Rhythm

The rhythm of Winter here in Santa Fe, NM, is taking some getting use to and is a major adjustment from last year's Winter which was not only unseasonably warm but dry as well. The below sentiment is held by many locals and us recently transplants also.

"Go home Winter.

You are drunk."

               El Rey Court 

Shasta standing in the snow
from an earlier Winter storm.

The snow has mostly melted here in Santa Fe proper but the Sangre de Christo Mountains are covered with recent snow fall. This afternoon as I was driving East on Cerrillos Road I noticed how stunningly glorious they are! The frigid weather continues. We are experiencing day time highs barely above 30 degrees and with the adjustment of the wind chill factor in the low to mid teens. Brrrr! When there is snow on the ground or it is heavily snowing, we do not walk very far. Shasta gets "snow pellets" forming between her paws which she does not like and just sits down. If the wind is truly fierce, we also cut our morning walk short.

When snow was still abundant in our backyard,
snow melt pouring out of a canale from our roof
froze on the butterfly rain chain.

With the Wintery rhythm I am walking less each day. I feel sluggish and "out of sorts" from the lack of physical movement/exercise. While this sluggishness does provide connection with the yin of the Winter and creates space for inwardness, I am not happy. Connecting more with my yin energy has yielded time for thought consideration of how I want to spend my outside "digging in the dirt" and planting time. Hopefully the rhythm of Spring with her warmth will arrive before too many more passing weeks. I have for a number of seasons in Northern California planted the biodynamic way using Stella Nature: working with cosmic rhythms biodynamic planting calendar published by Camphill Village Kimberton Hills. And I also bought from Turtle Tree Seed, Camphill Village, New York, biodynamic open pollinated flower, vegetable and herb seeds.

This Winter connecting with the yin energy, I have been reading more. The Santa Fe Public Library system is rich with books and from there I checked out Biodynamic Gardening: grow healthy plants and amazing produce with the help of the Moon and nature's cycles by Monty Waldin. This book contains glorious pictures of biodynamic gardens and the processes used to create such lush and stunningly beautiful habitats for humans and all sentient BEings. I was hooked and decided to take my own gardening practices to another level by implementing more biodynamic principles. And, oh by the way, I purchased the book too.

All except two vegetable seed packets came from Turtle Tree Seed for this year's starts for our vegetable garden. Using The Maria Thun Biodynamic Almanac 2019, appropriate times have been identified for seed starting, transplanting to 4" pots and planting into the raised beds or ground which has been covered heavily with wood chips since last year. I am so excited to try my hand(s) with this next evolutionary step for the garden under my care.

In tandem with study of biodynamic gardening, I searched for an avenue to give my body movement it craved. I settled on Jazzercise which I did while living in Tucson, Arizona, and often attended in Carlsbad, the "home" of Jazzercise, when visiting my dear, late aunt and uncle. 

Cathie and Donna in her backyard
Carlsbad, California
May, 1987.
We are ready for Jazzercise!

The founder is from Iowa; in fact Judi Missett grew up 16 miles from me. We Iowa girls "need to stick together"! And I agree full heartedly with her philosophy about movement:

“When you have movement in your life, it creates movement in other parts of your life and keeps you moving forward in the best possible way.” Judi Missett, 2014

So I now go two or three times a week enjoying every minute even though I do prefer certain instructors. Even after just a month I feel more energized.

Shasta napping on our bed with the sunshine streaming in through the West window.
"Way too chilly to BE napping outside which is my preference", says Shasta.

As we include more movement in our lives and nap in the sunshine this Wintertime, may we, too,

Chinese New Year of the golden Earth Dog

Shasta's Auntie T's 2019 New Year's greeting.
Housecleaning 
is also an excellent activity in preparation for 
welcoming the Chinese New Year.

The Chinese New Year begins each year on the second new moon after Winter Solstice. In 2019 this is February 04 or February 05 depending on your global location. 

According to Susan Levitt 2019 is the "year of the Earth Pig, the fortunate golden Pig, a time to make peace and enjoy life. Pig is a year for harmony and fellowship when kind actions are rewarded. People can work together with good will and enjoy community. . . Pigs love to party and enjoy earthly pleasures . . . so take a vacation, relax and do not work so hard."

Since I have lived now in 20 different houses in
my lifetime, somewhere the pig my Gramp
gave me disappeared. When I saw the same one
for sale when I was looking for pigs to adorn
our home, I bought it . . . it now sits on our
dining room table where we enjoy our
made from scratch, organically grownand in season food.
This pig is the closest to "golden" I could find.

In Chinese Medicine the element Earth rules the stomach so this is a year to focus on food which is important to Pig. This year offers excellent qi for eating more healthy. Pig loves good food so here's an auspicious time to alter your eating habits so as to support your health and well BEing.

This meditating pig reminds me of Liu Ming, who
gave a talk annually to usher in the Chinese New Year.
We  spent an afternoon listening to
him share his exemplary insight into the qi 
for the upcoming year.
Not only did we learn,
also we laughed a lot.
Liu Ming was born in a Pig year
so was a jovial fellow.
Four year ago in April he died.
Thereafter we ever so deeply missed
our annual afternoon with him while still living in California.

As our health issues that have surfaced here in Santa Fe, NM, are resolving, we are so ready for a fun filled year! By the way, this is also a good year to take care of those nagging health issues of your own.

This locally made pig sitting in our bedroom for the Chinese New Year of the Earth Pig will be a reminder to not take life so seriously . . . to enjoy the beauty that surrounds us, the friendly neighbors and the diversity of entertainment and our fledgling native habitat on our Santa Fe property. We are a One (on the dynamic map know as the Enneagram) couple, so we embrace each and every reminder to lighten up and have fun.

As each of us honor and take advantage of the golden Earth Pig qi, may we enjoy an often, frequent

Cross Quarter Day

According to the Farmer's Almanac Cross-Quarter Days mark "the midpoint between a solstice and equinox." For the ancient Celtics as well as the modern day Pagan and Goddess of earth based spirituality, these mark the beginning of each season. There are two major divisions: Winter (Samhain), starting the dark half of the year, and Summer (Beltane), commencing the light half of the year.

February 3, 2019 at 20:01 marks the Cross Quarter Day called Candlemas or Imbolc which heralds Spring.

"Candlemas acquired its English name from the candles 

lit that day in churches to celebrate the presentation 

of the Christ Child in the temple of Jerusalem.

Originally, this day was called Imbolc (lambs’ milk) 

because the lambing season began. It was also called 

Brigantia for the Celtic female deity of light, 

calling attention to the Sun’s being halfway 

on its advance from the winter solstice 

to the spring equinox.

Much of this day is grounded in 

the seasons—estimating how soon 

spring-like weather will come 

and when to plant the crops." 

from the 2019 Farmer's Almanac

Unfortunately,
during the first year we have lived in
our Santa Fe home we have had birds
crashing into these windows. YIKES!
We have now installed
Acopian Bird Savers, aka Zen Curtains,
on our front windows in preparation
 for Spring andthe arrival of a plethora of birds.

As the days grow longer and the nights shorter, may we welcome the arrival of Spring and