Wash Away the Old March 29, 2009

 

I was practicing a new exercise the other day when we were out for a walk. We came across a waterfall, and I employed it in a cleansing meditation. I could clearly feel the energy of the waterfall flowing down through its little channel. So I asked the waterfall to bathe me in that energy and help to sweep away old aspects of myself that are no longer serving me. Old thoughts, fears, beliefs, and emotions. I could feel the fresh energy flushing through my system, sweeping out little bits that have been holding on for much too long.

The visit was much too short, and my mind did not stay clear nearly long enough. I feel I should make another visit to a waterfall, in which I could sit for a few hours and delve into an intensive meditation. There is a great energy surrounding waterfalls.

Another brief meditation I did on that same walk was at sunset. I sat down and looked toward the sunset, and then focused on the meathod. It was a technique that Bernie read in one of his books not too long ago. You imagine a gold orb over your head. You ask all your bits of energy you have lost in the past and future to come back to you. Often you will have images of places, people, events, and more flash through your mind as these lost aspects of yourself start to stream back. You call them into the orb over your head. When you feel that you have called back as much as possible at that  time, you allow the golden orb to crack open and pour over you, cleansing your chakras, and filling you up with all that wonderful energy.

I know I have much more energy to call back to myself. But when I finished my meditation I felt very good. My energy level was quite improved. This was an exercise that I should do much more often than I have been, until I feel I have recalled all those little lost aspects.

Natures Little Jewels March 26, 2009

Yesterday Bernie and I made it outside for a nice hike. We did a large loop walking on both dirt roads, and trails. One of our first stops is a lovely little hillside meadow that we enjoy going to, because it is filled with wildflowers when it gets warm enough. We were hoping that perhaps there might be one or two little flowers out, but no such luck. Its just not warm enough yet. But we still enjoyed sitting there, looking out across the San Juan Islands.

 

I found some Rattlesnake Plantain. I am very partial to this little plant, it is the first plant that Bernie taught me when we first met. These little jems always bring a smile to my face. A fun fact about these guys is that you can pull a leaf off, rub it gently between your fingers, causing the two outer layers of the leaf to seperate from each other, and then blow it up like a little balloon from the stem. Native American children used to do this for fun.

 

This lichen looked so magical being lit from behind. It makes it look like lace or ruffles.

 

I love some of the vivid colors that nature produces. The reds and oranges of this fungus are so rich. There were a handfull of these all lined up on this dead tree trunk.

 

I love the delecate nature of these mosses. The leafs are so dainty and almost transparent. They almost have the quality of stained glass.

There are so many little jewels out in nature, if we just take the time to put our noses down close to the ground (or trees, or whatever). There are many magical qualities to the larger picture of nature, such as old wise trees, but I think the small jems often get missed along the way.

We had many beautiful moments along our walk, but one of the most special to me was the Owls. Owls have become my new power animal, and as we were on our way back toward the car two owls started talking to each other on each side of the trail that we were on. We stopped to listen to their conversation, and actually spotted one of them. We watched him, as he watched us. We shared an enjoyable moment together before we continued on with our walk.

Fresh Beginings March 24, 2009

 

Many of us set New Years resolutions, but find it hard to stick with them. Perhaps one reason for this is the energy at the time of year we do this. Even though we consider New Years to be a new start, energetically I think the first day of spring is a much better time to set new intentions.

Spring is a time of new beginnings, new growth, and fresh energy. What better time to chose to shed something old within ourselves, and bring out a fresh new part of our souls. Don’t we all feel energized and refreshed as spring starts to roll around?

One example that many of us identify with this time of year is spring cleaning.  I believe this is very symbolic of what we are really trying to accomplish. When we clean up our surroundings we are trying to clean up ourselves. By uncluttering our living space, we are uncluttering our mind.

So this spring, as you find yourself energized and buzzing around with no particular direction, take a moment to stop and reflect. What does your soul really want to accomplish this spring? It might be something small, it might be something big, and it might be all kinds of things. Don’t let anything overwhelm you, just let your soul tell you what it wants to do. Maybe even take the time to write everything down, just so you can come back to this later, and see what you have accomplished. You may write down tasks and projects that you want to do in your outer surroundings, you might write down tasks and projects you want to do on a spiritual/internal level.

When you have a list, what ever size it might be, what ever might be on it, take a moment to really study what you have written down. Is there a theme? Is there something that has been calling to you for years, and you keep making excuses not to do it? Is there something that has just seemed too overwhelming, you just don’t know where to start?

Pick one thing off your list to start. Now take on this task like it is a fresh little seed within. That seed has been nestled within you, as if it has been within the earth, all safe through the winter. Now the soft warm spring sun is gently warming the seed. You feel a slight stirring (this is your item you want to accomplish). Now you can start nourishing this little seed so it can sprout and grow strong. You can start out with the basics. If it is something you have never done before, nourish it by doing the research you need to do. Now that your seed has set out its first little root, it pushes through the surface. You have started to manifest it! Your soul is happy, your little seed is quickly growing into a plant. It is being bathed with the warmth of joy within your soul. Before you know it, your seed has matured into a beautiful plant (what ever plant speaks to you the most, or what ever this item most seems like).

Is it a plant that provides you strength and shelter for many years to come? Is a plant that will die off at the end of this season, but has provided you with a large harvest to nourish and comfort you? Is it a plant that has simply surrounded you with beauty? Is it a healing plant that cleansed your mind body and soul?

Every task, project, or activity draws us for a reason. We are here on earth to learn. So don’t deny yourself the lessons you are longing to learn. If something is calling to you this spring, its a seed within that wants to burst forth and experience this world!

Little Puffs of Joy March 21, 2009

We have a hand full of hens sitting on nests, but we had two that we werent sure when they started, and so not quite sure when they would hatch out. Last night doing our rounds with chores, mom and I decided to go check on these two.

These two hens are  “Margie” and her daughter from last year. Its almost like when Margie decided to start a nest, the daughter just followed along because she wasnt sure what to do.

 

 

Well as the chicks started to hatch out Margies daughter decided to abandon her nest a foot away, and come sit on top of her mom and the chicks. When we showed up on the scene the chicks were getting a wee bit too much love from two overly hormoned hens. I love chickens to death, but there are a few times that I really question their intelligence. Well I peeled Margie and the babies out from under the other hen, and put them in a cage for a couple of days, until the other hen hatches out whats left of the eggs, and then maybe everyone can head outside together.

It NEVER works having two hens sitting together. The reason these two got away with it is because there is a small group of chickens that do not live in the chicken house with the rest of the flock. They moved into our horses (Foxy) mini barn. Its a one stall barn with a little side room for hay storage. So we call them Foxy’s chickens. This winter when there was snow on the ground, and the chickens refused to go outside, these guys would get in Foxy’s grain bin and eat their share of her food. I am not sure Foxy was overly thrilled with the set up, but the chickens sure liked it. There are 10 hens and one rooster that live out there. Anyways, I digress.

 

 

The chicks are so darned cute! Little peeping puff balls. Hopefully they will do well, we are not completely done with our cooler weather, so this is probably a little early for them. But if their mothers don’t act too stupid, they should do fine.

We should have some more from one of the other hens in a few days!! Couldn’t they stay small and fluffy?

Artisan Bread March 20, 2009

I bought a new book recently called “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day”, by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. This is truely an AMAZING process!! It is the most simple bread making meathod in the world.

You mix up your ingredients, no kneading, just mix until there are no dry spots. Then you put it into your dough rising container, and let it sit on the counter for a couple of hours. Then you stick it into the fridge. Thats it for the dough. You use it within the next 14 days.

 

 

You take the piece out that you want to use, dont knead, there is never any kneading. You shape it into a ball by pulling the edges down, so the top is all smooth. Then you set it on cornmeal to rest for 40 minutes.

 

 

They suggest you use a baking stone, but I dont have one at this point. The cookie sheet has been working fine for me. You heat the oven to 450 degrees farenheight, put a broiler pan (or somethinig like that) on the bottom shelf that you will later put hot water into. When the oven is ready you slide your loaf onto the baking stone/cookie sheet. Pour 1 cup hot water into the bottom pan, and quickly shut the door. You bake it for about 30 minutes and it looks like this!

 

 

For better baking instructions visit Mother Earth News’ web page. They had an article on this, taking a couple of the recipes from the book. I still highly recomend buying the book, because there are all kinds of recipes in there. But to try it out, go here . When you get hooked on it you will run out and buy the book.

I have made things the last three nights with this dough. I need to make a new batch in the morning. I made rolls the first night, and a loaf like this the other two nights. It tastes sooooo good!

A Bag of Butterflies March 19, 2009

 

Working on my shopping bags has been on my mind the past few days. But I have really been in an off mood lately, which has left me low on energy to express myself in any way. Today my creativity bug came back as it were.  

I have really been enjoying finding beautiful frabrics to do these bags with. I love the colors of these butterflies and the flowers in the background. You can’t really see it in this picture, but there are little golden vines in the background for highlights.

Sewing is one of the many crafts that I taught myself. I used to be facinated with fashion, and wanted to be able to make things myself. I have made a few clothing items over the years, but have done many other crafts with my trusty little sewing machine.

It’s very strange to me that sewing your own clothes used to be much cheaper than buying them in the store. When my parents were children it was very common for their mothers to sew them different clothing items that would last a few years. But now with the ability to mass produce everything, you can buy a dress at Wal-Mart (or any other mega store) for $10. With the cost of fabric, and your time, it would cost you much more to make the same item.

The ironic thing is, I have found Wal-Mart to be the cheapest place locally to buy fabric, and so that is where I have been going lately. I have very mixed feelings on all of this. In certain ways it is great that these stores are able to provide us with very reasonable prices, so even people on a tight budget can afford new clothing. But at what cost….. There is no love put into those items, and at what cost to both the environment and the people who had to produce these items.

Well anyways…. even though I am using mass produced fabric, I made this re-usable shopping bag to cut back on using plastic bags at the grocery store. I put my love, and energy into it. Its really satisfying to me to take the raw materials and making something out of them.

A Lesson In Love March 16, 2009

I have been feeling down for the past few days, because I have been having trouble with the glands on the back of my neck. They have been swollen and painful, leaving me rather drained, and in a bit of a negative mood at times. I have been trying to figure out what I thought or did to inflict this dis-ease on myself, and how to heal myself.

I was looking through my daily teachings of the secret just now, flipping through the pages. I came across this one page twice, and so I guess it is a lesson/message I need to learn at this point in time.

 

The Universe is completely and utterly in love with you.

No matter how many mistakes you make, no matter where you are in your life, no matter what you think of you, the Universe loves you for all eternity.

 

I will try to remember this!

A New Backpack! March 16, 2009

 

The other day we went to REI just to look around, I really did not expect to get another backpack, because mine is in fine condition. But I ended up trying on a couple any ways, and they are sooooo much more comfortable than the one I have been using. It’s pretty amazing how they are changing the backpacks, they are making them formed to the body so much better.

The pack I ended up getting is made specifically for women, so the harness is shaped to fit the body better, and the length is made to fit women better. Its a really nice pack, just a little larger than my other pack at 3,000 cubic inches/ 50 liter. Its and Osprey backpack, the model is Aura 50.

It’s so exciting to get a new toy! I loaded it up with my gear the other day. Bernie and I do lightweight backpacking. The baseweight of my backpack (the backpack, with my hiking gear like sleeping bag, extra layers, sleeping pad, personal items, and such) is 14 lbs. With a full load of food and water we might get up to 30 lbs max. Usually we are more around 20-25 lbs. Many people think it would be hard to be comfortable hiking this lightweight, but we have everything we need, and we are plenty comfortable in any situation we come across.

We hike in Teva sandals. Another choice that many would not make, but we have found it to be much more comfortable for us. We used to hike with running shoes, but I was having trouble with my toes running into the end of the shoes too much (I ended up loosing a nail because of this, ick!), and so over time we decided to switch to sandles. We have probably hiked somewhere around 3,000 miles in sandals.

Strike A Pose March 13, 2009

Time for another Chicken post. For a lack of anything else to take pictures of around here, I went out and did a Chicken photo shoot the other day. Some of them really liked to pose for their glamour shots, and others were a little more shy about the whole process. This is just a small selection of our collection of Banty Chickens.

I know most people are used to the full sized chickens, but if you have never had the chance to live with a Banty I highly recomend a little chicken friend. They are just as good at laying eggs as the regular sized girls, sure their eggs are a wee bit smaller, but you just round up for your recipes. To me they seem to be a little bit cleaner than the big girls (smaller bottoms, smaller poo). Don’t get me wrong, I love all chickens, but there is something so cute about these little guys.

It’s taken me a while, but I finally picked a name for my favorite little rooster. Buddha. He is such a zen little guy (most of the time, he has his moments with some of the other roosters), and he is so round, it seemed like the perfect name for him. Look at those soulful eyes….. he will just look at me like that when I am out talking to all of them. He likes to stay close to me while I am wandering around the chicken yard, but I can’t say its his favorite thing to be picked up. He tollerates it, but is quite happy to get back on solid ground, and away from the crazy lady holding him and telling him how cute and handsom he is.

 

And then this adorable little lady is Muffin. I named her that because of her muffin top head. She is rather shy over all, and does not come very close to me in general. She seems to know I am not a great threat, but it might be a better idea to keep some space from the lady scooping up chickens to oogle them. I have always loved her colors, and her little hat that wobbles around as she turns her head to look at this or that. Isn’t that expression adorable looking out from under her hair doo?

 

This little lady is one of last summers chicks. I love the genetics project that happens out in the chicken yard, with the different varieties that cross together to create some really beautiful chickens. Both Muffin and this hen are crosses. This lovely buff lady does not have a name yet….. any suggestions? She is quite shy, and did not know what to think of this person following her around clicking away.

The Inter-Urban Trail March 13, 2009

Wednesdays outing was along the inter-urban trail that starts in Fairhaven. We ended up hiking about 12 miles round trip. Usually Bernie and I spend our outings just the two of us. But my moms dog, Angel just looked so bored and pathetic, I decided she could use a bit of a walk.

Angel is the type of dog that has endless energy, she would truely be a canidate for a daily run of about 10 miles. But alas, she does not get that kind of exercise. I try to go out and throw the ball for her in the back pasture each day when I am around, but that just burns off a fraction of the energy.

The inter-urban trail runs along an old rail road grade. It travels through some nice stands of trees, along a steep hillside that looks out across the bay, and ends at Larabee State Park which lies along the bay. Its a nice, mostly level, beautiful trail.

The focus of the day ended up being Angel. She is an entertaining dog, but has some neurosis she needs to work through. Too many to list, but a couple of the big ones being too aggresive to other dogs, and being overly hyper in certain situations. So as the day went on, we worked on being a civil dog when other dogs came along. This is a big challenge for her for some reason. And we have two other dogs that she lives with….. Dogs are always supposed to be on leashes along this trail, but people let them off. I wish I could have done this with her, but I just don’t trust her with the other dogs, and the possibility of her running off, never to be found again.

Perhaps it was an exercise more for me than her. I do not always have the most patience in the world, and it is a good challenge for me to deal with slightly chaotic energy in a level headed way. In some ways I am not sure if I did well in this exercise, I wanted her to come to a more centered place. But I think it gave me a little bit of perspective on things, and I was able to do some of my own mental work. And in the long run, Angel seems to have a great time. She doesn’t mind her chaotic energy, she enjoys having energy. And she makes me laugh.

Even with all of that, we had an enjoyable outing. It really is a beautiful walk along most parts of the trail. And at the end of the trail we went down to the beach at Larabee State Park, and played in the sand. It was a nice midway point, and then we got to turn around and walk back to the car. The sunshine lately has been so wonderful, its been really nice to get outside and enjoy it.