Many Happy Returns of the Week (Or at Least One)

I have a birthday week coming up.  Anyone who reads this blog or notices how much I post about it on Facebook and starts to think that I'm unduly obsessed with a fairly random set of dates, completely fails to grasp the gravity of the phenomenon that is birthday week. It's as though some temporal portal opens to about, say, 2005. The birthday-haver gets to do more or less whatever s/he pleases. It is also an occasion for great feasting and merriment of various sorts, and thus, naturally, a catalyst for fantastical speculation in the days and weeks leading up to the happy event.

What to do? The possibilities are almost endless. I want to spend days reading and catching up on the blogosphere, my creative writing project, and my shamanic witchcraft homework. I'm considering various gatherings, including a gothday party (everyone is required to wear black and act despondent), a restaurant outing (Dee's?), and/or a cake fest. I want to take James out for lunch and a movie (sushi buffet/if we can find a good one), and the kids to the indoor pool and the omnimax animal film (if they can stand it.)

And I want to cook, at least I think I do. I'm currently being tempted by a molecular gastronomy spherification kit (root-beer "caviar" in a vanilla malt, anyone? If not, luckily it's my birthday week), and I'm pretty sure the time is right for frozen butterbeer and, if I'm felling really crazy, maybe even DIY sprinkles (you can make ridiculous things like that during your birthday week). Besides all that, I have paintings to paint, sewing to sew, and Waldorf gnomes that aren't going to dress themselves...oh, and I kind of want to make this reusable party banner. And get another tattoo. This is the problem with birthday weeks.

Bucket List

I've recently gotten to cross off a lot of things on my previous lists, so without further ado, here are 20 crazy things I'd love to experience:

1. travel to China
2. travel to Mexico
3. travel to Iran
4. travel to Egypt, see the pyramids
5. take a cruise to Antarctica (round out my survey of continents)
6. ride my bike to another city
7. learn to do the scorpion yoga pose
8. learn to do lots of hula hoop tricks
9. lose the baby weight (again)
10. succeed at gardening more than a couple of potted plants
11. go to an unschooling conference
12. teach some course at The Sanctuary in Thailand, get paid to hang out on the beach
13. teach yoga
14. teach witchcraft
15. work as an illustrator
16. eat a meal at Alinea, or another great molecular gastronomy restaurant
17. study Wise Earth Ayurveda, or another healing modality involving heat therapies
18. speak a foreign language with conversational fluency (Farsi? Spanish?)
19. attempt a forty day fast
20. learn to draft and sew my own clothes

30

Thirty- it's a little hard to believe. Mostly, I feel pretty good. I think I'm happier than I was when I was twenty, more confident, and I've definitely accomplished more. I feel lot more like myself.

On the other hand, I feel a little like I should have done more by this age. I've done some really cool things, like traveling around the world, becoming a professional freelancer, and of course getting the best husband and baby in the universe. I feel like I've wasted a lot of time, though, and not always because I was having too much fun. Really, having a baby has been a big kick in the pants in the right direction on that score. I have a much better idea of what working hard is like, now, and I doubt if I will ever waste time in quite the same way again. Plus, as James pointed out, how much better it is to be having this feeling at thirty than at, say, fifty.

And, inevitably, I feel a little bit old. I mostly think I'm handling this well and keeping it in perspective, but I do notice that I sometimes have a harder time than I used to finding photos that I like, and things of that nature. I mentioned this to James, too, and he said, "well, we all fall apart and die eventually..." He is such an optimist. But I guess he is still crazy about me, so really I have nothing to complain about in that department.

In terms of the of actual day, my birthday was great. I woke up to breakfast birthday cake, visited a few of my favorite nature spots, had a great date with James (sushi dinner) and finally got a tattoo! I'd been meaning to decide by the time I was thirty if I was ever going to get one, and I waffled up to the last minute, but finally decided to take the plunge. I've been thinking about it for over ten years, so it can hardly be blamed on a moment of youthful indiscretion. Right now I'm still a little in shock, but I think I love it, and some day if I decide I hate and regret it, I think I'm going to be okay with that, too.

Really, if I turn fifty some day and getting this tattoo is my only major regret, I think that'll mean I've done a pretty good job.

Imbolc/Candlemas Photos

It's nice to think that the winter is half over and the light is starting to come back already, because I've been feeling a bit stir-crazy recently. I found this old Candlemas rhyme that says "If Candlemas day be fair and bright, winter will have another flight; If on Candlemas day be shower and rain, winter is gone and will not come again." Kinda like the groundhog... Unfortunately, it was a beautiful day.

Anway, we had fun hiking in the snow, making candles, cutting paper, and eating a lot. I especially liked doing the dip candles, which I'd never done before -- they went surprisingly quickly and were no trouble at all. James made a delicious dinner, with turkey bacon-wrapped chicken breasts, sheep cheese, asparagus and mushrooms, and an apple white chocolate streusel cake. Yumm, holidays.

Hoop Tricks

I thought this basic series of hooping tutorials on YouTube was pretty good. I can kinda do most of the tricks in levels 1 and 2, so that is going well. Unfortunately one thing I can not do is spin a flaming hoop while doing a headstand, as shown below.

who would jesus spam?

i just came across this as i was filing old papers, and it has got to be the strangest piece of junk mail ever.

this "rug" is printed on a piece of paper. it comes with these instructions "look into jesus' eyes you will see they are closed. but as you continue to look you will see his eyes opening and looking back into your eyes. then go and be alone and kneel on this rug of faith or touch it to both knees. then please check your needs on our letter to you. please return this prayer rug. do not keep it.




there was also a sealed prophecy enclosed, but it was only for people who return their survey within the allotted time. i did peek inside it, though, and luckily for me it didn't look too exciting.

Wickerman Burning

So, Wickerman, our regional burn, was totally awesome. For starters it is pretty hard to argue with four days of camping in a beautiful natural setting surrounded by woods, swimmable rivers and gorgeous weather.

On top of that, we met lots of nice people, James got to do a fun DJ set, and River and I participated in the drum group for the man burning performance. Oh, and the man itself was really cool, built almost entirely out of natural materials (much unlike the original burning man).

We took a friend with us to watch River for a few hours here and there, so James and I were able to go out and party, and also attend a sweat lodge, which I have really been itching to do for a few years. I don't know what it is about getting really hot and sweaty in a dark, muddy tent, but it does something good for me I think.

Anyway, we all had a great time, and now we are back in Pittsburgh.

when i write for ehow, i spend a lot of time being amused by the bizarre titles that they request. i don't know how they come up with these titles, but they are on a real list that ehow writers can pick from, write articles about, and be paid for. here are some of my favorites from last week:

how to tame a praying mantis
how to train a hamster to come when you call
how to extract wisdom teeth
how to give yourself accupuncture
how to use nuts
how to train to be a ninja easily
how to train to be a ninja with a low budget
how to train to be a ninja using stuff you find at home
how to walk on the ceiling
how to wear legwarmers
how to tell your parents you're becoming a satanist
how to get crunk

needless to say, i did not write any of these articles.

100 awesome things

in honor of my 100th post, here are 100 awesome things in semi-random order. some of these things i have mentioned before, some are new; none are perfect, but all inspire within me at least a little bit of wonder. enjoy!

1. free schools are run by children.
2. cosmic trigger is a fun, mind-bending book by robert anton wilson.
3. critical mass promotes biketivism.
4. pandora plays free music like the music you like.
5. spirits play beautiful music through forward kwenda.
6. worms eat your garbage (indoor composting).
7. sweat lodges and baths are a worldwide tradition.
8. hempcrete is easy, hard and sustainable.
9. the salivation army sounds totally insane, in a mostly good way.
10. canoe sailers recreate ancient nautical voyages.
11. audrey kawasaki paints women on wood.
12. miracle fruit makes bitter things taste sweet
13. precious metal clay lets you sculpt silver jewelry.
14. send your paper cranes to hiroshima peace park.
15. find something for dinner at tastespotting.
16. love it or hate it, you can't escape burning man.
17. there are lots of ways to wear your baby (i like the tibetan).
18. localvores eat local.
19. rooibos tea is so good (and healthy).
20. poppy tea is surprisingly legal.
21. this is the best basic pen ever.
22. laugh at the daily show and colbert report online.
23. my mother wears combat boots is a decent book about parenting.
24. fermented foods are also healthy and delicious.
25. tom brown teaches survival and healing in the apache tradition.
26. nausicaa is my favorite miyazaki/studio ghibli movie.
27. derrick jensen's language older than words is depressing but beautiful.
28. quetzalcoatl gets my nomination for god of the moment.
29. painting on masonite revolutionized my art (and it's eco-friendly).
30. crows feature in many spiritual traditions, and they're smart too.
31. travel the world with lonely planet.
32. american apparel is fun and sweatshop free (though creepy).
33. may day is one thing anarchists and pagans can agree about.
34. 2012. is the world going to end?
35. natural dyes can be amazingly colorful.
36. peace silk is made without killing the worm (vegan? freegan!).
37. labradorite is an amazing stone. you should look at some in person.
38. vurt is one of my favorite novels. psyberpunk?
39. jacques derrida will make your brain explode (in a good way).
40. hot air balloons -- so steampunk it hurts.
41. lol wasteland is pretty funny if you like lolcats and/or t.s. eliot.
42. ancient rune poems contain the original interpretations of the runes.
43. molecular gastronomy is weird, awesome food.
44. these people are having a zero impact environmental year.
45. nata de coco in the strangest canned dessert ever.
46. visit alex grey at the chapel of sacred mirrors in new york.
47. then eat at my favorite (gourmet, vegan, korean) restaurant, hangawi.
48. or, the musee d'orsay in paris has a stunning art nouveau collection.
49. and the sanctuary, in thailand, is a great place to relax on the beach.
50. sock dreams has more types of socks than you can imagine.
51. zafira and baraka mundi are two fantastic tribal belly dance troupes.
52. wildcrafters forage for wild food plants. learn your herbs first.
53. you can build a harpsichord, or a theremin. (theremin? theremin!)
54. earthships are beautiful, permacultural homes.
55. bicycle powered chocolate. what's next? bicycle powered soap and gyms.
56. interested in fasting? the master cleanse is pretty simple (mmm, lemonade).
57. drums, drums, drums, drums, drums!
58. mushrooms just might save the world.
59. this guy kind of defies description.
60. these smart people have good ideas about making stuff better.
61. birthing from within seems to get a lot of things right.
62. the sivananda companion to yoga is serious but approachable.
63. don't tell me you haven't heard about the planet earth series.
64. waldorf toys are simple and beautiful.
65. these vegan brownies don't suck. no, really.
66. folkwear makes a dizzying array of historical and multicultural patterns.
67. gouache rocks my world.
68. if you're in pittsburgh on a tuesday, you can silkscreen anything for $5!
69. orchids are so beautiful and diverse.
70. the miss rockaway armada intends to raft down the mississippi, awesomely.
71. the rosetta stone makes learning foreign languages really easy and fun.
72. the ruckus society trains activists to do direct action.
73. accupuncture is amazingly successful at treating addiction.
74. spoonfed makes magical resin pendants.
75. i thought the wonderful movie the prestige was somewhat overlooked.
76. food not bombs will feed anyone.
77. hashisheen: the original anarchist agitators?
78. i can't help it, i really like gogol bordello's gypsy punk.
79. this american life is a fun, quirky talk show.
80. dan savage answers bizarre sex questions in his podcast.
81. ana voog's tree octopus may be the coolest hat ever.
82. tom waits invites you to make it rain.
83. nobody knows how banksy does it.
84. make magazine tells you how to do stuff.
85. someone built a hobbit house.
86. 'skineart is sometimes inspiring.
87. the infoshop anarchist faq is decent.
88. howtoons. what a cool idea!
89. i love low tech solutions.
90. i wish (super cheap) megabus would come to pittsburgh.
91. 'tis the season for plant graffiti. try seedballs and moss art.
92. rumi: everyone's favorite sufi.
93. according to some, the lakota nation recently declared independence.
94. kiva borrows from the rich and lends to the poor, interest free.
95. xocolatl, food of the gods.
96. i am a paperbackswap addict.
97. twin oaks is a 30 year old, self-sustaining 100 person commune.
98. you have nearly reached the end of the internet.
99. but james has to make it into this list somewhere.
100. and, umm, river. yep. let's look at that chocolate face again.

hell yes!

not only is there going to be a burning man event called wicker man two hours away from us, but it is going to be at four quarters farm where i have gone for pagan festivals before.

i don't love everything about burning man, but it is pretty awesome in some ways, and i think this one will be better: smaller, closer, greener, less mainstream and more paganish. oh yeah, and not in a miserable desert. yumm.

	"Our Mission Comrades... Simply the most stupendous burn east of Black Rock City. Growing a Burn Culture that is ecologically sustainable and Earth Aware... in this emerging age of limits. Sinking roots in a place that was Made to Burn. An Altar to the Possible."

blogstravaganza post #3: monster

we got a scanner recently. it came with free styrofoam monsters.

birthday stuff

although my birthday was a couple of weeks ago, i am starting my birthday week now that we are moving in, which means that james is watching river and i get to do whatever i want. yay!

here are a couple of awesome things that i got with my birthday money: a really fancy big sketchbook and a labradorite necklace. the unfortunate story behind this is that when james and i were in india, we discovered this amazing looking stone in a shop, and felt that we each needed to buy a pendant. we later learned that labradorite is reputed to relate to many activities that we enjoy, like creativity and health work. since we don't wear rings, we used our necklaces as accessories when we got married. and then, i stupidly lost my necklace while we were biking in amsterdam last year. ever since then i have been looking for a replacement, and i finally found a pendant setting i love, several alternative stones that i might try to get reset in it, and a chain (which is accidentally a size larger than i tried to order. i'm a little concerned that it overwhelms the rest of the necklace. i'm considering trying to exchange it. what do you think?) so that is overall pretty great, and the book is just for fun.

also, we are indeed getting into some fancy food this week. tomorrow i will try to post about our epic struggle with burnt almond torte.

chronika, oh chronika

since parts of my family and james' family celebrate both christmas and channukah, and because we are ok with holidays but don't really belong to either of the relevant religions for these two, we have invented a holiday called chronika. the motto of chronika is "because the holidays just keep on happening". others may tell you that they invented it, but they are probably wrong, because we have been celebrating it for years. my dad even made up a chronika carol once, although i forget how it went. anyway, chronika sometimes occurs around thanksgiving time due to scheduling challenges, and this year for the first time it will be occurring at our house. so i will be pretty busy this week, but i will try to keep updating, and eventually maybe i will post some more chronika lore. (btw, the spelling is kind of iffy. you can really spell it however you want.)