Showing posts with label season. Show all posts

Sunday, December 21, 2025

Solstice

May you be held and loved in the Solstice Season and throughout the year.

Monday, November 3, 2025

I was able to dash off to the the local Hallmark store to get my new "2026 Datebook". I'm grateful to be able to access this little treasure for yet another new year. I took my mama's old 1947 Hallmark Datebook with me to share with the ladies up there. My mom would have been 19 years old and this lil book is filled with the 'goings on' of a young woman...many, many dates, hair and doctor appointments...phone numbers and addresses squished along the boarders. The phone numbers had letters or phrases for their first two digits, speaking of days gone by. There were new glasses, a train trip to Chicago (this was a big event for her)...there was the meeting of my birth-father, mid-August. By the end of the year, his name showed up daily. I'll never know who Buddy, Johnny or Chuck were, but I enjoyed stepping back in time with her and imagining her as a fresh-faced young woman, ready to take on the world.

I looked up the store, who's name & address is stamped on the back Coulter's in Los Angeles, on the Miracle Mile- that was her place, her youth. I spent a long time today looking down the memory lane of shopping in Los Angeles back then.

On my way out of the parking lot, I stopped to buy these bright orange marigolds. I'd seen the hispanic family selling them on the way in and was charmed by the young boy, maybe 10 years old, standing curbside, jumping around with his cardboard sign, reading $6.00. He had such a good energy, I had to stop on my way out. They brought the flowers right over to my car (which really helped with my bum foot)...his older sister, with a baby in a pack on her back and him - grinning from ear to ear. Each side of the entrance/exit driveway held a small group of folks selling flowers. I figured they were for "Dia de los Muertos". I figured if they were brave enough to stand out there and sell them, I could certainly support them. I'm so glad I did. *BTW~ fresh flowers sure are nice.

Be Kind ❤️ AI Music Video about Joy

LINK 2:56 minutes

I have my concerns about "AI", as I'm sure so many of us do...but this artistic video is so sweet and fanciful and just the right use for this new tool (in my opinion).

I drove home the long way, driving up to the gate and the top op the hill over there. It brings me so much peace. I loved my days of walking in this area, many years ago now. I long to do that again.

My friend sent me this video, knowing I would love it...which I did. In another lifetime, I'd like to be one of these "hens". This video deserves a quiet viewing, where one can escape into the gorgeous landscape in OR...the horses, the deep, deep connections of these ladies...for generations...and the singing! Enjoy!

Exploring the Wallowas with the modern-day "Horsewomen of the Hen Party" | Oregon Field Guide

LINK 36:54 minutes

If you like to read and see the photos, go here

I've made 3 more holiday colored Medicine Bags, to add to the 5 left over from last year. I may make another one or two...or not. They will get planted when I can go walk again. Frankly, a full week later and I'm so over the pain, but I'm trying to be patient and following the healing protocol.

Where can you make a positive impact?

May you feel good enough

May you find things to do, ways to be no matter how you feel

May you repeat as you can, each day

Saturday, October 4, 2025

Days of Nature and Pow Wow

The most light and amazing scent - 'out front rose bush'

When medical building flowers catch the light and your heart

Cottonwood changing color at the Bridge, announcing the arrival of Fall

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For | Song Around The World | ICRC + Playing For Change

LINK 5:35 minutes

The "Little Free Library" walk...a gorgeous, cooler day with a refreshing breeze and eye-catching clouds. We discovered a plant (milkweed?) filled with emerging bugs...Milkweed Bugs, I believe. I almost stepped on the Praying Mantis (below) - not a great pic, but I liked the shadow.

Lastly, we saw three beautiful deer come racing across this cement bridge, tear across the road in front of us and scramble up the hill on the other side. Wondering what startled them so, I studied the green area from which they came, but saw nothing at all.

🪶 POW WOW WEEKEND - Saturday 🪶

We went for a couple of hours today and will go again tomorrow. As is well known by now...I wait all year for this event and in recent years, attend both days and immerse myself in all aspects of the day. We shop (look) the venders, eat fry bread, listen to the ceremonies and drumming/songs...generally walk around checking it all out and also sit and absorb it all. If I could be there all day long, I would. We've been every year since 2000 (minus 2008 and 3 years of the pandemic). I again became brave and asked the elder Native/Vet who was wandering around with sage for smudging. I waited behind another Vet and took my turn. His hawk feather fan - beautifully spread open, quill bottoms wrapped in leather - waved over the abalone shell holding the smoking sage. He pushed the smoky healing over me from head to toe, rested the feathered fan on my head, saying a silent blessing and then brushed the feathers down my back and away. To stand in the scent of sage is to stand on earth with your heart in the heavens.

I again stood by two of the groups as they took their turns to lead the dance with their drum and song. I absorbed it through and through.

This year I noticed even more "resist", "native pride" and 'handprint' for missing and murdered Indigenous Women awareness apparel.

The section below is in relation to that:

August 30, 2025

"I had a draft started for this part of the post, but it slipped away when the close of August became the whole month of September and into October. But, today at Pow Wow I was reminded of it - so I'm mushing it all together. Here it is:

I've read about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and seen information on the Red Handprint...but, I did not know there is an international day to honor those who have gone missing. August 30th is that day: International Day of the Disappeared.

I read about "enforced disappearance" at Amnesty International."

It is sadly amazing how many more folks have disappeared recently. I was glad to see the issue so much more front and center, which will hopefully bring about more awareness, across the board.

I thought the "rocks candy machine" was such a clever idea! I got 50 cents worth today and will get 50 cents more tomorrow. I was happy to see three purple rocks, which I can give to my friend who was supposed to attend this year, but is home with COVID instead. The other polished bitty rocks will most likely go into CMB when I plant them. Cool.

We also treated ourselves to winter hats. Can you guess which one is mine? haha

We'll be back at Pow Wow tomorrow. I can't wait to see what catches my eye and heart then! I'll most likely post again.

PS I revisited this old post. The computer related haikus had me chuckling and thinking about all of the blog stuff going on. Some things circle back around frequently...or just never change in the first place!

What do you look forward to?

May you enjoy your own traditions

May you bask in the season

May you feel the drumbeat of life

Sunday, September 28, 2025

Days of Honey

A drive through Heritage Valley, included a stop at the Honey Farm and a local produce stand. This highway has many produce stands, which we've gone to in the past. But, the one we visited on this trip was new to us. A nice stand, a nice man (Sid) and ready to open on Oct. 1st is their Fall-Halloween pumpkin farm, maze and so on. We bought just a little, supplementing what we had at home. I've been working on purchasing smaller amounts, making sure we can get to it all before it spoils.

Drawing and using added water to the Inktense colors. I chose a tricky image to inspire me this time. Remember...I don't do depth perception well and I have no way to portray the white foamy water. Plus, I have a limited amount of colors, so I just pick whatever one is 'close enough'. However, I don't care. I'm out for the fun of it...and it was. I don't mind working within my limitations and art supply boundaries.

City Park trail closed, due to brush clearing again. We feel for the living beings of all sorts down there, but we know it will grow back fairly quickly.

I love when the clouds come in and ring the valley, falling over the mountain's edge.

I've also continued weaving. Here they are...6 Medicine Bags based on the skein in the middle and one pinks and girly looking bag. More on that one later.

What looks like a lot of doing, has really been spread out over many days. I feel like I'm in some sort of low-lull lately, so making and walking has been slow to arrive.