GardenMama

.: Waldorf Lantern Walk :.

.: These are the lanterns that were created many years ago and are used each year! :.

As a Waldorf-inspired family we look forward to celebrating a lantern walk in honor of the story of Saint Martin who let his inner light shine one cold November day...

Martinmas Day is a time to celebrate our own inner light. It gives many an opportunity to honor that light in preparation for the coming season of winter's darkness. 

.: We created a new style of lantern for this year's lantern walk! :.

Each year on November eleventh my family and I take a lantern walk.  Before our departure with our lanterns into the night we take a few moments to read the story of Saint Martin.  This story is adapted from a version by By Cerdiwen Anya Coit

"One bitterly cold winter evening, the young Martin rode through the gates of Amiens on his fine, proud horse. He was dressed in the regalia of his military unit: gleaming armor, a bright helmet and a beautiful white cloak, lined with lambs wool. It was nearly freezing outside, but his thick cloak kept him warm. He was hardly aware of the cold.

But then, as he approached the gates of the town, he saw a poor man, a beggar, dressed with clothes so ragged that he was practically bare. The man was shaking and blue with cold, but no one reached out to help him. People would pass through the gates, looking straight ahead, so their eyes would not meet with those of the poor, desperate man.

Martin, seeing this, was overcome with compassion. He rode straight to poor man and took off his white cloak. And with one stroke of his sword he tore the lovely mantle in two. He wrapped half of the cloak around the freezing man and the other half around his own shoulders.

The people nearby watched in amazement. To see a fine military officer do such a lowly thing was a ridiculous site to many, but others were touched by the goodness that Martin showed.

That night, as Martin slept, he had a dream. A man appear to him who looked so familiar, and he was wearing the half of the cloak Martin had given to the poor beggar. And then, Martin saw in the eyes of this man, the light of the Divine which we each carry within us."

.: We mixed wheat paste to adhere the tissue paper to the balloons :.

.: The youngest one uses the wheat paste to layer strips of colorful tissue paper :.

We enjoy homemade wheat paste to use for adhering the tissue paper to the balloon.

Wheat Paste Recipe:

Prepare 1 cup of hot water. Make a thin mixture of 3 tablespoons of white flour and cold water (just enough to wet all the flour and make it liquid enough to pour). Pour the cold mixture into the hot water while stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. When it thickens, allow to cool. Use as glue.

.: Warm colors were used to create our lanterns! :.

Tear long strips of colorful tissue paper.  This year we adopted warm colors for our lanterns. 

For the base of each lantern we used white coffee filters and pasted them on the bottom of the balloon until we reached halfway up the balloon.  We let this dry on the clothesline until the next day.

.: We began by pasting white coffee filters to form the base of the lantern :.

You can notice in this photo the dried white base of the lantern.  We then took our colorful strips of tissue paper and pasted them over it.  This gives us a nice sturdy lantern, while the white underneath the color allows the light of the lantern to freely shine through.

.: Beautiful colors illuminated by the sun, soon to be lit by candlelight! :.
 

.: My eldest son enjoyed this time creating his beautiful lantern! :.

Continue wrapping the already dried base with colorful lengths of tissue paper until it is as decorated as you wish for it to be.

 During our lantern walk we spend our time singing 'This Little Light Of Mine'

"This Little Light Of Mine

I'm gonna let it shine.

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.

This little liht of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. let it shine, let it shine, let it shine."

 There is a very sweet version available for listening to by Elizabeth Mitchell.

.: Using up the last of the homemade wheat paste. When it dries it leaves behind lovely little flecks on the lanterns:.

.: Almost done! :.

.: Each one of the three children enjoyed creating  lanterns and eagerly anticipate the lantern walk! :.

Once you are done decorating your lanterns, find an undisturbed place to let them dry! We were lucky to enjoy a warm day back in October and let ours dry on the clothesline.

.: When the lanterns were fully dry they fell away from the balloon to the ground to let us know they were done! :.

Enjoy this time of togetherness with your family as you step out into the darkness of the evening with your lanterns and hearts shining so bright! May the spirit of compassion be held close to you while your song of light warms you into the dark winter months ahead.

.: My youngest son holding a finished lantern. The illuminated lanterns are gorgeous! :.

We like to end the evening gathered together at the table for a warm homemade desert and tea!

.: May you shine your light so brightly for all to see! :.

.: Tiger Lily Cafe :.

.: I created this apron for my little ones from my own pattern, today it joins them in their play! :.

This new season brings with it a time of nesting and creating. One of the ways I appreciate nurturing my family is through creating beautiful spaces in our home.  I find that when the living and play spaces in the home are newly arranged and redone with creativity a new sense of interest and play emerges.

.: Two chefs busily create a lovely herb salad and soup! :.

.: Happily these chefs share their masterpiece! :.

Now that the gardens are slowing down, we find ourselves inside baking more. The children incorporate this piece of their home life into their new outdoor kitchen space created for them on the front porch.

.: Sitting for a moment on his 'Lunch break' these Tiger Lily stems create a lovely spaghetti! :.

I enjoy these warm autumn days while our windows and front door are still left open and I sit and watch the play unfolding and the precious conversations had by the children.

.: Placing ingredients into the soup! :.

I appreciate watching their play take them to the herb gardens. There the children enjoy taking their baskets to gather fresh herbs for use in the recipes of the day. 

The scents coming from their kitchen are as delicious as the dishes that come from our own kitchen.  The salads they create look beautiful and are reminiscent of the herb-infused salads we also create at home.

.: It's fun to choose vintage aprons from mama's cabinet full! :.

.: Each new dish smells so good when scented with herbs from the garden! :.

It has always been of great importance to let our children's imaginations soar through "Kid - powered'' toys. More times than not those toys are not toys in the typical sense at all.  Stems of dried Tiger Lily's are cut to length creating Spaghetti Chestnuts are added from our findings under a tree. Herbs, clothespins, and buttons even play a role.

 
.: Sunlight illuminates this beautiful time of play! :.

The little play kitchen even has a 'working' sink. With a galvanized tub full with water and a bit of soap the dishes of the day are rinsed clean and put away just like in our indoor kitchen.

.: Enamel-ware bowls, pans, and pitchers washed and dried with vintage cloth napkins :.

.: Playing in the bubbles to clean sparkling dishes that will soon be dried in the sun! :.

Everyone enjoys taking their turn washing dishes and setting them out in the sun to dry while the towels get hung on a line that sits next to this outdoor play space.

.: Yellow, Blue, Red--the cheerful colors of our day! :.

Certainly these memories and fun outdoors are brought back with them as our family sits down to dinner indoors. This play generates enthusiasm for the process of washing the dishes to be dried and put away for tomorow's meal.  

 

.: Wringing out a vintage cloth napkin to be dried on the line :.

.: I wish you and your children a beautiful time of play! :.

.:The Country Fair:.

A Country Fair is a delightful tapestry of agricultural tradition blended with the colors of the midway. The fruits of the harvest are proudly displayed, judged, and shared with the community.                                       

4-H children are seen leading small lambs and cows into stalls while feeding and nurturing them. Home baked pies and treats are for sale by the surrounding community. 

For a short time we can enjoy with our family the freshness of summer and this blue sky from the lofty perspective of a gondola that is attached to a Ferris Wheel...

.: Clear blue skies and white fluffy clouds made for a beautiful ride up into the skies! :.

.: I had the strongest mama urge to hold one of these sweet sleeping piglets! I can hardly stand it! They are so cute! :.

.: It's feeding time! Look at all of the gorgeous fiber! :.

.: We enjoyed walking through the chicken barn. The many varieties of chickens were all a delight to visit! The bantam roosters are a favorite! :.

.: It was very cute to notice two little girls gather eggs to place into this basket just as soon as the hens could lay them! :.   

.: The colors of this day were incredible! :.

.: Hula hooping our day away to the sounds of the band that played nearby! :.

.: A crowd gathers among the trees to listen to the band that set the beat for our hula hooping! :.

.: Honey bees working hard as we watch them intently through a clear glass frame! :.

.: Here we purchased honey sticks and blocks of beeswax! :.

 

.: Incredibly sweet scented wax - I will share in a later post what we will be using this for! :.

.: The large barn displayed many antique artifacts depicting early farm life.  This "Wash Wednesday" was one of my very favorites! :.

.: This barn was inspiring.  I enjoyed seeing each antique farm implement and the way they were arranged :.

.: Small lollipops hide among the hay--an inspiring idea for a party! :.

.: In another inspiring corner of the barn, an antique wheel barrow is set out with dirt and potatoes buried under the dirt.  The children were encouraged to dig the potatoes and throw them into the basket below! :.

.: Outside of the barn was a pitcher pump atop a whiskey barrel.  :.

.: Soap was added to the barrel with enamelware pitchers and cups to collect the soapy water.  I am now looking for a hand pump to create our own wash station in the backyard at home.  :.

.: The pitcher full of soapy water was brought over to a galvanized tub with a wash board for the children to use in play! We also stayed here for quite some time! :.

.: The laundry line was held up on either end by two decorative iron plant trellises. It would be sweet to have vines growing up them! :.    

.: We just never tire of hanging laundry around here! In work and in play there is a peaceful meditation that accompanies the clothesline! :.

.: This little girl had a calf of her very own! How incredibly sweet is she with her pink cowgirl boots and calf with pink lead at her side! :. 

 

.: We felt very lucky to have an up close and personal visit with a few other sweet cow friends! :.

.: These sweet babies were born in March! :.

.: This was the...

.: Most memorable...

 

.: moment of our WEEK!! :.

.: We walked among the vendors tents and came home with a special treat! :.

 

.: Here is the treasure that we came home with in memory of our visit to the country fair--a family of alpacas that have seen many play times! :.

.: We ended our time at the country fair with a rainbow of colors lining our path and three sleepy little ones with many memories in their hearts. :.

.: Another summer fair has passed in celebration of history, farming, family and lots of fun! :.