H audiences. They didn’t think it was for them, and it wasn’t. There was a separate 4-H organization for Black kids in the south, established around the 1890 Land Grant Colleges, but not in Iowa. Extending Ithe 4-H program to those kids was hard because of its long history of just being for farm kids. Indeed, there’s still a belief among many that 4-H is just for farm kids. In the 1970s our tee shirts said, “4-H ain’t all cows and cooking.” But affirmative action didn’t last even a generation. By 1989, the only way to grow programs was through special funding.
So I started writing grants, negotiating contracts and agreements with other organizations. We did the hard work of collaborating with schools and other organizations. Cyndy was a big part of that work, as she was developing the SUCCESS program in Des Moines Schools then.
Through it all we wove the strands of positive youth development theory, and best practice. Our teams worked hard to involve our audiences in making the decisions that shaped the programs. We developed weekly family nights where we taught the kids cooking and child care skills so they could watch their younger brothers and sisters while their parents learned parenting skills.
We put experiential education to the test, for ourselves. Learning by creating new ways of reaching kids and their parents. Finding out what worked and what didn’t.
So, I drew on that experience to plan my workshop at Partnerships in Motion. I asked the teachers and school administrators and counselors to envision their students as the subjects, the actors in the drama of their education, rather than the recipients. I shared H. Stephen Glenn’s “Mistaken Goals” with them. And melded those mistaken goals with the Circle of Courage from Reclaiming Youth at Risk—Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity.
Then we brainstormed how they can satisfy all those needs so kids don’t have to work for mistaken goals. We talked about developing systems that keep kids involved in the peer-to-peer and mentoring work they do, conversations and lessons they’ve implemented over the last five years. In the long term, this kind of work increases resilience of young people, making them resistant to bullying and violence.
Being an educator is hard these days; it was probably always hard. But change happens so fast, and everyone from parents to legislatures attack the teaching profession every day. I was really excited to be able to share some time with a group of educators who are working to prepare young people for life.
Some soreness in my upper back is reminding me to do that five-minute slow Cat/Cow pose she recommends. Squats. Side body long. And after a walk stretch quads and hamstrings. Yay! Oh! and don’t forget the hips, pelvis and psoas.
