Fairy tales, Ponies, Pirates and Kites

What a lot of adventure comes to children with a bit of free time and a their unleashed imagination! Such a gift it is to be able to dive into stories and myth, invent things and play act characters of all sorts. Some inspiration came from listening to C.S. Lewis's The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe from The Chronicles of Narnia on the car ride. We have also been reading King Beetle Tamer and The Search for Delicious. The pirate lore local to the outer banks was another inspiration to their play. Blackbeard supposedly spent time at Teach's Hole, waiting for ships to conquer. And since we recently saw a local production of Peter Pan, the pirates are lively characters to the kids. Afternoons were spent on the three floors of beach house deck, mapping treasures, making strategies, and throwing anchor (a woolen yarn tied to a stick). A few favorite pirate books (nice for kids) are Richard Scarry's Pie Rats Ahoy, which Jasper thinks is the funniest book ever, and one we found by a local author/illustrator father and son called Captain Stumpy The Pirate Cat.




The wild horses which descended from those brought over by the Spanish colonial ships in the 1600's can still be found on Ocracoke Island, though now they are kept in a corralled area of 180 acres and cared for by the National Park Service. According to local author Pat Garber's Ocracoke Wild, the horses are no longer allowed to run free, for concern for their safety among vehicles and dwindling numbers in the herd. Another interesting read that I found for Mia is Pale as the Moon, a historical fiction tale of a Native American girl and a wild pony that she befriends.


I found a kite-making kit at the thrift shop, complete with bamboo sticks, kite paper and instructions. The kids delighted in making and flying them at the beach. They held up in the strong winds, I was impressed!

what can be better than kite flying in your pajamas?

Oceanside in October

We just returned from a week on the Outer Banks, the barrier islands of the North Carolina coast. It was no ordinary summer-time beach week, but rather a quieter, cool weather time. We had one glorious beach day when the sun shone brightly, and the kids swam in the ocean all afternoon. The water was still plenty warm and inviting, though I only ventured to knee-depth. Then the winds crept up and did not lay down for the rest of our stay. We had clouds and rain, as well. I was thankful for the hot tub that came with our beach rental. It made a world of difference when exploring the windy seashore, knowing that a steaming tub was waiting at the end of the day. I loved to watch the kids fill their time with adventures of their own making. The history of the islands and the lost colony, the mysteries of the native people and the little knowledge that we have of their cultures, the pirate lore, the wild horses (descendants of the horses of early Spanish explorations), the natural habitat and the island culture of fishermen and surfers... these were all elements that wove their way into the children's curiosity and play.

Riding the ferry to Ocracoke Island

Vacation time always makes me search for ways to bring more of that beautiful awareness of the present moment. When I am away from everyday life, I feel my thinking deepen and I can envision more clearly what I want, who I am. My challenge is finding a way to get to that deeper state of awareness, and yet maintain the busy life that we live with some amount of grace! I think meditation is one way to hold a space for contemplation, and I would like to carve a space for it in my day. And simplifying, is the ever-challenging task that I work towards. I think having and caring for too much material stuff can really waste time and energy, in a most unnecessary way. Rhythm, rituals (such as lighting a candle for a family meal) and spending time every day out in nature, these things all bring connection for me as well. I would love to hear others' thoughts on how to make life more nurturing on a daily basis, please feel free to post your comments!

Weekend retreat

What a lovely time to rejuvenate and enjoy the company of wise women. The Southeast Women's Herbal Conference was glorious as always. Some highlights include: listening to herbalist Susan Weed spin tales, she is a very talented storyteller! Eating fabulous local food, inspired by Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions cookbook. Attending a full harvest moon fire circle, full of magic and beauty! Waking up early each morning to join at least 50 other women doing moon salutations in Sierra's wonderful Kundalini yoga class. Enjoying the beauty and quiet, and gaining more appreciation for common plants (and weeds) for their healing and nourishing qualities. It was also wonderful meeting such inspiring women, mothers, artists, healers, educators and nature lovers. Many thanks to David and the Grandparents! My blessings are many.

Corn husk doll tutorial

Mia had a really fun time at the local heritage festival. In particular, she got to make a lot of fun crafts and then teach them to friends and family. One of those fun crafts was making the corn husk dolls. These can be as simple or elaborate as one would like. Mia taught me, and then we decided to share it with others at the Michaelmas festival. Here is a basic tutorial for a very simple doll, easy for young hands to master with a little practice.


The supplies needed include scissors, corn husks, and yarn or embroidery floss. I purchased a bag of husks at our local Latino specialty market. First, you want to soak dry corn husks.I soaked the husks in a bowl of water for about 30 minutes.

Take several husks and fold them in half, together.




Then, roll the husks with the more pointed ends on the inside. You want to roll them lengthwise so the folded side looks like a spiral.




Then, tie around the top, which will make the head. It is important to roll tightly, and tie a tight knot. It helps to have extra fingers to hold the string tightly.





Next, you will want to peel the layers up to form a skirt.



Keep peeling up to the head, all around the doll.




Then, take a smaller piece of husk, roll it lengthwise and tie the ends to form the hands and arms.

Carefully slide the arm into the outer layers of the skirt, up toward the head.




Then, wrap a piece of yarn around and crosswise over the arms, like an "X". This will hold the arms in place. At this point, as an alternative, the legs can be ties to each side to form pant legs.




And, voila! You have a lovely little friend to play with. Does she need some company? How about making a whole family! Perhaps you will want to add some yarn hair or acorn caps for the little ones? The possibilities are endless. Happy Autumn!

Thank you, Mia Belle, for your lovely tutorial!

Autumn Walk

I love a day that includes a peaceful walk in the woods, just taking time to observe and enjoy the beauty of the season. It feels as if time has slowed down just enough to be really present and happy to be among the living world around me.






This afternoon was the perfect opportunity to introduce nature journals for the girls to write and sketch in. I like to use Anna Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study as a reference, and Barb 's inspiring blog as a guide.








Today, what I noticed most were the beautiful trees. We spend the late afternoon meandering through the lovely grounds of the Biltmore Estate. There is this charming walk that winds along a stream to the bass pond. We also followed the path that climbs into the woods.

ironwood tree

playing among the Bald Cypress knees

these look like lychee fruit?


Ahh, the magestic Dawn Redwood


the artful red veined maple

another favorite of mine - the paperbark maple

strawberry bush

Vivienne enjoyed her special find - an earthworm with an iridescent glow. We called him King Worm. She tells me that he is very lucky, and that she will always remember this Fall day. We found a very auspicious home for him under a beautiful pine tree. We contemplated whether or not she might see him again, and she called out her address to him, just in case he had the future opportunity to make a visit.

Mia took a peaceful space ahead of us to make her own discoveries. At one point I heard

her squeal and hurried ahead to see if all was well. She was tickled to catch sight of a small chipmunk in close range. We also noticed the many frogs that leaped as we came close to the marshy area, and the interesting varieties of dragonfly that circled us at the pond.

Jasper said that his very favorite thing was to launch his bark boats into the creek. He also tried hard to point out a creature which he descrbed as a huge cricket, but I never could see quite what it was. One of the many mysteries...

And out again I curve and flow
To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on forever.

from The Brook, by Alfred Lord Tennyson