A Lion's Share Knitting Circle!

Yarn, What's Not to Love?

On October 23rd I held my first Lion's Share gathering...and we started with knitting!

My Mother taught me how to knit when I was 12, or so, and I didn't stick with it very long.  I have always been an art and crafty gal, but knitting required a level of calmness and patience I just didn't have then.  Although, I have always had more patience while creating art of any sort.  It was always a source of amazement to my parents given my short fuse :) And to me, actually! I still have the first project I ever started (an unfinished gray scarf). Maybe one day...

A few years ago I decided to pick up the needles again, and asked my Mom to re-teach me how to knit.  I never looked back.

Knitting has been the source of so much more than sweaters and scarves to keep me warm.  I've gained friends (we had a knitting group at work for a while and it really bonded us), serenity, a sense of accomplishment, a creative outlet and confidence. I recently realized that it started to give me a "yes I can do that" sort of outlook.  I used to read a pattern and say, "I can't do that..." and then I would tackle it and learn and come out with a beautiful piece of clothing.  So pretty soon I started hearing "I can't" in my head and quickly replied, "What makes you think that? Of course you can...you've proven that over and over again...so get on with it!"

And I've gone on to apply that mentality to other things in my life. They just get bigger and bigger (but not always as warm i. e. "Taking the Plunge" in Scotland).  It's very liberating.  So start small but aim big, right?  :)


Now, back to the party...

On the eve of the circle...my good friend, Sara, came over to help prepare...We tried out a burger place called "Flipside." They stuff the burgers with cheese!!!

Hard at work...

And she brought along a guest...Johnnie Walker Black...who we then introduced to another friend, Glenfiddich...

More work...

And I finally introduced her to my boyfriend, (David Tennant's) Dr. Who...

A very welcome dinner guest ;)

Then I got to work in the kitchen making the dough for parmesan shortbread. (I got the recipe from "Sue  Lawrence's SCOTTISH Kitchen.")

Parmesan Shortbread

All the while I left Sara in front of the television with Dr. Who cutting up vegetables and seeding pomegranates.

 Out! Damn Spot!!!

 Pomegranate Seeds!

Barley with butternut squash, pesto, walnuts, onions and mushrooms

Carrots and yams with caramelized onions, herbs de provence and balsamic vinegar

Mixed greens with apples, walnuts and cheddar cheese

A delicious Fall lunch!

Sassafras Leaves

I also served a wonderful Sassafras and Mullein tea infusion, pumpkin dip with organic graham crackers and ginger snaps along with hot, spiced apple cider...which we married with a little bit of whisky ;)

And yes, there was actual knitting...here are some projects I've (finally) finished!

 A stripey (Summer) Hat

 Felted Slippers

 The beginnings of a cabled cardi

It was a wonderful afternoon full of yarn, food, laughter and food!  If anyone is interested in participating or hosting a circle, please get in touch!

Maybe I'll see you next time!

XO

P.S. Thank you to all who attended and a HUGE thank you to Sara for all that chopping!

The Beauty of Doing Nothing...

Post-Party

I used to think it was terrible to have "nothing" to do. That it meant a lack of a life or laziness.

Now, I not only think it's awesome...I know it's necessary to have "me" time as often as possible to keep a balance in my life.

I can't stress the importance of re-charging the batteries and, on occasion, spending some quality time on your own.  However you enjoy doing that.

I've had some of my best ideas and moments during downtime.  I've had life changing epiphanies during solitary walks in the woods.

And it's especially important following a big upheaval, event or accomplishment.

When I visited Iona for the first time, I took the week after to hang around Edinburgh...walking and thinking and absorbing all the good stuff I'd learned.

Today, I've been relaxing and letting the dishes slide after hosting my first Lion's Share Circle yesterday!  I sat around in my pjs and knit...I even took a nap.

It was a wonderful day and I will blog about it soon :)  But not right now. Now...I'm going to sit and enjoy the aftermath.

XO

P.S. As if reading my mind...my amazing Creative Coach, Andrea, wrote a blog about this very subject a few days ago...right when I was preparing this post! I'd love to share her perspective with you all!

Creative Rest by Andrea Schroeder (ABCcreativity)

Quiet Strength

Edinburgh

Yesterday, when the above photo flashed onto my computer screen, I looked at it in an entirely new way.

It struck me as amazing that the delicate blades of grass had grown up and through the crack in that heavy gravestone...bending and stretching until they reached the sunlight.

What a wonderful gift! Determination, flexibility and gentle strength got them to their goal.

Made me think of one of my favorite Leonard Cohen lyrics:

"Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in. "

XO

Dream Assessment

 photos by Jennifer Loeber

We were asked to assess our dreams last week...though I feel I've been doing that on here a lot these past few entries...so instead, I'll share a link to an interview of me, post creative coaching session, from my friend Andrea's website ABCreativity:

"Shine Your Light"

This pretty much shows where I am...it also shows what a good coach Andrea is!

We were also asked to identify the"stuck" parts of our dreams and I have to say that I'm feeling remarkably "un-stuck" right now. Even in the face of still having debt and a savings account that's lower than I'd like since I had to pull from it to pay a few bills over the last two months.  Instead I'm grateful that I had the money at my disposal when I needed it!

My first Lion's Share gatherings are fast approaching, and I have a solid plan for my next trip to Scotland.  How could I feel stuck with so much motion around my dreams!

XO

Yay! Two Years of The Lion's Share!!!

 Edinburgh!

I started to write a creative dreaming blog for Yah Dreams! when I realized that The Lion's Share's second anniversary was right around the corner.

So much has happened during my two years writing this blog.

I started with, "Today is Where I Am"

And where am I today?

I am in total joy and gratitude for so many things.

• I am about to start having Lion's Share gatherings...which was one of my first ideas back in 2008 in my room at Newbold House, in Scotland.
  
  
• I've been back to Scotland and am returning this April for another J. Philip Newell workshop on Iona and some amazing time in Edinburgh.
  
  
• I've been to Dublin for a long weekend to see The Waterboys, celebrate and drink Guinness at the source :)
  
  
• I've had a photo in a group show down on the lower east side with my women artists' salon (I also run the blog!!!)
  
  
• I've been exploring my creative dreams with ABCcreativity...including some amazing coaching!
  
  
• I wrote a little item about my love for Dr. Who for TV Guide Magazine and it was printed!
  
  
• I'm almost finished with the second year of my herbal apprenticeship (also an idea I had in my room at Newbold...)
  
  
• After a long hibernation period, I'm really connecting to and taking care of myself.
  
  
• I was asked to write an article about my love for Edinburgh for Edinburgh Spotlight!
  
  
• "Sowing the Seeds of Abundance" has been going really well. I continue to see my debt reduced and my savings increase.

 My heather plant is coming along nicely!

A lot of stuff going on here...it's so exciting!

Stay tuned for some info on purchasing some LionArt Creations.  I want to clear out my inventory and I think I'm going to offer some artistic treats in exchange for donations (see the "donate" button under the "about" section on the upper right of this page).

Thank You All for reading and sharing this amazing journey with me!

XO

Sqeezing the Joy Out of My Dreams...

Beginnings of a New Vision...

I have the elements of a new vision board lying on my floor...and I realized that my dreams are bigger than the board I've set aside for visioning!  That's definitely a metaphor for my life right now.

I have such big dreams, and yet I tend  to think smaller as a sort of safety net. When in reality, thinking smaller than my dreams will most likely make me come up short.

Well...that's enough of that!!!

This week's Creative Dreaming assignment was to "Squeeze the Joy Out of Our Dreams..."

So that is what I did.

In the recent tidal wave of dreams re-visited and re-establishing a healthy life style...I really did it up this past week.

~I put a deposit down on my next workshop in Scotland (woohoo!) and I assure you I meditated quite a lot on being back in Edinburgh and Iona.  Every time a photo popped up on my work computer I had a very different feeling.  No more longing for when I'll return, but excitement and a sense of homecoming for when I'll be back!  That's a great shift. And I haven't (really) worried about the money at all. That's a great sign to me that I'm on the right track.

~I made plans for my first Lion's Share gathering and sent out the invitations!

~I spent some quality time at home in the mornings...writing and simply relaxing. Oh, and I turned in my papers to renew my passport, aka my ticket to joy ;)

~I really immersed myself back into all the things that had led me to joy and myself years ago.  Like doing the Inner Mean Girl Cleanse and reading inspirational books...a little self-help tune up, if you will. It's all reminded me of the person I have set out to be...and continue to evolve into.

I finished the week off with my September Apprenticeship day. That always gives me what I need in that moment (this time we learned how to make cream and gave ourselves herbal facials after spending some magical time up on the mountain in the woods). I returned to find a receipt from the St. Columba Hotel on Iona...for the workshop!  It was addressed completely wrong (my name was correct!) and yet it still made it to me.

Then, Sunday, my first restorative yoga class.  Amazing.

I've also been given the gift of childhood joys like sleeping on the floor and watching TV on my bed...and being outside stirring up magical potions of water and dirt (an apprenticeship practice).

I can think of no better way to connect with joy, than to be child-like for a weekend.

Now...all I need is a bigger board!

XO

No "Musts" No Fuss

  Taken from my vision board, still in progress...

"Musts" can come in so many different forms...

A while back I decided to stop living my life according to "musts" and "shoulds." I believe that up until that point I'd listened to what others thought or what I thought they thought...and that had shaped who I was (or wasn't).

It's pretty ridiculous to base your identity on assumptions...and try to mold yourself into someone who others approve of.  It's draining and exhausting and you can end up somewhere you don't belong.

Breaking out of that was very difficult and painful at times.  It caused me to really step back and look at who I was and what I wanted. At first I felt as if I had cheated and lied to myself for years...building my life around fears and other people's expectations of who and what I was.

I had to shed a lot of tears and excess baggage...and unfortunately some relationships. But I believe that I am finally on the right track. I'm carving out a road that I feel belongs to me and is mostly a joy to travel down.  There is the odd speed bump or scary bend...but it's exciting nonetheless.

This past week I've been exploring all the "musts" and "shoulds" that can come from various places in regards to my goals and dreams. I had my comfort edge pushed a little farther, got defensive...and then got real.  I finished off the week with a wonderful creative coaching session and have come back into alignment with my journey. I know I need to move forward and make things happen, but the decisions are mine and right for me. I also learned that there could be other ways I achieve my dreams...I want to be open to all possibilities.

Now, this attitude is starting to make its way into my daily life...these are mostly the "musts" of having to have a perfectly clean house or having a daily yoga practice...etc. So I'll let the odd dish go unwashed or not do laundry one day in favor of relaxing. I'm trying not to compare myself or my home with anyone else's.  I'm doing what's best for my sanity :)

No more should've, would've, could've!

XO

Birthday Vacation and Revelations

The remains of the fresh, raw milk...

I've been on a bit of a vacation since my birthday and rummaging through my toolbox...

I went to my Mom's in CT for the weekend and enjoyed some quiet and together time with family.  We ate breakfast at Crescent Beach:

...traveled to Lyme in pursuit of raw milk at Beaver Brook Farm:

 The Wool Shop @ Beaver Brook Farm

...had lunch at The Black Sheep and walked in McCook's Park (where we heard bagpipes...I kid you not...) with my cousins:

 View of Hole in the Wall Beach

Long Island Sound

And to finish off Saturday, we had a wonderful bbq at my Sister's with one of my nephews taking great pains to make sure the candles were placed perfectly on my cake (awww) and the other being adorable as usual (they are both adorable, of course)!

Sunday I bought yarn at A.C. Moore for a delicious cabled sweater pattern :)

It was a really nice weekend...reminding me even more how I want to be in quieter surroundings as soon as I can manage it.

To add to the loveliness,  I've had a couple days off of work this week! I've been cooking and knitting and sleeping in...aaah.

I seem to be indulging myself right through the end of the month! I visited an acupuncture clinic near my apartment and then booked a massage while there and I just purchased a Creative Healing session!

My head is spinning (but in a good way) since I realized I've been neglecting myself in lieu of "PAY THE BILLS, SAVE, SAVE SAVE!!!" I seem to be making up for it. ;) The debt reduction and savings plan is still very important to me, of course, but I was beginning to lose my creative and blissful way. I think, in future, I need to take more steady care of myself instead of exploding with it all in one week.

I have also realized that I want to start practicing my Reiki again and eventually be attuned to level 3.  So I am offering short healing sessions on a donation basis. If anyone is interested, you can e-mail me for more info!

But wait, there's more!!!

I'll be starting Lion's Share gatherings...hopefully in late October.  I'm going to experiment by having a lovely weekend full of cooking and togetherness at my cousin's in CT.  We've been trying to do this for over a year!

The more official Lion's Share Circles will be potluck and/or helped along by donations (I'm putting a donation button, here, in the sidebar).  I was inspired by "Julie & Julia" because I don't have sufficient cash on hand to throw parties on my own. Each get together will feature wonderful food and have themes such as knitting, dream-boarding, reiki, etc. I hope these gatherings will begin to foster the sense of community I want to create (and enjoy)!

And last, but certainly not least...it looks like I'll be returning to Scotland in the Spring!!!  I received word (the day before my birthday) of another workshop on Iona and really want to participate (more info on that in another post).

So, here's to a wonderful year of living and moving forward. 32 will be amazing.

XO

Cultivating Well Being

The fabulous fruit shake cart near my office 

I've been sticking to my routine of going to Bryant Park with my book, and the days I get to lie on the grass are the best...surrounded by the unique and random crowd that tends to gather there.  I also walk through part of Forest Park on my way home.

 Pigeons hanging out in the park

A couple weeks ago I went to Levain Bakery on the Upper West side to buy cookies for my boss's birthday (AMAZING cookies, btw). It was one of those mornings that reminded me of a time when I really liked living in New York City.  The air was cool and I met my friend and co-worker, Sara, for a coffee and pastry before heading into the office.  Talk about changing the day! It was nice and chill outside the bakery where we chatted, drank coffee...and I got powdered sugar all over myself. :)

So this got me thinking about all the activities I do to help me stay sane and happy.  Including hanging out with friends in places I've never been.  Sometimes being a tourist at home is needed to make you see things from a different perspective.  Like having pizza and (sshh) beer in Gantry Park...which looks across The East River to Manhattan from Long Island City...

Pepsi Cola Sign in Long Island City

Drawings on the Boardwalk in Gantry Park, LI City

And there is always pub food and heavenly beer at St. Andrews...I'll be going there again tomorrow evening after a movie in Times Square.

Bar, St. Andrews Restaurant

I have also been to a Staten Island Yankees game this week with my TV Guide Magazine colleagues.  I ended up volunteering for a game which was put up on the big screen.  Stay tuned for more on that in a future blog :)

Domestic Bliss

My Sprouts!

I've recently gotten back into the joy of tending my hearth.  Spending the past couple weekends making yogurt, sprouting sprouts and knitting!  Yes...knitting again.  I can breathe.

It's been a little slow going because of the heat...and my refusal to put the air conditioner back in.  Note to self: Never live in the South.  I am, however, settling into the heat to a point where I can tolerate it and not be miserable...but I don't enjoy it.  Sort of how I feel about living in New York City :)

I actually started writng this blog on 4th of July weekend. The heat has sort of forced me into nap-mode on the weekends.  Maybe that's what I need right now...be like a cat and sleep to cope with the heat.

This past weekend I had my Apprenticeship day (which is always a day I can breathe) and then Sunday was a homemaking day...although laundry fell into the oblivion that it always seems to in favor of cooking and catching up on assorted TV shows and singing along to my iPod in the kitchen.

As I participated in all these activities I started thinking about this blog entry, just sitting waiting to be finished, and I realized that it's very hard for me to relate my feelings about tending the hearth and home because their mine.

On Saturday I had a lovely conversation with one of my herbal Sisters. We were discussing what our ideal jobs would be.  I found that "Homemaker" was the most accurate title I could come up with.  Is that going against feminism? I think not. Tending the hearth is such a joyously feminine thing that I completely revel in re-embracing it! I adore making my own yogurt, bread, granola, sprouts, knitted items...etc.

Although yesterday, as I braved the heat and switched on the oven to make granola for the first time (and crisp bacon for a BLT Potato salad), I realized that I do resent having to squish all these luscious earthy pursuits into one or two days over a weekend.

However, I'm confident that one day the time will be right and I will find a "homemaking" position.  Until then my weekends will be very busy :)

We Are Magic

 1920 Census Form

This past week started off on a sad note...I attended a phenomenal young boy's funeral.  That will certainly put things into perspective.  The thought that he fought cancer for most of his too-short life, and fought bravely, made me realize that now is for living. Not tomorrow or next week...NOW.

Creative Dreaming has asked that we begin to realize that we can create and live our dreams because we are magic.  It has also asked us to relax into them and see that we don't have to struggle and push to see things happen.  I think that when we push, we tend to miss the important things.

This reminds me of my favorite Rumi quote: " Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love." I've also been thinking about something my herbal teacher said during our last class: "You can't grasp at joy, you can only open to it."

I believe in both these quotes whole-heartedly.  When I don't push and just be who I am and do what I love...the doors are open and amazing things come in.  Sometimes they don't pan out but the thrill of them in general shows me what is possible.

So, how am I living life now? I'm Letting myself be drawn by the stronger pull of what I really love :)

I've been researching my family history and seeing just how uber French Canadian we are!  We go back on both sides (mostly to Quebec) hundreds of years. I've gotten back to the early 1700s and still haven't hit France! I'm loving this search! My dream would be to plan a trip to Quebec to trace my family and write about it. I'm also interested into looking into establishing dual citizenship if that's a possibility.

 Look at all those "Canadas"

I, of course, have also been thinking about what my next adventure to Scotland will be made up of.  There's so much I'd like to do out there!  I'd love to rent a self-catering cottage with friends and enjoy some Lion's Share cooking, blogging and togetherness.  I'd love to do an experience week (or more) at Findhorn. I'd love to walk the West Highland Way, I'd love to help re-plant trees in the Caledonian Forest,  I'd love to visit Iona again. I've also been turned on to the idea of studying Gaelic at the Sabhal Mor Ostaig on Skye. Where to begin!?

I've submitted a photo to a group show that my Women Artists Salon is doing on The Lower East Side.  I used it in my "Very Affirming" Blog.

And last, but not least...I have succeeded in paying off another credit card. Now onto the last (and biggest). My savings account keeps growing too (thanks tax refunds)!

Next up...some much needed Spring cleaning. I really need three day weekends so I can have one day to just lay around and nap and then the other two to cook, clean and blog.


XO

The Out of Towner

This week's assignment was to check in and see what our dreams are in need of.  It didn't take me more than a minute to know that my dreams needed me to get out of town, and even better, the country.

Lucky for me I had an Ireland getaway in the works!  Yes...as this blog is posting I will be enjoying my Sunday in Dublin and coming down after seeing The Waterboy's live for the first time :)

No laptop, no Twitter or Facebook...just me, my friends (Guinness and Jameson) and Ireland. Only kidding...I'm traveling with actual people too.

It's Spring! New beginnings! I'm stepping into my power and exploring new places (inside and out).

XO