Path Work ~ Search and Surrender

Today's walk started on the woods trails. I built these trails.  Except for an occasional bit of chainsaw work the trails are my project.  I keep them open and occasionally expand the network.  The trails work began when my son started Kindergarten.  I found I had a bit of extra time and I wanted trails.  I love to be and work in the woods.  I tend to stay on the path.  Today I was thinking of the idea of path. Why is that we tend towards this order and ease. I crossed the path of deer.  They too seem to stick to their repeated track.  Staying on track, follow your path, the path of least resistance....

I came to the were the trail ended in the field and decided it was time to turn off the beaten track.  A little wandering was warranted on this lovely day.  The walking conditions were very good the bit of snow was well packed and frozen. A turn....

As I wandered so did my thoughts.  I had no destination in mind just whichever way I could get though.  I saw a few interesting sights...

 a yellow leaf cradling snow

a captured pine cone

Then a thought came to me.  A couple of years ago when I had wandered off the trails I had found the remnants of a fort built by my son.  Not really a fort.  It was a pallet and a rope hanging off a branch.  I was surprised to find it then.  I thought I had known of all his doings in the woods.  But this was a secret place.  Today I wanted to find it.  It was a strong desire.  A mini obsession.  I just wanted to see it.  I know it must still be there.

I went though brush and had tree branches whack me in the face.  I zigged and I zagged.  I went one way then doubled back.  I set up a search grid.  I just wanted to see that little creation.  I craved that remembrance.  I was yearning for yesterday...

   I climbed over stone walls and then back again.  I wasn't going to give up.  It had to be there.  The woods are so open right now...how could I miss it?  I continued to search...

I finally came near the house and I stopped.  Tears rolled down my cheeks.  I took a breath.  I felt my feet touching the earth and came back to the present.  My son is just 18. He will be graduating this spring.  The teen years have not been easy.  Not bad, but not easy.  Before puberty it was bliss between he and I.  It was the most wonderful time of my life.  I have been telling my self that I am healthily detached from his impending leaving and I will NOT have the empty nest feelings.  It is as it should be.  But today, how I felt in the woods, pointed me to another path that needs to be created.  It is a bittersweet byway of joy and grief as my one and only child goes his merry way.  So I surrendered my search.  I will let that place in the woods be among his many secrets.  I am content with the knowledge that time did exists.  It is now, it is now, it is now....

Happy Trails

Pause & See ~~~ Icescapes

WHEN THE WATER POT

BURST THAT SILENT NIGHT WITH COLD

MY EYES SPLIT OPEN 

Basho

Today at Duckingham Palace I was hurrying through my chores because it was so darn cold! Out of the corner of my eye I glanced at the duck pond and saw these unusual white spots.  I came is for a closer look.  They were spring bubbles trapped frozen in the ice.  I scurried back to the house to get my camera. I braved the cold without mittens and snapped these photos. The photos have not been edited in anyway.  Just auto setting and a bit of zoom.  This beauty took my breath away. I can say no more...except my own haiku for the moment...

MY WORDS HAVE GONE

FROZEN INTO THE POND ICE

PAUSE AND SEE BEAUTY

Orah

This a regular feature I plan to include in this blog.  I try to see something new each day.  It is part of my practice in "seeing".  The art of seeing is essential to any creative work in my humble opinion.  My favorites are the ones that stop me in my tracks!  Like so many folks I have a very busy mind that I struggle to quiet.  But by creating this practice it has given me many opportunities to pause and be with a new wonder.  I love to wonder about wonders.  These little seeings can be just the jolt my creative process needs to get out of a rut.  But mostly they provide a pause which is that moment of peace I need to heal from a frustration. These seeings are grounding for me and bring me to the present.  I will admit to laughing out loud with joy over some of these discoveries. They are a moment of childlike wonder!  

"When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky"             ~~~Buddha

~~~Gratitude~~~

 A Month of Gratitude!

Feeling pretty grateful today.  I had a tough time choosing what to gratitude about.  This has been an amazing month, especially for January.  The day started with a nice breakfast cookstove style.  I had my first good walk in days seeing that the temperature rose to a whooping 10 degrees!  I even warmed enough to take my gloves off for part of the walk. Maine has had incredible temperature fluctuations this month.  It has been a roller coaster of warm to frigid with more warm on the horizon then more cold to follow.  Along with record breaking temps I have broken my own record for seeing Reiki Clients for any January since I started my practice in 2006! (thanks to my wonderful clients!)  Also, happy to say I have had the most Etsy sales this month of any month since opening a year ago!  (thanks to Etsy & the world wide web)  I started the month completely behind with my bookkeeping (thought January would be slow and I would have nothing better to do).  But, Friday I finished my bookkeeping and did our taxes!  I play a little game.....I don't "allow" myself to do my seed order until I get our taxes done.  So now it is the seed catalog reward!  

I just want to send out a thank-you to all who have been a part of this wonderful month!

It is my intention, each Sunday, to share something that fills me with Gratitude. 

I write ~~~Gratitude~~~ with the wavy lines to represent the gratitude ENERGY~~~~~! 

I hope you will join me and share your gratitude moments. 

~~~Amen, Blessed Be, Namaste'~~~

Staying Warm

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr is the word of the day.  Runa and Vern had the right idea...long nap together!  Being outside today was ouchy!  I gave my ducks extra hay for snuggling (sorry no photos..too cold!)  Runa did laps around the house, guess she figured there was going to be no walk today.  EXTRA gratitude to my 2 fired up wood stove keeping the house toasty!  Warm thoughts to all who need them!

Winter Roses

A year has past in my Etsy journey.  The time has come for some re-evaluation. There is a lot of energy as a maker that can be put towards our holidays.  Much time can be spent thinking about the next holiday and having things made that are fitting and on time (if not early!).  For me it takes away from the present as well as distracts from my creative path desires.  As a single soul I have only so much time to create and I want to bring my self back to my truth and not just ask~~~what might sell~~~but~~~what makes my heart sing!?!

Yet, I can be dogged about an idea.  Some things need to be seen to there end.  So last summer I had an idea for Valentines Day involving the lovely rose patch on this land I call home.  It is huge!  A 100 foot in diameter briar patch of beautiful white double blossom wild roses.  I think they must have been planted by past inhabitants.  They are in area near a filled in stone well but no signs of any former dwellings.  I love to collect and dry a few petals for my own uses each year but, with Etsy I got ambitious!  In my mind am like some Victorian lady with my collecting basket (I "look" like Anne of Green Gables) but in actuality I am wearing a heavy long sleeve shirt, tough work pants, and steel toe boot.  Even with that protection I end up scratched to pieces...these suckers are thorny!

"If you enjoy the fragrance of a rose, you must accept the thorns which it bears."  Isaac Hayes

One of my "thorns" has been completing this project.  I lost some of my steam for the idea plus, January has been busier than I anticipated.  I have been bless with steady Etsy sales, weekly Reiki clients, vexed with year end bookkeeping, and my first venture into the college financial aid fun!  But as I mentioned I am dogged.  So I did complete some cute upcycled wool heart shaped sachets filled with dried rose petals.  It was a lovely aroma in my sewing room during the process.  I think the scent of roses must be a calming...it worked for me!

Now that these hearts are completed I plan to follow my own heart's beat with my makings...more dream weaving, yarn spinning, and sewing to mend at least my soul...

Winter Sky

Sunday Sky

 What a beautiful gift from nature

~~~Magic Moment~~~

Song at Sunset

By Walt Whitman

1819-1892

---

Splendor of ended day floating and filling me, 
Hour prophetic, hour resuming the past, 
Inflating my throat, you divine average, 
You earth and life till the last ray gleams I sing. 

Open mouth of my soul uttering gladness, 
Eyes of my soul seeing perfection, 
Natural life of me faithfully praising things, 
Corroborating forever the triumph of things. 

Illustrious every one! 
Illustrious what we name space, sphere of unnumber'd spirits, 
Illustrious the mystery of motion in all beings, even the tiniest insect, 
Illustrious the attribute of speech, the senses, the body, 
Illustrious the passing light--illustrious the pale reflection on 
the new moon in the western sky, 
Illustrious whatever I see or hear or touch, to the last. 

Good in all, 
In the satisfaction and aplomb of animals, 
In the annual return of the seasons, 
In the hilarity of youth, 
In the strength and flush of manhood, 
In the grandeur and exquisiteness of old age, 
In the superb vistas of death. 

Wonderful to depart! 
Wonderful to be here! 
The heart, to jet the all-alike and innocent blood! 
To breathe the air, how delicious! 
To speak--to walk--to seize something by the hand! 
To prepare for sleep, for bed, to look on my rose-color'd flesh! 
To be conscious of my body, so satisfied, so large! 
To be this incredible God I am! 
To have gone forth among other Gods, these men and women I love. 

Wonderful how I celebrate you and myself 
How my thoughts play subtly at the spectacles around! 
How the clouds pass silently overhead! 
How the earth darts on and on! and how the sun, moon, stars, dart on and on! 
How the water sports and sings! (surely it is alive!) 
How the trees rise and stand up, with strong trunks, with branches 
and leaves! 
(Surely there is something more in each of the trees, some living soul.) 

O amazement of things--even the least particle! 
O spirituality of things! 
O strain musical flowing through ages and continents, now reaching 
me and America! 
I take your strong chords, intersperse them, and cheerfully pass 
them forward. 

I too carol the sun, usher'd or at noon, or as now, setting, 
I too throb to the brain and beauty of the earth and of all the 
growths of the earth, 
I too have felt the resistless call of myself. 

As I steam'd down the Mississippi, 
As I wander'd over the prairies, 
As I have lived, as I have look'd through my windows my eyes, 
As I went forth in the morning, as I beheld the light breaking in the east, 
As I bathed on the beach of the Eastern Sea, and again on the beach 
of the Western Sea, 
As I roam'd the streets of inland Chicago, whatever streets I have roam'd, 
Or cities or silent woods, or even amid the sights of war, 
Wherever I have been I have charged myself with contentment and triumph. 

I sing to the last the equalities modern or old, 
I sing the endless finales of things, 
I say Nature continues, glory continues, 
I praise with electric voice, 
For I do not see one imperfection in the universe, 
And I do not see one cause or result lamentable at last in the universe. 

O setting sun! though the time has come, 
I still warble under you, if none else does, unmitigated adoration. 

~~~Gratitude~~~

WOOD HEAT

 We have gone from a balmy warm thaw to the cold winds of the arctic sweeping down upon us!  So I am grateful this week for wood heat.  We have 2 wood stoves that heat our 1500 square foot passive solar home.  The Beauty and the Beast!

The Beauty is the Oval Heartland Cook Stove.  She look like an old fashion cook stove but she is a thoroughly modern.  She sports a extra large fire box and is air tight so she keeps a fire through the night.  Other features include a water tank for humidity and hot water. There is a nice warming oven up top.  I cook on the surface whenever she is fired up but, the oven is tricky.  Mostly, I use the oven for cooking squash and pumpkins.  And since my guy loves to polish things she is always looking her best!

The Beauty

The Beast is a boiler plate one of kind that lives in our cellar.  It was made by an unknown welder of great talent.  20 years ago we paid $150 for this monster.  He will take a 26 inch log.  When this guy is fired up it is like having radiant floor heat. Plus, we have a great grate (couldn't resist!) that allows the heat to flow easily to the main floor.  Another bonus is the the cellar cloth line for drying our laundry!  Prior to building this place we lived in a 200 year old drafty farm house.  We had to dress for the outdoors indoors.  After our first winter here I donated a truckload of sweaters to the thrift shop.  I am typing this in a sleeveless dress right now!  My guys are always barefoot...I like to wear socks.  So gratitude to warmth, the crackle of logs, the simmering of soup, and laundry drying for free!

HEAT!

More Heat

Beechwood fires are bright & clear

If logs are kept a year

Chestnuts only good they say,

if for long its laid away.

Birch and fir logs burn too fat

Blaze up bright and do not last.

Elm wood burns like a churh yard mould

E'en the very flames are cold.

Polplar gives a bitter smoke

Fills your eyes and makes you choke.

Apple wood will scent your room

with an incense like perfume.

Oak and Maple, if dry and old

keep away the winter cold.

But Ash wood wet and ash wood dry

a King shall warm his slippers by.  

Cilia Congrave 1930

It is my intention, each Sunday, to share something that fills me with Gratitude. 

I write ~~~Gratitude~~~ with the wavy lines to represent the gratitude ENERGY~~~~~! 

I hope you will join me and share your gratitude moments. 

~~~Amen, Blessed Be, Namaste'~~~

New Snow

feeling quiet~~~my early morning walk~~~yesterday

GOING SNOW-VIEWING   ONE BY ONE THE   WALKERS VANISH... WHITELY FALLING VEILS
KATSURI

Wire Bending Mania, Buy 3 get one Free, and 10% off!

I make these crazy ornaments I call Tendrils.  It all started about 20 years ago when we built our current home.  When one builds there are scrapes.  I have trouble throwing anything away.  My partner in life...I will refer to as "HE" who wishes to remain blog-nonymous...has no trouble discarding things that are not needed in the present moment.  So when he wasn't looking I gathered up all the wire scrapes and stowed them in the attic.  The attic is my territory and my loving HE stays out of the attic which contributes greatly to relationship harmony!  Anyways, I keep stuff with the intention of making use of it someday.  I wait for inspiration.  One day in the garden inspiration came while picking peas.  I was enthralled by the beautiful little pea tendrils.  I love all their seemly random twists and turns.  Then a light bulb moment, I thought of my wire stash and a jar of marbles that I had...before that day was over Tendrils were born!

Since that time I have expanded my wire wrapped objects to included stones, sea glass, sea pottery, and just this weekend glass globs that I found at a thrift shop.  I have sold them over the years at many different venues...I couldn't keep them all!  Now they can be found at www.injoyemporium.etsy.com I sold a few a week ago and the customer asked if I could duplicate the ones she bought.  I needed to make 3.  I ended up making 30.  Once I start I just keep going!  I love the organic process of bending the wire.  Each ornament is different.  Once the wire is bent there is no going back and straightening.  Each bend is a tiny commitment to the overall design.  Thinking is a hindrance to this process...just flow!

So today I am listing 22 new Tendrils in the Emporium.  The remaining 8 are in my stash of giveaway ornaments.  Buy 3 and get ONE FREE!  Plus~~until 1-31-13 use coupon code INJOY10 and save 10% on everything in either of my shops!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BUY ANY 3 Copper Tendril Ornaments and RECEIVE one FREE Marble Tendril.

(FREE one is MY CHOICE from UNLISTED stash)    Any questions please convo me.

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Here are a few photos of this weekends making...

Work Space~~~Dinner Table~~~TV Trays Tonight

22 Tendrils ready to photograph and list on Etsy

Very Clear Sea Glass

Glass Glob~~~I Goggled the name~~~they are called Globs!

A neat piece of Sea Pottery
https://www.etsy.com/listing/120479526/terracotta-arrow-triangle-sea-pottery

Really like these arrow shapes!  The photo doesn't show it but, this stone has sparkly mica .

~~~Gratitude~~~

Magic Moments

 I am Grateful for magical moments.  This was how I viewed the moon earlier this week.  It was right at sun rise...or...moon set.  I think we experience magic and beauty so we will pause and be in the moment.  Our human way of life is so hustle and bustle that it is easy to get caught up in the torrent of daily doings.  I believe we are wired to have our breath taken away to remind us to breath.  This moment did that for me.  Speech Less!

Moments of Magic

Ashok

When grace descends on you,
unannounced and unexpected,

When your prayers are answered,
and you are given more than you asked,

When your love is reciprocated,
and your calls are returned,

When you are content with life,
and your heart knows true peace,

When the existence resonates,
in silence with your being,

you are blessed to live,
in those magical moments.

Let this moment pass in quiet gratitude,
Let this moment remain forever,

For, some words are better left unsaid,
The soul remembers them forever!

It is my intention, each Sunday, to share something that fills me with Gratitude. 

I write ~~~Gratitude~~~ with the wavy lines to represent the gratitude ENERGY~~~~~! 

I hope you will join me and share your gratitude moments. 

~~~Amen, Blessed Be, Namaste'~~~

Thaw

Thaw~~~ to be freed from the physical effect of frost.

I have been a bit frozen lately, but not by the winter winds.  I have been in a sort of creation freeze. I haven't made anything in a while.  The holiday hoopla usually hampers my production flow.  I am full of ideas but, I have trouble getting beyond the in my head and out my hands stage.  I am so easily distracted by the day to day this and that...so before I know it the sun has set and I am pooped.  (bet this sounds familiar)  To over come these slumps I give my self a "Creation Day".  Today was one.  On Creation Day only the bare minimum of chores are allowed.  And I make something, anything, just make myself make.

So today I woke up from a night of insomnia.  I was super tired.  But I was committed to getting unstuck so I started the day with a nap!  I napped from 8:00 am to 8:45 am.  Perfection!  I was good to go.  I zipped through the duck chores, a snow shoe with Runa, a few Etsy emails.  I warmed up by finishing the threading (warping) of my little loom.  Then into the sewing room to make......a mess!  A happy mess.  I love to have fabric and thread flying.  My process is not neat or tidy, it is creative chaos!  In that pandemonium an inner calm arises.  I feel my pent up ideas releasing and "becoming".  I worked on some love ideas with Valentines Day in mind.  But found more inspiration from the book I just started to listen too today, No Man is an Island by Thomas Merton (9 hour unabridged read by Jonathan Montaldo)  

I have had more "productive" days but I feel I have turned the corner.  I have got my rhythm back.  Loosened, melted, rekindled, coalesced....ok I will step away from the thesaurus....   Here is some of the proof of the pudding...

Finished Warping and Even Spun a Bit!

My Mirthful Mess...and it is going to get messier!

It really is a January Thaw....Enjoying my Lunch Break Outside in the Winter Sun!!

Sending You Some