Busy Hands and Minds

“We can make a little order where we are, and then the big sweep of history on which we can have no effect doesn't overwhelm us. We do it with colors, with a garden, with the furnishings of a room, or with sounds and words. We make a little form, and we gain composure.”   --Robert Frost

    

Saturday the sun was shining and the temperature was pleasant.  It was a perfect morning for donning work clothes and my hat to putter around the gardens.  Roger decided to thin out the english ivy.   I was pulling a few weeds and cleaning paths all the while sketching a plan in my head of things I wanted to move and things I wanted to add.  When I reached the area where he was working I began picking up all the discarded ivy, adding it to my waste bucket.   We started talking about my plan, he continued his clearing and I began playing with the ivy.  Soon I was focused on picking up the long strands and weaving them in and around until I had a small wreath perfect for the garden gate.

When the leaves wilt and die, I will simply strip them away, or not, and have a very fine vine wreath.

I thought it was a rather clever use of my time. 

******

Happy Birthday Robert Frost!

I love to read poetry to my children.  I keep this book of poems by Robert Frost in my classroom and often read from it.  Although not directly related, each poem is accompanied by a stunning watercolor illustration, by Henri Sorensen.  The children know when I pick up this book we will be spending a little time just looking around to see what is happening outside our window.

Today we watched a robin gather twigs, I suppose, for a nest.  As I stepped back away from the children, I couldn't help but wonder what we must look like from the outside.  I had two or three bodies in each window vying for the perfect view while I pointed and turned little faces toward our small laboring neighbor.





  These poems are the perfect combination of nature and verse.  Two things children are naturally drawn to.  I don't think it is ever to early to begin reading poetry to children, and this is a wonderful introduction.