Arcoiris De Valores: July 2011

Unplugged: A Little Get-A-Way

There is nothing better than a moment unplugged. Cell phone off. Television off. Computer off. IPhone off. You know what I mean. I know you Phillips girls know what I mean.

One of our wonderful YW leaders (Jill) invited us all up to her cabin this past week. 24 hours of goodness! The girls left at 3:00 pm on Wednesday and returned home around the same time the next day.

They went kayaking, played games, ate, blew bubbles, slept (surprisingly enough the girls fell asleep by 11:30, while the leaders stayed up to watch the sun rise - so I've been told). They also hiked to Rancheria Falls, and some even braved the cold waters of Huntington Lake.

By the way, if you are interested in geocaching, here's one at Rancheria Falls for you:

(click box above)

A nice little get-a-way, unplugged.

Side note: Aside from the photos I took, I borrowed a few photos from Michelle, Ali, and Melanie. Thanks for capturing the memories girls!

There was even an opportunity for service.

Good Works. Oh yea!

The two women in the boat needed some assistance getting their boat into reverse.

Terrariums: A Tiny Garden Party

This is something I'm working on. "A Tiny Garden Party". Wanted to share. And gather your ideas.

How fun would it be to host "A Tiny Garden Party" where each guest created and went home with their own Terrarium. Beautiful little gardens of their own creation. Small enough to sit on a side table, kitchen counter, or a dresser in their rooms. As for containers, there are so many choices. Anything from a 2 litter plastic bottle to a more sophisticated glass vase.

I would love to teach the young women how to plant their own terrariums, of course coupled with a lesson!

terrarium by DoodleBirdie

LESSON

As I read the paragraph below, a number of different analogies came to mind. Without spoiling your own thoughts... what gospel centered principles come to your mind when you read this particular version of the story of how the terrarium first began?

"One hot summer day a man walking through an arid field, where all plant life was withered and dry, saw at his feet an unbroken bottle lying on its side. Inside the bottle was lush green growth. Through wind and rain, soil and seed had drifted into the bottle; and there, protected from the elements, the seed had germinated and grown. The moisture within the bottle condensed each day and fell upon the little plants, and so they grew in their own small hothouse in the parched field."*

SUPPLIES

1 or 2 small plants: Possible plant choices for Open Terrariums -Fittonia, Ivy, Palms, Philodendron, Syngonium, Begonia, Airplant, African Violet, Aluminum Plant, Asparagus Fern, Baby Tears, and Bloodleaf. And for Closed Terrariums - Fittonia, Palms, Philodendron, Syngonium, Begonia, Bloodleaf, Ficus, and Croton.
glass jar or plastic container, large enough to hold plants with room for growth
bag of small rocks or pebbles
charcoal or fired clay pellets
sphagnum moss
potting soil
wooden skewers or twig, to extend your reach and aid in the planting process
tiny plastic trinkets, to add interest
creativity

INSTRUCTIONS

Put about an inch of pebbles in the bottom of the container for drainage.
Add a layer of charcoal to keep odors at bay. Note: charcoal only works for a couple of years. If you plan to maintain your terrarium for longer, substitute a layer of fired clay pellets.
Add a layer of sphagnum moss to keep the potting soil from seeping into the drainage level. (If you pack the drainage level tightly, you can skip the moss.)
Add an inch or two of potting soil and begin planting.
Top off the landscape with rocks and plastic trinkets. Spritz with water. Sit back and forget about watering for a while.
NOTE: Once established, terrarium plants can go weeks or even months on a spritz or two of water. That's because the water evaporates from the plant, but remains inside the container as condensation moistens the soil.
Open Terrariums need only occassional watering, water lightly.
Closed Terrariums watering needed only when fogging on the sides stops or plants starts to wilt

RESOURCES

Twig: Moss Terrarium and Other Small Worlds
"The Glass Garden", Ensign, November 1972

Shadow of the Giants

We, like many of you, are blessed to live an area rich in nature's wonders. A day trip (on a Saturday) was planned for the youth to experience the wonder!

We visited the "Shadow of the Giants" trail at Nelder Grove, in California.

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PURPOSE
Enjoy nature. Build friendships. Opportunity to teach.
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ACTIVITY
easy hike along forest trail
picnic (each youth brought their own)
lesson, using the surroundings
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LESSON

Our Bishop spent the day with the youth. At one point he asked that everyone gather at the base of one of the great sequoia trees. He then taught us all about the trees root system. These are not his exact words, but close enough to get the point across, I hope. :)

By most standards of measurement, the largest (and oldest) trees in the world are the Giant Redwoods. They can grow as tall as 275 feet. That is nearly the height of the Statue of Liberty.

The roots of the Giant Redwood are not particularly deep. They reach down only about 3-5 feet. Most of the roots are quite thin, as well. That doesn't seem like a great formula for sustaining the largest living thing on the face of the earth, does it?
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Standing alone, these trees do not do well all by themselves. The secret to the effectiveness of the Giant Redwood’s root system lies in a remarkable feature. Giant Redwoods come from the Sequoia family. Sequoias grow in groves, which we happen to be standing in the middle of. These trees actually have a shared root system. The roots of Sequoias (Giant Redwoods included) are intertwined. One complex root system feeds and supports all of the trees in a given grove. They grow taller, straighter, stronger, and produce better lumber. And that root system has proven to be wildly successful.
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We are not all that different from these Sequoia trees. Often, the successes that others can see really are sustained by those qualities that rest “below the surface”. Our greatest strength comes as we root ourselves in the gospel, and hold fast to those things our Heavenly Father has blessed us with. Family and good friends who support us - and we support them. Together we can stand strong against the storms and winds of life.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
"Web of Friendship", Liahona, August 2003
"Growing Strong Together", Liahona, December 1991 (reference to Relief Society)
Seminary Video
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On the way back, we stopped at Robert's Frosty in Corsegold, for one of the best soft served ice cream cones I've had in a long time. Made me think of Timp Freeze in Midway, Utah (which to our dismay is now closed).

We also took in a classic car show and a few local antique shops. They happened to be right across the street from our ice cream stop. Lucky!

Camp 2011: S.T.E.P. UP

Here are a few photographs from our week at camp. Unfortunately, I did not have my personal camera with me. I have been forced to borrow a few photos from my fellow campers.