Showing posts with label adventures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adventures. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Day Twelve


I lost track of time. 
I got 'volunteer wasted'. 
I helped out at Beaver Creek Reserve, I directed a team of volunteers in planting a strip at the back of the building. I was so glad for their help, it originally had been a task just for me...Would have taken a month of hours! So so grateful for their help. We got it started and finished in 3 hours! Ripped up old weed cloth, laid down new weed cloth, laid pavers, planted and mulched. There had to have been a hundred plants we put in, all natives!
I then moved to my parents house to let my most favorite dog Jack out. Then proceeded to help my mom transplant some herbs and natives for an hour. I hit a wall. She made me food :)
I took off to my next location, Gr and Gr's (Grandma and Grandpa's) They are out of town and my a couple aunts and uncles spearheaded a mission to do some updating. It's kind of a huge project! New carpet, new tile, new paint....wow. It's coming right along, it was great to see all the people getting in each other's way and helping out :)
When I got home at 10 I was empty. It was all I could do to throw myself into my bed.
I gave a lot, and forgot to take care of myself. A good reminder.
This shot was just a few blocks from my Grandparent's place, it was nearby and I could see a little stitch of clouds and the streetlights. 

Monday, June 11, 2012

Day Nine


It was a day of cloudlessness and redneck adventures, and a wild caught fish dinner. Apparently I am the bread winner when it comes to fishing. Though ending creatures lives is something that is difficult for me. I don't like pain, I observed the fish as they died, feeling sad, they were calm and accepting of their situation. I thanked them. After all it occurs in nature, the cycle of life. 

Friday, April 20, 2012

in pictures

Well hello again! Its been a spell. Far too long...Grandmother Spider was reminding me many weeks ago when she crawled on my face one night, then the next night brought a light colored friend to visit as well, they hung out on the window sill above my bed. One dark one light. So for Spider I write!

Creating....
I'm not sure if you remember this blue bag, I made it for a beautiful wonderful friend in North Carolina, it was for her daughter for her birthday. She contacted me a while ago and exclaimed she wanted one too just like Natalie's but a little bigger. I was excited, I knew instantly what fabric I would use, one that reminded me of Paige. She loved it!! <3



Hand drawn and embroidered
 Worms...
 Did I ever tell you I have worms?? I do! And they make magical poo! These bins started with a hand full of soil and a mound of newspaper, and I slowly added chopped up food that I didn't want to eat, and the worms made it into yummy nutrient filled soil! However I need to rework my design, some escape to their demise on the cement floor... :(

The snow is gone! And the grass is GREEN!

My little altar that sits atop my window sill above my head as I sleep
Ferns sprouting in the Wisconsin woods
I went for a nice hike in the woods with a great friend and we spotted these ferns sprouting up everywhere! It was wonderful to be out in the woods, and it was such a beautiful day. I need to remember to make sure I get lots of outside time!

I have also recently started school again. I didn't think I would ever go back to school after college. But this is different, I am studying to be a massage therapist. It's so wonderful, I absolutely love being able to be so close with people gently communicating with their bodies to help them heal. Touch is so amazing, giving and receiving massages is a meditative practice for me as well. When receiving a massage I have to focus repeatedly reminding myself to relax, let go. I am always holding some muscle in tension. I feel love flowing when I give massages, warm and golden.

<3<3
-L

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Northern Wisconsin Retreat

I was proud of my emptied spool of thread!
I spent the past weekend with my cousin, Aunt and Grandma. I happened to be home this year for one of my favorite events, the Quilting Retreat to Camp Luther in Three Lakes Wisconsin! I love it for so many reasons. We get to run away for the weekend and sew up a storm 3 hours away from our homes! You bring with you what fabric you have and make use of it! I love how much I feel I get accomplished. It's almost as if we get trapped on Sewing Island with nothing to do but sew ALL weekend! And bombard the one local fabric store!

I decided that I wouldn't do as I wanted (which would be to bring my entire fabric stash!) and that I would make use of all of the scraps from previous projects as well as a few forgotten projects. I'm glad I narrowed it down! I may have spent the whole weekend deciding what to do instead of doing!



Grandma and Aunt Jane working away in the
background!
I learned so many things this weekend including some tips about how I can teach myself a more efficient way of working called I need fewer decisions! I will be the first to tell you I am the captain of the ship "Indecisive" adrift in the waters of indecision.... yep its that bad!

 I also learned physical space can be a good tool. It felt wonderful to 'escape' for a weekend. I feel centered again. I had a rough cycle this past week, there were a lot of transitions happening and I was fighting with myself about a lot of things. The time and space away helped me to regain composure and see life as simple and wonderful, a gift to be cherished. I also had the blessing of Eagle on the way home, perched in a tree reminding me that nature is always speaking and that a silent mind aids in hearing her words.



We had devotional time where we sang songs and shared in readings from the Bible. I haven't spent any time studying the religion in which I was raised (catholocism). It was beautiful to hear the words and feel the oneness of the teachings of the religions I know. From Buddhism to Christianity they seem
to be teaching the same thing.










Add caption
Love yourself to love others, as we are all one.

Friday, September 30, 2011

paintings and nature magic

This is an old friend I wanted to update you on. I started the "quadropus" when I was in North Carolina. So it has been a long process so far. I just wanted to give you a little pictorial tour of the changes its been through.
This orange phase was the under painting. I like do do under painting so that when I paint the final colors on top some of the colors underneath can show through.
 This Phase was the background painting. You can see some of the orange pokes thru the green blue background. If you could see this in person the orange is very firy and red like a burning sunset.
 I had a hard time trying to decide how to finish this one. I paint relatively fast and I tend to not have a whole lot of patience for tedious details. (which is kind of ironic...) I ended up having a lightening strike moment. I do have patience for embroidery and its tiny details. So of course I had to put them together!

I remember having a distinct vision of what the little suction cups would look like when they got embroidered. I have a clear vision for a few of the other details as well. The quadropus is a work in progress very slow progress! I love it!

This monarch I just recently finished. He (yes its a he!) sat patiently as I tended to sewing. I actually originally didn't like how the background had turned out so I set him aside. (do we see a pattern here... apparently my paintings need time outs before they get finished!) I felt so happy as I painted the wings. I could just feel the joy pouring from my heart. 

This is my little Goldfinch friend. She came about right after the monarch. I had her drawn on the piece of hard board and just went straight to it after the monarch. 

She was a visitor about a month ago, she came to visit me 3 times (did i tell you this?) right before I headed to the Midwest Shamanic Gathering. I looked up what she meant in my Animal Speak book, and in short she was awakening me to the Nature Spirits. I was so excited! When I say she visited me she landed on my window twice, barely gripping to the trim on the outside as she peered inside. The first occasion I was singing in the shower and stepped out of the bathroom still singing and she was perched there listening. The second morning i was sitting on my pillow meditating and I heard a small noise on the window, she had come back again! The third visit I was talking with my uncle in the living room and saw a flutter high in the window sure enough she was there! 

A day or so before this all had happened I had discovered an old feather I had found while in California. It was crumpled and kinked up from being smashed in a pocket in my backpack. I showed it to my squeeze and we both determined that it was probably a turkey feather. I set it on my window sill (yep the same window where Goldfinch landed!). After my visits with Goldfinch I took the feather and others with me to the Shamanic Gathering, where they lay in a net in my tent all weekend. On Friday night I attended a sweat lodge, which was amazing! That night I had a glowing vision of feathers as if backlit by a bright white light. I scratched out a picture and proceeded to be serenaded by a thunderstorm all night. Then on Monday when I was packing up my things I pulled out my feathers and as I grabbed my 'turkey' feather my first thought was that it looked like a hawk feather, and my second realization was that it look like it was in almost perfect condition! Over the weekend the feather had been healed. The extra funny thing was that I hadn't touched it all weekend! I wish I had a before picture, it had at least 2 kinks in it and was bent into a "c' shape.


Happy Nature magic! Keep your eyes open it's happening all the time!

Much Love!

L
And I almost forgot! Check out my Etsy shop there are a few new listings!!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

BEEn Busy!

I had a most wonderful weekend at Beaver Creek Reserve during the Midwest Shamanic Gathering. I received healing in many forms over the weekend. And was constantly met with teachings from beautiful people and nature. I even participated in my first sweat lodge which was incredible! We got to sing and dance to Native American Drumming. I even got to play in a drum circle, which was so much fun. Not only were there Native Americans from WI there, but also Shaman from Africa, Laos, and South America.  I feel strong, calm and happy. Very appreciative as well. 
There was talk of the Hopi Prophesy of the Eagle and Condor. Which states something like this, When the Eagle of the North and the Condor of the South fly together, the children of Earth are reawakening. 

Love Earth. Love You. Spread Love.
Simply, Love.

Reawaken.

I have been receiving lots of love via my Etsy shop! I am so excited that my cuffs went over so well and am excitedly making more! I hope to have some more "Bee Happy" since I have had requests for them after being in my shop for only a night!!

Till then you will have to check out the new Mini wallets. I know...they are no substitute... till next time! 
The first custom order was mailed off today!
Custom order #2

Mini Wallets!


Love to you all! Till next time Bee Happy!

xoxo

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Messengers


I feel I have always had what I call a soft spot for animals whether they are two, four, six or even eight or million legged. They capture my attention and fascinate me....beautiful beings. I have started to learn they are bearers of messages. Reminders for us to be aware. Reminders and guides. Their intelligence is not one from books it's inherent, intuitive and wise. I don't feel yet I can share with you their magic maybe soon. For now I will share my encounters.


Butterflies


I met this beautiful Monarch at a butterfly house at Beaver Creek Reserve. It wasn't the best day for butterflies I was told. Of course I decided to venture out anyway. I locked right onto this one struggling on a plastic sign cover. I stretched my hand out and it crawled right on. We spent quite some time together before it decided to fly over to a nearby milkweed plant. I remember the great sense of power I felt as it crawled on my hand. For such a weightless creature it had an incredible grasp!

Red Spotted Purple
This is another friend from the butterfly house. I collected another of its kind in my garage. My mom had pulled out her car to give it a scrub, and in its place were two treasures. One perfect little Pink Edged Sulfur and a Red Spotted Purple, who was a little worse for the wear. They unfortunately had met their end, though I touched the Purple and it began to flap its wing, slowly open and closed. I stayed and watched quietly as my parents shuffled about, my dad peering over obviously wondering what I was doing. I showed him the flapping butterfly. He commented something about a butterfly healer haha. I would be so honored! After I was sure the Purple had passed I picked them up and inspected. I couldn't believe the Purple had been able to flap...only had one good pair of wings on one side the other side was crumpled as well as I believe it was missing many organs....a special moment.


Aphrodite Fritillary
 I was out for a bike ride with my Auntie the other day, and of course as always had my animal spotting eyes on. After about 10 miles I hadn't noticed much. Then on my way down the hill I saw what I thought may be a Swallowtail traipsing in its bouncing flight pattern across the road. I sailed closer just to  have a friendly collision on my shirt. It really didn't seem to noticed and continued on his way. We should all be so calm and accepting of surprise situations!

Cope's Gray Treefrog
This little friend my mom found hanging out on our house. Just a little bigger than a quarter.

This is my parents resident Gray Fox. It lives in the back yard, we've seen it often leaving the den and returning about two hours later near dusk sometimes with prey. So beautiful. My dad also had a Fox and pups living under a shed at his auto shop! Maybe he has a fox totem animal? They sure seem to like him. I let my dog Jack outside one morning about 4:30 am and heard the strangest "Arf" noise...it was the fox with its territorial call!


Jack also woke me up early to see the mist burning off the lake. He's a great friend :)

Have you experienced any animal magic lately or do you have a totem animal? I would love to hear about it!

xoxo
L


Monday, August 8, 2011

Tennessee, a small glimpse in pictures

It was a lovely spot, lush with growth and life. 




I was so excited to see this little treasure! Its a Luna Moth! I have seen two this year, the other one was at Wood's Hole Hostel.  It gave me some inspiration to paint again. I've encountered lots of animal visitors lately. I got a book that helps me understand the messages and magic they bring. 


much love
xoxo

Friday, August 5, 2011

The Cascades: Virginia. Trip two.

Still just as beautiful as the first time. This time I had my big camera...

The butterfly is taking flight!

Justine was excellent at finding caterpillars and taming butterflies!





 The Rhododendrons had such beautiful light falling on them.

When I got to look back on these photos I felt such a sense of calm. The Cascades is such a serene place, happy soothing vibes. 

Bidding you some happy soothing peaceful vibes 
xoxo much love :)