My kids attended two years in a waldorf school, and when we left due to Jacob's celiac disease, it was a heart break for all of us. The community of families that celebrated together through the years was one of a kind, and even though I love homeschooling my children, it is moments like these that make me yearn to have a close knit community.
We were very blessed last night to be invited by Bernadette and her family to attend the Lantern Walk at the waldorf school of Bernadette's daughter, Zoe. The day was filled with many moments of preparation, cooking, crafting, and singing.
Our lanterns were made using glass Ball jars and tissue paper, and they provided us with a gorgeous autumn glow through the evening walk.
I think that the best part of the preparations though came from melting warm beeswax and creating these incredible golden ornaments. While they were not actually part of our evening celebration, we had seen these ornaments made over on Garden Mama, and the kids fell in love and had been begging to create them ourselves.
Using natural, raw beeswax is an amazing experience, and one that we enjoy every time. The smell just does something to you that I can't explain. It smells warm. I know, that sounds crazy, but it does. It is impossible to be anything but content when there is the smell of warm beeswax in the air.
We used candy molds to create these, warmed the beeswax in a bowl over a pot of boiling water (the double broiler method), and used twine cording as their hanger.
We picked four special ornaments to take to Bernadette's family, and then packed our basket full of corn bread, brown bread and apple crisp, and headed out to start our festival.
We gathered around the table, and came together for a hearty meal to keep us warm before embarking outdoors. Bernadette served a delicious herbed carrot soup, and if I had been a smart lady, I would have grabbed a bowl to take home with me for today.
We ate, we cleaned, and we did our last minute preparations (and there were a few), and then we were set to go.
This very small group was gathered under the stars as the children were told a story, and their lanterns were lit.
With quiet voices, we began to sing and walk through the park, leaves rustling underneath, the children's lanterns swinging all around. Miss Lynn, Zoe's teacher, led the children on the walk, and just as we were half way around, she pointed to a small lantern lit on a bench, and to a beautiful woman sitting next to it. As we approached, the woman, dressed in white and veiled, called to the little ones to gather around. She addressed each of the individually, and placed in their hand a small bulb to plant in their garden. I watched as Elwood, my youngest, came to the realization that he was standing before Mother Earth. He just starred at this beautiful woman, and I have no idea what he was thinking, or what he was feeling, but he did not want that moment to end.
As the walk concluded, we came together one last time to eat and drink and wish each other a wonderful night. The children had called to King Sun to ask for the light to be brought forth, had walked with their lanterns through the park to celebrate the light's warmth, and now the candles had been extinguished, and it was time for sleep.
The fairy tales, stories and myths that are shared are so precious, and last night was such a great reminder about the power of silence, the power of light, and the power of magic.
Bernadette's Herbed Carrot Soup
1.5 c chopped onions
1 T oil
1 T butter
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bay leaf
3 c. peeled, chopped carrots
1 c peeled, chopped sweet potatoes
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t dried dill
2 c milk
3T cream cheese
salt and ground black pepper
3 t lemon juice
In a large soup pot, saute onions in oil and butter until they begin to soften.
Add the celery and cook gently until onions are caramelized.
Add garlic and bay leaf and saute until well-combined.
Add the carrots, sweet potatoes, stock, thyme, and dill.
Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf.
Remove from heat. Cut the cream cheese into several pieces and add to soup. Allow to soften for several minutes.
Using a stick blender, or working in batches in a blender, puree the soup with the cream cheese and milk. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.
Gently reheat.
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