metro market - june 5 & 7

show announcement:  

i'll have a space at the Metro Market located in Metro Space Gallery on Friday, June 5th and Sunday, June 7th during Broad Appetite'.  Do come by and see what is in store at my booth and with the other artists.  more dates to come as well as the summer farmer's market vending schedule with zou zou's basement.  

you'll want to know

jo and his mama.  frick frack foto. ©2009.

you'll want to know the person i've called my best friend since i was 12.  she is simply amazing.  she has the most amazing smile and attitude, among other qualities.  her life is an inspiration as are her photographs.   because i trust her with my life, i could trust her to take some good photos of me wearing one of my handmade creations, which began with an amy butler pattern.  my friend took pictures of me while i was visiting her in MS and her work is amazing.  you'll see one of those pictures as my image here on the blog, as well as in her online gallery.  you'll see more of her work integrated in the pages here as well as on my site in the days to come.

frick frack foto is her business, started with her business partner and sweet friend.  one is frick, the other frack.  take a look at their talent.  so many of their images capture a dream-like quality, but are deeply rooted in the present.  each tells a story while retaining a timeless tale as well.  i believe the images speak of connection.  connection between those in the moment of telling the story and connection with the viewer, who is told the story as seen through frick frack foto's eyes. 

enjoy their telling.

Called to Create

Fidelia's Sisters, a fabulous online publication of the Young Clergy Women Project, is a great space in which I've often been invited to share.  In May's addition of Christ & Creativity, you can find an interview about my call to create.  YCW is an avenue of kindred spirits who challenge me to create, to preach, to teach, and to love in superior ways.  YCW is an exceptional group of young women in various calls that I am blessed to be a part of.  (Not language I use lightly.)

Enjoy.

a hike in the woods

we spent our holiday yesterday in charlottesville, va smelling the honey suckle in the air and walking around part of the urban trail, followed by a picnic of fruits, veggies, and hummus.  jo enjoyed a playground before we drove a ways on the parkway for a little hiking.  after a rest/nap in the car, we ended up hiking over 4 miles!  i must say, our three-year-old is a little adventurer.  we met 23, yes 23 orange (and one brown) salamanders along the trail.  counting these made for a LOT of fun, and jo found the genetic abnormality of #23 a pretty brown with orange spots.  maybe it's just not so abnormal, but 1 in 23 seemed so.  will do research online later. each ranged between 1.5 and 3 inches in length and were so bright along the trail.  the greens of the moss and ferns were breathtaking.  we hiked through the rain along a good portion of the trail, which added a really lovely sound.  i chose to leave the camera in the car, keeping the hike simple.  what will come visually are some new prints that will be inspired by some of these ferns and moss.  i have two ideas bubbling and can't wait to get started!  

i love these days where art, appreciation, and family all intersect.  toward the end of the hike, i asked jo who made the world, which prompted a prayer after our short discussion: 

dear god, thank you for this day.  thank you for the world.  thank you for the trees and plants, thank you for the orange lizards, thank you for my friend t, thank you for my mommy and daddy, thank you for this world.  amen. 

and there were a few lines that have slipped from memory.  yesterday's hikes, the constructed walk in the city and the hike on the AT were each important to us.  we love our time as a family and our time as a family outdoors works its spiritual impact on each of us.  thank you god, for this day.  thank you for the world.  thank you for the trees and plants.  thank you for the orange lizards, the moss, and the ferns.  thank you for our family.  thank you god, for this day.  amen.

a holy breath

pretty picture from the national aquarium.  jo and i went with our friends from across the pond, and we had a grand time.  though our trip to baltimore was back in march, i thought this would be a fun picture to share today.  we're gearing up for a quick weekend trip to the mountains.  we find nature so restorative to our souls as a family.  once i returned from the youth retreat in the mountains at camp little crossroads, i knew we needed a family outing!  the mountains are calling again.  the beach is calling.  the spa is calling.  right?   

the essence here is that we need these holy breaths outdoors.  we have our list for the summer, and some we've had for the spring that have been moved to the summer because of time.  we'll have time as a family to engage each other and enjoy all that good time together.  from the quiet of our backyard and weeding the garden to watching each other hike, we'll have those good, deep breaths in nature that we so need.  we'll have the trips to the gardens, the trip with grandma to the DC zoo, the trip to the NC zoo + gardens, the stroll through Duke Gardens, and more.  So many places, cultivated and natural both.  oh, i'm so excited.  my thoughts tonight turned to these anticipated outings as i departed from the bereavement group.  it's such an amazing group of courageous individuals.  

we had a wonderful time at the youth retreat.  the ladies were a great deal of fun to work with.  creativity certainly abounded!  there's so much to say about art and spirituality and the connections we all share.  there are so many spaces to grow and explore with others in this life.  i'm in awe of creation and amazed at the created work of our hands in all these spaces and groups.  may the work of your hands be blessed!

Creative Weekend

Color your weekend!  Enjoy!  I'm off to lead a retreat for youth based on Art as Healing.  I'll be happy to share how the weekend was filled with lots of creativity!  Off to the mountains with green spaces and no computer or cell phone coverage.  For better or worse.  Happy creating!  peace.

motherhood

You can never have too many mothers.  Article on Salon.com that Soule Mama recommended on her blog.  Interesting read.  Have a look. 

yesterday i had two wonderful conversations with two amazing women who can each be identified as mother, minister, wise woman, wife, and friend.  (among other titles and hats they wear.)  each brought ideas and suggestions and questions to the table as i attempt to find steady "work" and summer employment.  what does "work" mean and why's it in quotations?  well, when i'm doing what i love, it doesn't feel like work.  when i'm dealing with difficult people it does.  so, there's a balance i strike:  i do what i love as much of the time as i can.  i'm open and willing to make myself available to other opportunities, because they arrive for a reason, too.

for some time i've been in discernment about the next step, the evolving direction of ministry and vocation.  today i'm moving myself into a realm of marketing and business plans and working toward gaining a business license for my business name(s).  whew.  

we women are smart.  we are resourceful and we are good at helping each other.  yes, i mentioned comparison and sometimes competition coming up, but on the whole i have experienced a cooperative spirit that desires for all to succeed.   in a round-about way, the article linked above shouts out that we do need help as mothers and that there are resources (hopefully) around us as we raise our children.  my son certainly has others who aid in his development, others that he loves, that he defines as family when they have no blood relation but are as meaningful to his life.  

throughout my spiritual life i have recognized those who i find a deep, godly connection.  my spiritual autobiography mapped out these relationships back in seminary.  some of those and newer relationships (in the last 5 years) are what are bringing me into a "new way of being" now and for the moments to come.  their wisdom and experience are in a way mothering me into a new space, where i feel nourished and ready to move forward.  i love the many mothers that have been in my life.  and in echoing the article and the importance of balance between males and females, i love the other fathers who have been intentional and loving and caring.  warm, caring feelings this morning as i reflect on all this good care, good intention, and good sense.  thank you, mothers.  thank you alloparents.  thank you, fathers, and those who showed me what fathers look like.  thank you, wisdom.  thank you, mother god.  

women of faith networking survey

a young clergy woman's networking Q's:  how do you market yourself?  how do you find meaningful ways to connect to people as a minister when you are not in a paid church position?  how do you share with others your talents when there is a pool of folks out there who are equally talented?  how do you share the wealth?  what drives you not to give up, or to move into an easier path that pays with benefits and gives you retirement? 

a friend and i have been in discussion, as i have with others for quite some time, around how we clergy women can create the proper language for & network our talents when in non-traditional church roles. or when you want to share your time between family and ministry.  at various points over the last couple of years, conversation has taken place with young clergy women at the college of preachers.  the conversation has been planned as a retreat for a few young women in ministry to gather and create a common language for such endeavors, learn from one another's experiences, support, & care for one another through each others gifts.  a retreat with massage therapy, art, counseling, and prayer & spiritual direction.  there's a vision & work toward another web site that i hope to launch sometime this summer.  

i was excited to find the article on sparkfly's blog to which she is asking for women of faith to fill out her survey to network for one another.  it's exciting.  fill it out here.   

by no means is the conversation i'm mentioning new, but perhaps we who are experiencing a desire to make change for ourselves and our sisters can support one another's ministries can shape a new way of shared work.  of course, the unspoken in this post--until now-- is that sometimes we women, yes, we women can't handle feelings of competition & comparison.  we question ourselves in light of another's brightness and allow that to haze over our own light.  yet, we can come outside of that questioning with a resolve (and further self-awareness) and move forward.  while i speak of myself, i can also think that you identify such a predicament or situation.  

when i first saw caroline rutledge armijo's liturgical art and mixed media works, i felt a little small.  i was so in awe of her creativity and talent.  oh. my.  so, so good.  then i stopped and remembered that we pull from the same source.  same creative spirit.  same pool of collective creativity.  and then, i saw the connections and similarities in her art and mine.  i appreciated our connection greatly, and i await the opportunity to display her art in my home.  here's the thing:  i want to tell you about her, just as i want to share with you what brings me health, wholeness, and joy.  

i want you to know how amazing caroline's art & presence is just as i want you to know the wonderful the vast array of young clergy women that i have come to know and love.  check out how creative we are on fidelia's sisters.  listen to us preach.  hear us teach.  create with us.  love our families.  listen to a word of hope.  love our children.  pray for us.  know us.  there are many of us out there.  give us a chance, world.   there are opportunities for us, yes.  we just need a few more.    

may we connect and create spaces for ourselves and others as we move through our vocational calling.  may we remember that we are on similar paths and that there is room for all.  may we carve a space to minister and relate to others while maintaining our mothering role, friendships, and relationships.  we have much to offer.  we have much to share.  

all in a name

today i received an email from a woman in missouri who also uses the name silver tree in her art work.  she shared some of her story surrounding her name and asked for my story.  i thought i'd share it here, as she is not the first to ask, but i found the words flowing.  thus, i'm quoting myself, using capital letters, which i never do here:

I'm happy to give you a little history of my name for my art.  I like to say that I grew up in a tree ( a wisteria tree ) in my grandmother's yard.  There my creativity took the shape of mudpies among the sounds of bees & smells of those flowers, which also topped my creations.  My doodles & block prints always have some form of tree, and trees are especially calming to me ad my creative spirit.  Thus, tree.  I love working with silver and have made jewelry in various forms since I was a teenager. Thus, silver.  What I do is art.  It took a long time to admit that my "creativity" produced art.  I always thought of art as a part of me, but never fully acknowledged myself as an artist until a few years ago.  

Thus, Silver Tree Art is what I call my art & wears.  Also because what I do takes the form of "branches".  I am the tree itself and what grows from me includes my various art forms & lines -- block printing, jewelry, writing, quilting, stained glass, cooking, gardening, etc.  I also lead bereavement groups and conduct art & spirituality retreats as well as workshops and retreats for children & youth.  I am an ordained minister and enjoy these retreats/workshops/groups very much, as they are a part of that growth from my core -- the tree trunk.  The tree has become a very important symbol to me as well, because i attribute my creativity -- coming up from the roots --as a source springing up from my ancestors, the collective creative spirit, and the Creator.  my various endeavors, or you could say the many hats i wear -- the branches -- can give voice to the various aspects of my life, which all come from the core of me.  My art is also seasonal, which takes the tree metaphor full-circle.  I am not always working with the same medium or using the same material, but they cycle back into the picture.  

in case you were curious, there you go.

a great day

strawberry street festival was so fun.  this parrot was so lovely.  when he sat on my arm, his feet/claws were so incredibly warm, as was the day.  susannah of zou zous basement and i shared the shade of the tent as we introduced new folks and returning folks to our wears.  what fun.  thanks to all who included us in their mothers' day makings.

what a great day. 

strawberry street festival!

magnets and clips from stamps await you...

more magnets with my hand carved stamps & fabric circles.  

perfect for all mothers and others who love to display work on the fridge.  

tomorrow at the strawberry street festival.  hope to see you there!

deep peace

one of my favorite prayers.  it's often used in worship and in prayerful experiences since receiving the book.  Soul Weavings: A Gathering of Women's Prayers.  Edited by Lyn Klug.  Augsburg Fortress Publishers (at 50% off). page 147.  deep peace to you.

Deep peace, pure white of the moon to you.  

Deep peace, pure green of the grass to you.

Deep peace, pure brown of the earth to you. 

Deep peace, pure gray of the dew to you. 

Deep peace, pure blue of the sky to you.

Deep peace, of the running wave to you.

Deep peace, of the flowing air to you.

Deep peace, of quiet earth to you.

Deep peace, of the shining stars to you.

Deep peace, of the Son of Peace to you.

~Fiona Macleod, Ireland (1855-1905)

i can remember when...

i was oh so small, approaching my third birthday.  my mother, father, and i were on their bed and my mother was oh-so-pregnant with my brother to be.  i can remember how wonderful and enchanting it was to see and feel something within my mother's stomach.  at least, i hold that memory in the wonder category as it comes today.  there maybe a little influence over the years. 

whatever the memory jo claims as his earliest memory of life with his mom and dad, i hope that they are sweet and filled with wonder.  before r and i were married, someone told me that i wouldn't remember anything from the ceremony itself, that it would speed by so quickly and i'd only be able to remember a blurr.  of course, i had to stop and look around.  i needed that voice saying, in their way, to take notice. breathe.  savor.  enjoy.  delight.  

in a similar fashion you hear that children grow up "too quickly".  thus, i try to enjoy jo's fast pace and movement from one stage of life into the next.  he's in one of my favorite development phases of the preschool years.  i love these years because there is so much wonder and appreciation.  there's an honesty to the questions that are asked, however socially inappropriate at times, and a desire for play and learning that helps them become autonomous selves.  so i stop and watch him.  i take notice.  breathe.  savor.  enjoy.  delight.  

happy early mothers day to all who possess a mothering spirit.  happy early mothers day to all who usher wonder and play and learning in children.  happy early mothers day to all whose desire is to see children grow, to play, and to learn.  happy early mothers day to all who love with Mother God's kind of love.  God's love be with you.

after a good meal

you need time to rest after a good meal, good visits with friends and family, and a really good social outing.  all of these events have taken place recently.  one event rolled them into one.  feast: festival of word, table, and image.  a friend, who is also a young clergywoman, and i set off to co-organize this female preaching festival celebrating sermon, food, and art.  i'm in awe of what was spoken, created, and eaten.  we had such a glorious time together.  yes, as always, laughter and tears, good times, and good food.  we created what we have longed for since the last college of preachers event.  i am so happy.  i am full.  and yet, i know i want more.  when you taste something so good, so filling, you want to have it again.   and we will.  

so today, i rest with my son watching the rain fall.  hoping that the thunderous sounds will be calming.  as the earth is fed, i am fed by my sweet boy and the satisfaction of a great meal!