mental mohair

something new

2012-01-29T11:27:00.000-05:00

Brown and blue waiting for new.

There. Several months to create, a mere half hour to disassemble. In this pile are some recent spinnings of browns and blues. This yarn will go to making this sweater, seamless and easy to modify. For instance, I'm deleting the rib pattern at the hem, cuffs and neckline. I plan to make this sweater a simple, rustic affair. Something one might wear while herding sheep if one had them. Something that might act as a fair substitute for a sweatshirt. Knitting without seams is an attractive option as fiddling over the finishing of any large knit project rather drives me bananas after awhile.

In the meantime, I've been playing with journal ideas on Photoshop. The inspiration comes from Kathryn Antyr and her Journey of the Heart Journal pages. Kathryn has been offering her collaged journal pages for about a year, I think, filled with inspiring words and bits of imagery. When I bump into something that interests me, I wonder how I could do the same thing with my own flavor. So, for the heck of it, I scanned a page of lined paper for photo manipulation and adding some digital images. I'm pleased with the results if only for my own use.

sometimes I make mistakes

2012-01-28T09:19:00.001-05:00

Literally. Sometime ago, I'd knitted up the Monk Coat, but, and this is crucial, I've never worn it except for that photo. An inaction that speaks volumes. If I'm not wearing something, it means it's not comfortable. As I've been in a sweater-ripping haze (thank you, Kim), I got to thinking maybe this piece is one of those things I ought to reclaim the fiber from.

I tried the coat on one more time, just to make sure, before committing to the Rip. Yes. It is uncomfortable. Here's why: I did not create arm holes. With less chunkier yarn, that might not be such a big deal. Another yarn with more drape than shape would probably have been perfectly fine for the boxy construction I created. However, this yarn is quite chunky so the armholes feel very constrictive ~ claustrophobic, in fact. Rather than let good chunky yarn go to waste on something I'm not going to wear (or inflict an unsuspecting someone with), better to rip it and make a more sensible sweater.

Well. Steampunk anyone?

cozilicious

2012-01-27T21:30:00.000-05:00

Backside handle shot.

C'est finis! Now. Let's have tea!

The fun side.

Another backside handle shot.

The not-so-fun side.

Some sexy spout.

Swingin' it to the right.

roots & rocks

2012-01-26T13:44:00.000-05:00

A portal.

Sights from a long-over due walk . . .

The Tree of Persistence.

Persistence a little closer.

And again from the other side.

This tree's roots look like an elephant.

And a little closer, my dear.

These roots reach into a Vernal Pool.

A pool that never lost its green even when iced over.

Some people have house Brownies.
I get the occasional visit from our
House Rooster named Brownie.

getting cozy

2012-01-25T21:03:00.000-05:00

Vine added to the Kevin cozy.

Nothing monumental. Merely applique vine on the cozy. Then the knitted leaves will be added.

And in answer to a query from this post:

How is it that the yarn from the deconstructed sweater isn't all kinked?

Once I located a continuously rip-able end, I unraveled the sweater using the yarn ball winder. Little to no kinkiness to be found. Most importantly, I have the perfect yarn for this project. As Fred Kwan says, it's the little things in life you treasure.

the light bulb moment

2012-01-24T19:41:00.000-05:00

It's been a couple of years since I've worked with Evolutionary Witchcraft in my personal studies. Without grabbing the book for precise verification, the exercise of sitting as a daily practice is mentioned early on. For a few months, I would tumble out of bed, stumble down stairs to a make shift altar in the sun room and sit. It was explained in Evo Wit that in doing this practice, one comes to understand the Self. And I didn't get it. First off, I always felt I had to stop thinking, but that couldn't be stopped because one of my many thoughts was, How the hell do I get to understand my Self when Monkey Mind is going on and on about the litter box, the dishes, the laundry, the e-mails that need tending, who's coming home when and shouldn't I be painting? Yes, this went on for a few months. Understanding let alone enlightenment seemed woefully elusive.

In that time between then and now, I've stopped meditating or tried something different (like, maybe I need to do mantras) or tried a different time to meditate (sitting before bed time worked really well). But I still didn't get it. Especially that bit about sitting long enough to see What Comes Up. Generally, all that ever came up was the chittering of Monkey Mind. Over time, I managed to let go of the cat herding activity of not to thinking by simply letting the thoughts go and returning my attention to breath. Sitting is simple, but not easy. I resigned myself to not understanding it, set aside Big Head Know It All and just sat.

Finally today, I got around to checking out Susan Piver's latest e-mail and vimeo about Meditation and the Path of Emotion. Funny thing. I finally got it.

And there's still dishes to do.

another busy weekend & then some

2012-01-23T12:05:00.000-05:00

Tea cozy parts.

Kim came down for a visit. Saturday evening fiber processing and knitting at the dining table again. All after nephew Liam's birthday party.

More fiber stuff getting done Sunday while youths frolicked in the snow.

Today is no less busy which is why the Blog Juices are sort of coagulated this afternoon. There is a To Do List staring me down and the time is just eddying away.

One sweater de-constructed, one to go.

there ain't nothing like a woman with a violin

2012-01-21T09:47:00.000-05:00

Katie Jacoby (& friend) ~ photo Rick Edwards Photography

I have seen, live, the likes of Jimmy Page, the Edge, David Gilmour and Pete Townsend ~ all rock star guitar gods. (I haven't seen Dave Navarro live yet, but he injected some sex in the guitar on One Hot Minute with Red Hot Chili Peppers which makes that album still one of my favorites.) They all know how to sling an axe and rock it until the thing sizzles. That's not to say that Nancy Wilson doesn't do as well ~ she too is awesome in her ability to wail out the tunes. However, there is no poetry in motion as sweet as a woman with a violin.

Dirk and I went to the Falcon ready for some Zappa tunes with Ed Palermo Big Band, but got so much more. Wandering on to the stage during one set, amongst the brass, strings, keyboards and drums, electric violin strapped into place, was an ephemeral, lithe, elfin-faced woman animated to the core with Zappa. Katie Jacoby took the stage with presence and mastery of craft. Men and women in the audience were taken with her beauty and ability. The entire band was tight and played a wide variety of Zappa, much of which I am woefully unaware of and some of which had legal ramifications. I bought their CD, but am more inclined to investigate Frank Zappa's music itself as a result of last night's show.

We are indeed lucky to be only a half hour away from the Falcon, an awesome center of alternative music and good food. Got cool art on the walls too.

More on Katie Jacoby here and here.

Well. There's just no room here to write about tea cozies now, is there?

quick cozy thoughts

2012-01-20T15:39:00.000-05:00

So long ago, it seems, I was knitting these. Since I made the long leafy thing and it was sitting around on the desk, I thought it would work with the Kevin gray. The vine will be sewed with invisible thread once I've finished the top and added the other leaves.

Kevin was indeed spun and plied by me. Fat chunky yarn.

Going to the Falcon tonight. Ed Palermo Big Band doing some Zappa maybe. If we're good.

looks cozy aleady

2012-01-19T15:23:00.000-05:00

I'm now knitting the hole for the handle. This wool belonged to a Shetland ram named Kevin. Kevin will be keeping my teapot warm. Kevin is probably the dearest name for a sheep I've ever heard in my life as my tea will be warm, if not piping hot, at each refill.

I love tea. Black teas in particular. The gentle Darjeeling. The smokey Lapsang Souchong. The bold and dangerous Assam. I don't drink it "properly" either. Honey and half-n-half are my favorite additions to a strong, heady cuppa. Then, it is the Nectar of the Gods and a very few demi-Gods who shall remain nameless.

So. Tea. Cozy. Put together, they are words that warm the cockles of the world's heart.

Dear Government,

2012-01-18T06:42:00.001-05:00

Please leave us alone.

The Wild Hunt
Thorn Coyle
SOPA
PIPA
Electric Frontier Foundation
American Censorship

I'm sure that's not everybody.

messin' with the mohair & other woolly ruminations

2012-01-17T14:04:00.001-05:00

Mohair at the ready.

The Book.

Two-hour delays at school generally mess me up for the day. Today was no exception. The College Kid had to be taxi-ed North before the other youths needed to catch the bus. I am eternally thankful for podcasts. They feed my road-weary soul.

Still rubbing sleep out of my eyes and bumping around in my studio, I thought it might be safe to undertake a few harmless fiber tasks. It started with balling up the spun and plied mohair I've no idea what to do with. Although, I'm envisioning, heavily, it being paired with something white. Maybe a sweater. Maybe not. No telling where these fiber-y visions meander.

Then I remembered Kim finding cool instructions on making one's own shoe laces with felted wool in Intertwined: The Art of Handspun Yarn, Modern Patterns and Creative Spinning. This book was gifted me by Ruth a long time ago, but I pulled it off the shelf on New Years Eve when we were deep in fiber frenzy. Having plied some of the wool prepared from that night with some ribbon yarn, I figured I'd finish the job. The skein is presently felting in my washer as I write.

Because I'd really like to make this hat, I'm going to Frankenstein two outdated sweaters. They're 100% wool, but ugly. A perfect recipe for frogging. Hopefully, the unraveled stuff will give me the gauge I need to make the hat. I could really use something Terry Pratchett inspired in my life right now. Reality's gravitational pull has been a challenge.

Bound Skein.

Finally, I'm on a search for a tea cozy pattern. I've only made one in my life and that went to my mother. The new Brown Betty needs a cozy of distinction. Well, at least one made my me is good enough. I'll initiate the search in my printed files first. Going to Knitting Pattern Central means sending in a posse before nightfall. Not that I'd mind getting lost in that site awhile, of course.

Ugly sweaters.

Ah! Ze Brown Betty!

sometimes I feel like I'm painting crap

2012-01-16T13:10:00.001-05:00

Before I eddy down that trickle of despairing diatribe ~

Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Better words found here and here. I'm not much of an activist, being somewhat selfish and self absorbed, but I am glad of the people who are. They do the work I wouldn't even think about.

Now. Where was I? Ah, yes. Sometimes I feel like I'm painting crap. I feel Georgia O'Keeffe scoffing at me from the wall. Picasso sniggering cruelly deep in the recesses of my mind. Sitting in the corner is Frida Kahlo ~ who drags a cigarette, indifferent and cool, while flipping through an old National Geographic, an open bottle of Tequila on the table . I'm not getting help from any one of them today. So I'm painting, my time punctuated by laundry. Punctuated by roast beef sandwiches. Punctuated by checking the e-mail incessantly. Punctuated by thoughts about the past. Punctuated by sadness, turning to anger. Punctuated by punctuation.

In short, it's just one of Those Days. The kind of day that hangs an Artist out to dry. I guess the best remedy for any of it is to simply paint. Even if it's crap. Today, painting needs to be a verb and not a noun.

so . . . what is in a name?

2012-01-15T09:54:00.000-05:00

I've just this morning, bumped into Domythic Bliss via Theodora Goss. Today's post features House Naming, something I've wanted to do for our home since before we were building it. After reading through the blog and its links, I'm very keen on creating the perfect plaque with the perfect name for our home.

Those who know me have always commented on how I can take a hovel and make it a Home. I've lived in a great many places and each temporary abode had its challenges, but I have a knack for working around and with them to give my family a comfortable and safe environment. What is important to me is reflecting the creativity each person has in our family ~ artistic, innovative, unique ~ and including it in our surroundings. Then, I hope, everyone can feel at Home.

A very long time ago, while we were renting somewhere else and building, a much-younger Tom once said he couldn't wait until we could be in our peaceful house on the mountain. I could glean words from our geographical locale, Mountain View, Over-the-Dam House, Woods End, but I think Peaceful House has a pleasant sound to it. It sounds like something out of Winnie the Pooh.

Now. To make the plaque . . . No. I will not knit it.

honey

2012-01-14T14:20:00.000-05:00

Garlic honey and Rosemary honey.

I get Susun Weed's newsletters in my e-mail a few times during the month. A couple I held on to in the Inbox had to do with making Herbal Honeys because, well, I wanted to make some, by golly. Easy directions (and any cautionary statements) can be found here. Of course, being that the instructions are EASY, I flaked and spent time peeling my garlic cloves before submersing them with honey. Oh well. I imagine it'll still work fine. As for the rosemary honey, I cultivated what I felt comfortable cutting from my indoor plant and then stripped the stems of the leaves. Cat and dog hair may very well be infusing along with the leaves though I did my best to pick it all clean. It's best not to rinse herbs, so there you have it.

In the meantime, I'm trying to spend time in the studio without cleaning it (or anything else in the house, for that matter). It's amazing how one will get in one's way of doing something worthy. Is it right I find myself more interested in herding the Dust Bunnies than painting? Is there some intricate flaw in my being that allows me to get derailed so easily? In short, what am I afraid of? The Hausfrau Police?

how to do an Elemental/Medicine Wheel reading w/ SoulCollage®

2012-01-13T19:19:00.000-05:00

The following photos demonstrate how I lay out SoulCollage® images for an Elemental/Medicine Wheel reading based on the query: Which Neters help me with my Art?

First, I "shuffle" my deck by cutting it into several
small piles. Then . . .

There are many, many resources defining the energies of the Elements and directions of the Medicine Wheel. I have found Air/East to represent the mind, ideas, thoughts, early morning. While Fire/South might represent passion, spark, will and noon time. Dreams, emotions and evening tide define the energies of Water/West. Earth/North is best defined by the energies of solidity, the body, manifestation, silence and midnight. Finally, Spirit/Center could represent You In This Moment, axis mundi, All Space and All Time and has a relationship with each of the Elements/Directions in the layout. Some readings might feel like they need Spirit/Center and some feel like they don't. Let your intuition guide you in these instances. Above all, enjoy the reading and let your images characters speak to each other. One may offer the other insight based on their position on the wheel.

I re-stack my deck. The deck will be cut into four piles,
starting at the top, holding the query and the essence of
Air or the East in mind as I cut. I let my fingers find a
niche along the side of my deck to determine each cut.

Here is the first pile representing Air/East. I cut this pile
again to determine the card that best represents the
Element/Direction at this moment.

Returning to the original pile, the deck is cut again for
Fire/South. Again cutting the small pile to determine
the card.

And here is the pile and cut for Water/West.

Yet again for Earth/North.

The entire deck has been cut into four piles and cut again
to find the card for each quarter. Starting from the right and
moving clockwise, we have Air/East, Fire/South,
Water/West and Earth/North.

I have now laid out the top cards from each
Elemental/Directional pile and re-stacked the deck
so I can . . .

cut the deck one last time to determine Spirit/Center.

The completed layout.

Air/East, the Moon Hut ~ I smile and
act pleasant though I'm not all
together. No one notices my missing
parts, so I nurture myself. Boy With
the Deer Head speaks to me of
gentleness. Go into the moon hut,
he says, and be gentle to your mind.
Think kind and good thoughts of
yourself. Girl With Leaves says,
Seek wonder in the moon hut.
Seek to find all your parts.

Fire/South, Pikea Whalerider ~
Oh, I sing to them! I sing with beauty
and passion! I sing to know what
they know. They hold the songs of
this planet, this place. They sing to
the Universe of our own special
tune. Camp fire on the beach by
the ocean warms the human souls
who sing to Whale.

Water/West, Eleni ~ We've come to the Atlantic Ocean to
bask, to play. Nights in Provincetown, days at Wellfleet.
Remember these easy times, to go with the flow, to let
Creativity eddy in to deep crevices. Memory is contained in
the Heart like water in a cup. Sometimes memories need
to be poured out to make room for new ones. Though no
memory is ever forgotten.

Earth/North, Over the Fence ~ What is there to see over
this fence I've made? I've been here all safe with
Society's rules and expectations. What is on the other side?
Curvaceous beauty and Life! Unabashed nakedness and
exposure ~ a mark of someone who is proud and unafraid
to show themselves to the world. The Holy Man has nothing
for me. The Beast that follows has more allure.

Spirit/Center, The Yogini ~ Oh they
practice asanas so beautifully!
Bird-headed women so lithe and
limber! I am left here with my
middle-aged, three-children-born
body to remember that My Temple is
unique to me. My Temple does yoga
differently. My Temple, my body
requires devotionals unique to me.
Bird-headed women look pretty in
their forms, but lack the substance
of One Who is Authentic in One's
Own Body Temple.

a 2012 theme reading

2012-01-12T17:38:00.000-05:00

Anne Marie Bennett of Kaleidosoul asked folks in the group about their theme for 2012. She shared her theme through a tag line, a song and a quote adding that she would be doing a SoulCollage® reading at an appropriate time to see what Neters would accompany her on this thematic journey. We were invited to share our themes and any readings we might do.

So. Having time in the studio, I laid out a Elemental/Medicine Wheel reading based on my theme of Getting My Self Out There and here is some of what came through:

Air, Dragon/2nd Chakra ~ It is time to think about creating! Make a plan, make time. Fire up your visions and send them out there. Let creation be your passion. (Also, it might interesting to note this is the Year of the Dragon, by golly!)

Fire, Bill ~ The Family Fire is the hearth. I am the One Who is your brother. I am the One Who is tech savvy. Use your abilities to keep your will aligned. Move carefully and steadily. A fire moving too fast becomes a conflagration, burning down the house.

Water, Lost Treasures ~ Remember how you used to just draw? No plans, no agendas ~ just the desire to draw, sketch, paint, moodle. These are your lost treasures, the desire submerged in would-a, could-a, should-a. Dive deep past the jellyfish and reclaim your precious treasures.

Earth, Georgia O'Keeffe ~ I went out to the desert and the mesas everyday. In an old black car, in searing heat. Nothing would keep me from my passion, this need to paint. The sky, the bones, the flowers ~ color and shape. All for the eye to behold. I simply did what I was called to do, what I was meant to do.

Spirit, Eleni (my mother) ~ At the Center of all you do, lies your Matrilineal Heritage. You are the Mother of all you create. You are the one who knows how to nurture; letting things come into being an then knowing when to let go.

My theme song is The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie by none other than Red Hot Chili Peppers. Quotes elude me.

colors from the morning walk

2012-01-11T17:10:00.000-05:00

meanwhile, back at navel-gazing ranch . . .

2012-01-10T10:36:00.000-05:00

My picks o' the day! From The Gaian Tarot, the Guardian of Earth, reverse-o! And my SoulCollage® Pine/First Chakra card (found in the Elemental pile of Air ~ see here for explanation). So. It would seem I'm thinking (Air) of dealing with earthy First Chakra stuff and I don't wanna (hence, the reversed Guardian). It certainly won't be a day in the studio getting lost in painting or SoulCollage images. I won't be sitting around knitting and watching the first season of Downton Abbey so I'm up to speed with the current season. It's money moving and bill paying and food shopping and tending to Elders.

Sometimes, our Daily Picks speak well of a day.

when the shood-beeze attack

2012-01-09T12:56:00.000-05:00

Shooing away the Shood-beeze.

We all have, on occasion, come down with a nasty case of the Shood-beeze, I'm sure. You know. I SHOULD BE doing this or I SHOULD BE doing that. It is the perfect time to grab some reading or writing or knitting or moodle sketching, even and spend time catching up with one's Self or one's Elf (never sure which is suggested to best catch up with) over a ducky cup of tea.

Sometimes, it's great to add a friend who also has a bad case of the Shood-beeze. Commiseration adores company.

football sunday knitting

2012-01-08T19:47:00.000-05:00

When I know I'm going somewhere to watch football on Sunday, especially if it's the Playoffs, I try to bring along some knitting. And reading. And the nifty smart phone so I can play Angry Birds or text other friends in a similar football-watching situation. Mainly I bring the knitting. I was going to start this pattern during the back-to-back games, but was met with some gauge issues and no other needles to test out. With some mild disgust, I packed away the knitting gear and settled in for word games or Angry Birds.

At the half of the first game, I was gifted three balls of Lion Brand Homespun along with Pimm's (no ginger ale though). So. Squeee! Now I can knit! Homespun is good for simple, straight knitting. No fancy patterns, no nonsense. All of which makes it easy to watch football, keeping the hands busy in a meditative state and from chowing down all the chips and dip. I started the simplest of scarves just casting on and knitting, no purling. The result will be something soft and cozy and manifested mindfulness of the knit stitch. Can't even tell you how many stitches I cast on. Don't remember. It was all action.

Makes a day of football time well spent. How 'bout them Giants? As they say in gaming vernacular: Who, indeed, is your Daddy?

SoulCollage® circle

2012-01-07T13:38:00.000-05:00

I Am the One Who walks. I walk over mountains. I walk
over the moon. I walk until I feel like I'm on air;
like I'm flying. I walk for my Soul. My walking is a prayer.
I give you the wonderment of life. I give you Sight in the
mundane, walking by things seen everyday.
All I want from you is your willingness to walk and
your curiosity.

Such a treat to gather for SoulCollage circle. The focus was on Epiphanies as it was the holy day of such.

I Am the One Who lives in water.
I live under water and breathe it in.
You can float your boat, but
sometimes you have to dive in!

Bennie's photo of Crystal being a couch potato.

And Bennie Beauty shot from the other night.

what's all this about non-goals?

2012-01-06T11:57:00.001-05:00

What are these tears producing?

I've bumped into a few blogs touting the virtues of Non-Goals. This one came to my Inbox. Which lead to this one, which lead to this post ~ which may be the beginning of the whole Non-goal enchilada. So. Hopping half a cheek on the bloggity bandwagon, I thought I'd chime in with a few of my own non-goals. I'll leave the Cheering Squad behind though. The rah-rah's grate on my nerves like fingernails on a blackboard . . . Without further ado, those things I'd like to keep on keeping on in 2012 are:

Walking at least 3 times a morning.
Daily blogging.
Daily Tarot/Oracle draw.
Getting to the studio.
Yin Yoga.
Keeping my People all together in harmony.
Meditation in the morning.
Cultivating a sense of wonder.

That'll do.

In the meantime, I showed up at the easel last night to do a little painting. It was only about a half hour's worth, but it's better than going to bed feeling ticked off about doing nothing. Pictured are the delightful developments to date. It's different from the painting I had in my head. Yeah, the one I thought of while driving. Didn't happen. Instead, the swirly thing occurred. We'll see where it all goes.

Swirling center of ambiguity . . . for now.

Ol' Faithful, revamped.

Yesterday, saw an earnest search for my old tackle box. It was my art caddy all through college and I wanted to reclaim it from the dread Matchbox cars stored within its bowels for nearly 20 years. After rummaging about in the basement, speculating about the third floor loft area and finally going through Ian's closet, the search was met with success. Reclamation is messy work. There was work ahead of me cleaning out the Boy Stuff. The dumping of the aforementioned Matchbox cars, the scraping of errant stickers and the cleaning out of some residue best left unexplored and undetermined. I live dangerously close enough to Walmart. Why didn't I just go and buy a new one? Well. This one is mine from Artistic Academia days. While I don't have the fondest of memories in college studying Art, I did enjoy having all my stuff in one place and ready to go. Tonight's SoulCollage® circle was the impetus for excavating this particular item. There are certain tools I prefer using in creating cards ~ X-acto knife, Mod Podge (you know I love my Mod Podge), and sometimes a little paint. These items aren't always available at the circle. Rather than putting the burden on the facilitator to supply everything, it's great to have my own goody box of stuff to play with. Also, tackle boxes aren't made like this anymore. And it's got History.

There's even places for rocks, shells and candles to add
that spontaneous ambiance. Spirit has to fit in the box too.

yoga in socks

2012-01-05T10:48:00.000-05:00

Really, what better way to practice when the weather is cold? In YinSights: A Journey into the Philosophy & Practice of Yin Yoga, Bernie Clark writes that Yin Yoga is NOT restorative yoga. I beg to differ, in one sense at least. Practicing Yin Yoga has become a means to restoring a sense of Embodiment for me. Also, and I can't always ignore this, I am getting older. While I'm still pretty snappy on the mat practicing my Ol' Time Favorite Iyengar poses, there are days I'm not feeling up to the "yang" style Bernie alludes to. This is where the Yin steps in. In this style of yoga, most of the poses are seated. Which is fine by me at certain points in the day. It's easy to do early in the morning when the muscles are still a little stiff as the target for the stretches are actually the joints and ligaments. The kicker is being able to sit in a pose with one's Self for anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes. Then, you need to get Zen. As long as there is no pain (playing the edge is different from sudden searing pain), it's best to adopt a very meditative state of mind . . . for at least 3 minutes . . . or 5, if you're feeling crazy. Coming out of the pose is then super-delicious. However, and here are the great benefits, you've done something lovely for your joints and ligaments which are the parts of the body that really NEED to stay supple as one advances in physical age.

Another beneficial occurrence of practicing yoga in socks, is the desire to knit more SOCKS. Who wants to look at boring, grungy sweat socks bending forward in Butterfly? Not I!

whaddya mean it's Wednesday?!

2012-01-04T20:13:00.000-05:00

Where did the week get to already? I've gotten nothing done.

I'll go knit and watch The Muppets. May as well let the rest of the day go down the drain.

Tomorrow: Something completely different . . . a man with, you know.

setting forth

2012-01-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning, sunshine!

The Capricorn sun rises in the east. The waxing gibbous moon is in Taurus. How deeply grounded is that?

The weather was blustery and cold. I was dressed in layers, my Feral Wolf hat covered over with the hood of my coat. Fingertips burning with the chill each time I'd stop to take a photo (hence, the small number of them to post this morning). Nonetheless, I walked. All the way down the hill and back up. Each step a prayer and eyes gazing out at the beauty around me. Would I see the same beauty in an urban setting? Perhaps. That beauty would simply have a different flavor. No one should despair their surroundings if but only a moment is taken to see beauty ~ even if that means clearing a little clutter to make it.

A stand of pine.

In the meantime, the new year neatly ratchets itself forward in routine. Routine is timeless. Same shit, different day has its meaning in routine. Now that youths are back in school, the household has fallen into the Routine. Early morning meditation, rousing youths, the walk and then figuring out what needs attention, what needs doing. My routine needs to include time in the studio. Again, AGAIN, it's all too easy to deal with the stuff life slings about instead of drawing the line at the studio door (well, space, in my case) and stating, Right then! No more today. It's time to find my soul now.

Creativity needs to be routine. Like doing the laundry, like shopping for food. The Artist's Spirit needs clean etheric underwear and food for the soul.

A quick spiral scarf using Jamie Harmon's dyed wool and
found mohair. I cast on 55 st instead of the requisite 110.
I've found the original pattern results in a scarf too long for
actual use.

candle light and frankincense

2012-01-02T18:40:00.000-05:00

Tim's Buddha and a single flame.

The day after holiday is bittersweet. We all had great fun, exchanged great gifts and enjoyed the company of family and friends. It's sad to see the time has flown and we're in a new year ~ the one where the Mayans ran out of rock, to boot ~ but the solitude and busy-ness of getting a household back in order was the priority of the day. The Advent Garden items have been dusted off and put away for next Yule. Bit by bit, xmas decorations are making their ways back into various boxes. The last thing to tackle will be the tree and all by Twelfth Night. As Jim Morrison crooned long ago, When Christmas is over, turn out the light.

The spare altar held one flame and frankincense smoking on a hot charcoal. The scent cleared the air and my head. Blankets and sheets were cleaned and put away. Extra towels were cleaned and folded. The dining table was reduced to a size comfortable for our family of five to sit around at meals. All followed by time on the mat practicing Yin Yoga for about a half hour or so. Such a delicious sensation for my body, stretching and sitting!

I was able to sink into time-suck and read other blogs. One blog had a wish for me to make mistakes. Another site went over the customs of Twelfth Night.

This evening calls for finding a simple knit project and time in front of the TV. Tomorrow is a return to the hustle and bustle of the everyday.

The altar cleared of the Advent Garden.

Two SoulCollage® cards created New Year's Eve.

new year's eve fiber orgy

2012-01-01T11:15:00.000-05:00

The dining table laden with fibery goodness.

What do you get when you've got three women and a whole lot of fiber? A veritable Fiber Fest! Kim, Bethe and I brought different things to the table, literally, for inspection and experimentation while the split pea soup boiled (had to use that ham hock from the xmas ham dinner, natch!). Little drink was had as we were all giddy from the flying bits of fiber filling the New Year's Eve night air.

We played with Bethe's awesome drum carder. Kim tried out her electric spindle (all put together by her father, by gum). And I tagged along with the drop spindle working some of my own stuff and trying out the drum carder experiments.

Kim and the electric spindle.

Bethe at the drum carder.

Men folk of the house, like Bill, were at a loss in this milieu.

The youths didn't care.

Bethe and Kim experimenting with some wool
and mohair strands.

A little sampling of that experiment.

Bethe and I even gave Navajo Plying a try!
What an absolutely adorable process!

soaking and loose ends

2011-12-31T13:29:00.000-05:00

Soaking mohair.

Resolutions are a waste of time. I much prefer sorting through what needs to be finished out at the end of the year. I'm not talking about dealing with fiscal organization or clearing out closets. Usually, I'm taking care of my own stuff. Set spun and plied fibers, finish those little knitting projects (now I am without a knitting project so I need to find one ASAP or I'll be a lost person this New Years Eve), fish for a direction on a painting lingering on the easel.

Before folks show up for an all-nighter overnight, Bennie and I are spending time at the dining table doing a little SoulCollage® and enjoying bottomless cups of tea. Also I have a spread on the desk gleaned from the Gaian Tarot to ponder at a quiet moment.

My New Year reading.

Life is good, life is a blessing. There is much gratitude at the turning of this year. May you find joy in the coming New Year.

meditating with terror

2011-12-30T13:05:00.000-05:00

Falls by the dam.

As I was heading out for my usual constitutional, I felt the woods tugging at me to spend time with the rocks and trees. I heeded the call and turned down the dam road. It's an old road that was probably constructed, not only to get materials down to build the dam that created the lake, but also to meet up with a hiking path across the lake and further up the mountain. When this community was originally put together, it was done with consideration and care and lots of rules. The original driving roads were lined with boulders and stones, just wide enough for two cars. The old dam road and the hiking path across the lake were built with the same kind of care (but have since fallen into deep disrepair due to lack of maintenance). Most of the homes here were once summer homes and the landowner of that time wanted to replicate hiking trails found in Austria and Germany. Well, that's my best guess without research. I've heard Europeans do like hiking trails in the mountains ~ but I could be wrong.

First, I had the Cannon with me and figured it would be great to chronicle the sights digitally, but the batteries gave me problems. After the first shot at the dam and dead batteries, I tromped back to the house ~ greatly annoyed ~ to switch cameras. Once loaded and back on the path, I settled into Slow Time walking and Paying Attention. Yes, lots of photos and then I had a nifty thought: Why not meditate for 10 minutes in the woods by the rushing falls? I'd skipped the Early Morning Med seeing Dirk off to work and then went on to making tea. I had a timer with me via a cell phone. 10 minutes. In the woods. By the falls. I could do that standing on my head.

I chose a rocky outcrop that overlooked the falls to sit, taking photos of interesting beings along the way. I noticed animal scat, a few days old, but present nonetheless. Someone else came by and left a note, not only for relief but also to mark territory. I ignored the note and sat in for my 10 minutes of meditation. Feeling grounded and settled in, I gave attention to breath and mindfulness of body. Then I began to feel . . . vulnerable. I tried to ignore the feeling of something feral stalking behind me, but it returned vividly and repeatedly with yellow eyes, sharp teeth and fur.

Intellectually, I knew I was safe. It's rare to see much wild life in broad daylight unless it's ill. I've gone by the general rule that they want as little to do with humans as possible, so they pretty much leave the premises when they hear some two-legged stomping around. However, when the terror of vulnerability comes up, there's little reasoning with it. I was out of my usual mediation environment. Unprotected by the usual walls. Exposed to elements and wild life. And 10 minutes is an eternity to the ego deathly afraid of dying . . . in the woods . . . alone . . . despite the lovely location and intentions.

Here was the trick: I had to step back from the terror. It became the mediation. What is this feeling about? Is there a real danger? How is the land speaking to me? Am I sensing this fear because I'm meant to? Because I've infringed on a coyote's space, ignoring the scat? Physically and energetically, the coyote created a boundary. Clearly, I crossed it. Sitting in meditation brought up the energy and intention of that boundary ~ to feel fear, to keep away. At that realization, in stepping back, I felt like Mr. Spock and thought, Fascinating!

Before my 10 minutes were up though, I did look behind and around me. My ego was doing some strong prodding that couldn't seem to be ignored so I succumbed. The moment I turned my attention back to meditation, the timer sounded. Ego breathed a huge sigh of relief, but another part of me was exhilarated at having sensed some message from the environment ~ even though fearful. And, nothing for nothing, I survived.

More rushing water.

The old dam road.

Leaves under ice.

Ice ferns.

At the dam.

Ironwood.

Any portal in the storm.

Tumbling through the woods.

A little closer, my dear.

And yet again.

The rock I sat on. They look bruised and beaten.

More of the same rock.

love the blocks

2011-12-29T13:58:00.000-05:00

The Top 10 Ways I Keep From Being Creative In the Studio:

Ten ~ Spend time in the kitchen.

Nine ~ Clean the litter boxes. Thoroughly.

Eight ~ Remove holiday decorations and pack them away.

Seven ~ Do the laundry.

Six ~ Call friends and family.

Five ~ Watch X-Files with Bennie.

Four ~ Look for eggs.

Three ~ Stack newspapers for recycling or burning.

Two ~ Eat.

One ~ Write a blog post.

pierogie of guilt, day 2

2011-12-28T13:23:00.000-05:00

The hat helps to release my Inner Aurochs.

It bothered me that the first batch of pierogie weren't so great. I figure it had to be the dough. First, I want it thinner. Bennie suggested I make this second batch with the smaller cutter/press. Luckily, I've got plenty of filling.

So, today's creativity: playing with dough. Again.

Bennie in touch with her Inner Zim and recovering
from strep, thank you.

pierogie of guilt

2011-12-27T17:24:00.001-05:00

Sounds like a title for a new Cake album, doesn't it?

I'm kinda takin' the Fifth here on the pierogie story. Suffice it to say, I owed a relative pierogie that were left in our home, unattended and without proper notice about NOT eating them. It is the very first time I've ever made pierogie. (Let's see how many times I can write 'pierogie' in one paragraph, shall we?) A recipe was found here, but I sought the advice of a good friend (a brilliant friend, actually) who linked me another recipe from All Recipes and gave me a link to these adorable items. The dough press set came xmas eve. With a recipe in mind and the set, I'd been good to go since yesterday. I just didn't have the gumption up until this afternoon.

So. They are done and cooling safely on the counter with a stern note to all they are not to be eaten. First criticism: the dough should have been rolled out a little thinner. Also, I may have added just a little too much flour. If nothing else, perhaps this culinary fumbling will be accepted as a gesture of good will and pierogie toward all men . . . or women.

In the meantime, in case anyone hasn't noticed, xmas is over. My internal xmas switch is flipped OFF once the 26th of December clocks in. The singing of Jingle Bells or Deck the Halls is likely to have me shredding the nearest unsuspecting inflated holiday figure within an inch of recognition. The sight of the needle-dropping tree in our living room sends me into apoplexy over the vacuuming involved with a ten foot high specimen. It all needs to be gone by January 6th, Twelfth Night. That generally means I'm the one systematically dismantling the xmas decorating gear.

of random xmas shots

2011-12-26T14:59:00.000-05:00

Carving the ham, by golly!

It all goes in the blink of an eye, but here's a few images of the new xmas past. Today is rife with leftovers and avoiding certain shopping centers.

A little xmas joy.

Everyone is a child again at xmas.

Waiting for the next gift.

Checking it out.

More checking.

Opening . . .

Very happy.

More checking it out.

A cell phone and the tree.

Tom and a pile.

Yay, more tree!

Ah, setting it all up!

Opening with a corn cob pipe. It's serious business.

Yes. Checking it out. With a corn cob pipe.

Crystal looking for her gift.

All done.

Quiet conversation.

Opening presents again?

Don't shake that, Jim!

Getting to work.

Okay! So I forgot I wrapped wine!

Pop awaiting the ham dinner.

Loaded and ready to go.

Darth has taken the day off from knocking more things
off the desk.

Ian and a cool pen.

Red bow and cool hat.

Enjoying the show.

Now we both have cool hats.

Ian is ready for gaming.

Yeah, I got an axe! How cool is that?

Fi with my cool hat.

Ian and Liam came up with a nifty idea for trying out the
baseball net.

TP at xmas ~ unheard of!

And ya gotta have a rousing round of Scrabble to top
off a fine evening.

So. Merry xmas . . .

2011-12-24T15:36:00.000-05:00

According to Obiwan, it's a lazy xmas eve.

Tom and Bodhi agree.

No argument from this side of the room either.

Bennie is normally up and at 'em.

Even Crystal has taken the day off from chasing the cats.

solstice

2011-12-22T07:47:00.000-05:00

The solstice candle.

Well. Would ya look at that. The sun came back. It is a good time to stand still. This morning will have to do as busy-ness is the thing for the next two days.

So I leave you with the sun and some words of wisdom from George Carlin. This mighty wisdom can be read here, but is far more amusing here. Amen, Brother Carlin!

Good morning to the Sun!

all I've got time for

2011-12-21T12:04:00.000-05:00

With the flash to show the green.

While I've been watching Christmas with the Kranks or Deck the Halls, knitting has been getting done. Mistletoe, which I suspect is not only difficult to cultivate (what with the climbing of oak trees and all), but also costly is something I'd been wanting to get my hands on several xmases now. Silly that I hadn't thought to knit some up sooner. The pattern can be found here.

The last photo shows an experiment with making an I-chord with intermittent leaves. Could make an interesting neck wrap. Or a quick makeshift holiday noose if it all gets too crazy.

Short post. Guess what I have to do for the next three days.

Something a little closer. The leaves on the left were
knit on #8 dpn's; the other on #4 dpn's.

The leafy experiment.

hi ho, hi ho

2011-12-20T11:19:00.000-05:00

Dirk and Darth battling it out for desk space.

As you can see here, Dirk has one good reason why he can't get work done. Darth has been camping out at this site on the desk for about a week now. He's been reorganizing the paperwork by lying on it and then shoving it all off the desk as he stretches out. Informing GC's files can't be accessed because a cat is sleeping on the keyboard isn't, though an honest assessment of the situation, exactly professional. General Contractors rarely have a sense of humor (unless they're holding Subcontractor's checks for yucks and gigs, of course ~ then it's all ducky).

Note the mocking smirk of utter disinterest and
a complete lack of consideration.

While Dirk may have his excuses for not being able to get his work done, there are no cats sleeping on my easel. The dogs don't hang out in my studio either. (Although, Crystal does like to sit in my wicker chair and look about stately as a Pyranean Mastiff can look sitting in a wicker chair). I had an hour to myself so I added another sheet of paper to the peacock painting and started playing with the turquoise blue. I'm pleased with that accomplishment and have gotten over less concrete excuse hurdles than what some here deal with. Sometimes getting to the studio is just as tough as getting past your cat to the keyboard.

Pool of tears expanding.

A little closer, my dear.

listening to nature

2011-12-19T10:05:00.000-05:00

Nature Speak by Ted Andrews is a recent acquisition in my ever-growing library. It is the book that has been inspiring me to get outside more often ~ even at this time of year when it would be prudent to lounge by the fire with a good book (like the aforementioned book, perhaps). It's lovely to read about a subject, but it's another thing altogether to put that theory to practice. So. I try to practice everyday ~ meditation in the morning, walking at least three times a week, spinning that thread of the Divine from the fibers of the Sacred Mundane. Looking to Nature is a wonderful way to watch the patterns of life and not only in the seasonal changes, but also environmental changes; macrocosmic and microcosmic.

This morning showed a waning crescent moon in the south, once again, held or ensnared in the branches of the trees. A little pondering might yield some helpful insight to another day ahead. Otherwise, it was a lovely sight and worth photographing.

Sunday morning walk

2011-12-18T19:43:00.000-05:00

My studio cairns. These get rearranged every once in awhile;
whether they've been knocked down or not.

I like rocks. I've heard Fire Priestesses speak of their love for the Flame (here, Episode #13 Fire). There are probably Water Priestesses who feel the flow of water and can find it deep in the earth where there appears to be none. Perhaps there are Air Priestesses who can whistle up the wind if necessary. If there are such people who love an element, is it enough to become a priestess of that element? Or is it the other way around? Does one become a priestess because an Element has chosen them? Nevertheless, this morning's walk had me noticing mostly the rocks, stones and boulders I stroll or drive by everyday. These beings with definition, solidity and strength hold the most character for me. I have crystals and bowls of stones, but I enjoy spending time with a Rock Being in the woods. Sometimes I get a story out of them. Everybody Needs a Rock has been a long time favorite book. It's got thoughtful instructions on finding your rock.

Mountain in the west.

One of the boulders lining the Old Road.

Lichen on that boulder.

Tiny pine hanging out with a
big rock brother.

Waning crescent moon over pines.

A little closer, my dear.

Rocks hanging out together in a wall.

The negative spaces.

More negative spaces.

One Lone Rock.

A large rock outcrop.

A little closer, my dear.

Water over rock at the dam.

Rocks in a stream.

Ah, the Fourth Light in the Advent Garden!

The Light of Human and our constructs.

ah the Broadway Review!

2011-12-17T21:25:00.000-05:00

Tom and Dirk after the show.

Tom and Bennie sang in a few Broadway tunes at the local VFW. A little community fun and gathering. The Director Who Chooses to Remain Anonymous had, once again, done a fine job getting youths organized to put on a show with some confidence and finesse. Ian was dragged along for the ride. It's not his cup of tea. He survived though. It was nothing like the night we dragged him to Breaking Dawn. He'll never forgive us for that night, but the dead pan look during the entire movie was worth it.

After the show, there were refreshments and good conversation with folks we probably won't see again before xmas as everyone will be mired in their family gatherings and general holiday busy-ness.

Bennie belting out a little back-up.

Tom singing King of New York.

Ian improving his glare.

spinning tales

2011-12-16T18:25:00.000-05:00

Mind the monstrous mohair!

Time is not on my side this evening. Here, there and everywhere all day and now we'll be watching two out of three of our youths performing a Broadway Review tonight at the local VFW Hall. Burgers are on the stove top, the third youth is whining he doesn't want to go and I'm running on the Holiday adrenaline.

In the meantime, I'm dreaming of hot cocoa and a chance to watch any one of the three movies I received in the snail mail from my good friend. What would it be? Bell, Book & Candle? Hogfather? The Color of Magic? It is a dream deferred, however, as that night will not be tonight. Tomorrow night isn't looking so good either. Another show for the youths, I think.

I leave you with alliterative captions.

Spectacularly spun sparkly kid mohair.

Wayward woolens of forgotten fame.

Come closer, my dear!

the Thursday morning walk

2011-12-15T10:06:00.000-05:00

Ze Wolf hat c'est magnifique!

This morning, I put on my feral Team Jacob Wolf hat and went for my walk. (Hat pattern found in this book.) It was a gray morning which makes the lighting interesting. Well. It makes it all kinda gray, but the diffuse light was good. Obiwan walked with me all the way down the hill and back up again until we ran into our neighbor with his two dogs at the Lookout. Then he beat a hasty retreat back home on his own.

A few chicken pix have made the cyber-space as well.

Enjoy!

Pine bark.

More pine bark.

The old road I like to walk.

An xmas tree from last Yule.

Run-off stream.

Some people like to save their
speed bumps for later.

My intrepid familiar, Obiwan.

A tiny tree we saved from certain roadside plowing.

Garrison Soup adjusting very nicely.

The Breakfast Club.

Rainbeau Nuggets

the holiday neteru

2011-12-14T01:00:00.140-05:00

Recently, Anne Marie Bennett of Kaleidosoul shared an exercise outlined by Seena Frost (the creator of SoulCollage®) in which eight to ten Neters are chosen from one's deck who seem to predominate during the holiday season. This isn't a Random Draw, but a deep reckoning of who is hanging out in the living room of your psyche and leaving cigarette butts piled in the ashtrays and who is acting as a better guest.

The following is the result of this creative experiment. These musings don't contain the I Am the One Who . . . statements. Instead, the words came through as stream of consciousness writing. Neters that are missing might be Gratitude, Peace, The Comfort of Darkness (just came up with that last one) which could to be created to mingle with the folks below.

American Gothika ~ I am feeling stretched and dried out. Is there no relief? I stand outside this Circle ~ WE stand outside it together. How did we Forget? Maybe if we turn and go deep into the dark kiva we can Remember. We can rest and find God again.

Anger ~ Screaming! Yelling! Pulling! Tearing! This wave has pushed me too far and I don't like being pushed! My blood boils! I can not see clearly because of the blind rage. How can I stand and let this wave pass?

Communion w/ Nature Triptych 3 ~ I am so happy this tree is still here! That her roots still run deep into the earth, though the earth sleeps. This tree will feel the moon, the changeable waxing and waning that moves her sap like the ocean's tide. Aphrodite and her Dove bask in my tree's shade. Do NOT cut!

Denial ~ I will just look away. Let someone else tend to it. My pink halo is looking for fun and ease. All of these other things are complicated and not my business. I can't fix it all anyway.

Eat, Pray, Love ~ I embrace the hugeness of Life! I will not starve myself. I will not cheat myself out of living. Let this bounty be a prayer, let my prayer be love, let my love circle back around to create bounty. Life is not small and we are not meant to be small. We are meant to be right-sized which might be bigger than Life!

Fear Triptych 2 ~ Oh. I feel myself slipping into the background again. I am preoccupied, self-absorbed and withered. I want that cool glass of water, but the woman who is busy judging another ignores me. Inside, I am pinched, dried, insubstantial. I want to feel the juiciness of life, but I am lost.

Fragile ~ How does she do it? How does she keep all that weight on her head? How does she stay balanced and centered? I am feeling frazzled and disconnected. I can barely pull myself together! I just want to be left alone.

My Bodyguards ~ Right! No one gets in without permission! If you feel like a doormat it's because you let them walk all over you! It's because you've ignored us and our job. We've earned some respect. We know how to protect even if we do look strange and comical. (Besides, it's our element of surprise that wins out!) We stand before your Fragile self so you can de-frazzle.

Jizo ~ I am here to shield you with Smiles. My protection is gentle and yielding. I leave you to safely tend your Flame so that it may shine for others to see. You are safe with me. I might be small, but my smallness is mighty! My most disarming weapon is my smile. No one expects the Jizo!

stop & smell the wonder

2011-12-13T19:25:00.000-05:00

Moon in the trees.

The Cannon SureShot came with me on the walk this morning. As I was walking, I was thinking of different kinds of walks. There's walking just to get somewhere ~ which, if you are able, happens easily indoors or out. You could hike; which is a walk usually requiring rugged out door gear and a sense of intrepid perseverance. (Like that Mt. Everest syndrome of climbing something just because it's there.) The hamster-wheel activity of walking merely for exercise on a treadmill is yet another form. The two kinds of walking I prefer are mindful walking (more like a meander) in the woods or the morning constitutional on the dirt roads. The latter being most frequent.

Mindful walking in the woods requires all your senses to be engaged. Trekking through in an oblivious manner can have dire consequences ~ like possibly being eaten by a bear. A less drastic example simply dictates a need for respect toward Nature which should be exercised. It is Serious Slow Time when walking in the woods.

The constitutional is easier as the path is laid out before you. The task here is to stay mindful. Otherwise, the mind gets mired in thinking Other Things like the To-Do List, writing whole blog posts, how to further work on a painting . . . you get the idea. As in sitting meditation, the mind has to be reined in and redirected toward the mindfulness of walking. Then the wonder begins to seep through everything.

Which is why I brought the camera. Instead of good health and a sense of peace, I wanted to cultivate wonder and beauty on a road I drive or walk everyday. The bonus is I have images to play with either in Photoshop or on the easel!

A little closer, my dear!

Gnarly vines.

Lake through the trees.

Branches and the lake.

Sky, mountain, lake.

The sun in the trees.

The sun and magenta/violet orbs.

A cedar.

An autumnal pool.

Again, a little closer.

moon on the mountain

2011-12-12T20:02:00.000-05:00

Moon in the west.

Welcome to this morning's beauty shot! It is the setting moon on the mountain. At this time, the sun was just peeking over the other mountain in the east. There was a wonderfully chilly snap to the air as well making for a crisp blue sky.

And that was only on the way back from warming up the van.

Earlier, I practiced samatha meditation ~ at 5:30am give or take. I've been engaging in this practice early in the day for about two weeks and I am finding a difference from meditation before bed. For one thing, I'm awake the rest of the day to reap the benefits of sitting. For another, I am learning that meditating does NOT in any way guarantee me the perfect day. It only means I meditated in the morning and I can just go to bed at night. It's a beneficial occurrence.

Nestled in the trees on the mountain.

My very first Prismacolor tutorial find turned out to be the most important: How to Properly Sharpen . . . For years, and I mean this literally, I've been sharpening these soft-core, very expensive pencils incorrectly. As shown in the cute sales video, it's the sharpener that should be doing the turning NOT the pencil. Nearly each and every time I've turned the pencil in the sharpener, I've lost too much of the colored core. As mentioned, these puppies are expensive ~ a busted core is costly. Then I played with blending, but nothing much to show for it here.

Moon in the trees.

When I have time in the car to myself, I visualize how a painting might evolve. Which is what happened this morning on my way back home from dropping folks off at school. What's on the easel now has been waiting patiently, but there suddenly doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day. Before I know it, I'm in bed reading. While it's nice to have some direction once I get into the studio, painting in my head doesn't get me there. Also I've got a preconceived notion of the painting's direction which has me losing touch with what might need to happen. What's in my head is shocking and visceral. Will it feel the same when I put that to paper?
Reasons why it's important to be present in the studio.

Sadly, my day is once again winding down. I've one more run to the Rec Center and then I'm in for the night. No painting again.

the third Sunday

2011-12-11T20:16:00.000-05:00

The third Light of Advent, is the Light of beasts . . .

I'm excited to have the Canon working again so I couldn't wait to post the photos of our evolving Advent Garden this evening. It's an Olde Beast (which is perfect for the evening's candle lighting in honor of beasts), but I like the results better than the cute little Kodak I've been using since summer.

The whole enchilada.

a bit of Sunday moodling

2011-12-11T08:56:00.000-05:00

My little Prismacolor tree!

It was a busy day yesterday. The chicken coop was cleaned out and the floor reconstructed to better accommodate all feathered fellows. We just need to hang feeders for heavy winter snows.

The Inflatable Woodland Army was installed at the corner for our general amusement and to bring lightness to an otherwise sober community.

We went to see the incredible Jonathan Kruk at the Old Dutch Church in Sleepy Hollow perform ALL the characters in A Christmas Carol solo. All of them from Scrooge to Mrs. Cratchett to Tiny Tim to the Ghost of Christmas Past/Present/Future. Four shows in one night to boot.

In the midst of all the activity, I had an opportunity to play with some Prismacolors on watercolor stock. I'm re-learning, teaching myself, how to blend with colored pencils again. It isn't a serious lesson plan which means taking a little time out to moodle and play. A time to be curious and see what happens. The kicker is remembering what one has done to get a certain effect, even if it was a mistake. Some mistakes are worth repeating.

At the last visit, my friend, Kim, was using my wheel, spinning furiously, to get some fiber spun quickly before driving back north. She has since gotten a hold of a wheel to complete other projects, but I'd set aside the mohair roving ball so she could commandeer the Millie. As of last night, the mohair is back on the spool and I hope to get this spun up quickly enough for some kind of knitting project. This means cruising either Knitty Spin or Knitting Pattern Central for the perfect mohair project. It all just adds to the never-ending fun!

Back in the saddle again.

Lest we forget, this is the third Sunday of Advent. At sundown will be a lighting of the candle for the Light of all beasties. Bennie and I will add animal representations to the Advent Garden and light the first three candles on our evolving altar. Time spent creating this space is indeed a respite from the holiday crazies.

woodland attack of the inflatable characters

2011-12-10T08:05:00.021-05:00

Everyone present at the corner.

It's official. The household has gone around the bend for the holidays. Several inflatable characters have blossomed at the public corner of our property. May they endure the wind and snow . . .

Tonight, we are going to see A Christmas Carol as performed by our local story teller, Jonathan Kruk. My candle stand is also featured in his performance.

A few of our favorites at the Solar Disk.

an unexpected pleasure

2011-12-09T21:09:00.000-05:00

I've just come from a Christmas party at Boscobel. What a wonderful surprise to run into plein air painter Daisy de Puthod! I hadn't seen her in years ~ thirteen of them, in fact. I'd been thinking of her for some time, got her newsletter in my e-mail even. This post is short and sweet, but I've got links to check out.

In the meantime, I'm going to bed to continue Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett. I'm very tired.

describing indescribable beauty

2011-12-08T09:18:00.000-05:00

I was bracing myself for the cold and the snow as I went out to start the van and put water in the radiator for Dirk to drive the youths to the bus stop. Another thing happened instead ~ I saw Beauty. The eastern sky was a-light with pale blues and orange-pink clouds. The snow was bouncing with these ethereal colors. The wind, though brisk, wasn't unbearable. It was then I knew I needed to immerse myself in this wonder and walk. Also I figured I could burn a few calories walking in the cold. (Weight loss hint: I once lived in a place without central heating. It was the most weight I ever lost in my life. You burn calories just trying to keep warm. Also you keep moving.)

Once everyone was dispatched to their appointed destinations, I bundled up and went out to greet the day with a mindful walk. Just me and the elements. Ice encrusted snow covered everything all fresh and new. My feet felt the slightly-yielding ice with mud underneath, crunching as I walked. Oh, the breeze! It was refreshing, scintillating to breathe in this cold winter air. We are human animals. We need to be in nature. The human body needs fresh air, to feel the earth (shod or barefoot) beneath our feet, to feel the weather as it is outside instead of the simulated weather produced indoors. (With the appropriate precautions and weather gear, of course.) So my Human Animal embraced all my senses could perceive.

First, I headed west down the main road. I didn't feel like walking all the way down the hill so I stopped at a point on our road where I could see the lake and the mountain across the way. The mountain was reflecting the pale blue and peach colors of the sky in the east. In that space, in that moment, there was awesome beauty. Free to anyone who would take notice. Priceless. The same was experienced when I made my way east toward the sunrise. Walking the trail through the gate, I saw deer tracks, fresh from much earlier this morning ~ so much more attuned to the Earth and Her changes. The trees were coated in ice catching the sunbeams in prismatic color, twinkling brightly. The sun, a little higher in the sky, started burning off those pale colors that first enticed me out to play, but was no less a wonder to see.

It is an artist's job to notice things. It doesn't pay well and really anyone can pay attention (that too is free). It's what an artist does with what they've noticed that matters. I didn't have a camera with me. I doubt any photo would have done justice. My words fail here. All I could think of was how I might replicate the colors I saw and use them in a painting. Or if I could just dedicate a page of my journal to nothing but sky with this morning's colors.

It's what you do with the Beauty that counts.

a wee bit o' creativity, aye!

2011-12-07T12:58:00.001-05:00

Heaven Shiner

On this morning's drive, I felt a real need to spend some time in the studio. Get some of the onerous chores screaming for attention done and let the rest go ~ just get into the studio. Stat!

An easy path to the studio is sometimes doing a little SoulCollage® even if that means flipping through magazines or searching on the internet for images. (Although that means I'm not in the studio for the latter. The goal is to be in the right physical zone. The computer searches are an easy cop out and should be avoided at all costs.) During the aforementioned ride, I thought it might be nice to round out my Feri Gods and Elements images to include in my deck. What a perfect idea that turned out to be as I've had an image sitting in the pile since summer for Heaven Shiner. (These Guardians and Gods can be found in T. Thorn Coyle's Evolutionary Witchcraft.) So the first done was for this image. Simple. Mod Podge the background (which is, if I remember rightly, a photo of a simulated formation of a blackhole taken from a Smithsonian mag) and then added a big fat diamond. Bam! Heaven Shiner!

Some "I Am the One Who . . ." statements from Heaven Shiner:

I am the One Who shines down on you and invites you to Rise! Be bigger than you think you can be. Be Light and expand. Shine for others, a beacon of Light for others to see.

Star Finder

Then I remembered of two Elements I created differently in the last two years ~ Star Finder and Shining Flame. Star Finder is watercolor with a plastic "gem" bindi. Shining Flame is also watercolor with collage (jaguar's head) and a blue plastic "gem."

Star Finder sez . . .

I am the One Who shines in the East. The place of new beginnings, the dawn of a new day. I rise with the sun to light your Path and clear your mind with sweet breezes. Smile and be bright.

Meanwhile, from Shining Flame . . .

I am the One Who gets you going. I am the spark, the flame and sometimes the conflagration needed to clear the way. Play with fire, play with energy ~ it's all the same thing. Both need to be treated with respect.

And now it's time for lunch.

Shining Flame

dreary day & comments

2011-12-06T10:25:00.001-05:00

A perfect dreary day! Me and the two feet took a walk in the slight drizzle. Dirk and I set up a pen for the newly acquired rooster, Garrison Soup, so that he could safely stretch his legs while everyone gets to know each other. We're fixin' to get some food shopping done. In between this and that, I can knit and spend a little time in the studio.

In the meantime, I will attempt to address a few comments . . .

comment on your post "the house elf":
Any chance you could share that Sweet Potatoes w/ Caramelized Apples recipe?
Here is where you can find one version on Martha's site. The only difference I'm vaguely remembering from this and the one in her book is the brandy or Calavados added to the sweet potatoes.

comment on your post "our advent garden":
Completely random question here: How did you keep the adhesive in place while putting the tile and glass bits on top of that piece of furniture?
The adhesive was quite tacky and stable so it wasn't too hard to spread an area with the toothed trowel (supplied by Dirk) and stick the tile and bits.

comment on your post "at the mountaintop rooster preserve":
Oh dear gods. Who comes up with these brilliant names?
Well. I do, by golly! Dirk will come up with a few, but the nick name I attach to them according to personality seems to stick. I especially like adding the culinary reference for amusement.

It would seem my work here is done. And so on with the rest of the day. Hopefully, it will be a creative one somewhere.

computer access

2011-12-05T14:01:00.001-05:00

Homework and business come first with regard to computer usage around here. Tom had a 9-page essay to work on once home from watching a Giants loss at a relative's house. (At least I got a substantial amount of scarf knitting done. It's a win/win for me.) As a result, no blog post last night.

I'm here to make it all right now so . . .

The tree is up and decorated. Obiwan has climbed it a couple of times since and left us a flying squirrel, barely recognizable, under the coffee table as a gift. Point is, the tree is decorated ~ forget the squirrel.

Later today, Bennie and I have other xmas business to attend to.

Further on in images, are photos of last night's Advent Garden lighting. This second candle is honor of plants according to the Waldorf verse. As appropriate to the verse, I added a sprig of pine and a toy tea cup full of lavender, chamomile and lemon balm (from my garden). These candles stayed lit until we turned in for the night.

And finally, I'm on Vigil with Brighid until sundown today. This time spent with Her has been good and peaceful.

The Advent Garden with the second candle lit.

A sprig of pine and gentle herbs.

On Vigil with Brighid.

at the mountaintop rooster preserve

2011-12-03T15:11:00.000-05:00

Today's new rooster Garrison Soup.

Dirk likes roosters. A lot. So guess what we have A LOT of? What's good is we can offer a home to roosters that were thought to be hens at the time of purchase. We enjoy them despite their utter uselessness. Face it, they don't lay eggs and are generally noisy. The nice thing is they cohabitate well enough without too many skirmishes. Those skirmishes that do occur are never repeated as it's sorted out right then and there who's boss (without damage to either party). Such is the dynamics of Pecking Order. The only reason I mention any of this is because we've just adopted another rooster. Why? I put it to you: Why not? Sanity runs on a razor's edge on the best of days. An extra rooster thrown into the mix ain't nothin'.

Pretty Boy Floyd Cutlets.

The oldest hen Angel.

Snowflake Cordon Bleu.

Joel Coen (has a brother named Ethan).

Crackers (also new) & Snowflake.

Brownie, the oldest rooster.

Fidget and a couple of the Girls.

Rusty Drumsticks.

Bennie and I making xmas cards last night.

Note: Not any one of our chickens EVER becomes food. Well, not for humans, at least. The occasional raccoon, coyote or possum hits us up like an all-night buffet every once in awhile. The hazards of having chickens in the woods. Such varmint visitations are curtailed, humanely, as soon as possible.

planes of stability

2011-12-02T12:01:00.000-05:00

When I'm feeling ungrounded and disconnected, I sometimes reach for a trusty Tarot deck to help map out what's up with my soul. I've gotten good grounded readings from the Planes of Stability layout found in T. Thorn Coyle's Evolutionary Witchcraft. Stability is something I'm looking for at this time with the heightened seasonal insanity.

So I ask: What do I need to keep grounded and stable?

The first card drawn relates to my Spiritual Practice and is The Seeker. (I'm using the Gaian Tarot created by Joanna Powell Colbert.) It would seem my practice is in walking (meandering even), being on the Path and making my own rules ~ even if they seem foolish. Nonetheless, my practice is filled with enthusiasm seeking the Divine in the mundane. So. I guess I'm good there, but walking everyday might be beneficial.

The Six of Air, reversed, speaks to me about Home and Relationships. I have to agree communications within the household haven't been the best. I allowed myself two helper cards here. What helps is the Three of Air, journaling thoughts and feelings in either words or images. What hinders is trying to homogenize it all according to Temperance. Normally, it's beneficial to integrate polarities, but in this case, things need to be kept separate.

The Body and Physical Health is visited by the Nine of Air, reversed. Without getting into great personal detail, this has been a concern. The Lovers, acting as a helper, reminds me to make good/better choices. The hindrance comes from the Explorer of Air indicating I shouldn't ignore certain boundaries.

My Emotions are steeped in joy with the Three of Water. This might come from that spiritual practice I've got going.

My Money and Work are dancing in fire with the Three of Fire ~ even though my "work" is hard to define and all over the place, something comes of it.

And Death in reverse is hanging out in Nature. On the whole, I'm generally pretty good about relating to seasonal changes. So what's up? The Explorer of Water says it would be helpful if I just go with the flow. In this case, The Teacher, who might have me learning and classifying (scrutinizing even) would not be helpful right now, hindering the flow.

With four Major Arcana in this reading, it indicates stability already ~ 4 being a number of structure and stability. And with 4 Air cards, much would have to do with how I structure my thoughts. Walking is good medicine for thinking things out. However, there's other things going on that might need a little time to percolate.

a little decking

2011-12-01T19:49:00.001-05:00

Sponge Bob and Mickey. It all looks innocent now.

The two inflated fellows are only the beginning of something dangerous and bright. Give Dirk several strings of lights, an inflatable menagerie with a power strip and space will become unrecognizable in a half an hour. At least it won't be dark. We've got more blow-up buddies than you can shake a stick at. And I mean that in a virtuous sense as all inflatable items were purchased at Home Depot.

Most of my day was spent in the car which bores my body to no end. I practiced Yin Yoga as soon as I got youths off to school. A delicious time spent on the floor holding poses up to three minutes at a time. Stillness and sinking in deeper ~ all good for the ligaments and joints.

I have one more taxi run for the evening and then I can relax for the night. TV viewing choices are looking sparse so I'm thinking of spending time with the Tarot. Maybe I can paint tomorrow?

Yin Yoga nurturing.

A fine early winter view to practice with.

the to do NOT list

2011-11-30T19:34:00.000-05:00

List of things NOT done today:

yoga, Yin or otherwise
go slow
paint in the studio
walk early in the morning
take pictures to make the blog less lame
take the dogs out
bury another dead rooster
get the spare off the van and fix the radiator
the dishes . . . again
be mindful

With all that has been left unaccomplished all that's left to do, if anything, is knit this scarf and watch Work of Art with the family. Well, just Dirk and Bennie. Tom and Ian are holed up in their respective caves ignoring the world. Oh yeah, there's the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Tree.

Brings to mind another thing not done today: retrieving the Yule decorations from that dusty precipice on the third floor.

lake lachrymose

2011-11-29T20:55:00.000-05:00

Where it's at.

Eye streaming tears.

The eye of the Silent Witness?

Lake Lachrymose. These two words ran through my mind repeatedly as I painted the blue lake and streaming eyes. Lake Lachrymose is a place in one of Lemony Snicket's books from A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Wide Window, specifically. Lake Lachrymose is a water filled with its own lake-specific leeches which take lives and fill survivors with irrational fears. I won't chart the course of this painting based on leeches and fears, but, for today, I seem to have tapped into a sadness. Or perhaps they are tears of Joy? The black peacock is a creature I'm enjoying right now. There's more to him, I'm sure, but it'll come in good time.

This morning, I finally went on over to the Yin Yoga YouTube channel. Well. I didn't know what I was missing. I've had the book for about 6 months. I've read through the Yin Yoga site several times and receive the newsletters. I've practiced the Beginner's sequences as often as I could. Yin Yoga teachers aren't all that near to me, so I do a lot of self-learning. What a treat to hear Bernie explain and demonstrate the principles and poses of Yin Yoga. I felt inspired to practice, but the day got away from me, like it does. Tomorrow must include time on the mat. And then more time in Lake Lachrymose avoiding the terrible Lachrymose Leeches.

our advent garden

2011-11-28T19:24:00.000-05:00

It is often that Bennie not only stops to smell the roses in life; she takes a moment and photographs them. Though she was immersed in her early morning Netflix viewing before school, Bennie noticed this morning's sunrise (rising later and later this time of year of course) and felt it was photo worthy. So I bring you ~ Breaking Dawn. Pun intended.

Meanwhile, in the front hall is the beginning of our Advent Garden. This is an idea borrowed from Waverly Fitzgerald's Living in Season site created by Erin Fossett. Technically, the garden altar needed to be set up yesterday being the first Sunday of Advent, but Bennie and I caught it up this evening. This first Sunday relates to stones, bones, crystals and shells and the Light that lives in them according to a Waldorf verse. I created the crystal spiral and Bennie added the shells we found at Sherwood Island this summer. A couple of the shells really were treasures to find ~ like gifts especially for us. It's wonderful to include them in this altar though summer is long gone.

scenes from a Thanksgiving weekend

2011-11-27T17:11:00.000-05:00

A flamboyant scarf I'm knitting now.

Random photos from a weekend well spent . . .

A Thanksgiving sunset.

Kim working feverishly on my Millie.

Brownie in for a crumb visit.

Brownie leaving the building.

Youths beating each other up in Super Smash Brothers.

Mohair/wool blend with the addition of sparkles.

spinning and journal entries

2011-11-25T14:28:00.000-05:00

Soothing blue/green/purple mohair.

One would think today ought to be an easier one. For me it would have been a break between Thanksgiving gatherings. However, the Gods had other things in mind as our water pump crapped out during the first Thanksgiving football game, just before getting water to make the mashed potatoes. So today we are pulling up the well pump which is no easy task at a 500ft depth and having a look-see. That's just the look-see. We won't know a thing until it's up. We're hoping for an easy fix.

Then I can do the dishes from yesterday.

In the meantime, I spin. It doesn't require water.

From Samhain.

Meandering thoughts about meditation.

spaces for giving thanks

2011-11-24T08:02:00.000-05:00

A kitchen altar. I'll be here all day anyway.

An unset table awaiting the central activity of the day.

The rising sun. Be thankful it does this everyday.

the house elf

2011-11-23T20:50:00.000-05:00

Bread for tonight. More for tomorrow.

It is such a pleasure to have youths old enough to play with the flaming stove top! All of which frees me up to inflict more damage on the Dust Bunnies. While Bennie caramelized the apples for Sweet Potatoes w/ Caramelized Apples ala Martha Stewart, I vacuumed. This dish will go into the oven about an hour before it's served ~ give or take.

The bird and I will be up fairly early in the morning wrestling after I have some oatmeal. Perhaps I should feed the bird some oatmeal and save on the stuffing . . .

Yams looking disturbingly like a crime scene photo.

new picks

2011-11-22T15:41:00.000-05:00

I have a cat on my lap, so I'm not able to scan the rune card of the day which is Ing from The Rune Mysteries. Ing is a glyph that seems to indicate some sort of completeness, wholeness, harmony which feels like today as I'm getting quite a bit done in time for the upcoming holiday.

On my SoulCollage® altar sits my image of Self Fire in the element of Air. So. Thoughts are sparking away today I guess.

However, for now; time to review a few recipes . . .

my picks of the day

2011-11-21T13:14:00.000-05:00

My SoulCollage® image for Starhawk.

Of magical fiery stuff . . .

art by Nigel Jackson

getting to the Falcon

2011-11-20T09:15:00.000-05:00

Ignacio Berroa (not sure of the photo credit)

Last night, we went out to Falcon Arts. They describe themselves best as follows:

The Falcon welcomes everybody. This is a place to celebrate music, to pay homage to the music and the great musicians that make it. We receive the musician's gift by listening to the music they create. Our policy is that you donate what you can to support these musicians. It is their livelihood. Rather than charging a cover fee, the doors are open to everyone. We have a donation box, and everything goes directly to the musicians. Please come and enjoy the music, and remember to put what you can in the box. Support the Arts!

It's a place where my mother used to hang out with her friends and was involved with helping put the project together. So I go because it's a cool place to hear music I wouldn't otherwise listen to and experience something she enjoyed. The food is good (although Dirk didn't get the meal he expected last night ~ so he was a little disappointed) and priced well enough. To date, I've seen Alexis P. Suter Band, headed by a woman with a deep explosive voice. She really raises the roof. Another time Dirk and I went and saw Spottiswoode and His Enemies ~ we bought a CD while at the show. Last night, the very mellow Ignacio Berroa graced the stage. One can see how Berroa loves the drums ~ he was relaxed and smiling nearly the entire show. He was also making witty remarks between tunes. Berroa played both sets, no warm-up band. Which was fine ~ he needed no warming up.

Today, I'll get through the day with some of last night's mellow tunes roaming 'round my head. It's a beneficial occurrence.

yes, it's Saturday

2011-11-19T10:38:00.000-05:00

I do love Saturdays. Sleeping late (7:00am ~ woo-hoo!), hot tea finished while still hot and the morning radio shows on WAMC ~ life is good.

It's also a good day to get some painting done early. To the right is today's development. I don't know where the black peacock is headed and it doesn't matter. All that matters is being at the easel.

And in answer to a recent query: I do read all my comments. They get sent to my e-mail. I've just no way to really to respond except here. When I get here, I forget. Well, except for now.

Now. Time to give Crystal a bath.

the genius and me

2011-11-18T09:14:00.000-05:00

Of small beginnings . . .

It is here that Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, talks about one's genius. I haven't watched the TED talk in awhile, but what I do remember is how important it is to show up, whether it means being in the studio or at the keyboard. One's genius is rarely interested in cleaning out the fridge or managing dust bunnies. The genius thrives on creativity. Otherwise, it packs its bags and moves on to the next person not peeling potatoes.

With this in mind, I went to show up in my studio. Still in pajamas, only just fresh off a decent cup of tea, everyone out the door (well, except for Dirk watching the Today Show) ~ just me with a dripping brush in hand and a palette full of paints.

It's a little like meditation practice. Most times I can't, nor do I want, to sit for an hour, but, by golly, 15 minutes sure does wonders! 15 minutes is enough to start something and is less threatening and monumental than holding myself to the promise of a large block of time. I may go back to the studio later today, but I feel like I can attend to other less genius-related activities because I've shown up in the studio, first thing. My genius will now be content to hang out with a Brandy Alexander until I get back.

Kitteh in a Carhart. Someone isn't going to work today.

let there be lamp!

2011-11-17T11:49:00.000-05:00

Awaiting en-lightenment

My favorite part.

The smell of burning rubber and dead bugs emitting from a family heirloom is rarely a beneficial occurrence. So. This lamp now stands sans-electric and awaits new innards, like the Tin Man awaiting a heart. At least the Tin Man wouldn't have to run to Home Depot. Oz would be a far more interesting destination. I know the personnel too well at the Home Depot (thanks to previous visitations) and there are no poppy fields along the way within which to take a nap.

Down below are skeins soon to be set. Two of the pink/brown skeins are from my S-twist/Z-plied experiment. It should knit up something nice in either direction. I do like how the blue pops out 'twixt the browns.

The self-portrait is drying, but the day is passing too quickly. By the way, Sucklord was kicked off Work of Art last night. I'll miss him. He was the Anti-Artist.

what we're waiting for

2011-11-16T21:00:00.000-05:00

The Medusa self-portrait is waiting on the easel for a coat of my favorite stuff: Mod Podge. But now it is late and so that coat will go on tomorrow. Once it is dry she will go back on the wall upstairs leaving the easel empty for the next vision(s) to manifest.

This luscious roving-ball of mohair and the Millie are waiting for Work of Art to come on. Bennie and I like to watch the artistic challenges. We aren't too hypercritical of any of the artists on the show. I may be speaking out of turn, but I think Bennie and I share an idea that everyone is creative and critics are just insecure bastards. Just saying.

So. Off to some unreal reality TV . . .

Tuesday is for cutting

2011-11-15T19:39:00.000-05:00

Monday is for watering. Moon Day = water. And as I was watering the plants, I noticed quite a few of them ranging and gangly which means it's time for cuttings.

It was the extent of my creativity for today. After cuttings and culling, vacuuming had to be done ~ mainly due to the pot of soil spilled. We all know how that goes: you can't just clean one spot. So. The whole house was vacuumed as a result.

At least I can spend creative time in the journal.

good lookin' wool

2011-11-14T20:37:00.000-05:00

But first: A beauty shot from last night's sunset. Another moment captured by Bennie.

On the desk, finished Shetland (brown) and Border Leicester (blues) spun and plied. That's one fleece down from last year and a souvenir from a my brother's trip to Canada. I have about 5 or 6 skeins of this Shetland ~ some with the blue Leicester and some with the crazy hot pink ~ and they all need setting. That process will probably make the yarn feel softer. I think it will do well for hats or maybe slipper-socks. The journal is open to a page showing a 1920 census from Gardner, MA where my grandmother lived. So bizarre to think of her as a 2-year-old. And to view hand-written records! It's kind of a treat. Terry Pratchett's Wintersmith is waiting in the wings as I finish I Shall Wear Midnight. Bennie is also enjoying Pratchett's Discworld series.

In this corner of the studio, the Millie is waiting to spin up this lovely roving-ball of mohair/wool. Looks like I've got a lot of this color and I might spin this with an eye toward making a lacy sweater or shawl. Looks can be deceiving though. I might end up with enough yarn for wristlets. So I'll keep project planning open-ended. At least I can spin while watching Harry Potter ad nauseum.

Again, Brighid joins me on Vigil. Simple blessings, simple pleasures.

oh, it's just the ancestors again

2011-11-13T16:36:00.000-05:00

One can not photographically chronicle lost time. It wasn't wasted time ~ not in my opinion, at least. I've started rooting around in the world of Ancestry.com. I've gone in with very little information to start, but have gotten a few different leads and connections. Really, it makes me wish I'd paid a little more attention to things my grandmother said. I'm not talking about the fantastic stories of rescuing an uncle in Germany during WWII or being in the OSS. The simple things like having lived in Gardner, MA ~ a chair manufacturing town. That her father would weave the reed in the manufactured chairs. And who precisely was Tate (pronounced ta-teh and meaning aunt in Lithuanian)? Her mother's sister or her father's? What would her name have been? She raised my grandmother and her brother after her parents died. All that I remember about Tate is going to Gardner to stay the night along with my grandmother. I wrecked her rhubarb plants, but she made a pie with the stalks so it was all good. Never saw her again after that.

Meandering through the ancestors was my Sunday project. In the meantime, I finished spinning up some wool fleece from last year's Sheep & Wool acquisitions. Photos and accurate info on that tomorrow. The goody was finishing up the spinning during the last Harry Potter movie.

c'est finis!

2011-11-12T09:00:00.031-05:00

Oatstraw and nettles.

After walkies with the dogs yesterday, herbal infusions were prepared. It's the usual oatstraw with a bit of raw honey and nettle leaf. Herbal goodness in a jar.

A walk was just the thing I needed. Brisk weather, leaves blowing, the fetid scents of a waning year. The dogs were catching every scent on the breeze and on the ground along the way. I forget, too often, they need the walks too. Nothing spectacular occurred. No epiphanies. Merely the sublimity of a walk in late fall in all its simplicity. One foot in front of the other.

Ah. A finished painting. One that had been occupying my easel for too long. The title of this piece is likely to be How Should We Search, the first line of the Rumi poem included in the painting.

Once dry, I'll have to find a bit of wall to hang it on. Or figure out how to sell it. I'm not good at selling my paintings, but I'll learn.

How should we search
for the fruit of Spirit?
By not always greedily
stretching out our hands.
~ Rumi

when a Martha Stewart project grows dreadfully wrong

2011-11-11T08:56:00.000-05:00

Well. We didn't expect this turn of moldy, hairy events so soon. I guess this pumpkin will not be the Thanksgiving centerpiece after all. A fine roasted turkey looks better anyway and it's edible.

Bennie suggested we put it at the corner to rot with the Barfing pumpkin.

Now. I have two personal promises to keep: a walk and then painting.

Must be done before taking Dirk's dad to lunch for Veterans Day. I'm sensing it's a Panera Bread sort of day. Love that soup in a bread bowl! All dishes should be edible. Saves on clean-up.

practice

2011-11-10T19:56:00.000-05:00

Oh frabjous day, caloo calay! I practiced yoga today! It is a wonderful thing to keep a small promise to one's Self. It's been read in a variety of places at different times how follow-through on a promise, personal or otherwise, creates integrity. I said what I wanted to do and did it. Then next time I'll be better able to believe myself. Well. Of course, it doesn't always work that way, but when it does it's nice bask in the glow.

Once up from Savasana, I felt like the rest of the day was a breeze. I felt centered and embodied. Conversations went smoothly enough. Again. It doesn't always work that way.

What is tomorrow's promise to myself: to spend time painting. And that's it. How hard can it be? It's easy to get sidetracked. I see the pile of dishes/laundry/paperwork and find myself putting off my personal promise. Why isn't my promise important? It doesn't feed the masses here. It doesn't pay the bills. Heck, it doesn't even do windows! However, keeping this ONE promise to my Self means I've gained some self respect and personal integrity. I believe myself when I follow through. Breaking vows to our Selves is really the first sin. (And I don't have much truck with the belief of sins.) How can I trust myself if I don't do what I said I'd do?

Just like wrapping one's legs in Padmasana, the perfect execution of a pose doesn't happen on the first try. It takes practice. A foundational practice that occurs often. One the mind recognizes as a necessity that can't be put off. I might be short changing myself by only spending 15 minutes at the easel tomorrow, but at the very least, I've kept to my plan. Practicing allows for falling short. Practicing allows for mistakes ~ which are often the best teachers. Practicing means I've done something instead of making excuses.

So. In another hour or so, I'll practice meditation of the shamatha sort ~ sitting and abiding. Even if only for 10 minutes. I won't expect perfection. That's one of those other sins.

'round the studio

2011-11-09T19:35:00.002-05:00

First, let me apologize to my family for the evening fare. Usually, the homemade macaroni and cheese ala Emeril is pretty darn good. I've no idea what happened tonight. Maybe it's because I had only one cheese going in a three-cheese recipe. Nonetheless, I appreciate each and every one of you for choking it down and lying to me about its culinary failings. This is what Family Love is all about. Pecan bars for all soon enough. Now. Down to business . . .

Yesterday, I pulled out all the wool I purchased at the Sheep & Wool for Kim to see. Thought some here might like a gander as well. There's the angora dyed by Jamie Harmon, mohair/wool rovings, llama rovings, some sparkly stuff to include in spinning, some Wensleydale locks and a cone of linen warp to weave linsey-woolsy. All waiting for fibery dreams to come true.

Also, I got A LOT of spinning done while Kim was around. So the Leicesters of different nations and colors are coming together very nicely. I have maybe another 4 ounces of the stuff altogether yet to spin and then I'm done. What next?

As usual, the desk is filled with Things Important and Things Not So Important waiting for my attention at one point or another today.

For some drop spinning joy, kid mohair and a bag of the $3.00 sparkly stuff is waiting for idle hands. This activity is usually reserved for those moments when I'm waiting just a few more minutes for Dirk to get off the phone or finish an e-mail before leaving somewhere or getting down to some paperwork.

And here's but the little bit I've managed to get done on this painting. Friday is looking pretty good for perhaps wrapping this one up and moving on to another image rattling about in my mind. Even if I'm not clear on what it is just yet, I sense something needs to be expressed. I only have one easel and a very organized process that involves finishing what's on it before moving on to the next piece. I know other artists present and past might do otherwise, but I'm not amongst them. I like to finish what's in front of me. Although . . . sometimes, I have broken that rule.

yes, grown-ups have sleepovers

2011-11-08T14:51:00.000-05:00

Last night, Kim came to visit. We did our usual thing of tasty beverage (okay ~ tea for me, water for her) and playing with fiber. Sometimes, she's brought her beads and wires to fiddle with. In between the stitches or rolags or next bead, we talk about everything whether it's catching up or more universal subjects. Dotty, her Lab mix, also came to visit the dogs. (Well. Mostly Crystal. It takes Bodhi a good long walk with a stranger to decide the company is okay.)

Visits with Kim always feel relaxed and homey. We get our own stuff done while the dishes pile up and paperwork waits. It's always a pleasure to have her drop in awhile. The distraction is like a spa retreat.

Kim working out the toe on her first ever sock.

Obiwan dumpster diving.

Our biggest distraction for the evening was watching my cat go into the garbage bin. Y'know, when I had the kitchen done, I was so pleased to have a garbage bin drawer ~ one I thought none of my animals could get into. However, as usual, dogs are intelligent in ways not always useful to humans; Crystal learned how to open the garbage bin drawer. It's become her after-hours buffet. So. When I know I've dumped some delectable bits, like chicken bones, in the bin it goes on the counter. What I hadn't figured on was the cats . . . and they've been leaving eviscerated flying squirrels on the living room floor. Things can get a little macabre around here.

Kim and I doing our thing this morning over a cup of Joe.

Samhain 2011

2011-11-07T07:02:00.000-05:00

Samahain altar.

Yes, Halloween has come and gone, but I like to follow Archaeoastronomy's Almanac when it comes to marking the seasons. Today is Samhain. I like having the Ancestors arranged from Halloween until today. There are photos in sight year round and then there are others that only come out for Samhain. The youths are included in the making of this altar because not only Blood Ancestors are here, but also Lineage Ancestors ~ people who have influenced us and shaped our lives in different ways. Tom still has George Carlin. Ian wanted Paul Gray of Slipknot. Bennie asked for John Lennon. With Halloween being over-commercialized (What? Here? In America?!), honoring our Ancestors on this quiet, planetary-aligned day holds more meaning for us.

The Familial Ancestors.

Our Lineage Ancestors.

sauerkraut and pumpkins

2011-11-06T08:43:00.000-05:00

Sauerkraut fermenting while bread dough rises.

Yesterday, was, as mentioned, filled with various and sundry domestic activities ~ mainly food based, which is always a welcome chore. I've started reading and exploring the recipes of Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon with some great results. We've been enjoying oatmeal like never before using the process of soaking and fermenting the oats the night before cooking with just one extra cup of water in the morning. Wonderfully chewy satisfying stuff and still good the next day reheated. As we've been rife with eggs for most of the summer (laying is starting to slack for the season now), I followed instructions for making eggs, dare I say, sunny-side up ~ using, dare I say, butter! Just yummy. According to Nourishing Traditions, sauerkraut is the winter salad and appears to be very easy to prepare. Easy and fun. Not so easy is the shredding, but once done, the fun part is letting a youth mash the shreddings for 10 minutes until the juices are released and mixed with the sea salt and caraway seeds. (Whey is also supposed to be added, but I haven't made my own yet. In this case, the instructions are to add another tablespoon of salt.) Then that whole mess gets mashed down into a wide-mouth quart jar to sit on the counter 3 days. After that, the resulting kraut can live in the fridge.

If you want to check out some of these recipes before purchasing the book (which is worth purchasing, in my opinion) you can have a gander at The Nourishing Cook blog. Here recipes are being done ala Julie and Julia so you'll find nearly all of them and then some.

Applying the design.

Then Bennie and I tried our hand at this Martha Stewart craft from Hell. Having this one white pumpkin from the previous holiday, we decided to make this one up for Thanksgiving. (Side note here: Is anyone noticing that xmas shows are on TV already? The flipping Grinch was on TBS last night! Is the economy that hard up in this nation that corporations are shoving xmas down our throats all too early and sparking insane consumerist activity? Another woman and I were standing in Walmart on a recent shopping excursion baffled as to why we were hearing xmas music only a week after Halloween.) Well, all in all, the surface carving finished out okay, but if I do this again next year (after removing the fork from my left eye), I think I'll come up with my own design that's a little less anxiety producing.

The pin sticking to transfer pattern.

Bennie doing some painstaking pin sticking.

The transferred pattern ready for some controlled gouging.

Gouging away.

Finis!

Voila! A Thanksgiving centerpiece!

Bennie and I serving up dinner after a groovy day.

And it was such a lovely day yesterday, a complete an utter contrast from the previous stormy weekend, we went for a walk with the dogs. It seemed as though everyone in the community was out and about enjoying the weather. Dirk, Bennie and I took Bodhi and Crystal down to the beach and let them have a run. (Dirk is the only one who suggests this. I don't like to let them run as I'm certain they'll run off most times.) It was good for all of us to get out. Fresh air and sun light! Yum!

Then we made this recipe from Martha Stewart which was considerably less hellatious than the pumpkin carving.

It's a treasure to have smoothly run days like these. Days where from beginning to end it all goes okay.

dangerously domestic

2011-11-05T11:16:00.000-04:00

Brighid's Vigil ~ a spiritual practice.

Blogging. I haven't been writing. Personal challenge: chronicle something daily either in words or images. Basic strategy: KISS ~ Keep it simple, Sweetpea.

Today, I'm on the second leg of a Vigil. The brick oven is calling and I'm mixing up some dough to live in the fridge awhile for either bread or pizzas. Various spinning tools are screaming for attention ~ especially now that I've got new wool from this past Sheep & Wool. I was actually in my studio painting after a month-long hiatus imposed by crazy life circumstances and daily busy-ness. (Nothing worth photographing though.) My journal is, of course, my touchstone for daily creativity and rumination. And then there's meditations with Susan Piver's Open Heart Project that have become a new, easier daily practice. No chanting. No words. Just sitting. I download the audio to my iPod for my nightly sittings before bed.

And so I leave you with random shots from around the abode.

Waiting wool ~ some gifted, some from the S&W.

Getting ready to mix the dough.

Me journaling during the power outage.

Tom & Kyle at Ian's 15th Birthday gathering.

Darth and Obiwan sharing a new favorite chair.

Bennie sketching pumpkins.

Bennie and Ian decorating for Halloween.

Bennie's barfing pumpkin.

Dirk and Bennie at the beginning of the storm.

Back yard during the storm.

Backyard the next day.

Crystal and Bodhi enjoying the fire.

journal images & some Elfwalking

2011-10-14T10:22:00.000-04:00

A little sunshine on a dreary day.

Frida is my inspiration. Spanish, not so good.

Memories of a lamp.

In need of a Spa Day.

Jonathan Kruk and Andrea Sadler on the Elfwalk Oct 1.

A random faery head.

Bit and bobs faeries borrowed.

Faery sign.

The Good People themselves.

Lea and Bennie, post Faery garb.

Andrea at work.

Faery dwelling Dirk built. (Yes. It was completed.)

Another faery dwelling.

Jonathan weaving some magic on the path.

Another random fellow.

Dexter

2011-10-12T11:51:00.000-04:00

In the wake of Hurricane Irene, Dexter slipped into the Underworld to join Hecate's dogs in doing their work. His departure was unrelated to the hurricane, but it rocked some worlds nonetheless. Yesterday, I was finally able to deliver this watercolor portrait of a much-loved, four-legged, big-hearted family member.

And so, the painting is no longer mine. May Dexter be well remembered in the Yodice family.

Autumnal Equinox, baby

2011-09-23T08:37:00.000-04:00

It's the middle of Autumn. What have we harvested? Great summer tomatoes, Bell and Habanero peppers. The other fruits of summer are elusive and hard to define ~ some sense of peace, better relations with folks . . . a sampling of realizations. Bennie and I enjoyed a garden. Dirk, Tom and Ian enjoyed fireworks and, in Tom's case, driving. Days at the lakeside beach are becoming distant memories as swimming ended the day after Bennie's birthday party. (Although, it wouldn't bother her to go swimming right on through to Thanksgiving.) Are we ready to move into the dark half of the year? Maybe. Not being outdoors and cooking over the grill allows us all to switch gears. Soup and bread, fires in the hearth, holing up in the studio generally undisturbed. I feel ready for these things after the outward-bound expression of summer.

In the meantime, I leave you with Bennie's parting shots from the garden . . .

the Knitting Goddess in the East

2011-09-19T11:27:00.000-04:00

This past summer, I mentioned in another post how I would try to use the directions of the Medicine Wheel or Elementals in conjunction with SoulCollage®. This morning was the day of discovery as I was doing my Daily Draw with my Little Family of Images. My usual practice is to cut the deck in four piles. Depending on the time I have I may choose the top card of each pile, lay them out and then using a pendulum determine my card for the day. If I have more time, without looking at the backs of the cards (some are painted, some not), I will go through each cut pile feeling for the card that might be the best choice out of that pile. I used to do six cuts, but have recently found four the perfect number. As of this morning, I understand why: each cut pile could represent a direction in the Medicine Wheel along with the qualities of that direction. For example, starting with pile one being that of the East usually signifying dawn, new beginnings, inspiration only to name a few. The next piles could be South, West and North, again, with their own qualities according to Tradition or intuitive inclination. There are probably many books and links on the internet outlining the many qualities of each direction so I leave those discoveries to you as that's half the fun. Also, I like to use the pendulum to guide me to the best possible image that would depict my energies for the day, but I think a random intuitiveness could yield some hefty results.

So. Simple directions: Divide your SoulCollage® deck into four piles, face down, assigning each a direction on the Medicine Wheel ~ or ~ go through each of the four piles to determine, intuitively and without looking at the backs, which four cards might feel best and arrange them into the directions, again face down. For my practice and knowledge, I like to start in the East and work my way to North clockwise, but choose where you want to start for yourself. The only constants are the directions ~ how you start is up to you. Once the four cards are laid out, either use a pendulum (again, my favorite tool) to get an idea of which direction and image holds the best energies for the day ~ or ~ use some of that random intuitiveness and just pick what you're drawn to.

Then dialog with that image from the perspective of the direction. For example, my choice for today is as follows:

Knitting Goddess in the East

Today your energies are found in new beginnings, inspiration, the Dawn of a New Day with me, the Knitting Goddess! We're looking at a new knitting project. We're looking at ways you can knit life back together. What I have to tell you from the East is to find new ways in knitting together past and present. The past can't be changed but your perspective of it can be. Knit that new perspective into the Now, creating a new pattern for life not only for Self but also for others.

You can stop reading the laid out cards there and leave that as the Daily Draw or continue on to the other directions to see what perspectives they hold for you, thus creating a full reading. Play with it. If you're feeling adventurous, add Center and assign any meanings to that position which work for you, either the You In This Moment or as You Being in Center. Have fun and enjoy!

let this walk be a prayer . . .

2011-09-09T11:23:00.001-04:00

As my feet led me down the road, my mind began to ramble. I don't take my iPod with me for walks. All the better to hear the environment or to listen for cars and thoughts speeding by. I thought of walking as a prayer. Some portion of Annie Dillard's words from Pilgrim at Tinker Creek came to mind: "And like Billy Bray, I go my way, and my left foot says 'Glory,' and my right foot says 'Amen:' in and out of Shadow Creek, upstream and down, exultant, in a daze, dancing, to the twin silver trumpets of praise."

Mainly, the Left Foot, Right Foot words kept going in the mental loop. How can this walk be a prayer?

Let this walk be a prayer for the Earth because She sustains life.
Let this walk be a prayer for the trees because they are going to sleep soon.
Let this walk be a prayer for art because it feeds my soul.
Let this walk be a prayer for So-and-so because they need it.

And if I came back to So-and-so or something else the reason for the prayer would change.

My walk was a prayer for trees, rocks, squirrels, my health, my family, my friends (listed individually ~ it was a long walk), God Herself, favorite people, not-so-favorite people, art, breath, feet . . . Each thing listed had a reason for prayer ~ sustenance, love, meanings to me, qualities specific, reasons unknown. I walked down off my dirt road looping through the development at the bottom of the hill and onto my road again looking for reasons to pray along the way.

Back at the top of the hill, the theme from Rocky interrupted any further praying. It's a big hill worthy of some notice once crested. Trumpeting composed by Bill Conti is good.

13 & belated love notes from Irene

2011-09-08T13:21:00.000-04:00

Bennie's 13th Birthday Wand
made w/ a rose stem, a crystal Brownie's rooster feathers,
ribbon and beads.

someone's back yard on Route 9

a HumVee driving thru

someone else's yard

the plaza

yet another HumVee

plaza all a-wash

deep water for the HumVee

deep water for the pick-up

Ah, Foundry Dam . . .

Damn!

one of a few trees down

water bubbling up from a drain on Barrett Pond Rd

a rescue in progress

infusions and sexy garden stuff

2011-08-23T12:46:00.000-04:00

Nourishing herbal infusions.

Today is Infusion Making Day. This morning I'm infusing 3 quarts of nettles and 1 quart of oatstraw. Both are great for what I need ~ feeding and nourishing my body, soothing the nerves. And so easy to make as outlined here. Susun Weed's videos are informative, vibrant and well worth watchin. She's a pip.

And now I leave you with some sexy garden photos Bennie took as I was weeding and then sowing another round of lettuces and chards. Yummy!

A Rose of Sharon with a bee.

Sage, sunflower and lemon balm.

A delicious Black Krim

A flashy zinnia hanging out with the squash.

A brilliant red Sweet Cherry pepper.

The only radishes we got this year.

Obiwan chillin' with the tomatoes.

A beauteous Martha Washington geranium.