The Third Act

Baba Yaga's kitchen...

First of all, let me say, I make no claims to BE Baba Yaga.  I refer to her kitchen, in this case, because I appreciate invoking her presence as I do my own kind of magic (clumsy though it may be).  So...without further ado, here's what's been going on...

I'll begin by saying I cooked a fab Thanksgiving meal yesterday.  My part was all vegetarian, with lentil rissoles, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies with brussel sprouts and sweet potato, mushroom gravy, maple walnut cranberry sauce and good ol' pumpkin pie!  Matt made a fabulous butternut squash soup with crab.  We feasted well, very thankful for the bounty, fun in the kitchen and time spent together as a family.

The latest kitchen projects.... A Winter Solstice Dream cordial, for one.  The ingredients at left are chopped up and infusing in a combination of Calvados and Bison Grass vodka.  There's valerain root, wormwood, lemon balm, mugwort and apples from my garden...in addition to pomegranate, allspice and nutmeg procured outside my little homestead.  I plan on letting this do its thing until the Solstice, then decant and add honey.  It's probably going to have significant bitter undertones, but I'm cool that as it's an experiment and intended for limited use during the dark time of year, to connect more deeply with the dream world.

 

Next project was cranberry thyme simple syrup, pictured at right.  I'm on St. George's Distillery FB page and a wonderful picture for a cocktail came through the other day, from one of their fans. The drink is a cranberry gin and tonic, using this concoction.  I found it's also lovely in a kir royale with sparkling wine!  You can find the recipe on this blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last on the project list is hoshigaki, or whole dried persimmons.  Anyone who has been paying attention to my Flickr or Instagram has certainly noticed that I'm the lucky recipient of a glut of persimmons this year.  The little tree out back, one of my lovelies, has been particularly bountiful.  I've been eating one of these fruits a day now for about a month.  About a week and a half ago, I made a persimmon cake.  Many of these delightful delicasies have been given away to friends and family.  And STILL, I have more than I can use. 

While wondering what to do with the abundant harvest, drying the fruit came to mind.  I've seen dried persimmon in Asian groceries and remember buying some years and years ago.  My recollection was that it was processed whole, but I didn't really know the details.  Well, hello Google search! The first hit was from Root Simple blog.  Awesome!  Very simple, detailed, well illustrated instructions.  I set to work picking, peeling, stringing and hanging.  The blog suggests using a bamboo pole on which to suspend the fruit.  I didn't have a bamboo pole and in addition, was at a loss as to how to support it.  So, instead I went and bought a wooden clothes drying rack from the hardward store, and it works perfectly!  It can be moved around if necessary and I'll have the rack for future drying projects as well (and who knows?  maybe even for drying clothes!).

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you all had a super wonderful Thanksgiving holiday (and if you're not in the U.S., just a really lovely November 28th).  I'm looking forward to the coming weeks as we approach the Winter Solstice.  It's a wonderful, dark and magical time of year. Wishing everyone peace, joy and love!

Giving thanks...

It is that time of year, after all.  Not that every day shouldn't include gratitude.  But, we seem to set aside this time and I understand why.

As the days become shorter (at least for those of us in the northern hemisphere) and temperatures cooler, it's almost as if nature is giving us a nudge to introspect.  There is time, now, to reflect on the year...to be grateful if we're fortunate enough to have food, shelter, warmth and community.

And in that vein, I shall attempt to list some of the many things for which I give thanks...in no particular order...

 

First off, there is my life.  If I weren't alive, well, then everything else is obviously off the table!

My family, my friends (off and on line).

This body, which has served me so well and still allows me to practice aikido, despite my aches and pains.

Also...aikido!  I've learned so much through the art...and am grateful to my Senseis. 

My home and the understanding that I have the ability to create home where ever I land.

My art, which has become part of my psycho-spiritual practice. 

Food, shelter, clothing...I'm so very blessed.

A mind that, although sometimes befuddled, is continually curious and hungry for knowledge.

Nature and my relationship with her.

My trees, herbs and flowers...we take care of each other.

And while there is so much more, I'll finish by adding that I'm grateful to have the capacity for understanding and compassion, self awareness, depth, clarity, connection,  and seeing the unseen while at the same time being ok with not knowing (not saying that I've achieved all those qualities yet...but, I do have the *capacity* for them!).

Happy Thanksgiving friends!  May you feel peace.  May you feel contentment.  May you live your lives with ease.

 

 

Sunrise and persimmons...

I've been struggling with my creative mojo...again.  Since starting a new routine and allocating my morning hours to artistic work (even the mundane parts), my energy for said work as gradually diminished.  Now...it's going on winter, I'm still grappling with significant personal/life issues (back burner though they may be, they remain in my consciousness), my physical pain seems to be increasing as the hours of sunlight are decreasing, plus other crap that I'm tired of reiterating.  So...yeah...I'm not feeling it.  That isn't to say I don't have *ideas*.  I have some very specific concepts with which I want to work.  The problem is...there's no core energy available for use.  It's hard to be constantly dredging up a barely subsistence level flow from the reserves. 

Part of the plan, from now until the Solstice, is to hunker down, stay warm, nurture and rest this exhausted self of mine.  At the same time, there's this itch to do *something*.  This is where instant cameras (that actually provide a physical "piece" from the get go) are such a blessing for me.  I see the light, the scene and go for it.  There's not a lot of thinking involved.  The choices and settings on the cameras are few.  At this point, the less options the better!

Turning the corner here, I'll just say...I'm doing some deep work right now.  It's strange and wonderful, but scary too.  This is where faith comes in.  It's not faith in something outside of myself and it's not exactly faith *in* myself either.  It's faith in life as it is, which I suppose actually is both inside and outside of myself.  Connection, depth and clarity...simple, but not easy.   

Breakfast with crows...

Standing at my cutting board

scooping up sticky, sweet

persimmon flesh

with my fingers to my mouth.

Crows cawing in the tree

pecking at the same orange fruits.

What an odd and lovely communion.

 

 

 

 

 

November sky...

There's something very poignant about the sky...the light...of November.  It's a netherworld time of the year.  Not quite fall any more...not yet winter.  It's a time for reflection and a journey on the inner landscape.  There are the sweet remembrances of the year...and the regrets.  The tallying up and examination of what worked, what served and what didn't. 

Personally, I love this time of year.  Yes, there are the moments of heartache...but it's a unique kind of pain that brings satsifaction at the same time.  I've taken to recording the moments just before sunrise, mostly on Instagram but sometimes pulling out other cameras as I did here with my Instax. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tugs on the heart...

Oh, November, you bittersweet month

of fallen leaves and

fading color...

Gray skies, first frosts and

snowflakes...

You tug at my heart

inducing melancholy and

I welcome that...

The colors are never so bright...seductive

Were it not for their transience.

 

 

Home again home again...

My day started at an ungodly hour this morning.  It may not have been quite so significant had I not battled insomnia beforehand.  So, with about two hours of shut eye under my belt, I arose to wait for Super Shuttle to pick me up from my hotel in Alexandria and take me to Dulles International airport.  Thankfully, the driver today was cheerful and friendly (so many of these drivers are, well, just not that) and most importantly, on time!  The last experience I had with this service left me a bit frantic in the end.  This time, however, it was quite a pleasure, regardless of my bleary state.

Nature was incredibly generous with her beautiful dislays of fall color during my stay in northern Virginia.  In fact, there are six rolls of color film anxiously awaiting delivery to the lab for processing.  Well, okay, it's actually me who is "anxiously awaiting."  It's such a delight to see how the images on the film I expose result...especially the pinholes!  But in any case, it was a lovely time...quintesentially autumnal, being just chilly enough but not unpleasant...just windy enough to allow the leaves to float down on the breeze in gentle congregations.  And color, yes, still plenty of color even if slightly past the peak.  Being from California, I was certainly not disappointed.

In addition to my reveling in the season, I had an incredibly substantive meeting with a life coach during my east coast stay.  I have to admit that the idea of such a professional has been sort of puzzling to me in the past.  But after having a long conversation on the phone and then an intensive two hour meeting with her in person (she's in the D.C. area), I feel very confident that this is the right course for me.  The ideas I have for exactly the kind of steps I need to be taking at this time are anything but exact.  They may be plentiful, yet amorphous.  Having someone to whom to be accountable, to be my champion and also my critic (when that's called for), who knows the right questions to ask that will help crystallize my thoughts, all these things can only be of benefit to me.  I have homework, the bones of a plan and now all I need is to learn to have patience (and compassion) towards myself as I make my way.

There are a number of areas to where my energy needs to be focused.  Firstly, is my artmaking.  Because of depression that spawned due to my circumstances (both outwardly and from hormonal transitions) art has been pushed down low on the list of priorities.  It's time to change that, to allocate and devote time to creative endeavors.  I've been waiting...waiting for things to change, waiting on certain things that are outside of my control, to make sure everything is "just right" and then, yes then, I'll make art.  Phooey.  I can't afford that any more.  I've realized it doesn't show respect to the opportunities life has given me and discounts the value of art in my life (which is great).  So...that's one reason to get that film in, no?  Other things on the list have to do with groundwork, reorganization and mindful attention to all facets of the genre of art making I practice.  I do believe the darkroom will finally be getting some attention!

Right now, though, I'm a little out of it.  I came home and ate a tender, jammy persimmon with home made yogurt (one of my favorite treats), brewed and enjoyed a cup of my Baba Yaga's blend tea, pulled a few tarot cards and have since been putting together this post.  The birch tree is just outside the window, waving its slender, hanging branches of mostly gold leaves.  There's a wonderful assortment of ripe and ripening persimmons on the dining room table (some just picked today...a lovely act of grounding for me).  The house is fragrant with cinnomon besoms and Japanese incense.  This is a humble moment to be savored and I'm grateful.

Color!!

Mother nature has been quite accommodating to me on this trip.  I'd hoped for some fall color here in northern Virginia, especially for photographing, and it's been delivered!  Such a lovely time I've had walking around, shuffling in leaves and watching them float down from the trees.  The air has been a bit chilly and windy...classic autumn in my estimation.  So far I've used almost two rolls each of color film,  in the Zero and the Holga.  More to come!

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn supper...

I've been thinking about making a butternut squash soup for a week or two now.  Finally, yesterday evening, I got around to it.  Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of pictures of my process, but I'll tell you about it!

I peeled and cut up...one butternut squash that was, oh, probably 2 pounds (maybe not that much...forgive me, I'm a lazy...err, intuitive, yeah that's it...cook), 2 apples peeled, seeded and quartered, half a parsnip in chunks and 2 unpeeled cloves of garlic...coated them all with olive and a sprinkling of salt, and roasted in the oven for about an hour.  Okay...the temp was, 375 to start but gradually increased to 425 as I realized they weren't cooking quick enough.  They roasted for about 45 minutes.

Now...the question becomes...should I even be giving instructions on how to make this soup since I didn't really keep track of the details??  *sigh*  If it's too annoying, please just enjoy the couple of colorful pictures!

Okay...so...while the veggies/fruits were roasting, I chopped half a large onion and sauteed it in olive oil with some chopped fresh sage (from the garden...oh yeah!) and a stick of cinnamon.  I let the onion get a bit carmel colored, but not really brown. 

When the veggies were soft, I took the pan out, removed the skins from the garlic cloves and proceeded to mash the lot in the pan.  The mashed veggies then went into the food processor, about a third at a time, and got whirled with vegetable broth (I used a quart total) and then it all was put into the pot with the onions.  By this time the consistency was smooth and creamy, but a little thick, so while it was coming up to a simmer on the stove I added a little white wine to thin.  The tart wine was a nice complement to the sweet squash.  After seasoning with salt and pepper to taste, it was ready to eat.  I crumbled some feta on top for garnish, and voila!  The soup had a nice combination of flavors and, minus the feta could even be vegan.

Oh, and on the side...  I had some leftover lentil cakes I made the other day, topped with red pepper "pesto" (from Costco, no less...but it's made with organic olive oil, so I'm good with that) and sauteed sprouting broccoli in olive oil with garlic and walnuts.

And there you have my autumn supper!

(p.s...there's a picture of persimmons below...there are no persimmons in this supper, I just liked the picture and am very pleased my tree is producing so much this year)

Changing of the guard...

All the Halloween decorations were taken down today, packed up and placed back in the basement.  The ofrenda was dismanteld after being up for three days,... having given me a truly wonderful opportunity to experience my ancestral (and otherwise) connections. 

And now, it's the season for Thanks.  In reality, any and all times are appropriate for thanks...the more mindful the better.  There is a sweet little lighted church house, and a few figures, that have replaced the ofrenda.  These are more symbols meant to evoke the emotion of gratitude, rather than my attachment to any particular place of worship.  I'm taken back to my childhood and feelings of warmth and comfort.  Home is so very important to me.  I'm thankful for the one I have now, but also thankful for the understanding that I have the ability to create "home" no matter where I am.  And I do it well.