Joy of the season

The wheel of time has turned and autumn is on its way. The rains have started. I sit with tea cup in hand and look out. I think about this past summer. It was wonderful. I finally found out how to find peace with our property. I no longer can keep up the paid crew of gardeners working for owners of the NEW mega mansions that surround us. So, instead of changing MY ways I am simply calling our property a 'camp'. It was amazing how that changed my mood. Nobody expects a camp to be perfect. Really, the only thing missing is a lake. We have two craft lodges, a covered eating area, fire wood galore, and the old caretakers cabin. Ha ha - Smile. There it is - my zen. The things on my to-do list haven't changed they just have been given a new perspective.
Come see -

Ivy was removed, a new path to Raven Lodge and even an outdoor easel for messages to visitors or for painting or whatever one wants to do at 'camp'. 

Of course one thing lead to another... and Bell Garden and Labyrinth was created.

It is a meditation garden. 

You ring the bells to enter then straight on to the dukkha wall. 

This is the wall of dukkha - there is a rusty thing that represents most all types of suffering. Like the  shovel head - you know when you keep talking when you should have stopped. It's like digging your own hole and you regret it.. The  drill for those thoughts that drill into your head; the grater - thoughts that grate. You see how this goes. I quickly learned to leave any unsavory thoughts there at the wall. 

You hike past the stone elders and 

objects that remind one of faith...

or fairies 

or nature

and water

The table that holds gifts to the seasons, the spirit and reminds me to be grateful. 

I pass the tub of living things in a closed system. I am reminded as I try to encourage water plants and gold fish to survive that earth is a closed system. oh, how we humans have mucked it up.

 

By the time I make it to 

my open gamme (Sami for spiritual shelter)

sometimes I refer to it as my crannog

(a Scottish building over water)

there is time to light a candle and meditate. 

The making of the garden, the visiting it daily - all of it has helped me find peace. 

When you are at peace it is easier to create. 

I participated in Puget Sound Book Artist first book exchange. 

The theme was 'pocketbooks'.

Here's mine:

I used my printmaking designs for the envelopes. Each envelope had a little book.

Here's the book I received in exchange. 

It was made by Bonnie Julien. 

It is a Chinese sewing thread book. They are extremely difficult to make. 

What a treasure for me. 

The highlight of these past six months has been my collaboration with the 

Vérité WOWers. 

As with the calling our place a camp - 

one thing lead to another with this collaboration. 

We WOWers published a book 

so everyone had a record of their square and our project. 

Of course we needed a bookmark!

Do you know how hard it is to photograph a 100+ inch accordion book!

Well, sure, let's have a banner and bags and hats. 

Why not!

 Things came to sweet culmination for the WOWers this past Saturday.

There was a lovely Opening at Collins Library on the University of Puget Sound campus.  

We all celebrated. It was so much fun.

Don't tell them tho...

I already have a new project in mind 

just in case we have snow again and can't row. 

If you are interested in knowing more about 

Vérité WOWers here's a link:

https://veritetacoma.blogspot.com/