stillwater

***looking for Stillwater Writing Retreat? You can find complete information on the upper section of the page under its own tab***

"Just for fun, my family invented a religion like the Shakers we called Stillwater. I'm eldress, and we have a big celebration on Midsummer's Eve. It's really a state of mind. Stillwater connotes something very peaceful, you see, life without stress. Nowadays, people are so jeezled up. If they took some chamomile tea and spent more time rocking on the porch in the evening listening to the song of the hermit thrush, they might enjoy life more. Stillwater believers are very hedonistic. Life is to be enjoyed, not saddled with. Do you know that lovely quotation from Fra Giovanni? He was an old monk from away back who wrote to his patron, 'The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet within our reach, is joy. Take joy.' That's the first commandment of the Stillwater religion. Joy is there for the taking." -Tasha Tudor, from The Private World of Tasha Tudor *** I discovered Tasha Tudor when we got the corgyn - she has written and illustrated several children's books featuring the corgi. As I looked for more of her wonderful books, I came across her cookbook, which I love, and the above book, which is a favorite, full of her ramblings and the most marvelous photos of Tasha in the Vermont cottage built by her son.

windows

I was going to post this photo, apropos of nothing, just because I liked it.



But then, moments later, I opened a book to this quote:

Ancient power spots, and sacred sites ... are gateways. The real openings lie in our own hearts, minds, and lives.

-Jo May, Fogou

It very much feels like the gate to the barn is the threshold to a different reality.

The window and the stall in the photo used to belong to Salina, who was a true guardian of the space. She kept an almost constant vigil to the driveway and the house. Awhile back it became Cody's stall, and he sometimes comes and looks over the fence into the back yard. This day, it was borrowed by Apache Moon who was awaiting a massage, and his attention to the house charmed me.

I wonder if they look at our windows and ponder what it is we do in here.

diorama

With family out of town, I've come down from the garret to do revisions in a new location. I looked up and over the laptop screen this morning to see this lovely sight.





Sun, light, shadow, and lace, illuminated.

Alchemy.

evensong

I don't often do the evening feed at the barn, but when I do, like tonight, I am reminded of the first evening we spent here preparing for the arrival of our horses.

Bedding the stalls that first time made me realize it was really happening - my dream to have my horses with us at home.

We heard a bobcat that night too, singing in the darkness.

Tonight when I went out Keil Bay was waiting. The other horses hadn't come up to the barn yet, so we had a few moments to visit before the line-up for dinner began.



Keil Bay and I sing to one another every morning when I feed, but our evening song is quiet, an elegant ending to the day.

Friday's big excitement

My diatomaceous earth arrived!

Diatomaceous earth, also known as DE, diatomite, diahydro, kieselguhr, kieselgur and Celite, is a naturally occurring, soft, chalk-like sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. This powder has an abrasive feel, similar to pumice powder, and is very light, due to its high porosity. The typical chemical composition of diatomaceous earth is 86% silica, 5% sodium, 3% magnesium and 2% iron.

Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. It is used as a filtration aid, as a mild abrasive, as a mechanical insecticide, as an absorbent for liquids, as cat litter, as an activator in blood clotting studies, and as a component of dynamite. As it is also heat-resistant, it can be used as a thermal insulator.

My plans for this food-grade DE have to do with keeping ticks and fleas off dogs, cats, and horses, as well as controlling fire ants and kitchen ants.

I've read so many good things about it - can't wait to see if it can do a good job here without using poisons.

P/S: I resisted the temptation to find a metaphor for DE and novel revisions. Feel free to take a shot at it if you like. :)