Relationship

"It is not the land which is broken, but our relationship to land."  - The Honorable Harvest

He aikane, he punana na ke onaona.A friend, a nest of fragrance.Sweet indeed is a good friend. - 'Olelo No'eau

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. - Marcel Proust

"Something opens our wings,
Something makes boredom and hurt disappear.
Someone fills the cup in front of us:
We taste only sacredness."
-Rumi 

"Aloha is the intelligence with which we meet life." - Kumu Hula Olana A'i

"Loving is a rigorous act. Loving is a verb. Aloha is loving." - Manu Meyer

Planting a Doug Fir for David and adding a wind chime so he can rattle it as he passes through.

((((These few words are for my family; remembering my brother David, grieving his passing one year ago, grateful for his life.))))

Weather

The Pineapple Express

Terri Windling has a beautiful blog post today on the way things change. The images of winter and the words that accompany them are particularly potent for me as I recover from recent exposure to chemicals that dis-assembled me. The journey of moving through this condition of sensitivity to chemicals and processes that are done without second-thought, is unique ... life is that way. I have become stronger and more able to step into these situations with more frequency, but then sometimes I am strong enough to stay but debilitated nonetheless.  Terri writes:

"Today's quotes go out to any of you who are walking through your own dark woods right now. May there be trees to befriend you, and foxes to guide you, and stories to light the way...

Each of the quotes Windling includes in her post are oitment for what ails you, but this touches me in just the right ways.

" We don't create a fantasy world to escape reality, we create it to be able to stay. I believe we have always done this, used images to stand and understand what otherwise would be intolerable.”  -  Lynda Barry (via Gail Arlene de Vos)

I began writing fantasy and fiction that created that place Lynda Barry describes: 'to be able to stay.' My life as writer started with the solid world of words to nail-down procedures and policies ... the manual writer of corporate binders that no one would read except to point out a breach, a right-way to do the thing. Great it is to move from that sort of environment, that kind of weather, to free form essays that simply described the condition or the state of being at the time of deadline. Life as a columnist birthed a place for thoughts and observations from a woman on a journey: Makua O'o.

Now, I am a newly rooting Gypsy woman living and learning to make peace with the parts of life that has no cure. There is no permanent fix to the issues of being sensitive. Astrologically, I find clues and avenues of transformation. Culturally, my connection to an intuitive funnel of dreams and signs give me access to story and there is where the weather is commodious. I fabricate myth, include language that is both real and yet-to-be. Characters and situations sort life out aid is offered. Solace is found, solutions soothe. In short, as Barry has said, I can create a place to remain when all around me logic would say: I'M OUTTA HERE.

Nearly out of cups of energy for now I close with an appreciation, renewed in its breath, for the capacity to conjure fairy tales. The Safety Pin Cafe is being edited behind the scenes. And in a partnership with my son, the value of the conjuring is made multiple in the process. Almost by accident, I invited my son to read and edit with his journalistic talent coupled with his ear for the culture we share, thanks to his grandmother. The fairy tale will change and become I think, more precious because of my willingness to allow other gifts to touch the words.

In the making of fairy tales the medicine is in both the hands of the provider and the soul of the receiver. It, the medicine, is not on a schedule really. So many visitations ... the wind, the sight of fairy wings, a memory recalled, a touch at just the right, or wrong moment. I weather the storm of dark and painful influence and plant a handful of fertile soil over the seed of a good story and water it just right.

Floating Free

We took a day trip yesterday. The fog lifted for the occasion, Pete freed myself from his connections to gardens, food bank and general shoveling and sortings; I left the laptop and off we went. Our destination was north to Orcas Island, the largest of the San Juan Islands and three hours by car and ferry from the woods here in Langley.

It was a day of breaking free we both needed. A day of just for the fun of it, and time to visit an old friend on her pile of rocks. The travel time was nearly equal to the time we had to visit, eating (the Fried Egg Sandwich Pete had was amazing ... too bad for me I was so busy chatting he ate it all) in wonderful Mia's Cafe. Before it was time to drive from the town of East Sound our friend, and local "long-time reader" (of books far, wide and deep) Maurine walked us across the puddle strewn sidewalk into Darvill's Books. A completely charming bookstore with just the right amount of smatter and eclectic character real (in your hands) book lovers could call 'home.' It is our friend's second home, where she has worked for several years and is now there on occasion (or request) as I watched her step behind the coffee bar to make a latte while the barista on shift stepped out. Beautiful books, a sweet and intimate bookscape of shelves and accessories, cards, colorful socks, cds, and journals blank and inviting a story, a poem a muse-inspired sketch. There's a chance I will return to set up a storytelling event here at Darvill's. I talked briefly with the proprietress about The Safety Pin Cafe, excited about the potential for taking that story on the road, and onto islands here and there. Just a tiny bit of shameless self-promotion. (Just a reminder: One week left to read The Safety Pin Cafe.)

We made one last stop with Maurine before getting in the ferry line for Anacortes. Still book related, we pulled into the parking lot of the library. Maurine is a librarian. Could you ever call a librarian a 'former librarian'? Don't know for sure, but will guess that those skills don't retire or become a former life. Instead, they seem to spread out like ivy potent and opportunist, in the best possible ways. Walking with our Sag librarian friend was a tour of books on foot like I have never experienced, or perhaps have forgotten was possible remembering all my most favorite librarians ever ... Mrs. Petrie from elementary school. Oh my. M. volunteers in this library two hours a week. "Weeding" is what she does, weeding out titles and cleaning titles up so they're in the right category. She knows such things, and as she said since most folks who volunteer in the library don't, this library is lucky to have a mistress of categorization.

It was a whirlwind day, and by the time we made our way down the familiar and dark driveway through the woods we were happy to be home. Not a bit ashamed to admit that at least one of us was homesick for the woods. The thing is about small breaks in the daily routine is how the resistance and oppositions that linger in our relating to others, our selves, or our settings can be freed up with a change. Back to the routine, Pete is working, I am writing, and our ferry fare has taken us off the island and back. Our brand new desk top computer is ready for us. We'll pick her up tomorrow. Life proceeds.

A few of my favorite quotes from people familiar to me via the floating world of the internet conclude this morning ramble. Hope something tickles you, or frees you in some way.

"Jupiter turns direct in Gemini on January 30th. Many will change their minds and/or their philosophies in February. I think it will be enormously (Jupiter) interesting (Gemini) to watch....Once Jupiter turns direct on January 30th, all the planets will be direct until February 18, 2013, when Saturn turns retrograde." - Elsa P.

 "An opposition challenges us to keep two sets of needs in balance." Donna Cunningham

"I don’t think people realize they can dig deeper and get beyond their complaint to point where they’re happy and deeply satisfied. They simply don’t know how to get ’round the bend, so they can see the blindingly brilliant magic in their partnerships..." Elsa P.

  “We keep each other alive with our stories. We need to share them, as much as we need to share food. We also require for our health the presence of good companions...-Barry Lopez