Saturday, May 8, 2010

Thunderstorms, Gardening, Finals and way too much Dr. Quinn...

Sorry I haven't put up anything in a while!  The end of the semester is drawing near so I've naturally been rather busy with school and figuring out my living situation for the next school year.

For the past few days we've been having thunderstorms in my area, which pleases me to no end! :)  I laid out in my front yard today and watched the storm blow in, which was probably the most relaxed I've been in the past two weeks.  I also found a really cool photography shop on Etsy at RRobert's Photography, this is one of my favorite prints:


I really adore thunderstorms and watching them over the past few days has reminded me just how much I love the spring and makes me all the more eager for school to let out.

Also, I've been meaning to do a little planting as I am at my parent's house for the weekend. My plants from last year are coming back up nicely, though they do need re-potted.  I'll edit this post with some photos as soon as I take pictures of them.  I want to start some medicinal plants so that I can start crafting infusions, salves and other herbals that are also practical and not just magical.  I've been really inspired by the Wise Woman Tradition and now have a whole list of practical books that I want to read, use and share.

For the past few days (well, weeks really) I've also been having near constant marathons of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, which is a show I absolutely love for a whole host of reasons.  First, it's essentially a pioneer soap opera (and I do so enjoy fictionalized drama), it is also a really nice depiction of the west and of wilderness in general.  There is also some nice exposure to Native American practices and beliefs (the episodes that feature such rites and traditions are probably my favorite episodes in the series) as well as those of other cultures (like the few episodes where the town is exposed to Asian belief systems), which I find really interesting and cool.

Recently, I was discussing Dr. Quinn with a friend of mine, and amidst my commentary on the drama of the show (which I cannot deny loving) he hit on a very salient point for both of us: as the show progresses the west becomes more and more modernized, which we both found very depressing.  I think this speaks to a more general view that we both share (and that several of my friends share) that modern advances and civilization are not always preferable to us.  Don't get me wrong here, I am a big fan of certain modern conveniences, but I feel they've led to a massive overpopulation of the majority of the world and have shifted our daily focus away from the natural world, which saddens me.  Dr. Quinn is still a really great show, despite that little fact, and I would encourage you all to watch some of it, because there is really quite a lot to each and every episode.

Now that I've had my little ramble, I will depart for now as I have plenty to do before finals, but I can't wait until Thursday when I will be free!  I should be back within the next day or so to edit this post with pictures of my re-potted plants and perhaps to clean up some of what I've written to clarify, until then, bright blessings!

4 comments:

  1. I *LOVE* Dr. Quin Medicine Woman!

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  2. I've never ever ever seen Dr. Quinn, I'll try to tivo a epsiode. Do they still play reruns?

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  3. A. Thunderstorms and freaking amazing. We got them down in Harrison and it was just awesome to sit in the camper and listen to the storm blow itself out. It was so relaxing and beautiful. I love listening to nature's fury.

    B. I cannot wait to practice our herbal stuff together. With our gardens combined... we shall be unstoppable!

    C. After listening to your commentary on Dr. Quin, I have decided to start watching it soon. it sounds intriguing and interesting. you have convinced me

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  4. @ Veles: I am super glad you love it too! :D I'm currently in the process of splicing together pieces from one of the episodes of season 4 to post on youtube and then embed in the blog for everyone's enjoyment.

    @ Domestic Witch: They might still play reruns, but I know for a fact that my local library has every season on DVD, so it shouldn't be hard to find. :)

    @ Iolair: As always Ben, I can't wait to keep crafting with you, and you totally should watch Dr. Quinn, as you thoroughly enjoyed the episode I showed you at my house yesterday. And yes, our gardens will be unstoppable, I have to see what kinds of things are currently growing wild out at my Aunt's and Cousin's in Nelson, to prospect the wildcrafting possibilities.

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