Prepare, Aim, Fire

Yesterday was a beautiful autumn day. I looked out the window and saw this scene in the backyard. Here was Lou working on creating a sharp point at the end of a very long beech sapling.

The carving continued where she removed the bark from the center of the stick for a handgrip. I imagine you're thinking she's creating some cool Vermont hunting weapon. There are hunters in the woods now, after all.


She was making a javelin. In Waldorf fifth grade, the children study ancient cultures including Greece. In PE they prepare all year for a 2-day pentathlon where children from several schools in VT and NY gather, divide into city-states, and then compete in javelin, discus, long jump, wrestling, and running.

Lou's class has just begun the javelin and she loves it so much, she decided to make her own at home. Of course, in school it's a real javelin. She wanted to share how to throw the javelin. The form of how one prepares to throw is judged as much as how far the javelin is thrown.

Take your stand!

Look behind!

Aim!

Kiss for luck!
Do you think the Greeks did that?

Fire!

Here is a picture of Helen in a toga at her Greek Olympiad


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It seems a little early.....

.....for snow.



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Eating Local on the Weekend

One of our favorite ways to spend an October Sunday afternoon is up at the fire pit in the woods.

Hot cider, bread and cheese today. We had fingerling potatoes and apples to roast, but ended up keeping it simple.

Lou enjoyed hanging out in one of the various forts the girls have built.

I took out a stack of magazines, put my feet up, and kept an eye on the fire. It was a little tricky dodging all the acorns that kept raining from the sky.

Time to go back and warm up.

I confess to one non-local ingredient to our afternoon.

Brother Tom....we wish you all were with us today!

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Poem for an October Evening

First socks knit for warm toes.

A yarn-sewn rug with a lovely rose.

Yarn tangled by a curious cat....

slowing the progress on this hat.

All accompanied by Bilbo Baggins

A lovely way to spend October evenings.

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Strength. Courage. Energy. Fire.

Yesterday was our school Michaelmas play followed by the harvest festival. The play follows the story of St. George and the Dragon. It is a huge production where each class has a traditional role. FINALLY, Lou's class got to be the dragon. She was so excited. Here it emerges from the woods. It was a very long dragon with over 20 children inside.

Hels was everywhere--playing violin, recorder, singing, and dancing the sword dance. It was her last year in the play.

Following the play we all gathered on the field for an afternoon festival. In planning the afternoon, our committee worked to make sure there would be the following elements--

Strength.

Courage.

Energy.

Fire.

We also planned activities to celebrate the fruits of the harvest.

Apples on a string

Fresh Cider

Pizza topped with veggies from the garden

Golden acorns hidden away

It was a very fun afternoon with cool breezes and golden trees ringing the horizon. Here's one last photo of Helen and Nels as they ran the 3-legged costume race.

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Tutorial: needle-felted figures

tutorial: Balloon Lanterns

tutorial: neede-felted advent spiral

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