Season's Web

These past couple days I've made myself comfortable at home after several days away in the woods on The Farm with friends and loved ones. For several years now we find ourselves gathering in spring, in high summer and again - now - at summer's close to celebrate the season of Harvest and share community by way of food, fire, kinship, story, craft, art, drumming, laughter, hay rides and more. And lots of love.

I've been home since sunday evening and now I'm weaving my daily routines back into place and doing my best to honor the exit of these final days of summer as I prepare for autumn's formal arrival. It's a challenge for me this year, to bid farewell to summer, for it feels as if much of summer was pulled out from under my feet. Even so, I look forward to the close of the high growing season, to preserving the last of the garden harvests, to moving indoors, cooking warming meals and settling in for the winter to follow.

There's still a couple of active months ahead of me, but for now I turn my attention to the autumn seeds, the spinning of the earth, the spinning of the seasons, and the webs I choose to weave from the spirals of harvest's bounty.

That's what I made today. Peace.

Thank you to Nici for the beautiful harvest slideshow presentation. She always puts together the sweetest presentations after our gatherings. :)

An Early Rise

In less than a week, the Forest Folk Festival kicks off, bringing together folks from all over New England, down the eastern seaboard, New York, Wisconsin and then some. These folks come together in the spirit of Unity to celebrate all that we share in common and to learn about our perceived differences (only to discover that they're really not so different!). These folks come together to benefit the HOPEful works of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. These folks come together to offer non-perishables and personal items to the Connecticut Food Bank. These folks come together to enjoy a spirited weekend in the woods, filled with workshops, entertainment, food, FIRE, drumming, dancing, hiking, expressing, sharing, growing, loving ... Community.

This morning, before the cock crowed, I updated our coordinators' gate-duty schedule and feeding schedule and our weekend one-sheet schedule. I updated one of my volunteers with helpful information. Now I prepare to pull together my camping, food, libation and event lists to update and consolidate them in order to make the gathering of Things Needed a simple a task as I am able.

And remember, even if you can't make it to the Forest Folk Festival you can contribute to the effort by making a donation to St. Jude or by purchasing one of my "Pure & Simple" Spirit Cords at my ArtFire Studio.

That's what I made so far today ... perhaps there'll be more to share later ...

The Most of a Cloudy Day

Today was mostly cloudy and rain is on the way so I made time for more transplanting in the gardens. I continued my crazy pea trellis and will finish it tomorrow or the next day, as weather, time and motivation allow. Tomorrow is a full day complete with a Forest Folk Fest meeting in the evening and a continuation of assorted garden tasks.

Time for Good Folk

The day started early with time made and shared with my friend Brien, one of the eight coordinators for our Forest Folk Festival. He is our liaison for the CT Food Bank and I am the liaison for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. We enjoyed fresh coffee and homemade cheese biscuits as we worked out our festival "workshop" presentation called, "Hunger, Healing & Hope." 

Despite the heat, I made two more loaves of bread. This effort is part of a two-loaf-a-day goal that will ensure me loaves enough to share over the coming weeks with both my mother and my beloved Forest Folk.

This evening my Krazy friend Kate is stopping by to bring me her Forest Folk registrations (she has a few), and visit a bit. She is one of those special friends that surfaced as a gift from the universe when I first moved to Connecticut. We've both grown over the years, in ways similar and different, and we manage still to get together and nurture our friendship together. It's been over thirty years now and for this friendship I am so grateful. Ashe. Ashe.

A Little Spirit & Hope

All of my "Pure and Simple" Spirit Cords are being offered at a very special price of $5.00 and each sale will result in a $1.00 donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

This is part of the Forest Folk Festival, a Connecticut event that takes place every May in order to bring community together and raise funds for the HOPEful works of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. I will be selling these at the Festival, and for those who can't make it, but would like to be with us in spirit - you can purchase you very own, one of kind "Pure & Simple" Spirit Cord exclusively in my Walk in the Woods ArtFire Studio!

Peace.