Butterfly Dreams

   As October comes to a close, we are finishing our fourth and final  BlogBoost  challenge for 2025 -  we did it!  (This year I participated in 2)   The next challenge will begin with the new year in January, so save the link!  Whether we posted daily, or just 'regularly,' we all gain from each challenge. Thank you Paul for inspiration and hosting! Camp Arrah Wanna- Oregon Cascades As  Mark Twain said , "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts."   Visiting each other's blogs offers unique way to travel, giving us  peeks into each other's worlds. Perhaps someone's post revived an old interest, or sparked a new one, and ours provided the same for another.  As our  challenge  ends, new opportunities beckon. F ollowing our blog challange host Paul's tips, I plan to continue posting several times a week, and visiting other blogs. Checking my sta...

 I'm one of those folks who never stopped crafting, drawing and creating ... Prayer flags and spirit dolls I  was the kid who drew in the borders of programs, and chose paint by number kits, then got blank canvases to use the leftover paint for my own creations! In grade school, I was asked to draw a camel for some Christmas art project.  My mom took knitting to meetings, taught me to knit, crochet and sew, and took candle making and basket Weaving classes! We made dolls and did embroidery... after retiring, my dad learned to tie his own flies for fishing.  My mother-in law Dorty and I learned to spin together when she was in her 60s (and she learned to knit, crochet and do needlepoint ... I took a few Art classes in college, and later at our local Community College, and often doodle / sketch in meetings .... I enjoy encouraging folks to access their own innate creativity and wisdom, so am drawn to teacher trainings with that emphasis. (Next up - SoulCollage®)  ...

  This afternoon I harvested the small volunteer pumpkin from the garden, Hollowed it out, and then found a pattern for an incised face.  My daughter got pumpkins today as well, which she, her husband and two teens will carve tomorrow - my grandkids love the toasted pumpkin seeds! Dios de los Muertos pumpkin   Winter squash is often more tasty than pumpkin - one way I prepare either is a  Pumpkin Pie Quinoa bake  . I use an Air Fryer (about 25 minutes at 325°), this makes a nice filling in half an acorn or delicata squash (scoop some out, to use in the filling) I sometimes add 1/4 C shredded coconut, raisins, 1/4 C carob powder &/ or 1 Tbsp cacao nibs! Lovely pumpkins Here's  another blogger 's take on ways to spice it up - "Quinoa, like anything else, has to be cooked right to taste right..." Do you love quinoa?  Or find it just 'so-so'?

  This SoulCollage® suit is the 'Council of Archetypes.' The word Archetype comes from the Greek 'archetypos,' meaning 'first of is kind.'  Jung described archetypes as part of the  'collective unconscious.'  These Larger than Life figures are Universal, appearing over the centuries in many cultures, lands and stories.  We create Council Cards for these archetypal Figures who guide our lives. They can provide the inspiration and wisdom we need to understand ourselves, and perhaps make better choices! Seena called these beings ' Neters' - a word used by the Egyptians for cosmic beings and qualities. From the description on the KaleidoSoul site: we build this suit  "with openness and reverence, following our intuition and allowing the images we are drawn to reveal themselves to us when we are ready."  Wisdom Seena Frost described Archetypes as, 'the invisible guides, challengers, creators and destroyers, know across time and cultur...

  Do you ever find yourself in a place you don't 'have enough spoons' to keep doing something, and wrestle with how pass it on, or whether to just end it? I have! (And I try to do it graciously!)  Several years ago, my friend Linda and I were ready to pass leadership of a creative group to someone else, and no one in our collective stepped forward, so it went on pause.  We'd met in person (I hosted a gathering in 2019) then virtually.  A year or so after we stepped down, a new graduate took on our region - but the umbrella organization neglected to have her network with us!  I did email Constance when I saw she was now coordinating our region, and passed on our contact list, but the transition was less than ideal! When I suggested other newer graduates to contact, she replied, 'that's above my pay grade!' And the last virtual gathering she facilitated is a year past ... (Lol - Linda and I were also volunteers!) This year, a friend who's been coordinati...

 In so happy to be at Family camp again this fall!! Growing up camping and then living at Breitenbush in the 90s, it feels like coming home. It's a rainy this weekend, so I'm doubly happy to share a cozy cabin! Hearth in the Lodge For the  several years , church members and friends have been invited to spend a fall weekend at Camp Arrah Wanna, on the beautiful Salmon River in the Cascades, near Y'East (Mount Hood). Some congregants grew up coming to camp when young, as have my grandkids.  Salmon - in the Salmon River   We have several workshops each morning -  One year  I led a couple of the craft projects. I'm planing on craft time with Sunshine and Sarah again this year, and tomorrow I'll lead Tai Chi.  I'm with my daughter Mary and her 8th graders, who are enjoying time with some of their friends. In '22, my middle granddaughters Emily and Kayleen came with us, which was a treat. We call out Forced Family Fun - the only forced bit is the obliga...

  Amongst my house care chores, I include a Blessing Hour most weeks. I set a timer for 10-15 minutes, & go through a round in each room. If I do a couple of rounds, I take a 10-15 minute break after an hour.    Salt in small saucer Blessing Hour - is a process by which everything in your home supports & nurtures your essence. Open windows, put on happy music, light a candle & some incense, brew some tea Put salt in a bowl  (dump 24 hours later) Bedroom : Make your bed, pick up clothes, tidy surfaces, sweep Kitchen : wash any dishes, clear the counters, put away anything out of place, sweep  Living room :  clear surfaces, piles, paper, clothes, sweep, Bathroom : swish & swipe (toilet, counters), wash the mirrors, hang clean towels, sweep Break: Relax, admire, drink tea Medicine Basket 2nd round:   (you can cycle through several times, or stop at one!) 10 minutes in any room that needs a bit more - Kitchen, Living Room, bedroom Do a load...

 Several years ago I was introduced to the art of  Neurographica .  This method was developed by psychologist and architect,  Pavel Piskerev  it is a 'simple and accessible graphical language describing the world.'  Neurographica helps  "Balance the mind, inspire creativity, and explore different approaches to problem solving."  "From the first rounding of intersections and angles, there is a sense of recreating wholeness, of softening the edges of harsh thoughts; of merging with our greater intentions and better knowing. Of being whole and letting go of fear, of opening to unlimited possibilities." The basics of the process: Think of your intention or a concern Do a quick scribble, with your issue in mind Using that as a base, extend the lines to the end of the paper in random curves  Or begin by tracing around a shape -  your hand or a leaf, then do the curvy lines R ound the intersections - this rounding calms the neurons, reduces ten...

  At t he beginning of the year, an author I admire mentioned she decided to draw and color or doodle a circle each morning, before sipping her coffee and ingesting the day's 'news!' I'm more sporadic in this practice - I always enjoy it! A key practice in Reiki is to recite the Go-kai - the   precepts , daily. The 4th precept is   Kansha shite  - be thankful/ grateful - for our life, energy,  our companions, and this amazing universe.  Circle - ᏔᎵ (Ta-li - two) If we wish to live in a more harmonious world, and to foster a healthy environment, teachers from many cultures and paths invite us to begin with gratuitude.  Express gratitude daily: get up and give thanks to the elements: earth, air, fire and water.  A Hindu practice: touch the floor with your hand, greet the earth before stepping out of bed.  Japanese: wake up slowly, stretch, wiggle toes and fingers, take several deep breaks  Give thanks for food and drinkr Appreciate little ...

 I'm often asked, 'do you still play the harp?' Ah, yes! Indeed I do ! (Link to an interview on my harp and art) At home, and also 'out:' for weddings, events, home blessings, end of life, schools, the senior center, churchs,....  Rowan at Willamette Elementary I've been enjoying posts of their Scottish trip from my blog-friend Tamara , which has me thinking of harps and Celtic history.  Harpers, who held the traditional stories & songs in their heads, were often persecuted by those wanting to spread colonial ways and the 'new religion' among people they felt were less 'civilized.' (And -had land and resources they coveted!) Alison Vardy  shared some of this history in her newsletter,   "The period starting from the 1600s during English rule in Ireland was difficult for Irish harpers as the harp as a folk and court instrument was suppressed to prevent a resurgence of nationalism.  "Harps were burnt and harpers executed. The trag...

  In September, I received a surprise package of Soul Collage materials in the mail, and I was so HAPPY ! I had recently joined the KaleidoSoul community, and my name was chosen for a goodie packs! Mine included collage images, mat board, and a travel bag for cards.  Around the same time, my friend Valerie sent me a collection of SoulCollage® CDs, as she's been clearing physical stuff! This was  a treat for both of us   (& I paid the postage) Happy Mail from Anne Marie This summer our pastor put out a call for art, which was then printed on postcards.  Congregants received a couple of cards, and were invited to write one during the service.  Our summer theme was letters to the early churches, usually encouragement - and offered inspiration. Each Sunday, someone would share a story of Mail they'd received - a special letter, a stack of correspondence from college, ... Happy Mail Cards: my Neurodoodles; Clouds - JoAnne, Moths - Linette  You're invit...

 Home altars have been used since ancient times throughout the world, by people from many backgrounds and traditions. They offer a place to pause and reflect, to breathe, to smile.  An altar can be as simple or intricate as you wish, holding momentos of loved people, pets, items from the natural world - rocks, a bowl of water, a candle, a plant or bouquet of flowers, some smudge or incense ...   I have little altars on surfaces all around my Rose Cottage. A couple of years ago, our creativity teacher shared her process of gathering and Blessing water for our altar. From Dr Maseru Emoto's  work on water, we know that water responds to intention and spoken words, and can be patterned! My African teacher Eric Vormanns  suggested we hold a cup of water, and beam imaginary rainbows into it, then use or drink it! Altar with Magïc brushes and Holy Water  💙  I may "charge" water by placing it in a bowl in the moonlight, sometimes with crystals in it.  Th...

  In SoulCollage Evolving, (p 31) Seena wrote, "the Community suit was actually the initial suit of this process."  As a final project in the " Human Capacity Program"  with Jean Houston in the 1980s, Seena made 130 cards, honoring the other participants in their three year journey. She jotted each name on an index card, and during the 5 months between the last two sessions, drew a card each day - designating the person as her 'Neter' for that day !  After completing the course, Seena's love of the practice led her to deepen with it, and developing the SoulCollage® process. The Community or Beloveds Suit in the SoulCollage® deck contains cards  "for those beings that impact your personal story with their special energy. ... (they) offer the 'net' of their love and wisdoms" - and may also "'net' you with their demands and challenges."  As we begin to craft our own deck, we're invited to list Beloveds who have cros...

 Yesterday, my BlogBoost SiStar Martha's post celebrated National Fossil day !!  I was introduced to the work of my favorite fossil finder Thomas Condon as a child, when we visited the John Day fossil beds in E.astern Oregon.  An Irish immigrant, Thomas was 11 when his family arrived in NY in 1933.  He studied both  science and ministry, and met his wife in college. Condon first learned of the fossil beds East of Bend in 1862, and began excavating specimens in 1865. He sent them to the East coast for identification - and later tried to have them returned to Oregon. Thomas Condon in the 1870s  Thomas Condon went on to teach college in Forest Grove and at the University in Eugene, and became the Oregon's first State Geologist in 1872.  In our Natural History class at WOU (then OCE) in the 1970s, with Dr Kenneth Walker, we studied Condon's work and the book Ancient forests of Oregon. I love that Condon found fossils of mesohippus - the 'middle horse' ri...

 W hen a tidying or decluttering job beckons, have you wished for a Magic Wand?  It's BlogBoost time, and in a comment on Yesterday's post, Tamara asked, "do you have a magic ingredient to boost motivation?" The one that immediately came to mind was -  Magic wand tip #1:  Set a timer for 10-15 minutes, & do a '27 fling boogie!'  (This is also a great way  to motivate kids!) Salt lamp Have the 3 Magic bins ready (toss/ recycle / donate ) and a small basket for things which belong in another area.  Quickly find 27 things to put in the bins.  When the timer goes off, decide if you're done, or if you want to keep going for a bit; remember, any progress is PROGRESS!  (I may take a break, then set the timer again - or call it 'Done!' after 1 Boogie - depends on the day!)  Another option to the timer - set a stopwatch (i use an app on my phone) , and time yourself on a task! I just put laundry in the wash, it took a minute and 38 seconds...

   In the fall of 2022 , I was sorting and paring down as I prepared to move across town to my daughter's, while Rose Cottage was built.  My daughter and son-in law helped a lot, but I still needed to make many tough decisions about what to keep and what to pass on! And I struggle with executive function - so it was challenging! Percy choose his basket  for the move Enter - Salt ! Between rounds of dethugging I found putting out little bowls of Salt ever so helpful! It does its work behind the scenes, whilst we're sleeping! My Feng Shui consultant and friend  Gwynne Warner  suggests sprinkling salt in the corners of rooms (where energy accumulates and can get 'stuck') , then sweeping it up the next day. Another tip was to leave a crystal on a box or space you plan to sort overnight, and invite it to help you gain clarity on distributing the contents.    Atelier - packing up Simple Shui consultant Amanda Gibby Peters feels Salt is,  "an ever...

  Today my friends Donna and Marvin invited me to join then on an road trip adventure, and we headed North to Hood River and the Harvest Fest! An Abundance of Produce It was a blustery, rainy day, but Multnomah falls was beautiful as always, and the weather cleared 'just in time' when we arrived in Hood River and the fest!  Rainy day - Columbia River  We had fun wandering, chatting, eating (I had a gluten free enchilada and corn on the cob, Donna had a braut with saurkraut and potato salad) and visiting.  There were many great vendors, and delightful mini conversations!  Business Card blessing And - so many smiles were exchanged!  They cost nothing, and are so appreciated!  More than once, we heard, " you made my day !" So this card Josiah invited me to choose was a great affirmation!  Cacao Brain Bliss -  ManukaMana I look forward to the first sip of Cacao Brain Bliss - made with ceremonial cacao, lions mane mushroom and manuka honey - whi...

 A few days ago, I spoke of the   Transformation Game , which I think of as a 'counseling session in a box!' Transformation game in process I first played the Game with my friend and Reiki SiStar Anita, a trained facilitator - what a great way to learn! Developed at the Findhorn community in Scotland, the T.  Game is both fun and sparks insights. Anita spent 6 months living a few miles from the Findhorn Community, and I met her on the Oregon coast in the mid 90s ... When my grandkids were little, we would play when they came over, and they usually zipped through all 4 levels in 45 minutes ! (A game can take several  hours for adults!) We each play put own 'life path' in the game, which includes cards for insights, setbacks, and supportive angels - you roll a die for the number of each to place on your 'unconscious' envelope.  I was surprised the first time my oder granddaughter said 'I'll take a setback,' when when she could choose which kind of car...