Liebster Award Nomination

More-Flowers

Many thanks and blessings to Paul over at pvcann for nominating me for the nomination. This is new territory for me as it is my first nomination EVER! When I open my email this morning it was, “I got what? Holy cow!” I was more than a little excited.

I am an avid reader, but I usually get distracted by real life demands before I remember to express my appreciation for the author. I’m getting better about that. So, make sure to visit pvcann for peek into his outlook into life.

Though I am writer, most of my postings are topics written by others who seem to express my thoughts better than I do, and inspire me to share.

The Liebster Award recognises and celebrates bloggers, their content, skill, and contribution to the blogging community. The rules for accepting a nomination are:

Acknowledge the blogger who nominated your blog.

Answer the questions.

Nominate 11 bloggers to encourage them.

Ask them 11 questions.

Let them know you have nominated them.

Onward to the questions:

Answer The Questions

1. Name you best travel destination.

As a retired over the road driver and gold miners, my husband and I have traveled through the 48 contiguous states. We’ve found many hidden treasures in our travels, but I would have to name Colorado Springs, Colorado as one of our best. Though they have some of the same problems as a BIG city, it also has a small town feel. It’s only a short drive to all the things you visit Colorado to see.

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No Self Is An Island

By Kingsley Dennis

‘No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main’ … John Donne

‘For eternally and always there is only now, one and the same now; the present is the only thing that has no end.’ … Erwin Schrodinger

self

Whether we like to admit it or not, we need other people. Other people in our lives help to teach us about who we are. Their actions and attitudes are like a mirror that reflects to us not only aspects of human behaviour but also facets of our social conditioning.

It is said that our most dominant feature as humans, and similarly our most ignored facet, is that when we are speaking about other people, or things, we are actually speaking about ourselves. Because of this blindness we actually need other people in order to project ourselves onto them. And then perhaps in some moment of clarity we will gain the insight that our descriptions of others are in fact descriptions of ourselves. It is through our social environment and connections that a light may eventually shine back at us.

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Taking up the Path of the Bard III: Practice makes Perfect

The Druid's Garden

“You have so much talent” or “I’m talented enough” are powerful statements, statements I hear on a regular basis from those who long for a creative practice. The idea of talent can cause an incredible amount of inaction, of people not feeling they are “good enough” to even try. I see this, in particular, with the visual arts. But the first time you put pen to paper, if you aren’t Picasso or Monet, you might as well forget about it. This larger cultural ideal, of course, seems at odds with the druid tradition where Eisteddfod and the channeling of Awen are central to our spiritual life. In the druid tradition, creativity isn’t about producing something of commercial value or high quality, its about the channeling of creativity for spiritual purposes. But for those coming out of mainstream Western culture with all of the cultural baggage, this can be difficult to…

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Apartment Dweller’s Series: Urban Apartment Gardening: Gardening Tips For Apartment Dwellers

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

I remember the days of apartment dwelling with mixed feelings. The spring and summer were especially hard on this lover of green things and dirt. My interior was festooned with houseplants but growing veggies and larger specimens were something of a challenge, having minimal room on the patio or balcony. Fortunately, urban gardening ideas abound and there is a host of ways to grow tiny gardens for the space restricted gardener.

Challenges for Urban Gardening in Apartments

Finesse and commitment are required for urban apartment gardening. Space is not the only issue. Lighting and ventilation pose a concern, as well as the species and varieties which will thrive in confined and restricted spaces. Over the years, I gleaned some tips on how to grow a garden in an apartment. Follow along as we investigate gardening tips for apartment dwellers for a successful tiny landscape that is both beautiful and productive…

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Reparation and Healing the Land as part of American Druidry

I also live in an area of mining, paper mills, and farms, so I understand working with timbering and strip mine areas.
We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors, so we can only move forward with what was left behind.

The Druid's Garden

Sunrise over the land

Two weeks ago, I talked about what American Druidry looks like. One of the big issues that came up in conversations here on the blog in the comments and also in the comments on the Druid’s Garden Facebook page was guilt from those of non-indigenous heritage. Guilt about the legacy of abuses against Native Americans in this country–a legacy that continues to this day. Guilt of being here on this land, knowing that many of us who are here now are here because of three centuries of genocide. Guilt about knowing that despite all that we may do now, this past bloodshed colors the way that we interact with the land, our relationships with the spirits of the land, and everything else we try to do to connect with the land and build sacredness. In the last two weeks, I’ve heard how people feel the spirits…

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Artist of the Month GLORIA OJULARI plus Amazing ideas for Christmas 2017.

As We Approach the Winter Solstice

Good Witches Homestead

If you are like me, December can be overwhelming…. As we approach the Winter Solstice, the gift of sunlight is hard to come by, causing light deprivation, circadian disturbances, and shifts in melatonin regulation. The subsequent effects on mood, behavior and health can be difficult to deal with, especially since the reins of life’s expectations don’t loosen to accommodate these seasonal shifts. Instead, the holidays bring their own unique stresses and can add to a sense of depletion and anxiety.

In my case, it’s the same each year. The effects of light deprivation sneak up on me, much in the way that seasonal allergies seem to. I start feeling sluggish and apathetic. My eyes take on a dull ache and my skin and hair feel like straw. My sleep is less rejuvenating and I feel starved for more of it. When the morning alarm rings, it takes me by surprise…

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Veteran’s Day Tribute: “12 Strong” America’s Horse Soldiers

Straight from the Horse's Heart

“Each and every Veteran’s Day we attempt to highlight equine bravery that has helped to keep this country free and with that said, we usually land on telling the story of Sgt. Reckless, a little mare that attained the rank of Sgt. in the Marine Corp. during the Korean war. But there have been so many other horses who have served bravely and some not all that long ago. Which brings us to the upcoming release of the movie “12 STRONG” the unclassified true story of America’s first soldiers to enter Afghanistan after 9/11 and they did it on horseback.

We are not hyping a movie but instead applauding the telling of an important tale where horses were one of the most important components of battling for America’s freedom and sovereignty.

To all my fellow veterans, (both 2 and 4 legged) thank you for your sacrifice, your service…

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