Relearning lost knowledge with Alice Clover

RELEARNING LOST KNOWLEDGE AT MIDSUMMER

BY ALICE CLOVER

AKA THE FARTING FEMINIST

Alice is our monthly blogger, an EyeStorm WIZ member
Author, CEO and Founder of Alice Clover Stories

Alice shares her thoughts, ideas and quirkiness every month.

Celebrations

At the beginning of June it was my youngest daughter’s birthday. We celebrated by having a small birthday party at our house, playing games as we shared in our love for her. She always likes to have a piñata and was very particular about finding one that didn’t have a face. I am always thankful that we are raising such a kind, compassionate and emotionally connected daughter who is already leading the way for change

One of the children found the party too noisy so all of the other children started playing a round of pass the parcel without speaking to make sure it was quieter and inclusive for everyone. Sometimes it’s the smallest gestures that have the biggest impact.

Camping and Celebrations

We also celebrated our thirteenth wedding anniversary this month. We were camping in a peaceful meadow, surrounded by nature, able to enjoy the sound of bird song.

Camping is something we both enjoy immensely and are always thinking of ways to make it an easier and sustainable experience so that we can camp for longer periods of time. I am incredibly fortunate to be married to someone who shares in my life goals and supports me in everything that I do. He has always cheered me on and encouraged me to pursue my dreams, allowing me to take centre stage, and also shares my knowledge of women’s and girls’ rights within his own work place.

On the move

At the beginning of June we had to move out of the house we had been living in for six months. It was an extremely stressful experience, that brought about a lot of big emotions that felt overwhelming and exhausting.

This has certainly been a huge learning curve for us as a family. Full of blessings, lessons and plenty of soul searching. Although I have moved house in the past, this has been on a very different level because it’s been out of my control and also that of my family’s too. Moving with children is not easy and all of us have had to learn to adapt to each new space and the energy that each new house has. As someone who is highly sensitive, with two highly sensitive daughters and all of us are neuro diverse, it has taken strength and courage to keep going through this upheaval and change. As a family unit we have kept strong and focused on our love of each other. We’ve also lived in some interesting houses, that we would never have known about otherwise. We also stayed in a hotel for a week, which had a swimming pool, HUGE BONUS!

Camping and Solstice

During the solstice we had the absolute pleasure of camping with friends in a glorious campsite in Suffolk.

The nature there was full of fluttering butterflies, crickets and birds singing. The sun was shining in full force as we set up camp in a meadow of wildflowers and long grasses. You can tell camping is a firm favourite for us. The girls have freedom to roam and explore. In fact, my youngest daughter discovered some rocks, pottery and even a fossil that she took great delight in researching about. She is planning on selling them to friends and family. I love that both of the girls can learn at their own pace, wherever we are, about varied subjects of interest. They also did some water play, which kept them cool and brought about plenty of laughter. Children have an incredible way to entertain themselves, and their connection with our natural world certainly enhances the joys of life. On the evening of the 21st of June we lit a fire and did a burns-list. I got the crystals out and enjoyed releasing what was no longer serving me and welcoming in what I desired. This always brings me huge peace of mind and healing too.

Relearning lost knowledge

As a family we love days out and one of our favourite days out is Tudor Day, which is why we were in Suffolk. This was our third year of going and each time we all learn something new. I was fortunate to explore the herb garden this time and spent a long time learning about the various herbs and their uses with my youngest daughter and her friend. Both of them were also able to pick raspberries, which was a firm favourite activity. I used to love picking raspberries from our garden when I was a child and am thankful that I can share this with my children, even if it isn’t from our actual garden. We also saw some women weaving willow baskets. My eldest and her friend went to the dairy, where they had the chance to help make some fresh cheese using ancient methods. She always learns at her best through a hands-on experience and loved having this opportunity to make the cheese. The re-enactors all want to talk about their various trades, share their knowledge and pass on their wisdom. Tudor Day is one of our favourite days of the year and I feel such a huge affinity to Kentwell Hall. Another blessing this time was that we saw the alchemist for the first time. He was fun, engaging and taught us all how the Tudors would light a fire because matches were not used then. The best way to learn about science and a new memory made.

With love,

Alice, The Farting Feminist