Wheel Visions

With stacks of old magazines, posterboard, scissors, and glue; Alicia guides us to imagine and represent our desires on "visioning wheels" for the April 3rd New Moon.

Darwin loves "PINK!"

Wash Day

A fun swim in the Geer pool and a good lunch at Grandma Jean's...




The February 2 new moon is the first evening of Adar, the twelvth month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year. It is a time of joy and renewed hope expressed during the full-moon celebration of Purim when Queen Esther courageously stepped forth to expose Haman's deceit and save her people. February 2 is also Ground Hog's Day, the midpoint between winter solstice and the spring equinox. Pagan rituals include setting out a loaf of bread and an ear of corn to entice the blessings of the goddess of swelling grain, Brigid and her white cow. Christians bless candles for "Candlemas" in honor of the day Mary first presented her son Jesus (the Light of the World) to the temple as part of her cleansing as a new mother. In New England, this is time farmer's hope their hay supplies are only half-way consumed for we are mid-way through winter.

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.

Red Letter Day for Rachel!

Today we bedecked the house in red in honor of Rachel's first period since Darwin's conception.

Margaret and Darwin played with marbles...

Rachel cooked red Hannukah latkes... Debra made a red cabbage salad....

We feasted...

sewed...

and re(a)d!
This was the first evening of Tevet, the tenth month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year. In New England, this new moon will wax into the Cold Moon or Long Night Moon. This year the full moon falls on the Winter Solstice when nights are at their longest and darkest, and winter cold settles in for the season. It is the natural time for rest and introspection.

SOUND Asleep

Rachel continues with her goal of softening the sounds in her living room... this time by making a fabric window curtain.

Darwin modeled rest and relaxation.

Margaret creates a backing for her beadwork while helping Jean and Debra

write the collophon for their Dave's Words book

and then helped Darwin get ready for the night's contra dance!
This is the new moon of Kislev the ninth month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year. In New England, this new moon will wax into the Beaver or Frosty Moon. It is a time when beavers (and all rodents) are very actively preparing for winter.

Egg Curtons

To soften the sounds
in Rachel's living room
we made wall curtains
out of egg cartons.

Then we watched
Debra's movie:
Dave's Words

of Jean's latest
Art of the Book assignment,
a 5X5inch accordion book
on the topic of words

while Darwin entertained us with ukulele tunes.
This was the first evening of Cheshvan, the eighth month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year. In New England, this new moon will wax into the Hunters' or Blood Moon. As we near the end of our pasture season, our cattle are in prime condition for slaughter. Cooler weather also means fewer flies and good temperatures for hanging fresh meat to cure. Now is the time to finish filling the freezer and for smoking meats.

Rosh My Blues Away

In honor of Rosh Hashana, we threw bread in the stream to represent washing away anything we don't want in our lives any more... old emotions, habits, problems that no longer serve us well. Rosh Hashana is one of at least 4 Jewish New Years. Rachel tells us that, that way we get many chances to start over! We also talked about forgiving each other for anything we may have done to hurt the other during the past year.

Back at the house we dipped apples (from trees in Rachel's yard!) in honey and ate them for a sweet year.

This was the first evening of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year and the holiday of Rosh Hahanah. In New England, this new moon will wax into the Harvest Moon. Gardeners will literally be reaping the fruits of their labors; drying, freezing, and canning our harvests for winter use.