Naperville Community Garden Plots

Naperville Community Gardens, originally uploaded by rainbook101.

If you have been garden lusting but don't have the space, can't afford all the set-up or even just need more space you might wish to consider a valuable local resource that I just learned about.

The Naperville Park District has Community Garden Plots available for lease through the growing season. Each plot rents for only $25.00 a season March-October. Yep, that's right! Only $25.00. You can select and lease your plot at the main Park District building located right by the downtown Naperville Library.

Each plot measures 19'x30', plots to be staked out at the beginning of the season. The soil is tilled for you at the beginning of the season and thoroughly mowed over after everything is pulled up. There are about 600 plots available with a certain portion of plots designated to be "organic" and no chemicals are allowed on the soil. Water is provided on several pumps throughout the plots, hoses are not allowed.

We visited the gardens last week and met two local gardeners that shared their love of growing. Both Betty and Katie have been growing there for several years and lease more then one plot at a time. They gave me several good tips including a word to the wise about maintaining your plot. If you do let your plot go wild then you will not get a priority on registration the following year. Both gave a strong testament to how the gardeners also build friendships, and therefore a community with each other. I’ll be loading more pictures up on my Flickr site, so pop by for a peek at their gardens.

Though it is late in the season, I think the Husband and I will be putting a late season garden in here. This year we built two raised bed gardens in our yard that are producing veggies very nicely, had one in-ground bed for squash and lots of potted goodies. It did cost a good deal to build the beds and truck in the soil not to mention the backbreaking labor of shoveling all the dirt by hand. Well hey, it is good honest exercise.

Though it is convenient to have it right in my backyard, I hesitate to put in more because we may consider selling our house in the near future. The next buyer may not want the landscaping to be a la farm. The Naperville Community Garden Plots gives us the option of radically expanding our gardening space for a low cost while retaining our backyard space. I could wind up with enough produce to start canning.

Anybody else have any good tips for Community Gardening?

Dupage Dragons Commercial

Live in the Illinois Western Suburbs- - Naperville/Lisle/Bolingbrook and such area? Check out a game from the DuPage Dragons. My family and I went and had a blast, honestly it was better then seeing the Cubs or Sox.

Parking was free, we got seats right by the game, a giant bouncer for the kids is available, kids get to run the bases, etc. Music, songs, and of course "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."

When I was a kid I was taken to see the Birmingham Barons play all the time. Minor league ball was so fun! It isn't he bloated money maker, shake your groove thing, gotta donate a spleen to go to a game like the major leagues can be.

I especially liked seeing the Dragons as it was nice, clean, family friendly and free parking. If you live in the area you could easily bike there too. Kids five and under are free, tickets for adults are only $6.00.

I actually went because they are sponsoring my Library program and I thought it would be a good idea to go. Now we are excited to find local baseball right around the corner that we really enjoyed.

If you go, tell them Shannon sent 'ya!

Do you have a favorite minor league or local tip to share?

Kiss Your Mystery Meat Goodbye

I would like to draw your attention to a unique article that I read in one of my professional magazines this month. It ties into many of our topics on being greener, reducing waste and living a healthy life. School Library Journal wrote an excellent article on the Organic School Project called Let Them Eat Kale: Schools Get Serious About Nutrition.

I was a product of the public school diet of the 1980’s, and remember the ever present pseudo Chick-Fillet and tater tots. College yielded a bit better result as by that time there was a salad bar and and soup station. The large rat that got stuck in the ice cream cooler fan in the middle of the lunchroom caused us to doubt the wholesomeness of our diet. Really, I'm not joking. True story. Many of us probably have our own horror stories of Orange Drink (what is it?) or Mystery Meat (would we want to know?).

In my younger years my Mom probably knew even less about nutrition then I, and though on both sides I had grandmothers that could cook up a storm the gene missed my Mom by a mile. Veggies were cooked in globs of butter and salt, so much was canned and a salad was a hunk of iceberg with a little cottage cheese. I was a bit SOL in the lunch packing category from my Mom. She couldn't have demanded an wholesome school lunch if she wanted to as she wouldn't have known what to ask for.

We've come along way baby as we are now on the lookout for carbs, sugar, trans-fat and unhealthy fat. I think now most (well, many) of us parents are also rather sick of the junk food cycle that is rammed down our children’s throats. How our children eat when they are young will determine how they eat when they are older. A side note is that it also ties into how they appreciate food resources and understand about sustainable agriculture.

I’d like to encourage each of you to take a look at the article, and I’ve included some other links on the topic. September is rapidly approaching, and do you know what your child be eating this fall? Have you voiced concern at your schools, and what was the response? Do you have any good stories to share on this topic?

Let Them Eat Kale: Schools Get Serious About Nutrition
The Organic School Project
Further Links from the Organic School Project
Organic School Project Blog
Audio Interview of Organic School Project Founder on Here's Chicago
YouTube of Greg Christian
Farm to School Program
Organic School Lunch Program- Marin Organic

Look for a post this week on an exciting new community gardening place I've found. I've got some great pics and stories to share about the Naperville Community Garden Plots.

What is Our Love Language?

Three Cousins Splashing, originally uploaded by rainbook101.

I realized on this trip that I am an Aunt. Oh, I knew I was an Aunt, but knowing it and feeling it is a different thing. It is hard to deeply feel your family ties when you live an ocean away and haven’t met them yet. Concern transcended into caring as I held this little girl in my arms.

I had the delight of meeting and falling in love with a delightful little sprite of a girl named Meria. I'm not sure if I'm spelling it right, but it is pronounced Mere (rhymes with beer)-E-A. Cute, eh? She is one month older then Luke.

I wooed her with peanut butter and banana bites, silly tickles and lots of Aunt Shannon hugs. I did rate second best compared to my two guys though as they fell just as hard. Oh, they loved their cousin! The sun rose and set on her during this trip, and when she couldn’t come over they were very sad.

Meria speaks Greek, Japanese and French with great ease. Her mother is half Japanese and Uncle Starvros is Greek, so Meria is exposed to both languages every day. She is the granddaughter of the ambassador from Japan to Greece and has learned about the culture from both family traditions. Meria attends school in French as well just to round her out a bit.

Yikes, their brains are so elastic at that age that it is pretty much nothing to pick up an extra language. My husband can speak five. I sputter if I have to use my rusty Spanish.

When she met Luke and Lio she first tried Greek. No luck. Tried a little Japanese on them. Struck out again. Tried a little French, nada. She turned to Uncle Starvros and said, "What is wrong with them!" She couldn’t understand why they couldn’t speak any of her languages.

I speak enough strategic Greek to make my way to a certain extent. "Where is the bathroom, Thank you, please, excuse me, and help" are a few such crucial phrases. I can also figure out the nouns for many things to the surprise of my husband's family. One key important phrase in my relationship with my husband has been "Don't tell me what to do" as he sometimes doesn't realize (ahem) that he is being a bit too forceful in his instructive meanderings. Speaking it in Greek early and often kind of put that in check. The longer I’m around it the more it makes sense, and I know if I lived there I could pick it up eventually. And about 90% of Greek speak some English enough for me to get by.

I'm not fluent, not would I even claim to speak the language. This pained me because I really wanted to get to know my dancing fairy niece better. Love isn't really expressed in language though, and we made along just fine. She likes to fall asleep with you hovering over her and rubbing her hair as she rubs your arm. That doesn’t require sentence structure or phrasebook.

Lio and Meria started the dance party on the night before the wedding, and almost ended it as I dragged Lio off the floor at midnight. He was a dancing machine! They whirled and twirled each other, and Lio turned many a hot model down as he only wanted to dance with Meria. Seriously, he rejected a Vogue styled girl that did have to laugh as he held up his hand and waved "No Thank You." He just wanted to get his mojo going.

I think we can all actually learn from children. The cousins are from different nationalities, speak different languages, and have different backgrounds, and probably very different ideas. But there was no, "It's my way" type of debates. Nope. It was a "Let's figure out how to communicate in our own way" type of situation that allowed lots of hugs, kisses and interaction.

Now could we get the G-8 to all go splash together? Maybe China and the U.S. could get their groove on to a little James Brown. How 'bout we do a shooter with Russia? A taverna party with everybody drinking a little Ouzo might just smooth the way to better carbon emission deals. We could even get Canada to come down for the party and Mexico could shake it up with some salsa. Make savin' the planet a little more fun, and not quite as gloomy. We all need the same things, and that transcends a phrasebook as well.

Hey, I'll pitch in the peanut butter and banana bites. And a little cousin love for good measure. I'll get my mojo going too.

Transportation in Athens

Transportation in Athens is very different from the United States. The most striking difference is the size and design of the vehicles. The Europeans have always paid more for gas, and it shows in their thrifty size. I only saw one SUV type vehicle when I was there, and anybody that may try to own a vehicle this size would find themselves rather crippled in navigating the streets.

I think the average person just simply couldn't handle the winding streets with minimal space.

The drawback to smaller sizes is carseats for kids are not the norm, and they were surprised to see mine arrive of the plane from Athens. It seems that babyseats are common, but not our toddler style seats once they are past the infant stage. Seatbelts are not required, and in one taxi we took the guy didn't have them. Mama had a little problem with that.

The roads are smaller, and traffic is fierce. You must be skilled and swift in order to drive, and maybe a touch of bravado in your heart. The cars weave in and out, tiny Smart styled cars seem to rocket out of nowhere, and if you pause for a moment you will get a little toot-toot reminder to move it forward. Parking is a challenge, and the smaller your car the better. I know I could learn to drive in Athens, but knowing where I'm going would be a different issue.

The difference in this traffic is that it is all much more good natured. There isn't a rip-your-head-off aggression that I encounter very frequently in Illinois. Little tiny toot-toots happen, but the horn is not used as an extension of your screaming mouth unless it is genuinely warranted. You don't have the fear that you will encounter a gun-totin' person going postal, and all of that actually makes you a bit more emotionally relaxed when driving. There just isn't the anger constipation that I see on the streets of Chicagoland despite heavier traffic and circumstances more challenging.

In the two weeks I was there I didn't see a single wreck. Oh, I know they happen, but the frequency in which they do seems to be much less. Drivers are moving at slower speeds and are used to watching from every corner. You have to have skill to drive here, and I'm assuming it translates into a lower amount of crashes despite the stomach plunging tactical maneuvers you experience.

Small cars are the norm, both for fuel efficiency and navigation possibilities. The second most popular item on the streets seems to be the motorcycle. The driver on the motorcycle also doesn't seem to be held down my traffic laws as they drive between cars, bop ahead of you and zip along at a much easier rate. Males seem to ride the motorcycle as an extension of their bodies, and I did see one cowboy pop a wheelie on the interstate. Our own Uncle Niko roared away on a sleek crotch rocket. Note: Motorcycles use a much smaller amount of fuel.

It is also important to note that the thought of driving as far as we do for activities or work boggles my in-laws minds. The furthest we drove was for a night beach outing, considered a special event. Most people plan to commute less, not more when selecting their work and living locations. Most people have some sort of market or bakery within walking distance too further reducing your driving amounts. You live more in your neighborhood.

Most impressive was the new Greek Metro system. I rode it when I stayed there before, but really looked at it closely with "greener" eyes. The trains were clean and a pleasure to ride on, the cost minimal and much faster then commuting through Athens on foot. How wonderful to see museums for artifacts throughout the stations, and what a unique way to house them. Notice the Think Gaia? Interesting.

My kids thought the Parthenon was pretty good, but the Metro? WOW. Mama won many a point by taking them on the rocket train.

Meeting Liberty Under the Vines

Note: Update to this story is added to the end.

I'd like to introduce you to a beautiful woman whose name translates to "Liberty" in English. Liberty is 87, and I had the privilege of visiting her old style Athens house and see her gardens. In her prime Liberty had lush veggie gardens filled with tomatoes and cucumbers. Now she is too frail to care for them, but her herbs and trees remain.

Her home is a simple style, made the old way with a type of mud/straw construction technique. It holds a small living room, a bedroom, a kitchen with little pantry and small bathroom. I think most of her actual living is done outside on her patio and gardens, and most of her land goes to trees, fruit and vegetables. It was a lesson in simplicity to visit, and I gathered many wonderful ideas from her.

Surrounding her house is trees of olive, lemon, lime and a type of grapefruit. I learned a tremendous bit in seeing her trees. Though they are all beautiful and provide shade, most all of them serve the dual purpose of providing food. I rubbed my hands in her herbs of lemongrass, basil, mint and lavender and imagined all the dishes that she used to cook.

These are the grape vines that are on a trellis above her porch. These lush vines are wound about through the cane, and provide a beautiful green natural shelter above her porch. We sat under the vines and I marveled at the green grapes growing right above my head. Did our conversation make them sweeter? The green canopy above my head just set the tone for a relaxed conversation. It spans the entire length of the porch, sheltering and shading in a natural growth.


I'm now wondering if I can build something similar when we put a patio on the back. I've had great success with the Morning Glory before, but I'm wondering what might work for the colder climate of Illinois that would be fruit, veggie or edible flower.






We loved exploring an olive tree, and learning from Papou about when they are ready for harvest. It thrilled me to just touch an older tree that Papou estimated to be about 200 years old.

When Liberty was younger she was in a family that found and dug wells. She is known for having good luck, and relatives have held coins that she has touched as a talisman for good fortune. She brought to mind the country legends of well witches, and their good fortune in locating water for others. She held a coin for each member of my family and then wrapped them in tissue and marked them by name. We hope that good fortune will come our way, but I feel that I already had a great fortune to visit this home.


Think a good thought for Liberty. She stands to lose her home quite soon due to construction happening in Athens. I wandered her home and took a large amount of pictures because those may be some of the very last ones taken of her place. I know she just wants to pass her years under the vines, but fate seems to be twirling and swirling around her plans. The story isn't over yet, and I'm rooting that Liberty's luck may come through for her very old home.

Update: The family from Greece called today to say that Liberty lost her home. This sweet woman didn't have any children, and had made up paperwork to give the property to her somewhat distant type niece and nephew. Unfortunately she didn't specify that she had to die first.

The dirty rotten money grubbing people evicted her from her life's home so they could put up a new building in Athens. Property there is heinously expensive, and they seem to be blinded by dollar signs. Despite legal efforts on behalf of my husband's family she was evicted from her home today.

Be specific in your wills and gifts, be very specific. And I have no doubt that some bad karma will be coming their way.

Mama at the Parthenon

Mama at the Parthenon, originally uploaded by rainbook101.

We're back! There are so many stories to tell, so many interesting things we learned. Stories of family, stories of the world and even more of what we think of a global outlook.

We've been on planes, trains and boats in a unique whirlwind tour. We spent a good deal of time in Athens and mostly visited with family and friends. I couldn't help but take the kids to the Parthenon even though it is swarming with other like minded tourists. My favorite parts of the trip were visiting places with my children that were visited by my husband.

We traveled through the islands and spent time on one of the most beautiful I have seen. Stay tuned for more stories as I think I'll have to do a series on Greece. I can't even begin to explain the wild natural beauty that I enjoyed in just a few words.

The wedding was a fantastic experience, and Uncle Nikos is duly married. It was an island ceremony full of traditions, lack of traditions and much fun. I felt such a connection to history as we strolled in the wedding procession on foot through the streets of the tiny island. Musicians led the way as villagers threw flowers, bundles were picked up by my eager two. We traveled by small fishing boat to a tiny island that holds only a small church on it, the bride arriving shortly thereafter by speedboat. More coming, much to say.

I also have many more stories of international news and how "going green" is everywhere on a large scale of global news, even if we don't see it here in the U.S. The view of the U.S. when you are outside of it is quite different- - - right now many are discussing about our lack of commitment to solving energy and environmental issues. The rest of the world is moving quickly while we seem to not be moving nearly enough. Stay tuned for future musings.

I've just uploaded pictures from our trip, and will be posting this week on various topics about it. Right now I'm just fighting jet lag, trying to unpack and enjoying my first few moments without children in over two weeks.

Whew, Mama did it.

Ramble On

Hello my little neglected blog, how I miss you! I’ve been a little crazy with a wild summer reading program and getting ready for a trip. The clock is ticking, on Saturday we fly out for the Mediterranean. I'm in a bit of overload trying to get ready for this trip on many levels.

The Show

Tonight I had the great pleasure of seeing Mark Dvorak perform. I booked him for a Use It Up, Wear it Out Show with folk music for kids. He was fantastic! If you are in the Illinois area and looking for a great folk singer and entertainer to book I’d highly recommend him. He tugged at my heartstrings with his Southern twang, fantastic tunes and fun messages. I just don’t hear good ‘ole music “up” here much and it makes me miss home so very much.

And the message.......good. Rilly, rilly good!

I highly recommend a visit to his website HERE and a listen on his My Space Page. Use the link on his webpage to get there, and you can also see his quirky You Tube of What a Wonderful World. Interesting to note that his illustrations were done by a wonderful 89 year old folk artist who completed this when she was “only” 85.

The Talk

A really cool chick strolled in for the show and sang an impromptu backup for Mark on one of his songs. I loved her voice! We started chatting and turns out she is looking for a couple of people to sing with, and I'd love to as well. I love folk music kinda Elizabeth Mitchell tunes and would love to find somebody along the same lines.

I sing constantly in all my programs for children, and music is a big part of what I do in storytimes. I sang in church growing up, with choir here and there, and backup on one album HERE though that is just a little fun thing. I think I stopped singing when I dated actual musicians and felt like I "couldn't." More likely it was I "didn't." I'm much more confident now about singing and do so almost every day at work in programs. Anyway......



We are going to get together when I get back from vacation sometime and try out a few tunes. She has a friend that is playing the guitar and they have been thinking about putting something together. Here is the funniest part-- -she is a bookseller with Barefoot Books and I'm a Librarian. Could The Lit Chicks be born? We were laughing about how we could do shows at libraries already. Hummmm.....folk music, enviro shows for kids?



And I love meeting kinda crunchy parents.



And Still I Digress


I'm just thought I would mention one of my favorite enviro singers, J.P. Taylor. He is a science teacher that sings on the side and I love his tunes. I've bought all the albums, and my kids ask for Manatee by name. I'm a huge fan of the Water Cycle song. You can buy his tunes through his site or through Acorn Naturalists.



Note: I am NOT a paid blogger. These are just things I truly like.



The Mulberry Tree


On Thursdays I usually work a type of 1-9 shift, and it is fun Daddy Day on my night for the guys. I usually try to get the kids up and out for something fun before I go to work, and today it was a nature walk with our big wheels for a little hill action.


We came across an amazing tree that I now realize is a Mulberry Tree. It looked exactly like blackberries but a little longer. There was another boy there just eating from the tree that said he eats them all the time. He looked fairly alive so I assumed they weren't poisonous, and I really thought it was a giant type of blackberry tree until I tracked it down. Fascinating!



The kids were amazed at just picking the berries off the tree, though we had to have a talk about that as they wanted to try it on other trees. I see now we have to talk more about plant identification and what is safe to taste.



I grew up with woods behind me, and we learned about all sorts of plants by trial and error. There was the one that we could pick to dye things, the sourgrass that tasted so tangy, and even the broad leaf plant that we liked to roast on a stick over a fire. The lady that lived by us had a heard of goats and we used to always try to figure out what kind of leaves the goats liked best and wound up tasting our fair share too.





Up the road from my childhood home was woods with a giant brickyard and field. Blackberry bushes grew in hordes there and my sister and I would regularly be sent out to pick buckets of berries in the summer. Berries on cereal, berries with milk. Tasty stuff. It shocks me in Illinois to see blackberries at like $5.00 for an itty bitty amount. To me it is a down south barefoot kinda pickin' thing.

Um, and goats could care less actually about what you pick out for them.





The Bookworm Blog


And last but not least, I'll be helping moderate for Green Bean's new bookworm blog. Awesome! I'm terribly behind on writing my own reviews, but mostly because I had to spend a good deal of time writing for our summer program. I'm catching up.....swear! I will be posting my reviews when I can actually write something other then graphics, brochures, and many details.



I'm excited about the opportunity, though I fear I can't get much done in the way help-wise until I get back from vacation. I' d like to hope to do a good job for her as I really feel like we've all been enriched by the book selections and reviews. My life has been profoundly shifting as a result of many of the thoughts I've encountered.



And the Vacation


Greece.......here we come! I can't wait to see the relatives, and the kids have never met their Aunts and Uncles. I'm going to have them run off the plane in their soccer team uniforms of Olympiakos. We've been talking about it all week and the kids are so excited. I'm choking up just thinking about it and I know many tears will be shed.


Everybody say a little blogger thought and prayer for my spirit as I try to navigate this by myself. It will be cherished memories so for the family to see them and I know I can do this. Just gotta have a little faith.



P.S. I will be donating to fly carbon neutral. I know all the issues with flying, but seeing the grandparents is something that means the world to the kids.


P.S.S. I'll catch you in a couple of weeks.


P.S.S.S. Remind my husband to water the garden and turn the compost bin. He is also working on the great Raccoon smackdown while we are gone. We've waited in hopes that they would leave on their own terms as the summer hit and the attic heated up. All but one stubborn old coot left. We had planned to let them leave and then put up a veritable fortress, but I think it is going to have to be husband vs. the raccoon while we are gone.


P.S.S.S.S. Could there be (Chandler voice) a post any more rambling? Yikes.

And if you have read this and noticed the problems with the line spacing, please forgive. I'm about to throw Blogger through the window. It can't seem to space right and I'm really tired of fooling with it. Could somebody please tell Blogger to fix this quirk!!!!

Obama Primary Victory Speech:

Rise America, rise.

I do hope that one day I have the privilege of hearing this great orator speak in person. He speaks to my soul in so many ways.

And did you hear it? Our planet, our oceans, our children. A hope for each of us, and hope for the world.

Yes we can.

Superman - The Dynamic Daddy

Chase Superman, originally uploaded by rainbook101.

I've really been low on blog juice as I navigate work and my busiest and most stressful time crunch of the year. I'm also in full HOLY CRUD mode as I try to plan for a trip!

Ah, hum....cough cough. No yard sale for me. I just had to say "no" to putting that on my plate right now.

The good news is that I found a dress that sucks, tucks and magically takes 20 pounds off me and on sale to boot. I couldn't find one used and had a difficult time too as absolutely none of the color black is allowed for any guest. It is the bad luck Greek superstition thing. Not even a speck. Not even a shoe. And everything I seem to own dressy has elements of black in it. Hrmph.

I've also spent more money on myself then I think I have in years as I've gotten a few decent things I needed like a swim cover up and a few t-shirts. Man, once you get out of the habit of spending for anything really it is hard to go into a store and purchase. But yes, a few of these things were indeed "need."

So I'm packing, organizing, and panicking a touch -- but trying to keep it all Zen. I have blown my diet this week with all the stress and taken a little angst out on some chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

And in belated honor of Father’s Day, I'd like to wish all those Daddies out there a huge smack of THANKS for all that they do. Here is my Superman running with his two delighted chicks after him.

He cooks, cleans, loves his kids to death, supports me when I'm down and lifts me up. We may fuss from time to time, but there is nobody else I'd rather have wearing my Superman shirt. He also makes a mean omelet, knows how to do laundry.....and yes......he loves to twirl a girl.

Happy Daddy Day to all the rest of your Superhero men, because you all deserve it. I think sometimes Dads get the short end of the stick for recognition in our world. I hope everybody recognized theirs!!!!

Share a sentence or two about your Superhero. I'll share a little bit more about my Dad this week in a previous post reprint. Stay tuned!