A Crunchy Life - February 2021 Newsletter
Hello friends!
The February blog post is up and it is all about my second lotus: Place/Community. In this post I discuss my thoughts as it relates to how I came to be here, in this place I call home, at this moment in time. I am aware of much that transpired before I arrived in this place, and I know my knowledge is incomplete. I am a work in progress. As long as I am here, I seek to connect with the whole of this place, to see things as they are, with open eyes and a soft heart. For me, this means Earth-based practices that connect me to the past, present, and future so that I can comprehend the whole of this place.
You can find the blog post at https://acrunchylife.com/2021/02/01/lotus-2-place-community/
Here is what I am exploring this month.
What I’m reflecting upon…….
The land gets inside of us; and we must decide one way or another what this means, what we will do about it.
-Barry Lopez
What I’m doing …….
I love reading. The problem was that one day I realized I wasn’t reading as much as I use to. For me, this meant I was slowing down on learning. The ugly truth is that in 2018, I read only 12 books. I freaked out; this was a serious problem - lifelong learning is what I am all about. So, I decided to set a reading goal for myself each year. It doesn’t matter if I hit the goal, all that matters is that I read one more book than the previous year (but if you know me, hitting the goal is always the goal).
This has been serving me well. In 2019, my goal was 26 books and I read 32. In 2020 I set my goal as 52 books, one for each week of the year. I read 44 books but that’s 14, 259 pages! This year my goal is 52 books again but I have also added the Unread Shelf Project.
The Unread Shelf Project is about breaking the cycle of constantly buying new books and actually reading the books we already own. For me, it is about reading that the stack of books that looks at me every day, that stack that I have accumulated over the years but have not read yet. I have been trying to begin My Antonia by Willa Cather since 1986 and this year I am determined to do it. Whitney has lots of information on her website, The Unread Shelf, to help anyone get started with their unread shelves.
What I’m reading…….
I typically don’t go in for reading humor but someone recommended Terry Pratchett’s Equal Rites to me, and I am now recommending it to everyone I know who needs a laugh or a bit of magic. Granny Weatherwax is the best! I can almost see her rolling her eyes when she gives Esk advice but Esk goes down her own path anyway. Granny Weatherwax is never far away, always there to patch things up, in her own way. If you enjoyed Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams then Granny Weatherwax may just be for you.
From the back cover:
“Every world has its rules—even a flat one carried by four elephants riding on a giant turtle. That's why a dying wizard is searching for an eighth son of an eighth son to bestow his wizardly powers upon before meeting Death in six minutes. Unfortunately it is quickly discovered—though not quite quickly enough—that the newborn babe the wizard anoints just before bidding the Discworld adieu is, in reality, a girl! What's done cannot be undone—despite old Granny Weatherwax's attempts to bring the child into the witchy fold—and little Esk is now a wizard, through and through. And she's destined to bring chaos and confusion to the all-male faculty of Ankh-Morpork’s Unseen University . . . who are already fairly addled to begin with.”
The best part - there are two more novels in the witches series for me to read: Wyrd Sisters and Witches Abroad.
What I’m loving…….
Taut Crème Pour Les Yeux by Elique Organics . If you have been around here for awhile then you know I love to make my own face, hair, and body products so for me to fall in love with a product made by someone else is a big deal. I am also especially leery of eye creams. They just seem to run into my eyes or evaporate quickly or feel greasy.
Taut is none of those things. Taut is getting me, rather my eyes, through this winter. I use it as suggested by Elisha Reverby, founder, owner, and creator of Elique Organics, recommends in her YouTube video. Taut stays on keeps the delicate skin around my eyes soft and moisturized all day long.
Elisha’s products are small batch, some seasonally produced, and all honor the our relationship with Earth in the selection of ingredients.
What I’m looking forward to…….
Imbolc and Candlemas. February is always a challenging month for me and Imbolc and Candlemas during the first week in February help me remember that spring is coming. That light is returning. That days are getting longer.
We will celebrate Imbolc today, February 1st. Imbolc is one of the oldest Gaelic seasonal festivals. It marks the increasing daylight and the earliest signs of spring. This is the day we start our spring batch of Fire Tonic. Starting it on the first means it will be ready around St. Patrick’s Day.
We will also take a walk and look for new growth and signs of spring, and then come back inside for a fire and dinner by candlelight. Our hunt for signs of spring this year is going to be quite a challenge. We have about 5 inches of snow right now and are expecting more.
This year we are adding a new story to our Imbolc celebration: Sharon Blackie’s adaptation of Flidhais of the Lovely Hair. The girls also want to try a new craft so we may finally attempt to make a St. Brigid’s Cross. This is a video we found to help us along: How to Make a St.Brigid's Cross.
February 2nd is Candlemas. We will read The Candles by Hans Christian Andersen surrounded by candlelight and a glowing fireplace. Crepes and Chamomile tea on the breakfast menu and creme brûlée later in the day. Bringing together the light of the candles with the creaminess of the moon energy. We will be clearing our path in this darkness by cleaning and purging throughout the house, adventuring outside, and beginning to plan our garden for this year by picking out heirloom seeds to order from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. Above all, we will be thanking/blessing our candles for all of the light they have been providing to us during these long, dark winter days and nights.
Candlemas verse:
If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, winter will take another flight.
If Candlemas Day be cloud and rain, winter is gone and will not come again.
Love.
Karen
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