Monday, December 7, 2009

Our Second Week of Advent

I have found it interesting to be having many of the other special days in December occurring on Sundays... so each Sunday when we have our little advent celebration we are also celebrating St. Nicholas, or for next week, St. Lucia! So the St. Nicholas part of our day was not much more than a story and special cookies in the afternoon. I had though about giving them their winter dresses as a gift for that day, but then I realized that I was not remembering our tradition of them receiving their dresses for the winter solstice. We did decide that next year we will make honey cake and have apples and nuts. And the girls would like to leave out their shoes and see if they perhaps get an orange, or even chocolate.

In the evening we read more Tiptoes Lightly... the Festival of Plants. (Actually I have to pause and tell you about the chapter before... Jeremy Mouse meets the spirit of the olive tree. She weaves the life of the tree. I really love it.) So then there is the festival of plants, and they all gather together and say the Plant Blessing, and then they plant the Year Tree, and then they dance the Weaving Dance.

And we now have pine cones on our nature table, and two dried flowers that I always think are wintry with their whiteness.

Oh yes, and the Snow Queen visited the fairies the night before the festival,

and the girls would tell you that King Winter has arrived here!

They were playing outside nearly half of the day. I almost got pictures during the day... but it didn't quite happen. Snow in the dark evening is nice too though.

(I think there is an inch or two more since I took this picture just a while ago...)

(It was fun taking the snowy pictures in the dark...)


It is really becoming winter...

11 comments:

suzanne said...

Good morning Renee

First of all thank you so much for your beautiful poem you sent. It was a peaceful read and made my day. The St. lucia my mom made is beautiful and I will be adding them to my shop next year. Your snow looks powdery and soft. We have experienced snow once in our lives and it was jump out of our skin excitment when it happened. Today is hot already. Andrew and I have been on our early morning walk around the bird sanctuary. I love to view and read the Northern hemisphere happenings.

Renee have a wonderful day. Thank you too for your constant friendly comments on my blog.

Warm regards
Suzanne

FrontierDreams said...

SNOW!! It's cold and wet and covers everything!!
Oh how I miss snow :) I love whiteness of the dried flower on your nature table,so fitting for right now.

sarah said...

How lovely it all is! (And we had a hot day here too, like Suzanne. We envy your snow!)

Indigo, madder, marigold said...

Please send some of that snow here! I will have to go to Michigan for snow.
Thanks for your Advent sharing. It is nice to see how others celebrate.
(LOVED the poem, by the way!)

Hullabaloo Homestead said...

I really like the glass tree that Jason made. It is really beautiful. What adventurous being is walking around barefoot in the snow? Taking pictures when it is snowing out is the only time I use a flash because the snow flakes falling show up very bright and it looks nice.

:)Lisa

Lisa said...

Tiptoes lightly, the festival of plants sounds like wonderful reading; i'm off to find it. have fun in the snow and stay warm!

Lisa said...

This time of year is magical indeed! Enjoy!

Heather said...

Oh the Snow Queen, Renee I love it. I did receive your winter poem, and I was so incredibly touched. Thank you for thinking of me. This second week of advent looks wonderful

elizabeth ~ so wabi sabi said...

The book you've been reading from sounds delightful. We woke up to snow this morning...I love the quiet that snow creates.

Beth said...

Hi, Renee...I love the bare footprint in the snow. And I am amazed that you were able to take a picture of a starry sky. It is a wondrous photograph! Beth

farmama sara said...

Isn't it great Renee? Tell Jason that the skate ramp is now a snow board ramp, and the boys couldn't be happier!
love,
Sara