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Contents
Posts
Walt Whitman’s Woods and his Poem "Miracles"
Thursday, October 29th, 2009
We took a walk today in Walt Whitman’s woods in West Hills, on Long Island, east of New York City. I highly recommend taking an autumnal hike or stroll if you can. Then you may feel the truth in Whitman’s line, "As to me I know of nothing else but miracles". There’s much beauty out there. Here are some photos I took in Walt’s woods, followed by his poem "Miracles", and then recordings of two people reading the poem.
Miracles
by Walt WhitmanWhy, who makes much of a miracle?
As to me I know of nothing else but miracles,
Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,
Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,
Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water,
Or stand under trees in the woods,
Or talk by day with any one I love, or sleep in the bed at night with any one I love,
Or sit at table at dinner with the rest,
Or look at strangers opposite me riding in the car,
Or watch honey-bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon,
Or animals feeding in the fields,
Or birds, or the wonderfulness of insects in the air,
Or the wonderfulness of the sundown, or of stars shining so quiet and bright,
Or the exquisite delicate thin curve of the new moon in spring;
These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles,
The whole referring, yet each distinct and in its place.To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,
Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,
Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with the same,
Every foot of the interior swarms with the same.
To me the sea is a continual miracle,
The fishes that swim-the rocks-the motion of the waves-the ships with men in them,
What stranger miracles are there?*****
Creating a Sensory Garden
Saturday, June 27th, 2009
We visited a very kid friendly nature preserve today with a lovely garden. The gardeners there were in the middle of planting a sensory garden, as a nice addition to their main garden. A sensory garden should have plants that stimulate each of the five senses: smell, taste, sight, sound and touch. Sensory gardens are wonderful for children to help them learn about the five senses.
Sight is easy in a garden…
So is smell. They were planting mint…
Taste is pretty easy too. They were planting blueberry bushes…
The sense of touch is pretty easy too. You need to have safe plants to touch near the pathway. Different textured leaves work nicely. I noticed they were planting some ornamental grasses…
Now sound in a garden I find interesting. They were planting something called Clethra Hummingbird. The gardener I spoke to said it makes a crackling noise in the Fall.
Even if you don’t plant a full sensory garden, you can use these ideas in your garden, around your yard or on your balcony if you’re in an apartment, even on a windowsill. It’s just another way to be creative in your life and think of things another way!
Check out Sensory Garden for Kids for more on building a sensory garden with children and Sensory Gardens which talks about other reasons to create a sensory garden (i.e. for healing, socializing, etc.)
Enjoy your gardening experience with all your senses!
Mama Lisa
Does Anyone Know a Short Poem or Rhyme about Spring?
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009Rebeca Garcia Mendoza wrote
Hi! I’m a Spanish girl who is preparing resources to teach English to Spanish children. I’m looking for rhymes about seasons and I have a problem. I cannot find a short one of Spring.
If anybody knows one, please, tell me!
Thanks.If anyone can help out Rebeca, please let us know in the comments below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
PS FYI I did find this nursery rhyme riddle about all the seasons:
In Spring I look gay,
Decked in comely array,
In Summer more clothing I wear;
When colder it grows,
I fling off my clothes,
And in Winter quite naked appear.Scroll down for the answer..
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
A tree!
Cherry Blossom Viewing in Japan
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009When the Cherry Blossoms bloom in Japan it’s traditional to go to the park to view the blossoms and have a picnic. Cherry Blossom viewing is called called Hanami. Ayako Egawa generously shared her photos of this years cherry blossom viewing.
Ayako wrote, "We walked under the flow of cherry blossoms in the park. It was beautiful!"
Close up of the cherry blossoms.
Ayako continued, "Lots of people enjoy sitting and eating ‘bento’ (their lunch)."
Ayako wrote, "We hiked along the road hearing the twitter of Japanese Bush Warbler.
I like the feel of spring!"
I asked Ayako what the Japanese Bush Warbler sounds like and she wrote, "Hearing the twitter of the Japanese Bush Warbler is a sign of Spring in Japan. They sing like ‘Whoo Who ket kyo’! It’s a unique twitter." Later Ayako sent me this YouTube video below she found to hear the bird’s tweet.
Ayako wrote, "Small purple flowers in the park. They are pretty."
Ayako wrote, "Cherry blossoms in this school playground are really beautiful! It’s common that there are lots of cherry blossoms in school playgrounds in Japan."
Thanks so much for sharing these great photos with us Ayako!
Check out these posts for more about Cherry Blossom Viewing and Festivals.
You can also hear 2 well known Cherry Blossom Songs on Mama Lisa’s World:
Sakura Sakura – Cherry Blossoms (Song #2)
Enjoy the season and try to see Cherry Blossoms blooming near you if possible. It’s worth the effort.
Mama Lisa
April Poem
Wednesday, April 1st, 2009Here’s an old poem about April by William Watson (1858 – 1936), an English poet…
Song
APRIL, April,
Laugh thy girlish laughter;
Then, the moment after,
Weep thy girlish tears!
April, that mine ears
Like a lover greetest,
If I tell thee, sweetest,
All my hopes and fears,
April, April,
Laugh thy golden laughter,
But, the moment after,
Weep thy golden tears!
Signs of Spring
Friday, March 27th, 2009It’s amazing that people over 5000 years ago knew enough about astronomy and the seasons to create a cave and have specific chambers within it be lit up by the sun only on specific days of the year… specifically on the solstices and equinoxes.
I’m talking about the Loughcrew Megalithic Cairns in Ireland.
Michael from Newgrange.com sent me this:
"At the 5000 year old Loughcrew megalithic cairn T in Ireland, the rising sun on the mornings around the equinox illuminate the passage and chamber."
You can see cairn T being lit up on March 20th of this year in the photo below.
When you stop and think about it, it’s really amazing that mankind was able to work out the placement of the sun in this detail over 5000 years ago!
Check out Signs of Spring the Big Picture to see photos "from Stonehenge and Mayan pyramids to Dutch meadows and Texan beaches" that show different signs Springtime is coming in the northern hemisphere.
Enjoy!
Mama Lisa
You Can’t Keep a Good Kid Down…
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009Or in this case… dry!
It’s wet and slushy here in New York. But my daughter got off the school bus today and jumped right into the puddle at the bottom of our driveway!
Winter Wonderland YouTube Video and Song
Sunday, December 28th, 2008Here’s a nice, white and wintry video of the Winter Wonderland song, sung by alto singer, David Solomons…
December Song on the Piano
Saturday, December 20th, 2008Here’s a song for the piano called December by Jay Rouse and played by Vi Huynh.
You can purchase Jay Rouse’s Arrangements online by clicking the link.
Click the following link to hear another piano arrangement called December by George Winston.
It’s Lovely Weather for a Sleigh Ride Together – Jazz Animation
Saturday, December 13th, 2008Elle Fitzgerald sings in this wonderful winter animation!
Photos of an Autumn Lake
Saturday, November 1st, 2008Today we took a hike with our kids around the woods and pond at Caleb Smith State Park in New York. We wanted to spend some time together as a family and see the beautiful autumnal colors. Here are a couple of photos we took of the lake…
Listen to What the Jack-o-Lantern Has to Say…
Friday, October 31st, 2008
(Go on, click ‘em on…)
Light Apple Pie Recipe + Apple Picking Traditions + Recipe for Gluten Free Baked Apple
Monday, October 20th, 2008Every year we go apple picking in September or October. One of our favorite orchards has dwarf apple trees, which has been nice with little kids. Though next year we may be able to graduate to an orchard with normal sized trees since our kids are getting taller.
One treat we make after apple picking is home-made apple pie with vanilla ice cream. Last year I posted a recipe for a delicious recipe for apple pie that had lots of cinnamon. This year we made a light pie, with less sugar. This recipe has more of a lemon flavor, which we surprisingly liked a lot! The same night we had the pie, my son’s friend ate over. His friend can’t eat gluten. So I made for him a baked apple with cinnamon sugar. I’ll post both recipes below.
Apple Pie Recipe
2 Frozen Pie Crusts
8-10 small to medium Apples (7-8 cups sliced)
2 1/2 t. Lemon Juice
1/4 t. Grated Lemon Rind
1/3 c. Sugar
1/4 t. SaltMix to Sprinkle on Top
2 t. Sugar
1/8 t. CinnamonPreheat oven to 425°F.
Take out the 2 frozen pie crusts. Turn one of the pie crusts out of its pan and onto wax paper. Leave the other in its pan. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.
Peel, core and cut the apples into 1/4 inch slices. You should have 7 to 8 cups of apple slices. Then mix the apples with the sugar, lemon juice, lemon rind and salt.
Pour apple mixture into the pie crust that’s in the pan. Wet the rim of the crust with a little water. Gently place the second crust over the pie, trying to match up the ends of the bottom crust and the top crust. With a fork, press down around the ends of the crust, pressing the 2 crusts together. Make four neat slits on the top crust to allow the steam to escape. Sprinkle mixture of 2 t. sugar and 1/8 t. cinnamon on top of pie.
Place a cookie sheet, covered with aluminum foil, under the pie. Bake for 15 minutes at 425°F.
Reduce oven heat to 375°F and cook for about 45 more minutes. The pie is done when the apples feel tender when poked with a butter knife.
If the crust is starting to get too dark at any point during baking, you can put aluminum foil loosely around the edges of the pie crust to prevent it from burning.
To reheat the pie later on: After the pie has cooled you can reheat it in a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes.
Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
*****
This baked apple was extremely easy to make. My son’s friend loved it. Though I have a confession to make: it’s filled with sugar and cinnamon.
Gluten Free Baked Apple
2 Apples
1/8 cup Brown Sugar
1/8 cup White Granulated Sugar
1/2 – 1 t. Cinnamon (to taste depending on who’s eating it)-Mix the brown sugar, the white sugar and the cinnamon.
-Horizontally cut off the top 3/4″ of the top of the apple and set to the side (this top you can put back on for cooking).
-Core the apple.
-Put the sugar mixture into the apples and then cover with the apple tops.
-Wrap the apples in aluminum foil and bake on 375F for about 20-25 minutes, until soft.Take off tops and serve in bowls with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
If there’s any sugar mixture left over you can use it for the top of the apple pie.
Multicultural Songs about the Seasons
Wednesday, August 20th, 2008People often write me looking for songs about the four seasons, from around the world. Here are some! The links below take you to the different pages on Mama Lisa’s World of International Childrens Songs. There, you’ll find the lyrics in the original languages, with English translations.
Songs about Winter
Yuki (Snow) – Japanese
A, a, a, der Winter, der ist da (A, a, a, Winter is Here) – German
La neige tombe (The Snow is Falling) – French from Canada
Zemestoon (Winter) – Persian from Iran
Kış (Winter) – Turkish from TurkeySongs about Spring
La Primavera (Springtime) – Spanish from Peru
Haru Ga Kita (Spring Has Come) – Japanese
De Colores (All the Colors) – Spanish from Mexico & SpainSongs about Summer
Trarira, der Sommer, der ist da! (Tilitum, The Summer Has Come) – German
Songs about Autumn or Fall
Couleurs d’automne (Colors of Autumn) – French
Songs or Rhymes about All Four SeasonsJoereszäiten (Seasons) – Franconian from Lorraine Region in France
Les feuilles (Leaves) – French from CanadaWhen you get to the song pages you can access French and Spanish translations too, and in some cases mp3 recordings, midis and/or scores.
Feel free to add a song about any of the seasons in the comments below or email me.
Mama Lisa
May Celebrations
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008Guest blogger Ed Gawlinski sent me this short post about celebrations in May…
On May 5th a lot of people in the United States are going to have tacos or burritos for lunch to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. On May 5th of 1862 Troops led by Ignacio Zaragoza halted a French invasion of Mexico in the Battle of Puebla.
However, I would also suggest that before that, on May 3rd you plan a dinner of Kiełbasa i Kapusta (sausage and cabbage) to celebrate Constitution Day. In 1791 the Polish Sejm (congress) proclaimed Poland’s first written constitution. This makes Poland the first country in Europe and the second country in the world to establish a government based on a written constitution. The United States was the first and France was the third.
I would also suggest that on May 17th you have some tomatsuppe med macaroni, that would be Norwegian-style tomato soup. On that date in 1814, the Constitution of Norway was signed and the Danish Crown Prince Christian Frederik is elected King of Norway by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly.
The Symbolism of the Egg
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008As Easter approaches, it’s natural to think a little about eggs!
In days gone by the egg, due to its shape, was a symbol of the earth. Thanks to its obvious association with the beginning of life, it has also been the basis of many ancient creation stories. It has been a symbol of fertility, rebirth and the cycle of life. These latter symbols are so close to what Springtime is all about that it’s no wonder it’s been an important part of Spring celebrations since pre-Christian times.
As Europe became Christian, eggs became a symbol of Easter and the resurrection of Jesus. In the past, Christians gave up eggs for Lent (the 40 days before Easter when it’s customary to give up different types of food). But even though people didn’t eat them, the hens kept laying them! So people would hard boil and decorate them. This would help preserve them longer and serve as part of the holiday festivities.
The egg is also part of the Jewish Passover holiday that takes place in the Spring. The egg is placed on the Seder plate and is a symbol of sacrifice and loss. Yet to some it also symbolizes the full cycle of life, and therefore hope and rebirth. (The egg is a more recent addition to the Seder plate compared to the other symbolic items that are found there and its symbolic meaning seems to be more open to interpretation.)
In China, red eggs are given out at the one month birthday of a new baby. It’s customary to hold a Red Egg and Ginger Party at this time. Once again, the source seems to be the egg’s role as a symbol of fertility and the beginning of life.
So here we come full circle (or oval) with the egg as a wonderful symbol of birth, renewal and rebirth. This is something wonderful to consider as Springtime approaches in the northern hemisphere, where the Earth will soon come back to life!
Feel free to let us know about any special symbolism of the egg in your culture in the comments below.
Rock Collecting
Saturday, July 21st, 2007Devon over at Head, Shoulder, Knees and All That wrote a blog post today about how he sometimes brings rock collections to his school to share with his class. Kids love them and it gives a whole topic for conversation.
Being a rock lover myself, I think this is a great idea. For parents, the idea can be extended to simply collecting rocks with your kids, sorting them, and talking about them.
So, if you’re looking for something to do this summer, why not go on a rock hunt?! Beaches not only have wonderful shells, but often great rocks too.
-Mama Lisa
A Springtime Song Called “La Primavera” from Peru
Sunday, April 15th, 2007Here’s a nice Peruvian children’s song about the Spring in Spanish followed by an English translation…
La primavera
La primavera
Cantan, cantan por los campos,
Primavera llega ya.
Por los campos viene riendo jaja
Riendo jajajaja
Primavera
Los campos florecen
Las aves aparecen
Sale el sol
Todo es amor
Llegó la primavera
Vestida de flores
Y yo quisiera
Vestirme de mil colores.Springtime
Springtime
They sing, sing in the fields,
Spring arrives at last!
In the fields it comes laughing, ha, ha!
Laughing, ha, ha, ha, ha!
Springtime,
The fields bloom
The birds appear
The sun comes out
Everything is love
Springtime arrives
Dressed in flowers
And I’d like to
Dress in a thousand colors!Many thanks to Anna Carina Morales Peña for sending this song and to Monique Palomares for helping me with the English translation.
If anyone knows the tune to this song, please email me.
Thanks!
Lisa
Spring Chicken Song
Tuesday, April 10th, 2007I’ve established a page where I post questions people have about songs and nursery rhymes. It would be great if you’re able to help answer any of our readers questions.
Occasionally the questions are about songs that are related to current events. Here’s one such question. The song is about Spring!
Hi my name is Vicky and when my daughter was younger she used to sing a song called Spring Chickens, however we can not remember the words. I was hoping you could help me.
Some of the words were:
I’m a real spring chicken and I’m yellow and small,
My feathers are fluffy and they’re keeping me warm.
My legs are not long, so I’m not very tall,
But I’m a real spring chicken and I’m having a ball,
I’m a chicken, I’m a chicken and I’m having a ball.Many thanks,
Vicky
If anyone can help with the lyrics to this song, please comment below.
Thanks and I hope you’re enjoying your Springtime!
Lisa
Don’t Take Your New Parasol Out in the Windy Month of March!
Thursday, March 22nd, 2007Here’s a poem from an anonymous author of an old book called The Infant’s Delight: Poetry. It’s about a little girl who goes out on a windy day in March with her beautiful new parasol, even though her mother tells her not to. Uh-oh! (A parasol is a fancy umbrella, carried to block the sun.)
NAUGH-TY NEL-LY AND HER NEW PA-RA-SOL.
“No, Nel-ly! not to-day, my child!
I can-not let you take it;
This cold March wind, so strong and wild,
Your pa-ra-sol, ‘twould break it!”So said Mam-ma; but Nel-ly thought,
“I will take my new pre-sent:
Tis mine; to please me it was bought;
The wea-ther’s bright and plea-sant.”So naugh-ty Nel-ly sly-ly took
What kind Mam-ma had bought her,
And out she went-and, only look!
The wild March wind has caught her!The silk tore up, the ribs broke out,
In spite of Nel-ly’s sway-ing;
And peo-ple laugh-ed at her, no doubt-
That comes of dis-o-bey-ing.You can find more poems like this one online from The Infant’s Delight: Poetry at Project Gutenberg.
________
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