Because, we're Sanguine, that's why... *shop update*

Stitching sashiko + rasping the sword...slow steps amongst many, many steps.

san·guine

[sang-gwin]  adjective

1. cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident: a sanguine disposition; sanguine expectations.

Adding these to the shop, I noticed a little voice questioning why I would create projects in the Zakka tradition for the Waldorf teaching community.  Zakka is a modern Japanese handicraft, inspired by Scandinavian design, global materials, and Western homewares from the 50's, 60's and 70's.  It's designed to infuse life with cozy love, humor and beauty.  Think...sanguine handwork.

If every stitch reflects one's consciousness, well, then that's our consciousness up there.   We are hopeful and delighted and even jubilant about the opportunity of Waldorf education.  We savor the sacred community that gathers around our incarnating little souls, and we honor the badass, er, noble and grounded character of our young adults.

Of course, I just came from our Michaelmas Festival, so it's present for me.  There's something about watching each class very closely that really brings home the development of each age, while seeing them in collective costumes some how highlights the individuality of each child.  It's so beautiful how they're held, with the 1st-8th graders all performing together, each 8th grader accountable for a 1st grade "Buddy," and each 1st grader anchored by their corresponding elder.  There's so many little, created dynamics like that, each one perfect for the developmental needs of each child, class, and temperament.

Which brings me back to, umm, us.  We're sanguine, across the board, Robyn, Brian, David, and I, with a bit of choleric, melancholic and phlegmatic thrown in.  (Try and guess.  Just kidding.)  Community-oriented, we are very interested in bringing the world to those under our care.  

I come from civil rights activists, so often hear complaints that Waldorf education doesn't do enough to bring diversity to it's teachings.  Of course it doesn't - yet.  Though downloaded from the heavenly realms, it's come thru a turn-of-the-century European male, and though deeply established in research, results, and student excellence, it's a fairly new global movement.  Steiner, however, seemed confident that we would be able to grow into the foundational ideals of accessibility, explored, living expressions and diversity of thought, within both the individual and the collective community.  All that to say - We have to Bring It.

(Tweetable! Click to Tweet!)

Waldorf: accessibility, living expressions, diversity of thought, within the individual & collective community...We have to Bring It

And that's my invitation to you.  To help, I've put detailed instructions for 

NOREN, JAPANESE PRINTED SPLIT CURTAINS 

in the shop.  And it comes with two bonuses,  Patchwork Bibs with Little Tails (Oh, yes), and Papa's Throw.  These projects are my version of love, made visible, and I hope you enjoy them.  Our young people enjoy making them, then seeing them up, worn and sat upon, very much.

Wishing us all the realization of your *hope* and *optimism,*   

Maya

ps - Is there some traditional project you're interested in learning?  Or a particular culture you're interested in sharing?  Please let us know on our FB page!  I will try to find you resources from the source and if I can't find them, and it's appropriate, I'll see what we can pull together.   And maybe there's a handicraft from your culture that you'd like to see here?  I know I would.  Please let me know!

Does Winning equal happiness? Not so much?

20 Consecutive Winning Seasons.  That's what I grew up with, immersed in UC Davis Aggies Football.  At the moment of these pictures, the Aggies fell to 0-4 (that would be 0 wins and 4 losses).  Have they ever been 0-4? In the history of the school?  Not in my last 40 plus years.

In a culture where winning is valued so highly and winners receive such privilege in so many ways...where does a perfect moment like this one fit in to the "scheme" of things?  The endless joy of running up a huge grassy wet hill at night, under the lights with your brother and...

Sliding down, down, down, shrieking with laughter again and again and again?  What a gorgeous night.  Full moon, fresh first rain of the season, perfect temperature, the Band-Uh playing their hearts out...and a total drubbing by Portland State by 31 points. 

I have won at a higher level than most - it is really, really nice.  I have lost at a higher level than most, the pain of one game sometimes lasting months, years, and often in my patients and clients, a lifetime.

If you want to see what joy and happiness are, stay and watch the Aggie Band-Uh play after the game...whether it's a win or loss, watch them in the moment, having a blast, playing their hearts out and having the time of their lives. 

Winning is really really nice...feeling joy and happiness regardless of if you have won or not...better. 

More to come...

David

Mary, Mary, quite contrary.....

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My apprentice :)

I've alluded to our front yard garden before. *Front* yard only because the chickens dwell in the *back* yard, and honestly, it got tiresome devising ways to keep them from eating everything. Moving our food production to the front yard made better use of part of the lawn and kept me from threatening to bbq the hens on a regular basis.

We live on a quiet street with a lot of bicycle traffic....I never tire of hearing "ooooh! Look at that garden!" through our open windows as the cyclists ride past. I have had extensive conversations with complete strangers from the other side of the fence about our garden. My early childhood years included a family garden as well. Those experiences sank deep into my core. As a young adult in college, I always avoided living in apartments because I NEEDED to have space to grow things. 

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We harvested from our echinacea for the first time this year! 3 years of waiting for the roots to be developed enough.

Our two children eat (mostly) eagerly from what we grow. But it's really only our daughter who seems to share my passion for planting, tending, growing, harvesting.  I've been tempted to push the issue a bit with my son. I have to remind myself that the core values of tending the earth, being self-sufficient where we can, and the benefits of homegrown organic food are oozing into him on some level. Even if he's not out there with me marveling at every earthworm, by virtue of being surrounded by my passion for all of his 9 years, he's absorbing what's important.

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Straining homegrown calendula leaves out of an oil infusion. We grow the lavender I infuse into alchemy*oil as well.

...how does your garden grow? 

Sweet Tradition

Its almost here...I can smell the farm fresh air...our 11th in a row

For a couple days...a taste of the Farming Life...

Little Flying Farmers everywhere...

Oooooooooohhhhh the food, the food, the food, the food...

And, Front Row Seats for all...

We can't wait :)   And how do you celebrate the harvest?  David