You may remember a line from the classic Disney movie Finding Nemo where Dorie and Father clown fish are doing what they do, looking for the small clown fish. Dorie says in a sing songy tone, "Just keep swimming...Just keep swimming..."
This line was somewhat humorous, if I remember correctly, from watching it in English. But the first time I saw Finding Nemo in Spanish... The line took on, what was for me, an entirely new tone and meaning. I hadn't been speaking Spanish for very long and so the fact that I could actually watch a movie in a foreign language and understand all of the words and meanings, I'm sure, contributed to the overall hilarity and significance of this menial play on words. I remember listening to that part of the movie, understanding it, laughing my head off for a few minutes. I might have laughed so hard I cried...or peed... And even though I still think it's funny, it mostly means something to me when I don't know what is to be done...
Right now, I don't know what is to be done. At the risk of dissecting the proverbial frog: In Spanish, the translation for the word 'swimming' is 'nadar'. The translation for the word 'nothing' is 'nada'. It's not uncommon in many Spanish dialects to pull words together, blending the sounds to make a new word, keeping the same meaning as the complete word. In this case: "nadaremos" means simply: "we swim." But take the two words 'nada haremos' blend them together like a gaucho, it comes out "we do nothing". I know. Hilarious, right? Yes, I know you're rolling in your chairs...But tonight I've explained in words what in my head has been rolling around and making me laugh for over 15 years. I don't often explain what I laugh about. It would mean letting out a few small dangerous animals that I feel much safer keeping caged.
But there you have it. What on earth is to be done? With a deadly virus, hundreds of conspiracy theories being let loose on a believing world, a catastrophic political climate, and the culmination of our civilizations historical prejudice and privilege being fanned with an oil cloth, corruption at the core of it all; Here I am. Trying to raise my family, find a little joy, and learn something useful as I go. What is to be done? Nadaremos...
So with that I introduce my blog. It's a couple years old, but it tells a sort of story. No need to even look, but it began as a way to publish work toward my bachelors degree from Utah State University and write with an eye to creating an open exploration of what we want to create in our home. 'Palenque', which translates to 'holding post' is the name we've given our home endeavors. Right now that includes our dreamy little homeschool. So this takes on the form of documenting and expressing what we do and what we feel with this new adventure.
My heart has always been a homeschooling heart. Somehow (with a hellovalot of work) I fell into a home that is ideal for adventures with animals, biology, dirt, food, stars, and many other things worth exploration with younglings. And this year, my husband (other Disney character) Ariel is far enough along in his hard earned education that he finally wants me to do it. The collision of all these things puts me into a place where homeschooling is fully supported by both responsible adults living on the premise and makes sense. Not having to send my kids to wear masks for 7 hours a day, or contributing to negative factors of large groups of people gathering during a pandemic is just an added bonus of fulfilling my dreams.
So without further adieu, and before my family wakes up and realizes I am not in bed: What do we do, when nothing is to be done? We do nothing and we just keep swimming.