Maebius Musing

NOTE: seems adding imaged borked the post.  Summary = kid loves kindergarden. Will try to re-write and upload pictures that won’t corrupt themselves.. Grr….
The sprog went to the Big House School yesterday for the first time. Kindergarden class!
The first day was a half-day, where parents got to follow along, meet & greet big brothe ..the teachers and administrators.
When we arrived, there was the usual large collection of milling kids, parents hovering nearby, and the staccato strobe of a zillion cameras every few seconds.  I’ll willingly admit to adding to the light pollution here.  (pictures below).   Some kids were crying, some were stoutly ignoring the others in leu of the newfound class-toybox, and such.  Our guy proceeded to hit the cubby-spot and hang his backpack, then go find some toys to play with and chatter to one of hte kids from his Pre-K class like old friends.

Second day was great, he was excited to eat “cheesy pizza” at the cafeteria.  (More details to follow once I figure out why Wordpress is acting up lately…. )

Firstly, is at school the first day, where parents got to visit. Doesn’t he look so big!
Here are a few small images I had to manually crop and fiddle with for some odd reason.

Second, waiting for the bus on Friday, excitedly telling “papa” all about the fun he will be having today!

Lastly, sprogling is getting on the bus for the first time.  He did manage to look back through the window and wave, but otherwise, it was “See ya folks, I’m going to school!” in his mind.

At the end, a close-up high-res shot of the big boy from the “schoolyard” image, because it came out so well.

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We just returned from Starwood (as frequent readers of this blog have been hearing about recently) where we camped with some friends of ours and their little 3yr old son.  Not must spiritual musing here, but if you are interested in “The Life of Maebius” read onward.  WARNING:  Epic Wall O Text below…..stretch that scrolling finger…..

I will try to outline the highlights, but, as with all week-long camping trips, there was just so much little stuff going on all the time, that it is impossible to mention everything.   If the others who attended are reading this, please add your comments to help fully flesh out your thoughts and experiences!    Generally, it was a fun, relaxing time…but was noticeably different than the first time in 2002.

We arrived on Tuesday after a drive through horrendous monsoons, which suddenly cleared as we got closer to the final destination county line.  I’m talking one of those freaky summery storm systems where cars on the other side of the road are completely dry, and you have your blinkers on and driving 35MPH.    But, we made it there to Brushwood around 5:30pm or so.

Drove around the campgrounds looking for an appropriately sized empty space, as our friends have a huge 16×20ft canvas pavilion tent to go alongside our huge green thingy. One thing that stood out was the huge lack of empty space.  Our first Starwood we arrived a day early during another festival, and had plenty of spots available.   Arriving late Tuesday posed a slight problem.   However, we eventually found our way to the far south of the campgrounds, and a nice flat spot near the road, and conveniently adjacent to 3 porta-castles.

Wednesday, our friends arrived, and we helped set up the huge tent of theirs, and generally toured the encampment to show them around.  Granted, we were in no way Starwood veterens, but having at least been there once, we could safely lead the basic tours.   Did not get to the roundhouse that evening, mostly due to rain and general tiredness, and pre-sleeping preperations for the rest of the week.

Thursday, we did much wandering, shopping, and casual exploration of the place.  Up in the side fiend beyond the Arches and Sanctuary, there is a very nice labyrinth cut into the tall grasses, and was lined with luminaria.  This place was the “Spirit Shrine“, the center of which was large enough for a sizable collection of peopel, and featured a tree decorated in all manner of chimes and bells.  Next to this was a large silvery bowl of water with crystals in it, ringed by feathers tied to sticks, andsuch.  I left a rock I had painted especially for Starwood there, among a small caern of stones and other small offerings.

The other elemental shrines were more familiar to me, and perhaps I merely missed the spirit shrine last time.  The Earth shrine was an open spot where the kid-fires were held, with a workshop pavilion nearby.  Just northfrom the “Pufferdome” if you were keeping track.  I didn’t feel any strong earthy energy, but then by the time I found it late in the week, I was rather ungrounded and rather unreceptive to such things.

The Air shrine was near the main concert stage, consisting of a circle of stones with a large structure inside it.  The structure was part gigantic Dreamcatcher, part “God’s Eye“, and part organically be-ribboned freeform thing.   Our sprogling loved to jump on the rocks, and dance around the circle, even when concert events were not currenty playing.  So cute!

The Water Shrine, of course, was near the lake beside Arches campground where we stayed in 2002.  It featured a large rowboat planted upright by the shoreline, and painted deep blue, and decorated with a creative collection of watery-reminiscent tid-bits.

Last, but certainly not least, was the Roundhouse, Fire Shrine, where the evenings filled the space with drumming and dancing. And seeing the various small plots of landscape marked by either elaborate structures, or simple signs, made me want to build up a few such ’shrines’ on the Everthorn Acreage.  Nothing fancy, but to simply dedicate a place for a particular element or intention, and channel Intent and energies to it throughout the year’s mini-rituals.  I’ll probably post moon-musings to this effect over the next few months, since I felt surprisingly strongly that This. Needs. Doing.

Thursday evening was a Pirate-themed burlesque strip show at the Babylon encampment. Our friends stayed to watch a bit, but after one act, it reenforced my own feeling about such events…namely: Meh.   It was entertaining in a sense to see the “feats of strength” of the girls and the pole.  Such acrobatics were awe-inspiring, but not really “erotic” in my own definition of the word.  I could hear the roundhouse in the distance, behind the jazzy rock-music of the babylon party, and much preferred being there.  Not to insult the dancers, who were talented and graceful, but hips gyrating in other’s faces while collecting bills under a thin string never has been my cup of tea.  Non-model-thin Roundhouse dancers are FAR sexier than that, in a primal, magical way.
Sadly, either I was totally unreceptive to the undercurrents of roundhouse alchemy the three nights I drummed and danced, or the energy of the place was completely different than I remembered.  Mind you, energy was raised, and intentions were poured by a few into the ground, and the logs, and the light.  The fire burned each night, casting mingled shadows and sparks throughout the crucible container, yet it seemed more casual, and unfocused.  My friend danced, and said the music and the heat were quite energizing, allowing him to feel lighter and stress-free, banishing tired sleepiness with ease.  Yet, still others commented within my hearing that while sleeplessness was good, there was a much deeper level to the Roundhouse, which seemed vaguely missing those nights.

While trying to refrain from negative attitudes, because the entire weekend was wonderfully cleansing and welcomed, I left on Sunday with more than a slight sense of anticipation, as if the rituals of the week had been cast, but not quite released.  Perhaps a mundane analogy would be to cook rice Al Dente when you wanted soft pudding.

I’ll also admit that one evening, I brought some sacred brew in order to tap into the undercurrents and energies of the festival, which was moderately successful.  I drank with Intent to release some nagging stress and doubts I had in my mind regarding certain matters, and with a blessing to the little helpers of the woods.   That evening, the stars shone brightly, and I drummed at the roundhouse, losing myself for a few hours in the pulsing beats.  I did see a new facet of the issues I had meant to work through, which was good, but I also noticed with sharp surprise an effect of alcohol within the dancers of the fire shrine.  I never saw bottles, cans, or such, nor were there stumbling fools endangering themesleves or others, but in that meditative clarity I smelled/sensed/felt fair number of people who bottlenecked the flow of Light.   (this is difficult to describe of course, barring overt cliche references and too-personal-for-here revelations, but further discussion can be had via email if interested).

Unfortunately, we were unable to attend the firework and island displays on Friday evening.  We setup chairs, kept our little guy semi-sleeping on our laps, for about 2 hours while listening to an amazing Didgeridoo player, but he started to get cold and cranky.  Eventually they announced there would be an additional hour delay (thus starting at approx midnight) and so we packed up and slept so as to enjoy our Saturday better.

Saturday, with warm lovely weather, and much kid-playing, was probably the best day of the entire fesitval.  I wore a fancy new pair of wrap-pants with my fancy vest, we swam in the pool (or was the pool on Friday?!?) and the wife and I got to spent some quality time wandering around together. Earlier in the day, the torches were wandered through the campgrounds, for all to “add their mojo” if we wanted.  I wished for happiness and health to all who attended, that the goodness and peace felt through the campgrounds would spread back “home” as thefestival was over. Of course, it all climaxed at the Great Bonfire that evening.
Tam stayed ‘home’ to watch the sleepy boys, as she had seen the opening festival and our campsite was situated thus that you could see almost the entire woodpile from the tent anyway.  A procession entered the clearing, bearing the six torches.  These were followed by a line of faeries and flowers, giant puppet-like creations, and a collection of fire-spinners and flame-dancers.  A group of the teenage “fire-tribe” kids enacted a fun little skit that seemed to recreate a battle between pirates and ninjas, but I didn’t see who was victorious.   Then, with Poi, fiery hula-hoops, and fans, these fire-folks danced to the drums and encircled the fire a few times, while the tempo and energy of the drumming built up.   Finally,  the bonfire was lit, after a bit more ritualized posturing from the torchbearers.   Being stuffed with hay/straw, the fire quickly blazed up, and lit all manner of sparkling firework fountains and glittering rockets as it was engulfed.

Amazing!

Of course, then the drumming shifted to a more free-form jam and the field becvame awash in bodies all circling the flickering light.  It was as magical as I remembered it, and during the initial pre-lighting wind-up, I finally felt a deep, subtle, and powerful current of WOW-power flowing through the campground.  The magic still worked.

…
Our neighbors were a large collection of family folks.  The neighbor who we wound up befriending most was “Flec“, which could have been initially possibly caused by the parental intonations coming from our camp, calling his name.  “Hey!” - “wha?..oh, you were talking to the sprogling. HeHe“.  Flec also is a very accomplished contact juggler, hula hooper, and all ’round awesomesauce performer.  Was very pleased to make his aquaintance, and take a workshop he taught on contact juggling.  (AKA:  “That thing David Bowie Michael Moschen does in Labyrinth with crystal balls”).

Most of the time was spent either cooking, eating, resting at camp, shopping, and generally hanging out at Kid Village with the sprog or our friends.   Our little guy really got along with the other kids, and totally looked forward to the playtime socialization.  I think I probably put in around 10 hours there, (am supposed to mention “but never wound up writing my name down for most of the time as ‘official barter’ time”).  Heck, it was more about playing with the kids and helping out than ego-taming philanthropy anyways, right?
We also met far too many individual people to name here, but on the off chance anyone finds this post, Blessings and hugs to Jenn from CT, the sprog-friend Rocco and his family, little Eva and her family, Michelle the 8yr old palm-reader, and all the parents and helpers of Kid-village.  I had my most fun there among the little ones, chatting with you all, though I know most by face and not name.

All in all, Starwood was great.    Next year, I’d like to see if we can attend the sister-festival at that location, known as Sirius Rising.   If we can’t, Starwood is still a wonderfully inspiring and spiritual place.

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This year, we are returning to the Great Festival that started my love of drumming, and fully cemented, solidified, and otherwise convinced me that this Path of mine was ‘Me’.  Yep, Starwood.  That bastion of revelry and fun, which can be described, as the website so reads: A place where Scientists sit with Shamans and Druids dance with Deadheads. Where African drums jam with bluegrass fiddles, and political activism meets Earth spirituality - where theatre and life meld - where days are spent in exploration of inner and outer space, and nights blaze with laser lights and bonfire flames.

I found this image form the last time we went, in 2002, thus proving my existance there at the opening spiral dance ‘ceremony’.  That guy in the white shirt and black shorts?  Yep, me.  That cute chick in the green shirt and flowery purplish skirt?  Yep, the wife.   (this is pre-sprogling times of course) The guy in the robes and blue scarf?  no clue, but friendly! 

This year we are going with some friends of ours, who generally attend the S.C.A. event known as Pennsic.  While this wonderful festival is over ten times the size of Starwood, and has all sorts of cool costumes, workshops, and such, I am totally looking forward to the more laid back and spiritual festival event this year.   It may not be the most serious spiritual gathering, and have more of a party flair, but I’m really really looking forward to “coming Ohm”.
All night drumming bonfire circles, fireworks one night, and the freedom to go skyclad if one so chooses, is simply indescribable for those who have not attended.  (Heck, even this usually conservative person felt no real hesitation to joining the spontaneous “dance naked in the rain shower” that happened last time.)

There are 18 days left as of this posting, which means our next weeks will be full of meal planning,  double-triple-quadruple checking the packing lists, and otherwise getting things in gear to spend and entire week living out of our tent with a bunch of strange folks, many hours from our land.

Otherwise, there’s no real deeper meaning to this poist, other than to say…I can’t wait!

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Yay! Summer is in full swingand the day was long and summery.   Blue skies interspersed with puffy little clouds, then the traditional afternoon grey rumblings and windy “Get indoors NOW” rain threats.

Not much to report, as we were rather busy with daily life,  but it was spent mowing the lawn, weeding the garden, and otherwise fiddling with the land outside. Our little one spent a decent portion of the day in the old corn-crib (his “Smash House” lately) pretending to be The Increduble Hulk, and stomping through various parts of the rotten floorboards.  It’s truly amazing how stomping a weak bit of plywood until it becomes a hole, then spending a good 2 hours enlarging that hole to the limits of rotten-ness and stomp-strength could occupy a child of almost-5 in such a focused manner.  Kids R Kool!

In the afternoon, we went to visit our friend Meg, and got to see her sweetie’s house for the first time.  It’s a nice little place, a bit far down a windy road, tucked off to some forgotten sectino of the suburbs.   You wouldn’t expect to find a secluded little patch of woody fields essentially just off to the middle of “town”, which made the trip there kinda magical.   The yard was about as big as our front lawn and nestled in a little dip of the hillside to make the neighbors all-but-vanish.  With trees behind it stretching to “infinity’ (or 1.4 mile) and a cozy garden, combost bin, and fire circle + hammock, it was perfect!

There were a few kids there for ours to play with, and us adult types mostly jsut stood around and chatted.  We didn’t know many folks, but there were some gransparents, nad a lovely older woman in a wheelchair who devoured the snack we provided.

There was planned a spiral-dance with the kids, and a bag full of rattles, sticks, and such, but as soon as they were getting distributed, the wind suddenly gusted, black couds materialized out of the blue sky, and it the temperature dropped 5 degrees.  You know those times, where you can feel/smell the rain, and the ait itself gets charged with electricity?   I joked that if we danced right then, the final moments where everyone crunches together would be accented by the largest *CRAACK* of lightning, and a torrent of raindrops.   Many agreed, but as much as us younger adults wanted to do that, older wisdom prevailed and we moved the party indoors quickly before the gransfolks got soaked.

(Note, there were only approximately 42 large drops of rain which fell, by the time the frontline moved through, so no real torrents, which made us all laugh at the ‘paranoia’ a few minutes beforehand.)
Concerning snacks,  Doug and I made salsa and guacamole from “scratch” to bring to the party.   I’ve never actually make salsa from a recipe before, and always add a dash of vinegar to tarten it up, but I followed the recipe for the most part this time.  Turned out AWESOME! (Recipe below, and thanks Nettle for helping with tomato-processing questions).

The guacamole was our little guy’s favorite.   Three avacados, a heaping spoonful of light sour cream, a glop of lemon juice, smallish scoop of minced garlic, and a quarter of a chopped onion.   Stir to smoothish consistancy and serve.   The guacamole didn’t last long, and some of the older folks were mock-fighting the lady in the wheelchair since she kept surruptitiously moving the bowl onto her lap and lookis around innocently if someone held a chip out.  

All in all, a fun festive time!

Maebius’s new favorite homemade Salsa:

• 2 large tomatos
• 1/2 large onion
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 whole garlic clove (we used about 2.5)
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• Chop all ingredients and mix together in bowl.  Let sit for 2 hours to allow flavour-mingling.  Eat!

We substituted some sliced peppers in oil that were leftover from last season for the fresh jalapeno, and added just over double the garlic recommended.   The whole mess looked suspiciously like Tabbouleh, but tasted much more like the topping Wren used for Bruschetta once.  Tart, not too tomato-y, yet very yummy!

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Two friends and I are engaged in a fun Iron Chef challenge, using Artichokes as our secret ingredient.

See my blogroll (Kwitchery, andalso Nettle’s Blog) for details and updates.

My own entries, are all cold dishes, making a subtle nod the Northern regions we live in (relatively speaking). Simple picnic fare mostly, representing the humble joy of country life, and it’s casual connection to nature, yet still holding within it’s myriad ingredients a mirroring of the complex web of life. Each dish is topped with a fresh violet, symbolizing the spring season, and offering a token of friendship towards this chef’s lovely challengers. (Sound sufficiently Asian/esoteric?!?!)

-=- Appetizer -=-

First, we have a Artichoke Pâté, served on a bed of fresh Romaine leaves, surrounded by various multi-grain crackers and pita slivers. Garnished with a fresh violet leaf and flower. Recipe was mostly followed, with some minor adjustments in terms of slightly less olives, slightly more garlic, and a touch of cilantro-sprout to bulk out a slightly insufficient quantity of Parsley.

* 15oz artichoke-hearts, drained
* 4oz low-fat cream cheese
* 1/3 cup grated parm cheese
* around 3 Tbls fat-free mayo
* 1.5 tsp minced garlic
* 1-2 tsp lemon juice
* 2 Tbls finely chopped parsley
* 2 Tbls finely chopped black olives
* 2 Tbls chopped, roasted red peppers
* Salt and Cayenne pepper, to taste
Process the heck out of all ingredients, then leave in fridge for a while to let flavors blend. (will it blend? Yes!) Serve with starchy/firm accoutrements like crackers, breads, or melba toasts.
The taste was pleasingly subtle, with the initial tartness of the peppers, lemon, garlic, and artichokes offset by the cooling firmness of the cream cheese.

-=- Main course -=-

Artichoke pasta salad with grilled chicken. Grilled chicken tenders, marinated in artichoke juice & minced garlic, rubbed prior to grilling with a mix of paprika, oregano, salt and pepper. Served on a nest of linguine pasta tossed with more artichokes, black olives, peppers, olive oil, and cider vinegar, plus the seasoning mix used on the chicken, atop a plate of fresh romaine lettuce leaves. Served cold, except for the chicken, which was added at the last moment steaming hot off the grill.

While using similar ingredients to the appetizer, this meal was quite tasty. More tangy and very full of marinated artichoke flavor. The kid loved this a lot, especially due to “slurpy noodle” potential.

-=- Dessert -=-

I had planned to make an artichoke-based ice-cream (since EVERY japanese recipe seems to involve some sort of frozen treat using almost any ingredient you can imagine), but ran out of time to prepare it again, as the initial attempt did not work right. More of a sorbet, I rinsed marinated artichoke hearts to remove most traces of the vinegar and oil, and pureed them until smooth. Then I added about a quarter cup of table-sugar and some more water (less sweetness than traditional European Sorbets, more like Asian “green tea ice-cream” in palate).

Unfortunately, the making of good sorbet requires a constant freeze/mix cycle that I was unable to work into our schedule properly, and am not submitting without a proper consistency and last-minute tweaks of recipe to ensure a quality entry. My initial result either froze solid and needed quite a lot of blending/refreezing, or started to separate a bit and freeze mostly sugar-water on the top of a denser artichoke-dust.

While this entry may sound rather off-putting, it was not too bad by my initial test. The artichokes, once rinsed, became more of a binding agent than a flavor, and added merely a slight subtle ‘greenish-bitter’ taste to the otherwise sweet frozen sensation. I think removal of a bit more vinegar, or using fresh artichokes blanched/boiled, then powdered, might work better. Still nothing earth-shatteringly well received, but a unique dessert which does compliment the other two dishes in flavor.

Summary, the initial sweeter appetizer, with crunchy crackers, followed by a more hearty and savory-salad made for a fairly well-rounded meal. While the desert course was initially unsuccessful, it was mostly due to time and technique rather than a failure of ingredients, and got a head-shaking (semi-sarcastic) bonus point for creativity and risk-taking.

Bon Appétit!

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