all images and stories are the property of Catherine Beerda-Basso and are not to be used without given permission...thank you

Monday 30 September 2013

Music Monday Offering...


I am a lucky woman to count on both hands
the ones I love...

Love and Light my Lovelies

(dedicated to my Sisters of Light)

Tuesday 24 September 2013

The Harvest...





thats what has been happening here
lots of harvesting
drying
pureeing
freezing
baking & cooking
*
herb & tea potions
being brought together
for cooking & medicinal purposes
 *
I love this time of year
so much
boots
gloves
sweaters
toques

a time of soup and comfort foods....


as many changes that are happening outside
there is equally the amount of changes happening
inside of me
some of what is happening
I understand
some other things I don't
lately
I have felt the need to cocoon
the desire to go deep within
something is stirring on the horizon
I am not sure what
I do know it will be amazing
and I want to get there
so badly
and yet
I feel held back
like there are things that need to be done
before I get there
things need to be 
dried
pureed
frozen
and stored away
for when I need them
I feel pulled in all directions
and yet I stand in one place
feet planted firmly
with strong roots that go deep 
I want to run the race
but I cannot leave the gate.
and yet
I am happy
I am content
I am in the knowing
I am filled with love and joy
I am blessed

Love and Light my lovelies

Friday 20 September 2013

Bear and I...

This  is when I first saw him....
a cub with his young mother
She had come into the fields with him
to protect him for the other male bears
who are know to kill the make cubs
in order to protect their territory.


It was fall
and his size led me to believe he had been a late cub
His mother seemed young
and inexperienced.
The Puppy Prince and I had been walking 
on one of  the many dykes
when he began to bark
All I saw was the bench up ahead
and thought him to be  doing his nervous puppy routine
but as I approached where the bench was
I saw, to my complete joy
the rear of a bear going into the black berry bush
Upon coming closer
I realized there was something else
in the tree
under the bush
a cub
The Mother joined him in the tree as we past
Logically
I knew one should be scared
but I was not
infact
I was thrilled as I had my camera with me
and my trusty hound
whom had caused the young mother
to take her cub and herself to the tree.
This is how I knew she was young
because mature bears have a way of looking at dogs
that say
"Really?"

That was two years ago...
Last summer my husband
in his bike travels
saw the two of them
again roaming the farm lands
an area rich with berries
and the water ways rich with fish.
I did not see them
But when he came home
with numerous stories of their sighting
I could not help but believe it was them
my mother and cub from the fall before.
*
But then there was one....
towards the end of summer
the young male was on his own.
I do not know what happened to the mother
What I do know is that he took of residence
in my church... 
right down this pathway...


in the land of Coyote...


 Eagle...

Heron...

of Beaver and Duck
and many other creatures of the air.

It is a land of deep magic and beauty,
so I was not surprised
at his return.
It was on one of my early morning runs
with the Puppy Prince
when I became re-acquainted with him.
I had seen something in the cranberry field
just on the other side of the water way
by which I ran.
I thought is was a black garbage bag
but as I grew closer
I realized it was him...
sitting at the side of the field
enjoying a breakfast of cranberries. 
100 meters of water sat between us
as we looked at each other for a few moments
Oh and was it a moment....
until the Puppy Prince ran back to my side
wondering what the hold up was
and caught sight of the bear.
He then proceeded to bark
which was enough annoyance 
for the bear to cut his breakfast short and walk
further into the feild
away from the noisy creature
on the other side of the water, up the bank.
I saw him every morning for just over a week...
Somethings we would wake him up from his bed
deep in the black berry bushes
or sometimes we would see him lumbering in the feilds
staring his day with some berries.
One morning I even saw him walking with Coyote
that was curious!
They were walking side by side and at one point
after Coyote has spotted me
they touched noses.
When I returned home 
I searched the internet for any information
on Coyotes and Bears cohabitating
there was no such information
only old First Nations Legends about
Coyote and Bear
*
And then one day
he was gone
heading in to the mountain
for winter
and his long sleep
as I hoped and waited for his return...


Over the summer
I heard talk of him
from those I would meet on the dyke
Either I had just missed him
or we had retreated when meeting someone on the trail
who said he was ahead.
Not once did I get a glimpse of him
even though I was readily seeking him out.
After coming home from our summer trip
I headed down one early moring
with camera in hand
hoping to get a glimpse of my Bear...

There was plenty of "signs"
that he was there
All along the dyke
bear crap
and let me tell you
they were big
leading me to believe that my boy had grown
to a healthy size. lol

Now I know you might be wondering
how could I know if it was the same bear
well
because I went to where he had made 
one of his sleeping spots
in the Black Berry Bushes
and sure enough
a trail had been mowed down
by a body larger than a dog
down into the bushes
with his"marking" around it.
This is what convinced me it was him
and that he had returned.

But still
no sign of him....
But I was not to be disappointed for long.
The very next day
at 6am
on a Monday morning
the Prince and I were down for a run
as the sun was just stretching up over the mountains
and the fog was holding on to the earth
there he was
about 250 meters in front of us.
He had seen us
before we saw him and was retreating into the fog
away from the human and her dog
It was magic and mysterious
as I could not see him fully clearly, 
but could make out his massive shape through the fog.
I could see as he would pause and turn his head 
to check where we were
before lumbering on
towards the fork in the path.
The Prince had not year spotted him...
too excited to be out and about
taking care of morning business
which was good
as I did not want his barking to startle
or aggravate Bear.
We kept a safe distance from behind
stopping to sit on a bench
as I watched which path he would take,
all the while
the fog slowly lifting
making visibility that much clearer.
It was then The Prince noticed him
and began to bark
Bear stopped and gave him one of "those" looks
the barking fell silent
We watched as he disappeared down the bank
into a watering hole used by the Prince himself
Steadily we moved foward
just in time to see Bear
swimming to the other side of the waterhole
and go up the bank
disappearing into the tall grass
into the field on the other side...
What a treat
What a moment
The images with forever be in my mind
no camera to still shot it
but sometimes
that is not meant to be
the magic
not meant to be captured...

I went back the next morning
but only to find this left behind...
He is gone now
not even markings to remind us
that he was there
He has retreated into the mountains
Getting ready for his big sleep, 
after a summer of fattening himself up
with the bounty of the land.
*
I am ever so grateful to have had this morning with him
and I look forward to his return
Until then
I take with me the wisdom Bear gives
-nourishing self care
-restoration of body
-rested health during a season of quiet
-strength, confidence, leadership
-deep healing
-solitude in spirit
-grounding
*

Thus ends my story of Bear and Me 
What animals have touched your spirit
my lovelies?

Love and Light

 

Monday 16 September 2013

Music Monday....a dedication

 "Take It On Faith"


There’s only one road
In and out of my heart
I don’t know where it ends
And where it starts

But the night is young
Younger than we
So lets burn right and wrong
I’ll forgive you
And you’ll forgive me

Take it on faith
That I’ll be there
When the pain comes
And I’ll take it all on faith
That you will try, try not to run
When it’s hard, so hard

I can be on fire
Yah I can hold my own
But inside I’m just a girl
Who’s scared to be alone

Today was hard
But tomorrow’s new
And if you’re there for me
I’ll be there for you
Yes I will see us through

And I’m taking it on faith
That I’ll be there when the pain comes
And I’ll take it on faith
That you will try, try not to run
When its hard, so hard

I’ll take it on faith that you’ll be there
When the pain comes
I’ll take it all on faith
That you will try, try not to run
Take it on faith
Take it on faith
Take it on faith
Take it on faith
Take it on faith
Take it on faith
When it’s hard
so hard
*
This post is dedicated to my dear sister-friend
Angela
as she lives each day
the best she can
with courage
and eloquence
beyond measure...
as cancer walks with her
in the shadows.

I love you my friend!
you can find her latest post here

What are you grateful for today 
my lovelies?


Love and Light

Thursday 12 September 2013

Finding Home...

On every account
this summer was about Home 
It was not something I had planned...
all but the part of going back to my home town
the one I grew up in
the one that held me, mounded me, gave birth to me
until I left at 16...
that part was in the plans
as it was the place my neice,
who also grew up there,
decided to get married.

the first night on the road to Smothers, we slept in a truck pull out....half way to our destination
As the time grew closer to summer
and the reality of "going Home"
grew brighter
I became well aware on the importance
this pilgrimage back was for me.
I had not been "home" for 12 years
and those 12 years (plus 2)
had been some of the most important years
I have lived thus far.

And somehow I knew
that going back to where it began
in my new skin
was going to be important...
I did not know how
or what it would look like
but I knew
something was going to happen
within...
Hudson Bay Mountain....
And so
because my niece fell deeply, madly, truly in love
with her high school sweet heart
my summer of Finding Home
came to be...



my awesome brother with one of his beautiful daughters...
Summer is not my season
my favorite season begins now
when the Earth begins her descent back into herself
when things begin to die away and hibernate.
Even so
I stepped into summer
with my arms wide open
for whatever she had to bring me;
And her plan was to
bring me Home.

My heart was seared by that which I love
My skin caress with the greatness of possibility
I was tested to see
just how much upheaval I could take....
(that would be in the form of renovations)
and I was challenged to look at who I was
and whether or not I needed to defend that.

a day visit to the fossil beds...
I Loved Deeply
Held my children's hands in their times of need
Guided them with deep Mother Earth Love
and set them free on the wings of Father Sky
I cared for my husband...
doing for him those things I knew made his life
just that much better
I nurtured our connection
cared for our friendship
and fell in love once again
with his exceptional soul.

I celebrated the women in my life
Those from my inner world
and those from my outer world
and I swam in gratitude
for those who had left over the years
and the teachings their leaving brought me.
Twin Falls....a place where a piece of my heart dwells...
I was always one who held on tight to relationsips
almost like a hoarder
finding my worth in those around me
and living in the concept of lack
that if a relationship ended
there would be nothing to replace it with.
But this no longer is the way for me
My worth is found in a place
within my own being
A Sacred place where Divinity lives
a Home for my Spirit
when it is not flying through the heavens
a Home for my Soul
where it gathers strength and knowing.

This all happening
before I even
left...

protesting a pipe line planned to be torn into the fabric of the pristine untouched wilderness of the north
So when I did begin the the pilgrimage
back home...
back to a land of rich first nations blood
to the place of the Raven Clan, The Frog Clan, The Wolf Clan
just to name a few...

I was already on my way.


I drank it in 
as if it were life giving waters
This place was the dirt in my skin
the leaves in my hair
the tone of my voice.
And to share it with the ones I love
a gift.

One morning
I took the time
to spend time with those who had gone
to the next life.
A sacred morning it was
I grieved for the old
I wept for the young
a cleansing for my being
as I walked through the aisles of head stones
seeking those I loved
finding those I knew....
*
And there was the family and friends...
The Fall Fair was happening when we were there a big event in August, bringing many visitors from the neighbouring towns. This was a huge childhood staple....lol....to be walking the midway with my husband in youngest was surreal to say the least!
I was reminded that though there was much struggle
much confusion
much walking with the deep feeling of being lost
there was an "idealic" aspect to a childhood
surrounded by so much family.

A

We were children of imigrants
my many cousins and I
6 siblings immigrating to the same small town
while the remaining 8 remained
in the old country
along with the parents.

my "big boy" youngest, contemplating his first ride on the Zipper...the best ride the midway has to offer
We all grew up together
enjoying Rockwell style Christmas'
in the deep snow of the north
on the vast farm lands
and in the mountains high.

There was a family reunion while we were there...
And in each of their eyes
I saw my own reflection...
not because I look like them
because I don't, I am adopted
It was more about me seeing
 how they saw me
how they knew me
and in those eyes
I found Home.

I was reminded of who I was
I was welcomed back into the village
in which I grew up in.
I was 
because they were.

Many stories were remembered
Many seasons given homage to
and Witness paid to that which had faded.
 *
Home
a place that houses the reflection of self...
that is what the summer gave to me
and continues to do....


What did this summer bring you
my lovelies?

Love and Light