Winter, Wool, and Woofing

The boys, Chiaki and I had a great trip to Banff recently. Looking out of the window of the Banff Springs Hotel, I experienced a surreal sensation of peace and beauty. The sunset on the snowy mountains was so moving and the lights of the hotel glowing in the foreground looked like they were straight out of a fairy tale. I wanted to capture the moment forever and thanks to the super high tech Canon camera I got for Christmas, I managed to get a pretty amazing shot. I think this will be my happy place for a little while. :)

The last of the Christmas decorations have come down and I have been craving a studio fix and the chance to try out my new spinning wheel. I'm dyeing and spinning a skein a day. It's been fun digging out bags of wool, I was so excited when I discovered the white alpaca wool that was given to me this summer doesn't need carding! I basically spin it right out of the dyepot. So fun! And so soft! As soon as I get brave enough I'm going to try some angora. I've been holding off for fear of not liking it, or something like that. Here I have all these bunnies and I still don't have a full skein of angora yarn. Next, for sure. Same goes for the llamas. Still waiting to work with that wool. Once again, I think I'm afraid that after all my time, money and love, I'm not going to end up liking the yarn having been spoiled by so much alpaca.

For the last month we have enjoyed getting to know Chiaki, our woofer from Japan. She is so kind and dedicated, happy to help with all kinds of odd jobs, including dry wall, milking goats, herding llamas, cleaning bunny homes, the list goes on and on. Of course, when Lucas heard we were mixing up MUD, he had to get his hands into it! Creative drywalling!

What is a Doula?

I've recently attended the third birth I needed in order to complete my DONA Doula certification. Since the DONA workshop in May, with Elaine Montgomery, I have attended 5 births and I'm now venturing into the stage of literary composition, a large part of the certification process. The question is posed: What is the purpose and value of labour support (in 500-1000 words). Ack! I'm tempted to write from a purely professional viewpoint, basically quoted the mutitude of books I have read on the subject, and come up with a very formal essay that any university professor would love, BUT, I'm not particularly fond of professors opinions when it come to writing styles. My instinct is to take a more personal and anecedotal stance, creating prose that would be interesting for non-professionals to read, perhaps even humorous and emotional, BUT, I really don't want to flunk certification due to entertaining writing skills. Hmmmm, finding a balance would be nice.

I have found my experiences as a doula to be humbling. Mostly cause my intuition sucks, and I previously thought it was pretty good. AND although I beleive a doula's main purpose is to facilitate a positive birthing experience for the family, especially the mother, in my heart what I want is for all women to feel empowered by birth. Not all women want that.

I would say, as a generalization, that most women are content to hand the birthing reins over to the institution and bask in the pandering and control that most health professionals love to administer. There is a feeling of safety, and a transfer of responsibility that an instituion allows which, for many women, creates a positive birth experience, but without any large sense of empowerment.

And so, how can I, as an empowered woman advocate, liberally making choices for my own life that will further empower me, really be a doula who puts other womens agendas before my own. How do I maintain respect for that women and pride in her accomplishment? How can I portray to a woman that she is strong, beautiful, and dignified with sincerity?

I have a feeling that it is in the little things, in the small yet emotional victories, that I will see the reality and will give heartfelt praise to its beauty.

Gladness

We have too much stuff! It's easy to point fingers and accuse one of being the greater contributer, but really, it's all ours and it's too much! Clutter! It hurts my brain. The massive piles have become so great, they have their own gravitational force; a dark planet complete with alien species around which we revolve like brainless moons.

There is no easy solution. It is not purgable without great pain and loss. But I have faith! I search the universe for wisdom regarding our stock-piling situation. I WILL reach the answer that makes beautiful and perfect sense and can be conveyed with kindness to all parties involved.

"The creator has filled moment of every year with gladness. And in His thought there is no room for His Beloved Child to feel torment from sadness." - Anastasia

I love these ladies

Funky yarns
Making scarves
It's our night out
Cosmopolitanize.
Wine and food,
Apricot ale
Laughing and jibing
Tangles and tying.
This group of girls
from so many places
it all works with harmony
and flow
and with rhythm.
We nuture without words.
We love in our creating.
Looking forward
To next month.
My house
Tie-dyeing!

Brrrrwinterrrrr!

We had our first -20 night last night. The kids slept like little logs, they didn't even wake up to crawl into mom and dad's bed this morning (our NEW king sized bed yay!). The wood burning stove is roaring hot and it feels like a good day to sit inside and spin a yarn. BUT the goats need milking, and bunnies feeding, and we have to make our biweekly trip into town today. I'm glad I planned this year to dry the goats off for Jan and Feb, the coldest months of the year. Then they can put all their energy into growing their babies that are due in March and April, and then I can spend the mornings in my housecoat and slippers (yes, spinning yarns) :)

Even with the cold I can't help loving this time of year and the challenges it can bring. Thinking up inventive ways to keep ourselves and the animals warm, thinking up beautiful handwoven cloths to keep my appreciative customers warm, and spending days camped out in the house waiting for a cold spell to pass. It's really the only time of year when I can sit in the house all day and not feel guilty about putting off all that work outdoors. There's just not a whole lot you can do with the ground frozen, a thick layer of snow, and kids losing mittens in their valiant attempt to get frostbite!

Through all the fall months we scurry around in a self-inflicted mode of panic, preparing and building and stock-piling for the winter, making sure the animals will be secure, storing away bales of hay, dusting off all the heated water dishes, and reinforcing cozy nests for each of them, and now that winter is here, it sort of feels like "whew, we made it"!

I also like to teach classes in the winter and my first set of beginner and intermediate classes are set up for January. I still have to weave a sample for the intermediates and make sure my notes don't have errors. And I'm determined to finish scrapbooking Rowans baby book. And then there's Christmas! Next week we'll be pulling out all the Christmas decorations for both my house and our grandma's house. Between the two places, my kids and I decorate about 7 Christmas trees :)