~ handmade playstands ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Playstands create a simple, open-ended space

for children to play at just about anything.

They can be a restaurant, a cave, beds for dollies, puppet theater, 

anything the child can dream.

They are frequently seen in Waldorf homes and kindergarten.

Because they are beautiful and encourage imaginative play,

we have been wanting some for our home for a while.

In the end, we decided to build them ourselves.

So this weekend, my lovely and ever-so-talented sweetie

built the girls a set of gorgeous playstands.

It was a family affair for sure.

The girls had a great time on a big project with Daddy.

Although the pictures only really show him working, 

there were plenty of opportunities for the girls to help.

I put the camera down to facilitate sanding, gluing and everything in between.

I couldn't be more pleased with how these turned out!

I'm excited about all the adventures and imaginative play

that will transpire in this sweet little space.

I'm always so grateful for not only a handy husband,

but a willing partner.

What do you think?

~carrie~

~ rainbow cloud ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tonight, while playing outside after dinner

we watched a beautiful dark blue cloud 

as the setting Sun backlit it, 

rimming it with stunning white light.

Then at the top of the cloud, 

a bright white spot of light appeared

almost like a shelf of pure white light.

And then.....

A bit of shifting rainbow color coalesced.

My camera is just a point and shoot

so my options for adjustment were limited

but I scrolled through the presets

and found the "sunset" one was just right.

I wished that my husband had been there 

but the girls and I sat on the curb

watching the colors move and fade and reappear.

After about 20 minutes, it was gone.

I won't soon forget those moments with my children

when we felt we were witnessing a miracle,

and breathless with wonder and awe.

~carrie

I didn't edit these photos at all.  Not that I know how to properly.  

But I may send them to my sister for some fiddling just to see what might come of it.


Here is a link to friend and local meteorologist Matthew East's blog,
where he features the pictures and gives an explanation.
Thanks Matthew!  


This is my synopsis of what Matthew explained:
What we saw was cloud iridescence, which occurs when a thin cloud 
with tiny water droplets diffracts the Sun's light individually.  
They are seen at the cloud's edges usually, 
and visible when there is something blocking the direct line of sunlight.


In this case, the iridescence was produced when a large cumulonimbus (thunder cloud) 
blocked the sunlight with high cirrus clouds overhead.  
Seeing iridescence is rare, and it is most rarely produced in cirrus clouds.
Wow!  I feel even more grateful to have witnessed it.  

~ creative woman ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have been feeling pretty darn un-creative lately.

Which has been met with 

"what are you talking about, of course you are creative!"

But that's not what I mean.

I haven't been nurturing that creative spirit inside,

have been selling myself way, way short.

So on Friday, during Creek Day with the Waldorf co-op,

I brought some embroidery hoops, floss, needles and an old bedsheet.  

Some of the less muddy kids did a little stitching, 

and I had fun helping them.

And after everyone had left, 

I sat in the parking lot while the kids played a little more

and did a little freehand stitching on a tiny hoop.

For me, the repetition is intoxicating,

like music for my fingers.

I don't have a clue how to embroider

beyond a backstitch, as you can so plainly see.

But I made a few bird tracks with some purple floss, 

and that felt good.

Then I wondered who had made those tracks.

And that wonder felt really, really good.

Liv wandered by and noticed the beginnings of a tiny bird.

"May this be mine, Momma?"

Of course, baby girl.

It's not the prettiest thing in the world.

But at the end of that day,

it felt like a masterpiece.  

I don't have to reclaim my creativity 

in broad, sweeping brush strokes,

or long piano solos,

or even hand-knit wool sweaters.

Just one stitch at a time,

up and down, up and down,

is good and worthy progress.

~carrie~

p.s. Thank you to my dear, dear friend Michael for inspiration,

and plain old "calling me out".