M: “Boys what’s a tee pee?”
A: ”A Tee-Pee is a tower that you can go inside.”
F: “A Tee-Pee, a pee pee, a tee pee, a pee pee. It’s an e i o, and an n n i o e e.
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“Mom, it’s time to go in. It’s cold and wet and getting really dark outside,” says Finn peaking around the corner by the front door.” I’m still on the front lawn. I whine, “OOOO Kaaaay.” We are soaked through. We spend at least 2 hours outside in the rain. I had been planning for days to build a tee pee on the front lawn with the felled trees from the pre-Halloween wet and heavy snow storm that broke large maple tree limbs. With a hand saw and some woman strength I broke off branches to reveal the long limbs that became the frame of my tee pee sculpture. The boys wanted to play with the saw only and once I put the kibosh on saw playing, they wanted nothing to do with helping me. So, in the cold wet rain they chased each other on their bicycles, around and around they went splashing in puddles getting completely soaked. I couldn’t stop building, snap and cracking, sawing, placing, thinking, strategy.. heavy limb here and a light one there, lift, support, memory and meditation. ZOOoom. They were riding circles around me. Giggling. Laughing. I kept asking if they wanted to join me, but they really had no interest.
Our neighbor’s car drove into their driveway. Swish swash went their wipers.
“Hi!” I called. “We’re building a tee pee.” I waved as they jumped out of their car.
“You guys are crazy,” called the mother. The kids ran inside for shelter. It’s not snowing, I thought to myself, it’s raining and cold, but it’s not freezing and unless it’s unbearable I plan on playing outside for as long as I can. I thought for sure the eldest son would come running out to help me. Nope. This was to be my creation today.
Beautiful memories of my childhood streamed into consciousness.
Build a Tee Pee. (a work in progress)
Build a structure of strength from broken limbs
Wrap the crown with orange and red
Seek a mast for my life’s ship with navy boys
Medicinal meditation
