When Imagination Touches Reality.

It was one of those days where imagination touches reality and something magical takes place. Today was Fairy Day.

Imagination is more important than knowledge. For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create.

He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead; his eyes are closed. ~Albert Einstein

We embraced Fairy Day with all the imagination we could muster and invited our friends to do the same.

Of course we dressed in our finest fairy attire.

And added a sprinkle of glitter pixie dust for good measure.

Then we tried to lure the fairies with Yummy treats…

and goodies to sweeten the celebration.

What with some yummy Fairy Berry Punch we knew they would come.

And they did. It worked.

Soon the garden was full of wee ones playing…

And exploring and dreaming…

And crafting fairy treasures to take home.

But the best part was spending time with our fairy loving friends.

Even the Fairy Queen SassyPants made a grand appearance. And the little ones fell all over her in admiration. Calling her ‘Royal Highness’ and begging to bring her goodies and favors.

Hope couldn’t resist flying. Her Happy Thoughts were in such abundance.

And even the Fairy Queen graced her with a special Fairy Dance.

And before we knew it the celebration was drawing to a close. And one by one and two by two our guests wished us well.

Then our wonderful friends bid us farewell and left with twinkles in their eyes.

And after they left and the sun settled below the horizon, the garden came alive with even more enchantment. The celebration had been cleaned up and goodies put away. But magic hung so thick in the air that I had to set alone, in the peace and quite and soak it in.

And dream of next year’s Fairy Day Celebration.

And wonder if it was just my imagination or were the houses in the fairy village glowing brighter after such a magical evening.

And that did it. I will always celebrate Fairy Day, even when my kids are grown and moved away. I never want to lose my youthful heart.

Hope you all had a Magical Day.

A Heirloom Holiday.

No May Day protests or marches for us this year. Unless you count the kids protesting mom’s dinner cooking skills (or lack there-of). But hey, they are healthy enough to endure a few less than yummy munchies without it affecting their overall health. Instead we decided to keep our ongoing tradition of celebrating the forgotten holidays like May Day. My girls love getting decked out to take flowers to our amazing neighbors.

My Prince helped the girls create their 5 minute flower crowns and I finally finished a project long in the making. No it didn’t hardly take me any time to make, just forever in getting around to doing it. But actual sewing time… I’d say less than half a day for all three dresses.

Of course my mom helped with the skirts when she was here a few weeks ago. And I procrastinated the shirts until today. Want to know the secret?

These dresses are actually the second life of a beautiful used bedding set my Treasure of a Neighbor Jewel gave to me.

The bed skirt was a perfect fit for being refashioned into twirl-able skirts for my daughters. I can just see the girls dancing around a maypole in these… That maypole is still on my wish list. Maybe next year.

And I was inspired by Vegbee’s Peasant Blouse Tutorial to try and create my first ever peasant shirts for the girls.

Since I was winging it on the size, the shirts came out a bit big but looked great with a ribbon around the waist. And when the little ladies frocks were completed I was pleasantly surprised to see enough material left over to hopefully make myself a coordinating dress or blouse here in the future.

Last year we collected May’s first dew from weeds and grass. See previous post to explain that head scratcher. Somehow the myth about it helping your complexion didn’t pan out. So this year I’m setting my sights a bit higher. We collected our dew from my heirloom lilac bush instead of the grass.

Not that it will make any real difference but lilac dew just sounds more appealing than weed dew. And instead of adding soap like we did last year, I’m going to add perfume and teach my girlies to dab it on.

All in all it was a lovely day, a perfect day for getting back to blogging. Thanks for being patient with my break. It’s good to be back.

May Day Fun

‘…sometimes on a sunny day it began even to be pleasant and genial, and a greenness grew over those brown beds, which freshening daily, suggested that Hope traversed them at night and left each morning brighter traces of her steps.’

from Charlotte Bronte’s ‘Jane Eyre’

I love May Day. Gardening, Spring Flowers, going outside after a long wet winter. This is only the second year our family has really celebrated May Day, but I can only see the tradition getting stronger.

This year we did everything we did last year. From the flower crowns, to taking around May baskets to our neighbors.

You know to thank them for putting up with us, the screaming kids, and our messy yard for yet another year.

Who cares if they were delivered barefoot. It was a gorgeous day.

I really wanted a May Pole but I wasn’t willing to cut a live tree down. I’m still waiting for one to fall naturally that I can save and decorate. Next year – maybe.

This year I added a bit of whimsy that I found in this fun book.

The writer talks about knowing two old ladies that collected the first morning dew of may and used it to keep their skin flawless.

Yeah, I know it’s a bit Looney, but I’ve found the best way to encourage my darlings to do something drab and boring, like washing with soap, is to add a bit of the fantastical to the chore.

So bright and early this morning I set out to collect some May dew.

Just got a tiny bit.

Found my sweeties some bud vases at Target, bought some cork tops at the local craft store. I let the girls decorate the tops with glue, gems and flowers. Each vase held a couple of drops of May dew to which I added some body wash.

What better way to get them to wash often than to add some whimsical magic to their routine.

I Love Spring! and cherry blossoms, and flowery scents.

I have to admit it’s finally here. I even got some peas finally planted in my garden. I know I’m a couple of weeks late but considering spring was a few months late I’m hoping I’ll be o.k.

I plead insanity.

Maybe my good mood left when I packed up the wee folks. 

Maybe it’s because my stupid tremors are back, courtesy of the stupid weight gain of the past couple of months.

Maybe it flew out the door as Abner raced to earn his eagle. 

With only two days until his 18th birthday they finally approved his efforts.  He made it, in typical Fawndear procrastination style.  My son is flying.

 

His project was to clear a trail, remove fallen tree’s and make and replace 23 plant identification signs.

That alone kept my mind whirling that I totally spaced his birthday.  So what do you get a son turning 18 that has more in his checking account than you do?     Who on a daily basis proves his is more mature than his mom.

That’s it?  Yeah, he likes pirate stuff and all but this is one exceptional boy.  And that’s all he gets?  He has never in all his years once sassed me,  raised his voice to me, threw a temper tantrum in any form what-so-ever since he was maybe 3 or 4. 

This is the one in a million kid that when he see’s that I need help, he volunteers to help without being asked. 

Of all the kids in the state we live in he qualified for Nationals in two events at TSA.  He taught himself how to play chess at the age of four by just watching his Pompa and Dad play.  He is exceptional.

So how does his mother mark his passage into adulthood - with a lousy water bottle.  You’ve got to be kidding me.

I truly was sick to my stomach that this special day snuck up on me and I’d planned nothing, no party, no special commemorative gifts.  Maybe my sub-conscience was trying to trick me into thinking if I didn’t celebrate his birthday he wouldn’t get any older.  He wouldn’t soon be taking his amazing example and leaving the nest.  Regardless of my pathetic excuses, I was a mental mess on his birthday.  Still am, but that’s nothing new.

He even offered to help decorate his own birthday cake.

I was able to get a couple of his friends to come over at the last minute and play rock band with him.   It wasn’t a total loss.  And dad brought him home a computer gadget.  So he didn’t walk away with only one thing.

 

But, I’m feeling like a stinking, horrible mom right now, and deserve to be taken to the woodshed.  Well that’s where I’ve taken myself.  He hasn’t complained a lick about the lack of attention.  He never has.  He always steps back and let’s the kids who bellow and whine take all my focus. 

So help me – how can I make this up to him?  Other than making him an Eagle quilt or something.  Material things aren’t going to cut it.  How do I let him know just how much he means to me?  I can’t believe my baby is 18!!!!!

Thankful for Our Veterans!

It seems like Veteran's day is another of those forgotten holidays. You know the holiday that has turned into more of a day for shopping sales or taking a day off work to play.

So I was talking with my kids last night about Veteran's Day and asking them how we should celebrate our veterans. A couple of my teenagers suggested we rent 'Call of Duty' for Wii and play it. I immediately shot that idea out of the air. No war playing games today! Ya think I would have taught my boys better by now. Guess I still have some work to do.

Instead I showed them this...



So a big Thanks to our Veteran's Today and Every Day!