Its off to the the Warkworth Library – time at last to get some postings done….whoa, this is Saturday morning so I immediately step into the midst of Saturday Morning Fun and Creation. Today’s project is to make a Father’s Day TinyTot Footprint Card’s and associated Mural (see above). So I have to tread carefully around and through the kids’ bemusement and bewilderment at having their feet recorded for kitchen-fridge-and-possible-baby-book posterity.
As can be seen, applying footprints to Paper Mural and Daddy’s Card is no simple operation – but each child manages to leave a few carefully placed colorful footprints on each surface.
Now I am convinced that a creative exercise like this would be impossible in a big city library like in Vancouver or even Oshawa. Its the logistics – 8 to12 kids per mural, seating for 10 for decorations, 3 library staff to guide the kids through Mural and Card creation steps, washing the painted foot (one tyke protested wanting to keep the color). And decorations with glue and Macaroni! Oh and at the end a sit down feast of cookies and watermelon juice for the kids topped off with a book reading from the head librarian. Okay – not impossible, just improbable.
Now my science teacher, Mother Angela, and my Art teacher, Jonathan Jones, could agree on one thing – when confronted with the improbable, embrace it. Observe closely and try to learn as much as possible from the improbable.Mercifully it didn’t take too long for the light bulb to go off in the upper regions of my cranium – “hey I have my camera with me – in fact I deliberately carry it in my carrying case just in case an occasion like this should occur – so maybe I should takes some FootPrint Card and Mural pictures”. My gosh intuition and luck do bless the prepared, if it only dawns on them. So I proceeded to take the following pictures of the people and proceedings.
The Line-up of Sacrificial TinyTot Feet
The Washing of the Feet Station
I survived the Footwashing and am smiling now
Hey, this looks simple enough
Now for a bright border of Ribbon and Rondelle Macaroni with Cheez
Hey – don’t disturb the Master at Work
Voila, the Masterpiece is complete!
..and so now all the fine Workers sat down for a Feast
It all was done in less than an hour … and the klanging of the library door marked an exodus of coloured feet out into an undeniably gorgeous June summer-coming day. I could not help but recall the advice of a friend – the surprise in doing simple things are the hues of happiness they can spring on you, almost unawares you find a evanescent jewel of joy among the daily toils and cares. Amen.
Truly a gift for Father’s Day.
Warkworth Library Fun brought to you by Marg Newman and Cathy Firth.