First Frost

A handmade life is a story that always interests me. In a time when so many are providing interesting life stories to read about and follow along with - sharing handmade lives - it is good to remember that in general we share what we are most comfortable with. This happens both in person and online in the lives that we have offered up in the ongoing time. Here I am sharing a snapshot of my own handmade.

A white bench made quickly a bunch of years ago from an Ana White simple woodworking pattern - sits by the doorway. It needs paint again now. So many moments sitting on that bench - talking, sharing, pondering, wishing. The first frost arrived on the land and everything is covered in a beautiful heavy dusting of glitter. In the early morning sunlight - frosted sparkles catch my eye everywhere that I glance. It is easy to see the magic things in the landscape of nature. The air feels bright and clear, An expectant nuance blankets the early morning world. Even the songbirds sound excited with their cold calls.

I wander about looking more closely at the plants. An artemisia just yesterday coated in velvet - now frosted and soon to turn dark as it withers against the cold. Its scent is unmistakable. I almost always run my hands across her stems and leaves - bring my hands up to my face - deeply inhale. It is one of the great many simple pleasures of living with plants. The plants that we are drawn to share something with us. A deeper connection is found when we return again and again to the plants that we are drawn to. If you have lived a very long time on a land place the plants are another one of the signposts of your journey of lifeways.

Plant ways bring the most profound gifts and healing ways if we remain open to them. It is even better if we take an active interest in the actual plants living with us. Looking closer in with an open curiosity will reveal answers and insight to questions and wonderings that we may be carrying. Living with an inquisitive nature toward the plants that we feel drawn to - allows a connection to be created between two sentient beings.

I have lived on and with this land for a very long time now. I know the rhythm of the seasons. I can anticipate the plants that will arrive again and again. When they don’t return - I am disappointed. What happened? Perhaps it’s like a friend that has taken a different pathway. We do not always get to know the story of another. One way to incorporate plant medicine into our lives is to use the essence and energetic qualities of a plant. I mean to use them on the same energetic essence level as an imagination. What is the immediate quality coming to you when you sit with a plant or walk by a plant ally. Did a memory occur to you? Has a person entered your consciousness suddenly? Is it really out of the blue? I think in these sudden inexplicable ways - we communicate with plants on energetic levels that can offer up to us very healing pieces of plant medicine.

Just like we meet people in our lives that offer us something - so too a plant peaks our attention in subtle and more direct ways. If we listen with a gentle attention there are wisdoms for us to take in. We can ask questions to the plants themselves. Perhaps later on in a dream an answer of importance may move us in a direction of - before not thought of. It is these quiet ways that we can have access to a whole world of beautiful guidance. It is a living book of answers for us to find a way to enter into. Try to be gentle as you enter into plant relationships. Like with a new person you meet - you might gently introduce yourself. There is so much to discover!

In exploring with a plant you will want to be patient. Not all is always as it seems at first. It takes awhile to learn about and get to know the energetics of plant medicine. I am speaking here only about the friendly and curious relationship you can form with a plant. Tell the plant you want to work with her. Definitely bring a gift for the plant as you first come to visit. Perhaps you might come back another day with a well formed and simple question. Listen for the little whispers of inspiring that speaks to you. A thought comes - a memory is conjured - a wish is noticed - a feeling is deeply felt on an energetic and heart felt level.

I would recommend keeping a journal about your noticing’s and interactions with your plant connection. Record any dreams you might have found about the plant during this specific time of claimed working with your plant. It is a beginning. Notice where you travel. Try to just remain open - without expectation. In the unguarded moments it is when profound insight can come to questions we carry. I think that is why we are - some of us - it is because we are seekers. We are seeking answers and somehow we know that answers can be found among the plants that we so tenderly care for and witness.

In your handmade life - perhaps if you make yourself a simple bench built by your own two hands - you will find yourself listening to the frosts that arrive each year as you sit quietly in contemplation. Moving slowly is so needed in these times. Allow your nervous system to quiet a bit and look toward forming relationships. If you don’t have people relationships in your life - you can most definitively form deep and lasting relationships with the plant world. The gifts to be found there are filled with meaning - as deep as you can explore - your solid new friends.

Artemisia in the Garden

Autumn Candle

Fall Craft: Decorative Small Food Jar Candles with Autumn Leaves

Introduction: As autumn unfolds and the vibrant foliage blankets the ground, it's the perfect time to embark on creative seasonal projects. One such delightful craft involves transforming small food jars into charming decorative candles adorned with real autumn leaves. I will guide you through the materials you'll need and the step-by-step process to create these beautiful fall-inspired candles.

Materials Needed: Gather the following materials before starting your project:

1. Small, clean food jars: Empty glass jars work best for this project.

2. Mod Podge or clear craft glue.

3. Foam brushes or paintbrushes.

4. Real autumn leaves: Collect a variety of leaves in different shapes and colors. Make sure they are dry and free from moisture.

5. Tealight candles or battery-operated tea lights.

6. Twine or ribbon (optional): For an extra decorative touch.

7. Scissors.

8. Newspaper or a plastic tablecloth to protect your workspace.

Process:

1. Prepare your workspace: Lay down newspaper or a plastic tablecloth to protect your workspace from any potential mess. Ensure your food jars are clean and dry.

2. Select your leaves: Choose a variety of colorful and dry autumn leaves. You can find these in your backyard or on a nature walk. The leaves will be the key element of your candle decoration, so pick ones that have vibrant colors and interesting shapes.

3. Apply glue to the jar: Using a foam brush or paintbrush, apply a thin and even layer of Mod Podge or clear craft glue to the exterior of the food jar. Be generous with the glue but ensure it doesn't drip.

4. Attach the leaves: Carefully press your selected autumn leaves onto the jar's surface, arranging them in any pattern or design you like. Overlapping the leaves can create an attractive layered effect. Press down gently to ensure they adhere well to the glue.

5. Seal the leaves: After placing all the leaves, apply another coat of Mod Podge or clear craft glue over the top of the leaves. This will seal the leaves in place and give your candle a glossy finish. Allow it to dry for a few hours, or until it's completely clear.

6. Add a finishing touch (optional): If you want to give your decorative candle a rustic feel, you can tie twine or ribbon around the neck of the baby food jar, creating a bow or a simple knot.

7. Insert a tealight: Once the Mod Podge is dry and the leaves are securely attached, place a tealight candle or a battery-operated tea light inside the jar. Light the candle, and watch your autumn leaf decorations come to life.

Conclusion: This simple autumn craft project allows you to bring the beauty of the season into your home. These decorative small food jar candles, adorned with real autumn leaves, make for wonderful centerpieces or additions to your fall decor. Experiment with different leaf arrangements and colors to create a variety of charming candles that capture the essence of autumn's splendor. Enjoy the cozy and warm atmosphere these candles will bring to your home during this enchanting season.

Autumn

BY ALICE CARY

Shorter and shorter now the twilight clips

   The days, as though the sunset gates they crowd,

And Summer from her golden collar slips

   And strays through stubble-fields, and moans aloud,

Save when by fits the warmer air deceives,

   And, stealing hopeful to some sheltered bower,

She lies on pillows of the yellow leaves,

   And tries the old tunes over for an hour.

The wind, whose tender whisper in the May

   Set all the young blooms listening through th’ grove,

Sits rustling in the faded boughs to-day

   And makes his cold and unsuccessful love.

The rose has taken off her tire of red—

   The mullein-stalk its yellow stars have lost,

And the proud meadow-pink hangs down her head

   Against earth’s chilly bosom, witched with frost.

The robin, that was busy all the June,

   Before the sun had kissed the topmost bough,

Catching our hearts up in his golden tune,

   Has given place to the brown cricket now.

The very cock crows lonesomely at morn—

   Each flag and fern the shrinking stream divides—

Uneasy cattle low, and lambs forlorn

   Creep to their strawy sheds with nettled sides.

Shut up the door: who loves me must not look

   Upon the withered world, but haste to bring

His lighted candle, and his story-book,

   And live with me the poetry of Spring.

Autumn's Embrace: Unveiling the Sacred In Nature

As summer's fiery reign gracefully yields to autumn's gentle embrace, the world undergoes a metamorphosis that is both breathtaking and profound. The once vibrant hues of green morph into a mesmerizing tapestry of gold, crimson, and amber, painting the landscape with a beauty that is both ephemeral and enchanting. My gardens have been quite neglected this year and so a reprieve from the worry of tending is welcome.

In this season of transition, nature unveils its sacred artistry, whispering secrets of transformation, renewal, and the interconnectedness of all things. The rustling of fallen leaves beneath our feet serves as a gentle reminder of the impermanence of all existence, while the crisp autumn air invigorates our senses, urging us to awaken to the present moment.

For countless cultures throughout history, autumn has been revered as a time of harvest and abundance, a time to gather the fruits of our labor and celebrate the natural world. It is a season of introspection and gratitude, a time to reflect on the cycle of life, death, and rebirth that is inherent in all things.

As we immerse ourselves in the beauty of autumn, we are invited to participate in the sacred art of nature observation. This art is not confined to the realm of formal artistic expression; rather, it can encompass any activity that allows us to connect with the inherent beauty and wisdom of the natural world.

Here are a few simple ways to incorporate the sacred art of nature into your autumn rituals:

• Embark on a mindful walk through nature. As you wander through the woods or along a meandering trail, allow your senses to guide you. Notice the delicate patterns on fallen leaves, the intricate details of a spider's web, and the symphony of sounds created by birdsong and the rustling of leaves.

• Gather natural materials to create a nature mandala. Arrange leaves, twigs, stones, and other found objects in a circular pattern. As you create your mandala, focus on the present moment and allow your creativity to flow freely. Let nature slowly take back these materials or create an intentional ceremony for yourself of dismantling this art piece you have lovingly created. What elements might you include in your ceremony - fire, water, earth and air possibly? Keep it simple at first.

• Spend time in quiet contemplation near a body of water. Sit beside a stream, river, or lake and allow the gentle rhythm of the water to wash away your worries and cares. As you gaze into the water, reflect on the ever-changing nature of life.

• Create a seasonal altar. Gather objects that represent the beauty of autumn, such as pumpkins, gourds, acorns, and colorful leaves. Place these objects on a table or shelf and use them as a focus for meditation or prayer. Anything that you may gather on your walks can be incorporated - a rock, an interesting nest, a piece of lichen found disturbed under your feet. It is also nice to collect dried plant material like herbs, roots, and berries to add to your altar or tableau.

• Simply sit or lie down in a natural setting and allow yourself to be present in the moment. Breathe in the fresh air, listen to the sounds of nature, and feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. A soft gaze helps you drop into a more relaxed state. Do you have a favorite spot that you are drawn to? Make it easy to get to in your daily activities? A simple pause during the day can be surprisingly fulfilling.

As you engage in the sacred art of nature, you will open yourself up to the beauty and wisdom of the natural world. You will also gain a deeper understanding of the cycle of life and death, and the interconnectedness of all things. Perhaps a small notebook carried can become a meaningful record for your days. Even just a few sentences to record the world that you are sensing is an important way to track where you are finding important observations. As the years go by - reviewing these words can reveal how you might be developing internally. What shifts are you noticing? Who are now in this moment? A whole world exists in nature journaling that can be as complex or simple as you feel connected to creating and exploring - in word, painting, drawing, colored pencil, song, poetry.

So, as autumn embraces the world with its enchanting beauty, take some time to slow down, to connect with nature, and to unveil the sacred arts that lie hidden within its embrace.

“To be in love with the world is particularly lucky, as it’s everywhere: city, country, and suburb. And luckiest of all is that it’s never too late to fall into this particular thrall. All you need to do is begin to look around.””

— Bill McKibben

Daffodil Bulbs

The temperature has dropped down into the 50’s Fahrenheit today here in my corner of the world in southern New England. It is looking like it will go down into the low 40’s tonight. It isn’t freezing yet although, there was some frosty dew laying down on parts of the property this morning. Cold in October means it is time to plant more bulbs. I picked up some bulbs a few weeks ago to plant. I have been planting bulbs in the woods and the edges and out of the way places in the wood over these past years.

Bulbs

We planted about 35 bulbs in the woods by edge of the driveway and next to an area that I began planting after my mother passed away two years ago. She did like daffodils very much. I plan to plant daffodils every year for her. It makes me so glad to see them pop up in the spring and also makes me feels a bit melancholy thinking of her. Life is hard like that sometimes. Our hearts are so big - they can hold both kinds of feelings all at once. Planting treasured plants in a loved one’s honor is a kind thing to do.

So, after we planted the bulbs we purchased - I decided to divide up some daffodil bulbs that have been here next to the house foundation since we have lived here. They have never been divided - so today was the day to dig up those clumps of daffodil bulbs and bring them to other places. It turns out a very small couple of clumps of daffodil bulbs was actually 400 bulbs once they were divided! The below photos don’t really show the sheer amount that came out of the small clumps of daffodils that have bloomed here every year. I would lament getting them dug up every year and never found the time to do it. It was almost passed over again today. It is absolutely amazing how many bulbs were needing division.

200 Bulbs

We can be a bit like those clumps of daffodils hiding under the surface of the soil. Each year passing by as we in the underneath of ourselves maybe are left somewhat untended. Things can proliferate unchecked. It is a good thing to dig into the soil of ourselves and find what needs tending. What do we need to divide and conquer? We could find some pieces that need cutting out and spread to other places.

I do like how gardening - planting - tending brings me metaphors to pay attention to. Even if it is unheeded - a growth lesson can be found for the taking. Those bulbs have been blooming for 3 decades. Each year showing up. Before that they most likely were blooming after being planted by the very old woman who lived here before us. She lived to be 100 years old. Despite our never dividing the bulbs they still brought their yellow smiling faces each year for us to enjoy. I had some lamentation over how many bulbs there would be now - if only we had divided them. Such is life. We get to things when we get to them. There is not much use in regret in the long run.

300 bulbs

After all was said and done there were about 400 bulbs in the division of labor. A bag load and a box load of new bulbs to spread around. Daffodil bulbs to tuck into secret places and surprise corners to be forgotten about until next springtime. I can’t wait to see them push through the soil in the warmth of a sunny spring day. I am certain many others have said this - planting these bulbs in the ground is an expression of hope for another year of life. I wish my Mom could see them all blooming here in her honor. She probably knows.

Globe Thistle October 5, 2023

I listened to an interesting podcast over on Ctrl Alt Delete hosted by Emma Gannon with Fiona Arrigo . This series of interviews is around her latest book, The Success Myth. I very much enjoyed listening to Fiona speak as an elder in the community. While there were many good points made in the interview - one that stood out to me was the individual vs. the collective community as a way of thinking. It is not a new idea to me - and - it is good that these ideas are making it onto larger platforms.

This globe thistle standing all on its own in the garden was a surprise to find in among the autumn weeds that need to be cleaned up. The bright blue stand-out color is one of the unmistaken ones in the garden. Standing back a bit - there were the rest of them all together in a globe thistle community. It was such a metaphor after listening to the podcast earlier. Standing on our own in the world in our individual lives can be trying. How do we figure things out when we are alone, without another to help us? Help us see ourselves. Help us in new ways of thinking and being.

I am the first one to embrace being alone. It is in alone time that I replenish and find exploration as a natural state of being. My mind can wander down pathways not possible in the midst of other people. I discover who I am often when I am by myself - exploring, writing, reading, listening, tending. I don’t think people have the opportunity to be alone enough. It takes some practice in getting comfortable in this place. Sometimes, this state is suddenly forced upon us without preparation or practice earlier in our lives. It seems to me - a good practice to learn about. There will be a day when suddenly - without invitation we may find our selves with more alone time than we want for a variety of reasons. This might include, illness, accident, loss of a job, loss of friends, moving location, depression and yes of course living in the grief of a death.

In learning to know ourselves when we are alone - when a time of loneliness comes upon us - we are not as devastated perhaps. It’s a practice to develop and keep honed in our toolbox of kind ways to be toward our ever growing selves. We are all really alone with ourselves as we walk through the world. Embracing our own company is a life long gift to ourselves and each other. We learn to be able to stand in who we are with confidence. We find more of who we are with another when we know ourselves fully.

Alone is not the same as lonely. If we do not cultivate and navigate our own internal selves in our times of being alone - too much alone can develop into an ache and a loneliness. This globe thistle just seems to represent this so clearly to me. The close up of all the spikey tendrils stand at attention - almost like antennae - reaching toward another. A softer gaze sees the group appear a bit softer and supported. Is easy to find metaphor in nature for what is pressing in at any moment.

Back to the podcast mentioned earlier. Fiona spoke about our development in the culture as individual. It is baked into all of our western systems of course. Starting from a very young age our educational system puts us on a treadmill of individual striving. This is anti-life. A collective agreement has been reached among us - to continue this same pattern of living and learning. With that comes an entire life of striving and reaching and pushing. Until one day we come to a point in wondering - who am I now? If we work at this effort of learning to be with ourselves - a comfort comes. The striving for more of - what - may begin to loosen it’s hold. I often think of how these skills are not taught to young people. I am certain it is because in order to have this awareness to pass on knowledge - we must first know about it ourselves. Can we really ever teach what we ourselves do not know?

““I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.”.”

— Henry David Thoreau

Globe Thistle In My Autumn Garden

We move now to the idea of individual versus community. The individual is ultimately alone and even perhaps lonely. In western standard culture it is individuality that suffuses all that is around us. We must work hard at not centering ourselves, our own ideas, our blind faith in following things unquestioned. Instead, what is needed now is the hope of community. Focus on what we can do together. What can we offer another human - is really the way forward in this trying time of individualism. As it becomes more challenging to take care of ourselves in changing times - we will need the help of each other to sustain us. What are small ways that we can begin to participate in a more collective culture? What is needed now?

I think when I reflect upon things that are seriously changing - this includes food, housing needs, lack of water, safety in health and environment. All of these are basic needs. The challenges are so large that one can feel overwhelmed - discouraged. The local farmers in my area of New England this year had devastating crop interruptions and failures. Some of them are now facing huge financial loss. How do we help our local farmers who help us eat simple nutritious food each year? We can kick in money, help clean up fields, offer help in ways that they each need - so that these farms and farmers don’t have to fold. Small steps on the way to averting larger and larger disasters each year. We can’t do these things individually. We need all of us working together to find solutions to big problems.

The problems seem more manageable when we work together. Each day a little bit of hope toward what is concerning us the most - we throw ourselves behind the efforts that are needed. Settling can begin to feel like the only option available to us. If we find things that we care about and move a bit toward that in some doable way - a momentum of caring starts to build. Our imaginations begin to expand with what we can envision to be possible. That is exciting! Our dreams build the scaffolding of the future way of living and make it more possible. It can be rough to face the colossal failure of systemic problems in western culture. The stepping toward what we are capable of offering together can bring an optimism to our thinking. Each idea builds on the next. What we can do is try in the ways that are meaningful to each of us.

It is not for each of us to carry the burdens of a world alone. It might be for us to find something positive to create and offer up to a world that is full of hurting. The acts of service and kindness we can bring to our community is a healing balm laid over a wounding that we can each feel in some way. A great service we can offer to one another is the ability to listen. It only takes an effort in attention. It costs nothing monetarily. It does provide rich return to each of us that find some solace and kindness in having been attended to. Even for just a moment. Isn’t that how each movement really begins? Just one small movement that then ripples out to create wider and wider concentric circles - as each of us breathes in and breathes out. A paper lantern lit and released into the sky - hovering above us - small candle flame burning individually - then, it rises higher up into the sky - a sky filled with a dome of stars - catching that one small light into its wide expanse. We are in awe and wonder.

“In the history of the collective as in the history of the individual, everything depends on the development of consciousness.”

— Carl Jung

The Flower Hunter by Lucy Hunter. This gorgeous book is published by Ryland Peters & Small. Seasonal flowers inspired by nature and gathered from the garden. I often choose books as a seasonal guide. Picking books to browse during special moments is a sort of mood board to flip through during a few moments of ease. The cover of this book is luscious, calming, abundant and softly colored. The casual layout of the scene invites a slow walk through the seasonal flowers displayed throughout its pages. I am currently enrolled in a class called Blogging Today with Holly Becker of Decor8 and this book is a visual inspiration that I am using for the class. I have had several blogs over the years. Blogging Today is a fresh and inspirational class that invites us to come back to our blogs just as we are. If you are interested in starting a blog or refreshing your current blogging journey - I highly recommend her class. Thank you Holly for such a fun and inspirational class!

A book can be a portable visual mood board. You can take it outside, curl up in bed with it or take it on an outing to some place in nature with you. Bookshops and libraries are full of books that can spark your curiosity. Often times I don’t know why I pick out a particular book when searching for a mood, vision or hue of the season. Depending on what I am working on in my life at the time - a book can spark further exploration in theme and color. This is so good for storytelling, writing, poetry, home tending and making things.

“You can’t stop time. You can’t capture the light. You can only turn your face up and let it rain down.”

— Kim Edwards, The Memory Keeper's Daughter

The warm, inviting and enveloping colours of autumn foliage and late perennials turning deep vermillion, rich saffron and ochres are a sight to behold - and a florist’s dream. (pages 124-125). Taking photographs of books for personal use and pasting them inside of a journal reminds you of what you were thinking about at that time of year. Or maybe a next project that you want to work on has peaked your interest by browsing and dreaming. I can picture these flowers somewhere in my garden.

Autumnal Abundance (p.136). The arrangements in the book can bring new ideas to create in your own home or outdoor corners. Using found materials around the home or collected slowly over time from second hand shops and flea markets can create a foundation for seasonal display. Try not to collect too much to store as this can become clutter and overwhelm you. A box that holds all that you might need throughout the year is plenty. As your taste and needs change - switch out items and move them on to other places. Keeping in mind - only a small amount is enough to keep you inspired and content. This elegant and abundant arrangement sits on a simple chest or box, displayed in an old antique urn and draped in a layer of gauze. Nothing else is needed.

Dyeing with natural ingredients (p.140-141). The natural collected materials laid out in neat piles and arranged in plain glass jars tells a story in colors of autumn. A few pieces of cloth taped to the walls can be the palette of the story for your days - your book - or the poetry you might be writing. The colors we are drawn to at a particular moment in time is revealing to us a quality that is needed. What that need is speaking to - is a meaningful thing to write about in a journal. It is in the exploration of these beautiful images that deeper resonance can be felt into. Does one aspect of the photograph appeal to you? Explore just that.

A basic guide to dyeing your own fabrics at home (p.1444-145). This image shows a simple way to bring nature materials in to dry for dyeing or maybe just for your own arranging on your nature altar or in a container big enough to hold them. The abundant materials available in the autumn to collect on walks in the city or in wild fields is there if we just look around with a soft gaze. We will notice if we go slowly along.

Turning The Pages (p150-151). A dyeing journal for records - later looking.

Accepting Imperfection (p.130-131). Amazing Grey, Papaver rhoeas. What are we embodying as we gather up flowers and materials in the autumn season? What is most needed for us at this time? In accepting imperfection as a prompt in thinking - I find looking to nature - it is reflected back to us our own beauty in imperfection. Time slips by as our own ageing quietly walks with us. Year follows upon year as inner wisdom hopefully grows. What was seeded in the young time of our childhoods - later blossoms and dies backs - to the essential.

“Notice that autumn is more the season of the soul than of nature.”

— Friedrich Nietzsche