a long short walk

Posted on by

 

I go to nature to be soothed and healed,

and to have my senses put in tune once more.

                    ~John Burroughs

 

When Rich called me during the day yesterday, I was overwhelmed and crying.  We talked for a little bit, and one of the things he encouraged me to do was to get outside at some point.  He knows that my spirits lift after a nice walk through the woods.  

Since baby Sarah has arrived, it has become increasingly more difficult to get out into the woods with all of the children, but yesterday afternoon I gathered them up, and off we went.

I carried the baby, the older children helped small Seth.  He walked and ran, and when he got tired or too slow he was carried.

It was a beautiful fall afternoon, about 4 o’clock.  There was enough sun to cheer us up and make us warm, but in the shade it was cool.

 

I’m currently reading the book Last Child in the Woods, and realizing once again what a huge part nature plays in healthy living.  So many of my memories as a small child involve the times I spent outdoors.  Chasing fireflies, watching out for spiders, listening to the birds sing, climbing tall pine trees, visiting the “big rocks” up the road in my grandparent’s woods, swimming in the pond, surrounded by only farmland, the quiet, the clean air.  And now as an adult, the trips to the park, walks in the woods, or just simply sitting in the green grass with my family.  The outdoors is big, wide, open space.  The blue sky above, the ground beneath.  Whenever I got upset as a child I would go for a long long walk.  No one told me to do it, I just learned that there was peace there.  I remember lying my hot wet-with-tears face on soft cool moss in the woods and slowly the tears stopped as I felt joy in the quiet place I had found.  I always came home calm again.

We home-educate my children and part of this lifestyle I that I love so much, is allowing them to spend as much time outside as possible.  Doing whatever they want.  (Today the older boys have kept a campfire going.  They are heating metal and pounding it into swords.  They are blacksmiths, and dirty from head to toe.  Dirty, yet calm and content in their boy-pursuits).

 

 

The walk we went on yesterday didn’t take us far.  Just up the trail into the meadow.   A short walk distance-wise, but long in minutes and memories.  We walked slow, stopped often, and then we sat in the field for a while.

Caleb has been interested in the story of Bambi, ever since we listened to the unabridged audiobook during our vacation.  He carried his big Disney storybook with him on our walk, so that I could read Bambi to him in the meadow.

 

“Bambi loved the meadow”  pg. 72

And so do we.

Here’s an idea for a very easy fall cake:  Peel, core, and chop two apples and then add them to the batter of a cake mix.  Bake until done and frost as desired.  You can use a spice cake mix but today I simply used a yellow.  Yum!

0 thoughts on “a long short walk”

  1. The picture of your kids on their backs in the grass is precious!!! My sixteen-year-old daughter loves, loves, loves Baby Sarah’s bonnet! Too sweet!!!You’re an amazing momma who deeply nurtures her children’s hearts!Bless you!

    Reply ↓

  3. I agree with foursimpleservants–the picture of the kids in a circle looking up is so neat! I tend to get too busy doing “inside” stuff and forget about the joys of nature–thank you for the reminder of the importance of it.

    Reply ↓

  4. I agree with you. So many memories from childhood involve nature, and it is one of the treasures of life as an adult. Perhaps here we can be childlike! I sure love to go along with you on your outings!! I was all teary eyed looking at your sweet children all laying in the grass together. Precious faces! So dear to see you reading about Bambi in the meadow with them.

    Reply ↓

  6. It is raining here. No walks outside for me.That sweet little knit hat on Sarah makes me wish I were a knitter.So cute and snuggly looking.Today I crocheted an edge on a flannel receiving blanket. My baby (well, one of my babies) and his wife are having their first baby – a girl…due next weekend.Can’t wait!The cake idea sounds yummy.

    Reply ↓

  7. I love that you take pictures of your nature walks.  It was really rainy here today so no getting outdoors for us.  What a blessing that you have such a great place to walk so closeby!  This is the time of year I pull your  Fall Harvest Cake recipe from the file box and start licking my lips.  Love the tastes of fall.  I might try adding apples to a spice mix…that sounds yummy and so easy. (might add some nuts too;). 

    Reply ↓

  14. i love not only that you school your kids at home through their experiences with life and learning but also that you guys have been blessed to have the area that you have to just learn about life and nature in. i love that you have the pond and that you can go on nature walks, that you have animals, and that life is LIVED in your house. keep up the great work Shanda.

    Reply ↓

  15. One of our favorite things about visiting either of our old homes (well, aside from seeing the family), is that both my husband and I grew up in the country, and we love seeing our kids take off and fearlessly explore. Where we live right now doesn’t provide many opportunities for getting outside, so any chance we have to get out and just PLAY is amazing.Love the pic of all your kids – they are going to have such wonderful memories of their childhood when they are grown. My dad’s the oldest of eight, and looking at the pictures of your bunch always make me think of his stories of him and his siblings when they were kids. There is no friend like a brother or sister!

    Reply ↓

Leave a reply to flowergirl_5 Cancel reply