Land as a family member21stMay
21st
May
Raising Kids by Tony Deis on May 21, 2009
What is your relationship to the land you live. Is it a commodity you pay mortgage on? Is it a friend or a member of the family? These questions are very important to the children in our lives. They don't see the yards and neighborhoods we live as simply "where our house sits". Spider webs, weird bugs and trees to climb are etched into the ever evolving tale of growing up. They develop empathy only a few feet from the back door and even further into the forest and wasteland lots. Functionally, to…
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5 thoughts for family connection14thMay
14th
May
Raising Kids by Tony Deis on May 14, 2009
I grew up in an Italian family. A big one. My identity is wrapped up in mia familia. Here are 5 thoughts that could help strengthen those bonds so important to all of us... 1) Make a family recipe book. Simply ask everyone, including Uncle Earl, for their favorite recipe. If you're food snob, don't be so quick to judge; include Aunt Sofie's…
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10 simple things14thMay
14th
May
Village Life by Tony Deis on May 14, 2009
10 simple things you can do the improve your village's relationship to the land. 1) Go fishing every other week during the summer. For every fish you catch, promise to put 2 back in its place. Don't worry, you'll find a way. 2) Gather spring greens: nettles, dandelions and other "weeds". Come back to that patch year after year. See how your…
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Choosing camp instructors7thMay
7th
May
Raising Kids by Tony Deis on May 07, 2009
I realized I could do something very important with today's blog. I want to better inform parents about how we choose the instructors responsible for the well being of their children. Here are some important things to know about the people we hire. The ones we all trust to protect and care for our kids. Getting in is hard, nigh on impossible…
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Middle Earth Cascadia style6thMay
6th
May
Storytelling by Tony Deis on May 06, 2009
In the beginning pages of Lord of the Rings you find a map. One etched in mythic lines, divided into iconic lands with a timeless past. The world of Cascadia is another fantastical landscape that extends from Northern California into Alaska. Throughout it lies great mountains, vast deserts, rugged coastlines and a lush green valley. In reading…
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The obsidian knife28thApril
28th
April
Wilderness Survival by Tony Deis on Apr 28, 2009
What is the purpose of a blade made from black volcanic glass? When you flake pieces from obsidian, removing bits to find an arrowhead or knife, you fashion edges up to one molecule thick. It would shatter if you tried to carve wood with it. No, this edge is meant to cut something else. A much more visceral part of survival. As we butcher…