Ok, so the story of the Nielson family is all over the blogsphere. If you don’t know it, head here.
I have added this print to the benefit sale which begins today and tomorrow (Friday) at 11 am Mountain Time. It sounds like yesterday’s sale ended within 9 minutes! So you better head over at 11am sharp!
Also, I’m not sure when my print will be on sale, so keep your eyes peeled…
Here’s where to go at 11am:
I am hosting a family portrait party at Barde Park, near Charles Hay Elementary school just north of Downing and Eastman in Englewood, CO. The proceeds from this day will go to the school’s greening effort. Most importantly, and where my interest lies, is with the school garden. This garden won’t be at the school for another year of so, but I still would like to support this program and help get it going any way I can. This fund raiser I hope will raise the funds needed to keep my dream of kids learning nutrition, sustainability, etc. alive.
Please visit this page to view available times: “Family Portrait Party.”
To book a time you may call, email, or even leave a comment here and I will update the schedule. Since I am manually updating this schedule, your name may not appear on the list for a few hours. This is a first come first served event, so act now!
Thursday I photographed The Movement Dance Co.’s rehearsal. Then Saturday India and I went to see the performance. This dance company is pretty unique, at least to me. They are an inter-faith group that strives to, among other things, invoke thoughtful inspiration in their audience. This last performance had a lot to do with woman and the need for self worth. Very cool.
These woman have a passion for dance, it is obvious through their art. India and I both wished we could get up and dance with them!
This is India and I on our way to the performance. To add to the excitement of the night, India and I got dressed up and even put on a bit of makeup. It was girls’ night out after all.
The last couple of weeks I’ve had the opportunity to photograph at two schools as they plant their seeds. Once the frost has past, they will be ready to plant. I think both schools have sewn enough seeds to host a plant sale. This will help fund their garden projects. These two weeks are the perfect time to start seeds, especially if you’d like something grown before school ends in May.
just in case you were wondering how this process works, here is the how-to:
Mr. Andy begins with a story about a girl who plants her garden in the spring. This gets the kids thinking about what is needed to help seeds and plants grow.
Then it’s time to see the dirt. The kids are shown how to fill their pots (or 4-packs) properly, keeping air in the dirt. They are reminded not to pack the dirt, they are not making sand castles. The soil needs to be loose, allowing the tiny roots to spread and grow.
Then kids’ and plants’ names are placed on sticks.
It’s time for dirt!
2 seeds in each section of the 4-pack.
Sprinkle the herb seeds in the single pots… for the K classes.
Mr. Andy has fun with the kids. He is a regular fixture at his school.
Time to clean up! A bucket of warm water for the kids to dip their hands in before they wash them in the sink. Keep the pipes clear of dirt.
While the 3 or 4 kids are sowing seeds, the rest of the class works on their plant journal.
Can you believe that yesterday was around 70 degrees and today the snow is falling? Believe it. That’s how things operate here in Denver. Yesterday we ate lunch on the picnic table and played at the park. Today I’m sipping a cup of hot ginger tea and considering whether or not to take the sled to school for the V-day party.
I am also finishing up the teacher’s Valentine. There just isn’t enough time in the day… when mom has meetings most nights it makes completing projects difficult. Last night I met with the Slow Food group and had a blast talking school gardens and watching a slide show presentation of the Edible Schoolyard (out in Berekley, CA) along with UC Santa Cruz’s cool farm and kid garden. Lots of photos of really innovative structures made out of bicycle tire rims and trellises.
The Slow Food group is awesome. There is a small portion of the convivia (I think that’s Italian for chapter) that are interested in education. Their whole motivation is to get successful gardens into schools, and have the kids cook and eat the food. Most of the group are parents and teachers. How altruistic can you get??
Ok, I just finished the valentine. I hope it dries in time.
I got this idea from Patricia who’s blog has several ideas on how to reuse items that are usually tossed.