4.20.2020

at work

The boys had been, for several days straight, for hours and hours actually, digging a hole.
They reached a layer of clay and stopped, distracted by rolling damp soil into ropes and balls.
At first they used sticks to make lollipops, but they've since experimented with cutting and carving, and their sculptures have become more intricate. They've carried buckets of water to rewet the dirt, rolled stumps to create drying racks and situated limestone slabs to serve as display shelves, setting up a fairly official art studio in the woods.
Plus, there's a mud pie business on the side, each baked in an old brick oven and carefully decorated with hand-picked flowers.
I watch them work and wonder which of these trivial details may help tell the whole story some day...

3 comments:

Poppy John said...

Jenni Baby,
When my grandfather was their age (1890's), he and his 5 brothers made clay marbles and played against each other. I've still got a few of their homemade marbles! You can learn how to play marbles online. Fun game!

L2A

Andy and Jenni said...

^^ Dad! Do you remember teaching the boys to play marbles about a year ago?! You marked out an in bounds square with duck tape and showed them how to flick with their thumb?! I will remind them of this, and suggest they try to make their own marbles!

Poppy John said...


Five feet circle (?)

Oven bake marbles on aluminum foil (?)
Better than grandpa's wood stove (!)

L2A