Honoring our Foremothers with Poetry

Some of us collaborated by each adding a line, in turn, about our family's "foremother." ...

Remembering Bubbie
by Rachel and Jay and Ezra and Darwin

>Her pencils say Lena
> Her black reeboks marched in the Women's March in NYC
> She was Saba's mama and Ellen's and Stephie's and Barbara's
> She was old
> We never run out of blue towels since she died
> I wasn't sure we'd live through the funeral procession
> She's under some books
> She had a lot of sewing stuff
> She knew how to use all that sewing stuff!
> Those cousins of yours called her BubbieLee
> Clinton St. on the lower east side
>We were lucky to know her

Some of us got together and wrote individual Cinquain or five-line poems about women who have had a positive impact on our lives...

Jean wrote about her Aunt Margaret:

Margaret

Hospitable, German

Self-educating, Organizing, Reading

Taught by living gentle family mores.

Aunt

Debra wrote about her former neighbor, Irene:

I-Rut-E-Nut-E

Noisy, Funny

Cooking, Joking, Creating

Artistic mentor of thin/thick lines

Neighbor

Anne wrote about her daughter, Lisa:

Lisa

Idealistic, Persistant

Inspiring, Accepting, Loving

All kids become enthusiastic readers

Educator

Next New Moon, we'll continue with our bookmaking honoring our foremothers... Please feel free to join us by emailing a poem about a woman who's made a positive impact on your life to Debra@Motherhouse.us AND come to the next gathering on April 26!

Paste Paper Moon

In spite of feeling REALLY tired, we set up and made beautiful paste paper. Of course, once we were covered with paint, "being tired" vanished, and we found ourselves pizzazzed and refreshed!

Tiny Tashlich, Shallow Water, Deep Cleanse

Sometimes we just do the best we can and everything turns out beautiful! This year's Rosh Hashana's new moon was just too busy to gather, so Juliet took her bread and phone to a streamside in Central Park. Debra climbed down the hill to the stream behind her house with bread and phone. Even tho there was barely any water in the stream, she could make tiny crumbs to float away. Taking turns, we cast off our regrets and bad habits of the past year with Juliet reciting the proper Tashlich prayer in Hebrew.

I'll Lend You a Calendula: Herbal Salve-A-Tion

 

 Beautiful, clean-smelling calendula blossoms, picked late on a sunny morning and steeped for a few weeks in olive oil, infused the oil with their healing properties. We strained away the plant matter, warmed the oil, and mixed in 3-4:1 parts oil to melted beeswax.

Then we poured our fresh salve into small containers to restock our winter supply and to sell to neighbors and friends. Hurray for no more chapped hands, cracked fingers, itchy vaginas, and sore noses!

Celebrating Lammas

Chewing on a head of grass-seed; shelling and popping corn; bringing in the rye... honoring Ceres and Demeter and the beginning of Harvest Season... the mid-point between Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox. Happy Lammas!

Go with the Flow

Inspired by Dana's energy meditation, I took a bath and imagined myself in a boat floating down the river of life. First, I observed the events of the past couple weeks along the shore of the river; what and how my physical body, mind, heart, and energy was doing. Then, "saw" myself drifting on into the future toward the next new moon cycle.... and what I'd like my life and energy to be like in 29 days.

Having just printed wavelike symbols down its center to represent high and low tides as they follow the moon, I kept thinking to my topsy-turvy torah project. More and more, as I work on it,  I'm aware of the earth and season and its close connection to both Jewish and Christian holidays... Christianity's Easter celebration of new life; freedom from limitation.... Jewish Passover; liberation, passing from constriction, through the waters to a new life and liberation... budding trees, greening grass--thawing earth, rain and mud, nesting birds; all singing praises ...all rejoicing in LIFE!

Monkeyshines, Valentines

When she lived in Wisconsin, Grandma Jean and her artist friends always got together this time of year to make valentines. After moving to CT, she tried to continue the tradition by inviting us to celebrate the February new moon by making valentines. Remembering our first gathering of that nature, Rachel organized another new moon valentine-making adventure this year.

Rachel and Darwin had colored thin pieces of cardboard on their woodstove so the crayons melted making vibrant colors, so we could make heart-shaped cut-outs.

Harriet showed us how to use a template to fold and cut two pieces of paper to weave together to form a heart.

We learned to weave our cutouts into heart shaped pockets.

We used Grandma Jean's heart-shaped paper punch to make many small hearts,

Made messes and music,

And decorated lunar postcards.

Inspired, Rachel and Darwin went home and incorporated what they had done into a project for 100's Day: a 10 by 10 woven grid with 100 hearts pinned on!

February 8, 2016  was also the "Chinese lunar New Year," based on the New Moon heralding spring. In the past, this was the only festival for which farmer's would leave their labors to celebrate. The festivities would last for two weeks/the full moon. It remains a time of honoring one's ancestors and deities, as well as holding family reunions. Because the color red represents good fortune, many people give presents of cash in small red envelopes. According to Chinese astrological tradition, this year (4713) is the year of the fire monkey and we can look forward to a year of intense confrontations, great technological advancements, and of women coming into their power.

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!

More New Moon Light

Inspired by last month's felted wool lanterns, we worked together to create a lampshade by using a bigger balloon. It was so big, it took three of us to lay and suds the wool in place...

Meanwhile, in Falls Village, New Moon wood sprites set up a red tent along a woodland path to surprise unsuspecting hikers and left notes of appreciation for their "victims"

New Moon Balloon Lanterns

In honor of Dwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, we made lanterns of wool...

carding it so the fibers lay evenly... 

then felting it around balloons with bits of wool yarn.

 When they were nice and dry,

we popped the balloons, trimmed the openings,

and set a tea candle inside...

May your warm inner light shine throughout the dark of winter!
Click for the link we followed...

Swept Away

Inspired by last month's Dwali celebration...

  we decorated new brooms

 to help keep our homes and our heart(h)s clear.

It was so much fun that we brought out Debra's collection of broom handles 

 

and painted up several sets of lemme sticks too!

A DOORing in DiWALLi!

We celebrated the Hindu harvest festival of lights, Dwali, by cleaning our front entryway, sweeping the walkway and decorating the door ... all in order to welcome Lakshmi,  Lady Luck, Love, Light, and Prosperity into our home, our hearts, and our life.

Heads up!

Of this new moon, Rachel wrote: It is Rosh Hashana, literally head of the year, in the Jewish Lunar calendar. One of the Rosh Hashana traditions is Tashlich, a casting away of crumbs into moving water, along with sins or feelings that we'd need washed away to start the new year.

Here is a Tashlich story to get in the spirit of the gathering, and perhaps encourage you have your own impromptu tashlich gatherings as the weather turns. Besides being a story of the digital age, this little essay also has some mom ideas to ponder - like Magda's clarity that behavior that wouldn't qualify for "sin" in most relationships was sinful in her relationship with her mom, and like the author's remark that he turns to his mom for religious guidance because it is easier than looking in the Torah and she speaks his language! I wish for the forgiveness to flow between mothers and daughters, even if I don't always FEEL it. I envision us tossing our collective crumbs in the Hollenbeck at the Sadeh and whatever feelings arise, so be it! ...

Some of the "crumbs" we tossed were the need to have things our own way, and the need to follow tradition in the same way every time.

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.

Sound the Horn! Rise Spirit Rise!

Happy New Year! shana tovah u'metukah!  One of four Jewish New Years, Rosh Hashana celebrates the creation of the world, people, animals and legal contracts. We usually get together on this new moon and eat the sweet treats of creation: apples, almonds, and honey. This year we are deeply in the world and only pause to celebrate our hopes for the future expansion of farm camp Camp Eureka, to "smudge" clean ourselves of negative attitudes with white sage smoke, and to light candles welcoming in the light of new beginnings.

Herbal Wisdom for the Gemini New Moon

The June new moon fell on Saturday, the 8th. the same day as as our Old-Style Life Skills Series workshop We'd Walk & Herbal 1st Aid with local herbalist Alicia North of Northstar Botanicals. Alicia explained that on that day, both the sun and the moon were in the highly excitable, mentally stimulating sign of Gemini -- a great time for undertaking intellectual pursuits and learning something new. We all were learning MANY new things as she identified plants around the Local Farm barnyard and told us about some of their healing properties. Visit Motherhouse News for a few of her tidbits.

As a refreshing, especially appropriate Gemini New Moon beverage, Alicia recommended steeping bruised Lemon Balm leaves in cold water.

Lemon Balm is mentally and physically soothing, gently cooling, and mildly stimulating -- setting the perfect stage for new endeavors!

Firey AIRees New Moon

The April New Moon rose in the firey sign of Aries - the ideal time to chart one's hopes and intentions for the coming season. We gathered after Farm School for lunch and a treasure mapping session with Alicia North.

 Margaret and Darwin share secrets

Sara tries a new baby wrap as we settle down to another New Moon feast

 Ezra expounds on the benefits of mother's milk

Let your intuition guide you to your heart's desire.

Peacey helps her mom make an Aries treasure map.

Swing into Spring Training!

We met at Tal's in Sherman for a scrumptious luncheon...
then played outdoors...

PregnanCy Tea

Nourishing ourselves

with good food,
and friendship

Sharing our birthing herstories...

Trimming hair and hanging out

  Checking out Motherhouse example cloth diapering systems.

Dasher Lickin' Good

First,
we mucked 
the cow shed.

 Then we set up our tent.

Rachel and Darwin gave us their specially concocted base for frozen honey berry yogurt.

We cranked 

   and cranked 

and cranked,          

UNTIL...

 YUM!