acorns in parking lots

The other day my sweetie came home with these exquisite beauties:

I imagined she had gone off into some wild woods somewhere 

to find such gorgeous acorn specimens...

Turns out, she found them in a parking lot!

Just goes to show that beautiful things can be everywhere...

So, don't assume if you're out doing errands and other drudgery

that there aren't treasures under your nose

or your toes...

Here's a branch with some leaves that these acorns came from.

I know there are hundreds and hundreds of types of oaks...

no clue what variety this is.

But I just found this amazing link 

to a Field Guide to Native Oak Species of Eastern North America.

 175 pages of info and photos.

Based on the shape, it could be a type of white oak.

If you know trees and could help identify, please post a comment! 

I wonder if acorn caps were the original thimble?

I love how no matter what you put them on, they always look like a hat!

woodland owl project

A simple woodland owl craft project.

All natural materials, except the hot glue that holds it together!

I wish I could take credit for this great idea, 

but I found it from NatureMaid Treasures on Etsy.

You just need a milkweed pod (emptied, dried), 

two acorn caps, and a pine cone.

A real hoot.

Always makes me smile.

the 12 birds of Christmas

 

I found these wonderful hand-painted wooden bird ornaments at a local craft sale recently.

I decided to decorate our little tree with 12 birds of Christmas.

All of the birds are birds that we see (or hear) 

in our backyard at one point or another throughout the year:

 

Eastern Screen Owl, Barn owl, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker,

Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, Goldfinch, Indigo Bunting,

Cardinal, House Finch, TreeSparrow, Black-capped Chickadee.



We got a little potted tree this year for the first time.

It makes such intuitive sense to me,

 rather than having a tree

made in China from petroleum byproducts,

or cutting down a perfectly vital tree...

 

This feels really good. 

 

No need for a big to-do for us at the holidays.

Just a quiet, small celebration

of light and love and life.

 

We'll plant our tree as soon as the ground thaws in the spring.

 

It makes me smile to see our bird friends on the tree.

Along with some glass pinecones and acorns and

other tree-things,

and our angel topper, which is

a felted wool angel, holding a bird.

 



 

And I never forget to hang the peace sign,

because peace is what it's all about.

 

 Plus some of my favorite ornaments from childhood.

This birdfeeder, filled with seed,

made by an elderly client of my mother's

when I was about 8. 

 

And last, and least in size,

is this delicate little glass tree.

 

So tiny!

 

I always loved putting it on the tree, each year as a girl,

unwrapping it from all of it's protective tissue...

 I loved having something precious that I had to be so careful with.

And the lights really make it shine.

 

for Lesley Jane, wherever this may find her...

a perfect little hobbit hole



The remnants of a tree in the Sapsucker woods...
a craggy wooden Stonehenge.



Top ring, courtesy of L.J., from Jose's, Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts...

Thanks L.J.!!!!  Happy New Year!  We love you!!!



waning moon on a December morn

Oh how I love when the moon is still visible in the morning!

A little magic leftover from the night before...

Here she is setting at about 7:30am behind some aspens in our back yard. 

Something about trees in general seems joyous to me, and these aspens are no exception. 

It's as if they greet the sky with exaltation, no matter what the weather or time of year. 

I hope to be more like the trees...