We are divine in 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Dear Diary,

This by far, has been the best New Years Eve ever!  I left for Bath, NY early Saturday morning.  The drive up there is long but the time spent there is worth it.  I arrived Saturday afternoon and met some of the peaceweavers at the mall so we could see Marley and Me.  (BTW: the movie is definitely not worth seeing and spending the money to see.  It was HORRIBLE!)  We saw the movie then went home.  I slept like a rock.  Sunday was prepare for New Years day and I opted to watch the kids.  We had a good time.  We made a castle out of cardboard boxes and a Peace Garden out of the same.  The kids were really interesting as they discussed war and peace.  The boys wanted to have weapons and fight other castles and the girls wanted to just make a castle and garden for exhibition purposes only.  I just listened as we made the objects and only stepped in when necessary.  The conversation would benefit any heads of state!  After play we had dinner and opened some gifts.  We then watched some videos of the early peaceweavers.  The were great!  Again I slept like a rock.  Monday was another day of cleaning and kids.  I had to run some errands in town so I took R, who is 11 with me and we headed to town.  I had to mail some Christmas cards (late).  I used my elf self for the card….not this picture but me in this outfit!

This is me at our annual Christmas Party.  LOL, it was dress up and I did!

Well anyway when R and I returned to the Longhouse, I fixed lunch for everyone and then the guests started to arrive.  I moved to S’s house which was in the next town.  They were preparing for so many guests and so little room.  I packed my car and when it was time to leave I would leave my bags at S’s house.  C and B lives there as well so it was a nice place to be.  S’s house is LOVELY with 35 acres of park like land.  Nice!

We had dinner and had opening circle before bed time.  I suppose there were about 30 to 40 people there. 

Tuesday was sweat lodge day.  I helped C to prepare the lodge.  We went out to the lodge which is on the other end of the pond and FREEZING.  Until we got the fire going it was so freaking cold!  The fire was started and which is done in a ritualistic fashion after native american traditions.  The ritual is very sweet.  I went back to the long house just in time for dinner.  The food that is prepared there by GregLynn’s wife is the best food ever.  It is always a vegan menu, but it is hard to believe that vegan food can taste this fantastic.  Every one loves the food ALWAYS.   We sat around chatting before I drove back to S’s house.  It had snowed all day which left an accumulation of about 6 inches of snow.  It was beautiful!  Certain areas look exactly like Christmas Cards.  There is a church where I have to turn down S’s street that is old and very picturesque.  I have to take a photo of it when I go back there.  I so enjoy driving there.  I slept in the living room on a foton.  There is a sky light in the livingroom which is very nice to look out at the sky and stars although it was snowing Monday night.  The wind blew all night and the snow accumulated.  S and D also stayed at S’s house.  He is an attorney and she is a singer; very nice couple my age. Sweat logde was LONG because of the 30 people in there.  Sweatin with the oldies although there were some younger people there as well.  I fell asleep 3 times but the benefit of sweatlodge outweighs any discomfort you experience which is always for me.  It’s hot in there and we talk by letting go of issues from our past and bring in what we want in our lives.  We pray and sing.  Its a great way to release and if everyone did sweatlodge, we would have no need for psychologists.  Everyone is so bright when they leave sweatlodge.

Wednesday was New Years Eve.  We decorated and I helped Steph cook the New Years Eve supper.  It was great.  Before dinner prep, I decided I needed some space so I took a drive down some country roads.  It is very beautiful there.  I did some thinking about when I would move up there after next year.  I have truly decided to retire after next year and move there.  I will either rent or buy a house and work for the peaceweavers as well as do some long overdue artwork.  When I arrived back to the long house I pitched in to help with dinner prep.  There was lots to do.  I made the carrot raisin salad and helped cut up the MANY squash for the soup.  We were expecting 77 folks for dinner so there was lots to do.  Frank, a singer musician played and sang while we prepared the food.  It was a very festive way to prepare dinner.  After dinner we all changed into our party clothes.  A couple of teens asked if they could put makeup on me and I said yes you can.

These are the girls who did my "make over".  They are so sweet and loving.  They did a great job and made me look really good.  I should hire them LOL

We went downstairs and the party began.  We had a blast, dancing to the music provided by Al who was our DJ for the evening.  We had a drumming before hand to welcome in the beginning of our celebration.

<span style=”font-family: Arial Narrow”>Drumming

Dancing

More dancing

and more dancing.

We had a great time.    Near 11:30 we all dressed for the outdoors.  It was 0 degrees so we had to all bundle up.   We went outside for the bonfire.  The men peaceweavers built a phoenix out of wood and branches.  Earlier in the day we had a workshop where we wrote down what we wanted to dispell from 2008 and prior and then wrote down what we wanted in our lives for 2009.  As we drummed around the phoenix we crumpled up our 2008 papers and threw them in the fire. 

I have no idea where those orbs came from because it was not snowing.   Weird.

Well anyway, Steph’s brother brought fireworks so they lit them off and it was spectacular! 

NICE!

At the end we sang some songs then went back inside for a New Years Toast.  After the toast we danced more and then little by little people started to trickle home.

S, B, S and I caravanned home because the roads were snowy so we left around 2 am.  We drove back to the house and very shortly we were all sound to sleep.

The next morning we arrived for a pan cake breakfast, closing circle and some very sweet and special parting gifts.  We took pictures and said our good-byes. 

I left shortly after for my long trek home.  I had the best New Years Ever!

Peace.

LYB