Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Pebbles

Today's Wonder of the World is...the Pebble!

Flickr photo by SorbyRock
Sure, diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but plain old pebbles make me happy too.
I love to turn them over in my pocket, feeling the smoothness of them. I love to think about the water rushing over them for years and years, polishing away their rough edges.

Pebbles bring back childhood memories.
Did you collect them when you were little?

Flickr photo by e. holzer

Or feel them under your feet in a stream?

Flickr photo by Mwesigwa

Or try to skip them across the water?

Flickr photo by reyatutti

Did you ever build things with them or stack them up like an altar?

Flickr photo by Horsman
I'm not sure why, but I just love that photo--the balance, the roundness of the stones, the colors, the shadows. It just says peace to me.

I also love William Blake's poem The Clod and the Pebble.

If you're not a fan of poetry, you might like to read one of my favorite books for middle school, Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy. Pebbles have a small part in the story.


And of course, I can't leave out Sylvester.

I'd almost forgotten about Sylvester until my mom told me that she'd recently read it to my niece and nephews and they'd really enjoyed it. I reread it and fell in love all over again. I like that William Steig recognizes that kids already know about sadness and loss and can handle a book that reflects those feelings. If you've never read it, I recommend it. It really is a beautiful story. (And it's not all sad. There's a very happy ending.)

Want to see something else that's beautiful?
Watch this video! It's the song Les Cailloux (The Pebbles) by the French group Oui Oui, directed by Michel Gondry. You'll enjoy it even if you don't know a word of French.



Have a wonder-full Wednesday, y'all!
Love, Becky

25 comments:

Creations by Marie Antoinette and Edie Marie said...

Hello Rebecca,I also love little stones.I pick them up all the time.I'm even love the little color stones that you buy in the bags.I could not bring up the video.I don't know if its on my end or yours.I will be back you check it out.Very nice post.Hugs Marie Antionette

Creations by Marie Antoinette and Edie Marie said...

Ok I saw it ...LOL...Everything they built with the seed pebbles disapeared.That was cute.XXOO Marie Antionette

judy in ky said...

I love your photos of pebbles. i have a collection of pebbles of my own. I am endlessly fascinated by the variety of colors and shapes and markings.

Anonymous said...

I just learned an interesting "stone" fact. The presenter at a workshop I went to had a necklace of a stone with a hole in it, with a couple of beads on each side. She has Native American roots, and she said that if you find a rock with a hole in it, it means you are blessed, sort of like finding a four leaf clover for luck. I'm looking for one.....not because I believe that, just thought it would be neat to find one!

Barb said...

Hi Becky,
You are sooo imaginative (not sucking up-hehe). I still have some rocks that hold special meanings for me.

The Sylvester book looks like a winner. I bet the girls would love it.

hugs,
Barb

Adrienne said...

Cute video. I have to play it over for my son.
I still collect pebbles. The orange and white ones are my favorites. If I'm walking on the beach and one stands out, I have to pick it up :)

David Ebright said...

Awwwww mannnn.... I thought this was gonna be a Flinstone post or somethin' about a cereal full of sugar.

Maybe we'll all be using pebbles for currency soon. My accounts are startin' to look like a set of Michelins after drivin' over a herd of porcupines.

Pebbles are also great when used with slingshots. Ask Goliath or any 'One Eyed Jack'.

Welcome back to reality. Now go stress out or somethin'.

Anonymous said...

Reminds me of an old camp skit--kids keep walking past the counselor who asks "where were you?" "Throwing pebbles in the water." The last kid walks past, sopping wet." "What happened to you?" the camp counselor asks. "I'm Pebbles."

hahaha
My sons collect rocks. I'm always washing them in the washing machine!

CC said...

I loved skipping rocks! And pebbles are fun. Except when walking on them in bare feet. I never liked that.

Felicity said...

When we looked through the Wish Book catalog at Christmas I always dreamed about getting one of those rock tumblers that turned plain gravel into shiny pebbles! Oh, sweet memories.

For Christmas I got my son a Pebble MP3 player, it looks and feels just like a black river rock. What is it about a small, smooth stone that makes me feel happy?

lotusgirl said...

I love pebbles myself. Kids just love them too. One of mine especially. She ALWAYS had tons of them in her pockets, backpacks, room, drawers, etc. It drove me crazy. Every thing of hers that you would pick up was sooooooo heavy.

Susie Q said...

I have always loved pretty pebbles...stones...rocks! I have some from many of our trips and they make the best souvenirs!
I always love catchinng up with you and reading your wondeful posts. I learn things too and that is never a bad thing right?

Love,
Sue

Susan said...

I love pebbles and such. Great post, as usual. What can I say, you rock!

Unknown said...

You've got some pretty pebbles there. My mother used to be quite a champion at skipping stones across the water.

Fete et Fleur said...

You always find the most amazing videos! When I was little I had a collection of rocks. I loved their smooth and jagged edges. There was always something so grounding when I held one in my hands.

Nancy

May Vanderbilt said...

I'm with Felic. Small smooth stones plucked from the riverbed make my soul happy and light.

Also I LOVE how French the little claymation guys in the video are. This one's in a turtleneck, that one's sporting pea coat...

Kat said...

My boys each have their own glass jelly jar that they put their favorite pebbles in. We love collecting pebbles at the lake.
Fun post! :)

Scarlett Fiona Reed said...

Love the pebbles. These are more like stones:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=21510240

but I found her on etsy and thought you might love her too. Her name is Margaret Oomen. Hope it's ok that I posted that :)

Parisienne Farmgirl said...

We love little pebbles in this house. We gather them from just about everywhere we go. And my son LOVED the little video!

CEDAR JUNCTION said...

I am forever hauling rocks home! = Teresa

Renee said...

Becky thank you so much for your comment. I am better today.

I totally have to walk away from people like that too or else I lose my marbles.

I love the little French skit. Josephine my granddaughter will be 2 on June 1st and goes to a French daycare so whatever I ask her (I don't speak French buy all my kids do) in English she says 'oui'

xoxo

Love Renee

Unknown said...

LOL! I was one of those strange kids that found bliss in a gravel pit! I thought that each stone was a treasure! Great post! :)

Kelly H-Y said...

I always find pebbles in the dryer ... after my son and sometimes my daughter find "special" ones and place them in their pockets! :-)

Rebecca Ramsey said...

I love y'all's comments. Lots of pebble love out there.
You should go to Colleen's link and see those stones. Very cool. Also click on the stone surrounded by fish. Love that.

Todd read my post and couldn't believe I left out Amelie from Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amelie Poulain. She loved smooth stones and skipping them.

Linda Summerfield said...

I can't wear elastic waisted pants to the beach with my kids, they weigh my pockets down with little rocks and I'm worried my pants will drop.