Thursday, February 24, 2011

What is in a Name

Ganesh is known as a remover of obstacles; his trunk can be seen as performing this task, and his mount, the mouse, can be seen as an agent for providing help in finding the way to one’s destination. One interpretation of the figure holds the elephant head to represent the cosmos, and the human dimension to stand for human existence with the pot-belly containing the created world and symbolizing prosperity.  

My Ganesh, he has lived up to his name most of his life.

I don't know about you, but I sometimes give the animals that come to live with me names that will give them such attributes.

I named a "stray" cat Masai to give him the strength to run from danger and just the general majestic strength of the powerful Masai tribespeople. He was a black cat that a neighbor brought home from a local sea port. The cat was small, had been picked on by other stray cats at the port, and worst yet, was shot in the side with a small pellet gun by someone. Our neighbor paid for vet bills. But, when he brought the cat home, he never took to the neighbor and instead came and hung around our home. Tom and I tried to make him an "inside cat," but he tore through the screen enclosure during the "transition period." We, at that time, had four or five cats. So, Masai roamed. The only time he let us keep him in the garage was when he was sick; possibly poisoned, and needed recovery time. He lived many years. We named him well.

I just gave this instance above to suggest the importance in a name because now my Ganesh, once again, faces an obstacle. He has been having seizures, that I have noticed brought on by loud noises. Twice by me; once when I was empting the kitchen sink drain trap in the kitchen garbage (banging up against the side of the can) and the second was when I was hammering the paint can lids back on top of the can after painting. The vet didn't seem to think much of these, because Ganesh seemed healthy otherwise. He is 16 and Tom and the vet didn't opt to do any other test other than blood and general physical. I think Ganesh had an x-ray in the vet's office.


Anyway, about a week after the picture was taken, one whole day he spent on the bed. I spoke with Tom in the evening about the possibility of  it being "time." And, Ganesh walks out, stumbles rather, with a red, red, eye. Tom, the nurse, right away, isn't very concerned, and knows it is just a broken blood vessel. Now, this could be broken from thinning due to his age or fighting with a rather bully of a younger cat that we have named Alobar (again, named appropriatly if you read, Jitterbug Perfume  by Tom Robbins).

So, Tom took Ganesh to the vet, who again isn't too concerned. We got some very expensive eye drops. And, now we need to wait to see what happens with time to see what really is the cause of all this. Maybe a brain tumer, and how slow or fast growing it is remains to be seen.

Now, Ganesh needs to learn his environment blind, or with much reduced sight. He has a hard time jumping on the bed, and sometimes it takes a few times to get it right. He gets lost in shelves and can't figure how to turn around; it's like watching an armadillo. He has a good appetite, and slowly makes it to the dinner bowls behind the other two cats, Alobar and Kudra. And, good thing, he goes to the litter box. He keeps himself groomed. And, we still cuddle, just now, just like in the photo; as I am typing on my bed, he is on my lap.


So, I've kind of been bummin' about this lately; but trying not to because there will be time for that and this should not be the time. But....

In honor of Ganesh, I am giving away four Ganesh pictures from a sheet of Hindu deity transfers. Just grab them if you want.


 The other three are attached at the end after my signature line.


Here are pictures of a table I found on the side of the road.
And, Alobar is on the chair. He is  looking rather BA here, isn't he. He's claiming the new area! Actually, he looks like
he needs a cup of coffee.

I think the table was at the same place I found the chairs at about two or three years earlier. The place is at a house just a street away. They could possibly have been a set. Soul mates, this table and chairs.

I painted the table white. The wood was rather pretty, and as I painted I kind of regretted it, but there was some rot and I don't like working at all with wood stain. I figured since it will be in an outside patio, if the paint begins to chip off, then that will be all the better to see a nice dark wood grain underneath. 

This is a fine place to sit and go over blogs and email and etsy, etc. It gets the morning sun. This is, of course then, the East side of the house, it has the Oak hammock for coverage. The butterfly garden is just next to this sitting place. However, at this time, there is much to be done to reinvigorate the yard to help Spring along. The thing about Florida after the Winter is we have the dead frostbitten and dead from the freezes flora next to the stuff that survived and new growth. It is hard to clean up and looks rather nasty. Oh, well, I'll take it over a northern winter ANYTIME. And, I mean ANYTIME. I'm very thin blooded.

I bought a little french portable easel on ebay. I figured it would be good for painting and collages especially in the hot summer days when the house can become oppressive. In our area of Florida, the mosquitoes are numerous most months, so a large patio is the only way to really be able to live an "indoo/outdoor" lifestyle. The patio, on this side, is rather like a corridor, and can get a most glorious summer breeze. And, because the easel is of a lighter weight wood and has a nice strap attachement, I can bring it with me to the beach as well!!


I also found these white metal shelves, again out along the side of the road. They look like the kitchen butler type of shelves (?) often set up in, well, the kitchen. In the next picture, they are the ones that are facing and have the little clock on top.

They help hold accessories to the "terrarium making." In fact, that little clock is destined to be a terrrium. I plan on keeping the face in place. The whole front panel is a glass door. I can't wait to start playing with the design. I'm not sure if I'll put a terra cotta pot inside, a glass pot, or rig it so I'll plant the garden plop right inside. You'll have to check out Tom's Terrariums and Glass Gardens to find out!! The table in front is temporary. Tom takes it to the local Flea when he sells the terrariums and glass gardens. I saw a nice dining set at the Affordable Used Furniture store and I am going back to price it. It is where I got a couple of things for making terrariums, like the really cool "victorian" or "art deco" -not sure or the period replication- of the lamps I am going to make terrariums of.

The set has four chairs. It is black and square. I think it'll fit well in this patio space. Then Tom can keep this table in his vehicle and won't have to load it every time he goes to the Flea (early in AM or you miss out getting a spot!).

Again, because of the heat in the summer, it is nice to have alternative living set up in the patio. I've been wanting do get a dining set up in this "East corridor" for awhile. I think this is the year.

The patio wraps around to the South and there is the pool and the hammock and the Adirondack chairs. That is also where the clothesline is.

Oh well, I've defined two names for you: Ganesh and Home (aspects of my definition anyway).

Recently, my Buddha Hands Shrine was chosen on the Gypsy Tears treasury  and my Green Man was chosen on the In Amongst the Roses treasury - both on Etsy. I thought that was nice.  
Have a very nice weekend.

Peace.
Brianne                                                             
                            

Friday, February 18, 2011

Winner of the OWOH Gift

First let me tell you what the  Nature Keeper doll's name is now that she has been given one by the OWOH winner. Her name is Aviella. She is of course named for the birds for whom she so purposefully lives and keeps watch. The winner was of course chosen randomly and she is Julia Schneider of the blog, Vintage with Laces, here  is her link, Julia's Blog, Vintage with Laces  Julia has a beautiful blog and besides winning my gift, she has also picked up a follower during this event = me!

I have to apologize to all that I did not yet get back to that have left such nice comment on my blog.

I recently started up Tom's Terrariums and Glass Gardens with possibly the world's best GreenMan but one needing more of me than I counted on in the organizational and "fill in" % of partnership.

So that on top of work and everything else left me trying to get back with everyone at night - around 11:00 - ? - while nodding off to sleep. I am awfully disappointed in myself that I wasn't able to take full advantage of such a great opportunity as OWOH event.

But, I'm hoping to follow up after, in the next few weeks, at least with those of you who commented. After all it's about meeting each other for long term, not about the week or so of the event; that was just the catalyst. Right?



And, in honor of the Full Moon of February, I am bringing out my representation of February's Moon in my Dancing Moons: a series of Lunar Tales.

The February Moon is known as the Spirit Moon, Storm Moon, Quickening Moon, the Moon of Vision.

To read more about it, you can read about it on my Etsy listing.

Enjoy the Full Moon. Howl for Joy.



Peace.
Brianne


Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Tribute

I have been so busy doing so many things at one continuous moment. It feels like that. As if I am living one eternal moment. I do sometimes, hate to have to sleep because I still want to do so much. I remember watching a little documentary on "cave men." I think it was a cheesy thing. But a scene struck me and I always remember it. The "cave man" had a busy day hunting and doing all that prehistoric living stuff; he had just eaten what seemed to be a very satisfying meal, and then, by the fireside, he worked on his hunting tool until he passed out. Then, come time his body had refreshed itself with enough sleep, he woke up and went back to his activity. There was no preparation for sleep. No ritual. He just passed out when the body was ready; came to when it had rested, and went on doing it's thing. Kind of primal, maybe. Not civilized, yes. But, I just always remember, it. I respect it. So, sometimes, when I am joyously bee-boppin' along, living life, I do hate to take a moment away to sleep. But, I know if I don't I will pass out, like the "cave man" in the middle of my activity. Ha, ha, ha. In the middle of work. What if we all just did that. What a world...
Anyway. I have been busy setting up Tom's Terrariums and Glass Gardens with the World's Best Green Man. I made a tiny rock cairn for some of them. The first one that sold had a cairn, a pebble cairn.
When Tom and I hike, or adventure, we sometimes like to leave a little cairn of some sort next to water.















Or, next to an awesome view. It is a way in which to thank Nature. It is also a way to leave a sort of arrow for fellow travelers, to say, "Hey, stop a sec and look around, here. This is special."

I guess that is why so many ancestors left cairns around burial places.



Or we just like to build them for their asthetics.

Here are just some other lovely cairns.

 



john harvey mt cheam
 


Kawi, Kapaau, Pololu Valley, Akaka Falls

 

gilheadley

 

cascades wa







orange county park

And, of course there are these little cairns.  They were breed to hunt varmint that scurried in the rocks or cairn. Like this natural one.

 

My childhood family's second dog was a cairn terrier.  His name was Rocky. We must have been a literal bunch.


I'm going to build a rock cairn in the yard. Where? I would want it in the front. To say to the fellow traveler, "Hey, stop a sec an look around, here. This is special."  I don't know what stone or rock I would use yet. We still have old granite in the yard from the old sweat lodge we used to use. But, coral would look cool. And, then again, river rocks
would look nice with a moss covering.

Well, either way, the rocks will show themselves before too long. 
And, they will be a perfect addition, a perfect tribute to this
corner of the world that I adore.


Peace.
Brianne

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Breadbaking RoundUp Chosen

My Cornbread Couscous muffins were chosen in the Roundup.

I don't really know what that means. But, hey, they weren't discarded!

If you click on the roundup button it will take you to girlichef's blog. More importantly, it will take you to the post that she declares the corny roundup "winners" for breadbaking day #36.

I warn you ahead of time: you will be hungry when you finish reading the mouth-watering recipes and looking over all the great pictures! If you can't get to the blog, here is the link:

Girlichef's Corny Link to Bread Baking Day #36

It was fun to participate. The winter or cooler months are really great months to be in the kitchen; to be gathered around the stove, the hearthstone, where the warmth is, stirring steaming pots, and smelling the heady spices. I love to add ingredients into the bowl and mix with the large wooden spoon. There is nothing like opening the oven door and having that gust of heat hit my face. I love to have the house fill with the aroma of baking.

And, what is better than the smell of baking bread. Well, maybe a pot of curried - anything!

I also like to knead bread. To wait for it to rise and to punch it down. I love the rocking motion of kneading. I like the silence and the meditation that it brings.

Making bread and hanging laundry are two things that when we gave them up as "chores" we gave up a bit of sanity. We gave up a couple of times a week when we could connect, really connect with ourselves: quietly, fully, without interruption.

I don't bake bread from scratch as much as I should since I bought the breadmaker. It was always difficult to find a place for the bread to rise. But, I do still enjoy hanging the laundry (on not-cold days!).

Well, anyway, just wanted to post my roundup button. I pat myself on the back - with my non-floury hand, of course.

Peace.
Brianne

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Yes, The Quickening of Spring is Here.

Spring is Coming!

Imbolc is a holiday with a variety of names, depending on which culture and location you’re looking from.


In the Irish Gaelic, it’s called Oimelc, or Imbolc, which translates to “ewe’s milk.” It’s a precursor to the end of winter when the ewes are nursing their newly born lambs.


Spring and the planting season are right around the corner.

Among agricultural societies, this time of year was marked by the preparation for the spring lambing, after which the ewes would lactate (hence the term "ewe's milk" as "Oimelc"). At Neolithic sites in Ireland, underground chambers align perfectly with the rising sun on Imbolc.

The Goddess Brighid


Like many Pagan holidays, Imbolc has a Celtic connection as well, although it wasn’t celebrated in non-Gaelic Celtic societies. The Irish goddess Brighid is the keeper of the sacred flame, the guardian of home and hearth.

To honor her, or perhaps to bring back a recognition to a seasonal change the following twist on the old purification and cleaning could be done as a wonderful way to get ready for the coming of Spring. First off, in addition to fire, she is a goddess connected to inspiration and creativity.
Brighid is known as one of the Celtic "triune" goddesses -- meaning that she is one and three simultaneously.

The early Celts celebrated a purification festival by honoring Brighid, or Brid, whose name meant "bright one." In some parts of the Scottish Highlands, Brighid was viewed as Cailleach Bheur, a woman with mystical powers who was older than the land itself. In modern Wicca and Paganism, Brighid is viewed as the maiden aspect of the maiden/mother/crone cycle.







A Celebration of Early Spring

She walks the earth on the eve of her day.

Before going to bed each member of the household should leave a piece of clothing or cloth outside for Brighid to bless.

Light incense in a pot of sand as the last thing you do that night, and rake the ashes smooth.

When you get up in the morning, look for a mark on the ashes, a sign that Brighid has passed that way in the night or morning.

The clothes or cloth are brought inside, and now have powers of healing and protection thanks to Brighid.





Happy St. Brighid's Day!  Imbolc! (or Groundhogs Day, Candlemas, or Marmot Day!)



Peace.
Brianne