Birthday.

Hello, All.

I found this card while shopping with my Mom and sister. It is vintage. It is a postcard, but not used so it doesn't have a post date. But, it was in with a bunch that were used and post dated around the late 18oos early 1900s.

I wonder why the Bluebird is the bird of happiness??

It rained all day. I am taking that as a symbol that the year is going to be prosperous. I did alot of little projects today. I bought material and cut up material from "thrift store finds" for the Deva North "dolls" I'm going to make. You know what, I am going to call them Crones, and be proud of it!!! North Earth Crone and North Wind Crone. Anyway, I bought and cut the material. I made the clay faces and the hands. I was pretty proud of the hands because I went back and forth between cloth hands or clay hands, but they won't really be seen much anyway because they'll be under the dress and shawl.

They'll be painted later.

But, when I made the clay, I needed to make some other clay pieces for Etsy: Buddha, Ganesh, Tara, Kwan Yin, so I got busy with that, and I added pieces, Green Man that I hadn't put up on Etsy or included in any of my art pieces before. And, I also made a free-hand lotus for Kwan Yin to sit into. Then, I cooked the clay.

 I had Tom cut some wood pieces to make a stand for the Crones. Just a "branch" screwed into a base. Something I can attach the bodies to. Well, anyway, I saw that and I got to thinking...

The green man mask would look great on one of those stands!

Kwan Yin in the lotus would look precious sitting on a dark piece of wood base.

And, another little project, after thinking about the prayer flag post. The front of the "Altoids" can isn't back on. It hadn't dried yet; it'll be a bronze/gold color (cut out of course). I scanned a prayer flag strand (miniaturized it). It's adorable! It's also a shrine of Mt. Sumeru ( where the "middle of the Buddhist universe" is).

I'll put these up on Etsy. I have two of the green men. The other is a different clay mask; and it's smaller.

I got alot of huggable hangers from Tom and I was going to tackle that. But, the day is already evening and I'm going to go read for awhile. Maybe, have another piece of chocolate birthday cake...

Peace.
Brianne

Pink Moroccan Birthday

Tomorrow is my birthday and I just had a dream that this is what happened.

I found myself walking along  a street

When I came upon this means of transportation. I was instructed to  board.

After riding for some time I came upon this city, Marrakesh.

 I traveled within the city to an apartment. In this apartment I  was able to rest in a beautiful lounge.

A knock at the door. I walked through the living room.

I was given an invitation to my party! And a clothing package from Calvin Klein (Tom even thought of buying me a new dress for my birthday party!).

I took a spa before changing.

I know it's blue not pink, but I already have a pink "bathroom."

After bathing, I slipped on the dress Tom bought for me,

And, what kind of fantasy would this be without Tom having shoes for me also, I put on my shoes and headed out the door.

Awaiting in the garden, just past the headily fragrant wild rose bushes,

was a beautiful party tent.

Enchanting. The music is Moroccan. The food vegetarian; the tangines full of couscous and raisins and nuts and cherries. It is all so good.

And for a birthday cake

Fantasies are Fun!!

Peace.
Brianne

I apologized for not having credits for the pictures, but it is a fantasy tonight....

Clotheslines and Prayer Flags

I read a quote from a Barbara Brown Taylor's book; I think it was from the An Altar in the World, where she says that ‘hanging laundry is setting up a prayer flag to God’  Although I am not religious, I do hang my laundry and I do hang prayer flags, so I found this an interesting quote. I also appreciate the intention of her book, to find sacred meaning of simple daily activities in everything we do: walking, washing dishes, making the bed; hanging the clothes. And then, there is the smell of fresh clothes, and towels and bed sheets; so, of course there are rewards beyond measure. Nothing better.

 

So, this post is dedicated to the soulfulness of the altar set up on clotheslines and prayer flag “ropes” across the world.

  



At Kheceopalri lake, West Sikkim.
PinakieKansabanik

 



 



old Jerusalem , Israel

 

 



Chinese temple with Tibetan prayer flags in Shangri-la,
Terry Strek

 

 

Jessica B.



 



 

 



These flags are called Lung Ta, which means Wind Horse in Tibetan





 

Smart Drying

 

Prayer flags flaunting over Namtso Lake, Tibet China,
Jerry Wang

 

Columbia Daily 2007



This is a picture of a hawk flying over the prayer flags hanging around my home. A little blurry, or can we call it "art?:

Did you know that someone thought that clothes hanging on clothelines was art? Well, pictures of the subject matter, anyway. This is a link, http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrysti/galleries/72157622378064078 ,  to a "gallery" named Clothelines curated by ArtbyChrysti.

 

May you be happy at heart in all your "conscious" endeavours.

Peace.
Brianne

Think: Happy, at rest,
may all beings be happy at heart.
Whatever beings there may be,
weak or strong, without exception,
long, large,
middling, short,
subtle, blatant,
seen & unseen,
near & far,
born & seeking birth:
May all beings be happy at heart.

Buddha



Henna Calligraphy of a Different Sort

I think these photographs are beautiful.

With yesterday being Thanksgiving in our country,
we do forget to be thankful, that we, woman, are allowed to voice our beliefs and our opinions.
We are not silenced, although we may at times face the old oppositions.
I am thankful for all the women who before me sacrificed themselves, were called "bitch," and other names, who lost their jobs, who may have lost their marriages all for the sake of knowing that their opinion and my opinion to come later down the years matters! I also thank the women who still make these sacrifices in this country and other countries every day. To make sacrifices for the sake of what is right and healthy for themselves, their daughters, their mothers, their sisters, their friends, and for the global community of women and men who are united in love.
Thank you.

Lalla Essaydi plays with words. And silence.

She combines the art of "women's" henna with what she calls the "masculine" art of Arabic calligraphy in a process that can take weeks to realize, while the artist and her helpers work ceaselessly, applying the henna to fabric, walls, body...

The subjects and their surroundings are covered from head to toe with henna calligraphy.

“I am writing. I am writing on me, I am writing on her. The story began to be written the moment the present began.” Translated from the original Arabic, Essaydi’s personal writing subverts traditional Muslim gender stereotypes through the presence of the written word. The sacred Islamic art form of calligraphy, traditionally reserved exclusively for men, is employed by Essaydi as a small act of defiance against a culture in which women are relegated to the private sphere. Crossing a prohibited cultural threshold through the act of writing, Les Femmes du Maroc enables the artist and her subjects to engage in a simple act of self-expression.

Her latest book of art photography, Les femmes du Maroc, is a collaboration with noted Moroccan feminist and sociologist Fatema Mernissi. 

Peace.

Brianne

Happy Thanksgiving

I always like a quiet day for Thanksgiving. Usually, just Tom and I at home. Because we are vegetarians, and have been for 26 years, it has been difficult over the years trying to fit "thankfully" at another's table. This was especially true in the early years. You can just imagine. Today, the term vegetarian and the refusal of meat at another's table is not taken as the personal insult or with the "cultish" connection it did in years past. But, still, we have formed our tradition.

So, today, we share a table with a simple acorn squash casserole with curried pumpkin seeds and tamarind curry sauce, bread, sliced apples, and pisatachio nuts. We have some fig leaves and herbs from the garden to decorate the table. Also, shells and sea glass from the previous year's adventuring.



notice the pyrex dish - wedding gift circa 1982



And of course, here is the one I am most thankful for.

And, that he still enjoys my "cooking" with such relish, makes life all that much more sweet..

And, on top of all that he still keeps me laughing, too, sometimes at him, but mostly with him - insert smiley face-

Look, who else loves acorn squash.

That is what's all over Emmett's beak, acorn squash. He loves the middle with all the seeds.

Nothing goes to waste!

Ganesh comes up to the table to tell of his thanks?

Most likely, just to check out

if there is anything for him to eat.

Nothing for him, so he "old cat" yawns

and goes on his way.

Another Thanksgiving Day.







for happiness, keep your hands in the earth and your eyes on the sky: Ellis Felker





Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Peace.
Brianne

Sister's Gift

I came home from work today and I saw that I had an early birthday present waiting for me from my sister.


It is a beautiful lap throw. She knows that I am always cold. Even in Florida. It is made of felt, the perfect, perfect weight of material. The colors and pattern are perfect for the house. You can see how beautiful it is below.


I thought about putting it on the bed.

It looks perfect. And I love to hang out here, cuddled up reading and catching up on my blogs!

I also tried it in on one of the chairs in the living room where Tom and I like to read and watch a little of the t.v.

It looks great here too.

I guess, like all good "blankies," I'll need to carry it around with me everywhere I go....

Thanks, Megan, for the great present!!

And, for making me the additional dish scrubbies. These will make doing the dishes "fun"? Well, anyway, these will be pretty in the winter kitchen.







My sister's excellent crochet work makes for a whimsical kitchen dish scrub. I think she will be selling these on her Etsy shop BeachHouse341; so drop her a line.

   

I'm adding this last picture of a birthday long ago.

Megan is visiting her daughter and grandchildren this holiday, so maybe she will find this and share the "funny" picture.

Where does the time go?

Peace.
Brianne