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October 2016

All Creatures Great and Small - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade

 

 

Anyone who has spent even a small bit of time around me knows that I love animals, animals in all shapes and sizes and colors and temperaments.  Even the so called “icky” ones are admired since they have a role to play in the complex balance of Nature.  One of my favorite all time books is “All Creatures Great and Small” by James Herriot, where the theme for this post was lifted.  And, after all my work with and around animals, my favorite quote in the book is this:  “If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.”  So very true!!!

Countdown to Christmas 2016 - Week 6 - Iceland

Jólasveinarnir (Yule Lads) - photo courtesy of Iceland 24

 

In Iceland, Christmas (called Yule or Jól) festivities start at 6 pm on Christmas Eve, December 24th, and last until Twelfth Night (Epiphany, January 6th). In the high north, Christmas is linked to ancient traditions related to the winter solstice, called Yule.  Celebrations took place on a full moon during the time of year when the day was shortest. Not much is known about how the feast was celebrated then except that Icelandic chieftains were in the habit of inviting scores of people to Yule drinking and eating feasts.  Later, Yule was superseded by the celebration of the birth of Christ with the coming of Christianity around 1000 AD.

What a Spooky Halloween, Deux! - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade

 

 

Halloween is just around the corner.  Small goblins, vampires, fairy princesses and superheroes of all sorts will soon be appearing at your doors!  In honor of this spooky holiday, I browsed the studios of Indiemade artist friends to find orange and/ or black handmade items that are perfect accessories for your Halloween costume.  And there is even something for your best four-footed friend!   Enjoy these selections:

Countdown to Christmas 2016 - Week 5 - Portugal

 

In Portugal, Christmas is celebrated with festive fun, but since it is a predominantly Catholic country, there is also much solemnity to the holiday.  A family Christmas tradition is setting up the presépio (nativity scene), the representation of Christ's birth in the stable at Bethlehem. While some families keep the creche simple, displaying only the Holy Family, many set up elaborate scenes, including the Three Kings, shepherds and the sheep, angels, other animals, lakes (made with mirrors) and hills (made with stones, moss, and clay).  The materials used to decorate the presépio are traditionally collected by the children.  A few days before Christmas Eve, the Baby Jesus is taken out of the manger.

 

"Colours" by Donovan - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade

 

 

Recently, I have become enamored all over again with many of the songs I grew up with from the 60's.  One of the artists I have always loved was a Scottish singer / songwriter / poet from Scotland, Donovan Leitch who is better known as simply Donovan. Donovan is widely regarded as one of the most influential songwriters and recording artists - and is still active in music today.  Even the Beatles acknowledged that Donovan influenced them greatly on their ground breaking Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band album and the White Album with his finger style guitar playing and many of his unique chord patterns.  While I love most of his songs, I have been listening more to his earlier works that have their roots in folk music.  One of them, a sweet, simple and beautiful song, Colours, is the inspiration for this week's Wonderful Handmade Wednesday post.