A Place Like This......

Living With Attention

Holstee Manifesto

Today I find myself in a very reflective mood. When 2011 started I made the intention to live differently. Not the resoultion making type of living different , no not that, I just wanted to live with attention. I wanted to live without missing any little details or to let my brain go off into auto-pilot, missing moments that I couldn't recall at the end of the year.  As I look back over the past year with all of it's celebrations,tribulations,challenges, and daily little moments I can say that this year I have truly lived and created life more, not in the amount of much, but in the knowing that I have lived fully. Serving as my mantra and guide for the year was the Holstee Manifesto. How do I feel at the end of my year of attention? That I have laughed harder, cried rivers, created with others joyfully, loved more, savored every bite, met many old friends in new ways i.e. blogging friends, I have travelled near and far to learn that we are unified in our differences. Life is short. I thank each and everyone of you who show up each time I make a post and share a part of your world with me. Here's wishing you a new year filled with many happy and creative moments and know that I'm so thankful for the time we spend together.

Good Continuation

These days between Christmas and New Year's in the Swedish tradition are known as "Good Continuation". Why end all of the merriment? Our huge family gang is still together moving in tribal form around Montreal, that is until I took a look at our travel schedule. Thinking I was leaving tomorrow December 29th, I soon learned that I'm leaving today. The question now is "How fast can you pack to make it to the airport on time? How fast can you say good-bye to 30 something relatives who all went back to work today? Is a text message considered inappropriate? How do I get myself into these messes?(Oh that question I can ask myself when I'm in my airplane seat.) Though these days should be calm and merry, the next few hours are going to be wild. My mantra? Be Calm and Carry On.All Will Be Well.

For all of you my friends, I wish you a happy continuation of the holidays with family and friends. I'll be back tomorrow or the day after, with some unusal  tale of the Traveling Tribe. Until then be well.

Holiday Wishes from The Traveling Tribe

So here we are on Christmas Eve. Our family, aka. The Traveling Tribe, has come from all over the globe to be together, Canada, France, USA, Lebanon, and Sweden. We're heading over to my nephew and nieces where we'll prepare a wonderful feast filled with all of our family favorites. Here's wishing you a wonderful holiday season, however you choose to spend it. May you be surrounded by family, friends, and the people who love you most. Happy Holidays!

thanks Imad for the instagram photos. 

Dip in the Cooking Pot Day

Today I'm out and about gathering all the good food to prepare for tomorrow at our family feast. December 23rd is a day of gratitude, a day when we take a piece of fresh bread and dip it into the pot of great smelling and cooking food. For all we are about to eat, for family and friends, and good health we are truly thankful.

Wishing you a very happy dip in the cooking pot day.

photo by taken by their cousin Imad. Merci Imad.

Our Friendly Neighbors to the Sunny North

Usually this time of year sees me baking like a fiend. It has had to be postponed due to the fact that we're heading to Montreal to be with our family and friends for the holidays. We're travelling today but we'll be back soon with views from beautiful Montreal Canada., which no doubt, will share images of me and us preparing and baking like a fiend. Be well.

My Favorite Christmas Memory: I'm in the Book!

 

As an official co-author of The Gratitude Book Project: My Favorite Christmas Memory, I want to share my appreciation with you!  

 I was so excited to take part in this book. It happily extends my gratitude practice through my love of writing while remembering my familie's traditions. Yesterday we celebrated the Swedish/Scandinavian tradition of St. Lucia. When thinking about my contribution for the book, I really wanted to capture this family held celebration not only for my children but to help set the holiday spirit for all. Bringing light to the darkest time of year via a maiden dressed in white wearing a crown of candles on her head is the beginning of our holiday celebrations.

 

 The Gratitude Book Project: My Favorite Christmas Memory is stuffed full of surprises in this heart-warming collection of holiday memories that will put you in the spirit of the season.

The book gives you a peek inside the miracle a stranger brought to a single mom’s door and will delight with the joy one dollar and six plastic elves created for an entire family. Everything old will feel new again when you get caught up in a 5-year-old’s vision of Santa—from the window of a plane. 

 

It makes a great holiday gift for friends and family and is one that can be enjoyed throughout the year; with the added benefit of reminding us all to take the time to count our blessings each day.

 

Many of us have discovered that recognizing and expressing gratitude out loud and often can be a life changing practice. I hope you will join me in being a part of keeping gratitude in motion, not just during the traditional holiday season, but throughout the year.

 

The Gratitude Book Project^® series proudly donates its net proceeds from retail sales to the following worthwhile charities:

 

• Feeding America
• Women for Women International
• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (A.S.P.C.A.)

 

I hope you will join me in supporting these organizations and creating an epidemic of gratitude by purchasing one or two copies for yourself, your friends, family, or colleagues. You can find your copy here,“The Gratitude Book Project: My Favorite Christmas Memory.” 

 

 

Happy St. Lucia Day

Today a lovely maident with a crown of candles in her hair brings light, song, and sweets during the darkest time of the year. We are celebrating with our Rhythm of the Home family today. Please come and join us.

photo from Image Swedebank

Woven

 

It begins with each one of us just being who we are. Bringing ourselves, our knowledge, and our passions.

 

 

It starts simply. A comment on a blog leads to a daily visit, a recipe shared, a book recommended, and knitting along through the seasons until..........

 

Days have turned into weeks, months, and years. Through our catalog of life's daily events, a sisterhood has formed. Can we ever imagine ourselves without one another? I'm grateful for each one of you and the road we have walked together. My greatest wish is that our time spent together in our spaces, and the memories we have created will be our blessings.

 

Here's wishing you much health, joy, and happiness  through our winter time celebrations and the new year.

~ Peace and Blessings 

Valarie

 

The Wand-maker's Apprentice

This summer I bought three distinctively different wooden wands, one for each child. I thought they would be the perfect gift, even for my big girls. The kids were thrilled !!! Little 'O' thrilled like his sisters had many questions. 

"Where did you find these?" he asked.

"I went to the wand-maker. Where else would I find such great wands?" I said.

"You know a wand-maker? Are you kidding me? I want to meet the wand-maker, does he live near here? Do you think he would show me how to do it?" 

And his inquiries went on and on and on.

Is what he didn't know at the time was that I had already made a plan to go and visit the wand-maker ~A Ambroult, and his lovely wife and family too. 

Upon entering their cozy home and the formal greetings were over 'A' asked 'O' if he wanted to see "the shop".  Did we need to ask the boy twice? No, I think not.

By the time I pulled my camera out and headed downstairs the wand-maker seemed to already have an apprentice.

Gently guiding the goucher tool into the wand 'A' held firm while 'O' gave his hand at wand making.

There's something about the creative process that takes us out of ourselves. I loved watching my boy go deep into his work and the immense joy it gave him.

Alex Ambroult is a very talented carpenter and craftsman. He has stocked his shop full of beautiful wands perfect for hours of imaginative play. You may find him here.

You can find a child safe lathe here. 

 

On This Second Day of December: Bookended

On this second day of December there is a thick frost on the ground which  makes me think of sitting by a nice fire reading. Though there are many special books I could recommend, today I'll share a couple of things I wouldn't want you to miss.

The most important is that one lucky family will be receiving 30 hardcover Jan Brett books next week. Today is the last day of the 30 book Jan Brett giveaway over at Jump into a Book.  It has been such an exciting time ! Please stop over and say hello.

Yesterday the new Rhythm of the Home Winter Edition came out. I'm so honored to have an article inside it's cozy and creative pages. For this edition we shared the time we got horribly lost only to discover Louisa May Alcott's house and her very famous neighbors. As with each new edition the Rhythm of the Home Blog is hosting a giveaway. There you will find many wonderful handmade crafts and other treasures. There is also a collection of Louisa May Alcott books being given away. It goes from today until December 5th. 

The last little bit of news I'll share today is a discovery I made earlier this week about an organization called Better World Books. I learned that my book The Fox Diaries is being sold as a new book through them. I was beyond thrilled. This is an incredible organization changing the world one book at a time.

Their Story:

In 2002, 3 university students began selling textbooks online. Though their buisness thrived, they wanted to further their business by enhancing literacy worldwide by gathering used books meant for the landfill and selling them.

Their business model is a conscious and compassionate one, allowing them to take what is already here i.e. books, and generate revenue to support literacy and make a profit. They have an active employee profit sharing program which makes everyone an integral part of the business.

Here are some ways they contribute to literacy:

• They take old books from libraries and sell them. Part of the proceeds are given back to the library to puchase new books.
• Better World Books supports book drives, collecting used books and text books. They gather them from a network of 1,800 college campuses and partnerships with 3000 libraries nationwide.

To date, Better World Books has converted more than 80 million pounds of books into $10,407,405.00 raised for literacy and libraries. 66,579,689 books have been reused or recycled.

For each book you buy, one book is given. They have the best prices anywhere plus free shipping.

If you are considering buying books this holiday season, please consider buying from Better World Books and make an impact on global literacy.