Dwells a friendship ready to flourish.
A few weeks back when I posted the acorn necklace tutorial, a relatively local blogger I had never met invited the kids and I to come to her house and go acorn hunting. She promised acorns the size of apples; how could I possibly turn down such an offer?
Maya and her family live about 45 miles from us, and about 20 minutes from my parents. So last Friday I took the kids out of school early and we headed down the hill, stopping at Maya's on the way to my parents for the weekend.
Maya is truly a kindred spirit. We talked non-stop, only interrupted by questions from kids and forgetful mommy-brain moments. She has the coolest bike in the world - a four wheeled, four seater electric bike. You should have seen us - two moms (I should mention we're both under five feet tall) and five kids riding through town. What a hoot! Her house was so warm and inviting, my kids did not want to leave. They were ready to move right in and play with wooden toys for the rest of their days. I could have stayed all weekend just talking about crafts and looking through Maya's large stack of Japanese craft books. Oh, and the brownies she made!
Well, I could go on and on, but instead I'll just encourage you to go meet Maya yourself at her blog, Urban Organica. I am so glad - and flattered - that she reached out to me. And to think it all happened because of a little acorn. Wondrous things come in small packages. The kids and I can't wait to continue unwrapping the gift of friendship Maya and her family have extended.
The acorns gathered from our little field trip are huge - they are from a bur oak. Inspired by the wooden bowl Resurrection Fern uses in some of her pictures, I purchased this wooden tray/bowl at the thrift store the other day for a buck - what a find. From left to right: chestnuts from a little friend (I've never had one before), extremely poky balls from an unknown tree found at an orchard in Suisun, CA, and acorns the size of apples from a bur oak in Davis, CA.
How wonderful to make a real life connection through the blogging community. I just discovered Maya moments before visiting you here, and read HER post about your beautiful day. I love the magic of new friendships...finding kindred spirits...recognizing the blossoming of something special to come. How perfect that it began with an acorn...may your friendship grow as strong as the mighty oak tree!
ReplyDeleteBTW, your thrift store bowl is a perfect "Resurrection Fern" find! I think that the prickly pods are the outer shell of an edible chestnut. Your other chestnuts look a little like buckeye/horse chestnuts (which are not edible...and those acorns...phew, never seen anything like them!
Maya's right. The middle prickley pods are chestnuts (edible) and the pods to the left are buckeyes. Not edible but they're supposed to be lucky
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Great photos!
ReplyDeleteThe middle prickly things are actually the external covering around a chestnut. The chestnut itself is edible, the prickly part not so much.
Wow. I have never seen acorns like that. Craziness.
ReplyDeleteYou're lucky that you found a kindrid spirit so close to home via your blog. The ones I find seem to be on the opposite coast. Grrrr.
those are one weird looking chestnuts and acorns. here we have tiny ones and not edible horse chestnuts
ReplyDeleteHow awesome is that?
ReplyDeleteFantastic post! What an awesome day.
ReplyDeleteWhen we collect buckeyes (yep. mayaluna and bridgmanpottery are correct) we keep one in our pocket to just rub, kindof like a worry stone. They are SOOOO silky smooth. But DON'T eat them!
wow how great to make that connection with someone through blogging. I love that. I also love those acorns! They make the ones here at my house in Maryland look like sissies!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful way to meet! I sometimes think that I would not be able to live where I live (so rurally) without the blog connections. That bowl from the thrift store is so perfect. And as for your knitting post - I am struggling with these socks! But I won't give up. I'm determined to finish this one before we leave so that I can knit the other on planes over the next few weeks. Your knitting, as usual, is inspiring me to hang in there.
ReplyDeleteoh, i LOVE that picture! i love it, the way each kid is doing their own thing, but all within reach. i should have grabbed the camera to get you in it. so generous , molly, to say they're as big as apples. i've been a bit embarrased on underdelivering the massive acorns. maybe next year we'll get out there earlier. but this bowl is a crazy find - really, a buck? nice!! you've got adicted to that resurrection fern. & what a sweet, beautiful post, i'm tickled & flattered & moved (again, it's an emotional month for me). hugs!
ReplyDeleteI just came across your blog by way of looking up info on buckeyes and to see if they exist in Northern California - only to discover your blog and comments from some familiar "friends" online - friends so very far away that I have never met.
ReplyDeleteAnd then - to discover that you had a wonderful blog community encounter. And that you may be local to my family???
Anyway, I am not trying to nose in but just wanted to say hi.
I'm always looking for outdoor adventures for my family and if we are local (I live not too far from Auburn - Lincoln) - I wondered if you had a hike/spot your family loves that you'd like to share.
Anyway, you have a very lovely blog - very real and so nice - calming. Such nice treasures you've found - and great bowl!
I know everyone is so busy and can hardly find time to respond to friends we already have much less a stranger...so really, I just wanted to say - nice blog!