day 230.

Such a hot day! The only thing to do is be at the river for an afternoon of self-care with dear friends.

The Washougal River in Washington. My favorite place to swim in the summer.

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day 227.

Late night/early morning tarot reading.

It had been awhile:

the artist of bones, the seeker of bones, the apprentice of bones.

I rarely pull the bones suit, even though it is secretly my favorite. It is the earth suit, and I clearly identify with it as a through and through Capricorn (in many ways, anyway). What I got from this reading (excerpted from the Collective Tarot card descriptions):

The artist of bones: nurture yourself in just the way that you need (and deserve) to be nurtured. This card is about health, place, groundedness and self-love…We need to feel love for our bodies; we need to feel at home. You are at a point now where you have learned what it is that you desire in order to feel safe, happy and whole.

The seeker of bones: She comes when we are in the midst of a new dream. She is playful and resourceful. She is observant and can “zero in” her sights on what is directly in front of her. she is you. If you pull this card in a reading it is an indication of a quest, a search for something, a need that may just be coming in to your consciousness, or something you have always known you wanted. You are in the process of embarking on that quest. Enjoy the thrill of the search!

The apprentice of bones: If you draw this card, it is likely that you too have started on a course of study in a specific area of interest, or that you crave such an experience…it is likely that life is pointing you in the direction of the educational experience that will most suit you. It may be your life’s work. You must remember your internal strength, intelligence, and core worth. Be discriminating. Take responsibility for your education.

Have I mentioned how much I love the Collective Tarot? They just launched the 3rd printing of the deck, and I highly recommend you treat yourself to one. One of the best self-care decisions I ever made, as I am frequently turning to it for guidance and reflection.

day 226.

plums. plums. plums.

I have been harvesting, canning, and baking plums for well over a week now and today I finished using the last of them. We have an epic golden plum tree in the backyard, and I did my best to make use of the bounty. There are still some way out of reach plums on the tree, but overall, I think I did a good job. I had some help from a few friends who came by and took some off of my hands, but I probably handled a few hundred on my own easily. I made: 22 half-pint jars of jam, 3 pints of chutney, 6 quarts of plums in syrup to be used in pies/crisps/cobblers, 1 pint of plum syrup for fancy drinks, 2 batches of plum drinking vinegar, 4 half-pints of plum butter, one crisp, and two cakes. Needless to say, I don’t need or want to do anything with plums for awhile.

However, I will say that every single day of working to preserve all of this fruit has been so incredibly joyful, in my body, and rewarding. I’m looking forward to sharing all that I made with my friends and family in the coming months. As well as looking forward to plums throughout the winter!

I have decided that one of my absolute favorite sounds, top 5 for sure, is the sound of the jar lid popping, indicating you have a good seal. Best.

first batch of plum jam. a combo of golden plums from the tree and black plums from the store.

cake #1. recipe here.

 

I took the cake to a picnic! it was a hit.

 

cake #2 before baking. recipe here.

And up next: figs! My neighbor has 3 huge fig trees loaded with fruit, and we’ve worked out a deal where I can go pick as many as I’d like in exchange for some of whatever I make. I’m so excited, as figs are one of my favorites, and I’ve never before had access to them fresh like we can get here.