This 11th day of Yuletide celebrates Valkyries and warriors. Armed with a spear, these ladies served Odin and rode on horseback into battle. She is tasked with choosing worthy warriors from the battlefields to join the gods in the afterlife.
The idea of how angels might look may have originated in the versions of Valkyries. But Valkyries are goddesses, daughters of Odin.
On this tenth day of Yuletide, tribute is paid to the sun goddess, Sunna. She becomes stronger and stronger with each day and shines longer and longer until the the summer solstice.
On the 8th day of Yuletide...
The 8th day of Yuletide is a celebration of the hunt and winter. Tonight's celebration is the feast of Skadi and Ullr. These are Norse gods of winter and they are honored for the blessings they will bestow in the season.
Early people had to deal with the powers of the darkness, and to help with that they called on the god, Thor. Thor was the one who was brave and powerful enough to defeat the lady of death. He is the great protector of Mother Earth and middle earth from all the powers of darkness and evil.
His wife, the goddess Sif was the goddess of grain and fertility and protector of the children.
The winter goat became the symbol of Yule. Thor would sacrifice his precious goats, then resurrect them with a blow of his hammer. This represented the resurrection of the sun and nourishment.
Tonight we remember what role we play in community and our responsibility to protect the children. It is appropriate the the focus virtue tonight is hospitality.
Yesterday was the 5th day of Yuletide, the day sacred to community. During the long nights of winter, it was the sense of community that kept people going. Meals were shared and the daily work load was done by everyone.
Giving, and graciously accepting, was an integral part of the people. I found this quite appropriate that it fell on Christmas this year. Our family does a potluck for Christmas day. There is less work for the host and more time to be with each other. So toast to community and focus on honor. Enjoying each other is so important.
Today, the 6th day of Yuletide is for It was a night to celebrate the goddess Eir.
She is the matron goddess of healing and health care workers and is called upon to ward of sickness and injury. On this 6th night of Yule, reflection is on self-discipline, honor and virtues. And the virtue to focus on tonight is fidelity. Not only in relationships but to the balance of life.
To honor Eir, make yourself a hot cup of bone broth and reflect on your health and healing.
Today we toast Odin (a major Norse god and poet), Njǫrd (god of the wind and sea), and Freyr (Njord's son, god of fertility, rain and sunshine). It is the day to revel in family and friends and to remember the value of community.
As the solstice brings in the birth of the new year, today is offered to honor Mani, God of the Moon.
We've all heard the song, the 12 days of Christmas, but did you know that is connected to the 12 days of Yule? Many of the traditions we have in our modern Christmas celebration, comes from a celebration that happened long before Christianity.
Most nations of the Northern hemisphere (it's the shortest night on the Southern hemisphere) celebrated the last 12 days of the year in reverie. The ancient peoples worked hard to survive, but on these last days of the year, no work was allowed. Everyone celebrated life.
Today is the winter solstice. Tonight, in the Northern Hemisphere, it is the longest night of the year. Tonight it is Mother Night.
The first night of Yule is Mother night. The winter solstice celebrates the birth of the coming Spring. The evening is spent honoring the mother ancestors that protect us. It honors the return of the sun and seasons of life.
Oh my gosh!! I just realized yesterday was the 15th!! I'm late!! I'm so sorry - but here is the party for the rest of 2021 - yes - it's almost 2022! Man time flew. But here are some great ideas for now - check them out and share your own!
So come on in, share your creative posts - cooking, crafts, gardening, journaling - anything that can spur those creative juices!
On the first and 15th every month a new party will start and run until the day before the next one is to start (14th and last day of the month).
Please remember to share something you did not share at the last party.
I love Christmas! I love the lights, the sparkles, and all the cozy warmth of the season. I usually have everything up by the weekend after Thanksgiving, but this year was a little late.
One of our four cats got really sick before Thanksgiving and was hospitalized for three days. It's been stressful (and expensive), but he's on the mend and things are getting back to normal.
And now the decorations are up and making our house a Christmas place. The photos below are of my house and my decorations. My husband is a woodworker and does stained glass. Much of what you see here, he made.
The hope for this post is that the photos will inspire you and give you pleasure.
I've been window shopping! And I've made a list of all the things I'd love to have - Check it out! Maybe you'll find an idea for someone on your list!
Happy Hanukkah. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! And now we have Christmas, winter, snow (I hope), and cold! And with the winter cold we spend more time indoors and need more things to do.
So come on in, share your creative posts - cooking, crafts, gardening, journaling - anything that can spur those creative juices!
On the first and 15th every month a new party will start and run until the day before the next one is to start (14th and last day of the month).
Please remember to share something you did not share at the last party.
When we think of Thanksgiving we think of pilgrims and indians. The first Thanksgiving was shared by the colonists with the local native tribe. The people of the Wampanoag Nation brought food and taught them farming in the region. In November of 1621, after a particularly successful corn harvest, both groups of people celebrated the success for three days. This came to be known as the first Thanksgiving, and sadly one of few peaceful interactions between the new arrivals and the Native population.
The second Thanksgiving was celebrated three years later after the end of a drought that threatened all the crops. The governor called for a religious fast - and days later they broke it with a celebratory feast.
From this day on, the colonies each celebrated some from of "thanksgiving" - a feast celebrating the bounty of the harvest. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln called for an annual day of Thanksgiving to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November. Coming at the heels of the Civil War, he called for people to come together and heal as a Nation.
Thanksgiving is next week! Are you ready? And then Christmas and Hannukah - So much to do, and so much fun to have~
So come on in, share your creative posts - cooking, crafts, gardening, journaling - anything that can spur those creative juices!
On the first and 15th every month a new party will start and run until the day before the next one is to start (14th and last day of the month).
Please remember to share something you did not share at the last party.
I find myself getting frustrated with how we go from gimme gimme Halloween to gimme gimme Christmas and completely bypass the holiday that says I'm grateful for what I have.
Don't get me wrong - I love Christmas. I love the spirit of joy and excitement that goes with it. But I also love to take the time to reflect on all the blessings in my life. And there are many.
Check out our facebook page for some daily thankfulness and feel free to add your own!
And I like to decorate for holidays. Since there aren't a lot of retail Thanksgiving decorations, we've made them! And some of them are from the dollar store. And I love them all.
Check them out. Take some of the ideas. Place some thankfulness around your home!
I grew several lavender plants - so what do you do with all that lavender? Here are 7 ideas -
Whoops!! November 1st just snuck past me!! I'm so sorry to get this party started late!! Please be sure to stop by and tell your friends its a party too!
So come on in, share your creative posts - cooking, crafts, gardening, journaling - anything that can spur those creative juices!
On the first and 15th every month a new party will start and run until the day before the next one is to start (14th and last day of the month).
Please remember to share something you did not share at the last party.
I got some ghosts at the Dollar Tree and hung them in the backyard. I kept looking at them and thought, tombstones. There needs to be tombstones. So I went back to the Dollar Tree. They had one. Not one style. One. I went to three other stores. No tombstones. So I decided I'd make them.
Can you believe we're half way through October already? I'm loving the change in the weather - cold outside, cozy on the inside. How are you spending these chilly fall mornings? And what kinds of projects are you working on?
So come on in, share your creative posts - cooking, crafts, gardening, journaling - anything that can spur those creative juices!
On the first and 15th every month a new party will start and run until the day before the next one is to start (14th and last day of the month).
ACK!! I missed the first! September was such a busy month I missed a few deadlines!! YIKES - My apologies! We're up and running now and ready for your posts!! Share what you've got - spread the word - Lets fill this party up!!
So come on in, share your creative posts - cooking, crafts, gardening, journaling - anything that can spur those creative juices!
On the first and 15th every month a new party will start and run until the day before the next one is to start (14th and last day of the month).
First of all, let me apologize for not getting over to visit everyone. It's been a crazy couple of weeks. And I'm so excited how many people have joined our party. I will be out there in the next few days to visit all the posts I missed! There are so many great ideas! Thank you all everyone for joining - and don't forget to tell your friends!
So come on in, share your creative posts - cooking, crafts, gardening, journaling - anything that can spur those creative juices!
On the first and 15th every month a new party will start and run until the day before the next one is to start (14th and last day of the month).
I am loving my garden. This summer I grew chard, tomatoes, squash, peas, and more. As it starts to wind down I've enjoyed creating dishes from the last of the summer garden, like this garden fresh omelet!
And now I'm planning for a fall harvest. Yes, you can plant now for harvesting late fall.
Welcome to the second installment of a brand new party!! Share the Wealth II !
I love working in my yard and fixing up my house. I follow blogs to get ideas for seasonal decorating and cooking and just enjoying. And I know there are way more out there than I've connected with! So let's get together!
On the first and 15th every month a new party will start and run until the day before the next one is to start (14th and last day of the month).
Oh my!! I have not been getting notifications for comments! So to all of you that have commented on any of my posts, THANK YOU!!! I apologize for not responding or acknowledging - Working on making sure that is corrected in the future.
I appreciate every stop! Thank you for your support.
Welcome to a brand new party!! I love working in my yard and fixing up my house. I follow blogs to get ideas for seasonal decorating and cooking and just enjoying. And I know there are way more out there than I've connected with! So let's get together!
On the first and 15th every month a new party will start and run until the day before the next one is to start (14th and last day of the month).
Each party will have a theme, but anything that has anything to do with hearth and home is welcome!
This party theme: Back to School!
And bring your friends~
Who doesn't love the look and aroma of these spiked flowers. They represent purity, serenity, grace and devotion. They're fragrance can fill a room with quiet sweetness.
I love to cook with lavender. You can use any type, but English lavenders have the best oils and aromatics for cooking. It can be used in sweet or savory dishes.
Lavender has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. A little lavender rubbed on a burn or a cut for a little relief and healing.
It's great for keeping away mosquitos. Keep a plant on or near your deck or patio and rub some flowers on your skin. Mosquitos will move on!
Did everyone have a great 4th of July? I sure did! I was so excited to have people over and enjoy the fruits of my gardening labor. It was awesome. We ate berries from the garden. Enjoyed sitting on the new lawn. It was fabulous. Hope yours was too!
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As many of you know, we've been renovation our backyard. We've been working on it for over a year. We let it go for over five years and the bamboo and ivy that was planted before we bought the place just went crazy!! Shortly after the covid shutdown, I sat in my yard and thought, enough of this!! I want my yard back. Read on to see our evolution, or jump to the bottom for information on planting a lawn.
When we started renovating the backyard, there was a sidewalk that went along the roses, under an arbor, and out to the shop. You couldn't really see it though.
After we excavated, the sidewalk got pulled up and the arbor fence started dropping slats.
I laid old rugs down to try to kill any weeds by Spring and when the dust settled, I stared at the old arbor and had a vision. I've always wanted a gazebo tea house. Why not an arbor coffee shelter? And I was on a roll!
Did you know that playing in the dirt is good for your mental health? Science says it is.
I've noticed over the last year, as I've working in my yard and planting seedlings, that my overall demeanor is different. I'm calmer. I feel less stressed.
And when I miss a few days of dirt, I get tense and cranky. I've thought it was just the relaxing sounds and feels of being outdoors. But that's just part of it.
Science has found microbes in soil that cause the brain to produce more serotonin, a neurotransmitter that sends information between the nerve cells. It effects mood and emotions to name just a couple functions. As you work in the soil, you inhale the microbes into your body and they do their thing in your brain.
It's been a busy Spring so far. The garden is growing like crazy! We should have peas soon and I've already harvest a radish!! The raspberries, blueberries and strawberries are full of blossoms and fruit.
We planted the grass and then the rain started. Lots of rain. Finally. And as I work in the yard, get my hands dirty, I am moved by how my entire mood changes and my body connects.
I've almost finished planting my garden for this year. I still have some cucumbers and tomatoes to plant - and a zucchini. I can't find a plant!! But I will.
And the raspberries are loaded!! Last fall I put in two blueberry bushes and they are going strong.
The warm weather gave the radishes a push! I'm really looking forward to the harvest.
Do you have a garden? What have you planted?
