Monday, July 03, 2006

Tea and Butterflies

It is a long holiday weekend here north of the 49th parallel, and it has been a busy one. I have not been able to spend much time visiting favourite blogs and responding to your lovely messages, and I apologize for that.

All weekend long the little blue house has been full of my daughters, their friends and my grandchildren, much laughter, chatter and congregation around the old oak table for food, tea and stories - these are our clan's own small rites of season. I have been taking everyone off to the woods with me for long slow rambles and enjoying the time with my grandchildren, who are of the age when everything is curious and a wonder to be explored.

As we set off on our last trip to the woods this morning before they depart for their own homes, employment and schools, here is a butterfly, and what a butterfly it is! Jason thought it was the most perfect thing he had ever seen in his life and sat quietly in the grass nearby, watching it for some time. "What is it called, Nana?"

" What is the name of this tree, this flower, this bird?"
The state of wonder dwells close by in the village and drops in from time to time, but revisiting the woodland with my grandchildren this weekend has been something incandescent, and wonder has been a constant guest at our table for the last few days. I am thankful.

3 comments:

jzr said...

There is nothing like spending time with one's grandchildren. We get to see things again as if for the first time and pass on what we do know as well. I will have some time with mine in August I hope.

Yolanda said...

Such a lovely post and so glad to see that you had a wonderful time with your family.

Crafty Green Poet said...

Stunning photo!