Big Fish on the Rise

Astro Feng Shui practitioner, Simone Butler  notes that this month's new moon in Capricorn is the ideal time to move forward into our work, self-esteem and higher calling. She recommends "tooting our own horn" by boldly writing a letter or making a blog or facebook post about an issue that really matters to us. And/or showing confidence in our own abilities by approaching an authority about supporting our work.
        I chose this time to post on our local chat group in support of short term rentals. I daily skim over the posts and usually dismiss them, feeling like a big old trout hiding at the bottom of the stream under a rock.
This time, the hue and cry from our local inn-keepers that "its not fair" they have to meet health regs and pay fees that Air BnB's do not, got to pestering me just enough to write about what a wonderful service short-term rentals provide my visitors from out of town... I watched myself slowly leaving the shadows and rising toward the bait... feels good to have writ my peace (piece?) May I continue to sing out this month! In my community and as part of the choir.
     Thank you Simone! I draped the horns of Babe the Blue Ox with red fabric to bring a little fire to my aspirations!

Shimmy Clear for the New Year

Because January 30 was the second new moon in one month, we dubbed it a "Purple Moon." We gathered at Debra's amidst construction chaos to shimmy clear for the new year with Rachel and a video lesson in belly dancing.

Kale and Hearty

The New Moon of the New Year fell of the first day! What an auspicious time to leap into new beginnings. May we be like the hearty kale plant - not only surviving winter frost - but becoming sweeter and offering even more nourishment through times of harsh weather.

R U Fond o' Fondu?

Plans to make Valentine cards inspired us to welcome in the Chinese New Year with origami boxes, crocheted hearts, and chocolate fondu

Trying to follow Margaret's flying paper-folding fingers

Rachel sang as she showed us how
"First you make a loop...

then you take some yarn...

...and start all over again"

Good friends!

Good food!

That's all she wrote!

Stirring Cycles

This January new moon marks the beginning of the Jewish month, Shevat. Trees are honored this month as they begin a new cycle of life. In the midst of winter's stillness, their sap starts flowing to the tips of their newest branches, brightening their color and ever so slightly causing their buds to swell. We quietly honored our cycles too. Darwin painted with watercolors for the first time with her older friend Margaret and with Margaret's older friend Rachel (Darwin's mother) as Rachel's older friend Debra (Margaret's mother) took pictures.
Rachel stitched a dowel into a weaving done by Debra's mother Jean to give it new life as a wall hanging.
Dody and Lynn stopped by and Dody took up trying to churn cream, (that wonderful gift from our cows' lactation cycle) into butter. When its unwillingness became apparent, she took it home to make into luscious cheese (with the help of microbial life cycles).

Rachel continued her sewing theme and created a hand-stitched maxi-pad out of fabric from one of Debra's old sheets, giving new life to an old "rag" while honoring her own cycle of life.

Come to the Table

Jean set a beautiful table complete with new moon gift towels at our places,
and served us delicious turkey chili
After we cleared off the empty dishes, she spread the table with papers, ribbons, and other goodies for making valentines
Darwin and lovey bear showed us what valentine's day is all about.