Yael Nehama

The Village Wise Woman The words of Wisdom are on her tongue The law of Kindness flows from her mouth Dressed in her finery, clothed in the past Eyes turned to the future, her heart ever present in the here and now She walks between the worlds. Calico apron draped across her tie dyed skirts Lace handkerchief tucked up her tunic sleeve Her head is wrapped in a cotton crown, leather sandals on her feet Close to the earth, she listens Close to the heavens, she soars! Lavender and dandelion speak of their magic Yarrow and plantain teach her of love Owl and chickadee are her friends Hawk and crow her guides Butterfly her comfort Dancing through hoops, spinning with fire, living beneath the cottonwood trees She weaves her crystal ball through the loom of her life And though she walks in harmony with all Her sword is in it's sheath, her hand upon it's hilt Warrior she is, when it is necessary. By: The Village Wise woman's not so distant manifestation

I have finally begun to enjoy my Pesach/Passover celebrations. Prior to this enjoyment I was an angry, resentful, and none to eager participant in the preparation let alone the celebration. All ofthe preparations and cleaning and turning upside down one's home to search for chometz has been working my nerves for the past couple of years, and even more so this year. Now mind you, we are not near as "in depth" as many people, following a more letter of the law practice than all the extra chumras that some of my Tribe take on, but feeling the time constraints and attention to detail that this holiday demands was, nonetheless, beginning to wear at me. Finally, with the couldn't-been-done-without-her daughter doing cleaning over the week, we finished on Sunday and were actually ready for the holiday the earliest we have ever been. I had decided earlier, since I only have one child at home and wasn't sure who actually would be present, to make plans to celebrate the...

Yesterday my youngest daughter and I went for a long overdue walk into Penny Pak Park. I have now officially seen each season in the park. This past winter was my first snowy sojourn into the park. I realized yesterday though, that it is necessary to my good health to be a much more frequent visitor to the Park, particularly since it is truly the largest natural haven here in my neighborhood. There is so much happening there right now I was slightly overwhelmed by it all. I discovered cottonwood trees with their soft buds poking up. I saw young patches of nettle and violets. There were also many other plants, but sadly I only knew a small handful by name. Those that I could identify, I joyfully shared with my daughter. Another realization I had was, I needed to become the teacher I want. Therefore the bits of knowledge that I do have, I must share or they will become lost. So I showed her the cottonwood buds and invited her to touch and feel their softness. Instructed to stay clear of ...