tiny memoir: san francisco 1994

the layers of heat and smoke in the room mock the layers of cold and fog out on the street.

with each step my boots stick and softly rip away from the floor as i make my way through the sea of bodies to the little table against the wall.

on the stage, the man she loves is giving voice and rhythm to his poetry, gentle and fierce, full of joy.

the music and the crowd drown out our voices, but lifetimes speaking the secret language of girl friendship allow us to understand every word we say to each other.

later, homeward bound, we cross the bridge and slow the car to look back at the city.

like our young selves, it’s lit up in the distance, golden and complicated and spectacular and one-of-a-kind.

serendipity {№3}

last week i spent a few days on the beautiful outer banks of north carolina and attended my third art retreat there. this was a year i expected to go without the space and grace of a creative kindred gathering, but the stars aligned and a few of my work classes were cancelled during the week of serendipity.  i couldn't attend the full time of the retreat, but i fully lived two days of love and creativity and stayed offsite in a lovely and peaceful home.*

i spent one day writing in a circle led by two remarkable women, amy and maya, the founders of food for the soul train.  the writing exercises were powerful and we all brought our courage and love when it was time to share our words.  i loved that the deep intensity of the writing was lightened by humor woven throughout, an egg-in-spoon relay race on the lawn, writing in the sand and making tiny books, maya-and-amy-style.

my second day was spent soaking up the goodness of artist alena hennessy.  the way alena welcomed us and created a warm and gentle space was so lovely and inspiring.  when i attended my very first art retreat in 2009, the painting class i signed up for was the scariest thing on my schedule.  five years later, thanks to many talented and gracious teachers, painting is where i feel most myself.

as always, words seem a bit hollow when trying to describe retreat time.  so i will let photographs tell the story.

some serendipity loveliness:

amy and maya.

my wind-whipped dress finishing my sand sentence for me.

letting the ocean take the words.

making tiny books.

brilliant songbird chelsea making her tiny book.

a prayer.

these words, spoken by maya.

these colors.

beautiful, soulful alena at work.

one of my paintings (photo by alena).

little miracles.

tiny b, serendipitied.

nags head being perfect in october.

a morning mandala meditation that turned into the sacred blue heart of seaglass mary, created with bits from dawn's collection, with the help of a purring muse.

at serendipity if you wander too long on the beach at sunset and the colorful houses start to look the same in the dimming light, you can always find your way back.

listen for the laughter.
look for the twinkle lights.

other moments (of so many) i want to remember:

• creating with lavi, sharing space with her in both classes.
• the time in painting class when we were all absorbed in our own work, the ocean roaring outside the doors, and we spontaneously began singing along to mumford and son.
• holly's radiant face beneath her woodland crown.  
• chelsea's song about her parents' marriage.
• the vibrant orange butterfly that just appeared over stevie's head while she was talking about transformation.
• jen lee and tim manley and the art of friendship.
• the relatively sedate atlantic ocean, behaving like my wild pacific.
• jessica.  we connected briefly at serendipity 2011, had a facebook friendship for three years and it was like we completely knew each other, like we've been friends for years.  i love it when that happens.
• that this is what happens in this far flung community of kindreds:  we share physical space for brief moments, each year if we are lucky, but once connected, we share heart space forever.

previous outer banks art retreat love here, here, here and here (last two are squam-by-the-sea).



*this was the first time i stayed offsite during a retreat (almost always a registration option) and i noticed how this supported my introverted self even if i still missed some of the togetherness and new-friend-making that comes from staying in the retreat houses.  i'm pulling together a future blog post with some observations and tips for introverts while art retreating.  i know the large-groupness of it all can be a challenge and that some introverts might avoid the experience altogether, which is truly a loss for all of us.

sunday grace

this sunday morning there is snow and sunshine and coffee and sleeping dogs and a husband who went to a 7am yoga class (endless love and admiration) and this book:  the family of woman.  it's vintage, from the late seventies, photographs and words of and by women (a sister to "the family of man").  i crack it open when i need inspiration, clearing, grace, wisdom.

i had a beautiful week.  i set bare feet in (very cold) sand and let the (very very cold) atlantic wash away the final dust of last year.  i shared amazing chana masala and many stories with my dear friend/poet/artist donna wynn and we both noticed the way we can go a year and a half without seeing each other and then just pick up right where we left off.  i love that.

feeling living the love.

homemade kombucha with hannah

kombucha is a sparkly fermented tea.  you may have heard it called "mushroom" tea (it tastes nothing like mushroom).  i call it magic elixir.  it's an ancient probiotic brew that is detoxing and prevents all sorts of disease.  i just feel good when i drink it.  it took a really long time before i tried it but once i did, i loved it instantly.  i love it so much i am flirting with an addiction.  which is probably great for my health, but not so great for my budget given the cost of bottled kombucha in stores ($4-$5 per bottle).

my friend and yoga teacher sarah makes her own kombucha at home and sweetly offered to share a starter mushroom (scoby) with me and show me the steps to brewing my own batch.

meet hannah, sarah's daughter.  she is very talented in the kitchen.  she is already quite famous in our town for her healthy eating and mad culinary skills.  she is just a joy to be around.

we used 2-quart jars and the recipe from this beautiful book.

the recipe

(for each jar)

2 quarts filtered water

2/3 cup organic sugar 

4 organic black tea bags or equivalent loose tea leaves 

1 cup previously brewed kombucha

1 scoby (kombucha mushroom)

(you can find a thousand recipes online.  sarah says not to stress out about the precise recipe, she likes to experiment with different proportions and tastes.)

wash your hands and kitchen surfaces (cleanliness is pretty important in this process).

measure your tea into a clean, dry jar (or use teabags).

fill the jar about 3/4 full with boiling water.

add your sugar and stir well until the sugar dissolves.

(use a wooden spoon, not metal.)

repeat for each jar you are making.

allow the tea to steep.

seriously, how adorable are they?  a beautiful baby-wearing, kombucha-brewing yoga teacher and her amazing children.

kombucha...kombuda...kombuddha.  such a wise child.

let the brew cool to body temperature.  this is very important, you don't want to "cook" the scoby.  be patient.

remove the tea bags or strain the tea if you used loose tea.

add one cup of previously brewed kombucha (and cold water to fill the jar if necessary).

now for the scoby.

this is scoby (below):  symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast.  she is a culture therefore she is alive.  treat her right.  express your love and gratitude openly and often.

(she's quite a versatile substance, watch this to see how scoby is being used to make fabric.)

place one scoby in each jar.

once they are full, cover your kombucha jars with cotton fabric.  secure tightly with a rubber band.  they should look like they are in the sunday school christmas play.

they are now ready to be stored to "brew".

store them in a quiet warm space out of direct sunlight for two to three weeks.  (sarah suggested experimenting storing the jars in a cooler with a heating pad set to low.)

after three weeks, a new scoby "pancake" will have grown in your tea.   taste your tea.  it should be a bit tangy with a bite.  if it's sugary, it's not ready.  back in the cupboard.

(if any mold has grown in your batch, discard the entire batch, scoby and all.  you will know if there is any funkiness present.)

when it's ready, remove the scoby and save.  at this point you can flavor it if you like with hibiscus flowers, ginger, chai spices, etc.

pour off and bottle most of the brew, always leaving a cup or two of brewed tea and scoby for your next batch.  you can use glass jars or recycled drink bottles.

if you added flavors, you may want to store your bottled brew for one more week or so.  this will allow the flavors to deepen and promote effervescence.

speaking of effervescence...hannah likes to wait out the brewing process by star-stirring, cabbage hugging and making her baby brother laugh.

this is sarah's mothership scoby.  she is quite impressive, yes?

these are ready for storing.  in three weeks, i'll have my first batch of kombucha.  i'm going to add some hibiscus and ginger.

thank you sarah and hannah!  you completely demystified this process for me and i had a great time spending the morning with you.

if you haven't tried kombucha, i know it can look a little weird.  i encourage you to try it to see if you like it.  whole foods or your local health food store should carry a line.  you can also find local brewers at farmers markets.  if you are near southwest virginia, local brewer buffalo mountain makes amazing kombucha.  regardless of the source, there are a lot of varieties.  i suggest synergy trilogy or buffalo mountain hibiscus to start.  they taste great and you will feel awesome.

a few internet kombucha resources:
getkombucha.com
culturesforhealth.com
kombuchakamp.com

me by mindy

everyone (and by everyone, i mean my mom) always tells you that you need to be friends with 1) a mechanic, 2) a doctor and 3) a lawyer.  these relationships don't seem to be bearing friendships in my life.   

i'm drawn to poets, storytellers, hoolahoopers, yogis, stargazers and artists.  truth is, i'm working on being a card-carrying member of this group.  for now, as i toil away in the realm of the doctors and the lawyers with their diagnoses and laws and arguments and blame,  i allow my creative friendships to nurture me and fill me with hope.  i love seeing their lives and their work blossom in the warmth of the sun.  i love being there in their quiet periods and observing how their muses flutter between and among them like graceful powerful fay.

i love how artists see me.  they see the good and tell me and show me.  even my nasty bits carry a sheen of mythical power.  for that, i can't thank them enough.  it saves me.

this painting of me is by the very talented and magical mindy lacefield.  she sees a girl who has hope, who loves and trusts people, who believes in things like smiling and laughter and play and forgiveness despite the truths that she knows.

thank you true friend.

oh hi there

i've been quiet over here...not sure why.  i seem to be in a state of soft and easy exploration, an exquisite incubation of sorts.  sometimes i just want to be in it, not necessarily photograph and document it.  you know what i mean?

i wanted to pop in and share some friends' work that fills me with joy and pride and that is partly responsible for my retreat:

• sarah's book arrived a few days ago and i can't stop looking at it!  it's so gloriously beautiful.  i've been lucky enough to take sarah's mixed-media art class in person and her book really does make you feel like you are in the room with her.  i can't recommend it enough.
• and the very lovely jen lee has a new multimedia workbook to guide you through discovering and telling your own amazing story. 

i hope you are enjoying spring my friends!  see you here soon...

imagine the girl

who has a place in her heart for a pair of shoes. and not just any shoes. these shoes arrived from a faraway land. cradled in sparkly color and stars for their journey, they were met with a huge welcoming grin and a heart bursting with friendship at their destination.

they are unique, these shoes. not meant for your average girl. with their heart-shaped toes and fanciful patchwork, they were dreamt for girls who love color and words and curiosity. they are the shoes of gypsies, dancers, poets, wanderers, girls who wear flowers in their hair. they evoke happiness with their little rainbows on the heels.

these shoes are electric with wanderlust. they are moved to find their whimsical sister pair so that the shoes can stand beside each other, for while these shoes revel in their individuality, they have a deep understanding of the value of connection and belonging.

they are magical rainbow friendship shoes. and I love them.

beauty + hope

my sleepy little burg has been tagged by a you-are-beautiful messenger. I am lucky to see this reminder on the walk to my car after work...perfect location.

speaking of beauty...my dear friend Hope is running for a cure for Leukemia and Lymphoma in honor of her mentor, who was recently diagnosed. if you would like to spread some love, beauty and hope, please visit her fundraising page and share what you can.

hope, you are beautiful. I love you.

wish

john + teresa = happy life

(wish I was there to share your day)

happy holly

My colleague Holly will leave her paying job at the end of this week to be a full-time mom, gardener, cook and yogini. I wish her much happiness. She's going to need a cool apron (and the girls too!) for all the cookie-baking, finger-painting and glitter-gluing. How lovely!

1. bird apron (sold out)
2. stripes & flowers apron $30
3. cowgirl apron $18.75
4. vintage zoo apron (my favorite!) $38

happy birthday sunshine!

How old are you, anyway? Twenty-four? Twenty-five?