this magic moment

well i went inside to find a pen and paper.
i made it back outdoors nearly an hour later, having sunk into the depths of facebook. blogs & emails...
upon leaping into my hammock, i found the laptop had remained glued to me, yet the paper & pen still lay inside.

so i will give in and record my reflections here, for myself and for you.

last month i attended a creative writing workshop with sweethome at breightenbush hot springs. it was my first experience there, and what a dreamy place! a real live thunderstorm blessed our final night there. as we laid in our cabin, we watched lightning crackle and thunder boom. as the storm passed, we made our way to the healing pools and sat under the falling rain and absorbed the heat, earth agni, ancient minerals, and soothing silence.

breightenbush hot springs...

 the river swollen with snowmelt.

i heard the bridge is a magical place to stargaze.

saving a list of new adventures creates magical daydreams.

 warm weather & long summer weekend camping

a new seat. 

today i am luxuriating in my backyard heaven. our two hammocks have found their summer homes. (of course june which i curse as "june-uary" will bring back some rains and force us back into the house.

as i reclined in my hammock i wanted to reflect deeply in this moment. the blue sky. wrinkly apple tree leaves waving to nobody in particular. the neverending wind, rhythmically sharing its blessing with all beings. the leaves dance with joy, frolic with blissful unawareness. unaware of the pain of self awareness. self realization is the path to connect us with all levels of consciousness and remove our humanness.
experiencing the embodiment of our divine nature.

cross section of compost... 

we are beautifying & utilizing.

 this truly is a summer of celebration & abundance.

 jai lakshmi!

the climbing roses are particularly vivid this year.

phoebe cat is very very happy these days.

making my momma proud.

faery door.

poppies reseed so well here.

lupine loves the windy climate of the columbia gorge.

all photos from my instagram feed. 

om shanti shanti shanti

Allow Me to Introduce My Friend,

My dear friend Saraswati. We haven't spent as much time together as I have been tight with Lakshmi and Durga the past couple years, but Saraswati is a friend that is always understanding and available when you are ready for her presence in your life. (I did dress as her for Halloween!)

When a yogini asked me for more information about Saraswati, I was overjoyed to share what I could recall from my many reads of Shakti Mantras by Thomas Ashley-Farrand. I tried to share the convoluted tale that introduces Saraswati's homegirl, Gayatri. I realizes that this beautiful divine feminine principle has been with me from the beginning of my Portland journey, as Travis and I memorized the Gayatri mantra during our cross-country road trip up to Oregon for the first time. (I think we found the time during one of our 8 hour driving days across Eastern California desert land.

I don't feel that it is a coincidence that today I feel her influence stimulating my creative impulses! Registering for a Thai Herbal Massage workshop... finding a Parkour gym in Portland... Blackberry bush hacking... and then as I was cleaning out the shed, I came across a lovely sqaure of plywood and decided I would start painting with acrylics. Jai Saraswati!

Saraswati is the Goddess of learning, knowledge, and wisdom. The Sanskrit word sara means "essence" and swa means "self." Thus Saraswati means "the essence of the self." Saraswati is represented in Hindu mythology as the divine consort of Lord Brahma, the Creator of the universe. Since knowledge is necessary for creation, Saraswati symbolizes the creative power of Brahma.

In Her popular images and pictures, Goddess Saraswati is generally depicted with four arms (some pictures may show only two arms), wearing a white sari and seated on a white lotus. She holds a book and a mala in Her rear two hands, while the front two hands are engaged in the playing of a lute (veena). A swan is Her vehicle. There is a peacock by Her side gazing at Her. This symbolism illustrates the following spiritual ideas:

• The lotus is a symbol of the Supreme Reality, and a white lotus also denotes supreme knowledge. By sitting on a lotus, Saraswati signifies that She is Herself rooted in the Supreme Reality, and symbolizes supreme knowledge. The white color symbolizes purity and knowledge. The white sari that the Goddess is wearing denotes that She is the embodiment of pure knowledge.
  
• The four amms denote Her omnipresence and omnipotence. The two front amms indicate Her activity in the physical world and the two back arms signify Her presence in the spiritual world. The four hands represent the four elements of the inner personality. The mind (manas) is represented by the front right hand, the intellect (buddhi) by the front left hand, the conditioned consciousness (chitta) by the rear left hand, and the ego (ahankara) by the rear right hand.
  
• The left side of the body symbolizes the qualities of the heart and the right side symbolizes activities of the mind and intellect. A book in the rear left hand signifies that knowledge acquired must be used with love and kindness to promote prosperity of mankind.
  
• The rosary signifies concentration, meditation, and contemplation, leading to samadhi, or union with God. A rosary in the rear right hand representing ego conveys that true knowledge acquired with love and devotion melts the ego and results in liberation (moksha) of the seeker from the bondage to the physical world.
  
• The Goddess is shown playing a musical instrument that is held in Her front hands, which denote mind and intellect. This symbol conveys that the seeker must tune his mind and intellect in order to live in perfect harmony with the world. Such harmonious living enables the individual to utilize acquired knowledge for the welfare of all mankind.
  
• Two swans are depicted on the left side of the Goddess. A swan is said to have a sensitive beak that enables it to distinguish pure milk from a mixture of milk and water. A swan, therefore, symbolizes the power of discrimination, or the ability to discriminate between right and wrong or good and bad. Saraswati uses the swan as Her carrier. This indicates that one must acquire and apply knowledge with discrimination for the good of mankind. Knowledge that is dominated by ego can destroy the world.
  
• A peacock is sitting next to Saraswati and is anxiously waiting to serve as Her vehicle. A peacock depicts unpredictable behavior as its moods can be influenced by the changes in the weather. Saraswati is using a swan as a vehicle and not the peacock. This signifies that one should overcome fear, indecision, and fickleness in order to acquire true knowledge.

- Bansi Pandit

bmacphoto.com

* This Goddess photoshoot orchestrated by my amazing AcroYoga teacher, Lila Donnolo
You can keep up with her Acro Adventures too!.
BMAC's Photo Blog & Portfolio is worth a click :) Many Portland yogis & artists grace his website. *

A thousand, a million words that create an intellectual understanding are not as precious as the one word blended with intuition that produces understanding in a flash: Saraswati.

Modge Podge it

Purchased a new journal, and its ugly cover is sparking a new crafty venture. My extremely talented friend, Jenny from San Fran gifted me a cigar box with sea animals modge podged to every surface. This was in high school so naturally, the box has drifted from my immediate possession.

Can you guess what I've picked for a theme? Yoga Journal illustrations! Its the one magazine I have held onto when all others hit the recycle bin. Now its time for spring cleaning, magazine cutting and crafty, sunny afternoons.

We seeded the backyard lawns and asked the chickens to keep their poop and claws out of the yard and patio. They refused, so we locked them away in their ridiculously spacious coop. No wonder they don't try to escape! If we ever move out of this house, I'd love to plant an herb garden in the space vacated by the chickens. With the straw mulch and their constant digging, pecking, and fertilizing, it should be quite a fertile spot for a thyme creeper. Which also means more bricks! I want to create permeable pathways all over the yard, to enhance the minimal growing season we have under the shady apple tree.

Indoor herb garden idea... Modge Podge Outdoor. (Pretty much I just discovered I've spelled it all wrong. But I'll I like my name for it!)

Fueling my addiction

I signed up for my very first sock knitting class for 2011. From what I hear, they are where the addiction truly sets in. The ultimate in portability and functionality, who doesn't love a squishy, soft pair of socks, eh?
*above images from the Yarn Harlot

The Harlot herself, Stephanie Pearl McPhee rants about the kind of crazy I can only dream of. She hired an assistant to organize her fiber ROOM. She giggles about border crossings with spindles and laps full of wool. (She frequents the US with her Canadian posse of yarn spinning, knitting cohorts)

For those of you who don't know, my current life plan is to end up on a farm with a goat, sheep, and all the berries I can eat! (raspberries, blackberries, salmon berries, huckleberries... they all grow completely wild up here.) So fleecing, spinning, plying, knitting, crocheting.... all of that is in my big plan. Of course the farm would have to be close to Portland so I can manage my yoga/cafe next door to Trav's brewery/bike shop. Oh the places we'll go.

And because I  can't resist sharing some of my other blog obsessions...

Thrifty Knitter

Leethal Knits

Fancy That

{giant turnip}

I harvested my final root vegetable. (I think there are some carrots sprinkled under the swiss chard canopy with no hope for sunlight.) The end of summer turnip became a kashmir curry. Now the kale remains to accompany the brussel sprouts and broccoli into early winter. Fall is drizzling through Portland, allowing bright shiny moments to pop in here and there. Green tomatoes still hang in wild bundles, poking out of orderly fences, crying for help! For sun! For summer!

My life is settling into routine, with a new addition! This week I will begin a part time office job with Street Yoga, an organization I have volunteered with for a couple years now. I look forward to this new chapter in my career, focusing on yoga with my professional skills being put to use for a great cause.

Starting a kids yoga program is one of my new dreams, as with all things, I just need to make it happen. Plan the plans, keep dreaming the dreams, making contacts and putting myself out there. I love working with pre-school and younger kids, and "playing" yoga with them would just be the best.

I am gearing up for my fall cleanse, trying to find a combination of days that don't coincide with my yoga teacher moving to Bali (!) or a monthly book club meeting with the promise of cookies, or my darling Trav's birthday!

 Here is where I get my info. Ayurvedic science recommends a simple cleanse using the detoxifying powers of ghee, combined with whole seeds and healing spices, split mung beans and rice for fast elimination which allows the digestive system to rest, renew, and restore.

{wise earth ayurveda}

The guiding principle of Ayurveda is that each person has the power to heal themselves. Now that my life is beginning to find some cohesion professionally and personally, I will be combining my loves for health, nature and life all together on this blog! Want some yoga sequences? You got it! I take requests.

love!

A Life Worth Living

{heirloom tomato from montavilla farmer's market}

Thank you sunshine! Summer tried to pretend it was over, making us think that the Pacific Northwest would officially have the shortest summer EVER. July 4 to Labor Day? Is that even possible? Fortunately this week has been gorgeous, however... I spent it all indoors! But if its for yoga, you know I don't mind :) Just head home and collapse into the hammock and thank my lucky stars that I have such amazing people in my life.

This was the last weekend of my yoga teacher training, and although we still have a few things to wrap up, it's sad not to have that 3 day weekend of yoga yoga yoga to look forward to. But it has completely changed my life, as you might have read about. This summer created a complete intolerance to staying indoors, chained to a desk for 8 hours at a time. My heart spoke so clearly, and through the journaling that my teacher recommended to track our meditations, reflections, etc. I was completely unable to ignore my true path any more.

Today I started my new job as an assistant teacher for an afterschool program! Its right in my neighborhood, the kids are adorable, and I love to be there. I also worked on my portfolio redesign this morning. I'm not ready for summer to end, but winter brings the space for hard work and that is exactly what I am ready for! Travis and I spent the last 2 years dreaming of our escape, to Thailand, India, farms and oceans, but eventually came to the conclusion: A live worth living must begin at home. We quit our desk jobs and started dreaming in our daily lives. Who knows what adventures await us! Its only when you open your life to opportunity, that fate can lift you up and carry you away.

{my bolted endive rises above the leafy goodness}

{can you believe this zucchini vine?}

{massaged kale salad}

{pink sprite. a clear winner in the shade garden bed}

Ahhh Jenny just brought me a tequila sunrise to cap off a long day's work in the hammock.
Thank YOU.
For we are all connected. We are never alone. We are never forgotten.
Namaste.

*As always, click on any image for more details!

Nom Nom Nom

The raspberries have been eaten.*


But the sunflowers have arrived.

*My pictures of our berries did not turn out so well, so enjoy this alaskan's capture of what a berry bush should look like in high season!

while you are reading this

learning:
how to plant bearded iris

a picture of an iris i can doodle in my notes

choosing:

sunday parkways

berries for yoga jam

intending:

river procurement

designing: a new portfolio. a new flow. shifting boundaries

Hard Work

We've dug up dead grass clods, escaped armies of ants, cuddled with a furry friend, spoiled some feathered fatties rotten. I am working on my disc golf throw, tasting summer rye micro brews, practicing yoga in the dappled shade and loving every minute of my dreamy escape.



Today I actually sent out a couple resumes, designed some custom invitations, signed up for a new street yoga gig, harvested some vegetables, cleared way for the winter crop of cruciferous vegetables.



Perhaps my roommates just want to pay me to garden, cook and clean? Think of all the delicious, healthy meals we would feast upon in the verdant garden...

Mulch Madness

Sunday was a day for outdoor productivity. After reading several chapters in my beloved hammock, I cleaned, organized, and did some shopping. Tulsi in bulk from The Herb Shoppe. Aquamarine essential oil blend from Escential Oils. Soaker hose, water faucet splitter, and brand new garden hose all joined me on the little blue bike and we made our way home.

The tomatoes, newly transplanted to the front yard for maximum sun exposure are wilting a with the first heat wave of the summer (we hit 100 people!)  My lazy morning routine doesn't provide much time for watering, but I think I can mange to turn a knob while running out the door.  After turning on the hose for a test run last night, the temperature decrease was palpable. I think our plants will be much happier from here on out. We spread a nice layer of mulch to help the soil retain some lovely nutrients and friendly worms.

Oh! And the poppy seeds I planted have started blooming! All are red so far, I was hoping for some pinks and purples too. The tallest sunflower is as tall as me! I bought some lupine seeds which I hope to give a head start this summer, and set up for flowers next year.  Pictures you say? Alrighty!

How is your summer garden?! Trying any new things?

Source: will you be my patronus?

bears eat beets.

Beets are amazing. Fact.
This farm in East Austin has the most lovely, organic identity. What better eye candy for a graphic designer who loves to garden!
I want all of the shirts, bags, and tomatoes.

I made the lettering using pieces of wood that had been inked and printed. So I tried to do some illustrations of beets and carrots and making the letters JBG with those pieces. It felt right. It reminded me of plotted farm land, or crop circles, or quilts. It was very elementary to a degree, a back to basics, building block exercise for me. And then I realized that a farm is very much like that. Using what you have… the land, the equipment, your hands, hard work, different people from different backgrounds… and putting those pieces in action to produce something that changes seasonally. Much like the boxes of produce, you never get the same thing twice. There’s a system, but it’s a very organic one, pardon the pun.
— JBG’s blog

Johnson's Backyard Farm via Brand New

burgers and knitting

First, there were these...

Rather than stocking up on strawberries or turnips, I filled my new bike basket with hostas!

Two varieties, much like the ones pictured above. The one on the left, more of a jade color, is called serenity, and has flower buds already! I bought it from a hilarious woman that runs the Think Unique garden stand at my local Hollywood Farmer's Market. Interesting post by fellow Portlander about the history of the Hollywood neighborhood in Portland.

Our apple tree is a sprawling, ancient tree that shades most of the yard. The backside has been hacked back for years it appears, allowing sunlight to find the raised garden beds. The small bed under the tree is empty, and now my new baby hostas and one shasta daisy have a new home. Though we are renting, we are planning another 12 months in the house, so I cannot resist my green thumb, and creating herb gardens, stone paths in our green utopia.

Then it was time for adventures outside of town, to take advantage of the first sunny day in weeks! Unfortunately our designated state park was closed (odd) so we found a nearby disc golf course (overrun by families, strollers and strange wandering people, unaware of discs hurtling at high speeds near their heads).

Naturally, I became bored/frustrated within 5 holes, and went to find my fellow slacker friend who had set up with a blanket and book in the sun while the boys competed for victory. My trusty hammock in tow, I found a shady spot (skin cancer is prevalent in my family) and worked on my latest knitting love.

This will be the second head scarf I am working on, the first is en route, perhaps delivered to my baby sister for her 25th bday! I love the pattern, easy to memorize, small project, quick results. Always a stunner!

Post-fun in the sun required some grilling outdoors, and Travis concocted a buffalo burger stuffed with herbed chevre, garlic and onions! Whoo-ee. The garlic scapes from the market (yes I did pick up a few edibles! cookies... ) grilled up perfectly.

Aaaaaand, Sunday was rainy lazy. I biked up to see Trav at his new gig at a neighborhood brewery, very delicious treats there. The bike ride was through some of my favorite neighborhoods as well as some new ones. I have some pictures of lovely amazing gardens from a walk earlier in the day that will come around here soon.

How was your weekend? There are such crazy different weather patterns all over the country right now, making such different experiences for everyone!

images: hostas, disc golf, head scarf, burger, garlic scape.

naturey crap

Now it is June, and the rainiest, coldest spring is still drizzling along.
Rain is beyond its green romantic stage. I can no longer defend the overcast skies with lush growth, because nothing wants to grow without sun!

Memorial Day gave us a brief break with sunshine and slight warmth. I weeded, fertilized, seeded some zinnias, wildflowers, and echinacea (coneflower). The wild roses had developed mold on the rosebuds and thorns, so I pruned the heck out of them, and chopped back the gigantic rosemary as well. Our zucchini sprouts are gaining height, and my mammoth sunflowers are trying to keep it up. C'mon summer!

For you:

Check out a new favorite photo set on flickr!

And here is my to-do list for my remaining (2) years of my twenties. But hey, they say 30s are the new twenties, right?! So I'll do a 180 and take a new step forward.

images via weheartit

rain falling on cinder blocks

This morning as I picked up the food pail to scatter feed for the chickens, two pairs of beady eyes peered up at me from inside the cinder block where food pail sits. Our resident rodents, pesky little buggers that love dining on chicken feed. One guy hightailed it outta there, but the other one got stuck in the other hole and zipped in a few circles before practically jet launching out of the block and into his little rat hole.

Not sure what to do about this. Rat trap, yes. Poison, no. And when we do catch the furry dudes, what do we do with them? This might be a problem for craigslist. "FURRY FRIEND NEEDS GOOD HOME... Well fed backyard rodent. Resourceful, lives well with chickens...."
Then post this picture:

Images: 1, 2

dirty dozen

{*}

I know its hard to spend the bucks on organic produce, but more research has come to light, demonstrating that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can cause lasting damage to human health.

Fortunately, many sites are educating the masses on which produce you should attempt to by organic, and which ones can get by without.

{download here!}

Alternatively, spend $3 on a bell pepper start from your farmer's market, stick it in a bucket of dirt, and you'll reap the rewards all summer!