"The Sea is our mother rocking, rocking. See how she fills her blue arms with gifts ~ with slippery bits, weed, white shells, fish as bright as wisps of moon. Hear how her voice lifts, falls, lifts while she sings our life." - Tony Johnston (Poem shared via Grace)
On these September days, autumn gently makes itself known. Each visit to the ocean makes us mindful that soon we will trade our summer atire for cozy woolens. While our visits to the ocean will always be a part of each season shares itself with us, there is something speacial about connecting with the warm sand underfoot and the refreshing waves of the sea.
.:The front porch has quite a collection of shells, stones, seaglass and driftwood :.
Recently, we brought home with us a small pail filled with golden sand along with a few treasures that we so happily gathered.
.:We appreciate having bits of the ocean close to us at home reminding us of the landscape around us:.
We set out to preserve these pieces of summer complete with a message scroll tied with string telling of a favorite day at the ocean that we can look back upon while the days begin to shed summer.
.: Some of the treasures we have found at the ocean joining with us at our craft table :.
So many of us enjoy preserving or canning up a summers day in jars, wether it be through canning a jar of garden tomatoes, pickles, or jam to be opened in the cold dark days of winter to remind of of the sunny days of summer. This activity also will remind us of the feelings and memories of summer I am sure!
Aside from preserving a summers day, this activity is fun to send in a box through the mail. I would be delighted to receive a 'message in a bottle' from a friend complete with a bit of the beach!
.: This shell makes a wonderful 'scoop' for pouring sand into the jars :.
Step One: Filling The Glass Jar
Fill the bottom half of a recycled glass jar with sand.
Shells make for a lovely scoop for your sand!
.: Choosing the treasures carefully :.
Step Two: Choose Your Treasures!
Lay out shells, stones, seaglass, dried seaweed, nautical rope pieces, feathers... any of the treasures you have collected throughout the summer while visiting the ocean.
.: We enjoyed this process of choosing and placing each special piece from the ocean :.
Step Three: Arranging Your Treasures!
Carefully place your treasures in the sand.
You may wish to lay them all on top or push a few down around the sides to be visible through the glass.
.: I was happily surprised at just how long thr children sat creating their 'jars of summer' :.
I anticipated that this project would be enjoyable for both the children and myself, though I did not realize just how fun it truly would be until I noticed how purposefully each child placed their treasures among the sand!
.: We made jars for ourselves and more to mail like a 'Message in a bottle' :.
This project took over a good part of the morning. Feeling the warmth of the sun upon our backs as we sat around a table outdoors that was full with such natural beauty and memories of our many visits to the ocean.
It meant so much to hear my children talking to one another about a favorite piece of seaglass or shell and of the memories surrounding the discovery of each piece.
I was amazed how each child took pause to place each treasure--at times to remove or add to the scene while taking notice of the colors, shape, and size of each piece.
.: Working together to enjoy the time spent together re-visiting ocean memories :.
Three sets of creative hands, three precious hearts, and three beautiful minds work together in collaboration and in peace. We are mindful of the togetherness and joy we have found this summer (and even this day) while preserving these memories through crafting.
.:One of the finished 'Jars Of Summer' that now sits in the children's room as a daily reminder of summer:.
