My Friend, the Creek

Dear Little Indian Creek,

Do you remember these kiddos.  You certainly have seen a great deal of them over the past nine years, but this, this was that first year. The first time a new generation of children discovered your rocky shore.

The first time to be excited by a bowl of rocks, a bobber that could be tossed and reeled in over and over, a so tiny fishy.

Do you remember my contemplative meanderings?  How grateful I was to having something right out my door that provided hours of exciting entertainment.  

How I wondered when life would get so crowded with friends, video games, baseball games, life, that your babbling stream would no longer call to them, would stop being such a delight.  How each year brought such obvious developmental milestones- slippery rocks managed without Gramerly's hand, 

minnows caught independently,

 those beloved rocks that now skip instead of sinking,

and oh, my, holding a crawdad all by yourself.

Was that a humorous gurrgle I heard when you noticed that creek boots weren't meant to used quite this way?

Or when adults discovered they might still need a hand to hold?

Did their discoveries delight you as they have me?
Mulberries

Tad Frogs

Chilly tootsies.

 And when the rain came, did watching these water sprites widen that curvy smile?

Were you as surprised as me to turn around and find them growing so fast?

And, oh the songs we've sung, and the stories I've told about you, and the many trips they've taken in their imagination,  down this creek to the Ohio, then on to the Muddy Mississip, which of course required a rendition of "Look Out for Me, Ol' Muddy Water."  

Do you have memories of natives of old who might have paddled down this creek?

And that Grumpy Ol' Troll still lives here. I hope he hasn't bothered you much.

  Even when scorching summers empty you of those cooling waters, your dry bed is still an exciting place for a little pioneering.

And here we are, nine years  down the road, and you've changed as well. Each season brings a bit of a twist in the rocks and the shoreline, but the joy continues.
Do you ever wonder, like me, if your seeing double?  Isn't this the same little boy in that first picture?

No, Bean is big guy now, and he is showing you off to the wee one, who might just live down here if we pitched him a tent.

 The thrill of being brave enough to hold your own critter hasn't waned.

 New friends still come to meet you and see what treasures await them.

 And even when you really are big enough to walk without slipping, it is nice to have a hand to hold.

So, as with all my dear friends, I thank the Lord for you, and pray we have many more sunshine and laughter filled days of discovery.

Love one grateful Gramerly

Cuteness Abounds

Well, every little girl left here in her skirt and most finished their blue jean purse as well.  I love when creative wee folk take something a place I wouldn't have thought of.  One girly wanted her lace on the outside and several of them liked the look of that and chose that path as well.

 A few moved on to a matching skirt for their dolly
Speaking of dollies-

 Several of them learned to knit or crochet a flower for embellishing.

It was a good time.

Dad's Day

This is the first time I've been in church on Father's Day since my Dad died.  I had a job to do.  Teach Sunday School and share the love of another Father.  I'm doing a fourteen week study of the Bible.  Today we learned that the Bible is a light.  I took my little electric kits and made play dough that conducts and play dough that insulates.  We talked about how we can spread the light of God's love, or be a hindrance like the insulating dough. I try to use a lot of fun games and experiments, which they enjoy, but I sure hope they get the message of Jesus' love as well.  One little guy said, "I've never  had this much fun in Sunday School before.  Next week is about honey, hmmm.

All the kids were by today.  Buttercup made Pappy a big beautiful card.

I know that, as my mother always says, every ol' crow thinks hers is the blackest, but this child's face, well, perfect.

I like these faces too.  I haven't had a good  picture of the four of them since the Cpt.  went to Boot Camp, which will be ten years ago  next month.

Missy Bugg made a cutest card for Pappy as well.

Giddy- Up fed the big chickens up close this evening.




He is an outdoor boy.

My, they surely do grow fast.

Little Girls, Little Girls

Little girls
Little girls
Everywhere I turn I can see them

Little girls
Little girls
Night and day

I eat, sleep and breathe them

It has kind of felt like this week, as I did a sewing workshop for two hours each morning.

Antebellie is my wee crafty partner in crime and wanted a whole Playdate dedicated to sewing.  Just having finished second grade, I thought a sewing marathon might be a little 
much, and it occurred to me to do a camp.

A few others thought it was a good idea too, so I had fifteen little girls. 

 We made purses from jean pockets, a travel tic-tac-toe board, a needle book and lastly, a skirt.

Ms. Gardner E., ML, Aunt SuZQ, Ceece and Bean came to lend a hand the first day. Ceece instructed  crocheting the chain stitch and flowers, Gardner E. helped the two oldest with knitted flowers.  SuZ ran the sewing machine whislt Bean, ML and I threaded needles and tied knots as hard and fast as we could go.

Ceece managed two days before she felt the need for early retirement-ha.  Hey, all of them were crocheting.  Bean and Aunt SuZQ have lasted so far.

I thought little girls would get a big kick out of making their own skirt, but I didn't really know how to make a skirt, so I looked up some ideas and saw skirts with something sticking out from under that was cute, but I knew I wouldn't have the patience to either deal with two skirts a piece or to sew it onto the hem. You know all that straight pin stuff makes me a little crazy.  Did you know they make spray glue that makes the fabric like a post-it note.  Well, they do, and I actually found this cutest fabric that had print all the way to the selvage, same for the lace, so NO HEMMING- Be still my heart!  Sew, uh, I mean so I turned down the top a bit, ironed, turned down again, a  bit bigger than the elastic, opened, sprayed and post-ited the lace fabric in side the turn down, then ran it through the machine. Well, except for the six I talked SuZQ into running through.  The girls pulled the elastic through the casing and sewed the side seam and wha-la.  Adorable.

Another little friend I taught last year, also came as a helper, with her sister camper, so I also had one for her and her littlest sister, so they'll be all matchy. Well, you know Miss Linee has to have one as well, so all17 are finished, or ready to be finished for the last day of camp, and again, I am worn to a complete frazzle. That doesn't include three American Girl Doll Skirts for the ones who belong to me (campers, not dolls).  It was a fun time and much was learned.

Auntie G-Lou appears to have a blood clot in her leg and is in need of our prayers.

Tah Dah!

Well, I did get my room closed up, Sunday School taught, the first Playdate accomplished and the first Sew Excited Workshop day down. And I'm still upright, but am feeling a big need for a nap.
I really enjoy teaching this little Sunday School of ages K-6.
Playdate was a cool one, high 79 degrees here, my favorite weather.  My energy doesn't disappear so quickly when it is below 80.  I need all the energy I can muster on ten hour Playdates.
I have a new helper this year. Jenna wasn't able to be here for opening day, but came last Friday and got the lay of the land and met Bean, Bugg and Giddy-up.  She taught them a new creek activity that they couldn't wait to show the rest of the kids.
Using rocks and other found items to make paint.  It is rather amazing all the colors they came up with. Miss Sydlee has quite a palette.

This is how you get fierce warriors.

 Soon we were all painted.

Giddy-up wasn't the least bit intimidated by the notion of a pinching crawdad.

The catch and release program was in full swing.

 Our little Westerly Wind has gotten so big.

The usual opening day ceremonies- the summer tee shirt, which we tie-dyed.

 Some hammock time.

Some foraging for mulberries and honeysuckle.  My woods are full of sprites.

A new little Playdater, Missy Toddles, having some carrots.

Supper around the campfire Bean started. He's getting good at this fire business. A boy after his Gramerly's fire loving heart.

I am completely worn out!