“Last April, I was lucky to photograph a pregnant mother of two children at their farm house in Zion, Illinois.
Today, Dina shares her thoughts about farm life and benefits of it for the young children, her feelings about being connected to nature, her dreams, and aspirations.” – Angelika Poletaeva
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APRIL IS A SPECIAL TIME of year; one of a kind. It inhales life into plants and extends the daytime. The rivers become warmer, and the days are more beautiful as everything around us is blooming. The earth, like a magnet of life-giving power, nourishes everything that is in it. The three pairs of bare feet that belong to my spring children are not an exception. They are the living proof of it.
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We do groundwork only with our bare hands; we prefer our feet in rubber boots called “galoshes”.
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MY CHILDREN jump into the garden beds filled with chives. They start cutting off the green arrows of the vegetable, and then feed each other. Not even a few seconds pass by as the noisy tornado of my children’s superpowers moves toward the chicken coop to collect the Guinean eggs for the evening omelet. Guinean eggs are the strongest; their shells do not break even if they happen to fall from the height of adult hands.
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Geese, ducks, and turkeys are close by. They are laying eggs on the green grass. Nothing to be surprised about, it’s April.
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KIDS ARE THE USUAL INHABITANTS OF THE KITCHEN. In the mornings they visit the garden filled with fruit and vegetables. Outside, in the garden, the recipes of future meals are created. That is where my children are growing up…
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HOW COOL IS IT when you can brew a large kettle of tea with dried flowers and enjoy it the whole day! Or, when you can savor a bowl of salad made from mixing boiled duck eggs with fresh green onion! No wonder this salad is called “spring”. In the summer, we mix in cut homegrown cucumbers, tomatoes and… everything else that the children gather from our garden. My eldest son is 4 and he is pretty handy with a knife. His salads come out exceptional, but my presence in the kitchen is necessary; participation is optional. The less fuss there is, the more that actually gets done.
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We prefer to sew with yarn instead of trying on and buying. Compost instead of throwing away. Reading and retelling instead of pulling out a phone and looking it up. No active shopping. We would rather take a stroll in the forest which is full of its own treasures: mushrooms, herbs, and berries.
I ALSO HAVE A DREAM – to build a house with a garden full of blossoms. In the middle of that garden there is a huge and sunny gazebo. My children and I are all sitting at a large table which stands in the center. We are in the process of creating and savoring every moment together. This large space is equipped with everything for crafting. Here you can make a pot from clay, sew a sundress, build a hive, cook soup, make soap or goat cheese, write letters, come up with a new recipe for toothpaste, or create children’s toys with wool as gifts…
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VALUE WHAT YOU DO, put your heart and soul into it, and enjoy every second of it. It seems to me that in our time of technology and endless consumption, we are running away from everything that is in front of our eyes, what we already have, what we do not need. I am grateful that I have sunshine, my land, and my children. That is where I could live life to the fullest and cherish every second of it. April – one of a kind – is my witness.
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BLACK TOOTHPASTE FOR WHITE TEETH
by Dina Miller
Ingredients:
- 4 T spoons of Coconut oil
- 2 T spoons Baking soda
- 1 t spoon of Charcoal
- Few drops of peppermint or tea tree oil
- Pinch of Himalayan salt or cinnamon
Kids are amazed how black their mouths get and love to swish it. Yes it gets a little messy but u can just wipe it off and get a white clean sink as well.
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STORY – Dina Imankulova | Zion, Illinois
PHOTOS – Angelika Poletaeva
Translate – Victoria Bulakhava | Editor – Nika Levando