INTRO

So, this is my first blog entry. I feel like this is a big step, like opening up my brain to let just anyone peer inside. And no spell-check! yikes!

Lets begin at the beginning...

I was born. I grew up (more or less), got married, had some kids, got divorced & remarried a couple of times, went back to school when the kids got old enough to not be underfoot anymore, got a BA from USF in Tampa, FL , when on to graduate school, started a biz w/ my beloved. So now, I'm a grandma of 6, and my beloved is a sexy handy-ma'am. As I heard someone say (on Family Guy) "Men are usually born gay, but some women achieve lesbianism later in life." I am one of those lucky women.

GARDENING

I have always loved plants, but they haven't always loved me. I had a brown thumb until my youngest was born and I moved to Florida, where the growing is easy.I found the key to keeping my babies alive was daily watering and attention. Watering is self-evident, but the attention ...that was much harder to remember, and to do, but brought many rewards. When I began to pay close attention to my plant-babies, I noticed bugs before they ate giant chunks from the foliage, and they told me about their overcrowding and need for bigger pots before the roots were damaged or pots were broken.

Around the same time, I began to learn of mindfulness, and to practice yoga. Yoga in the garden is a wonderful experience! Just being more aware of the plants, and the natural cycles going on around and inside me was incredible! I loved it! and the more I learned, the more I wanted to know. My search for herbal knowledge led me to take classes with someone I later found out was a Witch! So seeking herbal information for healing led me to the Goddess, and to a more complete understanding of  Healing; body, mind and spirit.

Now My Beloved and I are Reiki Masters Level 3  Healers and are in the planning stages of opening an herb farm. We plan to be as self-sufficient as possible, with a couple of chickens for eggs, a dairy cow, a kitchen garden, fruit trees, etc. We're working on a plan that includes solar and possibly wind power, too. We're faiting for the finances to come through, then the land hunt begins in earnest!

ART

Since I was a small child, I've always enjoyed doing art of one kind or another. I worked in many mediums, including silver wire-wrapped crystal & beaded necklaces, bracelets, earings.  The past several years my love affair with cross-stich, surface embroidery & sewing have been renewed. Combine those with papercrafts like scrapbooking & card-making and viola! mixed-media art is born! I've been learning some cool techniques in "Cloth, Paper, Scissors" & her sister publication"Quilting Arts".  A recent article was all about blogging!  And so here we are. You are now all caught up with where I'm at today; lets see together where I end up tomorrow!

Love & Light,

 Michelle (aka) Mama