Sukkot

Sukkot 2014

Tonight is the start of Sukkot, a 7-day Jewish harvest festival that begins at the full moon in late September or early October.

The word Sukkot means “Booths”; Jews all over the world build outdoor booths for Sukkot, like the simple huts that farmers in ancient Israel lived in during harvest time. The roof is always made of leafy branches, open to the sky so that you see the stars through the leaves. Each family decorates their hut, makes it comfortable, and eats at least two meals there; they invite guests, light candles, and say prayers of thanksgiving for the harvest.

We are in the Waxing Gibbous moon phase, when I can settle again into the yin of Beingness. I will contemplate the big picture of my life as I practice mindfulness, self-care and trust. Now is a time to reconsider my intentions and make adjustments. It's a time to review and refine, a time to practice Being, and trust in the ebb and flow of the universe. 

Friday is my new day for creative thinking and doing; as Grandma Earth Teacher I am led to make things that are a gift to the Earth in some way, sustainable, and with a message. Also, I need to prepare for the next week of after-school time: A calm flow with some repeatable fun learning and ongoing fall projects.

Agenda:

1. Refine my intentions

2. Projects for the week

3. After-school flow

5. Preparedness

1. Refine my intentions:

In the Waxing Gibbous moon phase, I pause to reconsider my intentions, my patterns and approaches, and make adjustments.

1. Give daily attention to the End of Summer garden: I love puttering in the garden, following my intuition about what to do. This week, make a native plant wish list, and coddle my veggie starts.
2. Do the work to finish our home projects: I will make a list of tiny tasks and do one each day - Today: Gather painting supplies on the table.
3. Practice being open and available, and caring for what I receive: I'm keeping a journal to record what I want to receive and what I am nurturing, but it would be better if it was written out someplace.
4. Clear our home of excess: I'm making good headway on this! The morning is the best time, just before artwork. Next week: Toys, studio junk boxes, and Sanipac bins.

2. Projects for the week:

The projects I see as priorities now are:

1. For my substack: Better photos (native plants, seed heads, bee home packing up), and watercolor illustrations (Butterfly hangers, bird eating seeds!).
2. Craftivism and nature projects to support my Nature-Culture shifts (Butterfly hangers, Fall leaves retreat project).
3. House and practical fix-it projects: (my Earth coat, hall doors project).
4. Sharing skill and fall projects (Fall colors - leaves, acorns, writing art, a bat cave.)

Art project steps:

• F: Butterfly garden and seed head PH
• Sat: Cuff pattern
• Sun: Sew cuffs
• M: Make Butterfly Hangers + Start bedroom door papering
• T: Watercolor birds
• W: Watercolor birds
• Th: Watercolor birds + bee home packing up PH

Kid Projects:

• F: Aldo day: Bat cave papier mache + fix the fairy house
• T: Artie Day: Collect acorns, new bird cards, butterflies
• W: Aldo Day: Paint the bat cave
• Th: Both Boys Day: Paint acorns, beading 
• F: Aldo day: Butterflies + fix the fairy house

3. Preparedness:

I've been working on a way to assure that I get to the studio and work on projects with regularity, and decided to make a weekly list for tiny tasks. 

 

Art Preparations: 

• Sat: Research how to sew a cuff
• Sun: Set up to make butterfly hangers - find pattern etc.    
• M: PH of birds to paint: Downy woodpecker
• T: Set up to paint

Kid prep:

• F: Set up to make paste
• T: New bird cards, take binoculars and a collection bag for acorns, set up for butterfly painting
• W: Set up to paint (acorns and bat cave)
• Th: Fairy house plan