Bird

 

Sweet bird in her nest.

She livens up my jade tree that did not fare well in a late fall wind storm.

Messenger

How does she do it?
Another startlingly gorgeous poem from Ms Mary Oliver.

 

Messenger

My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird —
equal seekers of sweetness.
Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect? Let me
keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,

which is mostly standing still and learning to be
astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all ingredients are here,

which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever.


~ Mary Oliver ~

The flower circle above is a beautiful dhamma cakkha (wheel of dharma) mandala. This wheel of flower petals symbolizes the Buddha's teachings of awakening and liberation.  It was made at IMS in Barre MA

Cookie

She likes to sit on the front porch in the sun.  Right now the couch out there is piles with Halloween decorations and whatever else, but she found a tiny spot to curl up. 

Putting up the potions

Oh it is a bit of a shock every year how much time it takes to obtain bottles, sterilize them, pour off the herbal potions and then label and ribbon them.  Yikes.  There goes November!

Here's the bright pink rose tincture concentrate.  Lovely this year.  Bright and tasty!

Here's the newly made vanilla.  it get so much darker so quick!

I made alot of salve this year.  St Johnswort and Comfrey in big and small jars because I always sell out and it is quite a production to make.

Lily and I did the craft fair at St James Church again and she had a great time making bracelets and hanging out.  Here is my newest fairy who I LOVE and did not want to sell even though Lily kept trying to get me to price them to move!

All the wares lined up and ready to go.

Cheesecake

Lily.
Discovers.
Cheesecake!