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Garden Gate:  Gardens and Yards as Spiritual work  |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 30 2004 : 09:24:22 AM
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Thanks Clare for the info and websites! My computer is down so I am borrowing my husband's office pc cause I can't be away too long from my farmgirls! This weekend my oldest daughter is home for her 22nd birthday and we are going to build the labyrinth together! I can hardly wait! You are so inspiring!
Time Flies |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2004 : 09:41:51 AM
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| Jeannie -The one advantage of walking a labrynith or spiral that is "living", is that it usually automatically guides you through...perhaps better than bricks would. However, having to focus on your walking is a good thing... it reduces the input/distractions from the outside and you have to go within... one of the aspects that either form encourage. |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2004 : 10:02:35 AM
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Clare -
Thanks for the reply to my question!
Go within. That I understand. From my experience, God usually speaks to me from within but articulates from the beauty of His world around me. In other words, he uses the world around me to speak. Then the message soaks in and gives me strength and an inner knowledge.
A grass labyrinth would be much more beautiful than a hard surface labyrinth I am sure. I went to see your photos, but they were no longer available. :(
Our labyrinth has a very narrow pathway painted on it. Very man-made. Maybe that is why it does not inspire me! You almost have to put one foot in front of the other as you travel it. Very confining, too.
But do not think from my comments that I am at all negative about the search for God and inner peace. That is what we humans are all about.
jpbluesky
Love those big blue skies and wide open spaces. |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2004 : 11:07:30 AM
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Jeannie, no negative connotations taken! I do understand the difference between the forms. And we each have our own way of approaching our spirituality. What works for one, may be different from what works for another. Just have to honor that and find what works personally.
I'm not sure what's up with the Yahoo picture thing lately... but here is an updated link to view my pics regarding meditation ideas, as referenced above.
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/farmersdaughter1230/album?.dir=/880b&.src=ph&.tok=phAqu0BBP6k81kvG
****Gardener, Stitcher, Spiritual Explorer and Appreciator of all Things Natural****
"Begin to weave and God will give the thread." - German Proverb |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2004 : 11:59:27 AM
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Hi Everyone,
I finally got batteries for the camera. Took these photos of my medicine wheel. It is time to cut back the growing snowberry from the path but I can still get around it so I put it off until I just can't negotiate it anymore. The deer love the snowberry so I hate to cut it in the fall.
You can view the album at:
http://www.hpphoto.com/servlet/com.hp.HPGuestLogin?username=eileenspics&password=79230576
You will see mine is different but it is meant for the same experience.
Clare, does yahoo have a limit to how much space you can occupy at one time. Hp has a limit so I sometimes have to copy my albums to a file and put them up again when someone asks.
Eileen
songbird |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2004 : 4:49:41 PM
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Dear Eileen, Your medicine wheel and nature "space" is beautiful! I can feel the sense of peace looking at your pictures. The dense tree growth and just the beauty of your land seems very spiritually nourishing. I loved your flower pictures. Did you make the arbours yourself? One of the flower pics had an arbour with a vining plant, clematis? Very beautiful with the lilies in the foreground. Your gardens truly show what is in your heart.
Time Flies |
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Pamntx
Farmgirl at Heart
6 Posts
Pam
Deer Park
Texas
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2004 : 5:34:22 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Clare
Okay, girls.... last night I spent some time outside communing with the full moon. It was the perfect night for it... warm, clear sparkling starlit sky. I went out once about 8pm and walked my 'spiral', and then again later at about 1:30am I woke and went outside. I couldn't believe how bright it was! The night sky was just aglow!
I'm having some emotional adjustments to make as I have new neighbors on one side of me, where I've been without a neighbor for over 3 years... and on the other side of me, those neighbors recently cut out half of an arbroviate row that offered me wind protection, a sound buffer and privacy. (My street has become a busy thoroughfare over the years.) Makes me just want to high tail it outta there to the hills. Hence my night time yard time, I guess.
Growing up on a farm in the middle of no-where, and then moving to town, has created all of these feelings ever since I intially left home 33 years ago! I just value my privacy... much more so than my neighbors. It's not that I don't enjoy visiting with them and all, because I do...
Does any one else struggle with this balance?
****Gardener, Stitcher, Spiritual Explorer and Appreciator of all Things Natural****
"Begin to weave and God will give the thread." - German Proverb
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2004 : 7:26:22 PM
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Jenny,
Thankyou for the sweet comments. Yes I did make the arbors.
The arbor I made out of left over copper water pipe and some bendable refridgeration copper pipe. It was my first experience with sweating copper pipe and It was so fun that I made several more arbors after that.. It has two different clematis vines that bloom at different times so it is always in bloom until the first frost. One spring I rescued 6 clematis vines from the trash at a local crocery store. They lookie like they were dead so the florist was just going to throw them out. All of the different ones I have are from that group of vines. All different colors.
Eileen
songbird |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Oct 01 2004 : 05:31:35 AM
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Clare, your labyrinth is very, very beautiful. I was able to access the photos! It looks small but wide enough to walk comfortably. And the light and greenery around it makes it a lovely spot to just "be". I like your medicine wheel, too. Thank you for sharing the pics!
Eileen, I am sorry I could not view your medicine wheel. I have been interested in medicine wheels in the past also. I have a book that is accompanied by a set of cards. They are called Medicine Cards. Anyone familiar with these? A friend of mine who is part Cherokee gave them to me.
Here is a quote from the book: "The Medicine Wheel teaches us that all lessons are equal, as are all talents and abilities. Every living creature will one day see and experience each spoke of the wheel and know those truths."
jpbluesky
Love those big blue skies and wide open spaces. |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Oct 01 2004 : 06:23:06 AM
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Jeannie - Are the books and cards by Jamie Sams? If so, I also have those.. love 'em!
****Gardener, Stitcher, Spiritual Explorer and Appreciator of all Things Natural****
"Begin to weave and God will give the thread." - German Proverb |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Oct 01 2004 : 09:09:55 AM
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Jeannie, Clare, I also have that book and cards. Refer to them often when puzzled about some thing occuring in my life.
Jeannie,sorry you could not access the photos. Clare were you able to access them? They come up for me when I go there from here and it seems that it works for Jenny but there was someone else who could not access my quilt photos so I am wondering what might cause this.
Any ideas? I built my medicine wheel under the protection of a second growth western red cedar tree that grows on the south west corner of our property where the seasonal creek runs past on the north of the wheel. It is a beautiful little natural grotto, all I changed was to cut back the vegetation on the ground and place the stones dug from the surrounding area that we leveled to put in our pole barn. I trim the low snowberry, oregon grape and salal in the spring and in summer if I can't get around the path but otherwise the path itself surrounding the wheel is mossy with tiny ferns interspersed. Most of the year the sound of the creek and birds singing is all I hear up there as the tree seems to block out most of the highway noise.
Eileen
songbird |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Oct 01 2004 : 10:17:33 AM
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Yes, I was able to access them, Eileen. I'm guessing that those that are having difficulities may have something going on with their security / internet settings.... but that's just a guess.
****Gardener, Stitcher, Spiritual Explorer and Appreciator of all Things Natural****
"Begin to weave and God will give the thread." - German Proverb |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Oct 01 2004 : 2:18:47 PM
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Eileen
I would think not being able to see the photos would be my computer, although I was able to see your quilt. Strange, huh? But my computer is old.
The book on Medicine Wheels, Medicine Cards, and Medicine Shields is by two authors, Jamie Sams and DAvid Carson. I did the exercise that reveals your totem animals and the result was so uncanny and correct it blew me away. That is a story I will tell another time. But the animals that I had felt the closest kinship to were the first ones I turned up on the cards. Amazing.
jpbluesky
Love those big blue skies and wide open spaces. |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Oct 01 2004 : 3:42:05 PM
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Jeannie, I have been researching labyrinths and found something that might be of interest to you...I will quote from the book Churches by Judy Depre; "Staying on the narrow path requires alertness. The process involved is similar to the Japanese Zen practice of kinhin, literally "walking meditation", where the attention is focused on the process of each step, one foot in front of the other, and the breath is controlled and regulated. It is thought that the combination of minimal mental activity and heightened awareness induces a meditative state and subsequent well-being in labyrinth walkers." I hope this speaks to you as it did me because I walk the rows in my vineyard to meditate and have to watch my steps in fear of twisting my bad ankle on uneven and holed ground. I can relate to how you feel in the tenuious stepping.
Time Flies |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2004 : 8:27:04 PM
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I built a big labyrinth in my hayfield a month ago and I love it! Although it seems my Jack Russell and Lab love it also. They have dug a lot of holes in the paths searching for voles. The labyrinth looks like the backside of the moon with all the holes my dogs have dug!!! They have 80 acres here to run and dig and they are always digging up my labyrinth. They have caught and eliminated a lot of voles and I know they are trying to be helpful. Maybe they sense they need to "clean" things up where I walk, but what a pain! I have to constantly look down and lose my concentration because of the holes. Any ideas on how to keep them at bay? I know this sounds silly and trite but I have twisted my ankle twice because of these holes they dig.
Time Flies |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2004 : 12:50:19 AM
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Meadowlark, so glad you've tried the labyrnth/spiral in your pasture!!! I will leave the dog advise to someone else... that's not my area.
****Gardener, Stitcher, Spiritual Explorer and Appreciator of all Things Natural****
"Begin to weave and God will give the thread." - German Proverb |
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cecelia
True Blue Farmgirl
497 Posts
cecelia
new york
USA
497 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2004 : 1:44:45 PM
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A few years ago I had a Husky who loved to dig holes in the backyard. A fellow at work suggested that I put her, well, doggie droppings into the holes. After I did that a few times she stopped digging the holes. Might help.
Cecelia
ce's farm
"Curiosity is one of the forms of feminine bravery" Victor Hugo |
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Kathy A.
True Blue Farmgirl
116 Posts
Kathy
Utah
USA
116 Posts |
Posted - Nov 11 2004 : 2:53:20 PM
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| Hi Clare, Yesterday I was reading an article on the new farm website and I thought of this thread and wanted to share a thought with you and the other farm/gardeners here. The article is about a remarkable women in Israel who is a botanical pioneer of sorts, she raises and developes tress and plants of ultra low water use. She raises many herbs and ancient grain crops for presevation. Also plants for tibetan medicinal research. one day a car pulled up to her orchard/garden and there was the Dalai Lama! He wanted to visit her garden. The whole article is quite interesting. If you want to read it go to the new farm website and click on the-Check out the latest 20 stories and the article name is "Seeking life in the desert on the desert's terms" Hope you have a great day. ~Kathy |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Nov 11 2004 : 3:40:12 PM
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Wow! Kathy!, what a powerful article! This woman is making a huge difference in the world, isn't she? I cannot imagine the Dali Lama requesting to see me... what a huge honor. I had a bit of trouble finding the article, so I'm posting the link here so others may also check it out. I am impressed by the quality of information posted at this web site. I hope others explore there too!
Thanks again, Kathy!  http://www.newfarm.org/international/israel/sept/index.shtml
****Gardener, Stitcher, Spiritual Explorer and Appreciator of all Things Natural****
"Begin to weave and God will give the thread." - German Proverb |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Nov 11 2004 : 4:54:49 PM
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This article really spoke to me! Thanks Kathy A.!!! This woman is truley a visionary. Very good website. I had the opportunity to work on a kibbutz as a senior in college studying Social Work...It was the mid 70's and tensions were high on the West Bank and money for me was very tight so I was unable to go to Israel. My professor was offering his students the chance to work on the kibbutz farms. The Holy Land has always been a draw for me. The landscape is harsh and unforgiving but there is so much life and history there in just the plant life. Here is a link that is along the same lines and is near to where I live... people working to cooperate with nature instead of against it www.landinstitute.org
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi, 13th century. |
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Kathy A.
True Blue Farmgirl
116 Posts
Kathy
Utah
USA
116 Posts |
Posted - Nov 12 2004 : 2:11:10 PM
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Hi Clare, I'm always so glad to read about people who are so passionate about making a difference in the world. The link meadowlark posted is another example of that. Land, Seed/plant, and water preservation are serious issues that are finally being researched these are both scary and exciting times.
Meadowlark, I too had a dream to work on a Kibbutz! It was to be my jumping off point to see the middle east and part of Europe. It was going to be my education in the real world (or so I thought.) Turns out the Real/important world was right where I was. I am learning to appreciate Kansas more through your posts. I picture fields and grasslands for miles and miles with huge flocks of Meadowlarks (one of my top ten favorite birds) |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Nov 12 2004 : 3:07:08 PM
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Dear Kathy, We are true kindred spirits aren't we? The Land is all we have and is not a renewable resource, why do so many think that it is? I have pondered why is our government spending billions to explore Mars? ( Don't get me wrong, I am all for scientific progress) Is it because after we use up the Earth is Mars next? I have been to Utah and it is so beautiful...Zion, Salt Lake, Park City...you are so lucky to live in such a varied and historic state. The meadowlarks are so abundant here that their songs in the spring drown out all the other bird songs. Glad you enjoyed the link. The Land Institute host a prarie festival in May and it is wonderful! Music, lectures, crafts, animal husbandry, and even cooking classes. A few years ago Alice Waters gave a lecture and cooking demonstration. All this on a big grass pasture under a bigger blue sky.
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi, 13th century. |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Nov 13 2004 : 10:45:15 AM
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I have a very dear friend who works for a local Magazine called "YES!"
She sent me a link a couple of days ago. I think you all would like this magazing.
http://www.yesmagazine.org
I have spent some time browsing the site and reading various articles and have found many to be in tune with our feelings as well as informative on environmental issues all over the world. If you go to this site and choose the articles by topic you will find a wealth if info and stories of what other people are doing in their own communities to help clean things up. One I found interresting was HEALTH HUNGER AND HUNTING about a farmer who had become a vegetarian but then changed his mind with the health of the earth and his crops in mind.
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
Edited by - Eileen on Nov 13 2004 10:47:06 AM |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Nov 13 2004 : 1:49:42 PM
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Eileen, a friend recommended Yes! magazine to me several years ago. It's great!! We need forward thinking vehicles to keep us on the right track... so much to think about too... Thanks for the reminder!
****Gardener, Stitcher, Spiritual Explorer and Appreciator of all Things Natural****
"Begin to weave and God will give the thread." - German Proverb |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Nov 15 2004 : 09:02:43 AM
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I subscribe to RavenCroft Garden's newsletter and in this issue are some links to check out regarding a sustainable environment and world. It is quite interesting. Here they are:
Sustainable Communities Near and Far
* http://www.worldpeaceemerging.com stories from all over the world, creating peace
* Documentary Film: Signs out of time, The Story of Archaeologist Marija Gimbutus. http://www.belili.org or http://www.gimbutas.org examines Lithuanian archaeologist and linguist, Dr. Marija Gimbutus’ life work, theories, critics and the influence she had on scholars, feminist spirituality and social thinkers.
* Book: The Earth Path, Starhawk 2004 Harper Collins. Weaves together ecology, activism and spirituality, tools to reconnect with the natural world. http://www.starhawk.org |
Edited by - Clare on Nov 15 2004 09:04:19 AM |
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Garden Gate: Gardens and Yards as Spiritual work |
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Gardens and Yards as Spiritual work
