Creating Light in Darkness

The photos of the damage is nothing short of heart breaking I do hope everyone is doing well, safe and sound and has everything they need.  My heart really goes out to those hit harder than us.  We have had a candle lit for you all day.

While we waited for the Storm to hit, we busied our hands making these lanterns a friend of mine had posted on Facebook.  I thought it was a fitting activity given the impending power outage.  Here in the deep deep woods, we are lucky if a tree doesn't fall every time someone sneezes taking the power out with it for days and often times blocking our path out of the woods.

   I so love our old trees especially this time of year but I have to admit I do suffer from some post traumatic weather stress after watching one level our shed just a few months ago.   I needed something to keep me focused and not thinking of all the "what ifs" with the trees looming precariously over our home.

My friends tutorial could not have been more timely even though she was posting it as a group craft for a group of us to do for another dear friend's upcoming wedding.  Isn't it wonderful when things like that happen.  Serendipity!

The lanterns were very easy and fun for even the littlest albeit glue covered hands, I just mixed some craft glue and water until it was slightly runny, tore up sheets of white tissue paper and applied them to balloons blown about 1/2 way up.  I did about three layers of tissue paper around the bottom 1/2 of the balloon and then glued on some leaves, applied a few more layers of tissue over the leaves, then left them to dry turning them every hour or so.  Once they were dry I cut the tops of the balloons off allowing them to deflate, trimmed the rough edges and lit beeswax tea lights (in glass candle holders just to be safe).  Voila beautiful little lanterns!

They cast such a beautiful warm glow in the room, they were a perfect way to bring some light and warmth into our home on a dark and stormy night.

Drying Lanterns

All Lit Up

We have been gearing up for the littles' first celebrated Halloween all month, practicing "trick or treat" on our bedroom doors, playing "trick or treat" with our farmhouse turned haunted house, and doing a the "Five Little Pumpkins" finger play from Little Acorn Learning.  The climax of the rhyme is "Whooo!  Went the wind and out went the lights (clap)" So as brother wind was whipping about we would repeat that line, they both thought the storm was great fun and much to my surprise the lights never went out!  I was so glad we were able to craft something beautiful and have fun in what could have been a very stressful situation.  Isn't amazing how children's energy can be so calming?

Our Ooky Spooky Haunted Farm House

Although we escaped any emotional stress during the storm and maintained our electricity, we were not completely unscathed , apparently the rain softened the ground so much that our oil tank turned over despite the feet being cemented into the ground.  Sadly spilling 268 gallons of heating oil into our soil.  As a result we are not only out all the money paid for our winter's heating oil, we also have to have the entire contaminated area dug up and fresh soil brought in to reduce the environmental damage by a certified environmental team.    I am heartbroken to see our lovely earth dug up, hauled away and discarded.  I hope the damage is just in the yard and did not make it into the woods.  Although the trees cause me some fear in such heavy storms they really are what makes our property magical and I would hate to lose them.  although it is late in the season I am planning on sprinkling some sunflower seeds in the area the new soil is being brought in, I have heard sunflowers are great soil cleaners, and to me such a symbol of summer's light, I do hope they grow and bring a little more light to our darkness.