And the winner is ....

Thank you to everyone who entered this Giveaway ! After a random drawing from my favorite hat , the winner is Teresa of the soap corner! In the event that I am unable to reach Teresa , the Hat will be back for another try. PS Ladybugs , the kitty is missing his tail ! Happy New Year to all from the Clan of the Mountaindreamers!

A yielding heart

"The old Lakota was wise. He knew that Man's heart away from nature becomes hard."

Luther Standing Bear
~Lakota Chief~
1898

Good Bye Solstice

Solstice from the latin ( sol = sun ) and ( sistere = standing still ) . I know I am glad I took latin now .I am glad another solstice has come and gone, the best part is the days are getting longer and that is something to celebrate. It is the return of the life giving light of the Sun. It is totally amazing to sit in an astronomy class and take in the whole celestial mechanics of seasonal change. The complex dance of the Earth's tilt, revolution about the Sun,and the Milankovitch cycles. Gazing at the night sky I realize the complexity of the dance of the heavens and how our lives depend on it's orderly steps.

A GiveAway in honor of being Selectively Snowed In .

Handmade lampwork earrings in sterling


The Great Blizzard of 09 , of so it shall be called when all is said and done. Our snow behaved and only landed on the yards, thanks to that strategic move we can still get to the Store. Watching "Mamma Mia" and enjoying some ABBA. Cats are curled up by the stove and on the futon. Watching the birds at the feeders. Some Blue Birds , Maybe I will be able to catch them today with the camera . In honor of the snow and beautiful clear winter's night skye I will have a drawing for one pair of gorgeous handmade cobalt blue earrings, lampwork by RadiantMind, leave a comment on this blog to enter, we will be doing a random drawing out of a hat of course on Dec 31st.



one relaxed kitten, he is borrowed from across the street, comes in for a nap and to warm up . Does anyone know what is missing ?

Snowy Saturday

Driving down town by the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, quiet now but later lots of people will be in town to ride the train.


Clouds swirling around the 4000 foot ridges of the Alarkas, always a dynamic corridor and lots of cloud movement.


Looking towards the Great Smoky Mountain Park and the icy peaks, the sun peeking thru is perfect.


Heading into town, this always reminds me of living in a small Hobbit village.


Very happy water, we have had an abundance. The Juneywhank water shed as it flows down to the larger creek.


Icy Rhododendrons, one of the predominent species in the park.


The Beech is one of my favorite trees especially in the winter, the leaves remain longer than any other and always makes a nice rustle as the wind catches them .


Always an old friend , Tom Branch Falls as it pours into Deep Creek, not as much snow down by the creek as the water still carries a lot of warmth from the mild Fall days we have had.

Foggy Snow

Looking towards the Alarka Mountains


We had a bit of Fog and Snow this morning , sending the surrounding mountains into hiding. A good time to set out extra seed for our feathered friends.




My favorite mockingbird waiting for a turn at the feeder.



The Faerie Tree welcoming the snow!



The Faerie Tree singing to the snow !

Value

The High Plains approaching the Northern Rockies near East Glacier




"We do not want riches but we do want to train our children right. Riches would do us no good. We could not take them with us to the other world. We do not want riches, we want peace and love." ~ Red Cloud~ Sioux Chieftan

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Pica and Skylar



Bob and Skylar



Pica ( in the box) and Bob the Cat lolling by the stove


No need to call 911, these guys are not in need of resusitation! Simply enjoying the wood stove. Yes all you greenies, the wood is seasoned, the stove has an 80% efficiency, and a catalytic converter. The wood was harvested from housing sites so it did not go to waste and no forests were stripped. My version of detaching from the Grid ever so slowly . Yes burning wood is messy , and crumbs every where with daily sweeping but it does allow you some local control over your heating source.

Free shipping till December 24

The holidays are upon us, Free Shipping in all my shops and 10% off with coupon in message box "DEC10FS" I will refund your paypal account . Wishing every one blessings and light for the season.

Home

The Biltmore Estate lit up for Christmas


Home. The word evokes a lot of emotion. Last weekend I visited the largest private home in the US ( 175,000 sq ft.), The Biltmore House in Asheville, NC. My daughter in law Jennifer gave me tickets so my daughter Kathleen and I went up for the afternoon. The estate is 8000 acres, a mere shadow of its original size of 125,000 acres. It was designed to be a self sustaining estate, therefore ahead of it's time in some ways. For decades its magnificent house and grounds survived from the proceeds of it's dairy. Today there are tours , wine production, and a new Inn on the grounds. Visiting such an incredible estate brings to mind many questions about life, history , and how we as individuals fit into this intricate web of economy and society. There is a lot of history to be perused. Enjoying the lights with a moment to reflect within about my humble place in the Universe.


My daughter Kathleen looking quite European in Front of Le Chateau

Vibrations

Have you ever noticed certain preferences for different coloured gems? Everything in life has a vibration , a wavelength if described by physics. In metaphysics each stone is considered to have properties that help with healing, protection and balancing a person's energy. This is one of the reasons I enjoy creating with genuine stone including the turquoise pictured. This is sleeping beauty turquoise in the classic robin egg blue and also in the rare green. Silver is a wonderful feminine metal that enhances the vibrations of other gems. Handmade glass which is a silica base is also full of energy. Below is a sampling of vibrations as summarized from Melody's book " Love is in the Earth". There are many books that describe the properties of gems and stones. This information can enhance your creations and choices in colour and gem combinations.

Amethyst: the stone of contentment and tranquility, it facilitates movement of energy from the lower to the higher chakras

Ametrine: A combination of citrine and amethyst equilibrates the physical with the vibration of our perfection, it releases negativity and balances the male and female energy,

Andean Opal , Pink : stimulates and activates the heart chakra, renews the relationship between the universe and self, it is the stone of nonviolence and teaches love , releasing and purifying the heart

Aquamarine:Shielding and protecting,the stone of courage, it enhances the intellect, balance and order

Carnelian : promotes peace , encourages harmony, dissapates anger.

Chalcedony : balances mind body emotions and spirit, It is a sacred stone to the Native American Peoples.It encourages a generous nature and good will .

Citrine: will not hold negativity, encourages wealth, balances and aligns the chakras with the more subtle etheric planes

Garnet: is the quintessential stone of health , it is sacred to Native American peoples. It increases personal freedom and respect

Iolite: the stone of the third eye and astral travel, allowing change without pain

Kyanite:Never needs cleansing, it is one of the best attunement stones, aligning all the energy bodies

Kunzite: the stone of Divine love and joy, heals the heart

Labradorite: Contains the evolved galactic energy of other worlds. It is the "temple of the stars " promoting understanding of our present destiny

onyx: Decreases grief, it helps to absorb the energy from the universe that are needed. It facilitates wise decision making. Cleansing for the intuitive centers and opens those centers to new opportunities

Ruby Zoisite: Increases activity, changes negative energy to positive ,producing more positive from the negative. it is a vehicle for altered states, amplifying psychic states

Silver: A fluid feminine energy that acts as a subtle catalyst energizing the stones it accompanies.

Spinel: Ruby family, strengthens the awareness of your heart and it's connections. Encourages love

Sugilite:Is the stone essential for this time , demonstrating love and manifesting our Earth plane energy, flowing from the crown to the base chakra opening the question to " Why am I here?"

Tourmaline:Stimulates the chakras , according to the color of the stone. balances the mind, decreases fear, increases understanding and self confidence

Turquoise: The stone of the shaman, spirit healer, encourages wisdom, trust and kindness

Source: Love is in the Earth, Kaleidoscope of crystals update, By Melody, 2003