Oh Fiddlesticks!

One of my very favorite activities--the Maine Fiddlers Concert--takes place tomorrow, and I won't be able to make it for the first time in several years. Oh fiddlesticks!

This concert (now in its 10th year) takes place at The Chocolate Church Arts Center in Bath, Maine and is, in part, a fundraiser for Maine Fiddle Camp.

The event features some of the best fiddlers and traditional musicians in the state of Maine. It is not only great music, but also great fun. Honestly, you life isn't complete until you participate in a contradance while seated. :)

At the end of the concert, anyone and everyone with a fiddle in the audience is invited onto the stage for a little fiddle jam.As you watch the fiddlers pile on stage, you wonder just where all those fiddles were hiding during the concert.

Rumor has it that Maine has more fiddlers per capita than any other state (I heard this but have never been able to substantiate...but decided a few years ago it had to be true.) -- it is just another reason I'm in love with the state. I mean, what's not to love about a state full of fiddlers (especially if you love fiddle music - which I do!)?


A couple of years ago I purchased my first fiddle -- at the store in Newcastle, Maine that sells fiddles and oriental rugs (I'm serious). I finally got up the nerve to start learning it about a year ago. I'll be honest, it is a slow and painful process (I tried not to get discouraged when my fiddle teacher said, "Are you sure that you want to learn the fiddle--it is a very hard instrument."). But, now my six year old has a fiddle too. She's learning it as a violin -- but, I know in my heart she's a fiddler. Someday we'll be climbing up on stage (and attending Maine Fiddle Camp) with the rest for the jam. In the meantime, we'll just keep trying to make it to as many concerts as we can.

And, if you have time tomorrow evening, hit The Chocolate Church Arts Center for the 10th Annual Maine Fiddlers Concert. You'll be glad you did.

Nature Rocks!

I happen to live in two (yes, two - it's complicated!) beautiful, nature-rich areas. And, it is a good thing, because we like to play in nature. For our little family, figuring out how to "be" in nature is second nature. Still, sometimes it is nice to have a little help thinking about what nature-rich activity to do -- and how to make it even more engaging for little ones. Well, I'm pleased to have just learned about a fantastic new website called Nature Rocks

Through partnerships with The Nature Conservancy, REI, the Flora Family Foundation and American Camp Association, this national program aims to inspire and empower families to play and explore in nature.The website has all kinds of tools like a "Find Nature" activity which enables you to search for a variety of natural spots by zipcode; a "Find Activities" feature which helps you figure out an activity appropriate for you (by age of children, duration of time available and location); and a "Connect" feature which enables you to connect with others.

So, if you want/need some inspiration to get outside,check out www.naturerocks.org. But, whatever it takes, get outside.

Me? Well, I'm heading to the Pacific Coast for a few days...sea lions, beaches and coastal cliffs.

Breaking the Rules: Dinner Games

One of the many "when I'm a mother" proclamations that I made was that I was never going to let my kids play games at the dinner table. I had (have!) this vision that dinners should involve the whole family eating and talking. My vision never included separate meals and it certainly never included giving my children games and other activities to occupy them while we ate.

I am pleased to say that my vision of family meals is a reality. And, well, until lately, I've managed to keep games and other activities off the dinner table. 

Imagine my dismay when my awesome sister-in-law gave us a set of "Dinner Games" for Christmas this year. I tucked it away vowing that I wouldn't use it. (No offense K, if you are reading this!)

Well, not too long ago after several nights of frustrating meals...(Surely, you know the kind...rationing out bites, arguments about what was being served, threats, bribes...), I pulled out the Dinner Games.

Much to my surprise, this game is full of ENGAGING, largely conversation-based activities/games. It not only got us through the meal, but got us through the meal laughing and happy. So, I'm sold...and I owe my SIL a big thank you (and perhaps an apology?). We still strive to have dinners without activities, but a night or two a week, we pull out the Dinner Games.

Intrigued? Desperate? You can get your own set at Hearthsong.

Crafternoon: Egg Dyeing at A Whole New Level

About a week ago my super creative and crafty friend Jeanne started posting photos of beautiful eggs on her Facebook page. Each day her posts included photos revealing more and more beautiful eggs.

If you've been following me you know I have a thing for eggs...so, naturally I was intrigued. 
I asked Jeanne if she'd teach me this technique -- and she agreed to teach me today. I just returned from this late morning/early crafternoon with Jeanne and -- WOW I am totally hooked.

First, a little background…
A pysanka (plural: pysanky) is a Ukranian Easter egg, decorated using a wax-resist method (think batik). The word pysanka comes from the verb pysaty, "to write", as the designs are not painted, but written with hot beeswax. are a symbol of life. Great care is taken in making these eggs—each color, symbol and design carrying great significance (read more about the symbols, colors, etc.) According to Wikipedia, a large family typically creates 60 or more eggs by Holy Thursday, takes them to church on Easter Sunday to be blessed, then gives them away to family and respected outsiders. A bowl full of pysanky is typically kept in the home, serving not only as a colorful display, but also as a protection from dangers.

Now, back to crafting—making psyanky.
The process, in a nutshell, involves using psyanky tools (metal pen-like tools that are “filled” with beeswax and heated) and beeswax to “write” designs (we used a catalog of samples as our inspiration) on white eggs. The eggs are then dipped in dye (one or more colors, depending on your design)—the dye affixing to the egg wherever wax hasn’t been applied.

I picked what I believed to be a relatively simple design and began by drawing grid lines to help guide my drawing. (I just read a tip that you can put elastic bands around the egg to accomplish this without pencil marks.) Then, using the psyanky tools, drew my design with wax. I first dipped my egg in yellow dye to create yellow flowers. Then, I put wax on the yellow flowers and dipped my egg in orange dye. Before dipping into my final color (blue), I put wax over the orange areas in order to ensure they remained orange. After letting the dye dry a bit, I melted the wax off the egg by candle flame.

And, ta-da, my first psyanky egg.

Okay, it is far from a perfect work of art, but I still think it looks pretty cool…

I was lucky to have a wonderful and creative (oh, and very patient) teacher. But, I’m convinced, based on reviewing some of the materials that my teacher had on-hand, that this technique could be learned by book. A kit which includes everything you need to get started is available at Magic Cabin. But, a Google search reveals a lot of other resources, too.

A big thank you to Jeanne for adding another fun craft to my life. If only Easter wasn’t yesterday, I’d be gearing up in full force (and gladly ignoring my huge to-do list) to start cranking out psyanky eggs.

Eco-Eggs Gets My Vote

On Saturday we put the Eco-Eggs Easter Egg kit to the test. The whole effort was great family fun--an experiment for all. We loved watching how blueberries, paprika, purple sweet potato (among other things) colored eggs.

The verdict? Pretty, softly-colored eggs. The blue was amazing. The yellow sweet. The other colors were very pale, but together they all looked beautiful.

If you are looking for bright eggs, Eco-Eggs is probably not the dye kit for you. But, I'm sold. And, I was especially sold when my 11 month old picked up one of the eggs and put it in the mouth...it felt good knowing she was sucking on dye that was as natural as it gets.

Easter Grass Centerpiece

Well, it worked...(Why is it that I always seem so surprised when my projects actually work?) the Easter grass I planted a few weeks ago grew in time to be the perfect centerpiece. I'm quite pleased. Simple. Elegant. Natural.

Forcing Spring Update

Well, it worked. I "forced" Spring into my home. If you've been following my blog, you already know that a little over three weeks ago I cut some cherry blossoms in an attempt to "force" them into bloom. It worked. The result is glorious and just what the doctor ordered to help bridge that gap between Winter and Spring.

One of the extra highlights for me was the my father-in-law, known by many as the gardening guru, had never heard of such a thing...and was so impressed with the result that he called me for advice on how to implement!

Try it. Surely there are some branches within your reach just waiting to be "forced".