April 7, 2013
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braids and a tree
I have a thing for braids. Laura stole my heart when she galloped down the flowery slope, shiny brown braids flopping in the wind behind her. Surely I could have been her had I long enough hair. My little girls, when they were so, little, that is, did not share my love of braids. Their blond hair was either too short or when long enough they wouldn’t sit still to let me braid. Or they would sit, pumping their feet with impatience all the while, for me to braid shiny yellow on a summer day, only to pull them out as soon as they got out of my reach. Yet another war waged in vain. All wars in vain in my land. I live with no Marys. And then there’s that scene with Elizabeth, a long nighttime braid tied with a bit of cloth, tossed casually over her shoulder, evidence of a sleepless night as she walked into the sunrise and eventually found Mr. Darcy whose hands were cold. And a pretty high school friend, whose mother was a hairdresser, always wore French braids under our obnoxious fur covered band hats. French braids were a mystery to me then. I gawked in awe. Now I know how hold the strands just so to intertwine magically for elegant braids. Occasionally I am permitted to plait.
What is it about braids that entice me so? It may be the innocence reflected in those ropes. It may be that shininess that seems to come about naturally as hair is braided. It may be the remembered repetitive action of right over left over middle over right, calming in a way that repetitive actions can be. Or it may be that braiding is a way of building strength. Individual strands are joined in groups, interwoven to make something beautiful and strong which can only be taken apart on purpose. And isn’t that what we want for little girls?
#Win SH 23. Write a poem using a descriptive to meditative structure. I say this is something like a prose poem. So there. Also I’m calling this #npm1. I’m a rebel.
#Win SH 5. Create something out of paper mache.
This would be a tree made out of paper and twigs. I think there’s something kinda ironic or amusing about that. In any case. I finally finished.
Comments (45)
I saw a Star Wars meme where Darth Vader tells Leia that her braids look like Cinnabons.
That is a great tree.
I share your love of braids. I always wanted braids when I was a kid but my mother couldn’t even manage a ponytail without getting it lopsided. Sometimes I would walk to my grandma’s house before school to get my hair done. When I didn’t, I ended up with a complete mess by the end of the day.
I remember once at girlscout camp, as a jr counselor, one of the little girls wanted to put corn rows in my hair like her momma did to her. She loved my long blond hair. corn rows are TONS of little braids starting at the scalp.. She dilligently worked all through lunch hour, but was only half done when we had to resume activites. I wore a hat to cover it. I felt like a female Boy George. Once they were done and I later removed them, oh the frizz! My all too straight hair definately was not anymore.
That was the only time with those, but I occassionally had regular braids. I too was in awe of french braids b/c it’s something I myself could not do upon my own head, despite having the length to do so.
I love braids as well, but my hair, though long enough, is so fine that the braids look very thin. I could not do a French braid if my life depended on it. Ha!
Braids do tend to make girls look younger and more carefree. Some think they want to move on out in life- until they realize all the crap that entails. Then braids have a renewed appeal.
@adventofreason - my hair is getting long enough, but i look ridiculous. not that this is something i avoid.
that’s another benefit, though. keeps the hair neat.
@RighteousBruin - just so darn cute.
@Crystalinne - the girls will let me braid lots of little ones so they can get the waves. not the same thing for me. i could open a french braid shop.
@lilies_of_snow - i never said i could make them even.
@Roadkill_Spatula - i forgot about Princess Leia. brave, independent, strong. must be the cinnabon braids.
Chicks used to fight to sit behind me in class so they could braid my thick black glossy locks….it was halfway down my back, back then.
I think one of the greatest sins and means of torture is to make other people wear their clothes and hair the way one wants them to wear them, and not the way that makes them happy.
: D
I wore my hair braided only on occasion. It was long enough, but unruly, and I was not patient enough to let it be combed and brushed to perfection, never mind braids. My mom always asked the mothers of the little black girls with lots of braids how they did it. One of them said she did it while the kid was sleeping.
I like your tree. It has no leaves, though.
I love braids but my hair doesn’t wear them well, it’s too thin. even when it’s long enough it’s like it braids away to nothing. I have braid envy of other people.
@aSeriesofFortunateEvents - i think that’s exactly it. braid envy.
and of course you do have fabulous hair.
@leaflesstree - i used to braid my friend’s daughters’ hair. one has curly curly hair (looked so cute going all wild directions) and one had super thick hair. they would ask. loved that!
i plan to put stuff on the branches. i think the first thing will be paper cranes, but i haven’t enlisted my people to help with that.
leafless tree. i just got that.
@plantinthewindow - do you want me to braid your hair.
@Bricker59 - we know that just wanted to touch whatever they could get.
@promisesunshine - NO.
@plantinthewindow - c’mon. wasn’t that a little bit funny?
@promisesunshine - yes. kinda. well, no comment.
@plantinthewindow - fine.
@promisesunshine -
Cranes will be awesome.
@promisesunshine -
I should make some papier mache stuff sometime soon. Ooooh, maybe for VBS in the summer if I’m the craft teacher.
*wheels in brain turning*
I like. Well done.
Such memories from this blog, Carrie. I do hear what you are feeling as you write. Thanks for bringing a smile…
As a young girl of approximately 9 or 10, I can remember my Mother patiently braiding my hair. At the time it was probably to the middle of my back. I know I was impatient to be outdoors doing other things, but she loved doing that one task. When we moved to Cali, I decided track was my frustration outlet & the hair was cut into a very short pixie.
I like braids too. I braid my hair a lot when it’s warm and use my leather hair wraps too.
Beautiful writing! I’ve always loved braids! For many reasons. I love braiding hair, too.
OH MY GOSH! Your tree is beautiful! I love it!
HUGS!!!
Pretty tree and I have not wore braids is a very long time. I think middle school was the last time I did that. I remember being impatient to go outside to play as well when my mother would braid my hair. I eventually did it myself, but that stopped when I realized there were boys looking at me. hehehe
I love braids too, we were taught how to cornrow hair when we were little, our neighbors were black (the term they prefer) and loved out silky hair, I sat through hundreds of braidings. the twig tree and pot is gorgeous.
@Roadkill_Spatula - That is so funny, when i dressed my nephew like her , we did use buns!
my girls took their braids down when they got to school too – now they beg me to braid their hair… the twig tree is very cute if not as you say somewhat ironic
whenever I went to Walnut Grove I looked for a sloped that I could run down so I could make a video of me doing all the parts of that intro but it’s flatter than flat out there. That show was all lies.
@seedsower - i can’t imagine my daughters sitting through cornrows even now.
@mlbncsga - just for kicks i asked the younger one if i could braid her hair this morning. no words were necessary.
@olwd - and boys don’t like braids? surely they liked pulling on them. a true sign of love.
@adamswomanback - hugs and more hugs.
@Shining_Garnet - i love your hair when it’s in braids. (i’m sure it’s beautiful all the time) the braids frame your face.
@MzSilver - i had short or shortish hair most of the time. it still cracks me up to see elementary school pictures. i had really long hair in 4th grade and a pixie in 5th. it’s long enough to braid now. but looks really upidstay.
@Grannys_Place - your hair is long enough to braid.
@Marica0701 - kids crack me up with paper mache. i do it every summer in at least one art camp. some like it. some HATE it. keep those wheels turning.
@godfatherofgreenbay - shh. don’t tell me that. let me live happily with my delusions.
Very visual prose…. braids can be very beautiful indeed.
HA! Thankfully I never got my braids pulled, but for some reason I don’t think that would be a sign of anything good, let along love.
I wore braids (plaits) even after I came to this country, and continued wearing them until about 1990 or so. Used to have long hair then.
I really like your creation of the tree. You are so gifted.
i have never been a braids fan but i can see its appeal. innocence is something that comes to mind. and wendy’s.
my daughter didn’t even sit still for her hair to be brushed
Your tree is pretty. And mellow.
And braids? We love braids because all of life’s questions can be answered while we braid or are braided. There is time to sit and contemplate or chat or whatever. For the braider you have the repetitive motions and monotony can sometimes be refreshing for the brain. For the braidee? She gets the feeling of someone playing with her hair. Almost as if someone is tugging at her brain and trying to help her fix things.
I love braids. Every time I see them I want to grow my hair back out…and then I remember how much I hated long hair so I go get another cut. :p
@onestepcloserto_perfection - your comment is an addendum to my post. i think that’s exactly it. hugs.
@bonmots - my youngest only discovered hair care this year. possibly the only good thing about other 6th grade girls
@ZSA_MD - there’s a girl in my class with very long hair. she’s from saudi arabia. that super rich brown is so beautiful in braids.
@olwd - i tease my girls that the boys who bother the snot out of them actually like them. well, at least in middle school i think that’s true.
@DislocatedTexan@ireallylikefood - thank you kindly.
LOL, That could be true I suppose. Never had a boy like me in MS.
@olwd - that you know of.
HA! yes, that is true.
I also thought you were supposed to get a lot of cards for Valentines Day too.
@olwd - i don’t remember valentine’s day from those years. probably a good thing.
It happened all through out the later years of Elementary school. I don’t think we did it in MS.
I love braids too. I used to wear my hair in two braids hanging loose when I was cleaning or on the weekends until one day my (then) teenage daughter told me I looked like I was trying to be “Stacy’s Mom” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZLfasMPOU4
I haven’t worn one since. I’ve missed you! How have you been?
@BoulderChristina - braids or not, i think you’ve probably got it going on. i was just wondering how you are. so, how are you?? miss you a ton. i’m good aside from being a freaking clutz.
@promisesunshine - We share that clumsy thing. I am hanging in, so is he
I will post tonight, I am still trying to catch up here! I’ve missed being here.
Oh my gosh?! Guess What?! I found some HUGS in my pockets and I thought I’d drop them off here!!!
HUGS!!!
@adamswomanback - i can have the greeny grinny if i copy it. thanks for the free hugs. right back. sleepy ones.