It's been Grand..

Well, it's been so long since I posted, even blogger has changed it's format!  The first part of the year has been a whirlwind of sometimes frustrating, 'up-in-the-air-ness' no matter what the area of life. For someone, who could not inaccurately, be called a control freak, this was quite a challenge for me to - let go....but through perseverance, some meditation and lots of dark chocolate, I feel the lightness once again and a new path has become clear.

Wet Felted Tapestry with story pockets......made with Suzanne Down ;-)

 Our family undertook quite a collective journey when I entered the Waldorf teacher training program three years ago and now with graduation looming this May, we carefully looked to several options for next year in my teaching career. Cut long arduous story short, I was offered a position at The Waldorf School of San Diego as their newest first grade teacher! Woo Hoo! Here's the odd thing though, we had been looking to move there a few years ago and it was just not lining up, so this is a welcome move be it the harder physical one.

View from Eagle Point

 To celebrate a few months of very hard work and exhaustion, The Hairy One and I decided a 3 day music festival, which happened to fall upon my birthday and close to our 15th year anniversary was just the thing...so now back from Coachella, which was full of great sets from bands I either loved/didn't know but liked very much/still don't know the name but loved. Being among crowds of very peaceful music loving people warmed the cockles and let me forget the super-grown-up-stuff for a minute.


That coupled with a great trip to the Grand Canyon for Spring Break, really has me ready to start making lists....more to come...and a couple of workshops coming up soon too..

Quite Happy in dusty solitude

Little Gandalf trying out Native American shelter

Guano Point - Grand Canyon West 2012

 Donovan Boy is excited to have his own room and the possibility of new friends and freedom, Little Gandalf is less enamoured about leaving his "whole life" behind, but he's not really wrong, only a two hour jaunt away. I am very excited to meet my new set of parents and I am contemplating writing my first story for the children already!

Cabins on the rim, cowboy style!

Candlemas and a half....

The more minor festivals of the year are always fascinating to me, as they are rarely celebrated by one and all, and many are not aware that there are other notable events that happen. Astrologically speaking, Candlemas or Groundhog Day - Feb 2nd marks the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.  To mark this auspicious day The Hairy One likes to organise a Groundhog Day jam if possible and I like to dip or roll beeswax candles and then light as many as I can bear and contemplate the unfolding of the flickering lights and it's shadows..

 

If Candlemas be mild and gay,
Go saddle your horses and buy them hay;
But if Candlemas be stormy and black,
It carries the winter away on its back. –proverb

As the light grows longer
The cold grows stronger
If Candlemas be fair and bright
Winter will have another flight
If Candlemas be cloud and rain
Winter will be gone and not come again
A farmer should on Candlemas day
Have half his corn and half his hay
On Candlemas day if thorns hang a drop
You can be sure of a good pea crop

Good Health to all this 2012!!

What a busy busy time the end of 2011 was, with so many festivals, faires and relatives coming and going since Thanksgiving! We are so thankful to have been able to host all our visitors and will now say adieu to the Admiral who has found another ship to stay on!! (But I'm sure the wafting cooking smells will lure him back sometimes....)

Once again we will Wassail tonight with all those who dare to join us for the hot bowl of apple cider, a little spice and some getting rid of all the chocalate left in the house!! Every year we clear out all the sugar on Jan 5th/6th and stay off it until at least Feb 14th! by the time the second week comes around I can safely say that cherries and strawberries are so darn sweet, I can hardly believe it!

For those who care to know what on earth Wassail is...please listen to this carefully......enjoy!

Terra Firma Q's

How lovely are your curves, 

How is it that you spin so freely?

Do the poles meet somewhere in space?

How old are your craggs?

How many times have you turned?

How do you stay current?

How do I clean you effectively and heal your scars?

How much did you cost?

How are the mice?

Henge your Bets!

I have only been to Stone Henge the once and it was not on the solstice or equinox, in fact I remember it being an extremely cold, any and gray day but I did get to touch the stones and run around them, all in the days when you still could without paying a fortune to get up close or use your binoculers!


Festivals are a joyful occasion and some of my favourites are those that are shall we say, a bit off the beaten track...Images of strength and comfort comes with Michealmas, repentance and a new start with a new year ( 5772) Rosh Hashannah and of course the darkening days bring many other fasts and feasts that bring inner wisdom to the light within. Introspection, courage and resolution are all factors in these wonderful festivals...and I like to celebrate all!!

Have a joyful New Year, a courageous light filled Michaelmas, and a bountiful harvest!

Phoenix Camp 2011

Truly wonderous papier mache vessels that hold water

The last couple of weeks for me, can surely be summed up with copious arty fun, coupled with lots of laughter! To all the children and their families who came to share some of their summer time with me, thank you!

from left to right - names are in code!
Sista Gold, Donovan Boy, Rusty Jay, King Ate, Little Gandalf & Stinky Pinky! ( she named herself!)

Here are some pics that highlight some of the days of morning nature walks and games, art projects ( some goopier than others) and swimming fun in the pool!

Wet-felted treasure purses were a hit with both genders, lots of physical effort over two days!

The dye pot's coming out soon and I'm excited to try our some new dye from Eugene and harvest some from my garden!! Whilst getting ready for the upcoming season of making and selling various items for fundraising, it's of course now that I remember to get out the sewing machine and finish a huge notice board fabric picture for the start of school (argh!) and as I look out for inspiring vision, the new workshop schedule will form and be posted in the next couple of weeks!! Some offers will be Free-scape sculpting and goddess dollmaking for sure, but possibly wet felted story tapestries, cornucopia felting and more in the coming months!

Stay abreast with my fiber art news, offers and schedules here - www.Facebook.com/PhaedraPhoenix

The childrens' weaving skills and passion really showed their personalities!

Nueve

My dear Little Gandalf, with his long locks lightened by the sun, was worried about spending his 9th birthday away from his home, upon reflection he thoroughly enjoyed the long day's journey from Mammoth to Santa Cruz, full of surprises, whimsical lakes to sit in and high (9900ft) hiking experiences with magical rainbows to gaze in wonder, in the delights of the Yosemite Forest.

The ancients associated the number Nine with the goddess or female aspects of divinity. In modern times, we've come to associate this number with the unconscious. In our life experience, the Nine is like a regulator, helping us to process any discrepancies between the seven and eight. Sometimes the nine will pull us toward the seven, where experience becomes the guiding force. At other times, it will pull us toward the “figuring-it-out” process of the eight. Because of this, the nine can be seen as the interface between the inner and outer self.

Planetary Aspect: The Moon. Color: Violet.

Twelve

Upon reaching the grand and magical age of 12, dear Donovan Boy shared his birthday with kindness, wisdom and an astounding amount of composure and maturity! We had a huge discussion about the number 12 and it's impact across the ages in so many areas, here are some gathered points to think about and there are of course so many more... please feel free to add!!
A birthday list for my geeky family....

1. The average human has twelve cranial nerves
2. Force 12 corresponds to the maximum wind speed of a hurricane.
3. The 12th moon of Jupiter is Lysithea
4. The chief Norse god,Odin, had 12 sons
5. King Arthur Legends are full of 12's! Round table knights, Arthur is said to have subdued 12 rebel princes and to have won 12 great battles against Saxon invaders.
6. twelve apostles
7. 12 days of Christmas
8. 12 Petals in Anahata (Heart Chakra).
9. The basic units of time (60 seconds, 60 minutes, 24 hours) can all perfectly divide by twelve
10. Western zodiac has twelve signs
11. twelve months
12. 12 dozen = gross
13. In ten pin bowling, 12 is the number of strikes needed for a perfect game.
14. The number of keys in any standard digital telephone (1 through 9, 0, * and #)
15. Epic poems The Aeneid by Virgil is divided into two halves composed of twelve books.
16. Another epic poem, Paradise Lost by John Milton is divided into twelve books
17. The twelfth is the interval of an octave and a fifth.
18. 12 is the number of studio albums the band The Beatles released.
19. In English, twelve is the number of greatest magnitude that has just one syllable.
20. twelve pairs of ribs ( usually)
21. Twelve people have walked on the Moon.
22. The USA is divided into twelve Federal Reserve Districts
23. 12 inches in a foot
24. 12 face cards in a card deck.
25. Twelve Olympians from Greek Mythology

Up and Away..

It's been a fair while since I've been here or even to think about writing something vaguely interesting. Now that the final weeks of teaching work and the boys' school is done for Summer, I can slow down a tiny bit and start to really focus again! Having spent endless hours pondering those ultra interesting projects: like building a new trellis in the garden; or starting a new compost heap; maybe attacking the beast of torn fabric and clothing that needs some loving; or boringly filing all the paperwork/bills that are stuffed into a drawer, or possibly embarking on some new fiber art project that is only in a dream state!? Yes, that's my dilemma today - now faced with a number of hours alone (as the rest of the family are playing golf)) these frightfully interesting projects wane and waft away as I organise files on the computer, download updates..... and now overwhelmingly I feel that taking a nap may be in my best interests after all!

Happy June Gloom from not so sunny California!

a small prize to who can guess where I've been by these pics?

Love = Life

We all have wishes, wants, desires, needs - but what about those intangible things that make you smile and just plain feel good? Mostly inspirational, all are based in love and beauty

Here I am taking a moment in the day to remember what makes me happy and appreciate a few simple pleasures that life is all about for me! In no particular order, but all equally in the number one position:

Fresh running water in a babbling brook
Spring blooms in rainbow hues
The songs of the early morning birds
Wafting children laughter
The swaying leaves in lofty trees
The smell of good earth ready for planting

Indian Rose oil and Orange blossom together
Free time to paint and create
Staying for the sunset after a day at the beach
Dreaming of lost souls
Chasing clouds and adventure

Healthy children in mind and spirit
Experiencing true love
Dancing in freedom
Great live music
Indian swoony spices!
A road less travelled

Sculpting in wool
Bathing in colour

Sharing..

hard to see the scale but this is about a foot high and nearly 4 feet wide Winter scape

I am by nature pretty impatient, I have learnt more about this curious trait over the years from my children and more recently through my work in school, however I cannot be relied on to wait when I'm eager to share...

In the past few months after inviting a dear and talented friend, Scissor Girl, with me to create some fabulous 'Freescapes' or playscapes that will be featured in a book due out hopefully next year. This one is our current winter offering and is far from finished, but I am quite pleased with how it's coming along. We started with an adapted Spring scape, but will return to that one soon for updating and developing in the season, and others will be created to encapsulate Summer and Autumn. Hopefully these scapes will inspire and lead the reader/artist into a world reflective of their inner self and qualities.

I am feeling drawn to creating some scapes that mirror some of the lost beauty of the world that is not always experienced in person, maybe I'll have to travel more to gather my inspirations but that wouldn't be so bad either!

Marching on...

The Romans made March ( a favourite thing to do) the first month of the year in their calendar. Both Ovid and Plutarch said that Martius, was named after Mars, the Roman god of war. Indeed, it often is a month of firsts—the first daffodil, robin, earthworm, skunk, cabbage.

Spring itself starts with the vernal equinox on March 20 this year ( My 14th wedding anniversary is on the 21st!)

This beautiful wet felted wall hanging was made with healing love by the students in Donovan Boy's 5th grade earlier this year.

Apart from being notoriously temperamental weather-wise. According to weather proverbs:

If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb.
If March comes in like a lamb, it will go out like a lion.

Make this stone gnome in a class- Sunday March 13th, click here for details

Wake up sleepy

I've been quietly busy taking some online course to support my Waldorf teacher training and development as a human and this surprised me this morning as I was studying. A glimpse into the universe through this woman's experience mirrors so many ideas of others that came before her including Rudolf Steiner. Worth sharing, get a tissue.

It's about 18 mins long but worth watching I promise....a wake up to the 'reality' of life.

Weather anyone?

Not if Groundhog Phil is on the nose this year it seems with the prediction of an early Spring around the corner, maybe more of an up and down a few blocks and a train ride away?! With horrendous storms brewing and colder weather snaps all over the US, one can only presume Phil had a snifter before popping out? Even here in sunny California, where truly we cannot complain about any smattering of awful weather that may flounce around for a few days, I've even had to wheel the old radiator out in the evening, gather my bedsocks and nightcap, and wish we had an open fireplace and some actual reason for doing all this!!

Of course I'm going to talk about the weather today of all days because it's always polite and easy to start a conversation this way, but more importantly today is the festival of Candlemas, also known as Imbolc. The ancient Celtic goddess Brigid was honored on this day, and even after she was absorbed into the Church as St. Brigid, celebrations for her changed very little from their Pagan roots.

The name "Imbolc" has it’s name derived from the Gaelic “oimele” which means “ewes milk.” This major Sabbat lies opposite Lammas, and represents the very beginning of spring. This festival is for the Maiden, her renewal and has strong roots with the festivals for the Irish goddess Brigid. The name “Candlemas” is from the adaptations of rites for the Virgin Mary that the European churches held at the same time of year.

I didn't check but I also think it's the exact halfway point in the year between the Winter solstice and the Spring Equinox, making it one of the four cross-quarter days. Special, right?

MMX1

A year to remember it seems, 2011, 4708, 5771-2 if you are really counting.....we embarked upon another Andy Goldsworthy inspired hike, into the Temescal mountains once again with some eager friends and left behind some whimsy building projects and took home some poison oak rash apparently...poor little Gandalf is as miserable as can be, dipped with calamine and doped with antihistamine..


Major holidays ( not exhaustive) and some useless facts...
January - 7th Orthodox Christmas and our Wassail party!!!
February -1st Imbolc a cross quarter day. 3rd Chinese New year
March - 9th Ash weds, 21st Vernal equinox & Persian New Year
April 1st - Space Shuttle's last scheduled flight, 18th Passover, 24th Easter
May- 1st, cross quarter day Beltane,
June - 7th Shavuot
July - 10th Neptune completes it's first full orbit since discovery in 1846!
August - 1st Lammas, cross quarter day
September - 23rd Mabon, Autumnal equinox, 28th Rosh Hashanna
October - 7th Yom Kippur, 26th Diwali
November - 26 Islamic New year
December - 20 Chanukah, Christmas, 31st - All US troops scheduled to leave Iraq!

Bah humbug!!

A Christmas Carol is one of my favourites to read at this dark time of year, and 2010 marks a first time hearing for my children! They have not yet seen any of the more formidable movies (1951 Alistair Sim or even the George C Scott version), that have made so well, the tale of Ebenezar Scrooge, but dear Donovan Boy - who still believes, and Little Gandalf - who can hardly contain his excitement, only lay listening to the richness of the written word by dear Dickens. Tonight they hear the final chapter, so apt of course of this eve.



We wish you a Merry Christmas and remember those who are not with us in this life and bless those who are far away. Magic is all around us always and at this time of the year, it is thinly veiled.

Peace.

Luna

The Winter Solstice is here at last, did you get to see the lunar eclipse early this morning? The rain is still pelting down here in soggy California, with those that live in the hills on 'storm watch' for flooding and possible mud slides, which can be quite devastating.

Something about the holiday season brings either the best or worst out in people I've noticed. So when I'm out an about doing errands in the nasty weather, I'll try and smile, wave and be gracious in traffic, because we all deserve a little kindness in times of stress, right? Pass it on! I still live in hope that these little offerings will come back around!

Some magical new items to match the Winter line up of starry constellations, will be up in my online shop tonight, please stop by there to check them out. Great for 12th night gifts ( January 6th).

Scoping scapes

I've been wanting to make many things recently, but seem intent on making playscapes that I like to call Free-scapes, because they can inspired by a hike, a place or just your imagination and it's a very freeing endeavour ( for me at least!).

work in progress...inspired by a hike to Temescal Canyon

firepit and retreat cave with back exit

mushroom hideaway for faerie folk with spiral pond

I will have - fingers crossed- many mini offering at this years Winter Faire at OCS next Saturday December 11th from 10am-4pm.. but they are unique and cannot be saved! You can request a custom scape but please not after December 17th! I will post a custom request order in my etsystore or maybe you'll stop by to visit the holiday bazaar and spot The Phoenix Gift booth!

Happy shopping, remember supporting your artisan community is good for your soul!!

Happy T Day!

many mini playscapes, will adorn the booth at this years
Winter Faire December 11th at OCS

Pops flies in each for the said bird each year for alas, old Blighty has no such excuse for early Turkey before Christmas and more than often it's a Goose!

Here in the U.S. of course, it's a great traditional get together of gratitude, fellowship and thanks. One of my favourite holidays actually. We have time off work to travel, share some cozy nesting time with family and friends, get our warm clothes out and on and play some games! Unfortunately it's also becoming an insane consumerism frenzied spend a thon.

I don't think I preach out here very much, but this seemed important enough to share a thought for how we choose to act during the holiday season.


This letter was sent to me today......

Each Thanksgiving, I think of Marie Tellismond. Two years ago on Black Friday, Marie lost her 34 year-old son, Jdimytai Damour. Jimmy-as his friends called him-was trampled to death while trying to protect a pregnant woman from a stampede of bargain shoppers at a New York Walmart.

Now, I've never met Marie Tellismond, but as a fellow mother, I am pretty sure she would give anything to have a day with her son again. Losing, or even coming close to losing someone we love, makes us get our priorities straight really, really fast.

Most of us have a choice this Friday that Marie no longer has. We can chose to leave the warmth of our beds before dawn, to sit in our cars in a parking lot at some mall and to spend the day searching for low prices on products which we don't really need and often don't event want, but getting them is all part of the Black Friday Frenzy. Or we have a choice to stay put with loved ones, to play board games and eat leftovers and maybe even play a game of football together.

If we're going to figure out how to build an economy and society that is healthy for people and the planet, this Friday is a good place to start. Let's opt out of the frenzy this year.

Please help me spread the word this Thanksgiving week.

With Gratitude,
Annie
Story of Stuff.

Suess-ical tree in La Jolla....truly though, he lived here!

Ahh Autumn!

I hope you enjoy this poem, it so perfectly captures the feeling essence of Autumn for me.

To Autumn
John Keats

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
Drows'd with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,--
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

We went recently on an autumn hike to be inspired for playful free scape building in wool and to try and experience the feel of the new season. Treasures, not unlike the acorn pig nose, were found in the forestry route by the disappearing children along the winding pathways. A perfect walking staff for later carving in the winter was mine to have and hold, as was the breathtaking beauty of the playful wind painting with leaves that day! Though somewhat rocky in places, the children ranging from 2 -11 picked their way to the goal and were rewarded with a cool paddle in a small stream and some dried fruit.

treasure #1

treasure #2 and Little Gandalf monkeying around

hunters of forest treasure gather to plan their next steps..

On a completely different note, I have started writing a book that will hopefully be shared with the wide world upon it's completion...it's largely woolly in essence but will have some great creative and artistic goodies to share with felting fanatics!

in the works, quite large collaborative free-scape