Ancestral Musings + Shop Update

I recently took a few extra minutes while closing out the final farm chores to watch the heat lightening on the horizon and the full moon rise over the trees while the cool breeze blew around me and rustled through the cottonwood leaves.

The liminal space between Summer’s last breathe and Autumn’s golden beginnings always call me to slow down and pull into myself, to find gratitude in the abundance of the growing season and to wrap myself up in the quieter, coldest months.

As I walked the bridge over our acequia towards our front porch, I was reminded of the deep importance of water in my ancestor work. If I am of my ancestors and we are all of made water and all of the water that’s ever been on this beautiful earth of ours is still right here, in and all around us, then we truly don’t have to look very far to know our kin are always with us and within us.

They exist in every garden vegetable and rose petal, raindrop and river current, ocean wave and cuppa tea.

Our modern lives are so rich and full, complicated and overstimulating, lush and lovely, hard and heartbreaking, and it can all feel a little lonely sometimes… but we are never alone.

We are truly never alone.

It’s truly as simple as sunshine on the morning dew and thunderstorms lighting up the sky for our ancestors to whisper their names on our hearts if we’re quiet enough to hear them on the breeze.

As the season shifts and the veil thins, I hope you’ll take a little time to quiet your thoughts and listen to the voices of your ancestors, however it is that they speak to you.

SLIDE INFO:

The lovely young woman, front & center holding a book, in the first slide is a paternal great grandma, Delia Duval. I dreamed of her before I knew who she was and when I was gifted this photo of her and her sisters by a distant cousin I was amazed to see that her lovely face was just as it was in my dream and that my daughter resembles her greatly.

The smiling woman standing in the black dress in the last photo is a maternal 2x great grandma, Nancy Jane Russell. I have searched for information about her for 27 years before connecting with yet another distant cousins who not only confirmed I was on the track research track but who also provided this (and another) photo of her alongside many extended family members.

The two photos sandwich a few new merch items to remind me why I write and create and share on the internet :-)

Speaking of merch, I made a few new items to honor this ancestral passion and call forth the resilience and support of kin as I/we continue to search out the puzzle pieces that make up the tapestries of our lives. Twelve new items are up in the shop and I’m waiting on samples for four brand new (non shirt or mug) items. Have a look and stay tuned.

Thanks for being here and sharing this journey of re-membering with me

Onward,

Melis