Stillness at the center - a concept I have come to love

In this time of year,  I am always called towards stillness.  I'm preparing for the harshness of winter but also allowing myself the time to reflect and receive the nurturing love that is found in stillness.  For me, that stillness most often resonates with the womb of the Mother.  Outdoors, I am experiencing the core of Mother Earth; regenerative, restorative, vibrant but still, and alive with potential.  Even though we are entering the dormancy of most plants and trees in this climate, we know that spring and emergence will follow.  In my spiritual path, I am quite literally meditating on time in the womb; gestating, nurturing, love - when all things are possible.  There is great power in allowing yourself to be still and listen.  There is no better time for this than winter.

I very much appreciate the fact that the first principle of Permaculture (Pc) aligns with this so well. 

"Observe and Interact" (Principle #1 from co-originators of Pc - Mollison and Holmgren)
David Holmgren says in his book Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability that

Good design depends on a free and harmonious relationship to nature and people, in which careful observation and thoughtful interaction provide the design inspiration, repertoire and patterns.  It is not something that is generated in isolation, but through continuous and reciprocal interaction with the subject.

Rocognising the flow of nature is a tremendous gift.  Observing how She reacts to the approach of winter, interacting with Her quietly and pausing often for insights and inspiration is an amazing experience.  I am learning more about my home and the land I tend right now, than I have in all the years prior combined. 

I've learned which microclimates on my land react first to the coming winter and which ones hang on until the hardest freeze.  I am seeing how the flow of water on and through my land is changing as the ground gets colder and begins to tighten up.  My house is speaking to me in creaks and pops as we move from mild, humid air moving through open windows to warmed and dried air of a gas furnace.  I am noting which rooms have seen the most significant change in atmosphere (layers of energy, heat/cold, moist/dry, light/dark, inviting/opposing).  Two rooms in particular have already seen a huge change.  One was previously (summer and fall) a room I rarely went into.  Now that winter is upon us, I love it in there.  Conversely, a room I loved in Spring and Summer, I have rarely used this fall and early winter.  Is it the view, degrees of sunlight, temperature, energy flow, or a combination of those and other factors?  I've got more observation to do yet, it seems.

Some other things I am observing intently:

How do I feel about entering/exiting the different exterior doors in our house? 
We are considering blocking up a door in the kitchen (which is a matter of feet from another door on the east side of the house) and opening up a new door to the south which currently has no access.  I'm looking at how I feel about using the other east facing door exclusively (should we wall up the kitchen door for more counter space?) and how I might feel about having south facing access/light.
I also have a few design elements that could go several places on our land which would be highly used in colder months.  I am observing how I feel about moving in and out of doors to access these things (like a wood shed for the hearth and woodburning stove as well as a cold-frame/greenhouse) during the winter and specifically, inclement weather.

What is the best flow for our (soon to be remodeled) kitchen?
How do I use my current kitchen?  Could it be improved on by making a few additions but not relocating the major appliances?  What would I like more room to do and what could get by with less?  How often would we go outdoors from the kitchen/hearth room a day and is there a clear path?  What is the best location for a processing area coming in from the garden?

In these cold months when we are indoors more than out, to what degree can we unplug ourselves from computers and tv's?  It's not hard in the summer, we're busy outside and doing other things.  But in the winter, we tend to rely on these 'babysitters' more often.  How much can we cut them out?  What other things can we train ourselves to do in place of mind-numbing channel or web surfing?

So, I'm sitting back and observing - allowing things the time they need to move front and center of my attention.  And I'm (we're) interacting with the environment in new ways to encourage those gems to present themselves.  It really is amazing what you'll learn about your house, landscape and even the objects in your environment when you slow down enough to really observe.

Course complete; Course correct

I really had no idea to what degree the Permaculture Design Course would shift the course of my life.  I'm shedding outworn versions of myself at every turn it seems.  A true paradigm shift has happened and in no small part owed to the amazing souls with whom I had the great fortune to share this deep and transformative journey.

One way that I could sum up this change is this: I've gone from thinking "oooh, I might get chickens!" to "Holy shit! We Need chickens!".  My whole understanding of sustainability has been turned on its head - in a very good way.  I was only in the shallow end of that subject before, but now feel like I have a real working knowledge of True Sustainability - the impermanence of Permanent Culture.

I'm excited and renewed from this course and we (hubby and I) are motivated to ferret out the things we need to change first.  Small Steps - Big Impact.  That's what we're looking for.

I'll be writing as things unfold, posting pictures of the journey along the way and sharing resources as I come to them.

On that note, I'd like to share a couple of titles with you.
First is one written by one of the course teachers - Peter Bane - The Permaculture Handbook.  His book is currently still in pre-sale, due out in February.

The second is a book by David Holmgren - the co-originator of the Permaculture concept.  It is titled Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability. 

You can order both books (and many others) here.

I own the second and it is a wonderful resource.  I know the former will be as well.  Peter has a HUGE wealth of knowledge and I am excited to see what he has in store for us in his book.

Permaculture...shifting my paradigm - beginning a blog series

A wonderful friend and sister ( +Rhonda Baird ) first introduced me to the term "Permaculture" a few years ago.  With a brief explanation, I deduced it was some sort of practice that supported sustainability.  I knew she was involved in teaching this practice, usually once a year, in a residential 2-3 week course.  For me, that wasn't going to fit into my life any time soon.

I was interested, but tucked it away for the distant future when my life might afford that much time away from home.

Then, I received a facebook invite to a weekend version of the course to take place this fall over the course of 5 weekends (skipping one in between each for homework and integration).  One of the weekends, I had a pretty important event, but at the last minute, it was rescheduled and I was able to sneak into the course!

The format has been: Friday evenings, Saturday (All day) and Sunday afternoons totalling roughly 15 hours per weekend of class and lab.  There are 3 wonderful people facilitating/teaching the material and each have their own set of valuable wisdoms to impart.
The student base is an awesome mix of people with a variety of backgrounds and goals for the course and their personal practice of the principles we are learning.  It's a great group that meshes very well.

So...  What IS Permaculture?

It seems that there is no set, or concrete answer to this.  The practice is so organic and is comprised of so many layers and facets that it is difficult to sum it up in a one-size-fits-all definition.  From my limited understanding of it at this point, I'd explain it something like this.

The practice of Permaculture allows you to provide for your own needs in a self-sustaining way through the nurturance of a healthy home-centered ecosystem.  This ecosystem would work WITH natural flows and patterns and would Decrease your dependence on consumerism.

Permaculture Design is the thoughtful practice of observing natural occurances and designing landscapes, buildings, homes, farms, villages, communities, etc. to be self-sustaining while also providing an opportunity for everyone's involvement in their own livelihood.

Both of these things are done with the greatest care of the Earth (All living creations of Gaia), People and Community.  They are all done with the understanding that peak oil is past and we must begin living within our means (From our paychecks to our natural resources) by not only conserving energy but in producing it and also by not only reducing our consumption of 'products' but by supplying our own needs as much as possible.

This is only a small piece (And a novice's understanding) of a huge concept from only a few days' exposure.  But it's more than I understood a week ago and maybe you understand a bit more than you did before reading this!

I plan on blogging about this process in a series.  Stay tuned for more to come!

For more information about available courses and Permatulture in general, check out
The Permaculture Activist

Also, you can check out what Rhonda is doing here at:
Sheltering Hills Design
and
Vital Connection Blog

Creative women



One of the walls in my studio.

 I have been so blessed to be surrounded by highly creative women all my life.  Grandma, aunts, mom, sisters, neice, daughter, friends and even neighbors have added such beauty and inspiration to my work and my life in general.  Up until a few weeks ago, I thought I was in some sort of vast network of creative women and was patting myself on the back for building a facebook page and etsy shop to market my creative wares.  (Oooo watch me go!  lol)  That network turned out to be but a dot.. a mere blip on the epicenter of creative women that is Google+.

I am by no means diminishing the amazing relationships I already have with these super creative friends and family of mine - they are the life force in my creative veins.  But the access I now have to all sorts of highly creative women of all walks of life is too much to measure.  Even at the slighted percentages, the fact that 10% of google+ is women is encouraging.  Through one of my Circles on Google+, I found this website Women of Google+.  It targets women who are on the frontlines of the Google+ test drive.  There are some truly amazing women there.  And I'm not talking just the techy chicks either (who totally amaze me with their talent as well!), there are artists, writers, college students, homeschoolers and everything in between.  A whole wide range of women who are on the cutting edge of social networking in a whole new way - and many, many of them are incredibly creative.

The flood gates have opened wide.

At this point, I am still really just processing how I will utilize Google+ and all it's wonderful bells and whistles, but the diversity of creative women is what's on my mind today.  And today, I will add at least ten of them into one or more of my many Circles.  Oh yeah, did I mention that I get to be creative there too??  Mmmhmmmm  Lovin it!

Women of Google+ is not owned nor managed by me and I make no claims on any content therein.

In the stillness of center

It amazes me sometimes just how much energy is held in the stillness of center.  Here, on the dark moon, I am focusing my intent on the gestation of a dream.  I'm holding it is the safety of the darkness of the Great Mother's womb.  The energy there-contained is ready to burst forth in its beauty and unbridled passion.  Even though I have already set this course; the bulk of the energy which will manifest it fully, is still gestating.  That raw, fearless, authentic passion is like water behind a dam...ready... ever-ready to flood forth at the releasing of the gates - the full recognition and birthing of my dream.

And here I pause, in the stillness of center, to honor all that has been, all that is, and all that is becoming.

And the day came...

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

Anais Nin

And so blossom, I shall.

I'm embarking on a new venture and would love to share that with you.  I've been searching for a way to Live my Bliss for quite some time now.  I believe it's found me after all.

I've found that I absolutely love all things fiber.  I could quite literally spend my entire day and evening working with fiber arts.  I get so much enjoyment out of all the facets of this art that it became obvious that this is the Bliss I wish to Live.  I couldn't be happier about it and I am thrilled to shout it to the world!

I'm only in the beginning stages of making this a way of life, but I welcome you to see what I've got going so far.  I'd love it if you would 'like' my facebook page Shores of Avalon and be on the lookout for my Etsy shop to go live soon.

Some of the things I'll be offering for sale include:

• Handspun yarns of wool, alpaca, mohair, cotton, etc.
• Handwoven textiles like shawls, scarves, placemats, bath mats, rugs, blankets, dish towels, etc.
• Handmade quilted items such as wall-hangings, bags, and blankets.
• Commissioned work will also be considered.
• Eventually I plan on offering classes and workshops in various things!

I'm very excited and so very, very blessed to have the opportunity to realize this dream!

Getting back to my yoga practice

Wow... I've been a slacker for the last few weeks.  At first, I slacked just a little bit.  Then I got out of the routine of eating breakfast... and just getting right into the tasks of the day.  Somehow in there, yoga dissappeared entirely.  (slaps hand)

So I'm thinking to myself "why am I tired all the time?  Why do I feel like shit?  Why am I in a bad mood?"  Duh.
Yoga - gone.
Breakfast - gone.
Daily spiritual practice - slim.

Sometimes my blissful ignorance amazes me.

So... back to breakfast.
back to daily gratitude practice.
back to yoga.

Almost instantaneously, I feel better.  (rolls eyes at self)

I'll get it one of these days.