They figured it all out. The PERFECT way to spend their 20 minute ride to and from school each day. What is it? Listening to a favorite book on tape (currently, I'm suffering through listening to Judy Blume's, Otherwise Known as Shiela the Great) while they knit. Ah well, I figure a little less time listening to my NPR programs in exchange for their improved knitting skills is alright by me. I'll expect a cashmere scarf out of the deal, though ;-)!
My daughter has an especially strong love of fairies right now. She's been reading fairy books by Gail Carson Levine, as well as Tales from Pixie Hollow.
In fact, after she wrote in her journal today, she told me how much she wished she was a fairy. While I was in my sewing craze, I only returned a distracted, "Uh huh." She has told me this before, you see.
"No, " she persisted, noticing the distraction in my voice. "I mean I really wish I was a fairy." She waited for a reply which forced my attention. And she went on, "Fairies all support each other. They don't need money to buy things. If they want food, they just go to the baking fairy and she makes it for them. The world is much better for fairies... I want to be a fairy."
I'm sure there are portions of this story that could make me worry on many levels, but for now I am focusing on the positive.
So, we took advantage of another sunny day to go searching for The Fairy Tree. A fairy tree, you might ask? Let me explain. When we first moved here, my daughter worried about fairies. Were there fairies living here so far from the mossy forests of our previous home. Yes, I told her, there surely are fairies here.
Soon, my daughter set to work writing a letter to the local fairies. I later read her letter and it was just about the sweetest and most earnest piece of writing I've read. So, it's no surprise a local fairy found her tenderly written letter thumbtacked to the closest juniper tree, safely tucked within a notebook page protector. The local fairy wrote back to her and described her life here in the high desert, as well as her "talent" for gardening. In fact, she told my daughter she will help her with her gardening come springtime.
In addition, this fairy answered my daughter's question about their shelter during the winter weather and described a homey fairy haven within the region's tallest tree. Apparently, the fairies all hunker down during the winter storms within this tree, safe and sound.
My daughter conjured up all sorts of ideas about this fairy tree. But which tree is it? Is it the lone pine tree along the river? Or the stately juniper that presides over a little meadow? One of them has a hollow trunk-----a welcoming spot for a family of fairies to make their winter home.
Alas, we never identified the fairy tree, but we do know that somewhere nearby, a family of fairies is watching out for us, ready to lend a bit of magic when needed.
Something about the snow's ability to transform the ordinary mesmerizes me.
I remember as a child hiking along the nearby canyons after a fresh snowstorm and conjuring up characters from the odd shapes the snow created over everything. The snow transformed rocks into frozen looking creatures and other ordinary objects turned magical.
I was fascinated by the tracks left in the snow by little creatures, too. The Chronicles of Narnia series, The Wind in the Willows, Beatrix Potter, and Watership Down all influenced my imagination because of the secret lives of the animal characters. This is termed anthropomorphism and it was my favorite type of literary characterization back then.
I loved to construct my own miniature snow scenes. One year while suffering from strep throat and condemned to stay inside, I filled a wash tub with the first snow of the season and replicated what I saw outside----twigs for trees, pebbles for boulders, miniature toys filling in for the people and animals. My own children find miniature scenes fascinating, too, as in the example above. (Check Bella Dia for a similar activity).
As a child, I used to look on in wonder at the little animal holes underneath those snow covered rocks and along the banks of the nearby river. I believed that down inside the holes were families of rabbits: the father rabbit with a proper black vest and the mother rabbit stirring a pot of carrot stew on their little makeshift woodstove. Or the holes might house a beaver family with a cozy little haven. My imagination was the world then.
Even now, while looking out into the monochromatic forest transformed by new snow, I wonder where the animals are----little hints of my childhood magic. Are the chipmunks curled up inside a cozy hole in the side of that old Ponderosa Pine?
Perhaps snow is another one of nature's mysteries----cutting us off from much of the backwoods, forcing us to rethink what we know, and laying a carpet of mystery out for the little creatures to hide.
These little bookmarks make wonderful gifts when combined with a fun book. Simple to make, the most difficult part is in choosing a small enough design for the size of the bookmark. (And please note, I got carried away with the size of the one in these pictures; it is larger than the mushroom one, for example).
Materials:
To begin, choose a small embroidery design (here are some ideas, above). It should be aproximately 3/4" to 1" across. The simpler the better---small flowers, initials, whimsical designs all work well here.
---Transfer your design to your fabric. I transfer my designs by drawing freehand but there are also handy transfer pencils available from craft stores that enable you to iron the design onto our fabric.
---Embroider your design onto your fabric.
---Cut out a circle aproximately 2" in diameter with the design placed smack in the middle. I use a glass so that each circle is uniform.
---Cut out another circle the same size. Make sure you allow at least a 1/2" around the design---in fact the more the better because you can always pull in the edges to fit snugly around your design.
---Now you will create a yo-yo. Aproximately 1/4" inside the raw edge of your circle, create a running stitch around the parameter, secured in the beginning by a good knot.
---Pull up the thread while simultaneously using a finger to work the the yoyo into a circular shape and evening out the thread.
Press the edges down and then iron the yoyo flat. Do the same with the second circle, trying to make this yoyo as close in size to the first yoyo. Iron it, too.
---Place the two yoyos wrong sides together. Manipulate the yoyos so that the circles match up---they don't have to be perfect...
----With a very small and discreet whip stitch, stitch the two yoyos together, like a yoyo sandwich...
----Begin your stitching at the 4 O'Clock position with the design verticle (shown in picture above----this allows a space to add the ribbon below the design). Stitch counter clockwise.
---Once you come to the 8 O'Clock position, insert your ribbon below the design and continue to stitch the two yoyos together. Stitch the ribbon inside the yoyo sandwich with a running stitch----be sure to sew it securely (especially if it's intended for a child)!
---For decoration, using embroidery thread, stitch a running stitch around the perimeter of the circle.
----To tie off the bottom of the ribbon, either thread the ribbon through the eyes of a button and tie a knot, or thread it through a large bead and create a knot large enough to hold the bead in place.
---To thread the ribbon through a button, coil the ribbon's end small enough to thread from the bottom up and back down through the button. If your ribbon is too large, just sew the button onto the end of the ribbon...
---I will share another bookmark idea with you in the coming days...
Choose a wonderful book to go with this bookmark-----here are a couple children's books on my kids' wishlists...
The Daring Book for Girls. My daughter was very displeased last year when there was The Dangerous Book for Boys but there was not a girls' equivalent... Until now!
Peter and the Secret of Rundoon. My son loves all of the books in this series.
