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A Bird Theme for Spring

4/25/2012

There are a million things you can do with a bird theme.

Last week I carted in bird books and stuffed birds, a nest and photographs, eggs and feathers.

More than anything, they loved the feathers.

What are they good for?

They came up with a fun list. Tickling, dusting, hats, painting and writing, pillows, sneezing, even speech therapy! We practiced speaking with a feather in front of our mouths. A few of us decorated out hair!

Favorite feather

Of course...the peacock feather was the favorite! We tried balancing them in an open palm. (It looks like an impressive trick actually) Libby teased us by holding it the longest and then we noticed she had it tucked between her fingers!

She's posing AFTER her stunt in this photo!

John Audubon

We talked about the famous artist and looked at his incredible bird paintings.

Then we decorated bookmarks with Audubon stickers and dangling feathers.

I've got mine tucked into a book already.

Bird Day 2!

This Tuesday, the weather was so lovely, I thought we could continue the theme, outside on the patio!

A beautiful day with fresh air and breeze can only encourage our group sharing and fun! Besides, we might actually watch some real birds!

So I threw out bird books and puzzles and even an Audubon coloring book with felt tip pens.

Happy, just sitting

I thought that some of the pictures would stir up memories and conversation. We all have favorite birds. There are dozens of birds we could have listed. There are songs about birds and books with birds in the title. I'm sure each one of us had a story we could have told...about finding a nest or having a bird get in the house or a grandmother's birdfeeder, birdhouse or birdbath! I had about 10 stories in my head, I wanted to share.

But the group was at peace, sitting quietly...ignoring my prompts.

What I learned

You can't force wonderful conversations and thoughts and ideas... even with the help of lovely weather. Sometimes you can spark a memory or a creative moment and sometimes you just sit back and enjoy each other peacefully.

There was a moment when I was coloring along with Margaret and I started singing "Blue bird, blue bird out my window" a song I remember from childhood. The others all joined in and we laughed as we kind of forgot the ending. Then we all quietly went back to our books and puzzles and coloring.

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Eggs, Bunnies and the Quilt

4/14/2012

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I took the easy route!

There are more interesting themes to share with The Quilt Group, but when you've got lots of Eastery things sitting around your house, it's just easy to throw some stuff in a bag and head off with the quilt!

And the perfect spring weather!

We couldn't sit inside when things were blooming out on the patio. The fresh air seemed to make everyone smile. Especially Vivian!

I warned Libby

I told her the Mystery Bag contained something kind of creepy. But mostly she and the others laughed to discover a well loved bunny.

Similar to The Velveteen Rabbit

I shared the story of my daughter, Heidi's stuffed bunny. It was once plump and even had a little color. For a good 5 years "Bobby" napped with Heidi and joined her in every activity she did. Every task was a bit trickier when clutching a bunny. Even hunting for Easter eggs was done one handed because Bobby couldn't be put down. I hoped the Bobby story would open up to more story sharing.

Talking and Decorating

I had a few pastels and some construction paper, So we did a little "egg designing" with the promise that I would take their art to the kids at the Women's Shelter the next day. (The "Quilt Kids" love knowing the "Quilt Ladies" make things for them.) But the best part of our "craft", was just sitting in the warm breeze, with the smell of roses wafting over now and then and a cat rubbing up against a leg here and there. The conversation flowed from memories of Easter baskets to egg traditions to family pets and stories of Passover. Our best story may have been from Rita about her pet chickens. But we don't have a photo of Rita, because she had just returned from a hospital stay and poor Rita had some bruising, the color of Easter eggs.

What I learned about art, conversation, and fresh air!

Converstaions seem so much more relaxed when you have some simple art task AND some fresh air! I even think fresh air helps with humor! I loved it that Dear Rita could laugh at her own "unslightly condition." And her friends went along with her humor and admitted, "You must feel a little bit like that old stuffed bunny feels!" Rita snickered pretty good at that remark!

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The Quilt...Scott... and a Trip to North Carolina

4/4/2012

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Scott has known the Quilt for years.

Nearly 20 years ago, when I used an old tattered quilt, my son went along with my quilt stories and games. Scott (in the green) was not as easily entertained as the other children. He was used to being a guinea pig for all my activities. None of my costumes or props surprised him. He was used to hearing my songs and he knew all my gimmicks.

Scott must have been absorbing something...

...because years later when he helped me drag the quilt, Pickles the Puppet and other materials to the Fort Bend Women's Shelter, he played the "teacher role" right along with me.

Singing and dancing were never his favorites, but he played along and the kids adored him.

The Quilt Goes to North Carolina

In March, my husband and I headed for a visit to North Carolina where Scott is an AmeriCorps worker at Centro La Comunidad. He has taught us much about his community and the challenges it faces as one of the fastest growing Latino populations in the nation. He has a great deal of passion for the men, women and children he guides daily.

We knew Scott would be working during part of our stay, so we hoped he could put us to use.
Scott encouraged me to bring the quilt to work with kids...and he invited his dad to bring his Spanish skills!

The Kids Taught Me!

I only had 3 siblings the day I went to help. They spoke English well and taught me a little Spanish by pointing out pictures on the quilt. Even the 8 year old was enthused and playful with the puppets and songs. I marveled at how eagerly the boys sang, to wake up Pickles the sleeping puppet, even though their baby sister was the only one you would expect to show interest.

Taking Turns

I was surprised to see how graciously these kids took turns. And when their little sister got restless, the boys helped her get Pickles into a doll stroller, so she was busy while they tried to learn how to juggle scarves.

What I Learned

I watched the brothers experimenting with the scarves. They wondered why some scarves floated down more slowly than others. They figured quickly how to squish the scarves small to make them toss higher. They noticed how the colors overlapped and made new colors. And when I pushed them to be a little more creative and "bring them to life" with some music, they didn't sneer at the idea. In fact, when I realized I didn't have my I-pod, the oldest suggested we sing to make the scarves dance.

What I learned from my short time observing these young children, is that they reflect a great deal of warmth, enthusiasm and intelligence! Scott has been eager about working with the young people in his community and now I know why. These children will help mold the future and from what I see, that is a good thing!

Icing on the Cake

One last thing before we left North Carolina...a spontaneous picnic just outside the Smoky Mountains. The quilt has been on many an adventure, but this is the first time it has played the part of a picnic quilt!

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The Quilt

For 20+ years children have called it the Magic Quilt. They've danced and pretended all over these colorful squares. I've dragged it to schools, shelters and studios where children have climbed on top to hear Magic Quilt Stories and to act them out.

I still regularly use the story telling quilt with children at a nearby Shelter, but 7 years ago I started using the quilt on a table with a group of Alzheimer's folks. I was blown away by what these incredible people could share and enjoy, so I started up "Quilt Groups" at other centers.

In 2013, motivated by the warmth and generosity of the friends I've made through this quilt, I decided to start taking the quilt with me, when I vacation. So far I have met some wonderful adults and children while traveling and sharing the quilt in Mexico, N. Carolina, Utah, California, Mississippi, Chile, Mexico, Guatemala New Mexico, Bermuda and Honduras.

In this blog I will share about some of the adventures I've had near and far with the help of the quilt. Mostly, I'd like to share some of the things I've learned along the way.