Blessings

Heads & Hands & Happy Halloween!

Heads to be ... Hands to heal and light the way ... Heads to open, honor and to ponder ... Heads and hands to create our worlds ... and a Happy Happy Halloween!

A-ha! Stars

Today I willed myself to learn to make these crocheted stars. To the seasoned crocheter, this is pretty remedial, but I've tried to make these several times over the years, following the written instructions in one of my needlework books. Reading those cryptic patterns is very challenging for me. Today I had one of those magical A-ha! moments that finally enabled me to understand and execute.

I love learning new things. Even when I have nothing particular in mind to which the lessons may apply.

I also made a yummy roasted vegetable soup from some garden harvests too.

That's what I made today.

Apple Starts

Today I went apple picking with a new and rather wonderful friend. You know, those rare folk with whom you feel a subtle, yet undeniable connection. So I came home with apples. Many apples, and now have many apple-ish projects lined up for the days ahead. But today I made the first batch of brandied applesauce and started - what you see here in the photo - a batch of apple-cardamom brandy cordial.

That's what I made today.

Acts of Love

Yesterday and today I worked on some new little pieces of art and love. I enjoy the process of creating these Impressions of Nature so much - from wandering the wild places and collecting the trimmings and pressing them, to choosing the leaves and words that belong together, to mixing the colors and mediums, to working them into the layers of love that they will become.

That's what I made today.

Headway

Today I tackled a number of tasks of the variety that hold little appeal for me. Today opted to be my day of responsibility, so I made a bit of ceremony to help put me in the frame of mind that I felt was needed to clear what I perceived as a hurdle. I prepped and smudged my workspace and invested several moments with my frame drum to further clear the space and ground my intention.

I took up my tools and commenced to catch up on things that had I let go a bit too long with a solid sense of satisfaction. I managed other impending deadlines with a grace that rather surprised me. I even got ahead on some work and planned my tasks for next Thursday and felt a cool sense of satisfaction wash over me - all before noon.

I recalled my corporate days when I prided myself in my capacity to manage multiple priorities, deadlines and assorted foolish tasks, pride that I wore like a badge of power. I found myself honoring that old badge with all its hard, razor-like edges, and also honoring the difference between then and now. Then I wore that badge most every day, now I need only risk the cuts of its adornment once a week.

The day was magnificent so I rewarded myself with hot cup of tea on the deck, under the warm October sun and felt a part of me open - a part that has been wriggling lately - to both release and take in a sense of Knowing that I had not felt in several months. The trees whispered to me, clearly. I felt an infinite points of connection. I grabbed my Tarot cards and flipped through them ... each one singing in a voice I have not heard in a while.

Something in this day of contrived balance offered headway in so many ways. And for this I am grateful. Ashe. Ashe.

An Homage

My mom gave me this little Halloween village several years ago and every October I am tickled as I set it up on my fireplace mantel ... and then enjoy its warm, welcoming and playful glow in these evenings of the thinning veils.

Lady's Love

On the window.

On the lawn chair.

On the deck rail.

On the siding.

On the screen.

On the kennel chain-link.

On Halley's kennel door.

On the pine tree.

On the deck step.

On the deck.

On me.

Charmed and Challenging Changes

I've kept distance from my blog these past few days. I've kept distance from other things too. That extra distance has offered me much-needed wiggle-room in my personal sphere of influence. You know, that time and space where we can be at one with our hearts, our souls, our passions, our Selves ... a place where we can see things more clearly, for what they are and assess where their value truly resides.

These past few days have nurtured me well. I've sat with lists. I've sat with card catalogs. I've sat with projects, plans and ideas, old and new. I've sat with all my dreams, passions, and responsibilities. Now ... I am cleaning house - so to speak - and creating a new order from the beautiful chaos that is my charmed life. An order that may or may not play out as I foresee, but I'll never know if I don't act on it, wear it around, see how it fits and feels.

I'm weaving together a new tapestry for myself ... one that has warp and weft of discipline and freedom, creation and destruction, utility and folly, order and chaos ... a holistic tapestry of life as - quite frankly - life truly is. As I consider this I can see that this is indeed a task already digested, assimilated and in progress. What a joy to discover that I've been weaving this wonder without full conscious awareness!

See? All things are connected!

So I take my dreams and begin defining and segmenting ... a day for the dispensary, a day for art, a day of whoring, a day of writing, a day of more art, a day of responsibility and a special day I've been missing for several years - a "weekend" day. I look at this and see that it fits rather nicely into that thing we call a week. It fits. So now, I take it - with all its charmed and challenging changes - to define it further, finish its edges and wrap myself in it!

Wish me well! Ashe. Ashe.

A Completed Resurrection

All my little 2008 watercolor ACEOs have been resurrected and are available for sale at my ArtFire Studio. This resurrection came on the tail of a request for their return and I am delighted that, as a result, the watercolors have made their way back to my work table!

These little paintings are made through a meditative method where my core focus hones in on the pure, organic creative process. I give the color palette some conscious consideration, but paint with no image in mind. The shapes and colors are allowed to make manifest on their own terms, not mine, and so emerge from a deep, peaceful and healing place within. It is a remarkably freeing technique and I love it!

I hope that you appreciate these little outcomes as much as I do the experience of being a vessel of their manifestation.

Peace.

October Harvests

The day opened with the first hint of autumn frost. I eventually made my way into the crisp air of the day and into the gardens. I harvested more winter squash. I harvested another large batch of kale and simmered it with garlic and herb-infused apple cider vinegar. I also harvested more horseradish roots and made another lovely batch of horseradish to see me through the winter and into springtime.

That's what I made today.

More Kimchi

I chopped another savoy cabbage from the garden along with other assorted vegetables to make another quart of lacto-fermented kimchi.

It's so lovely and so good and so good for me.

I made this on the heals of the mini-workshop I facilitated on Saturday for an intimate gathering of Connecticut Herb Association members. I hope that those who attended were as motivated by the event as I was!

Lots

But I finished with finishing my new red winter hat. Though I think I may weave some black ribbon through the fold end. Dress is up a bit with a little contrast. That's what I made today.

My Own Flow

I’ve been so busy these past few days. Rather than bore you with all that I’ve been up to I will focus on the present (such as it is) and share with you my dreams, doings and makings just for today ... my day that (as they say) lies ahead.

Today I have some cords to spin for some very special folks ... so while my floss and yarns are out I will re-make order by tidying the anal retentive color sorting that supports me in manifesting my Spirit Cords and Spirit Chokers. Hey - true support - in every aspect of life - is (at the very least) a two way street.

Today I am making time to rest and renew. I feel I deserve it. I feel I have earned it. So once my cords are spun and floss and yarn in order I will roam my little acre a bit, then cuddle up on my little sofa with my blanket and a pot of hot tea, my crocheting and art journal (and probably this puter) within reach, and football on the idiot box. I can feel a nap in there somewhere too.

This afternoon when The Boy comes home from work, it will be our friday (he has tomorrow off) so this will be our chill time to share ... with some nice ale ... good food ... time outdoors ... perhaps around the fire ... with some drumming ... and lots of love. You see, this is why I’m posting early today, so that my time with my Self and later with my sweetie may simply flow without interruption.

So as I often say, as I dream my life, “As it is, so shall it be." So ... that’s what I made today.

You Could Win This

Be sure to head over to Mrs. B's 31 Days of Halloween on Friday for your chance to win this handspun Spirit Cord! The charming glass flask has a lovely lead-free celestial goddess pewter topper and is filled with one of my handcrafted frankincense oils.

So, enter there and leave a comment here - and if you're the winner you'll get an extra surprise - but only if you leave a comment. Mrs. B isn't the only sneaky trickster, you know!

Idle Effort

Today was one of those October days that offered the rare gift of spontaneous idle time in Nature. I made my way around my little acre without much in mind at all, simply taking in the details ... and letting them be. I leveraged this gift by making myself comfortable, feeling the breeze, and breathing with it. I opened my senses and closed my eyes and sunk into a delicious darkness at mid-day.

It still feels as if I was there, in that sweet darkness, for a long while, but the keepers of linear time indicated otherwise. Regardless, the darkness behind my eyes became as a blank screen that filled with ideas ... intriguing ideas ... and I still want to write them down, for I feel they may fade and vanish like a night dream at dawn.

I made time to kiss The Boy's hair goodbye ...

... before he had it chopped.

I love his ears. I really do.

And, of course, I made time in the day to visit Mrs. B's 31 Days of Halloween where today she's giving away a lovely Tarot Bag, a copy of the Field Guide to Candy, hand made gift boxes and a bundle of skully, ghouly, Halloweenie things! Be sure to check it Mrs. B's blog every day through Halloween for fun, info and cool give-aways!

Very Nice

Today, among other things, I made a very nice corn chowder with very nice golden squash and a very nice Vermont cheddar.

I made a very nice whole wheat corn bread to go with the chowder and served it a very nice green salad with tomatoes. Very nice. That's what I made today.

A Recovery

OK ... yesterday ... I made space in "my" kitchen for the "new" shaker set from Annie. Aren't they darling? And--hey, abundance in the kitchen is cool with me.

... I made room on the line for my fresh-n-clean vintage aprons. My sense is that all three came to my mother via her mother-in-law, my paternal grandmother, Ann Conway-Roast. Aren't they the coolest? I just love them!

I made a sweet raisin bread for invaders who never showed up, which was fine with me since it allowed me to relax, crochet and watch the Giants mop up the Chiefs.

The Boy has today off, so last night was our "friday night" and he and I and Ale had a party ... thus this catch-up recovery blog.

Oh ... and this morning ... when I lifted off the butter-dish cover ... I wondered, yet again ... in pure amazement ... just how is it that they have managed to get so much of the earthly power?

More later!

Kitchen Play

Today, after the tasks of utilitarian responsibility were managed, I made kitchen play. I made bread. I made pasta sauce. I cooked barley. I stepped outdoors time and again to make love with non-stop autumn drizzle that blessed my little acre. I made time to admire the most recent earthbound gifts to come my way ... three 1950s aprons from my mom which I will gently soak and hang out to dry when the rain stops ... and a salt and pepper shaker set from my friend Annie, a set that belonged to her grandmother who shared some semblance of my name.

I made time (as I will every day in October) to visit Mrs. B’s 31 Days of Halloween to enjoy the day’s blog links and enter in today’s give-aways. Today you could win a vampire style belly dance vest or a cute set of Skele-pins or a lovely full moon print from Spirit Fox Photography!

By the way, yesterday, I was a winner - how freakin’ cool is that? I won the beautiful Divination Kit made by Cauan - Lucky me!

And tonight I'll be watching Revenge of the Creature and honoring the blessings of the October moon, full and ripe with melancholy madness, of a variety that only final harvests do offer.

Ashe. Ashe.