Across Country

 

Across the country we sent a birthday package.  Containing lots of handmade goodies including cards and a note written by a Japanese student who is visiting here.  I asked her to write Happy Birthday and she wrote a whole paragraph and then translated it, on another piece of paper, into English.  Also, in the box was a package of local salt water taffy and a water color.

It was fun doing the watercolor.  First we all came up with 21 adjectives that describe the birthday boy.  Then Eli painted a full page watercolor painting.  I cut the paper into small strips. I was just going to put them randomly on a piece of ribbon but noticed how cool they looked when placed almost back together.  We all wrote a few words so everybody's handwriting was represented.  Then I taped them onto the ribbon into a chain of colorful words!     

To Heal

When violence comes next door to your doorstep, even if your not home, you have to take the time to heal.  To try return to normal.  You gather in a circle. You smudge the space with sage.  You reclaim the space.  You plant flowers.  You have a potluck on a windy, biting cold night.  Huddled around the picnic table we brought what we had.  Soup, cereal, popcorn, salad.   You paint a lot.  You make cookies and eat them and send some home.  You listen to the kids that were there, when they want to talk.  The kids that are safe.  You thank the teachers.  You say the words loudly:  I never want to hear the words: school. shooting. violence. children. in the same sentence ever, ever again.    

More Handmade

 
There were lots of handmade presents around here and all were busy.  We even went to the local ceramics studio to paint some beautiful pottery.   Ceramics,sewing, drawing, baking, were some of what was given.  I don't have pictures of it all because some was given away and some I just haven't photographed.  Here is a small sampling of some of the things that were made.   And in between the making there was room for dress up.  Duct tape gloves and duct tape sheath.  While sewing, his sword was never far from his side.   

The Hawk

This afternoon we came home, unloaded out of the car and noticed the hawk we had seen before was sitting on the fence.  With 6 kids in tow I thought it would surely fly away.  But it didn't.  It sat on the fence.  We went inside and it stayed around all day.  The kids named him Steve.  Some wanted to feed him but I said no due to the fact that it is a wild bird that's not the best idea.  The crows flew by to see what was up and he chased them around for a while.  Then came back to the fence.   

We looked him up in the bird book and found he was a sharp-shinned hawk.  Probably an immature one.  We had thought this bird was a red shouldered hawk but with him hanging around it was easier to identify him.  I guess it's a him since his name is Steve. 

 Meanwhile we were inside making a fall garland to hang in the window.  First we just painted them but realized they needed more texture so we took the leaves we had traced and made rubbings with crayons on them.  I thought it added a little more depth to them.  Made them emulate the real thing a little more.  They look so cool from the inside and the outside.

Equipped Explorer

The birthday week continues.  I finished this bag for Eli today.  I had wanted to get it done before his birthday but didn't and thought a few days later would be okay.  One night last week I thought of staying up past midnight to finish it but couldn't quite muster up the energy.  As it was I squeezed in getting it done.  A little bit here and a little bit there.

As I went to wrap it tonight I thought, "Oh dear, I don't think he'll like this.  Maybe I should have found some cool patch and not done embroidery."  But guess what?  He loved it.  Of course it came with all kinds of little goodies that Emily and I had picked out.  A compass/whistle container, mini pens, notepad, small watercolor pad I made, watercolors and a few other things.  He started a journal in the notepad and wrote a title on the watercolor pad.  He's ready for exploring. He tried it on and the length fit perfectly.  I got this pattern from the book Rhythm of the Family by Amanda Soule of soulemama.  I have some fabric left and was thinking of making a bag out of it for myself.  It's really soft yet durable.