More

Today I made more headway, more Spirit Cords, more listings on ArtFire and I made myself stay out of the garden. It's still too early for so much and I just planted quite a bit over the weekend.

More later!

Accomplishments

Today was a true-task-centered-day. Know what I mean? I have several deadlines and other linear-time-defined efforts to manage this week. So today I tended to bills, got a jump on month-end book-keeping, got a little more writing done on a Door Opener article, prepared some packages for tomorrow's mail, took inventory, compiled order lists, printed my Forest Folk Fest workshop stuff (a mere start), and honored the day by spinning one new Spirit Cord. No pic though.

Now I relax with a sense of accomplishment and a glass of brandy, as I listen to Blockhead Radio.

More tomorrow!

My Way to the Gardens

I started separating the sedum for transplant.

I ended up with enough sedum to make a bed along the side of the garage, and I'm not done dealing with my sedum yet. 

The soil may be a bit too acid here for their liking, yet I feel confident that they will be pretty come autumn.

I had some leftover seeds that weren't stored in the best conditions, so I took a chance on putting them in the soil today. They are all cool-honoring plants, so if they sprout, they should be okay. After all, I have another four weeks -or-so before the last frost.

I lost a favored garden tool last autumn and today as I was working with my beloved machete I hit something, and reached for what I believed to be a rock only to discover ... my wee garden rake! The sun-loving fairies carried it to the Underworld for winter's keeping and brought it back to me with their springtime return. I love the fey that grace this little acre! 

One flower bed is raked, surveyed and prepped for growth.

And I relax by a wee fading ritual fire before heading back indoors for a nice hot shower and meal. 

Springtime blessings to you!

Things from Shiny Objects

My friend Sherrie dropped by today. I love the drop by. Folks rarely do it anymore. Anyway ... she brought me a garbage bag full of ... cast-aways. Shiny cast-aways! I may have the story wrong, I was so blinded by the treasure, but I think she said that a friend asked her to deliver this bag to the thrift shop--or something. In any event, she thought of her trash-loving friend (bless her heart) and brought the bag to me.

Look what was inside! So ... I got busy spinning ... under another shiny object - the sun of a glorious spring day!

So ... Sherrie, if you're readin' ... pick out a couple of these Spirit Cords for you and your friend! If nothing else, it will give you an excuse to drop by again! Ashe. Ashe. Ashe.

The Most of It

The day opened with the pulling of this card ... and I made the most of it!

Yesterday I received a most amazing package from Gianna of True Blue Beads ... this "lively lizard" prayer chaplet. I just love it and it came packaged with such loving intention that my heart just sang! I mean, sage and cedar in the little organza pouch was such a special and meaningful touch! Not to mention the extras!

And yesterday I also received this darling necklace from Zombukis Love You that I won in a blog give-away at Unwed Human Female. So cute and ripe for the season!

I called my elderly mom and some 70+ minutes later, when the brain fog lifted from my being, I made labels for my Blueberry Love Wine.

Now I prepare to make something for supper ... I wonder what it will be?

Green Preparations

I made my ritual quart-plus of nettles infusion today. I enjoyed the last sip only moments ago. I just love this stuff! And it loves me.

I made my way into the gardens today, machete in hand, for a little springtime prep. The Boy joined me and delivered leaves from the woods to begin renewing the season's mulch. The garlic is coming up, and kale and onion are harvestable in small amounts. Last season some second-year onions flowered and went to seed, and those little seedlings are sprouting now. I'll have to get back out there and transplant them soon.

All around me the earth is squirming awake and my green friends are waking from their winter dreams. Me too.  Ahhhhhhhh.

Purchases & New Starts

I really don't like to shop and when I do it's rarely for new items. You'll often hear me say that Goodwill is my favored boutique, and many gifts that I don't make myself are most often purchased at local thrift shops. But today I made some new purchases for little pieces of technology. I got a headset/mic for my new radio show, In the Garden, which is making its debut this Thursday at 11:3o AM on Blockhead Radio. I also picked up a firewire for an old video camera, and searched for a new tripod. Oh, so many dreams, so many plans, so much to do! I went to our recycling center (AKA the dump) too and purchased a little kerosene lamp, two pilsner glasses and a couple frames to refurbish at their tag sale shack - all for $3.oo - dig it! The last stop was at our local feed-n-garden shop, for some pepper seeds.

When I got home I started a flat of four varieties of pepper plants. It's a little late, but still timely enough, methinks. 

And today the little tomatoes outgrew their plastic cover.

And I made time for the first neighborhood walk of spring with The Boy and sweet Halley.

That's what I made today.

Sprouts & Wine & Ales

I invite you make the acquaintance of two of my first tomato seedlings. I have several sets now sprouting and they warmed my heart today as the snow fell between fits of sunshine!

They warmed my heart as I bottled two gallons of blueberry wine. Sure is pretty in that one clear bottle, eh?

Those little sprouts warmed my heart as I racked my one-week ales, a batch of sarsaparilla, one of cardamon and a crazy collaborative ale - one that was a result of "teaching" how ale can be made with any botanical. I asked each attending to jot down any one botanical that they would like to experience in an ale. I gathered all that I had on hand and mixed together maple syrup, roasted coffee beans, dried apple and wormwood. It smells amazing and while it's a tad too bitter (at this point), the flavors are remarkably complex and rather delightful! It will continue to mellow out, but I'm thinking I'll try this blend again, only with (much) less wormwood!

Next week ... they should all be ready for bottling!

Progress

It was a long, busy day ... and it closed working with good friends, for a good cause - Forest Folk Festival ~ Spirit in the Woods! And together, we made progress. Now ... I rest.

Oh - and Merry Spring!

Transitions

Today marks the eve of Spring's solar entrance. Night and day hang in a suspenseful balance. Seeds planted in autumn are swelling. Early annual seeds find their way into the waking earth. Perennials are greening. 

And the pace of life prepares to ratchet up!

Are you ready?

Completions, Connections, Decisions

I still have loose ends hanging, but today I made some "good" things happen. I made a couple of decisions, made a couple friends, and have some new seeds planted in my garden of life. More on that another day. I don't want to bore you ... too much.

Remember those frames I was working on? Well, I completed a few. This one is re-fashioned from a damaged antique frame. I left it pretty rustic, and only painted gold to the high-points. I put one of my favored collage ACEOs in it and it now hangs on my living room wall.

Nice, eh?

The others I listed in my Etsy Shop. Take a peek and let me know what you think!

My First Offerings

Today I made my first garden offering of the growing season - a short row of pea seeds planted in the cool earth under the warm glow of afternoon sun. No sooner were these seeds in the earth, and me back to my backyard lookout, that I heard a joyous frenzy of Nature. 

I looked toward the cacophony and saw the first of the springtime faeries dancing into my earthly realm with the dried winter leaves of last season. They were dancing in a spiral of warm and cool, of light and dark, and creating a magnificent wee twister with the airy elementals. Up, up, up they danced into the trees as they twirled closer and closer, between branch and twig and trunk, before setting down near the stone wall that defines my southerly border.

Ah yes, this is one of the two times of year that I often refer to as the changing of the faerie guard. Now is the time when the winter elementals and faeries recede to their places in the Underworld and their summery associates begin to ascend to take their place in our earthly realm for a season or two.

And in return for the gift of this magical witnessing, I made a second offering, down by the stone wall at my Gaia altar, of chocolate and almonds and dried apples. I wish I had some whisky for them too.

Perhaps another day. 

Ashe. Ashe. Ashe.

Framing Progress

I've been taking old frames and scrap frame stock and finishing them for some of my little works of art, as well as for The Boy's. I love the little ACEO sized frames and I'm thinking of making some to sell on Etsy. Thoughts?

A Turnip Discovery

The Boy cleaned the garage up today (bless his heart) and he found a few of my little garden bins in which a couple had some vegetation remaining from last autumn. I took them outdoors and dumped them into the compost, and as I did I perceived a weight and gravity that was unexpected. At closer inspection, two perfectly preserved turnips revealed themselves! Looks like I'll be adding them to our boiled dinner later this week.

I had a video too - of my little green-eating canine-Halley-girl nibbling the sprouting greens - but blogger takes way too long to upload. 

My Way to the Radio Waves

I invite you to come listen this evening at 6:00 pm, ET, as I join Laura Rose and Annie Kelleher on their show, Discovering Nature's Spirit.

Call-in at (718) 664-6906 - I'd love to hear from you!

A Good A Reason to Celebrate As Any

Ching! Ching!

Spirit Cords

Today I spun some new cords for my lovely new flasks. These will be filled with various oil blends of my making. It felt good to make these today. I'll be getting them listed, one by one, in my Esty shop in the coming days.

I connected with a sweet friend today, that I've not seen all winter, and we made plans to get together next week. Next week ... a week that's shaping into a very busy one, one that is putting all the foggy places in my life right there in my face to reckon with and sort through and to, well -- re-shape my priorities. Just in time for spring.

I also received news that one of my reiki students was selected as a reiki volunteer at an area cancer care center. That warms my heart so!

And, one of my cousins was admitted into the hospital today with a pulmonary embolism. Good thoughts, healing verve and prayers are all welcome. Peace.

Blockhead Radio's Artisans Challenge!

Hey - all you fine creatives out there - check out Blockhead Radio's Artisans Challenge!The challenge starts March 23rd so get your entries in now!

Foggy Leftovers

The day started in a haze of fog that grew thicker and heavier as the morning took hold. My own behavior mirrored the day. I showed up to a meeting completely unprepared and with a mind that resisted engagement, and I am thankful that I was among friends.

It wasn't until mid-afternoon that the low fog drifted upward to meet the heavy cloud cover, and only then did my mind and mood begin to clear and engage. Trouble is, it cleared into a critical place that spurred a rather foul mood. So even then I was unable to focus and fully engage in anything productive, intuitive or creative.

I made a supper of combined leftovers. It was quite good. So I got that.

More tomorrow.

"New" Shelf Drawers

If you follow this silly blog at all, you may remember me lamenting the re-organizing of my dispensary/work room. Well, I'm back to that ... and doing collage with old magazine pages, on discarded boxes that I pick up here and there, boxes that fit ever-so-nicely into my closet shelves. Here's one in process:

The corrugated cardboard, combined with the collage and a finish coat will make some very nice, heavy-duty, colorful, re-purposed/up-cycled and free containers for my ... stuff.

I also have a nice pasta sauce simmering away. What did you make today?

Taxing Completions

Today I finished my tax crap. Yay. Tomorrow morning I'll audit my completed efforts and get the little you-know-what-er in the mail to my CPA. 

That done, I can refocus my energies on creating some new art, starting my garden seedlings, continuing my plarn projects, upcycling some frames, refashioning some old clothes and firming up my summer workshop schedule. Among other things. Yay!

Brew Preparations

We have some friends coming by tomorrow morning for an informal ale-brew lecture, demonstration and early-in-the-day-tasting. It's so nice to have the kitchen back and to be brewing again! Tonight we start a 5-gallon batch of a Porter, a gallon of Cardamom Ale and perhaps a gallon of Sarsaparilla Ale. Tomorrow I'll start at least one more gallon of herbal ale of some kind or another. I have a batch of blueberry wine I may bottle as well. Life is sweet.

Slainte!

Fresh Spirit

It feels so good to be home and I thank you all for your sweet words of safe travel and happy returns. It is taking me some extra time and effort to really settle back in from this last adventure. I still have loose ends to tie up, as well as plans in the making, but this morning I promised myself a block of time and space to ground, center, meditate and create.

So I created some fresh spirit cords with my Paperclay "impressions of nature." This time I used not only the usual cotton floss, but some synthetic textured yarn I had left over from an old project.

 

I am pleased with the outcome and feel more at home now. Peace.

My Way Back Home

To my sweet little hut on my sweet little acre on my sweet little hill. Ashe.