---Shop News---

Time for the Etsy MaineTeam CashMob to Begin!

Tomorrow is "The Day" but I don't want to stay up until midnight to activate my coupon code  ---> cashmob13  <--- my code is active NOW!  One day Only save 30% in any of my shops using this code.  This will be my only sale for the rest of the year so I wanted to make it a good one!  I am not alone with great deals for tomorrow.  Search maineteam (one word) to see what my teammates have to offer.  The Etsy Maine Team is a fun bunch!  We are super supportive of each other.  So here is a chance to shop local from the comfort of your computer!

To get the festivities really rolling I am having a CONTEST!!!!

My all MAINETEAM Treasury has a "secret" message!  Can you name this tune?  Leave a comment here at my blog with the correct name of the tune and I will pick, randomly, from all the right answers a winner.  The winner will receive a coupon code good for $10 off at one of my 4 Etsy Shops.  The winner gets to choose which shop.  Contest ends Saturday morning November 9th, 2013 ~~ whenever I get up!  

https://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTcxMjU5OTF8MjcyMjY3MTQ1NQ/name-this-tune?ref=pr_treasury

***Tuesday's Tip*** (late)

This is how we left the shower mid September

What a long strange trip its been...Today's blog will be long on photos and short on words...I will admit to being pretty pooped!  We started this shower project at the beginning of September.  Then we took a "break" in order to get our wood in and the gardens to bed. 

With the outside work done it was time to dive in!

From Saturday - Tuesday we worked on the tile finally--->

I did not always look this happy!

It was a supreme group effort.  The group being me, my DH, Google Search, YouTube, & the Schluter Shower Systems 1-800 #!!!  I am filled with gratitude that we managed to do this job.  We did question our sanity on several occasions!  All is well that ends well~~~ahhhh.

We are short a few doodads that we need to complete the glass blocks.  Ordered them online.  Once the glass blocks are completed we can grout the whole shower.  Then shower!

Oh! Yeah! my tip....when I am going to do dusty, dirty jobs I like to coat my hair with coconut oil.  It makes a nice conditioner and protector.  I use olive oil too but, coconut oil smells nicer!

My FB status yesterday was ---> Shower nearly done ~~~ Marriage intact!  We had a few moments.  But after so many projects we have learned to find a way quickly past our little lackings of patience.  Today we took the day off and had a campfire.  It was just what our souls needed!

“Ah, to build, to build! That is the noblest art of all the arts. Painting and sculpture are but images, are merely shadows cast by outward things on stone or canvas, having in themselves no separate existence. Architecture, existing in itself, and not in seeming a something it is not, surpasses them as substance shadow.”

 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

~~~Gratitude~~~~

Synchronicity is one of my favorite words.

Merriam -Webster's...

syn·chro·nic·i·ty    \ˌsiŋ-krə-ˈni-sə-tē, ˌsin-\

noun

• 1 : the quality or fact of being synchronous
• 2 : the coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events (assimilar 
• thoughts in widely separated persons or a mental image of an unexpected event before it happens) that seem related but are not explained by conventional mechanisms of causality — used especially in the psychology of C. G. Jung

Other forms: plural syn·chro·nic·i·ties

First use: circa 1889

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

Ok folks, it hit me on Wednesday, while I was watching a PBS Nova ( http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/zero/ ) all about cold...very cool... (can't help my Self) At the end of the program  I burst into tears and not because Absolute Zero cannot be attained ... Guess particles that are waves can't quite settle into stillness...so no absolute stillness either!   Anyways, I burst into tears because I was watching NOVA alone...the first time in 18 years.  Suppose that is pretty obvious  math.  I so wanted a conversation with the one who is now in college....but not so much that I want him here.

Thursday...Halloween...Samhain....the day that feels like New Years to me.......

All the fall chores are done, the house is buttoned up for winter.  Time to enter the dark, the womb time to be followed by spring birth......... I so wanted a pomegranate.  I know that seems rather random but, it is a tradition going back to my girlhood to eat a pomegranate on Halloween.  My dad would bring one for my sisters and I each year.  Not sure why, maybe to offset the candy or just that they are in season.  We would have so much fun slowly eating them kernel by kernel.  We would see who could end up with the bloodiest looking mouth.  But I had forgotten to plan for a pomegranate.  There are no stores closer than 30 minutes away.....

So I DESIRED a good critical thinking conversation & a pomegranate.

The universe provides....

I finally was able to  vectored with a friend that I share critical thinking dialogue .... We had been trying for a couple of weeks to set a phone time..the stars did align on this day!  The conversation was grounding...which made realize how ungrounded I had been since the boyo left....

That evening I had planned a little get together with a couple of close women friends.  I did not want to spend Halloween alone!  When my first friend arrived she pulled from her bag ... YOU GUESSED IT ... a pomegranate!!!!  She had NO idea of my tradition or desire!  I felt sooo Happy!  (and had a wonder FULL evening)

I am Full of Thanks!  

Honey greek yogurt and dark chocolate pomegranate

What if you were to indulge
Just completely let go
Sink into your selfishness
Become drenched in your desires
Flush every pore with everything you ever wanted
Taste it savor it
So rich your your tongue becomes thick with it
Frothy and smooth
Not one grain of saltiness
Not a hesitation
No fear of consequence or responsibility
Just saturated with pure bliss
Overflowing at the brim

by N http://hellopoetry.com/-n-1/

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'~~~

---Shop News--- & Etsy MaineTeam Cash Mob

Seems like if I can wrap wire around it I will!  I have 2 new creation categories at InJoyGatherings Shop ~~ Garlands & Globs.  I'll start with the globs.  I found a big bag of green, sky blue, cobalt blue, & clear glass globby things at the thrift shop....they are very pretty and here is what I did with them....

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/167518046/blue-christmas-glass-copper-ornament-buy?ref=shop_home_active

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/167651108/green-christmas-glass-copper-ornament?ref=shop_home_active

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/167655940/cobalt-blue-christmas-glass-copper?ref=shop_home_active

https://www.etsy.com/listing/167656394/clear-glass-christmas-glass-copper?ref=shop_home_active

This just a sampling...there are more in the shop and more to be listed...these are listed with the same Tendril offer of buy 3 get one vintage Marble Tendril FREE...this offer lasts until I lose all my marbles! ;)

Ok Garlands....I was rummaging at old hardware sort of salvage place and found a bunch of interesting copper colored steel sash chain.  Well, when I see a copper color I want to get wrapping.  The Tendril Garland has been Invented!

Beach Stones

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/167667054/beach-stone-copper-garland-6-ft-vintage?ref=shop_home_active

Tiny Green Marbles

https://www.etsy.com/listing/167670649/green-glass-copper-garland-6-feet-long?ref=listing-shop-header-3

Sea Glass 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/167676703/green-white-beach-sea-glass-copper?ref=listing-shop-header-1

and Clear Marbles

https://www.etsy.com/listing/167665080/clear-glass-copper-garland-6-feet-long?ref=listing-shop-header-2

If I only had more time.......but it is back to puppet making now...oh...still FUN!

And todays Treasury.....MAINETEAM! CASH MOB next Friday November 8th 

SAVE 30% off in any of my shops that day only ~~~ coupon code cashmob13

https://www.etsy.com/treasury/MzQ0Mzg3MTh8MjcyMjY0MTMwNQ/eco-gifts-from-maine?ref=pr_treasury

Randomness

I missed posting my Sunday Gratitude.  Tuesdays Tip toppled into my tasks....

I have no tip this week.  My mind is somewhat empty.  I seem to have the bottomless list...but there is a light at the end of my tunnel of toiI....& I am Grateful!  Had another kick ass weekend.  The plan was to tile the shower but those outdoor chores on my list called instead.  And a good thing too....first ICE this morning!

This will be my duckies 5th winter!  I hope they are ready.  I know I am ready for winter and the rest it will create in my life.  

List of what was done:

final coat of paint in the bathroom

wired the new lights 

wired new pressure switch for well pump

brush cut my trails ~ ready for snowshoeing!

moved school bus shelter to an interesting place..next blog..I hope...with more on this!

pressure switch wasn't working right...spent quality time with DH lying on the cellar floor noting the switch on and off point...turn power on and off to turn a nut just a bit more then running up stairs to check the pressure in the tub then realizing we need to clean the water filter in the water heater..did that...too tired for a bath

6 loads of laundry now that the water is working again....these are moments when you know your marriage is working!

I would like you to meet my favorite power tool that I use...really the only one.  I do not care to run the tractors.  The lawnmower messes with my shoulder bursitis.  The BCS walk behind tractor is too much of a beast for me.  BUT the weed whacker and I are real pals!  I do about 90% of the weed whacking around here.  This machine enables me with my trail obsessions!

Presenting ---> Wilma Weed Whacker

I am the Queen of the Weed Whacker!

My weed whackers crown resides on one of my many "altars".  Look closely and you will see homage to my sons dinosaur years, saints, the plans for the big shed, and a lucky charm found during one of the tillings.

....and just another neat sight...shadow frost....

~A Bunch of Randomness~

There is only one thing I am certain of....

Change.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~

Faithful are actions
But never,
are words.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Consciousness, what is that really?
Moments awake and aware?
Being aware we're aware?

What are we when not;
unaware, asleep, semi-conscious....
Are we less or more alive at those
in between moments just before waking?

For in moments dreams drift,
and are we not riding those moments
Fully aware we're dreaming?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

writ ten randomly on 5-30-08 

Sinnaminsun Sinnaminsun

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-bunch-of-randomness/

---Shop News--- & Etsy MaineTeam Cash Mob

Now that the Gardens are DONE 

(well my new list is getting pretty long...but just a lot of little jobs...) 

Thread has been flying!  

3 new puppet are listed in  www.injoyecocutie.etsy.com 

Moose ~ Rose ~ Monarch Butterfly

I thought I was done making puppets.  I started making them back when I tried to sell handweaving at craft coops and fairs 20+ years ago.  Weaving is a tough to sell so I made puppets to make my rent at the craft coop.  My patterns have been stored away in the attic for years. When I opened my EcoCutie Shop they started to call me.  The truth is I love puppets!  Not just making them but playing with them too.

Mr. Moose is a totally new design this fall.  Have you ever hear of the book, If You Give a Moose a Muffin, by Laura Numeroff?  (love this book...read it many times!)  Well, if you give a fiber gal a fleece she makes a Moose Puppet.  Back in September at the Common Ground Fair I swore I would NOT buy a fleece...I have enough stuff and enough to do!  But then I found this beautiful, to me, 5 pound Cotswold yummy brown fleece for $3.00 a pound!! I couldn't pass it up.  It has nice light brown tips that I noticed matched this light brown felt I had recently aquired....well I saw a MOOSE!  It took 3 prototypes to get him right...I just love him.  He is a bit of a ham too!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/166987730/maine-moose-brown-hand-puppet-kids?ref=listing-shop-header-2

Puppets Make Great Tree Toppers!

Add rose oil to the mouth of Ms. Rosetta then she won't have stamen breath ~ LOL 

Really, it is another way to give a roses to someone!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/166999411/pink-rose-hand-puppet-kids-toy-eco?ref=shop_home_active

Not all the Monarch Butterflies have flown South!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/166989782/black-orange-monarch-butterfly-hand?ref=listing-shop-header-0

(here is another blog post about my puppets if this isn't enough)
http://injoyemporium.blogspot.com/2013/06/shop-news.html

ANNOUNCING ~~~ ETSY MAINETEAM CASH MOB!!!

Go to Etsy and type in maineteam <--- one word ---> to start deciding what you want so you can <3 ahead of time.  Buy Local on Line (for my Maine Readers). Many shops will be having specials that day including me!  For November 8th ONLY use coupon code cashmob13 in any of my 4 shops and save 30%!  This will be my only sale this holiday season.

https://www.facebook.com/MaineTeam

***Tuesday's Tip***

Ok Tuesday's Tip is a day late...but I was harvesting the carrots yesterday!  This is my LAST BIG outside job.  With what I did over the weekend and yesterday I can now make a new list! Woot! Woot!  I mean to blog more...but...this Is my first year blogging during  harvest, send a kid to college, way behind on Etsy, and need to add bookkeeping to my list, Autumn.  So NOW I hope to be more regular again!!!

Before Harvest (Kale in the foreground)

Carrot Harvesting Tips:

Pull your carrot on a cloudy dry day.  Leave them out in the garden before you pack them.  

Do NOT wash them before storage.

    

Get your boxes ready.  I found these Fish Boxes at Hamilton Marine, Searsport, Maine.  The work great and will stack inside each other for storage or flip them around and the stack on top of each other.  Then get your packing material ready.  I like dewy morning raked leaves.  I have tried a number of packing materials of over the years.  Wood chips were too drying, peat moss was too messy, sand was to heavy...but...leaves are juuuust right!  I have been using leaves for about 4 years with great success keeping my carrots until nearly spring and then I can just add them to the compost pile.  Leaves smell nice too.

A layer of leaves and then a layer of carrots.  I cut the tops off as near that carrot as possible without cutting the carrot.  My biggies are Scarlet Keepers and as their name suggests they keep well.  My skinnies are Nantes Half Longs, not the best keepers...if my son hadn't gone off to college there would have been none to harvest. (experimented today with shipping him some via priority mail...he is my carrot kid!)  The Nantes tops will snap right off but, the Scarlet's require a knife.  I sort out any weirdy or super small carrots to use first.   

I got done just as the rain started to fall!  Another layer of leaves..no cover just leaves and into the cold room they go!  We have an insulated cold room.  It is around 60 degrees right now but should cool down to 40ish by the end of the week ~~~ cold winds are coming!  

After all the carrotiness I feel a bit like a goofy carrot-actor....so time for some fun!

My favorite weirdy LOVE carrots of the bunch! 

Shel Silverstein 

 Natasha "Juice From a Carrot or Two"

CarroActer Cake

In a Bowl of Sanity
Add a Cup of Heartiness
a Cup of Wisdom
a Cup of Kindness
Two Drops of Tears  
And three Cups of Smiles

Mix Well Until Smooth

Add a Cup of Fate
a Cup of Compassion
And Two Cups of Passion

If It Feels Dry
Add Two More Drops of Tears
And Keep Mixing Without Fears

Then Gently Mix In
Two Cups of Sincerity
And a Cup of Attention

Mix Until It Sticks To the Bowl
And Until Foamy Peaks Form

Add a Cup of Strength
a Cup of Integrity
a Pinch of Doubt
And a Cup of Trust

a Pinch of Naivety
a Pinch of Bitterness
And a Pinch of Spice
Juice From a Carrot or Two
Be Very Careful
Not To Overdo

When It Feels Fluffy And Light
When It Tastes Pleasantly Right
Serve All Above
Generously Sprinkled
With Love

:) :) :)

~Natasha~

http://hellopoetry.com/words/carrot/poems/