A Nature Table

We have a Nature Table, made by the kids' very talented preschool teacher Mikki.   I've seen ones, especially at their preschool, that seem to have a perfect flow of seasons and silk and homemade little beings.  Our table, however, is a bit of a hodgepodge.

It tends to be a magnet for "treasures" that have nowhere else to go, and for dust.  (Dust is nature, right?)  However, John has taken recent interest.  So here is what lies on our table at present:

• A fallen robin's nest
• Long pine needles
• Sawed off rings from our Christmas tree
• Shells from long-ago beach trips
• Rocks
• A stick
• A stump
• Acorns and chestnut shells
• Some stuff Will glue-gunned out of cardboard
• A felt flower

I may be the biggest Nature Table fan in the household.  Others make reference to it, even if they don't give it frequent visits.  On a hike, or a trip, or in the backyard, they'll say, "Lets put this on our Nature Table."  Then, they promptly move on.

But, it serves its purpose as yet another way to give attention to little earthy treasures.  And, as with so many things (tantrums, for example), I lean on the long-term approach.  Over time, something takes hold.  Why not let it be a rock.