Friday's Tattler

It was a glorious trip to New Harmony. We had a nice little breakfast of sticky buns and then boarded the bus at 9:00. It was a bit overcast, but we knew we would out run the rain clouds. The park was gorgeous. There were lots of tents set up to teach children about Settler Days. It's important to know how to do things, because as I've told the children many times, we are a tankful of gas from starvation. Learn how!

The first tent we visited made hats from sheep's wool. The process of carding, wetting, rubbing, and then shaping the hat is a feat of engineering we don't always understand. Hat making was an important industry in New Harmony. What fun to have the choice of hats!

We moved on to rope making. CJ was especially polite and asked if he could help make the rope. Because he was so polite, he was able to take home the rope he made.

And speaking of polite, our little kids were the most polite children at the park and all of the volunteers who were making things gravitated their interest towards us. Our children were delightful, answered questions, said please, thank you and excuse me.

We visited the kitchen garden, the spinner, the paper making, the paper cutter, the bee keeper, the butter maker, the oxen driver and the goat and sheep herders.

Some of the children loved it, and some did not see any point to this at all, and that's a shame. These are crafts which for the most part have been forgotten in favor of store bought. Knowing how to do things yourself is an important part of independence. Knowing that these things can be done at home is an important part of a child's education.

This summer, we will have the spinner come to school and teach us to spin some yarn from some of Miss Dannye's sheep. We will make our own butter, mill our own flour, make our own bread and make our own paper. The paper man made some of the prettiest paper I've ever seen, and I would like to make some for our children and let them make their own.

What was gratifying were the answers our children gave to the questions asked. They knew a lot, and the volunteers were constantly amazed by how gracious and bright out little guys are. We were so proud of them.

We went to the playground for lunch and ate a hearty lunch of whole wheat bread and cheese, tuna, egg and peanut butter. We had carrots, apples, chips, and pickles and milk. Teachers had a marvelous little salad of cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, vinaigrette, and crab. Delicious!