Thursday, June 3, 2010

Forever Blowing Bubbles

Good morning bloggers. Sister Tina here with a question. What do you think of when you think of BUBBLES?
Soaking lazily in the tub, book and glass of wine handy?

A happy, squeaky-clean kid in the tub, rubber ducky and plastic cup handy?
Well, I think of blowing bubbles. Just the plain little round kind that come from the little plastic bottle. It has always been so much fun.
This is Grandpa Bob. He is an expert bubble blower. He is teaching my Great Niece Ella the perfect bubble blowing form. Hold it just so, pucker your lips just like this...
Ella has the little miniature bubble wand, which was in her Easter basket. It wasn't easy to use. She had to very carefully make sure the soapy slippery bubble fluid was getting into the little loop.
Then she had to position herself just so, and purse her lips just like Grandpa Bob's.
Maybe if she just about almost ate the wand it would work.
Once she got the hang of the little tiny thing she patiently instructed her Aunt Katrina (who is only three years older) in the how-tos. They never did get very good at it, so unfortunately I have no pictures of the bubbles to share with you.
This grandpa is blowing bubbles using the usual sized wand. Much easier!

Here is a bubble soap recipe with easy to find ingredients:
2 & 1/2 quarts water, 1/2 cup light corn syrup, and 1 cup liquid dish soap (such as Dawn or Joy). Mix together gently.
Grandpa and Grandma take turns blowing bubbles.
Bubbles are actually made up of three layers: one thin layer of water sandwiched between two layers of soap molecules.
The biggest bubble ever blown was 50 feet by 2 feet in diameter, blown by David Stein in New York in 1988.
Two songs that come to mind about bubbles: "I'm forever blowing bubbles" and "Tiny bubbles".
Here is a kid's song I found on the internet, sing to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star": Everybody look at me, pretty bubbles you will see. Red and green and yellow too, floating in the air for you. Will they break before they land? Can you catch one in your hand?
I also found this great poem by Erica Northrop:
Come with me, forget your troubles, we'll take some soap and make some bubbles.
We can make them big or small, it isn't very hard at all.
I can't be angry sad or blue, when blowing bubbles - now can you?
Just blow your blues into each one, we'll watch them sparkle in the sun.
Send them out into the sky - There go your troubles! Poof! Bye, Bye.
When I was young we ordered books at our grammar school through Scholastic books. One of my favorite books was a book of Carl Sandburg's poetry. It was when I first discovered that a poem does not have to rhyme. What a concept!
My favorite poem in the book was Bubbles:
Two bubbles found they had rainbows in their curves. They flickered out saying,
"It was worth being a bubble, just to have held that rainbow thirty seconds."
Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but this blog is over. Hope you enjoyed it.

2 comments:

Heidi Ann said...

I have ALWAYS loved that Sandburg poem "Bubbles"!!
The first time I read it, I wrote it down in a little book so I would always remember it.
Great post, Tina.

yosemite faith said...

i was known as the bubble lady in yosemite. first recipe i have seen with corn syrup - though i have heard it talked about among many other bubblers - thanks tina.