When Mia brought home a small cucumber plant that she had been meticulously watering the last few weeks of school from a small seed she planted, she was so proud and I was a tad worried.
I knew we were hoping to move and wasn’t sure where we should plant this precious plant. But NannyJane came to the rescue and Mia carefully dug a hole at the farm in the designated cucumber area of the garden. She and NannyJane have watered it carefully (NannyJane may have watered it a little more).
She took her time picking which cucumber she wanted to devour first.
Then we peeled it and added a titch of salt.
Yummy! Mia may have a green thumb. But it’s also clear she does her best gardening (and eating) in her pajamas!
As you might know, I’ve been happily immersed in the charm of children’s literature …
(Who knew writing for kids would be THIS much fun?)
While frolicking in this wonderful world of whimsy, I’ve happened upon some gleefully green pastures, and here’s one I wanted to share:
Farm Anatomy isn’t strictly a children’s book—the author, Julia Rothman, wrote it to explore the “curious parts and pieces of country life” for herself—but its bite-sized nibbles of fact and fancy certainly appeal to the inquisitive kid in all of us.
“From the shapes of squash varieties to the parts of a goat; from how a barn is constructed to what makes up a beehive, every corner of the barnyard is uncovered and celebrated.” (Amazon.com)
Of course, her adorable illustrations capture the interest of even the youngest readers, even if the facts flutter over their heads for now (sneak a peek here).
With over 200 pages of fabulous farm trivia, this is the sort of book that can be picked up time and again. In my professional opinion (as a farmer, firsthand) you should enjoy a routine bedtime reading rotation of Farm Anatomy and Moo-n Over Main Street Metropolis for best results.
What to expect?
Before you know it, your little city mouse will be crooning for a taste of the country and a tractor of her own while visions of Sally O’Mally dance in her dreams!
If I say,
“Sarcasm is a reflection of a person’s creativity,”
and you reply,
“Oh, really? I didn’t know that from years of personal experience,”
then you’ll appreciate this entry.
If, however, you’re more inclined to dismiss this statement as flapdoodle (stay tuned tomorrow to see what that’s all about),
then you’ll probably just want to stop reading … here.
The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 6,571 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—9,327 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ
Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life …
To help my sweetie-pie neighbor, Piper, earn her Beginner Level Garden Gate/Get Buggy Merit Badge, I devised a sneaky plan.
Well, maybe it wasn’t sneaky, but it sure was clever (if I do say so myself … and I do).
You see, like a lot of little ones—especially the female ones—Piper wasn’t overly fond of insects. Maybe it was their spindly little legs; maybe it was their ability to appear when they’re least wanted; maybe it’s because her brother, Joey, likes to toss them on her head … well, whatever the reason, I was bound and determined to change Piper’s outlook on all things buggy.
photo by Dominik Stodulski via Wikimedia Commons
We started with a scavenger hunt (the ones we can’t find in our area, we simply looked up online). That’s right, a scavenger hunt of the bug variety! No little kiddo can resist a scavenger hunt. Golly, I can’t resist one either, actually … which explains why I was up in an oak tree chasing a fuzzy caterpillar earlier this afternoon.
MBA Jane’s Buggy Hunt
A. Ladybug
B. Bumblebee
C. Dung beetle
D. Silkworm
E. Cochineal
F. Blowflies
G. Honeybee
H. Fruit flies
Next, we matched the bugs to their helpful qualities:
1. Let’s hear it for pollinators!
2. Eats … um, poop. Well, somebody’s gotta do it, right?!
3. This guy helps scientists in the laboratory with genetics and biology, though they don’t make white lab coats small enough for him.
4. Can you say ‘honey,’ and ‘beeswax?’
5. We appreciate these bugaboos for producing red dye for clothing, lipstick, and food. Although we really only appreciate the cloth part … ugh for the other two!
6. Eats aphids. Better them than us!
7. Makes silk for cloth. Gotta love a set of decadent silk pillowcases on a hot summer’s night. Thanks, buggies.
8. Doctors use these handy bugs—that are members of the maggot family—to help stop infections. Wow!
At the end of our little hunt and educational bonding time, Piper and I felt like real entomologists. We had a brand-new love and gratitude for the tiniest members of the animal kingdom (although we couldn’t find a good reason for the existence of cockroaches or mosquitoes, no matter how hard we tried).
And we barely jumped at all when Joey flicked a few Daddy Long Legs at us.
photo by James Petts via Wikimedia Commons
*Answers to Jane and Piper’s Entomology Hunt
A/6
B/1
C/2
D/7
E/5
F/8
G/4
H/3
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
