12-31-2020 Fir Trees

Fir trees represent a time of positive forward movement as we rise to meet the challenges and opportunities that are in front of us.

https://treespiritwisdom.com/tree-spirit-wisdom/fir-tree-symbolism/

...a 9x12"...

...and a smaller one in my journal...

12-30-2020 New Recipe

Today I tried a new biscuit/cookie recipe

to have a little treat on New Year's Eve tomorrow.

Instead of some bubbly, I decided on a sweet treat instead.

Recipe is "Holiday Cookies"

from www.myketohome.com

https://myketohome.com/keto/keto-frosted-holiday-cookies/

12-29-2020 Time For Some Hot Chocolate!

...as the first BIG storm of the winter (in this area) begins...

12-28-2020 Section 5 Triangles Complete

 

I completed the Clue 5 Triangles last night!

Ready to start on the border now!

So excited!

Then I can wear this Slipstravaganza!!!

12-27-2020 Grogu

Grogu/Baby Yoda/The Kid

12-26-2020 New Pressure Cooker

 

12-25-2020 Thank You Santa!

Santa brought me a new lightweight mohair sweater this year!

It is absolutely lovely...soft and smooth as butter...and warm.

Thank you so much, Santa!

Also,

We were gifted a lovely Christmas gnome and a snowman!

Thanks so much GDs!

And also, an amazing snow globe...

thank you so much, dear GSs!

We love you and miss you!

12-24-2020 Penguins

 I painted some penguins this morning...

12-23-2020 Homemade Eggnog

Let the making of homemade eggnog commence!

This is my indulgence for the holidays

after having a year like 2020!

Beat the 6 egg yolks and 1/2 c. sugar-or-sweetener until light and fluffy.

Heat the 4 c. milk/cream and 

spices (1/2 tsp. cinnamon and nutmeg) until simmering.

(I threw in a cinnamon stick instead of ground cinnamon.)

Temper the eggs with the hot milk.

Add the tempered eggs to the hot milk and cook to 160*F.

Cool and enjoy!

12-22-2020 Gnomes

...because I find them cute...

and they are so much fun to paint!

12-21-2020 Winter Solstice ... and...Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction (Christmas Star)

From...

https://spiritualityhealth.com/blogs/pathfinding-yoga-and-mindfulness/2020/12/04/winter-solstice-meditation-and-ritual

Celebrate the coming of longer days with a winter solstice ritual.
The winter solstice, which falls on December 21 in the Northern Hemisphere, is a deeply important day, both from a spiritual and celestial perspective. It has the longest, darkest night, and represents the moment before the sun begins a new cycle in the sky, shifting from the waning phase from fall through winter to waxing again into spring and summer. 

I know a lot of people will be really happy to see 2020 go. It’s been a tumultuous year full of difficult experiences and plenty of bad news. 2021 holds new promise and change. There is reason to hope that the dawning of the new light of the sun will come with some lightening of our spirits. Still, though, many of us have lost a lot this last year.

On the winter solstice, the sun appears to become still in the sky—the word sol means “sun” and stice means “stillness.” So we are invited to pause and honor those losses before setting our intentions for the cycle ahead.
A Winter Solstice Meditation

Celebrate the darkest night of the year in guided meditation and ritual. Listen to this guided meditation as you perform your winter solstice ritual.

A Winter Solstice Ritual
Here is an intuitive ritual that I like to practice around the winter solstice. It’s not associated with any tradition in particular, just something that feels right to me. You are welcome to try it in your own way. Add or subtract anything that feels more right to you if you would like to practice this ritual too. 

You’ll need:
A candle
Pen and paper if you wish
A glass of water
Any other cultural or spiritual items that are meaningful to you
Take a moment to get centered.

When you’re ready, journal or reflect on the following questions:
How do you feel about the last year, the time that has passed since the last winter solstice?
What did you learn this year?
What did you lose this year? What are you grieving?
What did you gain?
What aspect of yourself would you like to let go of in order to make space for this new beginning?

From here, you can write down a list of the things you would like to let go of to make space for the new beginning. Without burning it, cross this paper over the candle flame a few times to cleanse it.

Now place the glass of water in front of you. Journal or reflect on the following questions:
What do you hope for yourself in the coming year?
What in you needs to be born or reborn to help you move into the next stage of your life?
What are your deepest wishes for the coming days and months for your body? Your mind? Your heart? Your home? Your work? Your relationships? Your country? The planet? What do you truly, deeply, want?

If you can, distill down your wishes into a few sentences, and speak them aloud to the glass of water. Drink the water as a symbolic act of taking these wishes and desires into your body to be processed.

When this ritual feels complete, offer a thank you—to yourself, to the land beneath you, the protection around you, the earth, sky/air, water, and flame/fire, and whatever else feels right. If you have a piece of paper listing what you are grieving, you may like to safely burn or bury it to help yourself say goodbye.

All the best in 2021 and Happy winter solstice!

Keep reading about winter solstice celebratory practices: “Meaningful Rituals for the Winter Solstice.”

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12-20-2020 New Flutes

The latest new members 

to our growing Native American Style Flute family/collection:

by Brent Hanes of Woodsounds Flutes

(of walnut burl, ebony mouthpiece and lotus, turquoise inlay) 

by John Stillwell of Ancient Territories

(A4 [432hertz], of zebra wood with wedge mouthpiece and totum)

12-19-2020 Workbench Under Construction

 

12-18-2020 Mi Familia

Miss you so much! 

It's been over a year since we've seen you and hugged you.

12-17-2020 Jill the Squirrel

 

I painted this cutie

to help me work out my 

December "Cold Full Moon" (Dec. 29) paintings

for my grandsons.

12-16-20. Snowglobe & Bluebirds

Some Snow globe paintings...

(the one on the left is my reference photo

the one on the right is the painting in my little journal)

and the 9x12" painting...

the 9x12" and the journal paintings...

and a few LMAM postcards...

(from an Ellen Crime-Trent tutorial)

I need to let these dry

before adding the final details

(designs on hats, and pom moms)...

12-15-2020 NEW MOON

From:

The Healthy Knitter
http://www.thehealthyknitter.com/blog/2020/12/15/day-15-the-moon

Today marked the new moon… a time in the lunar cycle symbolic of new beginnings.
A new moon…
solstice in a week…
a new year on the horizon…
An opportunity to reset our frame of mind.

Yet when I look follow the ebb and flow of the lunar phases and intentionally pause to gaze at the moon, I often think about others in far away places who can also see the moon.
Regardless of where we are, we all see the same moon albeit at different times of the day.
One moon for the inhabitants of this blue dot… connected.

The moon…
up and down in the night sky
powerful from so far away,
the waters dance to her rhythm….
in and out.
the snow sparkles like diamonds laying on the valley floor.
Her luminous light casts tree shadows in the pre-dawn hours.

The moon provides a natural calendar for us to follow… almost monthly. With an opportunity to start a-new, to be creative (from now until the full moon) and then slowly let go (from the full moon to the new moon).

The new moon, a pause and a threshold to new beginnings.
It’s always there whether we look at it or not.
yet, looking up to gaze at the moon and feel connected to others in far away places is a powerful act of peace.

Peace tip #15

Make a plan, a peace plan.

Draw 3 small circles (the size of a quarter)…

the one on the left, color it in a dark color; label it “new moon”

the middle one, draw a vertical line within the circle creating two half circles, color half of it dark, the other half light; label it solstice.

the one on the right, color all bright; label it “full moon.”

For the new moon, what’s one new beginning you might adopt related to peace.

For the solstice, what’s one way you might connect with others during a pandemic that you can continue in the new year… something that brings you “light.”

For the full moon, what’s one thing you can let go of.

12-13-2020 Section 3 (of 7) Finished!

Today I finished knitting section 3 (of 7)

of the Slipstravaganza Shawl I'm working on currently.

(see post on 11-19-2020)

Each row has 470ish stitches and take over half an hour to complete.

Upcoming section 4 has 24 rows...so another 12_ hours to complete section 4.

Also took a break and knitted some little mittens...

for tying onto Christmas packages, or the tree.

12-12-2020 Snow and Cookies

Snow storm is beginning...

time to stay warm inside...

maybe try a new cookie recipe...

Whipped Shortbread Cookies

https://myincrediblerecipes.com/whipped-shortbread-cookies-4-ingredients/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IncredibleRecipesFromHeaven+%28Incredible+Recipes+From+Heaven%29

12-11-2020 Watercolor Santa

After painting the large 9X12" Vintage Santa with gouache

I decided to paint a smaller version in my journal using watercolor paints.

I love how they both turned out...

especially their rosy red cheeks and noses!

12-10-2020 Record High

 

12-9-2020 Vintage Santa

Using gouache again...

giving it another try.

I have now used up all the white gouache I have

but have plenty left of the red, blue black and yellow.

I can't decide if I want to buy more white to continue

using up the other colors...hmmm?!?!?

Think I'll try this Santa again

in my journal

but use watercolors instead.