Hi Folks! Happy New Year if I haven't already gotten by you to tell you! A new decade!
ADF granted us a one year extension. It seems we may have caused a new start of things in that there are several Protogroves who've the interest to continue has ended at some point in the past simply because there was no in between stage set up for those wishing to continue as Protogroves who could not, or perhaps did not wish to grow into the the next level of Grove (Provisional Grove) level with ADF. I guess we're setting a precedent in ADF.
We are now working into our 7th year as a Protogrove, be it as it may, small and only a few of us.
We've had a new fellow join our affiliation: Speedwell, he's called.
He did a fantastic job leading out our last High Day Rite, also organizing and compiling a ritual of the Norse pantheon. I'm sure there will be much more to his credit as his path unfolds. He has donated a copy of Cei Serith's: "Book of Pagan Prayer" to our Enchanted Desert Protogrove's libary! Thanks so much, Speedwell! You are appreciated!~
Up to the minute, we've been experimenting on a new angle Google's come out with: Google WAVE. It's a collaborative option in email accounts, also including real time enough so it could be called chat, as well.
Get an account invitation by going to www.googlewave.com and see what I'm talking about. Video tutorials available too!
Well, Kirk's about to become our newest ADF-Archdruid! I wish he had someone running against him! It would seem much more ..mm, something when he is named the ADF Archdruid than to just be handed the spot. Some don't agree; they think it's useless for someone to just run to make it a race; they think he should just be handed the spot!
He'll work hard for ADF, I know he will.
There's a new e-forum for ADF members! Called "A Place by the Fire". Very nice set up!
I'm still working on the Nemeton. Speedwell helped us get friend Oak planted! You've likely seen the slide show. Don't mind the slideshow formats. I was just experimenting. If you don't like the formats, just go to the regular gallery option to view the photos.
I'll need to update the gallery. In fact, I need to get the website finally done at some point and shift everything over to the Protogrove's website once and for all: www.edg-adf.org
That means I'll free up my own personal website of some things, but I'll still maintain some links to the other site, or keep some pages as a mirror site.
Google did some kind of change in the core of the google spaces so that I lost some options to change the webpages!
The Protogrove currently has 3 ADF members affiliated. When MSN quit doing egroups and I shifted things off MSN to our own area, some of the previous long time egroup members lost contact with us. I'm just getting back in touch a little at a time.
I'm still chipping away at the DP, now called The "Dedicant Study Path". They've revamped the manual, so it's better than ever. I downloaded a copy but still need to read it from cover to cover. I've started and read in several areas.
Our charitable community service is at a low this year with less monetary abilities than ever before. We have managed to donate, however, to the National Wildlife Federations, Nature Conservancy, canned foods, a one room heater for someone, and more to do this 2010, along with picking up on the highway (still). We made these in small donations this year.
I am personally trying to pull my old weaving loom together and would like to someday make some altar cloths to donate to ADF's regalia. I think they've given that a new name too, 'regalia'. I don't know what's been chosen for that area of ADF's store to be called.
On a personal note:
One of my old friend's mother passed recently and I wish to send out requests from all of you to give healing energies, prayer of help and genuine strength to my friend and her family.
Recently one of my old local friends put me in touch with my best friend from High School! I've been really amazed how we still connect. At least I feel we have reconnected greatly. I've been really happy to meet back up with her. Often people change greatly. I feel the two of us have drifted off and have drifted back just more mature, and much more experienced with life, but our core selves have remained in tact somehow! Anyway, I think it's great meeting back up with her!
I had a nice chat with one of our old egroup members who lost contact. I ran into the person just this past evening. We had a chance to sit and talk for a couple of minutes and catch up on the local scene. I invited the person to join our new google egroup; said they'll be looking us up, so I'll be watching on the requests for membership to add. It's great running in to old "friends"!
I can feel the hum of nearing days soon, very soon, to begin the planting work once again. I'm seeing people buying bulbs and turning soil in anticipation for the coming spring. Considering the extra cold and more snow than we've seen in awhile in Southern New Mexico, I feel these folks know something I don't know of the coming season, or it's their wishful thinking that the Spring is just around the corner!
In fact, Spring is just around the corner pretty shortly, but we're still wearhing coats and boots and some of the snow on the north sides of trees, bushes, and buildings haven't melted yet.
In the solar building the artichoke plant has done well to survive even the coldest of nights, while the aloe vera is shooting up with a new inner bud and the big fat outer leaves are drooping from freezing nights; still the Rosemarys are doing great --both the regular variety and the creeping one (my last experiment before the freeze). Amazing that some of the baby lettuce and spinach plants I planted right before Samhain are still hanging in there in the solar building in a long planter box. I was also experimenting with that, nearly forgot. They are cold season plants, so I thought I'd see how they'd do. Ok it seems. Not growing much, but they're alive and green, possibly waiting for the spring too.
Well, this has gotten far too long for any interest of yours, unless you just want to comment back to shoot some info back on similar subjects.
Oh! I'm hoping between Todd and Speedwell, there might be some more learning going on. I'd like to invite Todd to come give a small class on the Norse culture and traditions, while Speedwell might be able to discuss some hands on workshop using Hypertufa to teach us how to make some garden sculptures and containers, etc. I personally want to learn hypertufa so I can attempt to build a megalith! :> I'm sure there's more we can each exchange to discuss from things we've learned.
At the end of the day, we could have a bardic circle and wine-tasting! Oh, I have my dreams of comradaree --that does exist!
Thanks be to the Mentors! Thanks you guys! I say Hussah! Thanks and hang in there, we'll get through it! :>
Blanca aka White Mountain, New Mexico(Three Rivers is found roughly at the NW base of Sierra Blanca, NM)
CHECK BACK, I'm still working on adding more pictures to this particular Blog.
