In a time when it is easy to be overcome by fear or worry, we want this series of blog posts to give you simple, gentle, and dynamic ways to reclaim an atmosphere of peace, joy, and wonder in your home. We can all then help shine light to the world by sharing how we are choosing beauty daily. Please join us by using the hashtag #choosingbeauty on social media.
#ChoosingBeauty – Day 4
at
“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.”
-Psalm 96:11-12
Birches. Forest edge. by Isaac Levitan (1885)
Activities
Look: Study the picture. Notice everything you can and try to remember it. What time of day does it look like? What is the weather like, and how can you tell? Find the lichen on the trees. In The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs, Tristan Gooley writes, “If you spot vivid color in a lichen you can be confident that it is exposed to regular sunlight and is most likely on a south-facing surface.” What direction might you be walking if you were on this path? Close your eyes. Can you still imagine the picture? Look again. Now look away. Tell everything you remember without looking.
Read: “The Call of Wild Geese” Outdoor Visits by Edith Patch, p.105-107
Observe: Try to find lichen growing on a tree or rock. What colors do you see? What shapes? Tell everything you notice. On which side of the tree or rock does the lichen grow heaviest? Is that side in the sun? What direction do you think it might be facing? Check using a compass or compass app. Most lichen grow just 1-2 mm in diameter per year! Measure the radius of your lichen. How old would you say it is?
Read: “Written in March” by William Wordsworth
Listen: “Forest Murmurs” by Franz Liszt–Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a forest. What forest sounds does the music remind you of? Can you tell a story about the music?
Share: What did you wonder today? #choosingbeauty
Further Reading:
Plants That Never Bloom by Ruth Heller
©Charlotte Mason Institute 2020
