more about gourds

a few weekends ago we spent a lovely time at the gourd fest. who knew gourds could be so interesting that you could celebrate them so? well, if you have been reading my blog lately you know that B has become quite taken with gourds. she has her own gourd garden with birdhouse gourds ready to harvest soon. so when we heard about a local gourd festival, we knew we couldn't miss it!

B following her dad's instructions to have her picture taken with the biggest gourd she could find.

unbelievable variety!

a sweet kiss.

B and grandy share a common interest in gourds, so this was a special time for them.

B with grandy and grammy

the uncommon gourd was my favorite vendor booth.

incredible works of art. i especially liked the ones that mixed basketry and weaving with the gourds. i love artwork that uses natural beauty in the design. you can see more of this artist's work at her website.

dried gourds. we bought a few to play with over the winter while B's gourds dry in the barn. i think it will be fun for B and grandy to have a special project to work on together.

decorating gourd shakers

gourd bowling!

wonderful gourd arbors

the girls had fun walking through the gourd arbors

grandy with B, identifying gourds with the guide

across the fence was a beautiful view of the countryside with a train rumbling by.

i love the sound of a train whistle.

everyday gift: enjoying the gourd fest with grammy and grandy

the gourd project continues

when it all began, i had no idea where it would lead. B and i reading a story about slaves seeking freedom by following the stars north: the big dipper or the drinking gourd. a friend had some old gourds she had dried for bird houses and she graciously shared one with us so we could cut it open and see how a water dipper might be made. B planted the seeds in dixie cups and watered them faithfully. she planted the sprouts in the ground and they have rewarded her in a big way! she now has visions of selling gourds at the farmer's market, making bird houses, and wonders if you can roast and eat the seeds like pumpkin seeds...the learning goes on, from history to botany to economics to bird house construction to cooking!

if anyone ever wonders, THIS is why i love homeschooling: the curiosity and wonder that lead to learning. we have gazed at the stars and imagined what it might have been like to travel at night using the stars as a map, hiding in fear of being returned to slavery. we have tasted a drink of cool water from a gourd that we hollowed ourselves. we have watched the miracle of sprouting seeds that turn into a gigantic vine laden with dozens of baby gourds. and we ponder the possibilities of the future.

flowering vine with baby gourd

tendrils reaching and climbing

vines on the wren house

B with her baby

everyday gift: growing and learning

B's green thumb

do you remember this? we hollowed out a dried gourd to make a drinking gourd and decided to plant the seeds. we knew that they were a little bit old and might not sprout, but decided to give it a try anyway. well several weeks passed and all we got were a few grass sprouts. B had such a good attitude and was just pleased that something green had come from her efforts. so she continued to care for and water her baby grass. and it is a good thing she did. had we given up on those cups of dirt we would have missed out on this:

the gourd seeds finally sprouted! i guess seeds are like people...they are just a little slower when they get older. :o)

we have a total of 3 sprouts so far. and i have a feeling that we will have a large gourd harvest this year. we might have to go into the gourd bird house business! one thing leads to another...

everyday gift: new sprouts

a few more project pictures

i have just a few more projects pictures to post from our february study of the civil war and some of the historical figures of the time. both of these books, Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt and Follow the Drinking Gourd are excellent and touching books. our study was a gentle introduction to the civil war and the difficult topic of slavery in our country's history.

clara stitched a map into her quilt as a secret way to direct slaves who were running to freedom in the north. B and i made a reproduction of the quilt using cut paper.

the drinking gourd in the sky leads north to freedom!

here is our gourd, old and dried. mark helped us out by sawing the side off. B scooped out the insides and sanded it, inside and out. thank you, chris, for the gourd!


B painting our drinking gourd with a color we mixed to look like a natural gourd color. B decided against adding any other type of embellishment.

well, one thing leads to another...what do you do when you find yourself with a handful of seeds from the inside of your gourd? you plant them, of course! the seeds may be too old to sprout, but it is worth a try! i once read that ancient seeds found in a jar in the egyptian pyramids actually grew, so, who knows?

we are now following another trail from this book. we are learning about the constellations, especially the north star.

everyday gift: the rabbit trails of learning