The Craft: Our day was trashed.

The storm moon did not go out as a lamb around here.  We had a spring snow storm on the mountain.  We had physical and emotional discomfort in our home.  

Last Wednesday I broke down in tears from frustration.  It felt like our day was trashed. It was Baanko's idea to full embrace that feeling by acting it out.  In her estimation it was a great day for dumpster diving. She headed to the recycling box in our broom closet and emerged with a cardboard egg carton and an old pizza box.  It was time to hone her skills in shape shifting.  

The outlines of two nesting bowls on the old pizza box created the pattern for the wreath.  The egg carton cut into twelve independent cups and shaped with petals made the flowers.  Bright paint and rhinestones transformed it into a wreath of bright spring blooms.  The process of repurposing trash into a craft treasure gave us just enough purpose and direction to pull us up and out of the emotional storm.  Now that's real magic!

Loving Kindness Committee: Spiraling out of the Storm Moon

As March's Storm Moon wanes we are dizzying ourselves with endless Pi (oh, how they were hoping March 14th was National PIE day) and finding Fibonacci spirals in nature.

We left a jar of uplifting thoughts at the center of the labyrinth.  We were delighted to see that after one day only two messages were left.  Our "Peace Pinecone Labyrinth" was a big hit with spring break visitors.

The Craft: Magnifying the Magnificence

For a school dedicated to stewardship I certainly dropped the ball on World Wild Life Day. Once clued in we enjoyed watching some videos from around the world - including the incredible story about the last male northern white rhino that is protected 24/7 by armed guards.  It was a jaw dropper for E.P.  He guessed the guns were to scare off big prey.  I stayed silent regarding any of my own guesses and skipped reading the portion of the article about poachers, humans, being the threat.  Even with our time table to "save the earth" unexpectedly expedited by changes in the government I am still sticking to David Sobel's guideline of "No catastrophes before grade 4".  I decided to shield him from the horror of other humans' choices.  Instead we marveled in the dedication of some people when it comes to saving the future for other species.

As our day meandered along I struggled to make a meaningful experience regarding the stunning grandeur of the wild.  It was an off day.  Then, an hour before bedtime, what is often the "witching hour", became a positively magical moment as some glass stones from the dollar store spilled out over the nat geo I was cutting up for scrapbooking.  The slight magnifying effect of the convex glass made echinacea blooms and a lone wolf pop from the heap and the kids eyes did about the same.  With scissors and Elmer's we didn't stop until every stone was transformed into a small token that magnifed the magnificence of the wild.

At the beginning of this week I had a bout of spiritual bankruptcy.  The classic struggle for hope in hard ecological times.  I saw Jimmy Carter's words scribbled on a white board at the ski lodge, "Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries."  Although I was struggling emotionally that day the Douglas Firs in their new white robes commanded my attention like a royal processional.  On the quiet lift up the mountain I relaxed into nature, the only power that I can fall to the feet of without fear.  

At the end of this week with a fistful of child-made glass gems I feel rich in our own magical currency - deep reverence for nature and the wild.  That's what I am stuffing in their savings accounts and the interest it accrues daily is the best return I've ever seen.  That's where I have to turn to source my hope.