‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS’

 

December 24, 2020

‘Twas the night before Christmas, up north at the lake,

Not a creature was stirring, not a soul was awake.

Papa and I were glum and alone...

We prayed that the Coronavirus soon would be gone.

We thought of the grand boys, home in their beds,

While visions of nerf-guns danced in their heads,

Tasso and Leo and Tommy, so dear,

Oh, how I miss them, I sniffed with a tear.

Then Papa decided to set out some poles,

To catch a big fish, that was his goal,

But, also to take his mind off the boys,

To forget how lonely it was without noise.

Down at the pier, Papa cast out his lure,

Crossing his fingers, and hoping to score.

A Bass would be good, or a Muskie, might,

Then he sat down to wait, enjoying the night.

The moon in the sky, shone down on the snow,

And the stars how they twinkled, oh, how they glowed.

As I gazed out the window...I yelped, with a fright!

For there on the lawn, the most preposterous sight...

An animal party, a band so faire,

A badger, a fox, and a big black bear.

They huddled together, out there by the wood,

And, I saw in that moment, perhaps they were good.

They looked up and saw me, and gave a small bow,

Then started to dance, as space would allow.

They all had an instrument, and knew how to play,

Jolly Yuletide music, to honor the day.

I couldn’t believe it, there was magic all right,

A droll little band, out there in the night.

Snowflakes were falling, a full moon, too,

A Christmas miracle, I knew it was true.

Just about then, Papa came up the stairs,

Carrying a bucket and all of his wares,

Startled to see that big wooly bear,

And all of his cohorts, frolicking there.

The spell was then broken, the animals fled,

Except that big bear, ‘Grrrrrrrrowl’, he said.

Papa dropped his bucket, quickly backing away,

And, out jumped a Muskie, his prize of the day!

‘Old Gray’ was a legend ‘round Presque Isle Lake,

Fishermen told stories of his smooth getaways,

Now Papa had hooked him, it was quite a snare,

Only to lose him, right there to that bear.

The black bear leaned over, he grabbed for the fish,

Before it could wiggle away, as it wished.

But, slippery and slimy, Old Gray seemed to know,

He could escape fate, if he didn’t move slow.

A flop to the ground, then a flip to the pier,

Old Gray seemed determined to get out of there.

He maneuvered his way to the edge of the stair,

Then, took a huge leap, up high in the air.

As he headed straight down, back into the lake,

I saw him twist ‘round, and give a sly wink,

And I heard that fish laugh, as he dove out of sight,

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOODNIGHT!

BACK IN BUSINESS

"I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it"- Shakespeare

The cabin is finally finished! The landscaping is finally finished! And, the decorating is nearly finished! (That will be a work in progress for awhile yet). It was a little over two years ago that Tom and I began this project, and I put my business on hold.  I wanted to devote my time and energy to building and decorating the cabin.  Now that it is pretty much completed,  I have been itching to get back to creating my Spirit Dolls. Last week I re-opened my Etsy Shop,  and this week I have been busy posting our (Kristin has stuck with me) latest creations!

Take a look at 'The Shaman'. He might be my favorite Spirit Doll thus far, and is the first one I chose to list in our 'new' Etsy Shop.

Please come back and visit often in the coming weeks. We have many new dolls to share!

*Shamanism organically arose all over the world, all throughout history, as a response to the needs of people. Shamanism is an ancient collection of traditions based on the act of voluntarily accessing and connecting to non-ordinary states — or spirit realms — for wisdom and healing.

The word “shaman” comes from the Siberian Tungus tribe, and it directly means “spiritual healer,” or, more cleverly, “one who sees in the dark.”

Generally, there is one shaman per community. These shamans access the spirit realm for the purpose of individual and communal growth and healing — they do this by restoring and removing energetic pathways, recovering soul parts, and communicating with non-physical helpers to discover the spiritual aspects of illness and find answers to life’s seemingly impossible questions. This reality-penetrating ability marks them as the world’s very first doctors, storytellers, mystics, and even psychotherapists.

Shamanism comes with a great responsibility. Alongside simply accessing these worlds, they must possess the ability to transform what they have learned and experienced into a concrete change in the physical world.

Shamans also act as great teachers, for they teach that everything is spirited; that all things are interconnected and alive, including (but certainly not limited to) the Earth itself, the stars in the sky, and even the wind in the air. For this, it is also the shaman’s role in a community to demonstrate and maintain the harmonious balance of humankind, nature, and spirit.
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* 'The Shaman' is made of salvaged, recycled vintage fabrics, textiles, ribbons, yarns, jewels, crystals, beads, buttons, furs, feathers, twigs, bones and stones. His face is hand formed, hand painted polymer clay.

* He is approximately 18” L

* He is an original and one-of-a-kind, collectible art doll

* He comes with his own stand, or he can be hung on the wall.
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 https://www.etsy.com/shop/rhinestonegypsy

(or, click on the ETSY link on the right hand side of this blog to go directly to our storefront).

CAMPFIRE MAGIC

"Moonlight. Fireflies. Wolves. Star gazing. Stillness. Lovemaking. Dreaming. Magic.
I am in love with the night."

Memories are made sitting around a campfire telling stories, singing songs, or making s'mores!  We knew we wanted ours to be a cozy space for entertaining......

Our landscaper used various sized boulders gathered from our woods to create the fire pit circle and the wall surrounding the area. He even found some beautiful flat boulders he incorporated for built in seating! He then filled in the space with huge colorful flagstones.

We are thrilled with the result!  It is cozy and comfortable as well as stunningly beautiful!

CABIN GYPSY

" I have a room all to myself...it is called Nature." - Henry David Thoreau

My husband, Tom, and I own a wee bit of paradise on Presque Isle Lake.  We have owned the land in northern Wisconsin for 23 years-having bought it with intentions to build our very own dream cabin way back then.  But, shortly after that, the economy took a downturn, so we put our plans on hold.  Luckily, the property came with a quaint little old cabin that we cleaned up and used. For 23 years. But, accommodating six of us in that tiny space was a lot easier when the kids were young.  Now they are grown, getting married and having babies of their own...and that little cabin just couldn't hold everyone anymore. So, finally, last fall we began the building process...

...and finished a few weeks ago ( well, we still have plenty of decorating to do, but, that will come in time) and are currently working on the landscaping.

We have been going up most every weekend, but, as soon as Tom finishes his final development project here in Mc Farland (hopefully by summer's end), we hope to spend much more time exploring our northern wilderness while we are 'roughing it in style' at our cozy new home on the lake.

LOVE ON A PONTOON

"Above you are the stars, below you are the stones.

As time passes, remember...

Like a star should your love be constant,

Like the earth should your love be firm.

Possess one another, yet be understanding.

Have patience with one another,

For storms will come, and they will go quickly,

Forced to dissipate in the light of your love.

Be free in giving of affection and warmth.

Have no fear, and let not the ways or words of the unenlightened 

give you unease.

For the Old Gods are with you,

Now and Always."

Kristin and Michael got married a little over a month ago. My nature-loving daughter has always has a special fondness for our rustic little cabin in the wilds of northern Wisconsin, and it didn't take much cajoling to convince Michael to get married there.  Surrounded by the lush summer woods, the clear blue sky, and the pristine waters of Presque Isle Lake, they affirmed their love upon the bow of a pontoon boat.

I have waited to write about the wedding because I wasn't sure I could convey the overflowing joy that I felt. And, to be honest I am still not sure that I can. Kristin was radiant all weekend. Michael couldn't stop smiling. I was certainly caught up in the magic.

On Friday afternoon, August 8, we cruised the lake aboard our big, beautiful wedding barge. Just minutes after we stopped for the ceremony,  Lukas accidentally dropped Molly's cell phone in the lake. It didn't take long before someone spotted the phone in the water, and in a flash Austin whipped off his sports jacket, shirt and shoes and dove in to retrieve it. With phone in hand, he climbed back aboard the boat, put his jacket back on, ran his fingers through his hair, and proceeded to perform the ceremony! The incident calmed the nerves and made a fun 'wedding mishap' story!

Kristin and Michael spoke to one another about companionship, commitment, and respect. They promised to be each another's anchor in any rough waters that may lay ahead, they vowed to let their love be the powerful sun that could break away any dark cloud, and to be the other's mate for life-always at the helm of their shared destiny.

The wedding was lovely, simple and heartfelt. The day was glorious from beginning to end. The weather was perfect. The backdrop was gorgeous-loons, eagles and blue heron all in attendance. And, most importantly, we all shared it as a newly formed family. A family born of happiness and love.

RUPERT THE FOX

While we were at the cabin this past weekend we had an unlikely visitor. A wily fox came trotting down our driveway. He came within ten feet of our front door and plunked himself down. He hardly flinched as Tom took him out some pieces of left over steak from our dinner. He ate them up and waited for more. So, Tom then took him out some chicken. We watched in fascination as he buried that in the nearby woods. He held his post near our front door for a couple hours, not at all skittish, as we came and went. As darkness fell, he fell asleep there in his 'spot'.

He brought to mind the passage about the fox from one of my favorite books, 'The Little Prince':

"It was then that the fox appeared.

"Good morning," said the fox.

"Good morning," the little prince responded politely, although when he turned around he saw nothing.

"I am right here," the voice said, "under the apple tree."

"Who are you?" asked the little prince, and added, "You are very pretty to look at."

"I am a fox," the fox said.

"Come and play with me," proposed the little prince. "I am so unhappy."

"I cannot play with you," the fox said. "I am not tamed."

"Ah! Please excuse me," said the little prince.

But, after some thought, he added:

"What does that mean--'tame'?"

"You do not live here," said the fox. "What is it that you are looking for?"

"I am looking for men," said the little prince. "What does that mean--'tame'?"

"Men," said the fox. "They have guns, and they hunt. It is very disturbing. They also raise chickens. These are their only interests. Are you looking for chickens?"

"No," said the little prince. "I am looking for friends. What does that mean--'tame'?"

"It is an act too often neglected," said the fox. It means to establish ties."

"'To establish ties'?"

"Just that," said the fox. "To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world . . ."

Molly named our 'tamed' fox Rupert.  We will be waiting for him on our next trip to the cabin.