Village summer camp

Session 1 Lost skills July  7-10,  ages 9-14, 10-4  Mon-Thurs   $645 15 kids max....tomahawk throwing, blacksmithing, bow and arrow, spoon making at the fire and so much more   . Each child will bring home a hand hammered project like a plant hanger or fire poker and have some clay pieces that will be fired in the kiln. Tomahawk throwing, shooting a bow and arrow, as well as hammering hot iron, changing it’s form and shape, help to develop concentration and focus, build self-confidence, respect of self and surroundings and a deeper awareness of themselves and their skills.       ***Most important skills above all else, Respect for self, others and how to be a steward of the land. How we can walk softly, be peaceful and bring honor to the woods, by our own gentle way of being and listening to her and being comfortable in the silence. We must learn to listen to fully hear

Session 2  Bee week July 14-17  ages 9-14,  10-4 Mon-Thurs.  $525  15 kids max
   Hang out with the bees, identify the guard,  patterns of flight, determine the drones, read, share and story tell about bees, discuss the importance of bees, make bees out of clay. Tend to the chickens, garden projects: including compost, planting and harvesting herbs for teas, make sun tea and more.  Hand crafts, needle felting soft sculpture and more. All about the best plants and flowers for the bees. Build honeybee boxes, inspect the hives, build mason bee boxes. Perhaps watching a swarm capture (happens frequently/unpredictable)    *** Most important skills above all else, Respect for self, others and how to be a steward of the land. How we can walk softly, be peaceful and bring honor to the woods, by our own gentle way of being and listening to her and being comfortable in the silence. We must learn to listen to fully hear

2 week Break in between

Session 3  Nature speaks Aug 4-7, ages 6-8 yrs. 10-3pm Mon-Thurs. $495  ..10 kids max...explore the web of life: the bugs, worms and soil, feed and keep the worm bin alive and happy, use the worm poop in the seed starts, conduct experiments with the worm compost, explore mushrooms and toadstools and take spore prints, climb trees, conduct experiments with seeds, soils, compost.    15 max  Each child will have  maintained the worm bin by feeding the worms, harvested red wigglers and vermicompost, gathered fresh eggs,  planted many seeds, harvested food, made several projects out of clay, and a whole lot more. Dirty, they will be dirty.  ***Most important skills above all else, Respect for self, others and how to be a steward of the land. How we can walk softly, be peaceful and bring honor to the woods, by our own gentle way of being and listening to her and being comfortable in the silence. We must learn to listen to fully hear
**50% down, balance due by May 30 to save spot, or lose deposit.

**Strict cancellation policy  25% of cost is non-refundable if cancellation is more than 45 days of start date, and 50% if  less than 45.

**Sign up and pay in full by Feb 15 to get $25 off. Call to register and pay by phone. (206) 819-8544
Registration form due by May 30

Please provide lunch and a water bottle. We will have fresh snacks from the gardens 
FOOD allergies, regretfully we cannot register children with life-threatening air borne food or bee allergies (fear of bees can be overcome, I’ve seen it many times here)

A few things to know about how the campers will spend their days:

We will eat fresh foods in the gardens, harvest wild greens, watch, listen and identify birds and bird calls, take spore prints from mushroom and funghi and identify them (no eating-though many here are edible) Build and tend a fire.  Lots of listening to nature, We will have spent time Identifying plants, both edible and poisonous, as well as read up on medicinals and native fruits and berries and more in most of these sessions.

Fun and adventure are only part of our camp day and our mission. We strive to assist in the development of valuable life skills like communication, teamwork, thankfulness, awareness, patience, common sense,  self confidence, problem-solving, respect for self, each other and nature.

****How many of us wonder if we could have been really great at some type of craft or skill, given an earlier start? Summer Camp attendees have the rare opportunity to try their hands at many crafts and skills that are no longer widely taught. Maybe your child is a natural with a bow? Or perhaps they are skilled in the blacksmith shop. It is amazing what new things a child can learn when you take away the distractions of modern technology and put them in an environment with a skilled teacher.    The ‘Lost skills’ camps are designed in such a way that the campers must demonstrate self control, respect and awareness of self, others and surroundings as well as deep listening (intuition) before they are given an opportunity to shoot the bow, throw the tomahawk or hammer hot iron.  All of our hands-on activities take place in our 2-acre village.

Camp counselors and camp help will be hired staff of Homeschool teens and students, as well as adults with camp staff skills
If you have a teen interested in a week or more of summer side work, who's interested, please send them my way.

Pottery/parent and child

Pottery classes-  parent and child   $165

Ages 9 and up if drop off or 6 and up for parent/child

Vera will be teaching.  Call to register, come in or paypal for class. I have been working with clay for over 17yrs and been teaching it for 8 years to a small group of people, and now formally teaching. I studied under Dana Sanderson, (photographer, potter, archeologist) Dana taught at Southwest Community center and Alki bath house.

begins 2/10-3/3  4:30-5:30

Mondays for 4 weeks

1 parent, 1 child   (4 groups  or 8 student total)

Hand building. Learn the basics of hand building, score, slip, coils, pinch pots, beads or any sort of sculpture, garden monsters, fairy dishes, gargoyles... Let your imagination guide you.

Class includes: 

1 bag with class sign up  ($15 bag for sale here if you need more)

glazes

firing

We use only white clay at this studio.

4 classes per session.

We have clean up standards to keep in the studio, so please help to maintain cleanliness in the studio. We'll cover it in the first class.

Please park on Street

Questions, please call 206-819-8544

Village Green Perennial Nursery

10223 26th Ave Sw

Farm to table dinner

 

 

 

 

The man in the arena.

"It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." Theodore Roosevelt, 1910

New years resolution

                                       New years eve...It's that time of the year... 

 The day we look back and ask ourselves: what worked, what didn't?  How to move forward...where to make adjustments, what changes do I want to make?


I know what I want to change.   
 My relationships....My communication skills. 
 I want to improve them...so...I must start the journey with the first step...fearlessly.









Most think about New Years Resolutions in terms of...
*quitting________(fill in blank with...smoking, coffee, chocolate, sugar, etc.),
*going to the gym more
*eating healthier
*spending more time with family and friends
*losing weight
I think they are all part of a much bigger goal for me...

   I started thinking about where all of these ideas stem from.  I think in terms of systems, not believing in the idea that behaviors are separated or that one behavior does not contribute to another...
  I decided they are all part of a much larger goal for me, and as I make some really big changes that help me to develop more intimate relations with myself as well as among friends and family, all the other stuff will eventually work itself out.
  I believe they all complement each other.
 
  A human life is about learning as far as I'm concerned. 

  It's my one and only chance to be me and then it's over. So, I hope to be as me as possible, true to myself and show up honestly.

The name I was given at birth, Vera,  is pronounced VEER-ah. It is of Russian and Slavic origin, and the meaning of Vera is "faith". Also sometimes associated with the Latin word "verus" meaning "TRUTH", and can also be derived from Albanian "verë" meaning "summer"

  


 I've had some very tough times over the last  5 years, and I mean huge, life changing events, traumas and lessons. I started doing some very deep inner work around the same time, 5 years ago and have experienced some pretty humbling lessons, for which I am so very Grateful.
Everyone has a similar list, this is mine...
2009    Divorcing after 10 years of marriage and becoming a single mom of 2 kids.
2009    My mother being diagnosed with lung Cancer and dying within 3 weeks (misdiagnosed,  over medicated and her condition handled carelessly, dying, when they should have been helping)  
2010    Losing my great Aunt Vera at 98 (my namesake)
2010-2011 Nearly losing my home and business to foreclosure and fighting to keep it. The stress of this was unbelievable.
2011    Rewarding myself (for the very difficult years I'd been experiencing) by going to France with my kids, using surprise trust money that came from my Aunt Vera's estate,  just at the right moment following  my victory to keep my house by way of modification after shaming the banks.
2012    Regrouping and recovering from the previous years
2013    Taking a huge risk to completely revamp my business and go in another direction.
   On top of all that add the HUGE daily stresses that come up, unexpectedly. And we just have to do our best. It's all we can do.

   Any and all of these can cause a person to have some pretty difficult emotions, anxiety, depression, a rush in adrenaline, poor sleeping habits, fear, moodiness and general lack of clear thinking. Unless you are SUPERHUMAN or highly medicated, any combo of these would cause people to act in less than perfect ways.
   I've lost friends, burned bridges and made some enemies along the way.   BUT... I have learned  the true meaning of compassion. I now see others fears, challenges, hurts and wounds much more clearly now. I'm far less judgemental about others behaviors, as I have now walked the lonely road, having been judged so harshly for human mistakes and imperfections.
  I have built bridges, maintained important, valuable, long term friendships with those who know who I really am. I have Learned much more about myself, what I want, who I am and have built a much stronger foundation. I have laughed, cried, healed, forgiven myself for my imperfections which also allows me to forgive others for their imperfections, judgements and see the human as it truly is. Flawed.     And... Evolving.

  Which is why I'm writing an open letter to anyone and everyone to take responsibility for my part for any harm I have directly caused you.   If we have had personal relations...be it friends, family, homeschooling, romantic, working, gardening, neighborly, school, classes, workshops, or community...(not limited to this list)

   Please accept my sincere apologies. I never intended to cause harm. I am human and act as one, therefore I make mistakes that may cause others harm, unintentionally. Typically, this happens by taking care of others  needs before my own, inadvertently causing direct harm to myself , because I did not take pause and ask myself questions as to how the decisions and choices I am making will affect me, my family or my friendships... 
  How do I go forward and make corrections?  By being willing to look at and learn from my mistakes, take responsibility for my own part, forgive myself and try to make better choices and decisions. I'm bound to be imperfect.
    Forgiveness first comes about by from forgiving oneself, and that is what I am doing right now. Through the new year and for years to come, asking myself for forgiveness for my mistakes and then asking you (the big collective, the world) And then trying my best to make better choices and decisions as I proceed, knowing I am human. Imperfect.

It is a humble person who can see we are all quite equal, similar and deserve to be treated as such. It is righteousness that creates war and conflict.

Therefore, My New years resolution is...
  To act and behave on my Integrity, values and compassion. To try to always do my best. To care for myself, my family, my business. Do more art and creative work. Slow down.  (more yoga) Feel. Think. To be honest and live authentically. 
                  Keep my heart open.

   
To be a teacher as well as the student. For my cup to never be full so full that I can receive no more,  but always allow more to come to me, naturally.

To Flow with the river and not try to push it.

To Live with intention.

To choose to love.