Welcome March!

 

Winds of March, we welcome you. 

There is work for you to do. 

Work and play and blow all day, 

Blow the Winter cold away!

Well the biopsy was done on Feb. 26th finally after waiting since July to get some answers, now I just wait for results and go from there.

I just ordered the Kathy Schmitz Bunny Bunch panel from Spoonflower, I thought it would be a nice addition to the Ostara decorations.  They only had it in green which is fine for what I am planning to do with it.  I will use spring colors for the embroidery. 

I am still working on the winter goddess slow stitch piece which seems to be taking me forever to stitch. I am just about done with the horizontal stitches, with a few strips on the head and the arm to complete. Then I will start the vertical stitches so she is secured and ready to be cut off the fabric and added to the background fabric so I can embellish it.  

I would like to have this done before Spring arrives but I am not sure that will happen.  We have much going on here and some days I'm too tired to see what I am stitching.

In the busyness of life, we are moving the business out of the house and into a warehouse. Finally found a place and only about 10  minutes from the house.

I am crocheting 2 baby blankets for twins, the first is done. This one is for the baby boy, yes that is gray yarn which I never thought I would use in a baby blanket but I love it.

 Well that's about it for now, lately I tire easily and sitting is still a bit uncomfortable for long periods of time after the biopsy, not from the procedure, its the after effects of the medication that causing the cramping.

 

I wish you a wonderful March and hope you are seeing early signs of  Spring here in the northern hemisphere.

Slow Stitching the Winter Goddess

Another month moving at a rapid speed, it seems like only yesterday I was light a candle for Imbolc and here we are half way through another.

The days are growing noticeably longer which is a sure sign Spring is on her way which I am looking forward to.  I finally had the time and energy to begin the Slow Stitch Winter goddess piece after gathering fabric scraps nearly a week ago.  I laid out the arrangement and pin each piece down on the backing fabric where I had traced the goddess template. This is the easy part of creating one of these goddess pieces.

For the winter goddess I am using fabric in the colors of the winter skies I see throughout the winter months here in Florida. Here is the fabrics pinned down.

This time the fabric scraps were not placed randomly, I selected each piece changing the layout and the colors until I liked what I saw. I pinned every piece down before I began to stitch.

I would first stitch each piece down across the center to be sure each piece was attached to the backing fabric, then I stitched around the traced line of the template from the back of the fabric so I know where my cut line will be once all the the stitching is complete.  I usually stitch horizontal and vertical lines of running stitch through the entire piece.

I'm just glad I have all the pieces in place once all the stitching is done I will cut her off the backing fabric and attached her to the background fabric and the embellishments can begin.  It's a slow process.  

I have another wonderful embroidery kit from Missouri Star Quilts Company, as soon as I laid eyes on it I knew I had to have.  It includes everything you need except the fabric. At first I thought I would just use the stick and stitch pieces on different embroideries but the more I looked at the pattern booklet and saw the set in my newsletters I bought the fabric kit as well.

The kit includes everything you need to make a  62” x 76 1/2” quilt.  The embroidery kit includes:

10 Missouri Star Perle Cotton 10-oz floss colors and 140 pre-printed Missouri Star Peel & Stitch designs,  7” birch wood hoop, embroidery scissors, two needles (#3 and #6), a needle threader, and a magnetic needle minder (1”).  

The Fabric kit includes:  Includes the quilt pattern, a large hexagon acrylic template, 99 precut 10” squares— Essex Yarn Dye Curry. Essex Ivory, Robert Kaufman Essex Natural and 5/8 yard of Essex Natural by Robert Kaufman for binding.  The fabric kit is also available in denim colorway.

This week I am reading the newest book in the China Bayles mystery series.

I had my consultation in Gainesville on Thursday after waiting 5 months for the appointment to set up a D&C so they can do the biopsy the other office couldn't do because of a miscommunication of a pill I was supposed to take before the procedure that could have been done in the office.  I was told to take it before the ultra sound which was wrong.  Anyway, this doctor is going to do the biopsy in his office, has given me proper instructions of when to take the medications so that I can hopefully avoid a hospital out patient surgery.  This is all fine and dandy but I am a bit miffed at why my doctor could just reschedule the biopsy for another time, on the record it just states it couldn't be done, so the doctor never inquired what happened with the Physician Assistant. 

I initially had to have the consult because I am high risk and my Gyn didn't want me to have the D&C at out local hospital.  

Where Does The Time GO?

 How are we on the 10th of February? (I have become so neglectful of my blog posting) It seems like only yesterday I was lighting a candle for Imbolc and bringing in a few yards of fabric I had lain about the shrubs for Brigid's blessing.   Here is a little info of why I do this:

It is believed that On midwinter’s eve (Imbolc) place a piece of linen or cloth outside. You could also lay out a shawl. It is said that on this night Brigid travels all over the land and if she sees this cloth she will bless it and give it healing powers.

Here is a blessing you can use when laying out your cloth: Let the cloth of life be mended. Let the thread be linked again, restored, cleansed. May we be blessed, and through our lives, Bless.

I will use this cloth as I have throughout the years for projects like these hand embroidery pieces I made over the years, both prayer flags for friends in need at the time. 

I finally have the consultation with the Gyn at Shands hospital on the 13th, I was so relieved when I  finally heard back, I've been waiting since Oct. 7th to have yet another D&C and biopsy.  Because of the blood thinners I take my Gyn thought it best to have this done at Shand's hospital rather than in the office surgery center.  I am considered high risk, I think I will be considered higher risk because of the Atrial Fibrillation which is nearly constant.  Either way I just want it done because at 69 having a menstrual cycle after being in menopause for over a decade just sucks.  You can not imagine how I wished I had the hysterectomy back in 1999 when the endometriosis was so bad, if it's an option now I will take it because I don't want to keep having to go back for another D&C or having periods at 80.

So far this year I have read the following books:

We had snow in the Florida panhandle Pensacola getting about 5 inches, I only wished it would have come down to the north central area, we did have some deep freeze days.  Now we are in the mid 80's with upper 80's by the end of the week.

Even though the day has passed, I wish you all a Blessed Imbolc.  I tend to see Imbolc as a seasonal time and not just a day.  The image is one of my favorites by Bonny Hut.  Spring is in the air, even if the ground hog saw his shadow.  The daylight hours are growing longer.

Happy New Year!

 

All Things Goddess and a Greenman.

 Happy Christmas Eve to All!

 With all the busyness of getting packages out all week and closing up shops until after the New Year I have finally found the time to take a photo of  the Autumn Goddess slow stitched piece.

I don't plan to start on the Winter goddess until late next week or in the new year.  Here is a look at the other seasonal goddesses I made this year. Spring is below and Summer below the Spring

Speaking of Goddess, you may know I have followed a Goddess Spirituality path for over 40 years, I'm always in search of unique items for my goddess altars. I have one across my my work space so when I look up from my computer I can gaze on it.  

Recently I found 2 lovely pieces from an Etsy Shop Laser Cuts and Curios, here is the link to the shop

https://www.etsy.com/shop/LaserCutsAndCurios?ref=yr_purchases&page=1#items 

This first one in the photo I will use year round, it comes with it's own stand and looks great set up on my altar.

Here is the shop link to this one https://www.etsy.com/listing/1662390403/spiral-goddess-wood-engraved-greeting?click_key=82640cd34952459788b5161f30c013665750b734%3A1662390403&click_sum=cba0ff9f&ref=shop_home_active_12&frs=1

This one is a Yule Ornament, I opted to hang it on my wall this year. Both have the option to be personalized if you are gifting them to someone. 

Here is the link for this one: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1603774311/spiral-goddess-ornament-yule-card?click_key=65a151ffc006fe2e44dbf303e44e2b3dc704b3d5%3A1603774311&click_sum=314c2c16&ref=shop_home_recs_2&frs=1

The shop has some lovely wood items.  There are several other Goddess items as well as some wonderful witch pieces. I know I will be a repeat customer.

I am currently reading two Goddess books for the 30 Days of Goddess I participate in, this month our goddess is Cerridwen, and in January our goddess for the month will be Circe.

I can't believe this January will be the 5th year of #30 Days of Goddess, what started out as a simple month long devotion to goddess, turned into years of practice.  Taking part has deepened my own goddess path in ways I never imagined.

Molly Remer created the 30 days of Goddess and offers free resources to members.  Here is the link to the Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/brigidsgrovecreativespiritcircle  If you are interested in or follow a goddess path or just want to be among women who are loving and supportive of one another check it out.

This coming new year I am once again going to create a few goddess embroidery pieces and more slow stitched goddess pieces. For the slow stitched pieces I'm thinking maybe the Elements or the 8 Sabbats of the Wheel of the Year; both if time allows. 

 I also want to focus on completing a few of the projects still unfinished.  Mainly the Greenman I started a few years ago.  

He has had quite a journey, he was left at a friends house last year and when he was being shipped back to me he bounced to a few post offices around the globe before finally arriving home.  He once sat beneath a pile of other works in progress and once on the bottom of a pile of magazines I hadn't had a chance to read.  A terrible habit I have with magazines so I cut back most of my subscriptions.  

When you find yourself reading the January issue in July it's time to decide do you really need this magazine? If  there is an issue of a magazine I want to read I will just buy a copy instead of subscribing knowing the issues will be unread for a few weeks and in some cases months.

The January 2025 issue of Art Journaling just arrived today. I let the subscription go along with the Somerset Studio, I still have the Summer and Autumn issues to read for both.  

Happy Winter Solstice! Blessing for a Happy Yuletide Season.

“So the shortest day came, and the year died,

And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world

Came people singing, dancing,

To drive the dark away.

They lit candles in the winter trees;

…They hung their homes with evergreen;

They burned beseeching fires all night long

To keep the year alive,

And when the new year’s sunshine blazed awake

They shouted, reveling.

Through all the frosty ages you can hear them

Echoing behind us – Listen!!

All the long echoes sing the same delight,

This shortest day,

As promise wakens in the sleeping land:

They carol, feast, give thanks,

And dearly love their friends,

And hope for peace.

And so do we, here, now,

This year and every year.

Welcome Yule!!”

– Susan Cooper, The Shortest Day

Over the years I have kept many Winter Solstice images in my PC files so today I am sharing a few of my favorites. I shared this one above for the first time in 2013

And this one was posted in 2014, time sure has a way of going by  in a flash.  This month has gone by so fast I can barely remember the days.

This image first appeared in 2012 and the one below it is the first image I posted way back in 2010

It's been a rough year health wise for me so my main focus for the New Year will be my health and getting a better grasp on the A-Fib because with a little of the research I have done there is more out there than just taking an extra blood thinner to prevent a stoke.  

Brightly burns the Yule log tonight,

Magic dances in firelight.

Hold my hand and join the song,

Raise the Sun King bright and strong.

Dark is giving way to light,

As brightly burns the Yule log tonight.

 

Walking the Wheel of the Year: November's Full Moon

The Full Beaver Moon is shining brightly in all her glory above my house tonight. 

Full Beaver Moon-Nov. 15, 2024

This full moon we honor the intricate dance of nature, the slow shift of seasons, and the profound energies that guide us through transformation and renewal. As winter approaches it is time to prepare and take the time to reflect.

A lovely idea is to cleanse your home in preparation to receive all the wonderful energies that this full moon will bring.

Home Cleansing Spell

Clear your home for winter with a simple home cleansing spell. Combine salt, dried sage, and lavender, and sprinkle the mixture around your home, focusing on windows and doorways. Visualize negative energy dissipating, making space for positive and protective energies.

May your celebrations be filled with magic, intention, and a deep connection to the natural forces at play.

Not the greatest photo which tends to happen with the phone and night setting. 

 “Fall through the portal

of November’s full moon

into winter’s womb”

Suzanne De Baca, “Haiku for November 15”

Art: Lucy Grossman.