Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Today I am reminded again to honor the ongoing struggle for freedom, equality, and dignity for all people, and share in the efforts.

Agenda for today:

1. Love cycle

2. Intentions

3. Read "The Spirited Walker"

4. March
5. Index to MLK Day projects

Autumn Art

Fall is a great time to make art. I've defined three areas for What I Want and What I Will Do to Get it:

I want to make things with my hands to give away - useful things, things that inspire and teach, gifts and craftivism.This will be my late week focus, Thursday and Friday, and I will plan and prepare on Thursday morning. 

 

I want to make artworks with a message - things that explore and support my Nature-Culture writing. This will be my weekend focus, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, with at least two hours in the studio, and I'll envision, explore, write, and set out supplies on Saturday morning.

 

And I want to make things with my grandsons - fun things, exploring basic skills, seasonal materials, and folk crafts. This will be my mid-week focus, Tuesday and Wednesday, and I will do all the prep on Monday, gathering all the supplies and making samples.

Agenda Today:

1. Read "The Creativity Book"

2. Evaluate my creativity habits

3. Craftivism plans

4. Preschool plans

5. Do the smallest thing

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Today I am reminded again to honor the ongoing struggle for freedom, equality, and dignity for all people, and share in the efforts.

Agenda for today:

1. Intentions

2. Study

3. March

4. Index to MLK Day projects

Lughnasa

Lughnasa (loo-na-sa) is a Celtic festival celebrated in early August, usually August 1st. It's called a cross-quarter day because it falls approximately midway between summer solstice and autumn equinox, marking the end of summer in the Celtic tradition, and the beginning of the harvesting season.

The name Lughnasa comes from Lugh, the Celtic God of harvests, crafts, and the lightening flash, and nasad, which was an assembly or gathering. Lughnasad was a gathering to honor and appease Lugh, so he would hopefully not throw a summer storm temper-tantrum, and ruin the harvest.

Lugh is a master of all crafts, and is known for sharing his knowledge with humans. I feel a connection to Lugh-- he is the image of God as an Arts and Crafts Teacher! 

But he is also the trickster face of God-- chaotic, disorderly, operating outside the framework of right and wrong-- sending lightning at inconvenient moments. This isn't a comfortable image, but I have to face the fact that my spiritual life isn't always comfortable; sometimes what I harvest is tough to chew.

Agenda Today:

1. Journal Queries
2. Make gingerbread
3. Start an Earth-Quaker name tag

4. Play-dough

Chinese New Year and New Holiday Moon

The Chinese New Year starts when the new moon appears in China, so it's one day off from the new moon here, which rose yesterday. This is the month of the Holiday Moon.

The first day of the Chinese New Year is called Yüan-tan, the "Day of Origin". This one day determines the luck for the entire year, so Chinese people are careful to use their best manners and to remain honest and peaceful.

2021 is the year of the Metal Ox. People born this year are hardworking, active, always busy, and popular among friends.

Agenda for today:

1. Practice Receptivity

2. New altar

3. List my goals and set intentions for action

4. New moon meditation and prayer

5. Eat jai for breakfast
6. Give gifts
7. Make and give hóngbāo (money packets)

New Year's Day

Today is the first day of a new year in my part of the world. I celebrate many beginnings throughout my year, but January 1 has emotional importance because it’s the New Year of my childhood.

January gets its name from Janus, the two-faced Roman God of gates and doorways. January is a month to look back with reflection and forward with hope. I stand at the doorway of this coming year with my mind open and curious, without fear or judgment, and with hope for the gifts that the year will deliver.

As I stand here, I remember that not all gifts are rosy. I thank the Spirit for the shadows and mysteries, and potent gifts of sadness. When I live in the reality of the moment more than in my hopes and expectations, I can receive the riches that are hidden within my most challenging experiences - the gifts of compassion, self-awareness, creativity, wisdom, patience, love, strength of character, and integrity.

Agenda for today:
1. Kwanzaa principles

2. January journal queries

3. Set the tone for the New Year
4. Eat Hoppin' John