Welcoming Summer (Thank You, Tortoise)

Papa turned 37 last week, and his birthday wish remained the same as it has for years: a long weekend surrounded by beauty and family on his grandmother's South Georgia land. Each morning, we would wake, stretch, breathe, and explore. The morning glories marked our way through trees and trails, opening brilliantly toward the sun. It seems I'm not the only one that is thankful beyond belief that summer is here, and with it, God willing, a slower pace. The simple act of opening up and reaching toward the sun creates such beauty and stillness. We are truly given everything we need.

On our first morning ride, we found a nice big patch of wild blackberries, and breakfasted there for quite a while. We revisited the patch every day. We are truly given everything we need.

So much beauty and bounty, ripe for the picking. The same was true in Grandma's garden. Peaches from the tree, squash from the vine. We are truly given everything we need.

Big B, little b, and their Georgia cousins celebrated the summer sun by collecting objects of beauty and creating Solar Prints. They all marveled at the speed with which the sun created the shadows, the shapes of the leaves, and what happened when the paper met the water. We are truly given everything we need.

With summer comes water, and the boys (including Papa) drank their fill. Every day held fishing of some kind, whether by boat or on shore. And when the sun became a bit too overbearing, the water welcomed them in. We are truly given everything we need.

Over the last few years, I have become a believer--or rather a conscientious observer--of animal spirit guidance. When animals cross my path repeatedly, all I have to do is pay attention and listen, and their meanings bring me clarity. During this trip, we must have seen a dozen tortoises, mostly gopher, on our rides. Sure, the heat of summer brings them out, but we've been there every Memorial Day for the last few years, and I have never seen more than two or three. The tortoise's message was crystal clear to me, as we release the fast pace of school schedules and bedtime routines and open our arms to easy summer days: Slow down. Look upward to the sun. We are truly given everything we need.

Inviting Fall: Pinecone Wreath

Wednesday's Autumnal Equinox came and went without my planned seasonal fanfare, as our four schedules left us all passing ships in the night, with barely enough time for nutrition, homework and hygiene, let alone crafty ritual. But this morning was just right for it. A cool breeze, a slow pace, and nothing on the agenda but enjoying each other's company.

On our annual Labor Day trip to south Georgia, we went on a pinecone hunt, and gathered a bagful to bring home for fall decorating.

We pulled it out this morning, along with a styrofoam wreath form I've had lying around for way too long, and Big B and little b had fun sorting the pinecones into just the right arrangement. The real fun began when I told them I'd let them use the hot glue gun. The reverence of that tool held their rapt attention for the entire project.

I wrapped the wreath form with autumnal fabric, then let the boys take turns with the hot glue gun, gluing their pinecone of choice to the fabric, bottom side inward.

I glued small rust colored ornaments and cinnamon sticks between their pinecones as we worked. With the leftovers, we made a welcoming basket for the front hall table.

We all felt so proud to hang our welcoming wreath on the front door, inviting more cool breezes, cinnamon smells and warm, rusty colors. I immediately went into the kitchen and made butternut squash bisque! We wholeheartedly welcome you, autumn, and all your gracious gifts!

Only in a House of Boys...

...would I walk into the bathroom, ready to turn on a hot shower after a long day, and find Man vs. Nature in my bathtub. It seems in this scenario that the tiger, the alligator and the shark got the best of the many, many specially powered, turbo boosted soldiers.(Other 'Only in a House of Boys' posts here and here)

A Breath of Fresh Air

Yesterday was the culmination of weeks and weeks of planning a very special event in our community. When so much time and energy is spent on one goal, and it is achieved, the exhale is LOUD. I was grateful for all of it, every single minute; and I was equally grateful this morning to wake up, realize what day it is, embrace the extra hour of early dark and j u s t B R E A T H E.

Somehow, the universe climatically agreed with me. This morning our neighborhood was slightly cool, slightly breezy, and just warm enough. To walk outside was to feel very fresh November air on my skin.

When we picked Big B up from school and returned to our special street, we saw each of our neighbors drawn to breathe the fresh air as well. We stayed in the street for nearly two hours, enjoying playing, breathing, being.
It almost brought me to tears to watch my boys catching lizards and knowing I didn't have to answer the phone or race inside to check my email.
I am experiencing a seemingly dichotomous gratitude for the busy-ness of achieving a high-set goal, and the still-ness of having it behind me.

"The sound of 'gentle stillness'
after all the thunder and wind have passed
will be the ultimate Word from God."
-- Jim Elliot

Letter Walk :: G

There was actually a touch of fall in the air this morning. Big B chose the letter G to hunt for as we ventured out for our first healthy Sunday since August. What a glorious way to start the day!

Finding Treasure in Georgia

We sought and found much treasure during our Labor Day visit to Great Grandma's south Georgia homestead. Most of our treasure came from Mother Nature herself, hiding sweet little gifts for us to find along the trails we wandered, from sun-up to moon-rise.
The find of the weekend happened on one of many four-wheeler rides, when we looked into the woods and spied this beautiful turtle shell.We decided it should be displayed prominently in The Vagabond, where Papa, Mama, Big B and little b comfortably and happily lived for the weekend. Much of our time was spent siting, parking, lifting, securing, cleaning, stocking, sealing, electrifying and plumbing this 1989 beauty. We are so grateful to Grammy and Papu for letting us take part in this vintage treasure, and we look forward to our Thanksgiving trip, when we will refurbish The Vagabond even more. But as always, the treasure we sought above all others was the time we spent together, riding the trails along the Altamaha River, through the pine forests, between rows and rows of cotton and tobacco, with the September wind in our faces and pure love for each other in our hearts.

"Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot.
In your soul are infinitely precious things
that cannot be taken from you.”
--Oscar Wilde

Color Walk (on location) :: Tan

Big B chose the perfect time to go hunting for TAN: our annual Labor Day vacation to Southeast Georgia, where the clay and pine straw seem to dust everything in the under-appreciated hue.

Letter Walk :: B

This morning was beautiful, and we all felt the urge to get outside immediately. Little b walked to the door and said "GO!" just moments after he woke up. So we decided to take a walk. News of our color walks has spread, and a neighbor suggested we take it to a new level with shape walks. This adaptation inspired a new idea, vocalized almost simultaneously by Big B and me: letter walks. And of course, the first letter he chose was B!

Yard Sale Score: Friendship

We headed a few blocks eastward yesterday for the yard sale of a good friend. She is moving to Hawaii in less than a month. It was bittersweet to watch her sell her worldly possessions to move across the country, but she is happy and excited for the journey to join her husband and bring her two sweet babies to a gorgeous oasis.

We felt fortunate to have our selection of toys from her daughter's stash. Our score du jour was a trampoline, which now sits in the center of the boys' room. We also came home with a dozen vintage kids' books in great condition.This one, commercial as it may be, was one of my favorites when I was a child.As soon as I saw this one I knew I'd scored. It was a great surprise for Big B upon his return from his first week at Kindergarten.
The yard sale was not without serendipity. Last week our little chair broke, and we found this absolutely perfect replacement.And it was only yesterday that I decided to seek out a Lite Brite at a consignment store, as it was my very favorite quiet time toy when I was Big B's age.
It is tricky to make a new friend, really really like her and her family, and then watch her move far away. But I am a better person for having known her, and isn't that a great feeling?