The intense sunshine this afternoon has all of us anxious for spring, but this morning’s hard frost was a good reminder that winter hasn’t left us yet. It’s clear we’re moving toward spring, though – we opened the kitchen window to get a better listen to the a few birds singing this morning.
Our nature table had been empty since returning home from Florida, so after lunch, the girls spent a while reworking the shelf with me. I realize we have so few “late winter” items, but we had fun going through our box of objects and choosing things to put out – things that reflect the lingering winter and anticipate spring.
I am looking forward to adding more and more items that direct us toward the coming spring as the weeks pass – we brainstormed a list of things we might like to put out – seed packets when they come from Baker Creek (until they are planted), a dish of moss taken from the back stoop. There are needle-felted eggs and butterflies we’d like to make, books on the spring equinox to pick up from the library. And then, if we’re brave enough, asking lovely neighbor for a small branch from her cherry tree that we could force into bloom. And eventually, our Easter goodies.
Hope you were able to enjoy a piece of sunshine today, and get a glimpse of the light at the end of winter’s tunnel. Spring will inevitably be on her way soon. What does your family use in your nature table to signify winter giving way to spring?
We removed anything that looked too “winter-like” from our nature table and started putting items that represent early spring…pink and white rocks, Valentine’s felted finger puppets, small terarriums with moss from outside, handspun yarn.