I wish I could write like this:

I found this piece by "Stumbling Upon" it...hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Think of it as a Thanksgiving gift, ok?

08.13.2006
permalink
An Offering Up
So, bumming around on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I decided to pull out my old Magic Circle… Any Camp Fire girls or boys out there who remember what a Magic Circle is?Ah, Camp Fire. Now there was a truly great organization (still is as far as I know). No separation of the sexes. No para-military drills. No 'troupes.' Nope. We had clans and councils instead. Interesting what a difference in mentality those words reflect. The clans were small groups who got together to do crafts and learn about living with nature. Some stuff we learned was pretty useful: how to make a fire, survive in the woods, recognize poisonous species, make strawberry jam, present a flag, pitch a tent. Some stuff was utterly useless: why would you ever want to know how to carve soap bars with a rusty pocketknife? And of course, nothing compares to the life education gotten via the social humiliation of trying to sell over-priced candy to strangers while dressed in homespun and moccasins. It's funny though, how all these things served to draw the group closer together, and how, no matter what cliques came and went at school, no matter how much you started out despising some of the other members, you always ended up appreciating each person for who they were and what they could contribute.Anyway, one of my favorite, and certainly longest enduring, Camp Fire traditions was the Magic Circle. I don't know where this got its name, or if all groups participated in it, but our leader encouraged us all to keep a collection of songs, poetry, stories, quotes, jokes, etc… whatever spoke to us, just put it all in a book or a box. This would be brought along to camp-outs and Council Fires. Then, late in the evening, when camp was made, colors retired, dinner eaten, and everyone sleepy, we would all sit around the fire to share. One by one, each person would sing a song, tell a story, or read a poem. As we went around the circle, others might join in if they knew the song, but it was each person's responsibility to be able to at least begin themselves. It was actually seldom that anyone consulted something written down. The first round went fast, with everyone eager to share. There was lots of laughter and grumbling when someone 'stole' someone else's intended offering, forcing them to have to wrack their brains for something else to offer. Gradually, it got harder and harder to remember or think up something new. It got quieter and more serious, with fewer knock-knock jokes, more reflection, greater attention. We knew that if someone failed, if just one person forgot or couldn't come up with an offering, the circle would be broken, and it would be bedtime for us all. Like all kids, we didn't want that to happen! But as the mood of the evening, the sense of the importance of this gathering, settled over us all, it became more than a parlor game. Sometimes, the youngest were allowed to fall asleep on someone's lap, or drift off to their tents, but normally the circle was reserved for older kids, an honor, and no one wanted to leave. It was especially reverent if some older adults were there, who would always come up with wondrous stories or songs none of us had ever heard. It was unspeakably beautiful. Thread by thread, the contents of our memories, our own Magic Circles, were woven into the tapestry of the larger community circle. And in those breath-held moments when we wondered how long we could keep this up, it wasn't too much of a stretch to picture our small circle of firelight, in its turn, weaving into the larger circle of the cosmos. The stars wheeled above, right overhead, and I remember leaning back often to look up, breathing in the magic of the night, steeping myself in the words being spoken, the silences between in which we honored each person's struggle to bring forth an offering. Or I'd stare intently into the heart of the fire, trying to summon forth a contribution from my own memory. I watched others do the same, as we settled more and more deeply into the rhythms of giving and receiving the gifts of song, word, knowledge, memory… Occasionally, I would catch the eyes of someone flashing across the fire and, stranger or friend, I could feel the tightening of the bonds that held us all. Within those intertwined circles of fire, before us and above us, meshing like the gears of a clock, time itself seemed another pattern we were integrating. Because for every song and story told, some passed down for generations, some newly created, there were unmistakably others present too: all but forgotten, quiet echoes waiting just at the edge of the firelight, just at the edge of memory, waiting to be re-remembered. You could tell when this happened: the prickle at the back of your neck as a ghost was resurrected, the sigh that went around the circle in recognition.Eventually, of course, the circle would close. Depending on the 'stakes' or rules, either one person would fail to remember, or a majority would, or a consensus would arise that it was time to turn in. The next day would come soon enough, bringing with it the struggle to recognize the person whose words the night before had touched your soul, so you could corral them into, please, singing that song once more, or writing down the words to this or that. Friends and strangers might approach you with the same requests, which is where the written collections came in. Barges, I would like to sail with you, I would like to sail the ocean blue. Barges, have you treasures in your hold, Do you fight with pirates brave and bold?That piece is still in my memory, all these years later. I don't think I have it written down anywhere. I do however still have two collections of what I think of as my Magic Circle, and it was these I was flipping through on a lazy Sunday afternoon. One, a binder, the other a sketchpad, both full of songs, stories, poems, quotations, photographs, collages, lists, artwork, articles, etc. The 'et cetera,' being also known as 'ephemera' (a word I love), includes: a poem written by my uncle at sea, more than forty years ago; an old map of Powell's Books in Portland, covered with quotations; a small pamphlet from the 1960s, put out by the UN, listing the word 'peace' in dozens of languages; a purple finger-painting of my two hands at age six. It got me to thinking, though, about the role that words and stories have played in my life. So many of them are so deeply burned into my psyche that there's no need for a physical reminder. I still remember the first poem I ever sat down to memorize, Jabberworky, by Lewis Carroll, from an ancient dusty poetry anthology found at the house of a family friend. The nonsensical nature of it delighted me, and I just had to commit it to memory. Since then, I haven't tried too hard to memorize things, but pieces here and there still tend to flit around my head like so many far-off echoes, sounding and resounding. More though, it got me reflecting on the nature of community. It's been a couple years now since I've sat around a campfire. There's always a powerful sense of community there, even when the talk is light or non-existent. Sometimes especially then. But really, how often do we get a chance to tell our stories? To sing our songs? How often do we really take an opportunity to share something as powerful as what ideas are near and dear to our hearts? How many people are prepared to listen?It seems like in America, with our emphasis on personal growth, and personal development, that we also focus more on personal relationships, rather than communal ones. And that can be a wonderful, rich blessing, the closeness of friendship and love. But I think that it is also important to share with strangers, with those we might not know so well. For as we age into our own personal nights, as the fires burn low, our memories seem to flicker, too. And our loved ones have heard all we have to share. We've listened to their stories many times. I think it is important to reach out, and to listen, to members of our outer circle as well: our community. I don't know how to do that. Is blogging a way? Perhaps. I just know I miss that feeling of closeness with other people, with humanity, that comes when you hazard yourself a bit, when you open up to share the good bits you've collected from life. I miss lifting up my voice in song to weave around the voices of many others. As an adult, the only times I've done that in this country were in Kundalini yoga classes: what a powerful resonance THAT creates! Some people get that experience in church. But what about all the humble, goofy songs of our youth? What about the stories of what we have learned or are experiencing? What about listening intently to our elders… not our priests, not our bosses, or our spouses, or our contemporaries, but our elders: sitting there on equal footing, sharing their wisdom and experience… what of that connection? What of listening to the stories of children, other than perhaps, if they and we are lucky, our own?That's the sort of connection I want, the sort of community I yearn for. Those are the stories I want to hear: elders' and children's and everything in between. Every age and race and creed. One at a time. Well into the night.

And you can hold the ghost stories.

(edited 2006.08.14; reinsertion of truncations)
Tagged with: camping, community, memory, stories, camp fire, magic circle
Access: Public Type: Blog 4 Comments
posted by Tsuya
08.07.2006

(Here's the link to her blog: http://tsuya.zaadz.com/blog)

Jus' gotta blog!

Well, here we are again...with another exciting update of Ephemeral Florist. How 'bout I post some of the pictures that I intended to post way back when...?

We both want mopeds for Christmas because riding 'em was so much FUN that day. Hey, I could ride to work pretty easily! And no, it wouldn't have to be blue....

I think I mentioned that Bayfield pretends it's a tropical seaport, with flamingoes almost everywhere...this one's just off the main drag. That's my kind of humor!

Ha! There were still leaves on the trees when we were there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remember this picture from last February? Just look how much she's GROWN:






xoxo

A bread-bakin' kinda day

It's 30º here right now. It was 14º when I got up this morning, and it's a Saturday in November....what more do you need to know?

The Persistent Sister­­® seems to want to know what's been going on in my life lately. Evidently her phone dial is broken, and perhaps her fingers, too, since the only communication from her is semi-snarky remarks here on EF...


Ok! Today, I have time...

Things at work are going well...we're all but closed for the winter and we're planning for next season. All the cool displays outside are gone or moved indoors for the winter, but here's what I'm making these days:



(When you see "Spruce Tips" advertised, that's what they mean--pine arranged in a plastic pot to drop into your urn. Gazing ball, birdhouse and cobalt pot not included!)

Still, by Thanksgiving we'll be done outside altogether, and then the serious planning and ordering starts. The funny part is that THREE couples at Scenic are expecting babies this fall--one was born on Thursday, another's due soon, and the other at Christmas. This could seriously mess with our winter schedule...lol

~*~*~*~*~

The grandaughter is growing like a weed--I was there last night, and she's crawling as far and as fast as she can...lol Her adults have to be super-vigilant or she'll tip a plant over on herself. It's almost like she's been planning what to see at floor level all her life! What a dolly!

~*~*~*~*~

Well, gang, APHC is on the radio from Hawaii, and I have birds-nests to make!
xoxo

The Birdie video

Oh dear! I was clicking around online and "Stumbled Upon" a cute cartoon of birds sitting on a wire. Big deal, right?
Well, I intended to send it to one person...but the options were not all that clear, so it got sent to my entire yahoo address book...friends, business associates, relatives...even people who don't necessarily KNOW me as Birdie...gawd. Have you ever had one of those moments where you BLUSH like crazy when you realize what just happened??

Sheesh....at least it wasn't tacky...lol

Swirling pictures!

I found this on J-walk blog, and it's cool!

"Javascript In The Address Bar

Try this:

Highlight the (green) text below
Press Ctrl+C
Press Alt+D
Press Ctrl+V
Press Enter

javascript:R=0; x1=.1; y1=.05; x2=.25; y2=.24; x3=1.6; y3=.24; x4=300; y4=200; x5=300; y5=200; DI=document.getElementsByTagName("img"); DIL=DI.length; function A(){for(i=0; i-DIL; i++){DIS=DI[ i ].style; DIS.position='absolute'; DIS.left=(Math.sin(R*x1+i*x2+x3)*x4+x5)+"px"; DIS.top=(Math.cos(R*y1+i*y2+y3)*y4+y5)+"px"}R++}setInterval('A()',5); void(0);

Refresh the page to get back to normal. It works with IE and Firefox, and it works for any page that has images."

Whaddya think?

Is it OK to eat dried apricots that taste and smell a little "wine-y"?
LOL

ANOTHER butterfly

Beck sent these today...lol Have you EVER seen a cuter butterfly?

Awwww....

Something cute I just found....click HERE

xoxo

An icecicle fountain

LOL...this was Thursday morning--damn, I love winter!

Maybe now?

Let's try one more time, shall we?

Ahhh...I KNEW you'd enjoy this last, non-winter picture of the flamingoes. And as we say to people who ask about their fish--"Yes, they can over-winter right where they are!"

I figure I'll take 'winter' pics of this scene for your comparison ALLL winter long, 'K?

Mmmm, I dearly love the "cartoon" feature on my photo program, and birch trees seem to be grown for it's use, doncha think?

Hey, hot damn! It's working!!!

A whole NEW idea!

Hmm. Here's something to think about:

Blogging can be fun. Blogs are fun to read. ANYONE can blog...and ANYONE can comment (as both of you know).

Somehow, I've picked-up the reputation among family and friends as a 'computer trail blazer' just because I've (more or less) maintained a blog for two years, when what it actually only means is my attention span is finally getting longer....lol

Daud got the hint over a year ago and started her own blog. Ahem--NOW, it's time for a sibling or two to do the same...I mean, I'd love to add YOUR blog address to my Favorites list. I'll check it everyday, promise. I'll even comment...lol

Go to: blogger.com and dig in...who knows, maybe YOU'LL be able to post pictures.

I'm waiting.....

A "temporary condition"

OK, I know both of you are wondering why I deleted my own picture...but it's part of a marketing thing....if you use blogger (a free service)...you get what you pay for.

I tried to create a sample blog for the store today, but when you already HAVE a blog on blogger, almost any messing you do with one transfers to the other, but in the weirdest ways!

I posted a picture of the SS crew on the other page, and it didn't show up here. Fine. Then I saw that my iris picture appeared on the OTHER blog, so I went there and deleted it. Came back here and it was gone...sigh.

So anyway, the meeting I need it for is Tuesday morning, and stuff should be back in order HERE Tuesday night or so.

(OK, it took til Wednesday...so sue me)...lol

Pictures STILL don't work...

Ok, I've tried a few times to post pics (again), and the screen freezes when I get the picture here on the 'dashboard'. It's making me nuts! I have some GREAT pics of Bayfield and Madeline Island, but I can't show you!
Gr-r-r-r...

Still, the leaves were BRILLIANT and the weather cold--> I was happy...lol
On Madeline Island, we rented Mopeds (!) and buzzed all over for an hour. At one point, a small flock of birds flew along with us for a bit, and we saw deer before they saw us....lol

Bayfield trys for a 'nautical' theme in town, often tongue-in-cheek: there are bright pink flamingoes in every store or restaurant, and a STATUE made of pink-painted metal downtown...the pics of Mog kissing the flamingo are to die for, but YOU can't see them...neener-neener!

Sorry about that!

A fall trip to Lake Superior

We're off this morning to Bayfield, Wisconsin. You KNOW I'll take pictures, and we'll see if Blogger lets me post 'em.
Doncha just love a mystery?

Waiting for Mog to get here, I noticed a fairly large bird on the cement block on the corner of the square flowerbed outside my office window. ('Fairly large' means about twice the size of a robin--his beak and feet are tucked in, and he's perfectly centered on the block--the only movement is when the wind ruffles his feathers a bit). What's remarkable about that? Something about him makes me think "hawk"--the fearlessness and serenity of sleeping 2 feet above the ground, out in the open--

Ok, she's here!
See ya later...

Beta

I'm trying this new beta program from blogger. Evidently, it now goes through my google account, which seems to have bugs of it's own.

I tried to post a photo three times already...just to see if it works...no go. The page freezes when I click "post".

Soooo, we'll try just words, and see if it greases the skids lol

There's even caramel in my hair

The last three days have been BUSY here in EF Headquarters-land.

Thursday morning, we drove down to Rochester, Mn for a 2 day trade show. The idea was to place orders for a good part of our merchandise mix for next season, and MAN, it was fun! On Thursday, we scoped the place out, getting an idea of what was offered and picking up brochures...then back to the hotel to decide.
In the morning, we had a stack of vendors to visit, place the order, and get on to the next vendor. OMG, that was so cool!
"We need two of this...one of these...a case of this...you have a deal on three cases? Hmm, ok--three. And how do these come? Lots of six? Ok, six of these, these, these and these..." LOL...see?

The ONLY problem with being three hours from home was that Saturday was the opening day of our Fall Sale, and MUCH needed to be done yet. The crew really tried, but with regular customer traffic (PLUS those wanting a pre-sale deal), it's difficult to get merchandise marked and displays set up.

We made it back by about 4:30 on Friday, and dug right in...lol Set up corn shocks on the lawn to cover that bare spot where a big pot was....place signs everywhere....run a cord to the table for the caramel heater and check if the apple corer would actually work there...get the bobcat and haul out pallets of bagged potting soil and mulch...place bales for display and seating...then go home and rest up for the craziness tomorrow!

Whew. Saturday morning, I drove out to Collegeville Orchards to pick up the Paula Red apples--three bushels--when Curtis called to ask that I bring my coffee grinder, too. As he would say, "Done and done!" lol

It was a PERFECT day! Cold and sunny, with wind from the north...geese flying over...the rustle of dried corn, smell of straw and fresh air, and the nearby farmers' last cutting of alfalfa...hot caramel out front, and inside, rich fresh-ground coffee. Mmmm!

When I opened the gates at 7:55, there were six or seven cars waiting to get in, and it stayed that way all day....! A parade of cheery people delighted to be outside for a reason. I really believe that EVERY customer yesterday bought something...lol...and most bought more than that!

Oh, yes! I DID get pictures...don't worry. Dar, the apple server, took lots between chopping apples and pumping hot caramel. Thanks, Dar!
But of course, blogger/my computer isn't cooperating this morning...so click these....
DAR SERVING CARAMELED APPLES

THE CREW

WORKING HARD

BTW....the caramel in my hair? I have no idea HOW it got there, but now I know why that wasp liked me so much!

WOW!

Now THIS tickles me:
CLICK HERE!
LOL

Certain people have been bugging me about updating here...what can I say? It's no longer a florist blog, so I feel "untrue" about keeping the name.

On the other hand, daud says it isn't my problem that web crawlers cherry pick or that I'm listed when someone Googles "rubrum lily". (Hi, rubrum lovers! Thanks for clicking Ephemeral Florist...feel free to scroll around, but be aware that it's more of a 'grandaughter' and 'landscaping' blog these days...the 'florist' stuff is PRE-October 2005...lol).

On the third hand, it's neat to know that both of you CARE whether I blog or not. I could write this stuff in an e-mail, and one cc would suffice, but then, what would late night insomniac random ("Click for next blog") surfers do when they need to sleep?

So, OKAY. You haven't exactly said you LOVE this drivel, but I guess that you want it is good enough....lol

We're having a "Fall Fiesta" at SS next Saturday--the kick-off to a "rest of the season" sale featuring buy-two-get-one-free trees, and twofer shrubs and perennials...(what doesn't sell has to be overwintered), as well as half price fountains, pots, garden tools, etc. AND, there'll be seminars on
Putting Your Pond To Bed For The Winter and Landscaping with Icecicles...(kidding!)

So, this weekend, I made a scarecrow for my displays, and a few crows to go with him.
Wanna see?






















(My sister helped with the crows, which you'll have to imagine, so she gets her picture here.)

xoxo to you all!

You'll notice I'm in a GREAT mood for a mid-summer Sunday night...three reasons:
1.
Here in the heartland, we're enduring temps in the 90-100 range lately. My sibs know how grouchy that would normally make me, but last Thursday, I had a new furnace AND central air installed--a birthday present to ME...lol
Now, since I've spent the weekend ENJOYING cool non-humid air, we've decided to keep the heat one more day, and then send it East--
LOOK OUT, CHICAGO!

2.
Becky sent pics today of lil' grandaughter managing in the heat...trust me, they're cute, but Blogger won't let me load 'em. I even re-sized them, but no...maybe later tonight, 'k?

3.
Just because I know you'll enjoy this, here's a FUN search engine for when you're just playin' rather than "Researching"...it explains itself: http://www.bananaslug.com/

xoxo

What IS it with me and cameras??

Yes, I DID get new baby pictures today, don't worry...but the thing refuses to flash, so it's really cool that the computer program lets you mess with brightness and contrast...lol

My little sweetie is getting so big! When I saw her last, she couldn't hold her head up...(only a month ago)...and now look at her! She pushes with her legs the second her feet touch something firm, and she much prefers standing to sitting...lol

She's not even 5 months old!



When I arrived this morning, she was in her infantseat in daddys' office...just watching him. When he turned to her, she smiled, and they showed me their newest game: "Where's the baby?" which is J throwing the blanket up over her head, and Kendall kicking and chattering till it's completely off!
(Takes about 5 seconds, start to finish...lol)









Some other pics, ok? Here she is with her auntie....





























.....and with her favorite dad...lol

(Sometimes too-dark pictures turn out pretty neat...)