Thankful

If during the first period of life we create an atmosphere of gratitude around the children, then out of this gratitude toward the world, toward the entire universe, and also out of thankfulness for being able to be in this world, a profound and warm sense of devotion will arise.....upright, honest, and true. ~ Rudolf Steiner

Today, with the anticipation of Thanksgiving on our minds, we felt called to make something for each person who would be joining us for our holiday festivities. Nothing too involved, just something simple and from the heart. I saw this post on Pinterest from Woodside Kitchen. It is a dough ornament, but not just any dough ornament.....

 ** It's made with 1/2 cup of cornstarch, 1 cup of baking soda, and 3/4 cup of water! Combine all the ingredients in a cooking pot, cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to thicken and takes on the appearance of "smooth mashed potatoes". Pour into a bowl and cover with a damp cloth until the dough is cool enough to handle. Knead the dough, adding more cornstarch as necessary to keep the dough from being sticky. Roll out to about 1/4 of an inch or so on a lightly cornstarched surface, cut out using cookie cutters, decorate using rubber stamps or other stencils. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment and bake at 175 degrees for about an hour (flipping them over after 30 minutes).**

So simple. So pleasing to work with. So beautiful and clean looking. It was a breeze to make and took well to painting and other decorating. The only thing I would recommend is to be mindful of the time in the oven (varies by size, I think). Our ornaments were quite small in size so they baked up really quickly. I didn't have that thought in the forefront of my mind so I over baked them a bit. The sides curled up and they browned a little on the bottom (I also didn't have any parchment). BUT, all is well. We painted them and/or sprayed them with a clear acrylic and sprinkled some glitter all over them

 

 

There is so much to be thankful for. Everyday I am reminded of the many blessings I have received. These little ornaments will serve as a little token of our gratitude for those we love so dearly and their presence in our life. It is hard to imagine our days without the smiles, love, and laughter of our dearest friends and family, those we see often and those we only see once in a while. We have big hearts for those we are missing and keep their legacy there.

 

This time of lessened light and inward process begs me to remember that although are days are full to the brim with moments that may seem more than we can handle, it's important to remember that we are surrounded by angels, seen and unseen. Those that hold us up and walk with us through our darkest times and those that quietly keep that spiritual space through the veil. We can honor them in this lifetime by living a life of gratitude, for all of those who have touched our lives in one way or another. Who and what are you grateful for right now?

 

I am, humbly, honored that you have chosen to walk with me in this space. Thank you.

 

Enjoy your holiday with those you love so much. Blessings to you and yours xo



Preparing in Gratitude

Blessing on this room of ours,
Blessing on the garden flowers,
Blessing on the birds and trees,
On the butterflies and bees.
Blessing on the dolls and toys,
On our quietness and noise.
Blessing on the children dear,
On the grown ups who come here.
Blessing on our work and play,
God be with us all each day.

 

 

We're preparing for Thanksgiving time in our home. As a Waldorf inspired home, we incorporate the teaching of Rudolf Steiner in much of our daily lives........

 

"An immense enrichment of the soul is achieved through the experience of feeling gratitude. One should see to it that, even in a very young child, a feeling of thankfulness is developed. If one does this, a feeling of gratitude will be transformed into love when the child is older. In every situation in life, love will be colored through, permeated with gratitude. Even a superficial observation of social life demonstrates that a valuable impulse for the social question can be fostered when we educate people towards a greater feeling of gratitude for what their fellow human beings are doing. For this feeling of gratitude is a bridge from one human soul and heart to another. Without gratitude, this bridge could never be built." ~ from Waldorf Education and Anthroposophy 1922-24 lectures by Rudolf Steiner

 

Cultivating gratitude within our children is in fact a lifestyle. It is not something that can only be acted on just one day a year. The mere  existence of gratitude in our society requires that we feel it and live it every single day. How will our world continue without it? We already can see the upsetting occurrences of what happens when gratitude fades to entitlement; our Earth's resources are being depleted, some children have grown into adults that have lost their reverence for how precious all life is, there is a lack of respect and responsibility in our ever growing populations. We are a culture of constant consumption.......if only a tear drop of gratitude could be injected into the ailments of the planet and our connection as human beings, might there be a shift in the dire situations of so many?

In the spirit of gratitude, we've been telling a particular story, a bit adapted to help capture the importance of being thankful. We discovered the story of Hugin and the Carrot (adapted from the story Hugin and the Turnip) over at Natural Kids .

The first part we adapted is where the Caterpillar asked if Hugin knew the right way to pull up the carrot.

We added "Did he first give thanks to the Root Gnome and ask if he might pull up the carrot?" Then Hugin put his mouth close to the ground and called: "Gnome, good Root Gnome. Many thanks for helping this beautiful carrot to grow so big and beautiful. May I take your carrot home so that on Thanksgiving Day we can eat a soup that tastes of carrots sweet?"

We also added at the end where everyone is helping each other up:

"Many thanks for you help. So sorry to have knocked you over."

The last line of our story is read like this:

"And nobody was hurt, and everybody laughed. All their hearts were full of thanks for the help each one did give and for that beautiful carrot that would make their bellies warm and full. "

It was very sweet to know that the message was received. Here the littles are meeting the characters and reciting the story as they remembered. I heard many "thank yous" being shared between characters and "oohs and ahhs" for how beautiful the carrot was and how thankful they were for such a lovely treat to eat. It is so beautiful to me how children really are much more readily available to give gratitude. Their wonder, their beautiful attunement to love and how each individual creature is just as important and valuable as the next. I never tire of watching this grace in action.

Another little piece that we've woven into this tapestry of thanks is the song "Johnny Appleseed". We sing an adapted version, for no particular reason, this is just how I was taught to sing it.......

Oh, the Earth's been good to me.
And so I thank the Earth
For giving me the things I need:
The sun, the rain and the apple seed;
Oh, the Earth's been good to me.

Oh, and every seed I sow
Will grow into a tree.
And someday there'll be apples there
For everyone in the world to share.
Oh, the Earth is good to me.

 

Here is a photo of a little craft we did the other day.......it's a turkey! I'm sure you guessed :) I'm not entirely into these kinds of crafty things, I much prefer something that is a bit more purposeful; but that being said, Charlotte and Kiki are very much into puppets lately. Everything is a puppet ready for a show. We happen to have many gloves that are missing their other so it seemed a perfect thing to turn them into puppets; and why not a turkey?! Gobble! Gobble!!

How do you incorporate giving thanks and living in gratitude with your littles? xo




Glimmer, lantern, glimmer

Glimmer, lantern, glimmer

Little stars a-shimmer.

Over meadow, moor and dale,

Flitter, flutter, elfin veil

Pee-wit, pee-wit, tikka-tikka-tik,

Rucoo, Rucoo

 

Glimmer, lantern, glimmer

Little stars a-shimmer.

Over rock and stock and stone;

Wandering, skipping, little gnomes.

 

The weather has turned quite quickly to wintry. Martinmas is upon us and I can only think of how much we need the warm, heavenly glow of candle light. There has been so much upheaval over the last few weeks. Hurricane Sandy hit hard areas around us, those we love have suffered great loss and millions we don't know have suffered as much, if not more. We have been faced with the reality of looking long and hard at how we live our life......what we depend on for survival, what we can do without. We live in a world of constant contact and movement and I know there have been many who have been living quite frontier-like, although it hasn't been dreamy at all.

 

The story of St. Martin is one that encompasses all that is compassionate and unconditional. Martin gave to another human being when no one else would. He sacrificed some of his comfort so that another fellow human could experience warmth and generosity. Martin acted out of grace.......and I feel like at this time when we are usually more focused on turning inward we are also being called by our neighbors to look outward.

 

It is bittersweet to sit in our warm home with all of our luxuries safely around us, wood stove crackling, lights on when needed, and hot water at our beck and call. How I wish we could somehow alleviate those who haven't had a hot shower in days, if not weeks. How I wish to offer a hot meal to a fellow human who has been stranded in their multi-story apartment building with nothing but what they were able to grab in advance of the storm. How I wish that so many were not looking at so much devastation and loss.

 

Our family is one of action! We aren't idle in moments like this so with all those "how I wish" statements above we've managed to use that energy and put it toward looking outward. We are in the planning stages of a massive event. One that could potentially bring hundreds of people together with just one common goal, thanksgiving. We are looking to bring those who have lost so much together with their neighbors and give thanks for what is left and what can be restored. We will feed their body and souls with the unconditional grace and love and good old fashioned home cooking! Martinmas comes at a time where there is so much to give and we can certainly be inspired by the Light that shone so brightly within him.

 

The littles and I made more lanterns today! I know, I've been a bit lantern crazy!! They're just so beautiful to have around and their warm glow will melt away and coldness in the air. We made very simple lanterns using the traditional method of pasting tissue paper on a glass jar. I'll end this post with a few snapshots of our experience and just one question.......

 

How will you be inspired by St. Martin this year?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All Souls' Day

"We here can help and work not only for those on earth, but also for the dead,

through the life-filled, spirit-filled thoughts that we bring to them." ~ Rudolf Steiner

 

Today we have transformed our seasonal table into a bit of an alter, if you will. Today is All Souls' Day or in some Latin countries, Dia de los Muertos. There are many traditions one could bring into their family culture from either celebration history. They are both rich and full with color, food, family, celebration, joy. On this day it is said that the veil between life on this Earth and those who have transitioned is thinner, thus making it possible to welcome home those who have left.....if only for a brief time.

 

 

 

Over the last few years, we have said Good Night to many of our loved ones. With children at an age where they are aware of what it means to die, as a parent, it has been so important to communicate as tenderly as I can so as to assure my children, help them to cope and understand that even though dying isn't something we wish for, it doesn't have to be scary. I've always tried to encourage them to hold on to the vision that death is just a shedding of this physical body, much like a caterpillar. We shed our bodies and transform into something so beautiful.......something we'd never even dreamed of. A complete transformation form this body that walks up right to something that will free us from any limitations; like the caterpillar turns into a butterfly. At one time it was captive to its land bound body and now flies freely to where ever it's heart wishes. I highly recommend this lovely book that we have read to our children when a loved one has crossed through the veil: Waterbugs & Dragonflies

 

 

 

In remembrance of those who we have known and love deeply and in honor of those who we don't know but have been effected in some way by their life and death we have made a strand of marigolds. We've made them in two different ways to bring awareness to the different way we love people and celebrate their lives.

 

 

We have added some photos of our loved ones to our nature table today and are leaving a candle lit to hold them in reverence. Such simple additions yet it changes the feeling of our nature table from being a beautiful table to honor the life and seasons around us to all of that but then so much more. Seeing the faces and smiles of our loved ones in such a hallowed place.......it's quite profound. The littles have really enjoyed hearing stories of these faces and learning of their connection to them. They love them even though some of them they have never met on this plane. I can only hope that they have been visited by these beautiful souls in their dreams........maybe after seeing them today, they will!

 

 

Will you celebrate the lives of those who have left this Earth? Will you laugh and be joyful for the life that was shared? Will you gather with family and friends and tell stories and eat good food? How do you remember the lives of those who you might be missing today?

 

"Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come." ~ Rabindranath Tagore

 

 

 

*shared on:: The Magic Onions



A Bit of Magic : A Pumpkin Painting Story

We've heard many stories to support a particular painting project but none really resonated with me or my kids enough to create a well rounded experience. To honor that, I chose to write my own story to follow along with a somewhat traditional pumpkin painting experience. The painting part doesn't begin right away so if you choose to share our story with your children, read it ahead so you can get a feel for where and when you can prompt your kids to begin to create their little pumpkins.

 

I felt Kiki was bit young for this project so I set up a pumpkin project similar to our

 Shamrock Window Transparency.
~ You will need some orange paper to cut into a pumpkin frame
~ some bits of tissue paper
~ a blue piece of paper to frame your pumpkin on

 

We used the wet on wet watercolor technique for the pumpkin painting. It's such a magical experience to watch and participate in. To see your littles' eyes light up when they see the colors change or the pumpkin face come shining through......it really is quite sweet.

 

~ You will need some wet watercolor paper

~ Blue, red, yellow watercolors

~ A cup of plain water

~ Brushes for the paint and water

Enjoy ~

 

Once upon a time a Little Seed lived in the earth. He was waiting and waiting until the time was just right for him to begin to grow. He waited until the soil was warm enough…….and on that day he burst open and a little green tendril began to uncurl from Little Seed’s body. With so much strength and persistence he pushed through the earth above and followed the trail to the ever glowing light.

As days came and went he kept growing his long green tendrils all along the garden floor. Leaves began to sprout along the curly vines and then little flower buds began to pop out between the leaves.  Now, our Little Seed friend knew that these flowers were very special because it was from the “Queen” flowers that a round, orange, pumpkin would grow. All day long, Little Seed would call for the bees, telling them that a feast would await them in just a short time. This would be a once in a lifetime day for everyone. It was on this one day that Little Seed would push his flowers open to welcome the bees for the afternoon feast. These blossoms would begin to unfold by early dawn and by late morning they would be in full bloom. They would be open and waiting for the bees to come and share their pollen with all the flowers along the vine but especially with the “Queen” flowers atop their globe shaped thrones.

That day had arrived and the bees were humming so loudly. They were happy and full of pollen, dropping little bits into each “Queen” as they sipped on the sweet nectar within the flower.  Little Seed could hear and see the symphony of miracles that was happening all around him. By dusk the bees had  gone off to their hives and all the flowers had begun their final bow. The flowers closed and the pollen within each “Queen” had begun to create magic within the round thrones below her. Little Seeds dream was coming true and the pumpkins he so anticipated were beginning to grow.

~ First, a golden ball began to appear. (Paint a yellow sphere on your paper)

~ Then, as the summer light began to shift these little yellow balls began to take on an orange hue. (Add some watery red to your yellow and watch as the color changes  from yellow to orange).

~ The magic and wonder was more than Little Seed could bear. He felt so much satisfaction for the birth of the pumpkins because he knew that they would bring such joy and happiness to many little children who would come one day to pick those pumpkins. The sky above them was so blue but could not match that of the bright burst of orange that shone from the pumpkins below. (Paint blue all around your pumpkin but be mindful not to mix the blue with the orange in an effort to keep the colors separate).

 

~ After the sweltering heat of summer had come and gone and the leaves started falling from their tree homes, Little Seed knew it was time. The pumpkins that had started from little green globes beneath the most beautiful flowers had finished growing. They were ready to be taken from their curly, green, vines and brought home to a loving and appreciative family that would use this pumpkin for a lovely celebration. Little Seed knew that these pumpkins would provide nourishment, fun, beauty, and then would return to the Earth and begin anew. (Combine a bit of the orange and blue to encourage a stem (greenish) somewhere along your pumpkin).

 

~ As the children danced along Little Seed’s long tendril and chose the perfect pumpkin to take home, Little Seed felt very proud. He had worked very hard for a very long time. He was sad to see his treasures go but knew their life would be so meaningful to so many. As the pumpkins were carried away Little Seed saw the smiling faces of each one glowing back at him; their eyes, their smiles, their teeth, their noses.  (Now paint faces on your pumpkins with some fresh water. The clean water will wash away any color that is there and a face will shine through. You can use a clean cloth to dab the paper with and help pull the color away. After it dries a bit paint your eyes, smile, nose with some yellow paint. This gives your pumpkin a nice glowing face).

 

It had been a busy time for Little Seed and he found he was ready to retire for the winter. He knew that he would be taken care of by the Winter Fairies and Gnomes and other woodland creatures. They would tuck him in for the long cold winter and prepare him for what lie ahead.

The winter winds began to blow, Little Seed could hear that he was being called away. He drifted gently from the cold, barren earth and danced among the snowflakes and ice to discover where it is he was to go next. Little Seed didn’t know where he would land  but trusted that it would be just as amazing as where he had been.

KiKi's finished pumpkin

 

Charlotte asked to make her painting our new Welcome sign on our front door (the screen comes through in the photo, kinda neat looking I thought!).

I think it's perfect, don't you? :)

 

 

 

* This post was shared on Frontier Dream ~ Keep Calm Craft On

and Seasons of Joy

 

Impressed by Leaves

Today was the quintessential Autumn day. Warm yet brisk. The sun shone such bright light but you can see and feel the difference from the sunshine of our summer days.......fragmented, shifted, indirect. The leaves tumbled passed us as the wind carried them across our yard. The littles chased them to and fro and came back to me with ones they thought were just so beautiful; their colors, their crunchiness, their shapes. We decided to place our favorites into a basket and bring them inside to examine them a little more closely.

Charlotte had really hoped to keep them all, forever!, and we would have if I had had enough beeswax (so we could preserve them in the melted wax) but alas! In the end we compromised on making a leaf impression and then finishing it with a little wax resist painting. It was a multi-stepped process (the littles love that) and took only about 30 minutes to complete. It was perfectly engaging for them and by the time we were finished, Charlotte felt that she had properly paid homage to the little leaves she considered such a gift.

 

First, we placed their leaves randomly all over a piece of paper that was

anchored down to our table with some tape.

 

 

 

Next, we rolled another piece of paper over our leaf collage.

 

 

Then, they rubbed some crayons all over the top piece of paper.

It was so beautiful to hear the girls "ooh" and "ahh" whilst seeing the leaves

pop out from under their crayons. They would rub harder and then lighter to see how different

the shapes and veins looked beneath them. It was really fun to watch.

 

 

Isn't it beautiful?

 

 

Charlotte wanted to continue on and began by applying some watered  down egg dye

to the leaf impressions. I kept our egg dye from Easter to use all year long for 

projects that call for water colors or dyes of some sort.

They do last for about that long before they get moldy or stale in color. 

 

 

Here is a detail shot of how the wax from the crayon resists the water color.

The crayon colors just pop right through and create such a beautiful prism of color.

 

 

We're lacking in wall space so I'm challenged to utilize other areas for displaying our works.

Here you can see I've used a bamboo shade as an easel for our leaves painting. The sunlight

coming through the window allows the impressions to really stand out.

 

 

"It's Autumn again,

Leaves whisper the sound of our past."

~ Andrea Rieck

 

 

What are you crafting this Autumn?

 

This post was shared on The Magic Onions
Friday's Nature Table



The Season of Celebrations

Our Season of Celebrating has begun! The Autumn Equinox (along with Michaelmas) is the official kick-off to an abundance of seasonal celebrations. So far.......so good!

Our Michaelmas season has been quite profound. We've each had a good look at the dragons in our life. We've stared them down, honored their presence in our moments, and have made steadfast and brave attempts to tame them. Our big kids have really been able to understand and acknowledge this seasonal shift in their days. The each are aware of how their dragons effect them and are being tested, everyday, in an attempt to practice their taming capabilities. It's been a wonder to watch but it has also been a bit overwhelming to lend them a hand and shine some light on their path. I am a firm believer that they are still connected enough to feel their way through an event. They each hear that little voice that prompts them to act in love and avoid the negative.  Sometimes their voice is muddled but they've proven to be courageous in their ability to listen more deeply.

 

 

As we come to closure with St. Michael we welcome in our multitude of birthdays. When one door closes, another one opens!! The first in our cycle of birthdays was that of my beloved husband. His was a full day of preparations and a full evening of celebration. Bella had invited some of her closest friends over (5 to be exact) for an impromptu sleepover. So in total we had 13 sitting around our table eager to sing a hearty "Happy Birthday" to my husband. It was loud and full of laughter. There was much to be grateful for on that day.......as always, I am ever grateful for the day he was born and the life he chose to create with me.

Our next celebration is less than a week away. We will, and I will forever be astonished, celebrating the birth of not only myself but also that of KiKi!! KiKi was not only our most super, special, most amazing surprise baby but when my birthday rolled around 3 years ago I didn't think for a moment that I was actually in labor!!! Her birth was a total surprise. We just barely made it to the hospital in time........it was pure magic! Our KiKi........full of magic and surprise xo

The Autumn time marks the beginning of so much........it truly could not be any more special in my eyes. The colors changing, along with the weather. The fragmented sunlight, the flavors, the smells........ahhh, the woodstove!!! I love everything this time of year has to offer. For me, it's my new beginning. My slate is cleaned, my heart renewed.

I would love to hear how you honor and celebrate the change to Autumn (or Spring if you're in the Southern half!!)

Michaelmas Shooting Stars

 

 

2012, the Year of the Dragon......It is the year in which we embrace the dragon, acknowledge, tame, accept, allow and understand all that they mean.

 

Michaelmas, a celebration of the archangel Michael and his ability to harness the courage he needed to slay (or tame) the dragon. Michaelmas is a time of much centering and inward reflection; a time to defeat the dragon within us, to look at deeply and shed light on the dusty places within our souls to allow our own star shine.

 

I could go on and on about what this time of reflection has meant to me. This Michaelmas season has brought about some wonderful shifts and exciting new possibilities. My heart has been opened wide and I've been able to listen and receive my calling, the whispers of my Angels who are guiding me along the way. My journey is not only continuing but most certainly beginning anew.

 

These thoughts are a bit much for the wee folk in my life. They absolutely can comprehend on a spiritual level the sacredness of this time; the purposeful work, the quiet storytelling and the magic of seeing the story of St. Michael come alive in our life. To help bring the story alive even more I chose to share with them this handwork project. Many years ago when my eldest first went to school we were blessed to be able to send him to our local Waldorf school. His teacher floated on air. She was as gentle as a lamb, as quiet as a mouse and her eyes twinkled like little stars. The children adored her, as did I. It was pure magic to watch her effortlessly move through a room of 20 or so children, sing a beautiful song and just like that the children would focus their attention her way. They quieted and they glistened in the pure magic of the moment. It was on a day just like this where I was able to assist the classroom in the making of these Shooting Stars.

 

The SITS Fall Back into Blogging Challenge has proven to be a bit difficult for me. I've been unable to keep up with the days and the blog challenges due to unexpected daily life occurances :) That being said.....I've mananged at least one post, albeit a day early, and so...... well, better late than never, right ;)

 

 

First, we went in search of Goldenrod to use for dying our felt.

 

 

We came home with two filled little baskets and began plucking the flower from the stems.

 

We put the flowers in a pot, covered them with water and boiled them for several hours.

 

 

While the flowers were boiling we went in search of the

 perfect stone to help add some weight to our stars.

 

 

One of the more fun parts......wet felting!!

 

Once the felt was formed into a ball, we dried them a bit then added them to our

strained goldenrod dye where they bathed for an hour or so. We let them

set/dry overnight. In the morning, we put them in a pillowcase and finished drying them in the dryer.

 

I added some needle felted star decorations and a ribbon tail and put them in

my littles hands; they ran for the door to send them into the sky.

 

 

"The Autumn winds wail through the wood,

Through rushes and through reed.

Who is the rider of radiant light

On the snowy white, shimmering stead?

Of garment of gold he rides along,

His face like the sun so bright.

O Michael, lend us your starry sword,

The darkness of Earth fill with light."