Poetry Palooza continued (National Poetry Month!)

 
Today is a lovely spring day here in Seattle so some Emily Dickinson seems apropos....for our Earth---Celebrating EARTH DAY every day!

A little Madness in the Spring (1333)

By Emily Dickinson

A little Madness in the Spring
Is wholesome even for the King,
But God be with the Clown---

Who ponders this tremendous scene---
This whole Experiment of Green---
As if it were his own!

***************************

this poem--although written in the 1800's---to me speaks of Earth love, environmentalism & preservation....how can we think we "own" our Earth? if we revered her properly, we would not be mistreating her so. So far much of our Earth stewardship has not been the best, I hope the tide is turning in favor of more care and real concern for the mess we have made of her.

I took these photos one spring in Alaska...where I learned to love and revere our green Earth.

**************************************************************

Nature's Holy Plan

Lines Written in Early Spring

by William Wordsworth

I heard a thousand blended notes,

While in a grove I sate reclined,

In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts

Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

To her fair works did Nature link

The human soul that through me ran;

And much it grieved my heart to think

What man has made of man.

Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,

The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;

And ’tis my faith that every flower

Enjoys the air it breathes.

The birds around me hopped and played,

Their thoughts I cannot measure:—

But the least motion which they made

It seemed a thrill of pleasure.

The budding twigs spread out their fan,

To catch the breezy air;

And I must think, do all I can,

That there was pleasure there.

If this belief from heaven be sent,

If such be Nature’s holy plan,

Have I not reason to lament

What man has made of man?

Ah! how long ago was this written? before 1850--since Wordsworth died then. And yet --his lament--"what man has made of man?" seems too much apropos today with the mess we have made of our Mother Earth, and how we are killing others in senseless wars. And now the Earth rumbles with Earthquakes, and still we fiddle and fumble; but spring brings new hope that those us us who care and are sane will prevail and justice and peace and love of our planet will win out.

April is NATIONAL POETRY MONTH--please feel free to leave your favorite poem here in the comments....

Homesick for Alaska

my friend Bobby Lee's cabin

Sometimes I really miss Alaska--my birthplace, and my one true home. The 5 days I spent in Alaska this summer---at my 40th high school reunion--- was not enough time--plus I had my leg in a brace (from a broken knee cap) so I couldn't do much. I enjoyed re-connecting with old high school friends and classmates, but I didn't get any time in the wilderness.

I have been looking at my Alaskan photos--and decided to share some of the ones I really like here. I posted some of these about 3 years ago(!) when I first starting blogging...but I bet most of my readers now have not seen them. These are mostly from a wonderful 3 day kayak trip my sister and I took in Glacier Bay, in Southeast Alaska. Southeast Alaska is the largest rain forest in North America---and the forest there is very lush, with soft green moss and many many ferns.


We kayaked and camped for 3 days in the wilderness and did not see one other human the whole time--heavenly! We did see almost every wild animal that resided in the area though--including bears, whales, loons, many seabirds, coyotes, seals, moose, eagles, and sea otters. ...I felt like all my wild Alaskan friends were coming out to greet me. Alaska is really the last true great wilderness in North America---and I pray we will allow most of Alaska to stay wild---for "in wildness is the preservation of the world."







the trail to my sister's cabin





"Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts." ---Rachel Carson

Real Alaskan Women

Most of you blog readers know I'm from Alaska--in fact--I am a third generation Alaskan --my grandfather was a gold miner, my mother was born in Juneau, Alaska in 1922. Sarah Palin's family moved to Alaska when she was an infant--she is a first generation Alaskan--if even that, since she was not born there.

After watching Palin debate (if you could call it that) Senator Biden, I just had to post this link to the SARAH PALIN DEBATE FLOW CHART---such a wonderfull, humorous illustration of the debate ....seems to sum up what happened just fine...do check it out ;-)

There is a reason my name is Aurora--it keeps me grounded in the best part of Alaska. I lived for over 20 years in a small town in Alaska--and even served on the city council there--heck, we all did that--we all ended up sooner or later taking out turn on the city council---did that qualify us to be Vice Pres of the US? It takes a tremendous ego to even consider that position when all the experience you have is governor of the state with the smallest population percapita.

I know many women like her in Alaska--self-rightous that their beliefs are the only way the world should be run, who see Alaska as only a place to be exploited and consumed--not as the tremendous wild treasure it is. I know many Alaskan women who say they are feminists---but a real Alaskan feminist Palin is not: she does not support a women's right to choose whether to have an abortion or not; she says you should teach only abstinence--but has a pregnant teenager; she is a women who believes the answer to our "energy crisis" is to drill for more oil in the Alaska Wildlife Refuge (she doesn't seem to understand the meaning of the word "refuge"); and worst of all ---she is a women who refuses to believe that Global Warming is caused by humans--despite the scientific evidence! Despite what Sarah Palin says, and her deliberately folksy attitude, she is not a "real" Alaskan women--she is a caricature of the worst kind of Alaskan.

May we all have compassion for her wounded soul, and work to keep her from being elected.

Art & the Environment : Sustainability and Slow Cloth

I just found this fun website with numerous free vintage knitting images---doesn't this one just spark your imagination?

And I have a few other links I want to highlight for you all----my brother, who lives in Juneau, Alaska is a board member of a local organization ---TURNING THE TIDES : "Turning the Tides is an Alaska-based nonprofit grass-roots organization composed of citizens, students, Alaska Natives, scientists, educators and musicians who are concerned with the health of the ocean. We promote ocean-friendly practices, clean-up efforts and waste reduction through various projects." He has created a visually appealing informative short online video OCEANS OF PLASTIC The film starts and ends--fittingly enough--with Alaskan Natives drumming and singing....



Since I spent much of last year creating cloth bags for BYOB (bring your own bag)---and replaced all our plastic bag consumption with cloth bags---the trick now is to always remember to have a cloth bag with me (!)--have you noticed how often businesses try to give you a plastic bag? Anyhow, my brother tells me the cloth bag I made for him is in the video---can you spot it? Hint: it has a bright pieced quilt pattern with black and white checks.

If you read my blog often you already know I have a love for our Mother Earth, and I am concerned with the current "climate crisis" facing all of us--in fact, I consider global warming/climate crisis to be the most pressing problem we all face. Much of my artwork reflects these concerns. Just scroll down here to my Jan 6th post about my "Homage to the Trees" small quilt for an example.

I recently found this great website THE STORY OF STUFF. "The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. "

This website--and her blog--are well worth a visit, and please watch her video and pass this on....as well as a succinct recap of how our consumerism adds to environmental problems, she has many good suggestions for actions all of us can take to help heal our planet.

How does this relate to knitting and craft? ah well, check out this blog---the The Red thread Studio--Slow Cloth, New Cloth, Art Cloth. For me, a sustainable lifestyle and the concept of SLOW CLOTH all go together.

Tree Quilt--Work in Progress (WIP)

So here is my last 2 days of the CREATIVE EVERY DAY challenge.

This small "quilt" is titled HOMAGE TO TREES and is part of a series of small mixed media (fabric and paper) quilts I am making on the theme of the Earth and the Environmental Crisis. This is a creative work in progress or WIP.

I started with a vintage deck of Tree Spotter cards
---stitched some cards together, added batting and a fabric backing--and now I'm working on embellishing with buttons, beads and embroidery. I will use the green leaf fabric as a border---and plan to hand quilt the borders....











"I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do." --Willa Cather

Giving Thanks...

The year has turned its circle,
The seasons come and go.
The harvest all is gathered in
And chilly north winds blow.

Orchards have shared their treasures,
The fields, their yellow grain,
So open wide the doorway ---
Thanksgiving comes again!



THANKSGIVING
Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on Spirit instead of yourself.

For me Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the changes---to remember that we, too, grow and change from one season of life to another. Let us remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving and let us give thanks in our hearts.

Mourning for the Sea and Sea/Beach-life

Human error--a large ship hits the San Francisco Bay Bridge, and oil spills out...we all pay for our oil habits--but right now the wildlife in the San Francisco bay are paying--in death and sickness.


As of Monday:
New numbers on oiled birds in care:

652 live birds
126 washed of oil
485 dead

All of the birds are being treated at the OWCN's San Francisco Bay Oiled Wildlife Care and Education Center in Cordelia.

In case you are thinking that this is not very many injured/dead birds---consider that these are only the ones the rescuers have found or captured, and how much other sea and beach life is affected by this oil spill of bunker oil. The oil is still shifting around the bay--each day we read and watch the news and another favorite beach---with abundant wildlife---is oiled. Many of the beaches impacted are in national parks --the gooey bunker oil is in football size globs---and threatens the dungeness crab fishery in the bay as well as wildlife.

I find myself saddened and in mourning for what we do--in the name of "civilization" to our ocean and planet. If the oceans are in trouble--and there is increasing signs that this is so--we are in deep, deep trouble in terms of human survival on our planet. After 20 years of a livelihood on the ocean as a commercial fisherwoman, I feel deep empathy and affinity for the ocean, and so I feel her pain when we mistreat her.

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know that I no longer own a car. After I saw the Al Gore movie "An Inconvenient truth" I got rid of my car (and did that feel good!), and joined our local City Car Share. I urge you, dear reader, to consider your carbon footprint and what you can do to curb your use of oil---and please take a moment to say a silent prayer for San Francisco Bay.

In the words of Bay Area folksinger/songwriter Malvina Reynolds:

"The sea, the sea, the fragile sea,
Our source, our provider and our road to liberty,
Now we use it for a dump hole in this mad economy,
And we never will survive a dying sea."

San Francisco Bay resources and nonprofits that need your money and help:
Baykeeper
Oiled Wildlife Network
Save The Bay
International Bird Rescue Research Center

Blog Action Day

Today is BLOG ACTION DAY !

On October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind - the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. Our aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know --although I write primarily an art and crafting blog---I care passionately about our Mother Earth and how we treat Her. You may even know that I spent the first 6 months of this year following my pledge to "buy nothing new for 6 months" which impacted my habits and thinking about cultural consumerism--and my own consumerism.

You may also have seen my posts here on creating my own grocery bags (BYOB = Bring Your Own Bag) and using recycled sweaters to create handbags. I love to see the creative ways artists and crafters use recycled materials.

Here are some of my favorite online Earth loving and environmental blogs, artists concerned with the environment, and resources ---do check them out today.

Astronomy Picture of the Day (just a daily reminder of how beautiful the universe is)

Art For Housewives (great links to many artists using recycling in their art)

Ideal Bite : "Ideas for Green Living"

Quaker Earthcare Witness

The Compact : Buy Nothing New

The Garbage Day Project

Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping (great humor!)

Step It UP!

Treehugger

Grist (environmental humor and news)

David Suzuki Foundation

There are--of course many more--and over at the Blog Action Day blog I see that they have tracked more than 5000 blogs participating and writing about the environment today--so far--(and it is only 9:30 am where I live)--POWER to the internet!