Rose Cottage

  As January comes to a close, we are finishing our first blog challenge for 2025. It's been fun visiting each other's blogs, giving us a kaleidoscopic view of each other's worlds. New recipes, creations projects and inspires abound!  As this challenge ends, new opportunities beckon. One SiStar blogger has even set up a Pinterest board, inviting us to post favorite articles!  Emily, Mary, Josh n me Yesterday my son and granddaughter Emily came to town and we had a quick and sweet visit! Emily turns 21 tomorrow, so i passed on her gift. We stopped by Mary's work for 'a hug' (in facilities, at our nearby Uni)  In February I'm looking forward to our next space Reset (my Atelier/ Library and closets are next on the list!) and delving back into my  ᏣᎳᎩ Studies. I'll be blogging about that journey again - stay tuned! Connected I am taking a couple of my friend Cindy's creative workshops, combining Soul Collage ™  Mixed Media, and Intentional Creativity ™!...

   This winter has been lovely for my Bo Jo Hua Chrysanthemum tea plants!  I first saw them several years back, at my friend Melissa's Van Hevlingen Herb booth at the Farmers Market. She had two varieties, which bloom in the late fall like other Mums.  Bo Ju Hua (Chrysanthemum morifolium) doesn't set reliable seed, so is only available as plants - and I got one to try in my garden! When I moved across town, I brought it with me.  Bo Jo Hua and ginkgo on the drying rack Married to a botanist for 20 years, I've enjoyed herbal tea or tissues since the 70s, and growing up,  drank green and black tea with my mama. I grow many culinary herbs, and have tended a small Edible Landscaping  tea garden  for two years.   I found several blog posts about tea chrysanthemum, which support the liver, eye health, and are good for the heart, type 2 diabetes and easing headaches!  (Sage Garden Theory)  on a Growing Tradition, Thomas recounted his ...

  A helpful tip for any home care journey is to 'carry a clipboard' and tour your space regularly!  Clipboard & note pad In 'One Thing At a Time,' Cindy Glovinsky writes, 'face your possessions with a clipboard in your hands, and there's no way they're going to run over you. A clipboard puts you squarely in charge of the Things in your life.' (P 15)  Cindy suggests using a legal pad - but I have a sweet vintage half-size board, that my mom made many notes on (often on pads she made her self from 'scratch paper,' stapled together!) It's perfect for the 4x6" sticky note pads which were in my Christmas stocking! Our family loves this size note pad - and i love  the practice of checking off what's done! You can also use digital systems - and remember to check them periodically!  From the bookshelf In 'Finding Yourself at Home,' Emily also suggests using a clipboard or notebook, as you tour your home with fresh eyes!  Choose ...

 Feng Shui has been an interest of mine for decades. Literally meaning 'wind and water,' Feng Shui invites us to tune into our natural environment, and appreciate our place in it.    Practioner  Amanda Gibby Peters   reminds us that our homes are always talking to us - are we listening? Here's her podcast on loving up your   front door .  A great practice - stand in front of your house and observe, as of it were your first visit - is the number clear, and the front door obvious? Does the path invite you forward? Do you feel like you'll be welcomed in? If there are steps, do they look safe? Is their a rail? Jot down your ideas on what needs improvement, invite assistance where you need to delegate. Think of what you wish to invite in, and what needs to stay away!  Welcome in... As the Lunar New Year approaches, (January 29th), there are  several things we can do in preparation to welcome the year of the Snake. The first - spruce up the entranc...

  ᎤᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ  ᎢᏤ  ᎠᏕᏘᏱᏍᎬᎢ   U-li-he-lis-di  i-tse  a-de-ti-yi-s-gv-i (happy New Year!) We've crossed the Threshold into 2025, and near the end of the month, will greet the Asian Year of the Snake (January 29). This is a great time to create 'physical  and metaphorical space for fresh Chi / energy and fortune' by clearing out old, stressed and stagnant energy from the year past.  I'm participating in the January Ultimate Blog Challenge  - always inspiring!  Buddha's Playhouse In Karen Kingston's book " Clear your Clutter with Feng Shui ," she suggests asking yourself these questions as you're clearing: Does (an object) lift my energy when I look at or think about it? Do I absolutely LOVE it? Is it generally useful? When the answer to any of these is, 'No,' it's time to move it out of our space! In her 18 day guide to making way for the new year, my friend Gwynne Warner writes, "It's absolutely fine to delegate this, it just needs...

 ᎤᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ  ᎢᏤ  ᎠᏕᏘᏱᏍᎬᎢ   U-li-he-lis-di  i-tse  a-de-ti-yi-s-gv-i / happy new year! What's on your creative table in 2025? For 2024, our pastor Erika Marksbury got a grant to use  Bonnie Smith Whitehouse 's lovely book, Seasons of Wonder, for inspiration and focus. The grant covered copies of the book for the congregation, plus supplies for our monthly Makers Meetings and funds for field trips; and we met in small groups for monthly discussion.  I really enjoy Bonnie's approach of interweaving gathering as a circle (!!), sharing creativity, connecting with nature, each other and the Divine.  I've ordered her  Kickstart Creativity   cards for more inspiration. In her introduction to Seasons ofWonder, Bonnie quotes  Steven Charleston ,  ' It is all a circle, the ancestors said -- an endless circle within a circle. The drum is a circle.  The dance ground is a circle. The earth is a circle.  There is no us or them...

  As October comes to a close, we are finishing our fourth and final BlogBoost challenge for 2024 - we did it! The next challenge will begin with the new year in January, so save the link!  Whether we posted daily, or just more regularly, we've all gained from the challenge.   It's always fun visiting each other's blogs, taking a kaleidoscopic peek into each other's worlds.  As this challenge ends, new opportunities beckon. F ollowing our blog challange host Paul's tips, I plan to continue posting several times a week, and visiting other blogs. Checking my stats, my most popular posts this month were about my Cherokee journey  the Blog Roll , and prequel to my Reiki 1 class .   And ... the all 'round favorite, with 435 views, is FRONT DOOR !  After teaching Reiki 1 last weekend, I committed to joining my students in doing self Reiki and supporting practices for 21 days. I plan to post practices and tips on my K ing's Touch Reiki  blog...

  My granddaughter Kayleen called this week with a request. She was trying to crochet a hat with leaves for her kitty, and was running out of time - could I possibly make it?  A number of kids at college have service animals, and she's entering Zella in a costume contest ... yes, of course I could!  KK sent me the patterns ( hat and leaves ), explained her ideas, and brought over the yarn and a couple of hooks.  My kitty Percy wasn't very cooperative, so I brought out Galina -  ᎦᎵᎾ -  to try it for size. (And - of course - she wanted one of her own).  ᎦᎵᎾ in Zella's leafy hat So I made her one with dragon-red flames, and a second leafy hat for one of the other kitties -  Charizard amigurumi is modeling the second. (Do you think his hat and ties would be better in the green?)  Charizard and Galena  KK was delighted! And offered to leave the yarn, 'I know where to find it if I need it again!' ...  That green yarn and modificatio...

 It's a wrap! We had a lovely time in our Reiki 1 class this weekend, with my granddaughter Emily and her mom joining the other students yesterday. (Emily is a college student, and they could only stay half the day.  We three will get together later, to complete the teachings) Robin, Seana and Nadya after Reiki class The class was so sweet, and the Time Angels assisted us each day! The space was great for our class, with a cozy seating area for talking story, hot tea, a session room that's perfect for practicing the treatments, and we created the cards in the conference room! Making small cards or prayer flags for inspiration, affirmation, setting intention is one of my favorite quick projects, and is a perfect way to connect with the Reiki Precepts or Principles!  Collage card on brown paper In many traditions, flags of paper or cloth are hung to send prayers, praise and blessings on the wind. Cards can be placed on a shelf, or tucked into a journal pocket. (A pretty en...

 This week, I invited you to pose a few questions - thank you for entering the conversation!  Most of your inquiries were about some of my interests - spirituality, crafts, and studying Cherokee - where did they begin? All are rooted in growing up wi th my parents - nurtured and inspired by their love, and inspired by their interests. We each had our own take on these - and i was encouraged to deepen with my own.   Lois • Nadya • Byrle - 1962 I'm an only child, and my parents were 37 and 40 when I was born!  My mum had polio during the epidemic in 1921, and was on crutches from her teens until she was 85, and went into a wheelchair for the next 7. Her mama encouraged her to do what she could for herself, and she did! Lois was plucky and self sufficient, training as a secretary, and working around the state for the Farm agency. My folks met at Grange (a Fraternal farm organization) in the 30s, when AB came to Central Oregon to farm with his brother. I was impres...

 Turnip carving -  This was fun! I was intrigued, reading about the tradition of carving jack-o'-lanterns in the British isles, using turnips!   (In her post on the 17th, Vedya mentioned this old practice!) Carving turnips goes back hundreds of years, long before new world crops (including pumpkins, tomatoes, potatoes and other plants) were introduced. In Switzerland, they hold a turnip lantern festival, called Räebelichtli Umzug . Turnip hollowed with a spoon   So - I got the largest turnip in the bin, heated it  about 10 minutes in my Air Fryer (to soften it a bit), then used a knife and spoon to scoop out the interior, and then to incise designs.  Carved and lit from within Since they are smaller than the new world pumpkins used these days, a battery tealight is suggested for lighting; I used a real candle for the pics - and made the handle from twine. Another side My friend Kathleen Schulte sent me this Pic of a carved turnip they spotted at...

 Firstly, ᏩᏙ - Thank you  for visiting Rose Cottage, and reading my adventures! I have a wee favor to ask of you! Now that you are here, what would you like to know? Have any of my recent posts that stirred your curiosity? Door into mystery I s there a question you would like answered? Perhaps you're curious about our move to Rose Cottage, or setting space.  Or - do you have an old story  that keeps replaying? Would you like a process to help shift or even alchemize it?  You're invited to ask me something, or share a  trouble.  Tomorrow, I will select a few of your questions and offer my answer!  So, leave a comment below and ask me a question! Thanks 🌱  Nadya

  This weekend marked the 15th birthday of achaf-hammi , the plankhouse at nearby Grand Ronde, which 'provides a traditional space for countless activities, events and ceremonies.'    Pre-European contact, these long plankhouses played a vital role for the indigenous people of the rainy Pacific NW, serving as winter homes, store houses, and meeting places for the large extended families, who've been here over 10,000 years. (Similar Longhouses were used in Europe and Asia)  Tribal Histories - David Lewis I am so grateful we were invited to attend this celebration, and went with 2 of my Native Voices bookgroup friends, Emily and Judy!  Our g roup members read and discuss books by indigenous authors, and we've visited  Chachalu cultural center   at Grand Ronde several times. C hachalu, which translates to 'the place of burnt timbers' the name given the area after a massive forest fire in 1856.     The reservation is home to members of mor...

  One of the joys of blogging is 'meeting' others through their blogs! One of our prompts on the October Ultimate Blog Challeng e was to write about blogs you enjoy and follow.  For a number of years, I joined the Friday 'Paint Party' blog roll, and had several favorite blogs i visited regularly! It was a treat seeing many styles, and I enjoyed the perspectives of those writing in other countries.  Moon journal I was disappointed when the group disbanded a few years back .... Checking an old link, I discovered some of my favorite bloggers are still going strong, and participate in current blog rolls prompting creative projects! ( Here's one  blog roll, if you enjoy art blogs!) One is Valarie-Jael   (Germany) whose art and reflections I always enjoy. Want a virtual coffee companion? Dora / Peppy-Lady  (Idaho) is a gem - and the Coffees usually on at her place!   Feng Shui and creating cozy spaces is another longtime interest, and blogs are a good w...

   Do you know self heal?  This simple, easy to  find and identify  t onic herb in the mint family has a long history of herbal use in many cultures, including Native, Western and traditional Chinese medicine. Its gentle healing properties and general safety are confirmed by recent research.  This  YouTube clip  by Herbal Jedi gives a great overview on how to identify, harvest and use this mint relative, Prunella vulgaris. Our Western Oregon native variety: lanceolata, is easily found in yards and vacant lots. In contrast to  other mints, self heal's taste is neutral, so it's easy to include in salads, add to tea or cook with other greens.  Prunella is classed as a tonic herb or  adaptogen , which helps the body manage stress, and return to homeostasis or 'reset' itself.  Adaptogens can generally be used on a daily basis, and are easily incorporated into a healthy diet. They are often herbs which need to adapt, often growing in...

 Being human can be thought of as a dance of finding balance between our connections and our own unique spark, our place and purpose.  In Okinawa, home of more centenarians than most other areas of the globe, discovering one's purpose is a key factor to well being, and is called Ikigai . When we align with our values and purpose, we are more content in good times, and resilient in times of stress. This in turn can lead to enhanced health and wellbeing.  Some factors which promote my sense of well being include enjoying a mainly whole foods diet (with a preponderance of local,  fiber rich foods, fresh when possible), moving throughout the day, spending time outside, connecting with friends and family, and engaging in creative pursuits.   For over 40 years, I've been engaged in Healing Arts as a Licensed Massage Therapist, and feel inspiring others fulfills my sense of purpose. I've always identified a creative, and enjoy teaching creating and healing. ...