12 Yard Basket

I believe that basketry is a basic skill. Not only do you have the skill to create what you need to store stuff, organize clutter, and carry goods from place to place, but these skills translate to the ability to create other items you might need. Fences, screens, wattles, landscaping containment all use the same skills as basketry. For many basketry skills, the materials are free if you know how to forage for them or grow them.

I use a number of basketry techniques depending on my need and the materials that I have available. This basket is one of the free techniques that I love to work with during the cold dreary days of late winter and early spring. I use worn out clothes that I cut into 2 inch wide strips and sew them together. (This is also one of the techniques for rug making.)

You need 12 yards of 2 inch fabric strips sewn into 3 strands, heavy thread, scissors, and a heavy sharp needle.

How to

1) Create 3 strips that are 4 feet long each. Sew the 3 ends together and braid the strips to make a long braid.

2) Fold the end of the strip over and sew the sides of the fold together using a whip stitch.

3) Sew to the end of the fold and ease the braid around the end, sewing as you go. Keep the piece flat as you sew the braid in a coil until you have a flat base that is about 6 inches by 4 inches.

4) Tip the braid on its edge and sew the bottom of the braid to the edge of the base. Work this around the flat base of the basket. Start the next row by continuing to coil over the first row of the side of the basket. Sew bottom of the second row to the top of the first row. It takes at least 2 rows on the side of the basket to have stable sides. The basket shown has three rows up the side.

5) Create the handles if desired by working the braid over a spacer. In this case, I use a lid. Both sides of the handle should be sewn tight and reinforced by extra stitching.

6) Finish the basket by cutting the strips at different lengths and stitching them down.

If this basketry technique looks interesting, fun, and useful, I put more complete instructions on my Buy Me a Coffee page. It is free by clicking on the button.

The Long View

We are living at a time in history when a combination of instant gratification and chaos seems to reign supreme. Is it true? Maybe. Maybe it is just perception. The thing is, perception often becomes reality, and I am not immune to this. Much of this illusion is created by the supposed instant access to information and the goods that are dropped at our door steps. We become impatient with anything that takes effort, patience, and time. We become intolerant of anything that doesn’t instantly meet our expectations.

I, too find myself reading only half an article and being impatient when I have to search for things in three different ways in order to find the information that I need. I, too, live with the constant scattered feeling that is generated when I believe that I have to do three things at once or I’m falling behind.

This is an illusion.

It is time to take a breath and to make haste by slowing down. By finding the depth of the long view we can all be more effective in our lives. Cultivating study, practice, and the perspective of long history takes time and patience. Applying this to our lives takes experimenting. It is time well spent.

The perspective of history is like planting trees. Trees with slow growth and deep roots are the strongest and longest lived. The trees that grow quickly without deep roots are often blown over by the first storm. So it is with our initiatives. When we take the time to develop the deep roots of connections, understandings, knowledge, skill, and supportive structures, we are more likely to succeed in the long term.

So, how does this apply to our decisions and practices? For me, it means studying and understanding the practices of my ancestors and the reasons for those practices. This gives me a perspective on what is happening now and what it takes to be resilient in a changing world. Many of my ancestors knew how to live with the environment and achieve what they needed for their lives. The best of these practices nourished a healthy and thriving environment and community.

Over time, we have created ways to make life “easier”, and it does create an illusion of an easier life. However, each “convenience” has historically separated us, one step at a time, from the environment upon which we depend. Without care and conscious attention, we tend to become slaves to the “convenience” until we are hamsters on a wheel, running for someone else’s enjoyment and profit.

The answer, in my opinion, is utilizing the easier ways of doing things and modern knowledge. But to do so in combination with the connections and the Spirit that runs through the heart. This was the way of many of my ancestors as they made connections and developed a deep understanding of how the energy and resources moved through their lives and ecosystems.

In The Spirit of The East, the Eagle represents the intellect and the logic. It is the pursuit of knowledge that takes things apart to understand the pieces. This gives us the convenience, technology, and distraction.

The Condor represents instinct and intuition. This is the energy of the ancestors that knew how things work together to create the whole. This is the understanding that gives us connections, compassion, stories, and dogma. It allows us to see ourselves in the big picture.

When we can combine the two in harmony, we have the potential to move forward into a future that is wise, nurturing, and sustainable.

What does this look like? It looks like using modern tools and knowledge to make the ancient techniques easier on the body, time, and health. It makes building living fences and food forests easier to manage and truly work with the environment in a way that benefits both people and the other living things. It looks like using technology to connect communities in healthy ways that are supportive and empowering.

This is the long view of both understanding the parts, and understanding how they fit together. This a deep understanding of how healthy ecosystems cycle their resources and how we people can become a vibrant part of that ecosystem. The short view seeks to put bandages on problems so that we can continue down a rabbit hole of destruction for a bit longer.

The long view is a path that restores the environment, heals the climate, and creates resilience. This is the path that requires patience, observation, and study. It is the path that has a long future. It takes all of us taking small steps to learn and practice those skills and techniques that lead us to the future that we want to give to ur grandchildren.

The Spirit of The East

From one time of change to another

The seer gave a vision

When the Condor flies with the Eagle

Unity dissolves division

For a new age of peace and harmony

On Earth will be given

The print, story, and poem is available for purchase at Buy Me a Coffee by clicking the link below.

And for a little bit more

Events

March 11 - Ramadan starts

March 14 - National Pi Day

March 19 - Vernal Equinox

March 25 - Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse

March 29 - Good Friday

March 31 - Easter

April 1 - April Fools Day

April 8 - New Moon, Full Solar Eclipse, Next Newsletter

Horehound

There are a handful of herbs to know and potentially grow that are important for self sufficiency. I believe that horehound is one of them. this was one of the first medicinal herbs that I grew for myself. At the time, I thought that I was going to grow the herb for one of my favorite candies. boy was I in for a shock. This beautiful herb from my garden made one of the most bitter teas that I have ever had. It was nothing like the candy that I loved. So, I went back to my research and discovered the healing properties of horehound.

Horehound, Marrubium vulgare, is a perennial member of the mint family. As such, it is a garden plant that should be handled mindfully. It is not as aggressive as some other members of the mint family, but it can get out of control. It can be propagated (and spread) by seed, root divisions, or cuttings.

This zone 4 - 8 plant is a very forgiving herb that loves dry, sandy locations. It tolerates poor soil and drought. It’s flowers are a favorite for butterflies and bees make an exceptional honey from their nectar. At the same time, horehound tends to repel pest insects.

Medicinally, this herb is a staple for soothing coughs and sore throats. Herbalists also use horehound for digestive issues, skin issues, and more. While horehound is generally considered safe, it should be avoided during pregnancy and nursing. This article is for basic information only and not intended as a recommendation for treatment. You should consult an medical provider before starting an herbal regimen.

For more information on the magic of horehound, click on the button to go to the article on my website.

To find horehound recipes, including the horehound syrup that I use, click the button to read the free article on my Buy Me a Coffee page.

Here are some of the sources that I used for this article:

crystalvaults.com

whiterabbitinstituteofhealing.com

oldwayswisdom.com

The Eagle

The Eagle is a bird that holds great symbolic significance for many cultures around the world. Here in the United States, the Bald Eagle is our National Symbol. Some of the most common symbolic meanings f Eagle include freedom, independence, truth, honor, strength, courage, and the long view.

In Native American spiritual practice, the Eagle is often associated with the eastern direction or the East Shield. This signifies a connection to spirit, vision, and the illumination of the sacred path of truth, integrity, and much more. Eagle feathers are sometimes gifted to honor courage, service, and accomplishment. It should be noted here that in the United States, to legally be the holder of an Eagle feather, you must have a permit.

As a part of the environment, eagles mate for life and return to the same nest year after year. Most eagles are primarily fishers and scavenge as a secondary food source. They are most often nest and are sighted near rivers and lakes.

During the first half of the 20th century, eagles in the United States, along with other raptors, became critically endangered. In 1963, the known Bald Eagle count was 417 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states with most of these not successfully raising chicks yearly. When I was a child, seeing an Eagle or a Hawk was a rare treat. There are a number of reasons for this, but the most devastating were habitat destruction, illegal killing of the birds, and DDT contamination.

The Bald Eagle recovery is a beautiful success story. In 1940, they were legally protected by an act of Congress. It was discovered that DDT interfered with shell production and other reproductive functions, so in 1972, DDT was banned in the United States. In 1978, further protections were put in place with the Endangered Species Act. These measures and more have allowed the Bald Eagle, the Golden Eagle, and other raptors to recover in the lower 48 states. The 2019 count put the Bald Eagle population at over 71,000 breeding pairs in the United States.

These beautiful birds are both inspiring and balancing in the environment. They are one of our ecosystems charismatic bellwether species. Any problem in the environment, like DDT, will very quickly show up in these birds. Right now, they are being challenged by lead in the environment and other environmental stresses. Much of the lead that is challenging Eagles comes from lead shot. There are other sources, but this is the easiest to address. The lead shot is often in the field dressed carcasses that hunters leave behind. This is not a tirade against hunting. What I am suggesting is that if you hunt, or know someone who does, you need to be mindful of the ammunition that you use. Make sure that you do not leave toxins behind in the environment that you cherish.

One of my greatest joys, where I am right now, is watching a juvenile Bald Eagle mature from her baby feather brown through her white speckle stage. When I last saw her last summer, the speckling was well advanced. She should get her full adult color in a couple of years. I would love to see her in her full glory for many years to come, and watch her young mature. It will take mindfulness on all of our parts to make sure her environment helps her thrive.

I am reminded every day that what we do to her, we o to ourselves.

The article on Eagle spiritual symbolism can be found on my website by clicking the button.

And I'm Not The Only One

Here are a couple of places to find more information

To find more information on Eagles and other animals, check the Fish and Wildlife website at: fws.gov

There is a long list of Eagle cams available by doing a Google search for eagle cam.

Some one I'm following:

March is Women’s History Month. This is the perfect time to learn about the many over looked contributions that women have made to our progress and understanding.