Illustration: The Peace of Wild Things

I love Wendell Barry's poetry.

The Winter Moon

Burnt out ends of smoky days

and so we keep them through our ways

and when we go we seldom know

what gods and mortals say

Rising moon above the gloom

is far above this mortal plain

night enshrouds the darkened clouds

we call you just the same

Chicken TV: Morning Gymnastics!

My old friend and fellow blogger Dave Crampton commented on my last post that he spotted some chickens over at the Genesee Garden Cohousing running loose. I do worry that my chickens will decide to fly the coop. They've been content to stay in my yard and nibble greenery there thus far.

I though I'd share a little Chicken TV in honor of those naughty chickens who did escape. My kitty Magellan really enjoyed watching their antics through the safety of the screen door.

Grow!: Favorite Seed Catalogs

I thought it would be fun to explore my word for the year through the months, seeing where my mind and creativity would take me.

I was looking at my mail the other day, and was excited to see another seed catalog in the mail. I get a ton of these every year and I spend the winter months reading them intently comparing costs, and varieties, pondering organic versus non-GMO seed.

When the sun is far away, it's seed catalogs that keep me going.

Pictures of plump tomatoes, perfect melons, crisp cucumbers. It's enough to make a gardener happy.

So for my first installment of Grow! I'd like to share some of my favorite sources for seed. Now's the time to be requesting seed catalogs and deciding what you might like to plant next spring. If you want to grow leeks, in a northern climate you need to have those seeds by February so that you can grow little starts to plant in the spring! Tomatoes started from seed need 6-8 weeks inside so you're starting those little buggers in April, as do peppers. Eggplants need even longer, the poor delicate things.

Gardners, start your engines!

Fedco Seeds

Johnny's Select Seeds

Jung's Seeds and Plants

Oikos Tree Crops

Territorial Seed Company

Are there any good ones I've missed? I'd love to find a seed company that was more local to Michigan, most of my favorites are from the east and west coasts. I'm always looking for new good seed companies.

My Word for the Year: Grow

Two years ago I chose Ignite as my word. I wanted to fire myself up, get off my butt and get something, anything, done. Then last year I chose Gathering as my word. I wanted to gather my tools, my friend, my resources, but what was I gathering for, if not for something bigger, something better?

And so, finding my word is so easy this year. No struggling with thesauruses or sneaky hiding for this word. It was waiting patiently for me, biding its time for me get going and gather up what I needed.

Grow

I have plans this year. Ideas. Goals. I've come a long way. Amazingly, this blog has gotten more than 20,000 hits! I'm comfortable calling myself an artist and I have plans for how to grow as an entrepreneur. I've planted the seeds, and now I must nurture myself as I continue nurture my family and community.

I want to grow my artistic discipline as well. The sketch above is from a new sketchbook, in which I intend to focus on completed works of art rather than my usual experimentation. I will still use my regular sketchbook to explore new drawing techniques and skills, but I want to use this sketchbook to focus on themes I love and favorite quotes. A treasure book.

I'm finding that my meditation practice is combining with my drawing practice, which pleases me. I have a hard time finding time for everything I love to do and everything I need to do, so combining these seems like a great idea to me! I hope to blog about combining my spirituality and my art more in the coming months.

And before I go, I want to thank all of you who read my ramblings and enjoy my art. It means a lot to me to know you're out there.

And to see more Words for the Year, visit some of these lovely blogs in the blog hop hosted by Geri of My Heart Art.

Thinking about a Word for the Year

I have some exciting new projects I'm working on for the new year that I can't wait to share with all you out there in Bloglandia, plus I have to get busy on my Word for the Year. I don't remember where I first heard of this concept, but I love it. Bloggers around the Interwebz pick one word to describe and encapsulate their hopes for the coming year. Two years ago I picked Incite, and last year was Gathering.

So start thinking!

What is your word for the year?

If you have a blog and send me a link, I'll post it on my Word for the Year post. Also if anyone knows where the idea comes from I'd love to link to that as well! Good luck for the coming year and may you be blessed with all that you need.

Super, Duper, OMGs, Santa's Elf Busy!

Which is why I haven't posted any delightful goodies or recipes or how-tos this month. It's not that I haven't had anything to post about, contrarywise, there's been tons of stuff to post about. Sadly I don't have a personal camera elf to follow me around and document what I do, and I didn't have time to craft and document this month. :(

Still, I am slowly coming to the end of the Holiday Crafting Bonanza, I should be completely finished in a couple of weeks.

So Happy Belated Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or Hanukah!

May the blessings of your Gods be on you in this holy time.