Tender Soles

In 3rd grade we're writing historical fiction. Each of the children chose a European country, researched a bit to find why people emigrated, and then created characters and a plot that ends in America.

I love our discussions of what an emigrant would choose to pack if s/he only had one trunk. Traveling clothes would be so important, too, since they might be all you would have when you arrived at your destination.

Today I wore my little porcelain shoes, lovely to look at, but not so good for traveling! Shoes, I always remind the class, are important to travelers. You can endure a lot of hardship if your feet are warm and dry. Tomorrow we go to Jamestown to visit the first permanent English settlement in North America. Shoes can make or break the trip.