Moving Pieces Around
I have been pretty MIA lately. I completely over did it last Summer and never really recovered into the Fall with being in an opera (for those who who don’t know, I have been part of the Shreveport Opera Chorus since 2015) and working retail during the holidays.
One thing I realized was that in order to be better at my business and feel better in general, I needed to enter into some pretty essential self care…to also rediscover my passion for what I do in general.
So after Christmas I got back into taking care of myself and making herbal stuff and was feeling more myself… Then my sweet senior dog, Sam, had a very serious medical emergency, surgery, and (thankfully) recovery. He is doing very well now and I am grateful, and I am so grateful for his doctors and the medical staff at the Shreveport Emergency Vet who performed his surgery and Banfield in Bossier for his post surgery and ongoing care. They are wonderful with him and also with me and my nervousness over him.
After all of that, I have gotten back into my work and what I want to do and where I want to take it.
The Shreveport Farmers Market is on and I am back. I am teaching classes at The Peace of Mind Center pretty regularly and wanting to eventually promote my health coaching more…Yoga Farm Fest is happening in the Fall, and I am redesigning my website to be more of a hub for all my stuff, including all my blogs from when I left blogger back in the mid 2000s.
Going through my journey while re-uploading all those blogs has been quite an education in who I was and how the journey has created who I am now. It has also caused me to think about who I want to be going forward.
Regarding my new website, it will house my blog, recipes and shop to begin with…so stay tuned.
A Photographic Interlude
25 April 2012
I See You
Since my craft supply shelf has been packed up, I thought I'd share one of my favorite images today. This guy makes me smile so much! He is in rotation as one of my desktop images...
I've been wanting to use him on some sort of postcard for a really long time but haven't had a chance to properly wrap my mind around it. Give me time, I'll figure it out!
In the meantime...Happy Wednesday!
XO
When the Stars Align
03 October 2007
Creative Projects in the Works, now that there's space for them...
I have been working against the grain for so long...that I didn't realize it was me anymore. I had an "a-ha!" moment recently about it all. I had been holding myself out of alignment with my dreams...
Like the "old me" was keeping the "current me" at arms length from the "new me," causing me to flail my arms about, grasping at nothing.
I realized that the reason I feel so different when I am out of the city...less stressed and free...is because I am more in alignment with my dreams.
I'm going into week three of The Creative Business Incubator. It has asked us to really explore the essence of what our creative business is. Such a revelation! In past creative visioning I was surprised that my office space was a kitchen (before I got into cooking and herbal medicine). The essence came out to be wonderfully eye opening. Not at all surprising this time, but I really needed the reminder to show me where to shift my focus back to. I kept getting images of things like washing my tea cup near the green house at Newbold House in Forres and Cream Tea in the lounge at The St. Columba Hotel on Iona and the feelings that these moments produced in me...which to all of you are sort of indescribable. But that is the essence and as soon as I aligned with it everything flowed quite easily.
When I am cooking or behind my camera, or creating something for my Etsy page (or a gift for a friend)...these are the moments manifesting happens, because I have clicked everything in place. And when I'm in Scotland...talk about the stars aligning...
Recently I've undertaken clearing out my apartment. I started with my craft/computer corner and was completely amazed by the results. Not only is the space more open, but I felt more creative. Every paint brush and tile I found a new home for called to me to get my hands dirty once again. I love getting my hands dirty. This is all such an important part of the process. I feel like the me I've been cultivating gets revealed (or maybe, released) the more I clear out the old stuff from my physical space. Doing it on my own has also been very empowering and grounding, whereas in the past I had a friend help me do the last big clear out and I basically went along with the organizing methods even though it wasn't really in line with me.
Creative Studio Opened...and Closed...
Empty Floor Space!!!
I'm also trying to be more organized and mindful but in my own unique way, like creating some sort of notebook/planner in order to free up some space in my head. That energy could be put to better use elsewhere. What's this you speak of, writing things down? Surely not!!!
I feel more aligned with the current me when my home is open/airy/organized. Of course the old me piped up after the first round of cleaning and was all, "Wait a minute...I can't wallow without piles of crap at every turn..."
Sorry, Old girl...I need to clear the space.
XO
Watching Those Seeds Grow
03 April 2011
My Heather Plant...Alive and Thriving
About a year ago I started a heather plant in my apartment window garden. Heather seeds are so small! They look like faerie dust. That says a lot right there...
I planted them as part of a Creative Dreaming exercise in abundance (Sowing the seeds of Abundance). She started off so small...but has been growing and growing and growing. Much like my dreams.
The Rest of the family
It's been incredible seeing everything take shape and grow into what it will. Like seeing Heather get bigger and more mature...stronger. It's been a great exercise in patience and hope. Germinating the seeds, waiting for them to sprout and peek their little forms out of the soil. All very rewarding.
Now, I'm getting ready to leave for Scotland again...continuing to nurture that seed. :) There's plenty of water there ;) And no shortage of magic faerie dust.
I was afraid that Heather wouldn't fare well in my absence...so I brought her to plant daycare, AKA my brother-in-law's office window garden. How amazing is this?
And here is Heather in her temporary home (She's the one with the green, felt, monster to guard her):
XO
Transitions
05 December 2011
Kitchen Table During Apprenticeship Day
Saturday was my final herbal apprenticeship day...ever. I haven't spoken a lot about my apprenticeship on here. I'm not really sure why. Maybe I was keeping it just for myself, or it was such an integral part of my life I never really thought of it as unusual...
It was a deep part of my journey...my cocoon for 3 years...and Saturday I shed those layers and emerged a new being. Truly. I feel reborn.
These past three years were so much more than learning how to make herbal medicine. They were about finding the real me. Here I am, back to essence again.
I keep thinking back three years to the very moment I decided I wanted to begin the apprenticeship. It was August 2008. I was in Forres, Scotland, staying in a retreat Bed & Breakfast called Newbold House. It was the week prior to my 30th birthday when I stood in my room and said, "This year you're going to do the herbal apprenticeship, get a laptop, and maybe start a blog." By the following August I had completed my first year of apprenticeship, a year of blogging and had the computer I am typing on right now (which has been to Scotland twice). I believe that trip to Scotland was when I really began to unearth my essence. Get down to business.
I suppose the true beginning of everything could have been when I started getting reiki on my 28th birthday. That led me to be interested in alternative healing, which led me to sign up for the Open Center's newsletter, which led to an email telling me all about a class called "The Art of Herbal Medicine Making" with Robin Rose Bennett. I thought it sounded really interesting but didn't want to spend the money. Even so, a little voice inside my head kept saying, "You really need to take this class." Never ignore those little voices.
That class led to "Herbal Alternatives to Antibiotics," a few weed walks and a Love medicine class. All of these inspired me to begin cooking a lot more because I joyously discovered you can cook your medicine into your food. A total revelation to me.
And all of this led to me kicking all the prescription medications I'd been on for allergies and asthma since I was around 9 years old, ditching processed food (for the most part ;) and caustic cleansers (I swear my hair grows faster, eyes are clearer, nails are stronger, skin is healthier...and I think my eyelashes are longer). Pretty cool, right?
Then I planned that 30th birthday trip to Scotland. I discovered Newbold house because I was looking for places I could have a retreat and I discovered it "by accident." Their organic garden and community living introduced me to a world and way of life I wanted to learn more about. I felt like I spoke a different language.
Now here I am today, two Iona pilgrimages and a jaunt to Dublin later. A brand new being.
After 3 years of Sisterhood, tea, and soul searching I not only understand that language...I feel I was born to speak it.
The Angel Card on my bed at Newbold, which I still hold in
my eyeglass case. It wasn't kidding!
XO
The Whole Me
28 April 2011
From the Tea Tray at the St. Columba Hotel, Iona
Well, it's official. My post-Scotland travel funk has set in. I thought I'd avoided it this time, but no. Less than a week back in New York and my stomach and neck are back in knots...
Wah.
I've been thinking about the amazing difference that occurs in our bodies and spirits when we are somewhere that we love. Even through difficult moments you still have the solid foundation of that love to keep you going.
I realized this time around that I feel whole when I am in Scotland. Balanced and open. It feels like all the little parts of me that are a bit off-registration come together to form a clear image. These feelings allow me to focus more of my energy on things that matter...rather than mostly coping with noise etc. I expand there, whereas in New York, I contract.
I have half-filled out forms for volunteering on Iona sitting in my new tartan bag...and it feels like the next logical step. A very scary and big step...but exciting too. I still have a lot to do to prepare for it (it wouldn't happen for over a year) and I might not even get a space or a visa, but I need to try. Finances still pose a concern, but I have a little plan in place and should be credit card debt free by the end of next month and then I can devote the majority of my funds to my savings account. That's exciting. I never thought I see this day. So no matter where my path ends up leading me, I'll feel freer financially.
Last time I came back from Iona and Edinburgh (in 2009) I put the "pay off your debt" plan in action...now I am putting the "purge your apartment" plan into action. It's just a good idea in general since I'm almost eligible to be featured on Hoarders. :)
I am in the process of writing up my Iona experience...you didn't think my daily photos were it, did you? Have no fear...I will be gushing about Scotland for a while yet.
Here's one of the new portraits I had taken while in Edinburgh...don't I look relaxed??? :D
XO
Surrender
25 July 2011
Me in Edinburgh - April 22, 2011
I've been thinking a lot about surrendering lately. Not giving up. Two very different things...
I've had so much on my mind what with Scotland and the need and want to change, move forward (and out). About paying off debt and saving money so I can go off and do extraordinary things. But the funny thing is...I'm doing extraordinary things all the time. Just daring to believe that there's another way...of following my bliss. And I think that it's time I surrender to The Universe. I've planted my seeds and continue to tend to them (rocky patches and all) but it's time to sit back a bit and see how they grow. To stop anticipating certain outcomes or fearing what they'll be. I need to be. I not only feel this deep down, I continually get reminders, i.e. a recent horoscope from OM.com :
July 21, 2011Things We Can’t Control Allow, Trust
We develop grace as we learn with the guiding hand of the universe, life will unfold exactly the way it should.
The idea of trusting the universe is a popular one these days, but many of us don’t know what this really means and we often have a hard time doing it. This is partly because the story of humankind is most often presented as a story about struggle, control, and survival, instead of one of trust and collaboration with the universe. Yet, in truth, we need to adhere to both ideas in this life.
On the one hand, there is much to be said about exerting control over our environment. We created shelter to protect ourselves from the elements. We hunted for animals and invented agriculture to feed ourselves. We built social infrastructures to protect ourselves and create community. This is how we survive and grow as a civilization. However, it is also clear that there are plenty of things that we cannot control, no matter how hard we try, and we often receive support from an unseen force – a universe that provides us with what we cannot provide for ourselves.
It is a good idea to take responsibility for the things in life that we can control or create. We work so we can feed, clothe, and shelter our loved ones and ourselves. We manifest our dreams and visions in physical form with hard work and forethought. But at a certain point, when we have done all that we can, we must let go and allow the universe to take over. This requires trust. It requires a trust that runs deeper than just expecting things to turn out the way we want them to. Sometimes they will, and sometimes they won’t. We develop equanimity and grace as we learn to trust that, with the guiding hand of the universe, life will unfold exactly the way it should. We are engaged in an ongoing relationship with a universe that responds to our thoughts and actions.
***
I used to resist this a lot, and I still have those moments...but I've begun to realize that surrendering is what my body wants me to do. That's where the drained feelings have been coming from. Just admitting this makes me feel lighter and more energetic. I don't have to do it all. Sitting here, with my Iona stone resting against my heart, that feels pretty good.
Ahhhhhh....
XO
*Photos by Sara Osten
Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot
19 September 2011
Wine Corks Representing Many a Good Time...
To be more correct (and Scottish), "Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot..."
I've been trying to have a clear out at my apartment and recently have added the above corks to the list of give-aways. They've been sitting on top of a magnetic strip that holds a bunch of kitchen tools for ages and it is time for them to go (I keep knocking them down when reaching for the tongs or measuring spoons). They will be donated to a friend's art project, which is wonderful because their good energy should be put to good use...
Looking at all of them brought to mind all the good times that were had in my apartment. Dinners with friends, cooking, laughing, sometimes crying. The red "Werewolf" cork was acquired during a True Blood viewing back in it's first season. Good times.
They also got me thinking about all the changes that have occurred over the past few years. The people who have made an impact on my life and, in some cases, no longer part of my life. The new friends who are supporting and shaping my life now. I am lucky on both scores. There are so many gifts and lessons to be had in releasing relationships and making room for new ones.
It was around this time about 2 years ago that I began letting go of one of the most significant friendships of my life. I ended up suffering some sort of emotionally induced allergy/panic attacks over all the deathing that was occurring. Of course, I didn't realize it at the time. Last Fall I experienced a less intense version of the problem and this year it has been kicked up again in a fiery way with the acid reflux. I know that I am in another phase of letting go, but seriously? All that anger and stress exacerbated by the fact that I can't enjoy my beloved Scottish tea or eat whatever I want right now. Curses!!!
I'm hoping that by paying homage to what was and what's to come will help release some of the demons that have been wreaking havoc on my belly and chest. I suppose these are all lessons in how to better take care of myself and listen to my body (and intuition). Changing my diet, exercising and plying myself with violet leaf infusion can only take me part of the way.
I hope to start a new cork collection with new happy memories one day. Perhaps I'll add some beer caps to it this time, you know, to reflect all the changes ;)
XO
I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...
-From "Wicked"
Saying Goodbye
19 December 2011
Gramma & Grandpa
My Gramma passed away this past Thursday so, naturally, she's been on my mind during these chaotic, pre-holiday hours...
Everyone loved my Gramma.
My Sister used to say that if we invited Gramma to something, the sun was sure to shine...it never rained when Gramma was around.
She was 93. She was born in 1918 and I, in 1978 so the last number in our ages always matched. I loved that.
I remember waiting on the front steps of my house for the first glimpse of her white car when she'd come to stay...
Games of "War" and "Go Fish" with the ancient set of gorgeous playing cards that had belonged to my Grandpa on her bed at night...
Her in the kitchen whipping up some yummy food...
How she loved butterflies...
Her smile and laugh...
How we both chewed our ice cream (something, I guess, not everyone does)...
When she would french-braid my hair...
How she enjoyed hearing my friends and I laugh...
And so much more.
When I participated in a Samhain ritual, we sang the following words:
hold me, hold me, never let me go, hold me tight like the leaves on the branches
when I die, when I die, let me fly, let me fly, like the leaves on the trees when they're falling
hold me, hold me, never let me go, hold me tight like the stars in the sky
when I die, when I die, let me fly, let me fly, like the stars in the sky when they're falling
XOXO
Rolling with the Punches
24 February 2011
Today has been one heck of a day, so far. I am nursing some crankiness right now because a huge wrench, named Charlie Sheen, has been thrown into my weekend plans. Charlie Sheen cannot ruin my Open Hearth Cooking class at Mystic Seaport!!! I doubt that sentence has ever been uttered...
It started off so promising too! I slept in a bit, packed my stuff for CT and made the most delicious smoothie...then I went to work...
***
At the moment, I am exhausted by my angst and worry.
As stated above, I am taking an Open Hearth Cooking Class at Mystic Seaport tomorrow afternoon (woohoo!) but am currently in New York wondering if I'll be able to catch the last connecting train to Old Saybrook tonight, because of Charlie Sheen's shenanigans. Normally I'd have no worries about making the train, but our deadline has been pushed back an hour past when my train leaves.
I've gone through all the backup plan scenarios and figured out by best plan B...but I am angry because it's not the way I want thing to go down. So I have a one-way ticket to resentment-town at the moment. And I don't want to stay there.
Plus side? I will still be able to take the class...unless it gets canceled for unrelated reasons.
Another plus side? I could go home tonight and watch my Netflix copy of Torchwood that should be arriving and finish putting my tax stuff together...
But right now, all I can feel is tired and upset...and anxious. It's like time is always my enemy and I have no control over my "free time."
So, what do I make of this whole situation? Have things been going a little bit too awesome lately and the Universe needed to balance me out a bit? Who knows. All I do know is that I don't like feeling tired from pre-worrying. Maybe that's the lesson here. What good is pre-worrying...something I'm quite good at (I've lost many a night's sleep as a result).
Yes...it will be a bummer to have to pay twice as much for a one way ticket on Amtrak as opposed to the Commuter Rail and I will have to deal with the crowds at Penn Station, but it will be a shorter ride and a cushier seat...
My anger has been fading as I've been composing this post...which is good. Now back to rolling with the punches as see what happens. After all, I still might be able to get to CT tonight.
Fingers Crossed! And stay tuned for my Open Hearth Cooking experience!
XO
Quiet Time
10 October 2011
Enchanting Post-Supper Walk in Forres, Scotland, 2008
I am deep in Creative Business Incubator Mode. Processing a lot of stuff and most of that stuff has been pulling me off the computer, or at least calling me to unplug a little bit...
I find it so curious, after thinking that my creative business would be primarily online...that I want to get off the computer. Lots to think about there. But in the meantime I thought I'd hold the space, and the essence, by sharing a poem:
Getting Close, In the Distance
I cherish you--
You whom I hold dearest--
In my maddest,
crazed moments--
I feel dimly aware
of your ecstatic presence
and it warms my heart.
Though you are (physically) distant
You are always my treasure--
and I am yours.
---LAM
I've also been feeling the call to write more poetry lately. Interesting. In the midst of chaos comes simplicity. The essence of my dream.
XO
Pushing the Reset Button
05 September 2011
My First Day of School
I sort of feel like my recent blogs have been a sort of cavalcade of meaningless chatter. Maybe I'm wrong. I think the gist is that I felt a little all over the place while writing them. I mean...does anyone care that I was "camping" one weekend and then on to CT the next for my birthday??? That I made rice crispy treats and drank whisky? Not simultaneously ;) Although that would have been fun! The main theme has definitely been childhood delights...
Recently, though, I had a revelation.
I was lying on my floor...all fixed up with some pillows and a blanket on my yoga mat, listening in to our monthly herbal phone class when I turned to look at a collage of photos of me as a kid.
And I realized, that I felt (in Spirit) like that photo. It was my first day of school...riding on the school bus...and a new chapter.
Maybe we all need to keep this spirit inside of us as we get older.
Maybe this is in keeping with where I am now ;) Like I'm preparing for my first day of school.
My "pizza" flavored goldfish crackers
XO
Orange You Glad
19 October 2011
Orange is my current color of choice...
SO...I don't have any new items up for sale this week. Instead, I am taking my time and finding a new way of working...
Mostly, I used to create based on what I liked but also on what I thought others would want. I don't necessarily think that was always so successful. A lot of the time I was surprised by what sold because I was partial to something else.
What does that mean???
I also seem to get more responses to things when they come straight from the heart.
So, lately, I've been trying to let my creations unfold from my heart-center. Creating gifts has been a wonderful practice tool. Spirit art does take a little longer to unfold...especially when it isn't all you've got going on in your life.
I have some projects in the works, but mostly, I started with a color. Orange. I painted this box orange one day and have been letting it sit, waiting for the next detail to come. I'm not even sure I quite like the shape of the box...but part of the experiment is to make it work (usually one of my strong points).
Other creative outlets have been re-purposing found folder into a "fun" organizer for my business. I used fabric decoupage medium for the first time and am a little on the fence about the results. It looks super cute, but the texture is a little off. However, as craft experiments go it was pretty successful. Maybe I'm just a wee bit resistant to getting my business organized ;)
And of course, there is the creative journalling. Something I seem to be rather lax in doing unless I am taking part in some sort of course:
All in all I've been getting the creative juices flowing outside of the kitchen once again. I have a couple giveaways in the the works as well as some Etsy coupon codes planned for some pre-holiday shopping.
Sound good???
XO
Opening Up
24 October 2011
Forest Park Tree Magic
I am writing this pretty fresh off of a 9 day staycation...and nap on the couch. I started off with a Fall beer tasting in Mystic (which I will be writing up) and ended with a Reiki II re-attunement. Lots of motion going on in my world and lots of processing...
I thought this past week off was going to be a testing ground for a new way of working but instead it brought some true R&R. Which is what I needed, apparently. Book-ended by full weekends and lots of inner work.
I've been in the throes of trying to readjust my time and creative business as well as work out where I'm going in my life (and how it all fits together). I've begun to see that it's not as simple as letting go of things that no longer serve me. I must also learn how to let go of things I love...at least in part...in order to move into the next phase of my life. To open up to love and new ways of being. Heavy stuff.
I once rather dramatically stated in a Facebook message that it takes a long time to unravel the threads of a lifestyle you no longer feel a part of. But it really is true. And now I'm standing here looking down at those threads tangled about my feet and am thinking, "How do I step out of this pile?" The work is on-going.
It's all super scary and exciting (I've mostly been focused on the scared lately). I'm trying to breathe my way through it and be open to all the little things that pop up as a result of my work. I want to trust and be open to my actual path...not hold too fast to my thoughts and plans. I want the dream to find and hold me...not the other way around. Because if I'm too rigid the dream could get strangled and hold me down. The Reiki will come in handy with all of this.
No one said achieving my dreams was going to be simple. And the closer I get to that mountain, the taller it seems.
I've been turning to music and poetry a lot lately...
This is my current mantra (yes, more Waterboys music):
Open by Mike Scott
Open to the world
open to spirit
open to the changing wind
open to touch
open to nature
open to the world within
open to change
open to adventure
open to the new
open to love
open to miracles
open Beloved to You
Open to learn
open to laughter
open to being blessed
open to joy
open to service
open to saying "Yes !"
open to risk
open to passion
to peace and silence too
open to love
open to beauty
open Beloved to You
It seems to say it all right now..
XO
One Bite at a Time
10 March 2011
I have been feeling very overwhelmed lately...with all the things I need to finish/do before I go away. And, usually, when I am faced with too many choices, I don't pick any. Probably why I'm not gelling with New York any more. WAY too many choices...so I just stay home...
With all the "to dos" rolling around inside my head and tasks piling up both at work and home...I started to feel completely overwhelmed.
Then, while watching a rerun of "Amen" of all things (I love 1980s TV) I heard this phrase: "The only way to eat an elephant, is one bite at a time."
I'm finding a lot of truth in it right now. Between my day job, the new website, a new creativity course, preparing for my trip, keeping my apt from falling apart...my eyes are glazing over just writing this! (I really could use a personal assistant...anyone willing to work for food?)
I am finally realizing the only way to get anything done is to take it one bite at a time. So I made a couple lists and not only saw that the tasks weren't insurmountable...but that they were not as numerous as I had feared. Joy!
In the spirit of making my life easier, I've been doing a lot of quick food lately...and really, what could be better than a well-timed peanut butter and jelly sandwich? I actually bought the loaf of bread and peanut butter specifically to make one. This particular pb&j was made of natural peanut butter on multi grain bread with Scottish strawberry preserves...and I had some tea alongside.
Great...now I want another!
XO
Merry Christmas
26 December 2012
A Christmas Card for You All
I guess this is technically Boxing Day...but I am actually only online in spirit anyway having pre set this post. Ah, the magic of the internet...
I've been thinking a lot about the meaning of Christmas or what it means to me.
When I was a kid, it seemed like my whole world revolved around Christmas! 364 days of waiting.
Back then my immediate family would get together with my aunt, uncle, cousins, Gramma and their dog (Muppet) at the Sturbridge Sheraton to spend a few days together. It was so much fun! I have memories of walking from room to room holding a new stuffed toy, Gramma drinking a Grasshopper pool-side, Food, the arcade, Pictionary battles and swimming. To this day, the smell of chlorine reminds me of Christmas!
It was such a magical time.
Christmas.
Velvet dresses and shiny shoes...
Midnight Mass and French meat pies...
Hanging stockings and putting out cookies for Santa...
Tacking my list to the fireplace where he'd be sure to see it...
Waking up at the crack of dawn to run and peek at the tree and its mountain of treasure (trying to guess by size and weight what I'd gotten)...
The sound of tearing paper and breaking out the garbage bag to hold it all...
I think the meaning has changed as I have gotten older. This year I have been getting back to the family aspect and less about the material gifts. Creating handmade presents out of love rather than obligation. I think it has served to bring some of the magic back.
XO
Merry Christmas!
Making Up for Lost Time
01 March 2011
Forres, 2008Forres, Scotland - 2008
I have been VERY behind this week! I am in the process of writing up my Open Hearth Cooking class experience and putting together a gallery for it. I was able to take more photos than I thought I would...which is resulting in my having to whittle them all down to a tolerable amount. So, to make up for lost time and to celebrate my forth-coming trip to Scotland...I am doing a photo give-away!!!
I will send a small print of one of my Scotland photos to a lucky blog reader! You can choose which print from the photo galleries (which, coincidentally, only feature Scotland at the moment ).
I will randomly select a winner from the comments section...so please leave a comment here if you'd like a print!
I hope to hear from you and will hopefully have the cooking class blog/gallery up by this Friday!
***I'll announce the winner next Wednesday, March 9th, to give as many peeps a chance as possible!***
XO
List of Love: New York City
27 March 2011
Central Park
After a week of trying to immerse myself in New York's energy, I've found that I'm better off immersing in my own energy instead...
Maybe I was taking my teacher's advice too literally. I'm learning that being present doesn't mean I have to try to be a New Yorker...I just have to be myself.
I've been thinking a lot about what brought me here, what kept me here...and what I love (or loved). I could easily write a list of things I don't like about living here. But I swore that I wouldn't put negative energy on this blog. I also thought that since I don't have a lot of nice thoughts about New York...that was the very reason to write a list. It's sort of a then and now kind of scenario.
I came to New York for college. I decided that commercial art was what I'd major in because I thought it was the best way to make a living in art. I also LOVED Broadway musicals and the thought of being so close made me giddy :) I thought I could maybe get involved with making television commercials since I loved TV so much. I also saw my big Sister living here and sort of followed...as little Sisters tend to do. I suppose when you don't really know what to do, imitation will at least get you going for a while.
As rough a time as I had trying to find my way in college, I slowly figured out that Advertising Design (my major) was not for me. But having that background and education, staying here made the most sense and to be fair, I did enjoy living here.
Late night runs to the corner deli for a toasted bagel with cream cheese for cheap and wandering around The Village.
Going out to dinner with my friends, spending hours chatting in cafes (that hasn't changed much...although now I enjoy cooking for my friends and spending time at home).
I used to be on a dart team with my boss and we all went out once a week to compete and have drinks...staying up late and cabbing it home.
Getting all dolled up to go to crazy clubs once in awhile.
Late nights at my friend's apartment in college, eating, drinking wine and laughing hysterically at John Henson on Talk Soup.
Lots of amazing concerts. Paul McCartney (3 times!), Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Leonard Cohen, The White Stripes, Rasputina, Nine Inch Nails...the list goes on.
I've met, befriended and in some cases, let go of some amazing people over the years. They no doubt have shaped my life and (good and bad) I am nothing but grateful to have had them in my life.
This city introduced me back to nature...oddly enough. By taking an herbal medicine class, I was finally shown the right path. And it just so happens to be one that leads out.
I enjoy the fact that I have a huge sprawling park near my current apartment. A "quick" trip to the store yesterday turned into a meandering stroll along the bridal paths and some nice meditation beneath some pine trees.
All in all, New York has brought me everything that is currently happening in my life, in all different sorts of ways. So I am grateful for that.
XO
Introduction to Poet’s Corner
07 August 2011
Sunset near Blackness Castle
When I got back to New York, I battled with boredom...big time. I mean, seriously, after spending two weeks in Scotland running around and making soul discoveries it takes a little time to readjust...
So, what did I do? I initiated a poetry game on a forum I belong to. Creating community from the depths of my boredom. Better than snacking, right???
Initially there was a really great response! People were really into creating with words.
The basic rules were simple:
Everyone contributes random words and you pick around 11-13 of them to create magic :) And do it as quickly as you can, total stream of conciousness (I was pretty loose on the rules though...whatever helped you create was more than fine).
I used to play a game on Poetry.com called, "Poetry in Motion" that was sort of the same...though there was no leeway. I think some wiggle-room is perfectly acceptable. I really loved playing that game. It helped me flex my poetry muscle every day.
I thought it would be fun to share some of the poems my friends and I came up with here. They are lovely.
This is the first one I wrote, fresh from Scotland...my mind definitely preoccupied:
I used the words: Blend, Blood, Slide, Soul, Hunger, Endless, Heart, Instant, Possess, Inspire, Penetrate, Shining, Light
(I added little words and changed tenses to make it flow the way I wanted)
An endless soul-hunger
blends with my shining heart.
Penetrating my blood
Sliding down---
Instantly possessing---
Lighting and Inspiring.
--LAM
I always think it's remarkable how much we can convey with just a few simple lines. It can be pretty powerful.
"Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash." --Leonard Cohen
XO
Hearth & Home
03 March 2011
Remnants of Roasted Chicken
So, to update you all on my travel situation...I was able to leave work in time to catch my needed train last Friday night. This meant I was able sleep until a normal time on Saturday and wake up to trees, yummy breakfast and hot coffee! Before venturing into new territory with Open-Hearth Cooking at the Buckingham House in Mystic Seaport. Talk about a delicious pursuit for a cold New England day...
Mystic Seaport is my second favorite place to photograph (I think you all can guess the first ;) And I've also always harbored a fascination with history and experiencing life as it might have been back then. I secretly wished I could be one of the workers or volunteers who got to wear the costumes and work in the shops or kitchens...so last year, when I saw that they offered an open hearth cooking class I was elated! Problem was, that I had missed it by a month. This led to me stalking the Mystic Seaport website until I saw the class posted again. This was my year!
We arrived early and, unfortunately, surprised the instructors...but it gave me a chance to catch the house in my favorite light...right before dusk. But they took it all in stride and it gave me time with my camera. So I ran around delighting in every shadow and fading winter sunbeam.
(Click on thumbnails for full images)
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Then we began the class! My Mom and I tackled cod fish cakes with fresh chives from the garden. At first I was very conscious of the fact that I was in a museum house/kitchen...but that quickly melted away as we worked and all of a sudden we were in a "normal" (very) warm and buzzing kitchen. I became very comfortable manning the swinging frying pan...moving to and fro so I could get the cod cakes into the light...to tell whether or not they were brown enough. It's amazing the art and effort that went into cooking in a fireplace. It's a whole other animal...but with it's similarities. I loved the trial and error aspect of measuring and creatively cooking. That's the way I like to cook!
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Everyone was assigned a different recipe and we all worked in community. Something else I truly love.
Mom and classmates trying to peel some unruly beets
We sipped cider and ate toasted bread with pounded cheese (along with the cod fish cakes) while chickens roasted in a "tin kitchen," cranberries, turnips and beets bubbled in a kettle hanging over head and delicious cornbread baked away in a dutch oven smothered with hot ash. You know, a normal day in the kitchen.
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Cooking on the stove just doesn't have the same effect :) I truly felt the hearth and home as an all consuming thing. It's also a lot of hard work and you can appreciate how tough the women of the house must have been. I loved every minute of it.
I'm not saying I want to turn in my slow-cooker, blender or toaster but the experience made me realize that this is how I love to cook...at least the spirit of it. It's how I've been thinking and feeling about cooking since I really fell in love with it as a full hearth and home activity. Not creating the fanciest cuisine but good, honest cooking with love and earthiness. Creating a meal with others and then sitting down to share the fruits of our labor. I hope to continue moving in that direction.
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The only downside was that our wonderful instructors didn't sit down with us! And, it was really cold in that dining room. New England didn't let us forget that she was outside waiting. We all scuttled back into the kitchen for our dessert as soon as possible...crowding back around the hearth for warmth. It seemed appropriate to gather where everyone always gathers, in the heart of the home.
Another fun aspect of the night was when I was allowed to don a period cloak to venture out to the bathrooms (with a lantern). I felt the quiet company of the Seaport town surrounding me and then returned to the warmth of hearth and home with yummy aromas greeting me in the kitchen. How it should always be. It was a wonderful added touch...like a childhood fantasy come true!
We were sent home with so many goodies too! Including a booklet of all the recipes we created, along with a few more, a copy of "The American Frugal Housewife," and a hand set and printed copy of the night's menu from the Seaport's print shop. I want to get it framed.
I've been rolling the experience over and over again in my mind and the basic truth is that I do believe I found a piece of myself in that kitchen. It was one of those times when I felt as if everything fit and made sense that I was there. Nothing felt forced or unnatural...I wasn't searching for my place because I felt like I belonged. How I incorporate this piece into my life right now remains to be seen. It poses a bit of a challenge, but one I'm most happy to take up.
XO