the
options for foraging this time of year are quite limited, of course but I am out and
about trying to find some nice pieces of bark and some little pieces of moss and bits of
nature for a project I have in mind, so that is what I’m up to this morning and it is
freezing cold and his hoarfrost over everything and I don’t know how much longer I’m gonna
be able to stand so we’re gonna get to it and then go home and work on a little project.
I don’t travel far from my valley in general, and certainly not in winter, as mountain roads
are often closed, making it difficult to leave.
This year I’ve found myself caught up in routine, splitting my time between work and
family, and repeat.
It’s habitual, predictable, steady.
Over time, I’ve grown to value this feeling, knowing that there are so many different ways
I could live, and yet this one works the best for me.
Routine helps me feel calm, and living without constant change is a great contrast to a childhood
of moving often.
In many ways, my days are quite mundane - perhaps boring, in the way that they don’t seem
that exciting from the outside.
We follow the rhythms of dawn and dusk and the seasons.
In the winter I am indoors, in the summer I feel as if I live among the flowers and
the forest.
I thought I would share some ways that I make life interesting, particularly when I have
been stuck in routine.
The first is inspired by a guided journal I’ve been working through about encouraging
everyone to find a safe place outdoors to stargaze, or - if stars are not visible where
you live - to visit a planetarium, or watch night sky and space documentaries to add to
their awareness and awe of the world beyond
the clouds.
It reminds us that our lives are droplets in an ocean of wonder, that extends far beyond
what we can understand.
It makes me feel more aware of the natural world in
which
I function.
Both my husband, Luke, and his father make a lot of things workers and it’s working
construction and so they have a lot of leftover tools and supplies and Luke gave me some of
this natural wood stain that I am able to use it that I would like to experiment with
putting them up around the house however, I just had to take a moment and pause however,
I just had to take a moment and pause and say something about dipping this paintbrush
in the oil and seeing the colors transform as I paint this piece of wood with the stain
and seeing how rich the wood color is.
Doing this project reminded me of when worked at a preschool and one of the first projects
I made for the children there I collected a lot of stone and pebbles from the river
and let them dry and then put it on a tray with water and a paintbrush so that they could
paint them and watch the colors change.
It was just so calming and enjoyable.
I was thinking about that and having a wonderful time doing this.
So, next time you find yourself by a body of water, consider taking a pebble and putting
it under water and watching the colors change.
You might find it to be quite calming and enjoyable or extremely childish.
I guess it depends on who you are,I've been embracing childish things lately and have
been thoroughly enjoying it.
Once this dries I am going to take it downstairs.
And experiment with it a little bit and see where it will look most lovely.
So here are my
wall decorations so I am experimenting.
Here are some home craft ideas that you can try, it’s very simple.
It can make your home look extra whimsical or strange…
however you interpret it.
Another thing I like to do to add a bit of magic to my day is to read stories about my
ancestors.
I am yet to come across a myth or legend that isn’t fascinating.
At the end of this video I will tell a story of my people.
I think it is so important to keep these stories alive, and to remind us that we are connected
to something ancient as well as something modern.
It makes me aware that my life is part of a greater story, despite things seeming quite
uninspiring sometimes when I get caught up in present concerns.
I also encourage you to create in some shape or form, even if just a little now and then.
Even if you are not usually creative.
The famous victorian William Morris was known to say that handmade items, arts and crafts,
hold the essence of the artist and a little piece of a soul that is lacking in factory
made equivalents.
I like to interpret this idea as when something has a story and individual effort put behind
it, it becomes even more special.
I think this extends to poetry and writing as well.
It doesn’t need to turn out perfectly for it to have a little sacred essence in it,
having been created with gentle thoughts and patient hands.
Lastly, the simplest way I keep life interesting and my spirit happy is to allow myself to
grow and evolve and to learn something new day.
I think that it is easy to often stay where we are comfortable and not question ourselves,
our relationships, what is nurturing us and what is not.
I find reading books on various subjects on mindfulness, and even reading books about
a variety of different belief systems challenges and aids me in being more understanding and
open to grow.
I hope you never forget that you are wondrous.
As we enter a new and sometimes daunting year, we know that despite challenges we can make
it into something imperfectly beautiful, and the ordinary aspects of our lives, if lived
with love and enthusiasm, is what makes us extraordinary at
the end of
the day.
I apologize if there’s a little bit of noise in the background today there’s a lot going
on in the house.
I have been working on videos at a much slower pace than usual this month.
I have been trying to really listen to myself and not overdo things as I usually like to
do so I will let you know anything else You know that my videos may not come quite on
the same schedule as they used to but I’m doing my best meantime, I hope to be able
to put extra time and effort into the music create this week again was quite tricky as
I got a bit of a cold at the beginning of the week But I am feeling much better as I
said earlier I did want to share one of the legends as well and they encourage you to
look into the legends and myths of your own ancestry because I think that no matter where
you come from there’s always so many details to learn about that really add to your awareness
of yourself to where you come from.
There are quite a few legends and myths I could share for my father side of the family
That are more Celtic and origin but I think a lot of those are more well-known.
I thought I would share one instead of my mother side of the family from Puerto Rico
and this one is a specific version of the story.
I’m sure the version is drastically different depending on where you look at it Who you
talk to so this is just my version.
The story begins with a young woman who is Taino who are indigenous to Puerto Rico, and
her father is a great and powerful Cacique, and she absolutely loves the flowers and the
birds and spent a lot of time daydream one day she needs a boy who is a Carib who is
from a different group of people, and she falls in love, and the sun shines down on
them, and is so happy to see through youthful and innocent love that they share together,
however is not happy about their union so her father says that she has no other options.
Unable to forget about that boy she fell in love with that young woman went out in nature
again and asked the gods to be able to do something so that she would not have to marry
this man.
She did not love, and she could be with this boy, and so her prayers in a way were answered,
because she was turned into a flower, and the boy was turned into a hummingbird and
whenever you see a hummingbird going from flower to flower to flower nectar.
The hummingbird is actually looking for their lost love, and so the hummingbird will continue
looking for nectar, or at each flower until they eventually get reunited with the woman
they loved.
I think that is such a sweet story and varying tradition with a lot of the myths and legends.
You may already know when I think about it I actually think of Romeo and Juliet, as it’s
kind of a quite similar storyline I can tell you countless stories but I will edit there
but that is one of my favorites.
On another note I wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who has taken the time to
review my book either on Amazon or any other platform, it means so much to be able to get
feedback and to hopefully be able to improve my writing in the future.
It was such a big undertaking and getting some feedback has just been really special
on another note this is not sponsored but I recently received these perfume oils gift
and I thought I would just mention them just because I love them and I’ve been using
them especially when I’ve been getting over, a cold or something about cozy smells really
helps me feel a little bit better.
One is called Elvin Courtyard and the other is Tree Nymph Palace and they are obviously
inspired by theories and folklore which is exactly you know everything that I love so
I’ll leave the information down below in case you’re interested I just wanted to
mention it is because I really really been enjoying them lately now that you watched
me cover a lot of random topics if you were still here thank you my head is still in a
bit of a fog since getting over my clothes so I appreciate your patience and I will see
you very soon.
I hope you have a wonderful week take care bye-bye bye-bye