Farewell :: Wild Present Tense

Little spider weaves a wispy web
And stumbling through the woods it catches to my head
She crawls behind my ear and whispers secrets
Dragonfly wiz by and sings now teach it…

Gimme some of that wild fox medicine!
But, keep me here in this wild present tense…

Dawning adventures sparkle get some rest!
Dawning adventures sparkle get some rest!  – Nahko Bear

July 12, 2015

Hello mother, hello Daughter….

Alas it is time to say goodbye and begin the long adventure home.  I am watching the girls exchange email addresses solemnly on the porch of the lodge – and – sharing heartfelt hugs with new friends in celebration of a Mighty Creative Adventure co-created together by a circle of kindred spirits.

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Thank you Cheryn and Becky for capturing this butterfly goodbye – and to Ana for the vid below!

So…what was my intention…what did I hope to give and receive?

I hoped to give creative tools and contemplative tools to express your beautiful self in new ways.
I hoped to receive the joy in getting to know you better, in hearing your laughter, in witnessing the magic that only you can make.

I am blessed in innumerable ways and I thank YOU for that.

(The girls say good bye and chase my car.)

Made so & rooted by….

love edit NC,

Wendy

Day Two εїз the Beauty Way

I walk in Beauty,
Beauty before me.
Beauty behind me.
Beauty inside.
Beauty all around.
I walk in beauty all around.
~ Kathleen Hannan, inspired by a sacred Navajo Prayer

July 10th, 2015

Hello Mother, hello Daughter,

Wendy and I bunked together on the 2nd floor of Narnia; Emma in the loft above, and Abbey in the hammock bed below. Each night when we went to bed, we talked and giggled… the 13-year-old in me was more than content.

It had been a dream of mine to work together with Wendy on a project intending love and creativity for girls and their mothers, and now we were in full flow and beauty of it.

Today was a day for creativity and drinking in the beauty all around us.

That morning, we went and sat on the rocks beside the stream and made river talismans. Time was unhurried … time seemed almost to stop. That morning could have been 200 years ago, women and girls sitting together, cotton in hands, hand tying and present with our handwork, intention and each other. (One of the enchanted forest’s secrets is that time perception changes here.)

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After our timelessness beside the stream, we went for a hike to explore the Pisgah National Forest. This forest is one of the oldest in America,  so much diversity, so many rare species. The rewilding continued…

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We walked with our awareness in the full present moment; looking, sensing, smelling, and feeling our way up straight up the woodland trail. We looked to nature as our teacher and guide…

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woodland walk mca 2015I felt supported and surrounded by the strength and splendor of mother earth and inspired by the curiosity of the wildly wonderful humans beside me.

When we returned to our camp the girls played in the bamboo, swayed in the tree swings and found more butterflies.

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Beauty all around.

The girls and moms discovered beautiful natural wood bracelets and crushed velvet bags sent from our creatifully-charged contributor DIY Bangles. At dusk we gathered on the grass to painted them. Thank you so much for your generous gifting!

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We played and created so much beauty today. There is more joy and beauty to come tomorrow. Now off to get some beauty sleep….

love & creatiful blessings,

❤ becky

Day Two :: Do Things From Your Soul

When you do things from your soul,
you feel a river moving in you, a joy. – Rumi

July 10, 2015

Hello Mother, hello daughter,

Rising early to the sound of the river and to the butterflies sipping dew drops from blades of grass.  Today was a busy day….

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Our first project of the day was a Talisman Necklace.  Similar to the simple knotted rope plant hangers of my childhood, we used the same pattern to create our necklaces.

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We worked up an appetite and enjoyed a scrumptious lunch that included the most delicious assortment of artisan hummus imaginable.  The hummus was gift from the generous people of Roots!

Thank you, Roots for your generosity and support!!!

 

 

 

 

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There was much excitement about a resident bunny and the girls were delighted to discover that the bunny had a baby.

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They named her, Melody.

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Later Mothers and Daughters gathered ’round to explore various types of transfer printing techniques for embellishing the pages of the journals that they received from ecojot.  Thank you again, ecojot!!!

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Mighty Creative Adventure would like to thank Chartpak Professional Ad Markers for their generosity and support!

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Then we began prepping our wood rounds.  Tomorrow we will be exploring transfer printing to wood.

Our rustic wood rounds were a gift from the generous folks at Walnut Hollow!   Walnut Hollow grew from a small, family-owned business into an internationally renowned wood manufacturer. They are well know in the wood products industry for their high standards and environmental initiatives.

* Our next post will reveal what what the girls and moms created!

Thank you, Walnut Hollow, for your generosity and support!!!

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In between all the doing and making there were moments of great joy and wonder.  One such moment came in the form of a lovely gift sent to us from Hum-fi Hummingbird Feeders!

Hum-Fi is the brilliant creation of Lisa Durante.  Hum-Fi feeders provide an opportunity to connect with nature in a most beautiful and delightful way, by allowing hummingbirds to eat from your hand!!!

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It was indeed a full, fun, wondrous and beautiful day!

Made so & rooted by love,
Wendy

Opening Day εїз Wings to Fly

What will
our children do in the morning?
Will they wake with their hearts wanting to play,
the way wings
should?

What will our children do in the morning
if they do not see us
fly?

~ Rumi

July 9th 2015

Hello Mother, hello Daughter,

The day began courtesy of woodland magic: I was awakened by the sound of wings flying near and above my bed… a grand and gentle start to the day. I didn’t see fluttering bird, but I said good morning and wondered if there could be a more magical way to awaken naturally? I lay in bed listening to the cascading stream beside our shelter–Narnia–which had only recently been built. Smelling of wood and earth (new Narnia smell) I felt safe, although the woods and nature were a hand stroke away.

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I got up as we had much to do before our Mighty Creative Adventurers’ arrival.

I walked barefoot across the earth towards the Lodge where a hot kettle and tea awaited.

The grass feels different here, i thought. Older. Moist with mountain dew. Sweeter. Perhaps more sacred, if that is possible.

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Wendy, my daughters and I began our loving bustle, putting the gift bags together, taking turns smelling and using the lovely gifts from our generous contributors, planning how the bags would unite with the girls and moms. It was a delight to play in this creative way with Wendy, to see our loving intentions and planning blossom from our imaginations and ideas and take new form as the beginning of the physical Adventure. We decided to leave the Mama journals out for them to choose. (Thank you so much to Ecojot for these beautiful gifts for our moms and girls!)mca tree 2015 ecojot

Throughout the day I walked around in trancey joy. It all was coming into BEing now. Our new friends–moms and girls–were on their way via planes and cars–intended and destined–heeding the magical call of the mountains. Each Mom and every Girl arrived safely and joyfully, some travelling more than 10 hours by car.

We had our opening circle: 17 smiling faces and open hearts ready to adventure, create, learn and share — together.

We grounded our gathering by sharing a meal tenderly made by our entire group, taking turns stirring in our thoughts and intentions for the days to come, with our blessing spoon.

Food is love that becomes us.

In the evening we gathered in the dark. Using air-dry clay, Moms secretively made tiny clay totem owls to perch in the heart of the luminatriums their daughters were making. We talked, laughed and listened, as we used our hands in loving intention for our daughters.

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We offered our owl creations to our daughters.

We were ready for fireside story and s’more celebration but we were in need of a fire. My daughter Abbey, carefully crafted a fire for our group, under near complete darkness, but for the light of the lanterns the girls had just made. I was in awe of her strength and disposition–her humility and simultaneous conscious way of working–as she followed her instincts on what best to add or not, making a healthy glowing fire to feed our adventurers and light our night.

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Full of chocolate and sense of loving community, we headed to bed feeling grateful for new friendships… anticipating more woodland days and nights to come.

love & creatiful blessings,

❤ becky

(some pictures shared courtesy of Emma and Abbey, my daughters)

Opening Day :: Maps in Hand

Little spider weaves a wispy web
And stumbling through the woods it catches to my head
She crawls behind my ear and whispers secrets
Dragonfly wiz by and sings now teach it…

Edge of the west where water touches land
You are the east with folded maps in hand
 – Nahko Bear

July 9th, 2015

Hello Mother, hello daughter…

Welcome!  Take a map and compass to find your way in the world.  Find your shelter first, then go to the lodge to stir your offering into the soup with our blessing spoon.  We’ll meet you at the opening circle in the garden at dusk.  We will be eating al fresco and we’re making lanterns when the sun goes down.  We have a story to share with you by the fire tonight….

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After dinner we made mason jar Forest Lanterns by the light of the moon and the stars and the fireflies that sparked the sky.

The jars were a gift from the generous folks at Ball brand Canning Jars.   Ball brand Canning Jars was founded by five brothers, Edmund, Frank, George, Lucius and William, in 1880.  They began by making wood-jacketed tin cans for products like paint and kerosene.  The brothers began making glass home-canning jars in 1884.

Thank you, Ball brand Canning Jars, for your generosity and support!!!

*The jars, LED lids, handles, and embellishments can be found at your local craft store.

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We then made feather pens for our journaling exercises.  The beautiful turkey feathers were a gift from Moonlight Feather!  Moonlight Feather is a family owned company founded by husband and wife team Justin and Joey in 2008.  The company was inspired by the headband designs that Joey created for their infant daughter.  Joey sold her handmade headbands on etsy.  Their dream grew from an office in a spare bedroom to a 3500 square foot facility and a staff of 15 employees.

Thank you, Moonlight Feather, for your generosity and support!!!

*To make your own feather pen, simply snip the tip off your turkey feather, then slide a pen refill inside the quill.  You can decorate your feather using dye or water soluble oil pastels, glitter or even rubber stamps with Stayz-on ink.  You can purchase beautiful feathers from Moonlight Feather!  Pen refills can be purchased from an office supply store and all other embellishments from your local craft store.

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We gathered ’round the fire for a story and s’mores before a good rest after traveling far and wide for our Mighty Creative Adventure.  Tonight we contemplate our intentions for this adventure.  What do we hope to give?  What do we hope to receive?

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Made so & rooted by love,
Wendy

into the woods εїз becky and daughters’ arrival

Into the woods-
It’s time, and so
I must begin my journey.

The way is clear,
The light is good,
I have no fear,
Nor no one should.

The woods are just trees,

The trees are just wood….
~ Stephen Sondheim

Wednesday, July 8th

Hello Mother, hello Daughter,

We left our home in Raleigh, our minivan chocked full with gifts, surprises, art supplies, and food enough for five days for 17 of us. My heart trembled with realization … as –together with my daughters now ages 14 and 12– we had embarked on the pilgrimage I had been dreaming of for nearly a year to the day.

This journey represents multiple dreams coming true: the dream of my daughters experiencing for themselves the secrets of the woods, the dream of co-creating an artful retreat with my dear friend Wendy Cook, and the dream of offering loving time and space for sacred sharing between mothers together and their daughters. Blessings Womanifest!

After several hours of sunshiny driving, we hit an intense patch–an hour of driving in torrential rain –yes, think cats and dogs. I took it as a cleansing (and bonus–the minivan needed a good clean 😉 ) Eventually the clouds and rain lifted as my daughters and I began the off-road portion of our journey, closer to our secret place in the the woods. mountain driving mca 2015 With Sondheim’s musical lyrics Into the Woods singing in my mind, I began thinking about how far removed so much of our modern culture has become, distanced away from the very nature that sustains our lifestyles.

♫♪ Into the woods it’s time we go ♫♪ … to rewild our bodies and souls. rewilding mca 2015 All at once we noticed so many things…. just how many variations on green are there? and oh so many different plants! Our senses awakened feeling each bump in the dirt road, slowing down to keep up with the butterfly fly-bys guiding our way. We arrived at the secret location where our Mighty Creative dream was about to come true. I can’t wait to see the girls’ reactions to this magical place. I can’t wait to greet the moms and tell them they are home. flowergarden mca 2015 What wonder awaits?! What joys will be discovered?! What secrets will nature reveal? What new friends will arrive to share our adventure?! butterflies postcard 2015   Butterflies abound all around and within. Feeling wildly blessed. til tomorrow…

love & creatiful blessings,

❤ becky

your questions answered

enjoy the journey mca with floral

Hello Mother, Hello Daughter!

Everything is coming together beautifully–blissfully– for this summer’s inaugural Mighty Creative Adventure.

We still have room for a few more adventurers and we’d LOVE to welcome you to our opening circle on July 9th in our enchanted woodland sanctuary. This retreat is for mothers of all ages and daughters ages 8 to 14.

Today we launched our Mighty Creative community on Facebook. We will support our online community by sharing ideas that support and nurture girls, mothers and creativity. If you are on Facebook and would like to join us, please LIKE here, then click the arrow next to LIKE to Opt-In to Receive Notifications in your feed. We share only beauty and noteworthy ideas!

We’ve had a few private emails with some excellent questions, so we thought we’d take a moment to share here.

Can I bring more than one daughter?
Yes indeed! Some mothers are bringing more than one daughter, and others with more than one of-age-daughter are choosing to come with one daughter to focus on their special bond.

I want to register but prefer to pay by check, or to pay in two payments.
You may pay by check. Get in touch with us HERE and we’ll send you payment details. And yes, you can break payments up. We do not want finances to hinder your participation

What airport is nearby and is there a shuttle service?
Our retreat is about 40 minutes from the Asheville (AVL) airport in North Carolina. Our retreat site host may be able to pick you up. Shuttle service from airport to our enchanted forest is $50.

What time will we finish on Sunday (June 12)?
Most of our guests have to journey home, and some girls begin a new school year the day after our retreat. With this in mind, our closing circle will be at 930 Sunday morning, intending to be done by 11. You are welcome to stay longer and enjoy the gardens, or go after our circle.

We are honored to be breathing life into this creative adventure.  With love we offer you the very experience that we’ve longed for as girls, a women’s circle for mothers and daughters that is nearly extinct in our world today. We are offering a safe and loving retreat experience for mothers and daughters to come together for activities that nurture connection, creativity, intuition, and wisdom. If this speaks to you, we hope we will see you around our Mighty Creative fire!

You may register and find more details HERE.
See the available rooms and shelters HERE.
And contact us HERE for more info or questions.

your loving guides,

b and w sigp.s. scroll to the bottom of page if you’d like to subscribe to Hello Mother, Hello Daughter and receive notices, updates and our retreat reflections from camp.

p.p.s here’s linky to our new Mighty Creative facebook community!

the mighty creative adventure begins

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Hello Mother, Hello Daughter,

Welcome to our special web campsite where we will share news and updates about the Mighty Creative Adventure.  Enjoy your visit here.  We are so grateful that you are considering taking this journey with us.   We have poured our love, energy, and creativity into this adventure in order to birth a mother and daughter retreat experience that we believe is missing and very much needed in our world.

Please join us in wishing a happy birthday to our Mighty Creative Adventure!

The Mighty Creative Adventure will be nestled in the National Pisgah Forest, in Barnardsville, North Carolina – a secret location revealed only to registrants.  We will gather on Thursday July 9th and conclude midday on Sunday July 12th.  It will be a pilgrimage for mothers and daughters to delve deep into your love, your creative essence, to explore a new world together at our camp in the mountains.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Forest at the opening ceremony of our Mighty Creative Adventure in July.  We hope you will join us in making magical memories!

your loving guides,

b and w sig

p.s. scroll to the bottom of page if you’d like to subscribe to Hello Mother, Hello Daughter.