But technology is like alcohol. Moderation is key. We’ve been having a little trouble with that lately. We’ve been getting a little drunk off Facebook, Netflix Instant Watching, XBox, and Wii. Yes. We partake of all these things. Should we be in a 12-step program? Can we moderate our relationship with technology? I’ve been wondering if we need to take a step back, give the Waldorf “no media” principle a try.

I’m not there yet. I’m a homeschooling mother, and an artist, and a writer. I also garden a lot. I have a little chart to keep track of how I spend my time, and I have charts for McKinley and Renee as well. Sometimes, however, I simply must spend a large block of time on something that requires my full attention. Which means shutting the door and telling my kids they can make do on their own. And, oooh baby, technology makes that easier.

The other night, though, I made an announcement: “No screens for a month! No laptops in the house!” Computers could be in the shop and the studio, but not the house. My laptop included. The Wii and the XBox were going to jail, since they’re Evil.

But this is what happened: intense negotiation. McKinley had just purchased a used Spiderman XBox game. The thought of not being able to play his new game was driving him mad. Our compromise? The XBox and Wii could be kept up in my studio loft.

Oh boy. Have I lost my mind?

Maybe. This is my gamble. I don’t get enough time in the studio. There’s a certain gravitational force to my home, and usually I don’t have the energy to get past it, to the outer atmosphere of my own creativity. I think mothers everywhere can relate to this. This morning, my kids were hounding me to get up to the studio, because they wanted to play their new games! Is this a good thing?

Like all gambles, I don’t know how this one will play out. We’ve started this on a weekend, when I’m more lax about how they spend their time anyway. McKinley is away at a friend’s and Renee is happily trading reading for Wii time. How will things pan out on Monday? Will we all climb the short, steep hill to my studio and delve into assorted projects? Or will it be a relentless battle to engage them in anything other than technology? Because what I want for my children is their full engagement with the world, the thrill of living an every day affair. It’s the same thing I want for myself.

Trout Lily Brings Spring
5 x 7″
pastel on board

Now if you don’t know trout lilies, let me introduce them to you.  They are tiny little things, and they bloom very early—one of the earliest blooms I find down by the South Toe River.  There I find hoards of their tiny slips of leaves, mottled and coated with a fine reflective sheen, but very few flowers.  I’m not sure if these colonies of leaves sans flowers are just too young, or maybe they don’t get enough light to bloom, but I know there are other places where I can find the yellow flowers, their petals peeled back in exuberance.  I’m still hoping that one Spring I’ll walk down and find those patches of dappled leaves hosting crowns of blooms.

I’m pleased with this painting, and wish I could capture the magic of pastels for you to see, for the original has far  more luster than what you see here.   Pastels are so divine, and I am really enjoying working with them on Ampersand’s Pastelbord.  This week I am doubling up–I have a commission I am starting on, and I also will be painting the lovely bellwort.  Now there’s a fine lady of a flower!

And how will I do this, and harvest potatoes, squash, can peaches and beans, and visit with my mother and sister, and go to a birthday party, and plant turnips and beets?  Well, I’m not entirely sure, but I have been utilizing Google Calendar to keep track of all the assorted tasks and deadlines that I have, in the studio, the home, and the garden.  It has really helped manage my time better.  And this morning Jason and I had a great planning session, delegating tasks to our energetic intern and reluctant kids.  Let’s hope we can keep it up and make time management a joyful morning practice!  Along with coffee, of course.