Dulcie Belanger

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Growing Green Things

I've made a video showing how you can plant a living wheat berry basket to celebrate spring.

You will need:

A basket
Foil to line inside of basket
Potting soil
wheat berry seed (this can be found at your local health food store in the bulk section) or you can order here.
Spray bottle of water

Soaking the wheat berries the night before you plant will speed up the germination. Make sure you keep your basket in a sunny window and keep the seeds moist. You should see sprouts within a few days and have long grass within two weeks. The grass is edible so feel free to trim it and add to a green smoothie.
Observe your grass as it grows. Measure the blades if you like. Notice droplets of water that collect at the end of the blades. FYI, jelly beans don't do well in a real grass basket.

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

May Day / Beltane

May Day is one of the great festivals of Spring. Halfway through the year from Halloween, when we honor our beloved dead, Beltane is a celebration of life. Flowers are appearing, trees begin to bud, animals are more active and birds are singing and building their nests. This festival celebrates all the differences that are necessary in our world and come together to make it whole. The maypole with its different colored ribbons symbolizes the coming together of all these differing components.

Here are a few suggestions I have put together to inspire your celebration.

Verse and song

Here’s a branch of snowy May,

A branch the fairies gave us.

Who would like to dance today,

With a branch the fairies gave us.

Dance away, dance away

Holding high this branch of May.

Dance away, dance away

Holding high this branch of May.

Game to play

One child sits in the middle of the circle, hidden under a light cloth.

Everyone else holds hands and walks around, until she reveals her lovely eyes.

Walking in the woods

While walking in the woods one day, in the merry merry month of May, I was taken by surprise, by a pair of lovely eyes, while walking in the woods one day.

Both come from a book The Singing Year by Candy Verney

Activity for May

You will need,

One side round shallow container. Plant saucers work well.

Chai seed, clover or alfalfa (any ground cover seeds that don’t grow too tall.)

Dirt

Dowel

Ribbons

Glue/tape

Flowers

Soak chia seeds in water and set aside

Fill dish with dirt about ½ inch from top. Sprinkle seeds all around and add clumps of the chia seed mix in different spots.

Cut ribbons the length of your dowel and tape or glue to one end. At that same end, attach flowers. Press the opposite end into the center of your dish of soil and seeds. Keep your soil moist and watch the seeds sprout and grow over the next couple of weeks. Add playmobile characters at the end of each ribbon so they can dance the maypole. Enjoy throughout the month of May!

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

May Day Family Festivals

It is that time of year again!

Mayday Celebration

Wednesday May 1, 2019

O’Hara Commons

111 S. 4th st. Hamilton, Mt.

4-6pm

Flower Head Garland
Ribbon wand making
May Pole dance

A small pole for the children

Tall pole for adults to weave

$10 suggested donation

Please rsvp to aroundthesunfamilyfestivals@gmail.com

Hamilton Farmers Market Co-op

Bedford & Third Streets

PO Box 844, Hamilton, MT 59840

Terri Frost, Manager, 360-0616 managerhfm@cybernet1.com

Children’s Celebration,Parade and Maypole Dance

Saturday, May 4th

Legion park at 11am

Come dressed as your favorite part of our diverse world. All beasts, birds, insects, large and small are welcome.

Biodiversity!

Celebrating the variety of life on planet earth.

“I turned to the teeming small creatures that can be held between the thumb and forefinger: the little things that compose the foundation of our ecosystems, the little things, as I like to say, who run the world.” E. O. Wilson

Celebrating all the children of our community and their families!

11:00 Meet at Legion Park in costume

11:05 Yoga on the grass

11:15 Line up for parade

11:30 Parade through market to lawn of Ravalli Museum

11:40 Join in Maypole dancing

Call Dulcie with any questions 381-4029

or email aroundthesunfamilyfestivals@gmail.com

Imbolc Family Festival

Hello all,

The end of this week brings us half way between Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. It is a time when even though temperatures are low and ice flows down the river the days are growing longer. January tricks us with a few warm days and kindles an awareness of the coming of spring. We look to the groundhog on February 2nd wondering if he'll see his shadow or not. We may feel the urge to clean our homes, and we feel a quickening within ourselves.

As we near the midway point of winter I've gathered a few ideas for the young and not so young to cherish this time of year and honor the change of the season around us.

Enjoy a nature walk. Looking for swelling buds on the trees and listening for new bird songs.

Turn on some music at home and spend an afternoon cleaning your house. Children have fun helping with dust brooms and buckets of warm soapy water.

Make A Brigit's Cross. Bridig, the Goddess of Imbolc teaches us to nature the seeds of healing and hew growth before their actual emergence in these dark days.

Create paper sheep shapes and wrap with wool yarn or roving. Baby sheep and calves beginning to show themselves around the valley remind us that spring is on its way.

Begin to plan your garden. What will you grow this summer?

Spend some time thinking about the seeds you want to plant in your life this spring. Feel the inspiration of the goddess Brigid and write down what you plan to grow for yourself and your community.

Create a nature table, altar or place of prayer. Perhaps snipping a branch from a bush outside to bring inside and force the blossoms in the warmth of your home. Adding candles to honor the fire of the returning sun.

Grow some sprouts to eat.

Verses for this time of year:

Candle, Candle, burning bright;

Winters halfway done tonight

With a glowing, were are knowing

Spring will come again.

If Candlemas be fair and bright,

Winter will have another flight

If Candlemas bring clouds and rain,

Go winter and come not again.

Friday morning I will join the tadpoles at The O'Hara Commons to share a puppet show about the coming of spring. I hope you can join me.

Thank you and happy turning of the seasons.