Are you taking a leave of absence? She whispered her question as if I were planning a prison escape.
No. What Iris had in mind did involve absence, but truly, it was more about arriving back at presence. In Hiking Naked, Iris Graville takes us along on her journey of stripping life down to what is most essential. This is a book about reclaiming your joys.
If ever there was a time to plan a prison escape, surely it would be now. Just as Iris felt imprisoned by the burnout of years in the public health field, who among us is not wishing for an escape from the weariness of daily crisis... from the pandemic stress in which we are engulfed?
For me, being immersed in the author's sojourn to a place far removed from constant bombardment was not only a much-needed respite, but also a knowing, as Graville put it, of "the riches of attending to what's truly important."
Anyone who has ever fantasized about moving to a remote haven far from the madding crowd will relish this account of Graville's time spent in Stehekin (a Native word meaning a way through), Washington. As Iris ferries us via her writing to this uplake North Cascades paradise, we discover ourselves in a place any lover of Northern Exposure would find intriguing and refreshing.
Imagine living without TV, phones, freeways, or frenzy. Think what it would be like to mail-order your groceries (and have a stranger named Alice select your food items for you).
Envision a time of reading, writing, hiking, and just being. Wrap your mind around days filled with art, bread-baking, letter-writing, laundry-hanging, and journaling about the desires of your heart.
In the process of becoming "Stehekinized," Graville found her own way through the tumult of both internal and external fires and floods. As she sought balance, and let Stehekin live within her, Iris found the path to what was next.
I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for clarity, for renewal, for a clear sense of calling, for a return to the essence of life. Here's to finding your own Stehekin. May the way through be a journey to joy.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Lawn Leaf Blowers Reviewed Photo from Getty Free Images
We Live in a small quiet village in Western New York, surrounded by so many
big trees. We have a small yard so it's not that difficult to take care of.
When the fall season arrives, and the leaves turn those beautiful colors
it's a breathtaking sight and so beautiful.
It's not long before the leaves fall to the ground, cover the lawn and clog
the gutters. Last year my electric leaf blower burned up, I wasn't too
disappointed when this happened as I've had it for many years.
Lawn Leaf Blowers Reviewed
It was time to find a new leaf blower so I began my search. I had to decide
between electric, gas-powered, or Cordless. My first thought was, instead of
dragging a couple of extension cords around the yard how about a new
gas-powered leaf blower.
As luck would have it a friend of mine let me use his gas-powered leaf
blower for a couple of days. As far as blowing leaves it worked very well.
But, for me, I found it too heavy and hard to start. This was my opinion I'm
sure many people love their gas-powered leaf blowers.
There are many cordless leaf blowers on the market. I wasn't thrilled with
the reviews that I read on cordless. I think the cordless is great for
blowing off sidewalks, patios, and decks. I just wasn't convinced that
cordless would be good enough for the big job of the leaves.
I decided on a new electric Weed Eater Leaf Blower. Since my old one was
the same brand and it served me well. It's lightweight, with an ergonomic
handle for ease of handling, has an airspeed of 130 MPH, with low
noise.
I couldn't be happier with my new leaf blower. I use it throughout the year
to clean off my deck and to blow the leaves out of my rain gutters. I made
my own extension attachment from some leftover downspout and an elbow. Since
we live in a one-story home it's easy to clean the gutter from the
ground.
I would recommend this leaf blower to anybody. There are other popular
brands on the market. I find this one to be inexpensive with a five-star
review.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
I appreciate all the seasons and I love the time of year when the leaves
start to change colour. Although the vibrant colours of the beautiful spring
and summer flowers are now a fond memory, Autumn leaves are equally
gorgeous.
I love to see all the different colours and when you look more closely
all the diverse shapes and textures of the leaves. Underfoot if it's dry
they feel scrunchy and if it's wet they are all slippery.
When the wind blows you can hear the rustle of the dry leaves and some
get caught up and fly higher into the sky like wild confetti!
In the Fall/Autumn season we are treated to the stunning show
of reds, golds, bronze and russets to lift our spirits as the days grow
colder and shorter.I do have happy memories of Autumn that stay with me always.
There are many beautiful and lasting memories that can be made at this
time of year between children and their parents or grandparents and I
wanted to highlight some of the uses and joys to appreciate this season's
beautiful falling leaves.
There is nothing quite like standing under a large tree when its leaves
are changing color to golds and reds gazing up at the sky as the sun
is streaming through, it is truly a magical experience.
Autumn/Fall With Children
This time of year always raises memories of my childhood. My parents
always encouraged a love of the outdoors and Autumn always evokes memories
as a child walking through deep rifts of crunchy leaves holding hands with
my Mum and Dad kicking up the leaves, having fun!
We collected leaves of all shapes, colours and sizes to press, make into
a picture and learn about. To succeed in this process on a basic level all
you need is tissue paper and a very heavy book. Simply lay the leaf
between 2 layers of tissue paper then place in the middle of a heavy book,
close and leave. Before very long you will have beautifully preserved
leaves. If you wish to learn more about leaf and flower pressing this book
is a great starting point to learn how to create really lovely
personalised art from simple leaves and flowers.
The Art of Pressed Flowers and Leaves
For younger children dried leaves can be laid down on white paper,
the outline drawn and then coloured or painted in whatever
authentic or imagined colours they like!
Autumn leaves are so beautiful to paint and also to take photographs
of. They have amazing colours and shapes and are always interesting
for the artist. Such gorgeous rich colours and moods to
capture.
When older children are involved in looking at and experiencing
nature in this way it is then very educational to teach children about
the different leaves and which trees they come from.
Children and adults can enjoy making a collage of beautiful shapes
and colours together from collected Autumn leaves.
As a child, I did this activity throughout Autumn with my
parents and it was an enjoyable craft in the long dark evenings.
All we need is a large sheet of paper, a safe means of adhering
them to the paper and dried pressed leaves. The only limits are our
imagination!
I heard a neighbour say the other day how he would like this
time of year if it wasn't for the leaves falling. I was
surprised to hear this as I always see this time of year as a bounty!
Fallen Leaves are a great harvest for me. Each year I eagerly
wait in anticipation for the leaves to change colour and then fall. My
task is then to gather them all up to make gorgeous
leaf mold.
I make it by first raking up all the leaves on a dry day, then I set
the mower blades on the highest setting and give a gentle mow
over to break them down into smaller pieces. This helps to speed up
the process. Next, I either place the leaves into black bags or a
simple chicken wire crate.
If they are in black bags I make holes with a fork for
drainage. If it is not raining I water them and place them out
of sight around the back of the garage. This is so easy to do and I
simply wait a year and then I have lovely crumbly free leaf mould to
mix in with potting compost and use freely on our beds and
borders!
Autumn/Fall Leaves And Wildlife
We can all enjoy the fall leaves but we should not forget about our
wildlife. I always leave piles of leaves around in the borders of the
garden in sheltered places so as not to be destroyed by strong winds.
If we add large or medium-sized logs or piles of sticks that assist
wildlife even more by providing protective cover.
Over the years I have seen blackbirds kicking these piles of leaves
around to find dinner beneath, hedgehogs taking the leaves to another
place getting ready for their winter hibernation, or even deciding
that the pile itself will make a cosy home! There are also all the unseen bugs, creatures and minibeasts who will
inhabit the leaf pile to make it their home and find some winter
comfort there.
So just a few examples of how we and our garden creatures can enjoy
and use this bountiful resource that is the fallen Autumn/Fall
leaves. How do you enjoy Autumn/Fall leaves?
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
My soap-making adventures began recently. Two weeks ago I wrote a Beginning Soap Making Supplies review recommending melt and pour soap bases for people like me who have wanted to make soaps but are intimidated by the hot and cold processes that use lye. It is true that soaps made with those processes can more easily be textured or their colors swirled. That made me feel as though I would be missing out on making pretty soaps. I was wrong. I cannot do color swirls as easily with melt and pour soaps but I can make beautiful soaps using these silicone molds.
If I am making soaps for myself, the simple rectangular molds (as pictured in my previous post) are perfect. But when thinking about making soaps for gifts or for sale, I quickly wanted more interesting molds. I made the decision to purchase more silicone molds since the rectangular bar soap silicone mold made such nice soaps.
The reasons I purchased these most recent molds:
Silicone molds produce smooth soaps
silicone molds come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and designs
the withstand the heat of the hot soap bases
they do not crack or break
soaps are easy to pop the finished bar out of the flexible mold
I have not yet learned how to measure the soap mix to fit into a "loaf" pan - I do not feel as concerned about having the right amount of "batter" for these single-bar molds
the silicone is super easy to clean. I pick off any larger bits of soap remaining on the tops of the mold (the "overflow" or drops of soap I left behind) then I run the mold under hot water. Voila, the mold is clean and ready for the next use.
My first choice of fancy molds were the flower molds. And I couldn't be more pleased. With these soaps I shave a bit of a solid color bar (using Shea or Goat Milk base) I made (using the plain single bar molds). Then pour over those shavings with a clear soap base.
I think the flower molds are gorgeous! And I've only used the flower that looks like a Dahlia thus far. This mold includes three different flower styles. To me they appear to be a sunflower, a daffodil, and a dahlia.
I also purchased the ocean waves silicone mold. It produces a larger bar of soap with a "wave" or engraved style top. In this example, I used one of the clear bases and stirred in fragrance, bits of tea leaves, and a mica powder that creates sparkle.
I do not feel experienced enough to give the instructions for using Melt and Pour soap bases. There are many tutorials online (written and video). I strongly recommend watching a variety of tutorials before diving in.
Many people enjoy receiving or buying handmade items. Crafts such as soap-making is a great way to spend quality time with kids (note: the melted oils are HOT, please supervise children closely). Whether you have considered making soaps for yourself or for others, these molds add something special to your project.
Related Links - Make your own with these craft supplies:
MyBeginning Soap Making Supplies review. I was happily surprised at how few supplies it takes to make Melt and Pour soaps. However, once you begin, if you are like me, you will soon want many different molds, fragrances, and bases.
The holidays are approaching. These Easy Christmas Ornaments from beads have been a favorite and a requested activity over the years. Kids (and adults) love using tri-beads and pipe cleaners to make these beautiful ornaments.
Margaret wrote a wonderful step-by-step tutorial showing us how to make beaded, dangling earrings. Her earrings are a beautiful Romantic, Beaded Heart pair but you can use a variety of bead colors and shapes.
Our own Ms. Sylvestermouse also loves crafts and making things. Her Ebay store, House of Sylvestermouse, is a great place to find "a variety of crafts, craft kits, patterns, books, and supplies...". I especially like the beaded craft kits and the cross-stitch kits. Oh, if only there were more hours in each day...
Related Links - Some Handmade Items for sale:
If you want to give handmade items as gifts but do not have the time or inclination to make them, there are plenty of options from our contributors and friends.
Ms. Elf creates crochet (including amigurumi animals) and needlework gifts and offers them for sale at CoastalCrochetCrafts. Ms Elf's daughter-in-law also has an Etsy shop names Cute PurseNalities that offers "handmade purses, lanyards, coin purses, and table runners". The seasonal prints are adorable and I especially like the season print purses/tote bags.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
I'll start off apologizing in typical Canadian fashion because, yah, this review about age is a bit self-serving; I turned 60 this year - and - I'm just getting started.
I personally live by that famous quote we've all heard: "It ain't over, 'til it's over." Actually, older-me believes it's never over; we keep growing and learning even after we transition, but that's for another day.
Are you familiar with some of the famous people who built their dreams after the age of 60? Here are just a few to inspire your aching bones.
Three Outstanding Souls Who Exemplify the Cliche "Age is Just a Number"
Grandma Moses: She was born Anna Mary Robertson on September 7, 1860. She began painting at the age of 78. She was known for her rural scenery paintings. In 2006 her painting, "Sugaring Off," sold for 1.6 million dollars. Yep, proof right there, "it ain't over even when it's over!" She also lived to see her paintings sell for substantial amounts for her time (the 1930s) before passing on.
Harry Bernstein: He enjoyed fame very late in life as a successful published author. On June 30th, 1910, he was born in Stockport, England, living 'til the ripe young age of 101 when he passed away in Brooklyn, New York, on June 3, 2011. Do you know when he wrote one of his first published successful books, The Invisible Wall: A Love Story That Broke Barriers?The loneliness of losing his wife of sixty-seven years was the catalyst of this book. He started writing it at 93 years old! The book was published in his 96th year in 2007. He wrote and published The Dream in 2008, The Golden Willow in 2009, and What Happened to Rose was published posthumously in 2012.
Fauja Singh: His absolute tenacity has garnered him the nickname the Sikh Superman. He's the oldest living Marathoner. He was born on April 1, 1911, in British India, and at the age of 109, continues to reside in the United Kingdom. The terrible personal family losses he suffered in the 1990s redirected him back to his first passion, running. In the over 90's bracket, at the age of 93, Singh completed a marathon in six hours and fifty-four minutes.
What I've Personally Done For This Older Body, Mind, and Soul:
Last year, for whatever reason, at the age of 59, I felt "time." What I mean by that is I felt a powerful urge to do the things I've wanted to do in life but hadn't gotten off my butt to complete. So from last year, and now into 2020, I jumped in with both feet and committed to self:
I self-published a 50-year collection of a book of my personal poetry work.
I published a series of personally written riddle books and created the website StumpedRiddles.com. I'm currently writing book six in the series.
Keto saved my health. I lost over 60 pounds from 2019 to 2020. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 56 - and I was sick. Almost immobile. Today at 60, I feel ten years younger than I did at 56. Proper food and mild exercise are a part of my life every single day. It has taken a great deal of discipline, but feeling healthy is more important to me than eating the wrong foods and being sick.
I work very hard on body, mind, and spirit. Spirit (soul work) is just as important to my day as eating and exercise.
I'm not trying to be self-righteous - like I've had a perfect life or something. I haven't. Life has been filled with almost endless challenges. The difference for me at this age is accepting what has happened and moving forward. Always, always moving forward. After all, our time is limited.
The last page of my poetry book features a closing message to my kids. This message includes a quote that I feel perfectly describes life when times get difficult:
"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete"by Buckminister Fuller (1895-1983) American Architect, Systems Theorist, Author, Designer, Inventor and Futurist
15 Personal Life Lessons I've Learned During These 60 Years of Living:
1. Don't give up.
2. When we're tired, rest.
3. When we need support, seek it from the safe arms of friends and family.
4. Love with all our hearts. Tell those who matter that we love them.
5. Find the good in others.
6. Live a life of service to others, big or small, it doesn't matter. Even the smallest contributions to another can brighten a day - something as simple as a smile or a kind word.
7. Guard our souls. There's a saying, "don't become that which you rail against."
8. Watch our thoughts and choose our words wisely.
9. Forgive. Forget about grudges and vengeance; they're a complete waste of energy and ultimately damaging to our soul. Accept that people will make mistakes, just like we'll make mistakes.
10. Find a way to reach our kids. Stay connected. This can be the toughest task. Do it anyway.
11. Read and advance our learning. Never stop.
12. Tolerance, compassion, kindness, and empathy are essential to the human condition. Live by those principles most or all of the time.
13. Fight temptation. Fight it hard. Dark/negative energy (whatever you decide to call it) is hunting us down every second of every day. It doesn't let up. We mustn't let it have our thoughts or our actions. We need to train our minds daily to recognize when we're slipping and put ourselves back on track as quickly as possible. We need to be proactive and kick that useless darkness out of our life-field.
14. When we need to cry, cry. Get those issues out; put them on paper, talk to someone, music, lyrics, art - whatever helps us release the pain.
15. Accept responsibility for our lives and for where we are in our life. Be honest with ourselves.
I'll end this article with this moving song, inspired by the famous Paradoxical Commandments, "Anyway, by Martina McBride." If viewing this article via mobile, you can listen to the song on YouTube here.
"You can chase a dream that seems so out of reach, and you know it might not ever come your way, dream it anyway" - lyrics.
"This world's gone crazy, and it's hard to believe that tomorrow will be better than today, believe it anyway" - lyrics.
"You can pour your soul out singing a song you believe in, that tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang, sing it anyway" - lyrics.
All the best to you, do it anyway.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
