Jan 30, 2013

Christmas at Moonacre

So when you find Orion on your dining room wall in silver stars 
and a silken cloth under dancing snow over your table and 
silver trees sparkling and a lantern this constant glow in a forest,
it's like what little Emily said when she passed from the board fence into our woodland, 
"It's like a whole new world."

 For Christmas this year, we left for Moonacre Manor and met Robin and Maria and Sir Benjamin . . . and the little white horse.

 But first, on with the games. After the initial, gaping awe over the created wonderland inside our home, our first game consisted of toothpicks and marshmellows. Dividing up into teams, we had to build a tower as high as we could using only these materials.

William and I were a team, and I believe I had the advantage with him on my side. He did most of the building and constructing.

And we won with nearly a ten inch tower!

 Rwll came to the party, too, my gleaming-eyed owl from Grandma's jewelry box. She sat on my shoulder, reminding me of her.

 Dawna gave us a sheet of green paper and we had oh, one or two minutes to tear it into a tree . . . behind our backs. Hannah won that one. Wonderful tree, dear!

 Then you had to kill the other persons balloon by stamping upon it until it ceased to exist. The last one who still had their own balloon got a piece of candy.

 Charades is Daddy's favorite game! And it's our favorite game to watch him playing, as you can tell!

I love these Christmas carol games! So much! It's quite amusing to read about Bantam Male Percussionists and what wonder in the world they are until you realize they are your own dear Drummer Boy!

 When you walk into a world Dawna created, when you really walk into it, not from a picture, but really, you have to stand and stare. Because there just is nothing else to be done. And you have circle the table, round and round and look at it again and again for one glance cannot take it all in!

 Our special guest is always a secret until the very end, but when I saw him walking through snow and his companion below . . .

I just had to begin to wonder. A little white horse . . . and a lion . . .

And a book at each of our places. Hadn't I heard the name Moonacre? Somewhere before!


 Oh, the food was delicious! So delicious! Bread bowls with sausages and broccoli soup! MM!


 And the moon pearls. I didn't know about them then.


 The lantern in the forests of moonlight.

 The owl spying us from his hiding.





 Yes. I give you permission. Be envious. Just this once. Drool if you must, though it is discouraged if you are above the age of five.

 Trees listen, you know. They do. And they watch you, and if you listen for their voices, you can hear them whisper back to you. But who has heard tree voices and really what trees have to say?

 Such a beautiful maiden. A moon princess if ever I saw one.

And our special guest, "The Secret of Moonacre" with Rolf the big red dog and a mysterious manor crumbling apart, and Miss Heliotrope and her indigestion, and a beautiful evening!

"...The simple little words came easily, fitting themselves to the tune that had come out of the harpsichord. It didn't seem to her that she made them up at all. It seemed to her that they flew in from the rose-garden, through the open window, like a lot of butterflies, poised themselves on the point of her pen, and fell off it on to the paper.” 
― Elizabeth GoudgeThe Little White Horse

1 comment:

9Browns said...

oooh, haven't read your blog in a looonng time. What a lovely winterland party!

Happy birthday kayla!

Miss you all!!!

Mrs B