Celebrate {57 Things To Do With a Tree}*

In case you missed it, last Friday was Arbor Day.  Arbor day began in 1972 with a simple mission to "inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees." Sadly, during one of our recent windstorms, an old pine tree next to the house blew down. This has been a common event since we purchased the house about three years ago. We live in the woods surrounded by trees, but it still makes me a bit sad to see a one laying on the ground helpless.  My house is over a hundred years old, but these trees have been around far longer.  As my husband was sawing the tree up into pieces, I wondered "how can we celebrate this tree?"

Of course, this was a perfect task to discuss with my trusty sidekick. The following is a transcript of the Saturday night text conversation between Ally and Karen:
A: We were outside all day today!  It was great!  Brian is going to make stools out of the tree that fell! 
K: Ooooo nice!!! Can he make tree cookies for the fairy garden?
A: I'm hoping to get a lot of things out of this tree.
K: A mobile?
A: Let's keep thinking.  Charley is so cuddly right now.**
K: A blog entry entitled "It was Saturday night so we thought of 57 things to do with a tree"

And, this list was born!  Karen and Ally bring you the beginning of Not Quite {57 Things to Do with a Tree}

1. Stools
2. Fairy Homes
3. Pathway
4. Giant Outdoor Blocks
5. Wind chimes
6. Mobiles
7. Paint the branches and stick them in a vase
8. Branch instruments
9. Gods Eyes
10. Use the teeny tiny twigs as toothpicks for cheese
11. Marshmallow sticks!
12. Build a fort with the branches
13. A Planter
14. Woodchips
15. Bark rubbings
16. Magic Wands
17. ? 

In school, we teach our children not to waste things.  At some point during your child's life, they will learn of the way that Native Americans used each and every part of the buffalo in their culture.  In a way, this tree is our buffalo.  There are many lessons to be learned from nature, and this tree is going to teach Lucas and Chuck the value of imagination and resourcefulness, and that sometimes fun can come from the most unusual circumstances.  Right now, the logs are piled up neatly in our backyard to dry out a bit, just waiting to be celebrated!

*This is still a work in progress.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

** Ok, ok, this has nothing to do with trees.