Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Wreaths!

I remember walking through the mountain woods in my childhood home with a plastic sled and bushel basket gathering bits of beautiful nature for wreath making with my family.  These first unspoken lessons were so poignant and long lasting for me.  It opened my eyes to the natural beauty around us, and raised those beauties to levels untouched by any manufactured items. 

105_4181

As we gathered materials to make wreaths, swags, and baskets of beauty this year in our not-so-mountainous woods those lessons were passed down to another generation. We snipped, pruned, and gleaned beauty.  It is a wonderful and timeless tradition.

For our family the Holiday season centers around the reverent worship and celebration of Christ.  In our home we focus our decorations on the wonders and beauties of the earth.  Focusing on one helps us to focus on the other.  105_4176

Wrapped in a tarp, a bounty of snips and bits found its way onto the porch and we spent a glorious few hours gathering, tying, bunching, filling, and wrapping, creating wreaths, swags, and baskets.  It is one of my most favorite preparations for the Holidays. 

105_4175

 105_4179