I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm the guest blogger over at Little Acorn Learning. Come play the Blizzard Robe game with us and discover a little more about Little Acorn Learning. Don't forget to sign up for Eileen's incredible e-newsletter that comes out once a month. Along with her celebration of every month you can find out more about her here and here.
Today's post is lovingly dedicated to Emily and her boys of Mousy Brown, because they live in Wales. I don't know what we expected when we picked up A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond....maybe something musical. What we didn't expect was to be thrown into the landscape and mythology of Wales. The writing and plot are brilliant and the imagery of Wales left us wanting to get on the next plane.
14 year old Jen left her home in Western Massachusetts to visit her father, brother, and sister in Wales for winter break.
After the death of her mother, Jen stayed in Massachusetts with her aunt, but her father,and siblings moved to Wales so that their father could take a university position.
Jen, expecting a normal winter break arrives in Wales to find her brother Peter very moody. He misses his "real" home, his family, and friends, his mom and anything else which is bound to "home". He doesn't hesitate a moment to constantly complain to his father about the circumstances. Sister Becky just missed her sister Jen.It is an emotionally desperate situation when Peter finds an old harp tuning key which just happened to belong to the bard and national welsh hero Taliesin.
The key sings to Peter and shows him the images and stories of the past. The story intertwines the life of Taliesin with that of Peter, Jen, and Becky. Peter sees the stories. Jen and Becky do not, which leads to some dumbfounding moments.
Throughout the weaving of past and present there are always the charming people of Wales in both the city and countryside. This book didn't win a Newbury Award for nothing. A truly great read.
To find out more about Taliesin have a look here.
Something to Do:
In the story they see and use a coracle. To be honest, I've always wanted one of these. For my birthday last year I found this knitted one by Debbie New and some great how to's over here.
For us, however, I thought it would be so fun to make a little coracle using a macrame ring,pipe cleaners, and duct tape. Who doesn't love duct tape? This fun and easy project had us playing in water for hours and creating other fun things like canoes, and sailboats. Buoyancy was an issue but we think we got the kinks worked out.
You will need:
Twist one side of a pipe cleaner to one side of the macrame ring.
Now fasten it to the other side.
Add another pipe cleaner across the ring in the other direction.
Do this two more times placing pipe cleaners on the diagonally.
Tear long strips of duct tape.
And start placing it from one side of the ring to the other. Each new strip will overlap with the one you have just placed.
Next tear smaller strips of duct tape for the inside of the coracle. Place on these small strips on the inside of the coracle and smooth it down. Now take small strips of duct tape and place it all around the outside of the coracle and smooth it out firmly.
It's time for a little floating in the kitchen sink. The coracle might tip and let in a whole bunch of water. The solution for this is to put a little baggy of dried beans or lentils until the coracle floats upright. Put in your sailor action figure and have a fun day in the sink.
Bon Voyage !!!!!!!
Last fall I had the pleasure of visiting the childhood home of Astrid Lindgren in Sweden. Getting to see where the author of Pippi Longstockings, Mio my Mio, and the Brother's Lionheart, lived and grew up was almost verging on a pilgrimage for me.
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The center and heart of Astrid Lindgren's world was the re hhue in Näs at Vimmerby, Småland,Sweden. Here, she was born in 1907. She grew up the daughter of a Rectory tenant, and lived with her parents, brothers and sisters, as well as, many many friends. "The best thing about my childhood was that we enjoyed just the right amount of safety and freedom", Astrid said."The safety cam from being surrounded by settled and confident adults: mother, father, farmhands, maids, cowherds, and female helpers. There was always someone around. |
But the children also enjoyed a great deal of freedom, since the adults were very busy with their own jobs and chores on the farm. They couldn't keep their eyes on the children all the time.
This farm along with the village of Vimmerby were a great resource of inspiration for the books "children of the Noisy Billage", and "The Noisy Village Christmas." In these books Astrid describes the kind of childhood which she had but she writes from the child's perspective and not from an adult's point of view. There was a life governed by play and imagination, a place which we all would love to return to. I know for myself I try to create many enchanting and memorable moments for my children to hold onto. Astrid said," Inside, I will always be a country girl from Vimmerby". "I write for my inner child". And ours too luckily.
On her family farm in Vimmerby, Astrid climbed in the "lemonade tree",
Played with her brothers and sisters jumping into piles of hay in the barn
and listened to stories told by Kristin in the garden and the kitchen.
Welcome to Näs at Vimmerby.
Winter:
Enjoy!!!!
A very happy new year to everyone. I thought I would start the new year off by sharing a little bit about where I live. Nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, I live a few miles from the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Throughout the year we spend many hours in the park enjoying all of the natural beauty. A few weeks back, our friends from Gypsy Forest, made a request to have some great reads about this region. I'm honored to say that throughout the years I've had the occasion to meet many of these authors, so without further adieu here are some of the best reads about the Smoky Mountains. Enjoy!
Black Mountain Express. A Smoky Mountain Bedtime Tale by R.W. Wells
Two young boys discover more about themselves while discovering the world around them in an effort to solve mysteries, myths and legends. Black Mountain Express is filled with intrigue and adventure, with magic, mischief and mayhem as well.
Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton
Miss Dolly Parton lives amongst us in these hills we call home. Our mountains set the stage for the story about Dolly Parton's mom and how she took a box of scraps to make a coat for her sweet girl aka Dolly. The young girl is so proud of her coat but the kids at school make fun of her for having a coat made of rags. From the love her mother had sewn into the coat had given the girl the strength and confidence to deal with this unkind situation.
Here's the back story to Miss Dolly. She is one of the kindest and most generous women I've ever met. She has single handedly greeted each child who is born in the state of Tennessee with 5 books a year for the first five years of their lives. She understands that many homes cannot afford books or have a reading tradition. Children can be enrolled in the hospitals they are born in or on-line.
She also supports her hometown of Sevierville Tennessee by paying 5 college scholarships every year to seniors at Sevierville High.
She has provided hundreds of jobs for her once depressed local economy by converting an old amusement park into Dollywood. She has many businesses in the area and looks to hire local first. She has greatly cared for her community.
Christy by Catherine Marshall
Christy Huddleston leaves her privileged life to teach in the impoverished Smoky Mountains. Her deep faith carries her through many trials and tests. It's here that she falls in love, learns the way of the mountain people, and leads a simple but fulfilling life. This story is based on the of author Catherine Marshall's mother. The T.V. series was filmed in Townsend, which is right next door to my little town.
On Top of Old Smoky (A Collection of Songs and Stories) by Ronald Kidd
This book has a really fun design. This book gives an experience of living in the Appalachian Mountains through songs and stories. There isn't really specific information about the smoky mountains but a lot of fun is to be had by reading the stories and singing the songs. This book is one of our favorites.
Smoky Mountain Rose: An Appalachian Cinderella Story by Alan Schroeder & Brad Sneed
This version takes Perrault's original and lands it smack in the middle of the Smoky Mountains. This is what we call a "pass around". It's so fun to read, everyone wants a turn. It is completely written in dialect and has it's own unique touches to the story. The artwork by Brad Sneed is priceless and really adds so much character to the book. This was one of the first books we read when we knew we were moving here. It's really fun to read with a very thick southern accent.
A Water Snake’s Year by Doris Gove
We had the pleasure of having Doris Gove as our visiting author a few years back. This is a beautiful look at the year in the life of a Northern Water Snake. We follow her from her winter hibernation in the ground through her life cycle to the next hibernation the following year. This book has so much information about how a snake survives and has to change living places due to bad weather. The illustrations are beautiful and greatly add to the story.
Troublesome Cubs by Lisa Horstman
This is a true story about a bear cub who fell asleep in a dumpster and got picked up by a garbage truck. Lisa Horstman not only wrote the story but she brought it to life with her wonderful illustrations.Written in delightful rhyme, the story has a happy ending and some important lessons to protect wildlife.
Great Smoky Mountain Salamander Ball Lisa Horstman
One day a young girl visiting the Smoky Mountains spies a salamander heading off to the ball. This is a great story with wonderful illustrations.
Orient – Hero Dog of the Appalachian Trail –by Tom McMahon
Orient was the guide dog of the first blind man to hike the 2,000 Appalachian Trail: his journey from puppy to guide dog. After reading this book we had such a great appreciation for guide dogs and the people they serve. a wonderfully written story.
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story by Gloria Houston & Barbara Cooney
The Armistice has been declared, but still there is no sign of Ruthie's father in their little Appalachian town. So, in accordance with the traditions of Pine Grove, it falls to Ruthie and her mother to bring home the perfect Christmas tree to donate to the town. Ruthie had accompanied her father to the rocky cliff where he marked a tree in the spring, so she and her mother set out to find it again, and haul it home. Their trip becomes the basis overnight of a new town legend; Ruthie, chosen for the role of the heavenly angel in the the church Christmas play, finds herself outfitted in a made-over wedding dress of the finest silk another "miracle" wrought by her hardworking mother.
CIVIL WAR
Thunder on the Tennessee by G. Clifton Wisler
Willie dreams of honor and glory as he goes to fight the North with his dad. He is outfitted in a dashing uniform to help defend the banks of the Tennessee River. The young boy is completely unprepared for the horrors of war and the terrible sacrifices his family will have to make. The book is very detailed in the battle scenes. Men and boys would enter the war laughing only to have a change of heart after the first battle.
CHEROKEE INDIANS OF THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS
Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man who Gave His People Writing by James Rumford
This is a great read aloud non-fiction book. During their California vacation many questions arise about why the Giant Sequoias are named that and who was Seqouyah anyway? He was the inventor of the Cherokee alphabet and ran a newspaper for his tribe. They were the first native american tribe to become literate in their own language first.
Along with very nice illustrations are the accompanying Cherokee text right next to the english text. By the end of this book you have a wonderful experience of the man and his language.
The Origin of the Milky Way and Other Living Stories of the Cherokees by Barbara R. Duncan
Cherokee people have lived in the Great Smoky Mountains for thousands of years. During all this time, they have told stories to each other to explain how things came to be, to pass on lessons about life, and to describe the mountains, animals, plants, and spirits around them. The Origin of the Milky Way and Other Living Stories of the Cherokee collects 26 stories that are great for kids and are still being told by storytellers today.
Presented by members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in their own words, the stories appear in free-verse form, like poems on the page, so that if you read them aloud, you can hear the rhythm of the stories as they were originally told. Barbara R. Duncan provides a helpful introduction that describes Cherokee people's past and present ways of life and their storytelling traditions.
The book we reviewed yesterday called "The Tomten" by Astrid LIndgren was inspired by this very famous Swedish poem by Victor Rydberg. Originally written in Swedish, I share it with you in english so that you to may be inspired by these little people. Enjoy.
Deep in the grip of the midwinter cold
Stars send a sparkling light.
All are asleep on this lonely farm,
Deep in the winter night.
The pale white moon is wanderer,
And snow lies white on pine and fir.
Snow glows on rooftop shake.
The tomte alone is awake.
Gray, he stands by the low bran door,
Gray by the drifted snow,
Gazing, as many winters he’s gazed,
Up at the moon’s chill glow,
Then at the forest where fir and pine
Circle the farm in a dusky line,
Mulling relentlessly
A riddle that has no key.
Rubs his hand through his beard and hair,
Shakes his head and his cap.
“No, that question is much too deep,
I cannot fathom that.”
Then making his mind up in a hurry,
He shrugs away the annoying wory;
Turns at his own command,
Turns to the task at hand.
Goes to the storehouse and toolshop doors,
Checking the locks of all,
While the cows dream on in the cold moon’s light,
Summer dreams in each stall.
And free of harness and whip and rein,
Even Old Palle dreams again.
The manger he’s drowsing over
Brims with fragrant clover.
The tomte glances at sheep and lambs
Cuddled in quiet rest.
The chickens are next, where the rooster roosts
High above straw filled nests.
Burrowed in straw, hearty and hale,
Karo wakens and wags his tail
As if to say, “Old friend, “Partners we are to the end.”
At last the tomte tiptoes in
To see how the housefolk fare.
He knows full well the strong esteem
They feel for his faithful care.
He tiptoes into the children’s beds,
Silently peers at their tousled heads.
There is no mistaking his pleasure:
These are his greatest treasure.
Long generations has he watched
Father to son to son
Sleeping as babes. But where, he aske,
From where, from where have they come?
Families came, families went,
Blossomed and aged, a lifetime spent,
Then-Where? That riddle again
Unanswered in his brain!
Slowly he turns to the barnyard loft,
His fortress, his home and rest,
High in the mow, in the fragrant hay
Near to the swallow’s nest.
The nest is empty, but in the spring
When birds mid leaves and blossoms sing,
And come with her tiny mate.
Then will she talke of the journey tell.
Twittering to all who hear it,
But nary a hint for the question old
That stirs in the tomte’s spirit.
Now through cracks in the haymow wall
The moon lights tomte and hay and all,
Lights his beard t hrough the chinks,
The tomte ponders and thinks.
Still is the forest and all the land,
Locked in this wintry year.
Only the distant waterfall
Whispers and sighs in his ear.
The tomte listens and, half in dream,
Thnks that he hears Time’s endless stream,
And wonders, where is it bound?
Where is its source to be found?
Deep in the grip of the midwinter cold,
Stars send a sparkling light.
All are asleep on this lonely farm,
Late in this winter night.
The pale white moon is a wanderer,
Snow lies white on pine and fir;
Snow glows on rooftop shake.
The tomte alone is awake.
At night, when all is quiet around the farm, the Tomte wakes up to look after all of the animals and the family that lie sleeping in the farm house. As he visits each animal,child,and adult he brings the promise of spring. This book is a beautiful introduction to the world of the Swedish gnome better known as a tomte (tom-ta). The quiet snowy Swedish night makes this a perfect story for a bedtime read.
The book was lovingly inspired by a poem written by Viktor Rydberg. Tomorrow as a special treat I have the english translation of that poem. Astrid Lindgren did a fantastic job of taking this long poem and putting it into little by through her retelling of it.
Before we get to the "something to do" part I wanted to announce the winner of the Tomten and the Reynard give away.
The winner is:
oh how beautiful!!
Congratulations Lorena. A huge thank you to Lorilee Kopp aka MamaKopp for her talents and generosity.
Something To Do
We couldn't very well read a book about a Tomte and not have a hat to wear like his. This simple and fun version I created so that children could knit this without any problem. You can knit this flat or on circular needles. Either way it comes out just fine.
Supplies
Gauge: 4 X 4 14 sts over 20 rows
Cast On 65 stitches
Work in rib stitch for two inches. Rib stitch is: knit 2, purl 2
Work in Stockinette stitch for 16 rows. Stockinette stitch is knit a row, purl a row.
*On row 16 start decreasing: This is a knit row. Knit 1, K2together. Knit as usual until you get to the last three stitches at the end of this row. K2together, K 1.
Nest Row: Purl *
Continue this pattern until you have 5 stitches bind off. Gather tightly to close if you are working in the round.
If you knitted this flat, block, and sew together.
A tomte is just another word for a gnome. Tomtes know many things. They know what the weather will be by how quickly the squirrels are gathering nuts. They know how to find the tastiest mushrooms but most importantly, they know how to talk to animals, especially foxes.
The Tomten and the Fox is a story written by Astrid Lindgren and illustrated by Harald Wiberg. This is one of our absolute favorites this time of year.
As a fox sneaks up on the farm, a little tomte man watches over the family charged with his protection.
Quietly the fox looks for something to eat. His eyes fall upon the hens which would make a tasty meal. Before he can do any damge the tomte stops him and talks him out of stealing hens by offering him a bowl of porridge. Satisfied the fox goes back to his den.
It seems the great talent of this old, old, tomte is to talk a fox out of stealing a hen.
***********Giveaway***********
Today we have such a wonderful giveaway. Mama Kopp has made the tomten and the fox. To have a chance at winning please leave a comment below. For three extra chances to win link to this blogpost. I'll close the comments at 9 pm on Thursday est and a winner will be announced Friday morning.
The comment section is now closed. I want to thank everyone for their wonderful comments. I will announce the winner tomorrow morning.
The winner is:
oh how beautiful!!
Out from the long dark winter comes a young and beautiful maiden with a wreath of candles on her head. Surrounded by her court of candle holding friends, wand holding star boys, and all of them singing of the hope and assurance that the light will return once again.
I took this book with me as I moved all over the globe just to make sure that I could share the story of Lucia wherever I went. It is and was my manual about the how's and why's of the St. Lucia celebration. Along with recipes, this book contains really fun tips to make sure that your Lucia celebration is fun and beautiful. Also included is the Santa Lucia song in both Swedish and English.
Something to Do
Not in either of the books we have highlighted here,"Lucia,child of light", or "Lucia Morning in Sweden" contain the very famous beverage we drink on this day as well. Glögg is a hot spicy drink which is drank throughout the whole holiday season but a huge pot of it is always brewing on my stove top for Lucia.
Glögg
· 4 cups of apple or grape juice
· ¼ cup of sugar
· 18 whole cloves
· 8 whole cardamom pods
· 1 cinnamon stick
· 1 piece of fresh ginger 1 inch long
· Serve with raisins and almonds
In a cooking pot pour your juice of choice and add all of the spices. Turn the heat onto medium and cook until the sugar has melted. Cover and leave it standing for an hour. Strain off the spices. Right before serving reheat and place in a thermos, glögg pot or slow cooker to keep it warm. For serving place into a cup or mug and top with raisins and almonds.
This beautiful book has become a read-a-loud favorite in this house. Ewa Rydåker and illustrator Carina Ståhlberg have truly captured the spirit of "living" the Lucia tradition each year. The book tells the old story of Sankta Lucia through the eyes of three children living in this time period. Set in Sweden, the story follows the adventures of Sofie, Louise, and Carl as they prepare for Lucia Day on December 13th. On that day, many Swedish people celebrate the legacy of Lucia and the coming of the light with coffe, saffron buns, ginger snaps, and wonderful singing. In addition to the story of the Svensson children, the book also includes the Lucia Song, recipes for ginger snaps and saffron buns, a short story of the Lucia legend, plus two patterns for the Lucia gown and star boy outfit.
Though this book contains a recipe for saffron buns, I haven't tried it. Since this is the "Something To Do" book review, I thought I would share our tried and true family recipe for saffron buns. If you get the wrong recipe the buns turn out to be like stones. The recipe in the book is similar to ours but we do some prep work that guarantees the success of our buns. It seems I'm a little biased about Lucia buns. I want everyone to have a realll postive and beautiful experience.
This book sets the mood just perfectly.
Saffron Buns or Lussekattor pronounced "Lucy cat-tor"
Lucia Saffron Buns
Ingredients:
· 1 package of dry yeast
· ¼ cup of warm water
· ¾ cup of milk
· 1 ½ cup stick of butter
· 1 tsp of saffron threads
· ½ cup sugar
· ¼ tsp of salt
· 1 cup of raisins
· 2 eggs
· 31/2 to 4 cups of flour
· 1 beaten egg
Directions
1. In a bowl place one cup of raisins in warm water covering the raisins. This is called “plumping”.
2. In a large mixing bowl dissolve the yeast in warm water.
3. While the yeast is proofing, in a pot scald the milk and then add the butter into the milk and heat gently until it has melted. Once melted, take off the burner and let it cool until it is luke warm.
4. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Lay the saffron threads on a pieces of parchment paper and place on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the oven for about 5 minutes. Once the saffron is toasted, take it out of the oven, fold the parchment paper over and roll over the saffron with a rolling pin until the saffron is in a powder form. Add the saffron to the milk and butter mixture.
5. Add the milk,butter,saffron mixture as well as the sugar, salt, eggs and drained raisins to the yeast mixture. In your kitchen aid or other mix master, beat until blended. It should be smooth and satiny.
6. Mix in half of the flour. Once it is blended add the remaining flour gradually until each addition is blended well. After all of the flour has been mixed in, let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
7. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board. Knead for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and satiny.
8. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl , cover with a dish-towel and let raise for until doubled. This will take about 1 hour.
9. Place parchment paper on two large cookie sheets.
10. After the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into 32 equal pieces.
11. Cover all pieces with a dish-towel .
12. Taking a piece of dough, roll it into an 8 inch rope. Shape it into a bun, S shape, snail or pretzel.
13. To make even fancier shapes take two 8 inch ropes and make crosses, butterflies, or twisted ropes.
14. As you finish each shape place it on the cookie sheet. Once a sheet in completely full, cover with a dish-towel to let it rise for 35 minutes.
15. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
16. Beat and egg in a bowl. Using a pastry brush paint the egg wash over the buns completely.
17. Sprinkle with pearl sugar (optional)
18. Place in oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
19. Buns are done when they are golden brown.
20. This recipe makes about 20 buns.
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