December 20, 2020

Day 20... wisdom

“Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth.”

— Herman Hesse

Here we sit, for a moment’s time on the cusp of the great annual turning… from dark to light.

A moment to pause and be still.

To be in this moment of rest…

And as I reflect on the time since the last transition of dark to light, it feels a bit of a blur… a foggy memory.

What has 2020 brought us? Any closer to peace or does it all seem be unravelling like an unnoticed dropped stitch or that ball of yarn that escapes, rolling rapidly across the floor picking up all the dust bunnies along the way?

A year ago, I committed to taking photos of the trees… it was to be a photo a month. Yet the more I visited, I knew I had to return. Over and over again which turned out to be more than just a photo a month.

Those trees… oh, those trees. Many a conversation we’ve had throughout the year and much they’ve given me to ponder.

As I stood in front of the trees, other walkers would stop and ask “what do you see up in the trees?” “What are you photographing?”

I’d reply, “the trees, that’s what I see.”

“huh…” and they’d walk on.

The wisdom from the trees…

Here…

Just because it looks the same [as January] doesn’t mean that’s what’s happening behind the scenes…

There’s always an opening…

Allow yourself to feel your emotions

Flourish where you are planted…

Dance like no one is watching…

Even when life seems overwhelming… there’s light.

Early mornings are filled with magic…

Change can be a good thing…

Nature’s way of paying it forward…

Let go…

Rest, restore, renew…

When I look back at the year through the eyes of these trees… I see is beauty, comfort and a place of refuge.

And yes, they too, have weathered a horrific storm, the derecho that ripped through the Midwest on August 10 ripping the crowns from 1000’s of trees. The trees version of the coronavirus (corona = crown)…

Yet, here they are to share their story…

one of beauty and loss,

one of strength and agility,

a story of resiliency and love…

a tale of peace

in place.

Peace tip #20

Each day for the past 19 days, I’ve typed out the numbers of the day. Last night, I read an email saying the solstice was on Monday. I thought “whoops, they have a typo… it’s on Tuesday.” Imagine my surprise when I thought “tomorrow I will write day 20’s post and it’s on a Sunday.” Yikes, Monday is the 21st… I’m not ready for the amazing exchange that has developed in this community to come to a halt. This truly has been an inspirational Project Peace… because of all of you. The sharing of stories, memories, feelings, emotions has been deeply moving. So, I thank everyone for their willingness to engage.

Each tree is an independent being… yet connected in a community. So too, are we… connected and that’s how peace amplifies.

Today…let’s participate in a collective think tank… there are so many ways that trees can represent peace. We’ve shared stories in the past few weeks about trees that are special to us … let’s go beyond the stories.

How do trees represent (symbolize, embody) peace? If you want to get super creative… perhaps think of prompts that correspond with each of the months presented above.

Thank you… from the trees.

Here’s a fun knitting, tree-related activity. I recently discovered the cutest pattern for some knitted trees. I’m hoping to create a forest someday… it will take me awhile. Here is the link to the pattern or even a cute kit from the Shilasdair Yarn on the Isle of Skye.

Updates

2nd give-away recipient announced: Heather Sharp-Keyes!!! please send me an email: thehealthyknitter at gmail dot com Thank you to everyone who continues to post… even if it’s just one time, it’s one additional step to saying “hello to peace.”

3rd give-away revealed on 12/21 (tomorrow). Don’t forget to make a plan for knitting in peace on 12/21… in solitude, a socially-distanced gathering, or a virtual meet-up. Send photos of how you celebrate World wide knit for peace day. I’d love to start a collection of photos!!!!

December 19, 2020

Day 19... a sense

by Christina

“If you don’t know where you are, you don’t know who you are.”

— Wendell Berry

Last spring when the pandemic brought our world to a halt, I walked through the woods looking for ways to accept "shelter in place.” While I am fully aware of the ravaging effects imparted by an infectious disease as this is how I'd lost my father only 2+years prior, I immediately felt lost.

The prairie is not my place... Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful place. I've come to love so many things about the prairie, but it's not my place of peace. Being able to travel to the mountains or to the water's edge during the summer months is my way of accepting where I live. Now, with the pandemic, I knew I had to make peace with this place.

Shortly after returning from a visit to commune with the trees, an email arrived announcing a writing class... "sense of place." I signed up. If I couldn't wander in far-away lands, I'd have to write my way into finding peace in this place. I spent the next 4 weeks writing and meeting weekly with a wonderful group of people led by our writing guide, Erica Wheeler. I found myself writing about "peace in place" and this is where the theme for Project Peace 2020 came to be.

Today’s post is from a conversation that Erica and I recently had about “peace in place.”

Erica is a writer, songwriter, guide... a beautiful soul! She exposed me to new ways of thinking, new authors, ones I'd read before but forgotten about, and provided a path for me to explore. I asked her if she would be willing to share her perspectives on the phrase "peace in place." Here's what she had to say...

Christina: Your writing courses and virtual retreats are all about cultivating a “sense of place.” What does this mean to you?

Erica: I think for each person, their sense of place is unique. It comes from their experiences and knowledge— what they know and and what they feel. It’s an integrative, meaning making process that is ongoing. Sense of place is something you can cultivate no matter where you are. And like any relationship, it will continue to evolve over time. You start to make more sense of a place as you get to know and experience it more— by spending time with it, following your hunches, being curious, asking questions. And by drawing on your own bank of memories, connections and stories.

Christina: When you think of the word "peace," what comes to mind?

Erica: Centered. Grounded. Open. I think it’s like a state of being we keep coming back to. Nature is always in a state of motion and rest. Music is also movement to resolution, tension and release. I’ve been working on the idea myself that we can bring an inner state of peace into whatever we do. Jazz musician Miles Davis said about music "It's not the notes you play, it's the notes you don't play.” I think we’ve all been exploring this year what it means to have the space, the pause, that helps us find that center point in our lives.

Christina: When someone feels disconnected from the place they live, what are some suggestions you might provide to help others get connected to place?

Erica: Generally I think it’s about slowing down and tapping into our senses in the present moment and being curious about where we are. Back in April I created a program called “Grounded in Place” as a response to this very question. So many people were feeling that shelter in place meant being grounded, often in places they didn’t really want to be. And I thought "being grounded" is not such a bad thing.” During the first practice of slowing down and tapping into your senses (I call it “Check your Earthmail”) a participant who had recently had heart surgery said it was the first time they had felt their heart and sense of presence and peace since then. And recently when I did the program with a group of professionals who work at parks and museums and other places of great significance, several said they knew a lot about the places they worked, but not about the nature in their backyard, or the reason for the name of their street or town. It helped people slow down and connect to right where they are. That building of knowledge and experience deepens their sense of place. Also, in the writing classes we work on exploring the touchpoint people have had in their lives. By writing about places and experiences, that connection and bond also comes to life. I believe everyone has stories of place and belonging, waiting to be remembered, evoked and revealed.

Christina: What does the phrase "peace in place" mean to you?

Erica: I think it means finding your place. That can be an inner state of well-being you bring into any situation. It can mean seeking out places that bring out a particular quality in you. Or can mean making peace with a place by finding ways to connect. Little spots that feel good. Little things you are curious about or notice. It’s hard when places feel so compromised or desecrated. Where everything is homogenous and functional, but not very unique to that place. I remember the first time I visited the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas. I learned about how when they burn the prairie grass each year, they’re never sure what seed will grow, and which flowers will come up. That idea enchanted me. It made me think that under all the pavement in the cites and towns there was prairie soil filled with seeds waiting to grow. That story is about how everyplace has these layers of time and story—waiting to be seen, known and experienced. Just knowing that made me feel a deeper connection to that place. And I guess all that is to say that when I feel unsettled or un-peaceful, it’s really when I have no sense of the place— and I’m just noticing what I don’t like. Learning and connecting more brings me a sense of peace about where I am. There’s always more than meets the eye - to people and places alike.

Peace tip #19

Here’s a gift for everyone from Erica. May this song bring you a sense of [peace in] place. On your next adventure, meander, saunter or stroll outside, using some of the best advice I learned from Erica “leave your guide book at home and just be curious.”

Thank you Erica!!!!

Be curious. What’s one new thing you observed today while outside that you’ve never noticed before?

Updates

Thank you to all who shared a story, memory, or connection to peace and potatoes. Such delightful stories. If you have a moment, please take the time to read through some of the comments from Day 18, “a potato.”

I would like to follow-up on one particular comment… in my attempt to keep the post concise and linked with peace, it could be interpreted that I think the Irish potato famine was due to only planting potatoes. The reasons for the great famine were multi-faceted… the cause was not a monocrop. A great resource was left in the comments. I’ll be adding this to the Day 18 post so that anyone who wants to learn more about the potato famine will have a great place to begin. Thank you “R” for this fantastic addition. It is genuinely appreciated.

With all of that, let me just plant a tiny little seed… regardless of the reasons, any time a civilization (culture, group of people) relies on a monocrop (or two), the food system is weakened and major problems ensue.

3rd give-away revealed on 12/21. Don’t forget to make a plan for knitting in peace on 12/21… in solitude, a socially-distanced gathering, or a virtual meet-up. Send photos of how you celebrate World wide knit for peace day. I’d love to start a collection of photos!!!!

All of today’s photos are from my walks this summer in and on the Iowa prairie.

December 18, 2020

Day 18... a potato

by Christina

“Give peace a chance...”

— John Lennon

Let’s give potatoes a chance…

perhaps the potato is a symbol of peace.

“Rules” for today…

if you find yourself saying “but” as it pertains to the potato, you have to say “butter.”

The potato… the simple potato, deceptively simple, so simple most believe it’s devoid of nutrients.

How many times have you heard the potato is bad for you? It’s a starchy vegetable and stay away!!!!

Did you know that civilization would not be where we are today without the potato?

People have survived long winters thanks to the potato…

Endured wars due to the potatoes growing under the soil unbeknownst to the travelling armies pillaging for food…

Allowed populations to grow due to the presence of food.

One summer, after a particularly traumatic life-event, a friend helped me plant a garden. I knew nothing about gardening and with previous failed attempts at growing zucchini, I was not sure I needed one more responsibility to tend. She persisted… and we planted potatoes.

Buried the little eyes deep in the mound of dirt and let them be. I was skeptical. How could one plant a small piece of a potato and yield another potato? And to my surprise… the little old piece of potato didn’t grow into a new potato… it gave new life into many new potatoes. When I returned a couple months later, you can imagine how surprised I was to find 100’s of potatoes… growing hidden underground all summer long.

One small potato… magnifies.

One small act of peace… endless possibilities.

The potato is actually one of the most nutrient dense foods in all the land. In particular, it is the best source of potassium of all the vegetables. Now, we happen to know that a diet rich in potassium is associated with lower blood pressure and this is good for the heart.

One small potato… good for the heart.

Many of you have commented over the past 18 days… “peace is in the heart.”

The potato is an economical source of food…. peace need not be expensive.

Here’s the only “but” I will allow us to explore… but what about the Irish Potato Famine.

I’ve spent a lot of time contemplating and reading about the great famine. I’ve no Irish background, only a strong draw to learn more about Ireland. Perhaps it’s in the name… Ire-land, is really Eireland, and derivatives of “eire” mean peace. So, the island itself is actually the land of peace.

I digress… the potato and how it symbolizes peace is the topic for today. While I have several thoughts about the potato famine, the one that is most appropriate for today pertains to monocropping (and again this is layered with reasons)*. Potatoes were the main and for many, the only source of food and if fortunate to have a cow, milk was the other source. So, when the potato crops were destroyed by blight year after year, no other food source was available.

The path to peace is a network… not one single route. All roads are interconnected.

Relying solely on the potato (or eating a lot of potatoes) might not be the path to peace.

The potato and peace…

we have to dig deep to find them,

one small act grows to nourish others,

good for the heart,

inexpensive,

and multiple, interconnected roads can lead to peace.

Aah, the potato.

*Added on 12/19: To learn more about the causes of the Irish Potato Famine, Cecil Woodham Smith's "The Great Hunger" is a good resource to learn about the disaster that reduced the population from nearly nine million in 1845 to six and a half million in 1851.

Peace tip #18

Food is peace… for self, others, and the land. It can nourish our own body, connect us with others, and grown responsibly, it can honor the land.

Potatoes have been grown and used in almost all cultures around the world. How has the potato connected you to others? Do you have a family recipe or tradition that uses potatoes? Let’s see how many ways the potato has connected all of us.

Have fun with this one.

And if you are ever in Idaho… check out the Potato Museum!

December 17, 2020

Day 17... a house

by Christina

“Not one of us can rest, be happy, be at home, be at peace with ourselves, until we end hatred and division.”

— John Lewis

A house… a place for shelter, protection from the outside…

from the elements, others, fears?

We build a house, a home, a place to be.

For some, loving images of family come to mind, whereas for others, this may not be true.

A house, a home does not mean the same to all…

So many of the Project Peace topics are packaged into this physical structure… boundaries, the path, perspective, moods, grounded, connected, here…

what is a house?

a tent, a cave, the side of a street, a small rock building with a root cellar to preserve food throughout the winter… an apartment in the inner city, a farm in rural America, a croft in Shetland, a mud hut…

Peace in place… for many, their house may be a place of peace yet it’s important to recognize that this is not the case for all. And, that one can make a home in unusual places. The white picket fence surrounding the house may not be a prerequisite to peace…

Where is your home?

Peace tip #17

Two things for today.

First a question… can you think of a person who has a house very different than yours? One that makes you question what you know? This might be someone living or no longer, present day or in the past. Think about living in their house… what would that be like? Instead of “walking in someone else’s shoes,” let’s try “living in someone else’s house.”

Last spring, when my trip to Shetland was cancelled, I created a little retreat for my mum and I. We pretended we were in Shetland, took walks around the lake to represent the sea, made scones, and I created a croft hoose garland. Click the image below to access the template to make your own paper croft hoose… make several and string them on a piece of baker’s twine.

Updates

The template above is my little gift to all of you for engaging in our 21 days of peace. It’s not a professionally produced activity… just me trying to relay my thoughts so others might be able to reproduce the activity. Let me know how it goes. I’d love to see photos! No need to make them look like crofts, get creative.

3rd give-away will be revealed on 12/21 and don’t forget that everyone who makes a comment each day will be entered into a final special give-away! Winding down… 4 days to go until the solstice. Don’t forget… 12/21 is our group-proclaimed “World-wide knit for peace day.” Start making a plan… in solitude, socially-distanced group or virtual. Let’s knit peace on 12/21!

I’ve been knitting croft hooses this year… I knit, my mum stuffs and finishes them off. It’s a joint venture and someday we’ll have enough to string together to create a knitted garland. You can find the pattern on Ravelry.