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 16
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He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, like the tender grass springing out of the earth, by clear shining after rain.
-2 Samuel 23:3b-4
“Great Piece of Turf” by Albrecht Durer (1503)
Activities
Look: Study the picture. Notice everything you can and try to remember. Imagine how the artist captured this scene. Was he sitting down or perhaps on his stomach? How many different kinds of grasses and plants can you count? Do you recognize any of them? One of the plants is called Broadleaf Plantain. Can you guess which one? Yarrow is also in the picture. Both of these plants are used to make medicine. Close your eyes. Can you still imagine the picture? Look again. Now look away. Describe all you can remember without looking.
Read: “The Day When the Grass Was Cut” Among the Meadow People by Clara Dillingham Pierson
Observe: In his book, The Spring of the Year, Dallas Lore Sharp writes that we should attempt to “hear” the grass grow! Position yourself so that your view is ground level. Feel the grass between your fingers. Place your ear to the ground and see if you can hear anything. Pluck a few blades for a closer look with a magnifying glass or microscope. Does grass have a smell? What other plants are growing besides grasses? See if you can find Broadleaf Plantain or Yarrow. If you like, paint or sketch your discoveries and tell where you found them.
Read: “Spring Grass” by Carl Sandburg
Listen: “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong (1967)
Share: Did you discover something for the first time today? Share the different shades of green you noticed. What is your favorite color? #choosingbeauty
More to Read and Do:
In his book, The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs, Tristan Gooley writes, “Every rush or blade of grass can offer clues about direction and how wet the ground is likely to be. Longer grasses reflect the most recent winds; shorter ones reflect longer trends.” See if you can figure out which direction the wind normally blows by looking at grasses.
Read about the uses of Yarrow.
Read “Plantain” EatTheWeeds.com. Study the pictures. What kinds of plantain grow where you live? If you are feeling adventurous, try one of the recipes!
©Charlotte Mason Institute 2020
