From the Editor’s Desk :: May 2013
Hello Dear Readers,
Here in the north, we welcome Lady Spring in May, the long days full of sunshine and warmth are so embracing, beckoning to us, come find your place in the sun and shade and drink in the goodness of spring. Little by little this month will bring the blossoms of spring, tulips, lilacs and apple blossoms are some of my favorites.
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From the Editor’s Desk :: April 2013
My Dear Wonder Keepers,
This time of year, of newness in the air, of stirring and pushing upward from the ground with such great forces, this time of new light and a new lightness of being that carries us all outside with joy for the new warmth and light, this time of wonder in the year seems so fitting to recall the words of Rachel Carson whose writing was the spark for the name of this magazine:
“If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life, as an unfailing antidote against the boredom and disenchantments of later years, the sterile preoccupation with things artificial, the alienation from the sources of our strength.”
“If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.”
Here is to being the adult who keeps alive a child;s inborn sense of wonder by opening our own senses to the wonder of the world, in the face of hardship, in the face of loss, in the face of fear.
Blessing on all the wonders of life and all the wonderers,
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From the Editor’s Desk :: March 2013
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March roars in like a lion
So fierce,
The wind so cold,
It seems to pierce.
The month rolls on
And Spring draws near,
And March goes out
Like a lamb so dear.
Dear Wonderers,
The month of March brings hints of spring, smells, moistness in the air, swelling buds and here in Vermont, smoke rising from sugar houses where sap is being evaporated to make sweet and delicious maple syrup.
The light is growing stronger as the days lengthen and the children can play outside noticeably longer.
The adults look at each other and say, “Can you believe it, it’s nearly 6:30 and not quite dark yet.
The hens are laying daily eggs again and the path to the hen house gives way with mud.
Boots rest by the door at the end of the day, coated in mud.
Puddles arrear one day to be transformed into ice the next.
So much wonder to experience.
Blessings on your springing!
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From the Editor’s Desk :: February 2013
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“If Candle-mas Day is bright and clear,
There’ll be two winters in the year.”
Dear Wonderers,
Here we are in February, the second and shortest month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars.
February, in the northern hemisphere, is a month of stirring, deep within Mother Earth’s womb. We are still deep in winter yet glimpses of Lady Spring are seen in swelling buds, muddy days, wet mushy snow and that smell in the air that comes only in Spring.
February unfolds with Ground Hog Day as well as the the ancient celtic holy day celebrating the goddess Brigid who still reigns in Ireland and among poets. The Catholic Church remembers the Saint Brigid and celebrates Candelmas, another celebration of the light.
The new moon on the tenth heralds in the start of festivities and celebrations in honor of Chinese New Year. Celebrations continue for fifteen days with the Lantern festival bringing in the Year of the Snake, this time around it is the watery snake.
Gung Hay Fat Choy!
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From the Editor’s Desk :: January 2013
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Happy New Year!
From the Editor’s Desk :: December 2012
“You darkness, that I come from,
I love you more than all the fires
that fence in the world,
for the fire makes
a circle of light for everyone,
and then no one outside learns of you.
But the darkness pulls in everything;
shapes and fires, animals and myself,
how easily it gathers them!—
powers and people—
and it is possible a great energy
is moving near me.
I have faith in nights.”
- Rainer Maria Rilke, On Darkness
Dear Wonder Readers,
Each year it feels like we slide into the month of December with so many activities ahead, tree lighting, Winter Faire, decorating, cooking and baking and family get togethers… yet we begin the month in Advent for those of us who celebrate the four weeks of quiet, watchful waiting for the birth of the Son of Love and Light. For some folks, the birth is of the Sun, also imbued with Love and Light. It is a time of drawing in and paying attention while being present in the world and filtering t for our children. A lot to accomplish.
This month I am bringing you something new, something I have been wrestling with since the start of The Wonder of Childhood. When I began the magazine I wanted to include an interview each month and set out doing recorded interviews with folks from all walks of Waldorf education, schooling, parenting and home education. They tended to be long as my guests had so much of interest to share. When I tried to transcribe them, I struggled with conveying the mood of speech and the nuances that come through the spoken word.
After months and months, well over a year to be more exact, I realized, with the urging of a more technologically advanced friend, that I could just share the Interview as is,with you, an audio interview so you my dear readers would hear the nuances of the spoken word and enjoy the fullness of the interview.
This month I bring you an Interview with Christine Schrierer of The Puppenstube on The Role of the Doll in the Life of the Child. To receive this Interview and others to come, subscribe to The Wonder of Childhood e mail list here.
May the wonder of advent and Christmas be kindled within you and yours,
Warm Greetings, Lisa!
What a wonderful offering to our work!
Blessings,
Susan
Warm Greetings to you Susan and thank you for your kind words of support.
Congratulations on your wonderful magazine. I’ll be following!
MaryAnn Kohl
art author and educator
maryannfkohl.typepad.com/blog
Kudos to you Lisa! Love the magazine and a great mesh of important aspects of childhood! I’ll be following and let others know as well. Sue Davidson, 1st grade teacher
I am so excited for you Lisa and for myself!!!! What a wonderful resource you are providing.
Thank you, thank you.
Nicole
What a beautiful publication. Congratulations…we will look forward to reading your blogs, insights, advertising etc. Congratulations once again!!
Roseann, I just looked at your website/blog, what a lot of great information you have there! Megda Gerber’s work really helped me with young children. Thank you.
This looks wonderful – I’m looking forward to reading it.
Oh, what a lovely, lovely place to linger, read and be inspired. Thank you for this incredible resource and for the thoughtful content. As a mother and a teacher, I will enjoy visiting often.
With gratitude,
Heather
What a wonderful accomplishment! I’m looking forward to reading each
new edition. I’ll also let others know about your work.
-Patricia
elementaryteachersnetwork.ning.com
How do I subscribe?
Pam, I am working on setting up the sign up box so you can sign up to be notified by e-mail. No charge to sign up, though I am very open to sponsors and advertising!
Am VERY excited for this! Thank you
Oh, I am sooo excited about your magazine. Congratulations! Just wonderful!
Hooray! Much needed. I will certainly be tuning back in often!
What perfect timing! I just joined the Yahoo group for Waldorf this week. I can’t wait for this!!
Dear Lisa
What an incredible accomplishment. Wishing you all the very best with The Wonder of Childhood and thanking you for this fantastic resource. You really are so inspirational. Blessings to you.
I cannot wait for tomorrow! Thank you so much for your warm encouragement to all of us at the start of our parenting journey.
Oh I am very excited for this new resource! Much appreciation for your hard work!
Truly lovely,lovely. lovely ~ * It is beautiful ! Bravo ! What a wonderful gift at any age ~ * Thank you Lisa ! p.s. I support you to set this up for multilingual appreciation !
Aaiyn, thank you for your kind words. What a great idea to offer translation; I will look into that. Hiromi Niwa Douherty’s article, in this edition, in the parenting section, has a link to her article in Japanese.
Thank you all for your kind words! Please come back often and share the link with your friends and colleagues. We are open to sponsors and advertising too!
Yeah Lisa!
Thank you dear Jan!
The Wonder of Childhood looks fantastic! Thank you for putting together such a heartfelt magazine.
Genevieve,
Thank you, it is a labor of love.
Well done Lisa! You have become my ‘go-to’ person for all things Waldorf/Steiner these days. The website is beautiful, full of inspiration and I look forward to becoming an avid reader of this site as I am of all of your others.
Thank you for your kind words Kat. We are blessed with brilliant contributors who have so much to offer the world!
Congratulations on the launch of a beautiful site, and much needed resource, Lisa! I just added a link to you from my blog, Moon Child.
Thank you dear Sarah!
Wonderful idea, Lisa! Good luck with growing the magazine. :)
Thank you Jennifer, it is off to an amazing and heartening start!
YOU’RE AMAZING!!!! : )
:-) I am fortunate to be surrounding by so many brilliant and generous people who make this possible like yourself, dear Laura!
Lisa, I’m tickled all over by “the wonder of childhood”. You are one busy and generous gal. What an outpouring of love! ~Kim
Thank you dear Kim.
What a blessing you are to share your wisdom and love with us–by doing so, you are making the world a brighter place! I look forward to reading everything you write.
thank you Janelle!
I just discovered your magazine. What an absolutely incredible resource. I’ll happily being reading often. Be well and much success.
Welcome and thank you Valarie!
Your Blog’s RSS feed does not work properly in my own browser (opera) how can i resolve it?
We offer the e-mail sign up below to receive notices. I’m looking into the RSS feed. Lisa
Just wanted to give you a shout from the valley of the sun, great information. Much appreciated.
I discovered “The Wonder of Childhood” three days ago and I already have learned a lot and have been gently nudged back to my path which I had lost. Thank you for such a wonderful resource. Blessings on your work!
Daniela
You are so welcome, warm blessings on your path!