Three Sisters

My garden theme this year is "Three Sisters". The galvanized garbage cans worked out great for the sisters (corn, pole beans and squash) and the "Three Sisters" tomatoes are great in a salad.


The cosmos also look great along with my fairy sign (given to me by my mother).


Okay, another dog picture. Ellie is now chasing a ball at the park in addition to her other play time.

Summerland for Dogs

There is a place that the Vikings call "Valhalla", the Wiccans call "Summerland" and the Christians call "Heaven". The dogs call it "Ptarmigan Cirque" in Kananaskis.


It was a joy to see them so happy yesterday on the hike.

Early Mornings

After their 5:30 AM breakfast, the dogs alerted us to a visitor in the backyard. A homeless person had spent the night in his sleeping bag beside my garden (see above - he was in the corner out of the wind). My husband asked what he was doing there (because he couldn't see that he was sleeping), and the man politely answered "I'm sorry, I'm lost". As the man packed up, I went outside in my flannel pajamas and offered him a bag of bottles (which he graciously accepted). I started making coffee inside but he was already gone before it was ready.

It is nothing new for some people to live on the fringe of society. Some (or really all) people have trouble coping with this strange and crazy world, and I try not to judge those who seemingly don't fit into the mold. The man left our home because he was afraid and I know many of my neighbors would scare him away because they were afraid. A friend thought I should enclose my greenhouse because somebody might decide to sleep in there. If someone wants to sleep in my greenhouse to get out of the rain or cold, I hope they do. Most people (including me) take shelter for granted along with a warm bed and food in our bellies. My greenhouse is open to all visitors.


You might find a cheery calendula in there or maybe some rabbit food.


Or maybe someone has already take up residence in the greenhouse.

Happy Solstice!

The Beauty of Summer Solstice

For those that watch the passing seasons, tomorrow is the summer solstice. Though it seems like this is the last hurrah before darkness starts to infringe on our life, it is also the start of summer and the harvest that goes with it. I ate a borage flower today (see picture). It tasted like wet honey (really). I also bought strawberries, figs and cherries at the market - the start of berry season in the North (albeit BC and Washington state, not Alberta - yet).

In the spirit of the Solstice and new babies, I found a wonderful British artist: Lucy Grossmith (www.heart-to-art.com). Her art makes me think of childhood dreams - a place where I can go with my imagination. Delightful is a word that describes her art and I am considering ordering a print or two (or three or four or maybe an original). Art is a very personal thing, but I think it is easy to recognize talent. Last month, my husband, a few friends and I went to a showing of Joe Fafard at the Glenbow Museum. Mr. Fafard is another artist with tremendous talent and depth. I am sure his art is definitely out of my price range, but I circled the museum's showing of his art three times. Art reminds me of the raw beauty of nature and to delight in the little things like tonight's walk by the river with a friend, her husband and 1 month-old baby girl who coos while she dreams.

Blessed be!

First Harvest of 2009

My first garden harvest of the year included sorrel, parsley, green onions, dill and "easter eggs". Yes, a kind of radish called easter eggs. Everything is growing like a weed both inside and outside my greenhouse despite the mini-snow storm last weekend. I expect the first tomato harvest to be sometime in the next week (amazing for Calgary).

I am now intrigued by what a wild garden would do. I left a few onions in the ground last year and my garden is full of self seeded onions along with dill, borage, calendula and marigolds. Several of my herbs came back including orange mint, peppermint, catnip, oregano, tarragon, lavender, chives and of course sorrel. What would my garden look like if I let everything run amok (no, I won't do this but I still like the wildness). I've heard of wild tomatoes and many other wild vegetables. Maybe next year. This is the year of the three sisters and a crazy amount of tomatoes.

Life is good.

Where is your soul?

With all the challenges my friend has gone through in the past few weeks, I think about where my soul finds peace and solace: the Arctic. I am not sure if my husband and I are going this year (due to "potential" financial constraints), but I definitely want to. I could spend the entire summer kayaking and camping along the Great Slave Lake or checking out the Muskoxen on Banks Island. Moments of freedom and peace is what I find in the Arctic. Often urban life does not agree with me.

Perhaps another rune reading is in order (twice in less than a month) - will I go to the Arctic this year?

Blessed be!

Gebo

Sometimes the journey of life is stormy. A friend had a baby last week and in that joy, a significant sacrifice was made. Luckily, she survived the storm, but during the turmoil I drew runes to ask if she would be okay. I do not use divination often - maybe once or twice a year, but the reading are also very interesting. I used the three norns reading - Past (Urd) / Present (Verdandi) / Future (Skuld).

Past: Nauthiz - This literally means "need" and is associated with Skuld. Skuld represents the future fate which is hidden from vision. Skuld also cuts the thread of life when it comes to an end or can represent a fear.

Present: Laguz - A feminine rune which literally means "lake" or "flooding tide". It is sometimes associated with the Goddess Nerthus. She was worshipped on an island in a lake and bestowed blessings to those she visited.

Future: Gebo - Meaning "gift". This sounds extremely positive, however with a gift comes obligation and sometimes extreme sacrifice.

Simply, I think the runes mean that my friend had a need to have a child (though not planned) and the baby girl came with a flooding (painful) tide. Her sacrifice during and after the birth and her future sacrifices she will make for this child will allow her to appreciate the gift her God has given her.

I am very glad she and the baby are okay. Her husband went through hell and I hope he recovers also. Hopefully, they will have calm waters for a while.

Blessed be.