Cow Peace, llvl

Living in the country, I wind up learning country things.

Who knew that calves could be escape artists between the second and third wires?

I never dreamed I’d be worrying about untangling a goat either when I moved here. After all, I’d lived here before and never untangled a goat in all those years. I never worried about loose calves then either.

But I like having farmers I can ask questions and get answers like, they milk at six, they’ll be home. (It was 5:30!)

I do try and notice the Earth, although I’m not a very back to Nature or dig in the dirt kind of girl. But I take the web of life seriously. And I work hard at being a good neighbor, at doing good. So, when the cows are at Peace, I can be too.

(and besides last night was the night for the animals to have the gift of speech if you’re a Pagan, you wanted him to be around to talk to the sheep, didn’t you? And you didn’t want him to be on the loose…)

Peace on Earth everyone… and watch out for free ranging calves.

Lingering Peace, llvl

The season has changed, there’s no denying. Everything is slowly hunkering down for the winter. Most of us are fairly resigned, some of us are even excited that winter’s icy goodness is knocking.

But some pieces of Nature are not quite ready to give up their Autumnal beauty. Insistently they pinkly take their good ol’ time relinquishing their reign.

They’re a good reminder. There is in every season, a little bit of another. So the embers may glow but the flowers still reign in their little fading kingdom. There’s beauty everywhere… it’s worth taking the time to notice. You live here. Appreciate that. Allow Peace to linger in you as it lingers in all the quiet corners…

Boo! Spooky Peace, llvl

For me Halloween is a holiday, but a holiday of Mother Earth, not the party store. It’s half-way between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice. Otherwise known as the beginning of Winter. Winter deepens as it nears the solstice and then it starts lessening its grip — never mind that the cold is still fierce. As the hymn says: “Light is returning, even tho’ this is the darkest hour, No one can hold back the sun.”

This is the time for looking within, for remembering our ancestors and our heritage and our lineage. This is a time of releasing the grudges — anything that hold us back from a good night’s sleep and the Sacred Dreaming that is to come. The only goblins I believe in are the hobgoblins of our thoughts that haunt us and hold us back. Let go!

I get a little whiny about commercialized, over sexed halloween… I dislike that it’s another opportunity for greed and materialism. I guess I’m a humbug. So today you get not one, but two (count ’em, two) poems about being a Witch on Halloween. (the first one’s in paragraph form, because Word press is not a fan of poems, keeps leaving a space between the lines… Funny all this time i’ve been writing on Word Press, I’ve never known this…) I’ll spend some time in this six week season thinking about the possibilities of letting go… But in the meantime, here I am, in all my glory, Grumpy Witch!

It’s not easy to be a witch on Halloween — Where’s your hat, everyone asks me? And then they laugh. Like they’re the first person that ever thought to say that. Ha!

I’m a witch. This is what a witch looks like. I look like this every day.

Of course I wear black, I’m an edgy, New York kinda witch.

But my spiritual practice is not about wearing a pointy hat and riding a broom. My spiritual practice is about honoring creation and all who dwell within.

I don’t even like cats and as for snakes, no thanks! I must confess, the whole thing makes me grumpy.

Yes, there are witches, real witches, who wear their silly hats and carry a broom around. But then at Christmastime, you can find Christians in some pretty scary outfits, with flashing pins that have very little to do with any baby born in a manger, destined to claim the world for peace. And Easter Bonnets do not make much more sense.

While people run around this Halloween, dressed like goblins and harlots, the world is slowly dying. On this sacred day, when it is believed by some that the veil between this world and the next is the thinnest, that our ancestors can whisper their wisdom in our ears, the din of battle over-rides the still small voice.

Divine Spirit can shape and change us and all we want to know is, “What do you have for candy?” and “What are you wearing on Halloween.”

So yes, I am a witch. And no, I don’t wear a hat. and if the Gods had wanted me to ride a broom, vacuum cleaners would never have been invented!

So, color me a little bit grumpy and a whole lot grateful. No hat, it ruins my hair. Yesterday I had a ride through Autumn’s dying colors and I rejoiced. Boo! There, witchy obligations handled, I wish you Peace and a spooktacular, sugar laden evening if that’s what turns you on! Consume responsibly.

Gingko Peace, llvl

I am a fan of the gingko tree. I don’t know that I ever knew them before I went to college, But over by the library and the humanities building there were a bunch of them. Come fall, they were carefully watched. Everyone wanted to be around as the “gingked!” It was amazing to watch as the trees poured their golden bounty down onto the earth. (It was less amazing to smell it… whew. Decided I should look that up. Here it is from eHow:

“Ginkgo trees are large, deciduous trees found in temperate climates. Hardy trees well-adapted to withstanding harsh urban conditions, they are able to thrive despite poor soil, pollution and packed soil. Female ginkgo trees produce large amounts of seeds covered in a seed coat. Ginkgo tree berries stink because the seed coat contains butyric acid, a chemical found in vomit, which is released if the fruit is allowed to rot.” ok. eww.)
They release in such a short time. It’s amazing. Somehow something gets in that tiny, little tree brain and boom, leaves fall in a glorious golden profusion.

More recently, I love the gingko because they have been planted down at my old town pool in honor of my parents and my sister. There they wave and rustle and will for long after I’m gone… That certainly makes me proud, if not happy.

They herald the end of Fall, they’re late to turn. But they hold on, hold on, and then they don’t and then they presage Winter. This year, they’ve done a great job, Hallowmas is the 31st… and the trees are just now releasing their hold on this beauty. Peace in living with the earth, sweet Peace indeed. Makes you think that Mother Earth and Nature know exactly what they’re doing!

Peace in the Storms, llvl

Anyone who lives in a River Valley knows you have to take storms seriously. You have to be prepared. Although not all storms have flood potential, you want to be watching. I have a sister- and brother-in-law who have the furniture movers on speed-dial, in case they need them to come and load their downstairs into a truck. They’ve done what they could to make their house fare better in the storms and be easier to clean up. (it’s totally ingenious and lovely.)

When storms happen, people start calling around letting others who have traditionally had water problems (why say flood when a euphemism will do?) and remind them that their second (third, fourth) bedroom is open. Others dash to the store in case they’re going to be cut off for a while.

But we live in open space. There are wide swaths of fields in these valleys and the storms often roll down alleys of least resistance. So we get to watch the beauty and power build before they let loose. And let loose they do. This is a part of the country where thunderclouds build and then explode into light and sound. Nature throws a beautiful tantrum.

And then the storm passes and all is still and clean and Beauty. The creeks are full and then the river. The land is plump and satisfied. The trees drip on unwary passersby as the birds start to sing once again. Peace visits the Valley. If it’s been a really big storm, the neighbors come out and start helping others dig out. But mostly, there’s Peace and Quiet, and it’s a lovely, lovely thing. (in Deb’s lovely photo, the storm is building.)

Shaky Peace, llvl

People often say, “oh, I wouldn’t want to live there” as they watch people deal with flood, earthquakes, tornados, droughts. But the fact is there’s not a place on Mother Earth where both the Earth and Nature don’t have their way with us.

When the land moves in CA and when volcanoes explode in Iceland, it’s frightening. And it’s the Earth, stretching, belching doing what it’s always done.

But when we see escalating storms and extreme weather patterns, when the winds rise and the waters decline from our actions we do little or nothing.

It’s true but frightening, the Earth will go on without us. We, however, will not do much without the Earth. At what point are we moved to make Peace with our lives and the future of our children and their children?

Not Really Trying Peace, llvl

It’s possible that I’m the only person in the world not living up to her potential, not being consistent and concerned. If so, read this to scoff. If not, maybe there’s something here for you.

If you’ve been following me, you know I was privileged to spend five weeks in Sweden with dear, dear friends. Never has working hard at friendships paid off so insanely well. And really, if you’ve got kids, consider Rotary’s year abroad. It’s no less than life-changing.

One of the many things I really noticed (and if I don’t write them down, how will I remember?) is how different their approach to packaging is. How little they use anti-bacterial soaps. How efficient their household appliances are. Their waters are clean, You stop to pick up the few pieces of litter. You ride a bike or a bus or a train. (If it’s any consolation, they also flunk infrastructure renewal.) Their veterinary practices concerning antibiotics are the gold standard for the world…

Life is cleaner there. And before you start telling me it’s easier because Sweden is smaller… stop. It’s the same size as many of our states, and it seems we compete for worst polluters. Nature and Mother Earth are just as badly affected by our litter and pollution here as they are anywhere. How do we hold the Earth as sacred?

I’m someone who understands at least a bit the results of lackadaisical attention to the world and the climate… and yet, I do things out of laziness. There is no culture that encourages and teaches us (because I don’t believe I’m the only culprit, which isn’t an excuse for my bad behavior, it’s just a reality.) to reduce our use of products/medicines/ that pollute, ok, let’s say damage, our environment.

So I’m going to start, painstakingly, doing it differently… I hope we all will. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Exchange Student Peace, llvl

I still remember the day I left and the day I came home. August 5. June 13. On either end, I spent two weeks with the other exchange students; the first two studying Swedish, the last two touring Europe. But in between, a life-changing year.

My world was changed beyond recognition. At seventeen, you assume the whole world is what you know. This was such a gentle way to understand how much bigger the world really is. My understanding of culture, politics, religion and love exploded and never fit back into the same box.

I was lucky, no doubt about that. The family was great. My Mama was a great second mama. And she was seasoned. She’d already sent one child off and had one child in. She’d send off 3 more. But we were a great fit. 40 years later I was privileged to do her memorial. Two of her girls, my Swedish sisters, would come to my wedding. And later to my sister’s memorial. Family was created and then it was nurtured.

And so the first part of my stay with them was at this summer house that I’m staying in now. Two of the sisters I met that first day were together yesterday. We went to lunch with my friend Lorraine. And we laughed. And ate. And looked at glorious scenery. And visited the garden where Mama’s and Papa’s ashes were interred.

These women have taught me to look for sisters and for friends in unlikely places. The boundaries between us were not large. But when you’re taking first steps, that’s a good thing… Peace is made up of small steps. Love and laughter and food ease the way. Beautiful views can help. So? off we go… more Peace. More Laughter. More Food. More glorious Nature!

Peace and Paradise, disturbed, llvl

Asch. We are who we are. And life is as we know it. Sometimes that’s amazing. Sometimes it’s less so.

Yesterday was filled with both. Lorraine’s sister and her daughter came to visit. Hooray. We packed down a watermelon and a gooseberry/black current pie/raspberry (oooh, my!) and took the ferry boat from the Picasso sculpture (yes i sorta took a picture, some time I’ll figure out how to put my reeeeeeally mediocre pics on Facebook… oh, thank goodness for Deb Slade and her art shots!) over to the island.

Once we got to the rocks on the other side of the island, it was amazing. You could dive off the rocks into the lake and bob and float and laugh and we did! Apparently there are rules: two dips in the lake and then you can drink your coffee or tea. No drinking tea if your eyelashes aren’t damp!

It was just lovely. You can’t believe the amount of stuff we hauled out there to enjoy ourselves: chairs, towels, sunblock, thermoses, forks plates, knives, cutting boards, serving spoons. All for a trek through the woods. But make no mistake. Once again, it was Paradise!

But the niggling little problem about paradise is that I don’t walk well in the woods, particularly woods that are up and down with stones and roots. And roots covered over with springy, springy moss, which is beautiful and flowering. I’m not sure what triggered it, I had it fairly well controlled going out, but coming back to the boat, I realized I was having a panic attack. It was full blown before it broke my concentration, fast heart, fast shallow breathing, threatening tears. Once I realized, I could ask Lorraine to go more slowly, and to be patient. It wasn’t so much help I needed as time. It’s frustrating, because it’s really beautiful in the woods… intellectually I know that. But if you’ve ever had panic attacks, you know it just takes a lot of concentration and slow exhalations to calm them. And understanding friends. I had all that, but whew. Unreasoning fear, from out of nowhere.

Exhale, inhale, exhale, inhale. one foot, two foot. (ah, why didn’t Dr. Seuss write a book about dealing with panic attacks? It’s exactly what you need… silly, mindless repetition.

But we got to the boat on time and the ferry was waiting. Wonderful old wooden boat to take us back to the mainland, laughing all the way. But sheesh, wanna know if like having all my insecurities on display, in front of beloved friends (and who better?), no, not so much. Hard work. Great Payoff…

And yet, it was Paradise. There was Peace. There was nothing more beautiful than, not only the rocks, but the journey out and in. I think I’ll try it again. (Poor them! Lucky me!)

Sweet, Summer Peace Days, llvl

I’m having the loveliest time… So many sweet summer days in a row, “no particular place to go…”

Although today we do, Lorraine’s sister Dorothy and her daughter Sigrid are coming and we’re taking the “banana boat” over to the island and going to Kjell and Lorraine’s favorite rocks on the island. Lunch is coming along. Swimming will ensue. It’s only going to be mid 70s today, but the water’s still warm… ahhhhhh. And it’s nice because there’s a rigamarole attached to it. Drive to the boat. Stand in line. Ride to the island (we’re on the Vanern Lake now, the large, large lake in central Sweden, Karlstad is the closest town that’s usually visible on the map, but we’re in Kristinehamn.) Then it’s a 20 minute walk through the woods to get to where we’re going. (that’s the scary part for me… my balance, my balance!) and then out onto the warm, warm rocks that slope into the sea. yay! Everyday’s a holiday.

Yesterday there was dinner with a well known Swedish filmmaker… small art films, not big commercial ones. Gunvor Nelson lives in the same Artists Area in K’hamn that Lorraine and Kjell do. (There’s a print of her house in the snow, done by Kjell that hangs in my office). Pizza. yum. Really, it’s a perfect vacation, lots of eating, lots of swimming, lots of talking to beloved friends and visiting beloved places.

And so I’m reading and enjoying life. Writing a little. And at the same time, fretting a little because after all… There’s a war on and my friend Sonia’s family is at risk. But I guess my prayers from here are carried as well as they might be if i were at home. It’s a very frightening time we live in. As Pope Francis, quickly becoming beloved, said: No more war! No more War! No more War!

Sacred Village

Building a World of Peace, Village by Sacred Village.

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