Done school?

Oh hey,

I have theoretically written my last paper, made my last presentation and handed in my last assignment of midwifery school. Why doesn't this feel like a big deal?
Oh yeah, I still have to apprentice for at least a year take a bunch of qualifying exams , etc, and figure out some way to start generating income. Details, details....

The update:

I'll be apprenticing with some rad midwives in Belfast, Maine, as of late April.

Between now and then I will be packing, catching my breath, filing my Canadian taxes, getting my cavities filled and helping my sister transition into new-motherhood.

Also, I cut about 6 inches off my hair today in aproximately 3 minutes. I made a high ponytail and cut the end off. You can learn anything on the internet:

Trekking back to bed through nemo's snowpocalypse of blowing blizzard, exhausted and triumphant after 24 hours of intense birth attendance. Digging through drifts as high as cars to drive was simply not an option.

Tradition!

In keeping with tradition, Christmas Eve held a visit to the tree farm. We searched the fields from end to end and selected the best among them: straight, not too tall, neither sparse nor dense.... 

Some might say that the 24th is a bit late to be getting a tree, but if it's going to have candles on it (and it always does), we want it to be fresh and green so as to be less likely to burn down (The candles-on-the-tree tradition is always a delightful combination of 'wow' factor and silent freaking out that the whole thing will be up in flames any minute now).

My godmother said "now, look triumphant", as she took this picture, so we did.

The tree in all its glory. Only 2 candles had to be hurriedly extinguished and one decoration quietly removed  from  a hot-spot above a candle flame. I'd call that a success.

We sang the requisite "quiet, quiet" christmas song and Merwin read us a story about a man named Oggie who had an impromptu christmas with a pickpocket's blind granny and stole a camera from her bathroom.

Happy christmas, all y'all. Hopefully you are in the company of near and dear ones and eating something festive and delicious. I know I am :)

Octobutton

A very special young man just turned one. His parents threw him a party, which meant that all of us baby midwife ladies sat around the living room knitting, while the birthday boy opened his gifts and then went down for a nap. Buttons have been popular with him, lately, so I made an octopus covered in them....

Xandy loves Octobutton- photo cred: ms Romero.

Octobutton's eyes are a little creepy- xandy doesn't seem to mind. 

Lucky

"We're  so lucky"
"Life is so good!"
"Ooh, this is my favourite!"

These are just a few of the phrases that come out of my mouth on almost a daily basis. I think the vitamin D3 (in olive oil, 6,000 IU per day recommended for us up here in the northcountry) and C (1,000 mg/d) are helping. Or maybe it's the exercise (my turkey trot time: 4 miles in 36 min!). Or the positive relationships I have in my life (we had a crowd over for fakesgiving yesterday and I really enjoyed everyone).

Back in late July/early August I gave myself a running injury (I ran on a sore hip and royally effed it up). This left me limping around in excruciating pain for an absurd amount of time. In the past couple of weeks I have finally been able to run more than a mile or so without soreness, and it is fabulous. And you know what I credit with my recovery? Not any amount of stretching or rest, or the three bodywork practitioners I saw. I credit time combined with the $5 cardio kickboxing classes down the road from my school. Crosstraining is where it's at, apparently. Our bodies are awesome, you guys. Too bad they don't come with a user's manual, though it could be argued that would take the fun out of it.

In other news:
Not much to report, besides that I am happy, busy, learning lots, getting good grades, riding my bike instead of driving my car when possible, consorting with a sweet vegan, which means cooking up all kinds of vegan delights (for thanksgiving: pecan and sweet potato pies, spanakopita, etc). Also, I just took a class on adoptive breastfeeding (inducing lactation in order to breastfeed a baby you did not bear). Fascinating stuff, and formally endorsed by the American Medical Association. As it turns out, breast is best for adopted babies too!

And here is a picture of my class :)

What happens when I stay over at the Little House

 

dressup month? does that exist? This is what I'm wearing to school today.

Hi world!

This post was originally going to be the picture, above, as a stand-alone piece. And then I realised that I haven't posted since June, and thought I should probably give a little more.

 I've been back in Maine from Mayne Island since late August. I'm thrilled to be here, and am luxuriating in the pleasure of having everything I need within walking/biking distance. I'm living a hop-skip from the beach in the east end of Portland, ME. I swam there just this morning! (and saw a jellyfish).

Been ever-too-busy living to sit down and tell y'all about it, but Lauren's been taking some lovely pictures, and that motivates me to share them with you, and thus you get to hear a little about life :)

Among a bajillion other things, I've been doing a ton of contra dancing, canning, growing sprouts, shoots and greens in containers and generally settling into my new apartment (sharing a room with classmate Teresa). Took trips to Mount Desert Island (for mountain clambering and lobster), Montreal (for hangouts and bagels), Vermont (for all night dancing and farm camp visits) and Boston (for activist brass band festival) these past few weeks before I'm back on-call till the new year. Also went to the Common Ground Fair and learned about lots of things, from DIY funerals/caring for the dead to hide-tanning and seed saving. I have inadvertently cultivated a constant sensation of being on holiday, which is certainly enjoyable, but not particularly good for knuckling down and getting things done on paper or computer. Thus my neglect of you, dear readers. Apologies.

I'm also in the planning stages for my midwifery apprenticeship, starting this coming spring: the world is the mollusk of my choice, and I'm having a hard time deciding what I want, but it seems likely I will be on the west coast for at least some of it.....

A couple of photos from Fancy Canadian Thanksgiving are below, and here is a link to the rest of them (worth following, if only to read Lauren's blow-by-blow account of the day).

Baby midwives get fancy for brunch-dinner.

Me, Andriana's dress, Claudia's jewelry and Anna's glasses and child (if you look very closely you might be able to see the a-stinkin-dorable gap between his brand-new front teeth.) He's my boy.