St. Valentine’s Day

Saint Valentine was a third-century Roman Christian who died on February 14. The poet Geoffrey Chaucer and his circle probably invented many of the romantic legends about Saint Valentine, in the fourteenth century. 

Valentine made by a student of mine.

It became a custom after that for a man to write a romantic poem to send to his beloved on St. Valentine's Day. Very fancy paper cards, with lace and ribbons, became popular in the 1840's, and that custom expanded into sending cards to Mom and Dad, and friends of all kinds.

Agenda today:
1. Journal:

In what condition are my friendships?

List the friends that I want to pay special attention to this month, those I feel distant from or whom I want to understand better and appreciate more; plan one small thing to do for each to nurture our relationship.

2. Make Valentines:

I like to make fancy valentines, and so over the year’s I have collected a big selection of valentine supplies: Doilies, ribbons, pink glitter glue, heart stamps and stickers, and special papers. 

One of my favorite supplies is an old date book with Victorian pictures that we cut up to use for collage.

Supplies: Piece of mat board (for the base), scissors, glue (glue stick, Tacky glue, and hot glue), special papers, collage pictures, doilies, ribbons, silk flowers, sequins, heart jewels, glitter glue, heart stamps and stickers, tissue paper 

A paper spring, made with 2 strips
of paper folded back and forth.

Paper spring in action

To Make:
1. Glue a doily, a collage picture, or a heart cut from special paper on to the backing.

2. Write a poem or saying on paper with fancy cursive- say something special.

3. Work for a layered look that will create depth- Be creative!

You can mount pieces out from the base with a paper spring, or create pieces that fold out.

4. Final touches: Add ribbons, flowers, lace, glitter, and stickers.

5. Make an envelope of tissue paper, stamped with hearts and seal with a heart sticker.

3. Make something sweet:
Try these Rice Krispies treats shaped like hearts! This is the classic recipe, but molded into a heart-shaped muffin tin.

Ingredients:

• oil 
• 3-Tbsp. margarine 
• 10 oz. package regular marshmallows (about 40) or 4-c. mini’s 
• 6-c Rice Krispies 
• M&M candies or cinnamon hearts 

1- Lightly coat heart muffin tin with oil and set it aside.

2- Melt the margarine in a large pot over low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

3- Add the cereal and quickly stir until evenly coated with marshmallow.

4- Spoon the mixture into the oiled muffin pan and press with oiled waxed paper, or with buttered fingers (once it starts to cool). If the mixture starts to harden, put it back on the burner.

5- Press candy on top to decorate. Place each heart in a clear plastic bag.

4. Housework:
February is a time of clearing away the excess to make room for growth. Clutter might give me the illusion that I have important things to do, but it adds one more layer of chaos and confusion to my life.

Now that I've gotten the mold in my house under control I can concentrate on clearing surfaces, sorting the stuff on my shelves, and donating things I no longer need. I take it one room at a time, and this week I will start in the bedroom:

• Clear out the closet, sort and re-arrange it.
• Throw out some papers and notebooks.
• Re-file my lesson plans (the in-basket is overflowing!)
• Give away some more books.

Sabath for Air

Geese meeting in the February sky.

Today is Sunday, which I celebrate as my Sabbath, meaning that I keep it simple, slow-paced, and peaceful. I take time out from busy-ness so I can practice deepening my inner life.

One way to balance with the universe is to give attention to the sacred elements- air, earth, fire, and water.

Today I plan to explore air, the element of wind, breath, inspiration, and spirit. Air is the great road in the sky- home of birds, and angels, and the life-energy we breathe.

Sabbath Plan:
1. All Day Meditation:
I begin my celebration of the Sabbath right away when I awaken-- I pause before jumping out of bed to remember God, and acknowledge that I have God within. I hold that remembering through the day, lightly, like a dove resting on my shoulder. I remember to smile and allow love to shine.

2. Altar: 

Today I add feathers and incense to my altar, for the air. 

I collect feathers on my walks, always picking up any feather in my path. Mostly I seem to find the feathers of crows and jays- crows are the symbol of transformation, fearlessness, and wisdom, and jays symbolize clarity, curiosity, and determination.

3. Practice Yoga Breathing: 

Breath is a connection between my body, my mind, and the universe. It also connects me to the past and the future: I breathe the same air that my ancestors breathed, and Jesus, and Buddha. 

My state of mind is linked to the quality of my prana or ki, the life-energy that breath provides. Yoga breathing- called pranayama- is the formal practice of controlling the breath, to nurture health and mental clarity. 

Sit up straight, to help the flow of prana. Breathe in deeply, filling the bottom of your lungs first, then the middle, and the top. Pause, then exhale fully, and repeat. Count ten breaths without thoughts interrupting. 

Find out more about pranayama here.

4. Inspiration Visualization: 

Every breath is a chance to receive inspiration, but where do ideas and images come from? What breathes into me when I am inspired? 

My thoughts shift and change like the clouds in the sky. To create the optimal conditions for inspiration I need to still them. When I pay attention to my breathing, stay present-centered, open to the IDEA of inspiration, and manage to have harmony of ki, then I connect with the ki of the universe, and ideas flow in. 

Settle someplace where you can see the sky. Practice pranayama for a few minutes, then close your eyes and picture yourself someplace high (I see myself on a bluff above the Pacific Ocean, on a sunny day). 

Feel the wind and the freedom. Feel yourself floating with the clouds. What message does the wind have for you? Breathe in the wind-message, deeply, and float with it for a while. Breathe out a reply. Come back to earth.

Lantern Festival

Tonight is Yuan Xiao, the 15th and last day of the Chinese New Year Festival. Tonight is the night that the full moon rises in China; yuan means "first" and xiao means "night" and that name describes the first time that the full moon is seen in the New Year.

This festival's other name is the Lantern Festival, because on this night folks make or buy lanterns of all kinds: shaped like flowers, or boats, or birds; made of bamboo, silk or paper; decorated with paintings, embroidery, paper cuts, tassels, and fringe.

Everyone takes to the streets to display their lanterns. It’s like a carnival: Children dress in costumes and watch parades with lighted floats, fireworks displays, puppet shows, and dances.

Agenda for today:

1. Make tang yuan, sweet dumplings:

It is a tradition to eat these round sticky dumplings today to symbolize the full moon and also family togetherness. 

They are delicious, but very rich, so only cook a few for each person, and freeze the rest to cook later. I used two different fillings- sweet bean paste (you can buy it ready to use at Asian Markets), and one made with black sesame seeds.

Sweet rice flour and black sesame seeds

Ingredients:
Sesame filling

• 1/4 c. raw black sesame seeds
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1/4 c. unsalted butter
• red bean paste (optional)

Dumplings

•  2 c. glutinous or sweet rice flour
• 3/4 c. cold water
• food color (optional)

Ginger syrup

• 2 c. water
• 2-inch knob of ginger-root
• 1/2 c. sugar 

Yield: 20 dumplings-

1- Toast the sesame seeds in a small skillet over low heat for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan and stirring continuously to keep the seeds from burning. They will begin to smell aromatic and they might start to pop. Grind seeds into a fine powder (a coffee grinder works well). 

2- Mix sesame powder with butter and sugar in a pot, and warm just until they form a thick paste. If the butter melts too much you might need to put the pot in the freezer for a few minutes. 

3- Form into 20 tiny balls and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. You can also form balls of red bean paste now, if you want, or skip the sesame and just make the bean filling. Freeze balls for about 30 minutes.

4- Meanwhile, put the rice flour in a bowl and mix with a little water at a time until it holds together and is soft like play-doh. Knead together until smooth. (If it's too sticky, add more flour, and if it's too dry, add more water.) 

Divide the dough into 2 or 3 equal portions; leave one portion white and add a drop or two of food color to the others, if desired. Knead again until the color is even. Cover and set aside.

5- In a small pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Smash the ginger root with a mallet, add it to the small pot, and boil for 10-15 minutes on medium heat. Add the sugar to taste (about 1/2 cup) and boil for another 5 minutes. Remove the root, lower the heat, and simmer until the syrup is a bit thickened.

Black sesame seed balls (left) and dumplings (right).

6- Heat up a large pot of water to boiling. Divide and roll the dough into 20 round balls. Pat one into a flat disk. Place a sesame seed ball in the center, and gently pinch the dough around the ball to completely cover. (If the dough feels dry, dip your fingers in water before shaping it.) Keep dumplings covered until you get them all made.

Dumplings beginning to float to the top.

7- Carefully drop the dumplings into the large pot of boiling water (only cook as many as you plan to eat now - you can freeze the rest). Use a wooden spoon to nudge dumplings so they don’t stick on the bottom. Boil gently for about 5 minutes.

8- When the dumplings float to the top of the water, add 1 cup of cold water (this will keep the skins from splitting), and cook for another three minutes. 

Scoop them out with a sieve and divide them into small bowls. Add the ginger syrup and serve immediately.

2. Hang a lantern:
In China, the lantern is a symbol of eternal hope. I make a new lantern each year to hang on the front porch.

I used a yellow cellophane around the jar on the left, and white tissue
on the small jar in the center.

Supplies: A clear jar, tissue paper (optional), red paper (we used butcher paper), double stick tape, wire, gold cord

1. Choose a clear jar, big enough to hold a votive candle.

2. Cut a strip of yellow or white tissue paper to wrap around the jar and overlap just a bit (I used cellophane). Tape the strip where it overlaps. Or you can leave the jar clear.

3. Cut many 1-inch strips of red paper a bit longer than the height of the jar; you will need between 11 and 20 strips.

4. Put a small piece of double stick tape at the top and bottom of each strip and attach them one at a time to the rim and the bottom edge of the jar, overlapping each strip by about half.

5. Add a wire around the top rim if you want to hang it outside. Decorate with gold cord around the top.


3. Riddle guessing: 
It’s a custom at the Lantern Festival to have riddle-guessing contests; people copy out a puzzling riddle onto a paper lantern, and hang it at the door, with the promise of a reward to any who may succeed in unraveling it. 

Here are some of my favorite riddles:

• What always goes to bed with his shoes on? (A horse)

• What has feet but can't walk? (A yard stick)

• What has eyes but can't see? (A potato or a needle)

• What has hands but can't feel? (A clock) 

• What has ears but can't hear? (Corn) 

• What has teeth but can't chew? (A comb)

• Take off my skin - I won't cry, but you will! What am I? (An onion)

• There is an ancient invention still used in some parts of the world today that allows people to see through walls. What is it? (A window)

• What gets bigger the more you take away from it? (A hole)

• At night I come without being fetched. By day I am lost without being stolen. What am I? (A star)

• The more you have of it, the less you see. What is it? (Darkness)

• What must you keep after giving it to someone else? (A promise)

• What is lighter than a feather yet harder to hold? (Your breath) 

• If you have it, you want to share it. If you share it, you don't have it. What is it? (A secret.) 

• When you say my name I disappear. Who am I? (Silence)

• What is always coming, but never arrives? (Tomorrow)

Tu b'Shevat and Full Snow Moon

Tu B’Shevat (too b’sch VAHT) is the Jewish New Year for Trees. It begins at sunset on the evening of the full moon of late January or early February-- but it's timed to the full moon in Israel.

Our January snow storm.

Tonight is also the full moon, called the Snow Moon. We had all our snow in January, but it keeps threatening a last sprinkling. The weather is wet and cold in any case.

This is the season when the earliest-blooming trees in Israel begin a new fruit-bearing cycle. In contemporary Israel it’s celebrated with tree planting ceremonies and a focus on ecological awareness. Many also share a seder (ceremonial meal) with tree fruits.

I like the focus on trees and ecology, but I also enjoy the deeper symbolism expressed by the Kabbalists: They have an image of God as an upside-down tree, whose roots are invisible to us, and whose trunk and branches reach downward toward us. Through this Tree of Life flows love, enlightenment, and persistent creation, causing the world and each of our lives to bloom.

Agenda: 
1. Altar:
It's time to clear my altar and discern what to put on it for February. (For my general thoughts on altars see About Altars). I generally keep it simple and choose only things that speak to me and feed me, and reveal what I believe in.

I put a few things back on my altar-

• the Greek Delphic injunction, Gnothi Seauton- Know Thyself.
• a grey candle, for objectivity and release
• my harvest doll, for luck and protection

Today I add-

• a pink candle for openness, receptivity, and generosity
• a piece of quartz, for the purity of winter
• a turtle, for long life and the patient earth
• an empty bowl to symbolize waiting with an open heart and mind.

2. Journal: 
The full moon is my monthly time for action and release: I look again at the “seeds of intention” I planted 2 weeks ago at the new moon and decide on my next steps to take; I take those steps; then I release my expectations in order to clear space for new ideas and new intentions.

How do I actively practice making a connection to the flow of love and Light that comes from the Tree of Life?
How can I be more open to receiving spiritual blessings? 
How can I be a better conduit through which blessings flow on to others?

Review the intentions I set 2 weeks ago, at the new moon. 

Do these goals all still seem vital? 
What are my next steps?
How can I be more openhearted and patient with the relationships, projects, and ideas I am nurturing?

3. Practice at my theme:
My theme this month is receptivity; like the earth- accepting the seed, and willing to nurture it. Receptivity requires that I be open, gentle, and available, but not passive: I must give attention to what I receive, and do the work required to care for it.

My goals this month are to:

• Continue to work at equanimity, and be less defensive- refrain from reacting to what might seem like an attack.
• Take the time to open myself to inspiration, and then do the work that inspiration gives me.
• Nurture my friendships.
• Give care and support to the committees I am on.
• Shower C & J's wedding preparations with loving attention!

4. Visualization: 

Light my pink candle and settle into quiet meditation. 
Focus on the tender emotion of generous love. 
Allow a smile to settle on my face and in my heart. 
Visualize love as soft, tingly, warm, pink light, and see it move from my heart to every part of my body so that every cell is glowing and vibrating. 
Now see the pink light of love radiating to fill the whole room, then the whole city, and the whole planet earth. 
See that all people, plants, and animals feel warm and happy. 
Send an extra dose of love-light to my family and close friends. 

Pray: "Great Spirit, open my heart to generous love."

5. Plant trees:

It’s a tradition to plant trees on Tu b’Shevat, or to donate money for the environment. I planted a lemon tree two years ago, and here it is now! 

6. Have a Seder: 
Eating fruit on this night helps to keep Divine blessings flowing in the world. We will have a fruit seder tonight at sunset.

I usually buy any fruits I feel like, but I try to include some of the seven species of fruits and grains named in the Torah (Deuteronomy 8:8): Wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates. 

We cut the fruit and arrange it on a big platter, and set the table nicely with candles and flowers. (I also make some whipped cream, for fun.)

When everything is ready, I light the candles and we say this prayer:

Baruch atah Adonai eloheynu melech ha-olam borey p’ri ha-eyts.

Blessed are You, our God, Who creates the fruit of the tree.

St. Dorothy's Day

St. Dorothy lived in Caesarea in central Turkey, around the year 313 AD. She was tried for refusing to worship idols, and a mocking lawyer asked her to send him fruit from the garden of Paradise. In response to her prayer, an angel appeared and presented three roses and three apples. 

She wrote: 

"And then said the holy virgin with a glad semblant: Do to me what torment thou wilt, for I am all ready to suffer it for the love of my spouse Jesu Christ, in whose garden full of delices I have gathered roses, spices, and apples."

Because of this, she is the patron of gardeners. Also of brides, and brewers.
 
Agenda Today:

1. Make Persian Spiced Apples: 

You might like to make this exotic treat to honor St. Dorothy.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 Tbsp. dried rose petals
• 1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground coriander 
•  1 c. pitted dates
•  1/2 c. pecans
•  4 large tart apples
•  1/2 c. sugar
•  3/4 c. flour
•  1/2 tsp. salt
•  1/2 c. brown sugar
•  1/2 c. butter

Yield: Serves 6- 

1- First make the Persian spice mix-- Grind up the rose petals with a mortar and pestle (I found it easiest to cut them up first with nail scissors). 


Mix the rose petals with the remaining spices and set aside.

2- Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 1-1/2 quart casserole. 

3- Cut dates in half crosswise. Chop the pecans. 

4- Peel and slice the apples. Combine the apples, pecans, and dates in the casserole and stir in white sugar and 1 tsp. of the spice mix. 




5- In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, brown sugar and 1-1/2 tsp. of the remaining spice mix. Cut in butter until the mixture is well mixed. 






6- Spoon topping over the fruit, and bake for 35 minutes or until apples are tender.

2. Garden Journal:

Each year on St. Dorothy Day I begin to fantasize about changes in my garden. I get out my seed catalogs and notes from last year, and start to dream about which new plants to grow, and which beds to plant them in. 

First I ask myself-

How can I make my garden 

• a better sanctuary for my family, 
• more comfortable for friends, 
• a greater learning-experience for my art class kids, 
• more mysterious and secluded, 
• more of a visual treat, 
• AND easier to keep up with?

This year I also ask-

• How can I grow as many flowers as possible to bloom for a May wedding?

3. Garden Visualization & Plan:

The winter garden is a blank canvas for visualizing colors, shapes and composition. Today I took a notebook outside, walked around my entire garden once, and examined it in a non-critical way. I wrote down these ideas:

• A protective wall of tall flowers (sweet peas, foxglove, sunflowers, hollyhocks, mullein...) along the west and also the east fences.
• Expand the herb bed upward and downward.
• Prune the hawthorn to get more sun in the front yard.
• Add a patio area near the back porch.

4. Make Garden Markers:

I decided to mark out where some plants will go as spring comes, so I made some garden markers from apple twigs and a milk jug.













Supplies:

• a plastic milk jug
• scissors
• markers (I used oil-based markers that write on anything)
• twigs and branches
• a jackknife
• wire and beads (optional)

1- Rinse out the milk jug and cut it into pieces.

2- Write down the names of the flowers and vegetables you want to plant.

3- Cut some sticks.

4- I attached the names in three ways:

If the end of the stick is thick enough, you can just make a slit with a knife and slide the plastic in.

Or you can make a slit, slide a narrow end in, and wire it closed.

Or you can punch a hole in the plastic and wire it onto the top of the stick.



5. Work Outside:
We are having record rains this week, so my time in the garden is limited. I need to set priorities, and work back and forth between visioning, planning, and actually working in the garden when I get the chance. My goals for early spring are:

1- Prune the apple tree.
2- Remove English Ivy from under the hedge (again).
3- Plant two beds of early blooming flowers: Sweet peas, Love in a Mist, Larkspur, and Poppies.
4- Start some other early flowers indoors.

5. Housework:
February is also a time of clearing away the excess to make room for growth. Clutter might give me the illusion that I have important things to do, but it adds one more layer of chaos and confusion to my life.

Now that I've gotten the mold in my house under control I can concentrate on clearing surfaces, sorting the stuff on my shelves, and donating things I no longer need. I take it one room at a time, and this week I will work in the living room:

• Clear out the china cabinet, sort and re-arrange it.
• Give away some more books.