Travels Inside and Out

I have been on retreat this past week or so. I traveled by myself to Ohio to visit a college friend (we've known each other since 1974!) Crinny and her husband Al on their family farm. What a wonderful retreat! I was out of touch from my cell phone and internet, but was better in touch with my Self. I read, slept, relaxed, and was treated like a queen: Crinny fed me delicious, nutritious food and we had lots of time to catch up. It had been 10 years since we'd gotten together, although we've spent plenty of time talking over the phone. (Thank goodness for cell phones!)




These are a few photos I took while at the White's farm in Ohio. You can see why it is so relaxing! It was sunny my first day there, and rained softly each remaining day I was there. It was lovely no matter what the weather!

I have been noticing the shapes of trees recently, since the limbs are visible before their leaves grow back. I've been enthralled with how trees that are allowed to grow naturally (unimpeded by anything nearby or by pruning) will grow in perfect symmetry... even though no two branches are the same. It's amazing. This photo of Crinny's Japanese Raisin Tree is just one example I saw on my travels.

Speaking of trees, the granary that was built on Crinny and Al's farm boasts beams from 1840. I don't know that I've ever seen wood that was harvested 150 years ago. There were some beautiful markings in the beam -- they look almost like starbursts coming from narrow knots. At first I thought they were metal stamped onto the wood by an artisan, but now I believe they were created by insects (very artistic insects!). I was watching Renovation Nation on the Planet Green channel last night where they said that these old, old beams were recycled from one building to another. (Since everything was harvested and sized/fitted by hand -- without power tools -- wood, etc. was recycled and reused instead of thrown away and dumped in a landfill.) You can see where square holes were chiseled into this beam for previous uses. It's still as strong as ever, and it is beautiful!

I also had a lovely trip driving to Crinny's and back and spent much of that time listening to Caroline Myss' Energy Anatomy. It was wonderful to be back in touch with her work. I have listened to this work several times, but each time I get more/something different out of it. Myss always gives me insights into ways to approach life's challenges.

Exciting news! Two new crop circles in England have been reported! The Crop Circle Connector has all the info. Both of the circles posted here are the new ones they have on their site. It is so exciting that there are a whole new "crop" of circles starting again!

There was a crop circle in Ohio, too, not far from the Great Serpent Mound. We didn't get a chance to get there, but it was very exciting that we had one here in the states!

And, joy of joys, when I returned home, I found that the amaryllis bloom had begun to open! What a bright welcome home. Two blooms are open with 2 more still buds. And, as is all reflective of the wheel of life, many of the camellias had fallen off the bush. It's compost in action. Isn't Nature's "litter" so much more beautiful than humankind's?

So now I'm home, catching up with family and email. There are two great things about traveling: one is getting away; the second is coming home.

Wishing you delightful homecomings!

Peace,

Kate

Sweet Woodruff and May Wine

Yesterday, I forgot to include a topic I wanted to write about, so I'm posting it today.

I have been growing sweet woodruff in the north flower bed of our yard for a few years now. Sweet woodruff is a woodland herb, meaning it likes shade and moisture (which isn't typical of most herbs). Its cluster of leaves resembles a small umbrella, and its bloom is a miniature spray of creamy white blossoms on a stalk. I love herbs, and was really drawn to sweet woodruff. It held our powder of snow in its own shy way yesterday.

A few years ago, I learned a recipe for May wine using sweet woodruff. Ever since, I have looked forward to celebrating spring with this refreshing drink. Here's the easy-peasy recipe:

• a large bottle of inexpensive white wine (the sweet woodruff changes the taste of the wine, so why pay for a taste you're going to change?)
  
• a few sprigs of sweet woodruff

(yep, that's it!)

Open the bottle, push the sweet woodruff into the wine, close the bottle and let sit for at least 24 hours, chilling. The longer you let it sit, the stronger the taste.

I especially like to serve it to celebrate Beltane (or May Day) on May 1. Supposedly in Renaissance times, maidens would drink this May wine before flitting and flirting with the men on May Day (I don't know if this would be before or after them dancing around the May Pole). Anyway, it certainly adds joy to the day! It's a refreshing, unexpected, and indescribable taste. Try it and toast to the gifts and joys of spring!

Here's to all those joys!

Peace,
Kate

Balance and Cocooning

I'm trying to learn how to regain and maintain balance. Sometimes -- especially with our high-maintenance, low-impulse-control teens -- I feel like one of those plastic blow-up clowns that have a round bottom and when you hit it, it rocks back and forth trying to regain their upright balance -- until the next knock. Part of my lesson in all this is that I can't control them; and when they mess up, it's not in my best interest for me to get messed up about it. ("It's not in my best interest" is a phrase a reader suggested to me to try using. Thank you!) Another lesson is to trust Spirit. Whenever I do that, things happen for the better. I just have to keep learning it!

Hence, the need for me to practice and learn how to regain and maintain balance. I felt this tension all the time when I was working outside of the home full-time: how to balance work, family, friends, and me. I'm working out of my home now, and still need to find a balance: between and within art (creating and promoting), my family, my friends, other commitments, myself.

I feel as though everyone I am interacting with right now has wisdom to share with me. This is probably always true; perhaps I am paying more attention to it now.

A couple of friends came over this morning who are Qigong teachers, and we talked about balance. They shared with me how helpful Qigong, Tai Chi, and meditation are in helping them to maintain balance.

A couple of weekends ago, I was a vendor in a Festival where all the vendors' tables had been placed in the room by Daniella, a feng shui practitioner, based on their facing their "wealth" direction (based on each person's birthdate). Daniella also helped me individually to better arrange my tables to encourage the flow of abundance. Sure enough, as soon as I followed her suggestions, I started selling more jewelry! It was pretty astounding.

Another feng shui practitioner, my friend Melody (who is so much more than a feng shui practitioner), has guided me with energy work both for my home and for my Self. And today, I received an invitation to attend a feng shui workshop on Thursday evening at a friend's home. Hmmmm... too coincidental to ignore! I've read a little on feng shui and found it fascinating; however, the Chinese belief of there being 5 elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) is a bit hard for me to adjust to since I typically honor the 4 elements of earth, air, fire, and water. The Chinese believe that everything has chi or energy, and so do I. So I expect I can accept another element into the mix when considering this practice.

I've been thinking about balance and change the last several days and realized this morning that it isn't a coincidence that I have been creating "Spring Babies" necklaces that honor new birth... depicted as a moth or butterfly emerging from her/his cocoon. This style of jewelry is quite a different one for me; and now I recognize that it reflects the metamorphosis going on within me presently. My friend Ouarda reminds me of the importance of visualizing light to our energetic benefit; not so much as a defense mechanism or protection (because neither one of us want to live life reacting in fear) but as a cocoon where it helps us develop on the inside and insulates us from harsh elements that would stunt our growth. That way, we can also send the light back out whenever we emerge (or even peek) from our cocoon.

Art is such a meditative process. For me, it's a magnificent use of intuition to connect with Spirit within and without... and find symbolism and guidance from the images and connections that are created from this explorative flow. I am so thankful to have the time to spend on this inner process! It is a blessing.

I hope your day is full of blessings, too.

Peace,
Kate