Happy Montage Monday | The Earth, The Sea and The Sky.

I hope you all had a swell weekend!

The weather was great here in central Virginia despite a little drizzle Sunday afternoon. I spent as much time as possible outdoors, either sitting on my back deck (meditating, sipping tea, eating lunch and, I'll admit, being on the computer waaaay too long) or walking my garden and Maymont's Herbs Galore.

Being in touch with the elements has left me feeling quite grounded and secure as I start off the week. This montage I entitled "The Earth, The Sea and The Sky;" it is inspired by nature's balmy, relaxing effects. The photos were taken at various times, and in various locals, over the past 9 years. Some were taken on film, hence the grainy, low res nature of a few shots.

May it be the salve to your work-week stress and find you amidst your paper piles and to-do lists happily day-dreaming.

Happy Monday!

Playlist | Songs for Driving Down an Old Country Lane

Spring is the perfect season for packing a picnic and heading into the great unknown.

Even better if you can take a quick jaunt to the countryside and relish in expansive views amid frolicking wildlife.

When you're a good distance from city-life and civilization, pick a road to turn down. Any road that screams at you in perfect quaint beauty will do, one with a rundown gas station on the corner perhaps, or a narrow winding dirt one lined with wild buttercups and thistle. Just take a chance and prepare for surprises at every turn.

This past Sunday, Ron and I did just that up in Nellysford, Virgina. The fist part of our country day-trip was prescribed by Virgina Garden Club's Historic Garden Week. After 4 hours of hiking the magnificent grounds of two woodland wonder-homes (Solliden + Knollwood), we picnic-ed on homemade sandwiches and Pickled Silly's Carrots (Check out their site; I did the cover photo styling and photography!) under a nearby Dogwood, then stopped off at Devils Backbone Brewery for celebratory libations and queso-smothered nachos (I just can't resist cheese!).

Ron obliged me on the journey back home–and we delighted our more adventurous sides–by turning  down an unmarked country lane. I spotted a deer, a woodchuck, a red squirrel, plenty of horses, pigs and cattle and a kity-kat that raced us a ways. The sun was beginning its descent and the mountains shone with a golden hue. I just wish I had this mix playing during the drive, then it would have been truly magical!

The Sunday drive inspired the completion of this playlist, and I share it with you lovingly, hoping at least you can enjoy the idyllic serenity of some country lane near you with it softly serenading the way. Some songs will fit the ambience of vast stretches of blue sky and green grass, others are meant for fast and furious curves through the holler.

Note: there will be banjoes, and whistling; it wouldn't be a true country mix without 'em.

Be Happy; Drive On!

You can also listen on Grooveshark.

Transforming Straw Into Gold, Part 2.

I was still concerned about our plans to sight-see the following day. The stark reality of me NOT being able to walk Georgetown amid blossoming cherry trees as I had been envisioning was quickly setting in. No random stopping into cute shops or grabbing a quick bite in a street-side cafe. And taking in a museum or two on the Mall was out of the question.

We were in-fact late to the party anyways, as the Yoshino cherry trees along the tidal basin were already past prime; the bright pink blossoms that have folks from all over flocking to Washington had given way to green leaves, and the petals still clinging to branches were dry and shriveled without any luster of their former glory.

Highlighting the Positives, Part 1.

On Sunday, Ron and I drove up to DC to accomplish a three-fold mission: Visit with the Stradone side of his family, catch the tail-end of the cherry blossoms, and enjoy some sort of a well-deserved romantic getaway.

Missions #2 and #3 were almost thwarted by a nasty piece of glass that lodged itself, quite deeply, in my left foot this very night. Had I not been one of those "make the best out of everything" kinda girls, the whole trip could have been ruined. We'll start at the beginning, and I'll share my mastery of highlighting the positives (Part 1) and how to turn any "bad" thing into a good thing (Part 2).

Songs for Spring, a Playlist.

In honor of my favorite season, I've compiled a medley of melodious ditties here for your enjoyment. I just couldn't help myself.

So grab your shovel and don your sandals and sunglasses and head outdoors to enjoy the beauty and bounty of Mother Nature. Listen while sitting in the sunshine or enjoy a cook-out with friends while it softly plays in the background. Melodies that birdsong blends well with. Songs to soothe and invigorate. Sounds to watch seed puffs float by to.

Stream it here or head to my Grooveshark page.

Okay, enough already...just take a listen:

Travel At Home

One of the great things about living in Richmond, VA -- a city built on history (think General Robert E. Lee and the Civil War) in a state which carefully tends its place in grade-school text books for begetting four of the first five presidents (Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe) and harboring the first capital of this nation, Jamestown (just to name a few) -- is the right-outside-your-door opportunities for encounters with the past. 

A View of Washington's Monument

Belle Isle

First African Church - 1011 Main St.

Confederate Monument - Hollywood Cemetery

Granted, this is the United States we are talking about where the modern history, in terms of colonialization on, is only 400-something years deep. We don't have the same deep-root boasting power of the European continent, by far. Regardless, I love living in Richmond because if affords me the opportunity to dive into the past as far back as 1607 just a stone's throw from my home. 

"Virginia Colonization" - 1906

I am a proponent of being a tourist, or better yet, a traveler in my own city, taking a weekend to enjoy the unique history of a place, spending a slow morning people-watching in an off-the-beaten-path coffee shop, coursing the shopping promenades and buying locally-made or locally-harvested wares. If the price is right, I'll take in a museum before ending the "trip" at a restaurant I've yet to try.

The Tourist's Pocket Map of Virginia - 1835

Though I've been a resident of Richmond for 12 years, I find there is always something new to discover. Traveling in your own city is a less expensive and less daunting alternative to a true "vacation." One with similar mind opening benefits. Even if you've lived your whole life in just one city, chances are you're missing something...whether it's that old antique mall up the road, an eatery that just opened, or the birthplace of a local celeb. Just setting the intention of seeing things differently and being willing to try new things (which is the natural mind-set and expectation of a vacationer) opens you to new things.

Can't set aside a full weekend, or even a day? Just a few hours exploring your local stomping ground can give you new eyes into your city's past and an expanded appreciation for, well, everything! Walk down a street you've never tread and pop your head into each and every shop along the way or visit a local history museum. A quick google search and you're ready to hit the road. With a little more planning and prep, you could even have yourself a dandy picnic packed for enjoying amidst oaks and flowers of a grand estate garden.

A vintage postcard of The Virginia House

The images below are from my recent "trip" to The Virginia House, the hillside residence of Alexander and Virginia Weddell. (Again, 12 years living here and I, and my travel companion Nisha, had never heard of this place!) The house and gardens recently opened to the public, but by appointment only. Thanks to First Lady McDonnell and their Year of The Historic Home, we bypassed the red tape...and the entry fee! 

Mr. Weddell's study and library boasted an impressive collection of books and artifacts.

Gorgeous objects d'art filled every spare surface.

Intricately carved wood, dating to the sixteenth century, adorned the walls, staircases, furniture and accessories.

I fell in love with this place: dark wood, but full of light. The hand of the craftsman and artist was everywhere. You could get lost in the details but always find something new at every turn.

No English Tudor is complete without lead-paned windows.

I've got a bunch more pics from the The Virginia House's neighbor, the more widely-known English tudor known as Agecroft Hall, which I'll be posting next week.

Honoring St. Patrick

Happy Leprechaun Day!

 Er, i mean St. Patrick's Day!

I don't know about you, but i personally have never really known who St. Patrick was and why we were honoring him on March 17th. I never grew up in any religious institution so such things have been out of my peripheral. I, and I assume most others as well (though i may be totally ignorant here) associate St. Patrick's Day with wearing green (or being pinched), Leprechauns and beer.

So i did a little light history reading this morning to familiarize myself with this patron saint of Ireland. After all I am a sixteenth Irish or something like that. Turns out, March 17th is his supposed day of passing sometime in around 490 A.D.. He was the son of a wealthy family in Britain (meaning St. Patrick was not Irish!) who was captured and brought to Ireland and imprisoned for several years. While imprisoned, he worked as a shepherd and spent much time alone in nature, and it was through this back-to-nature life of solitude that helped him find God. Messages and voices spoke to him in his dreams and he followed their guidance, eventually becoming a Christian missionary in Ireland. History.com has several short videos on St. Patrick that will make you the go-to authority at your St. Patty's gathering, like this short, animated "Bet You Didn't Know" one.

What I find most compelling about Patrick is that he is assumed to have been the creator of the celtic cross, the Christian cross with the powerful Irish symbol, the sun, in the middle. St. Patrick, as well as many other missionaries and leaders at that time, understood that the old nature-based pagan religions were firmly imbedded in the cultural heritage of a people and a place. To convert prospective followers to the new religion, assimilating venerated symbols into Christian ideology would be important to their success. And so we have the celtic cross, the Christmas tree and many other Christian-usurped, originally pagan emblems. It is my belief that all major religions and spiritual practices have at their core the same ultimate Truths, and it is telling to me that symbols of nature and the original religions have sustained and survived through generations.

Nature has always been a source of tranquility, peace, inspiration and spiritual communion, and this Spring, when the sun begins its course northward and the buds burst on tree limbs, I too will honor the beautiful world we live in and remind myself that life indeed renews itself. We, too, can renew ourselves along with the natural rhythms.

It is a great time to be positive and overcome obstacles, so, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, i give you Stuart Smalley with a special appearance by Chris Farley!

Go Play Outside!

Tomorrow in Richmond it is going to be 71 degrees and sunny! Though i won't be taking full advantage of it, i encourage you all to take a "personal day" off work and play outside!

Photos by Isa Marcelli.

Source: isamarcelli.com via wolf.moon.willow on Pinterest

Source: isamarcelli.com via wolf.moon.willow on Pinterest

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Spring D r e a m i n g

I'm sitting in a south-facing sunroom overlooking the river. Drenched in the hot rays, I'm day dreaming of warmer days to come (or maybe its just lust leftover from my recent Florida getaway). Either way, I am happily anticipating warm air and cool, damp grass, sandal-wearing and flowers in bloom, long forest walks in chilly morning air and fires blazing in my outdoor fire pit.

Image source: personal photos of Montpelier and the James Madison Landmark Forest

Promotional video for Tulsa Drone "Medusa Bloom" from the CD "Kill Rites" ©2010 Dry County Recordings. Music by Tulsa Drone Video by E. Grotz

TJ had a pet mockingbird

Drawing by Louis Agassiz Fuertes

On a winter river walk, I came upon a scattered pile of mockingbird feathers, evidence of some battle. Whether it survived or not was not immediately evident, but I have my suspicions...

a brief synopsis of a mockingbird totem/symbolism (taken from this animal totem site.)

Mockingbird teaches you the power of song and voice.
It can help you learn new languages and speak them fluently.
People with a Mockingbird totem are known for their talents, rather than their appearance.

It can also help you find your “sacred song” or your life’s purpose
and helps you realize your inner talents.
Mockingbird will help you act on it without fear.

Remember that your inner song is never lost –
if you missed one opportunity, another one will always appear.

Mockingbird also helps you flush out people and events that can hurt you
and allows to see who and what they are.
You hear the true song of others.

Follow your own path. Learn to take what you can and apply
your own creative imagination and intuition to it
and your life will be in harmony.

They teach us how to develop confidence within ourselves, sing out our truth and stand up for what is rightfully ours.

The mockingbird is closely linked to the South...

THE SOUTH - This is the direction that deals with the heart, emotions, innocence, trust and childhood. It is where we are able to see the world through a child's eyes and marvel at the beauty and magic of the world. It is like a mirror, where we are able to undergo self-reflection, viewing our past and how it is affecting our present.

Empathy, Trust, Faith, Inclusion, Love, Emotional wisdom

A dive into ethereal bloodlines reveals the music of undulating emotions. We submerge into renewing waters where we lean into the cosmic aortic pulse. Each beat of our collective heart mixes our life waters, and we experience whole love. In this emotionally-focused quadrant, we softly feel our way into a greater current. We understand unity. We swim easily within the community, following downstream paths of love and least resistance.