You are Cordially Invited to my MidSummer's 'Faerie Day' Soirée!

Well it's June 24th, and today is officially 'Fairy Day'! So what does that mean? It means that "It's a day for Fairies, magic, and wishes to come true. So for one day...put aside the cynicism of the modern world, embrace the possibilities of the unknown....and believe in Fairies!" 

Do you believe in Faeries? I do of course, but then again I also believe in Ghosts, Leprechauns, Father Christmas and The Great Pumpkin. Ah heck....I'll believe in anything if it adds a little magic, creativity and wonderment to my world.  So today is the perfect day to join in the celebration of the Faerie Folk! 

  

When I was a young girl, my Grandmother used to take me to the library. Oh how I loved to spend the day at the library, because it wasn't just any old library....no, it was a magical portal to the lands of enchantment. It began to occur to me that 'magical' books always seemed to find their way into my eager lil' hands. Oh I didn't actively know to seek them out mind you...
I just happened upon them in my searching,
as if some magnetic force was drawing us together. But there were 2 special books that I never forgot, and they were "Faeries' and 'Gnomes" by Brian Froud! I read and studied those books from cover to cover, and I whole heartedly believed that every last word and picture was 100% real! I remember one day in particular when I read about Faerie Rings and Oak Trees....and I became convinced that I would be able to find signs of the Faeries beneath the big old Oak trees on our property. So I set out with my tools and my book....and I spent the day hunting, and waiting, and wishing very hard that I'd find one. Although admittedly I was also a good bit scared at what I would do if and when I actually stumbled upon them. The years have blurred my memory some, but I'm quite certain that I was successful at locating signs that the Faeries were indeed close at hand, and I'm pretty sure that I almost caught sight of one or two. Yes, I loved those two books SO WELL in fact, that I gave up my Library privileges entirely. For I refused to take the books back to the library. The fines kept piling up, and their threats of revoking my library card finally became a reality. But I didn't care. As I just could NOT bare to part with those books after being exposed to all of the magical secrets they'd given up to me. And of course it never even once dawned on me that the books could be found anywhere else other than the library. So I became a "Literary Fugitive" of the County Library System until many years later when I finally married and was able to change my last name! But the criminal record was but a small price to pay for entrance to the Enchanted Land of the Faeries!So to celebrate this most auspicious of days today, I invite you to a Midsummer Faerie Féte! Come join in the revelry and merriment as we wave a fond farewell to Spring and embrace the Summer Season with open arms. Please come take your seat at our Garden Fairy Table.
(And feel free to click on the images to view them larger!) We have a splendid lil' spot set especially for you,
with fresh ferns from the Fern Grotto! Our Midsummer Buffet is filled to the brim with fresh herbs and vegetables straight from the garden, and many delectable treats,
sure to satisfy any Faerie's sweet tooth. Ahhh...Midsummer! All Faeries know that Midsummer offers up Mother Nature's sweetest and most succulent Fruits of the Season. Faerie Berries are a feast for the senses and they come in a kaleidoscope of colors
to please the palate and the eyes!

One of the most scrumptious ways to serve Faerie Berries is in a Perfectly Pink Raspberry Punch. Cool and refreshing on those balmy Summer Days! Let's not forget the Sweets and Treats, as it's common knowledge that most Faeries are born with an insatiable 'sweet tooth'! We have mini Lemon-Blueberry and Chocolate Muffins that are just perfect for snacking. Or how about some dainty little Faerie Cakes....
petite and sweet and perfect for Pixies! And a Faerie Birthday Cake topped with the plumpest of strawberries, and candles for wishing. Yes, even Faeries believe in the power of 'Wishes'! Oh, and don't forget my personal favorite....Toadstools! But these aren't just any ole' Toadstools! For these are baked with a smidgeon of Faerie Magic and a pinch of Pixie Dust, mixed in with sweet Merengue and
Deep Dark Chocolate! So Yummy and So Cute!

With bellies full and the Faerie Festivities drawing to a close, it's time to bid your fellow Faeries adieu! For Twilight is falling fast and the Fireflies are starting to twinkle their lights in the Hedgerow. But no Seasonal Solstice Soirée is complete without Pretty Pixie Party Favors to carry home! And what better way to transport yourself back to the Realm of Faerie, than a lovely scented Butterfly Candle in the Fragrant Flower Scents of Lavender, Honeysuckle, Gardenia and Sweet Pea! Yes it's true that Midsummer presents the perfect opportunity to embark on a Flight of Fancy in the spirit and celebration of the Faeries who Enchant our Gardens, and usher in the Seasons of the Year. And who wouldn't love to attend a Festive Midsummer Celebration filled with the Mirth and Merriment of a Fine Faerie Feast?! Both Young and Old alike can appreciate a Magical Escape into the Realm of Imagination and Wonder! So this has been the perfect day to embrace the Faeries with our open hearts....but more importantly with our open minds!

All you have to do is BELIEVE!
"Tula, vasa ar' yulna en i'mereth. 
Lissenen ar' maska'lalaith tenna' lye omentuv!"  

(All Images © Wendy A. 2011)

Where Did the Time Go?

Well, as I am wont to do....I got myself involved in too many activities at once and found myself coming up short on time to manage them all.  So as Summer set in, I had to let something slide for awhile in order to make any progress at all.  Sadly, as you may have noticed, the Artful Gypsy blog was one of those things.  And this pains me because I worked so diligently on getting it all set up.  I had high hopes of managing 2 blogs, along with a multitude of other projects.  But alas, I just couldn't do it.  But I have returned now to give this blog some over due attention and love. 
A quick synopsis of my summer is that it was hot and VERY rainy.  I read a few great books that became a much needed diversion away from the long tedious summer heat.  I know that summer is Florida's big draw to most folks.  But when you live here....it just seems to be stifling and boring.  The ONLY thing that makes it even remotely bearable for me, is the extreme anticipation I feel towards the Autumn months that follow. 
 
For I am an Autumn person through and through.  Ask anyone that knows me and they will attest to that fact.  In fact, I live all year long....just to experience Autumn once again.  This past Autumn was a strange one however.  It came upon me so fast and furiously that I was caught completely off-guard.  I had so many grand plans and yet very few of them came to fruition.  In fact, that could be said for this entire year.  It has been a strange year indeed.  But the many activities that usually fill up the most wonderful month of October, did not all transpire this year.  Besides the fact that I was ladled with an on-going work project or two, we also had a bout of illness in the family.  The flu was present, but we aren't sure what type of flu it was.  Everyone recovered quickly thank goodness.
  
I ran out of time to decorate for my favorite holiday, Hallowe'en....and that made me quite sad.  Our annual pumpkin carving party did not make the agenda this year either for the first time in about 5 years.  The only thing we did manage to accomplish, and just barely at that.....was taking a fabulous, although stressful trip to New England and Montreal, Canada.  That would prove to be the highlight of my Autumn.  We hit Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Canada.  We visited many wonderful towns such as Salem, Boston, Woodstock, Hanover, Peacham and Montreal.  And we timed it perfectly...the leaves were at peak and the color was bursting.  I was able to get some gorgeous photographs and I will share some of them here.  So the month was not a total loss, but it sure could have been better. 

As a result of my Autumnal disappointments this year....I have vowed to be ultra prepared next year, so that I can really enjoy my favorite time of year without being stressed, ill and over extended.  November arrived in the blink of an eye and will be gone in the blink of another.  I am constantly stricken by the awareness that time is moving now at warp speed.  Months flip by like days and there are never enough minutes in the day to do all that I wish to do. 
 
And the dreaded Winter is knocking on the door once again.  Don't get me wrong, Winter has it's moments, and the holiday season is something to look forward to indeed.  But once New Year's is over....I fall quickly into my seasonal blues.  This happens every Winter like clockwork.  Maybe it's the time change, or the cold weather.  Maybe it's the barren trees and brown grass.  But Winter is not my favorite season.  Perhaps if I lived where there were some snow, so that I could enjoy a Winter Wonderland for a change.  But in Florida, Winter is rather anti-climactic.  And just as I do in the summer, I bide my time, spending a lot of it indoors, waiting for the threat of the last frost to be gone so that we can go to work in the back yard.  Because that is where I like to live come Spring.  The rebirth of nature after her long winter's nap is second only to the Autumn for me!

I love all the seasons however....I really do!  I just long to live in a place where I can experience them all.  I love to live my life from season to season and holiday to holiday.  And speaking of holidays, we have the lovely Yule season coming up and I am going to try and relax and enjoy the spirit of the season this year without stressing too much.  We wanted to spend Christmas in a cabin somewhere out West.  A cabin that was surrounded by snow.  But we started on the planning too late this year, so we'll have to try for that again next year perhaps.  But I am looking forward to dusting off the Christmas CD's once again.  Are you in the mood for Christmas carols and egg not yet?  :o)

The Rites of Spring

In the Spring, the Gypsy in my soul begins to stir.  After all the magic of Autumn and Halloween have blown out of town like colored leaves on a cool breeze, and after the hustle and bustle of the Christmas holidays have finally waned and left me exhausted, cranky, cynical and usually sick....I begin my winter hibernation.  I always seem to get a case of the seasonal blues about that time.  It's depressing to see the world outside so barren and gray.  So I remain indoors, spending as much of the winter as possible in my fuzzy PJ's and socks, until the first buds spring forth on the flowers and trees.  Hark...the coming of Spring has finally arrived, and with it come the 'Rites of Spring'!  What are the 'Rites of Spring'?  Well of course it is a famous musical masterpiece by Stravinsky.  But I'm referring more specifically to a 'state of mind' or of nature's cyclical 'rebirth' at this time of year.

Many different religions mark the coming of Spring with various holidays and festivals.  The Christians hold Easter celebrations of 'death and rebirth', the Pagans celebrate Ostara and revel in Beltaine frivolity, and the Hindus hold a carnival-like festival called Holi, dedicated to Krishna or Kama, the God of Pleasure.  But the 'Rites of Spring' itself...are those of the return of light and warmth to the earth, of growth, rebirth and fertility.  Mother Nature has awoken from her long winter's nap.  She is refreshed, rejuvenated, frisky and fertile!  And romance is in the air, both literally and figuratively.

It is at this time, when the days grow longer and the sun begins to warm my face again...that I know Spring has arrived, and it's time for me to emerge from my self imposed cocoon.  I feel that gray funk begin to lift as the birds and the bees and the  butterflies and squirrels return to our property. 

The trees are budding and the flowers begin to bloom.  And with the return of the flowers, my creativity that has all but withered away through the dank Winter months, also begins to return.  Actually, it is more of a 'rebirth' I suppose, like in nature... as it never really leaves.  But it hides away in the recesses of my soul and hibernates along with me.  Then when Spring arrives, everything about me emerges fresh and renewed.....happy, optimistic and inspired.  And the Gypsy in my soul begins to stir. 

There is a magical place here I call "Gypsy Grove".  It's a quaint, lovely spot where the Gypsy in my soul goes to commune with nature, be free and wander.  And although nature abounds in Gypsy Grove at all times of the year, the Springtime finds it fervently brimming over with life.  The sounds of nature are almost amplified to my ear.  Even the vibrations of the trees are palpable. And Gypsy Grove is alive in technicolor splendor.

I often find myself with a front row seat to a most magnificent symphony of crickets and birds.  Have you heard that crickets have 4 different types of songs they play depending on the 'mood'?  A courting song is in order when a female is near, and it's more quiet....dare I suggest romantic even? And one has only to spend a short time in Gypsy Grove, to see that romance and fertility are indeed alive and well in nature.  And no better time than Spring to discover that 'romance' is not just reserved for us humans.  The crickets play music, the birds sing love songs, and even the squirrels share a passionate kiss and embrace.

Yes, Spring is the season for 'Lovers'!  Many a poem was penned from the fertile inspiration of Springtime beauty.  Many songs of love bestowed upon fair maidens with flowers in their hair and Spring moonlight on their skin.  The heady scents of the flowers in bloom help to set the mood...weaving a fragrant magical spell with their seductive perfumes.  And lovers steal away down a moonlit path to kindle some passion of their own!  Ahh...Love and Romance...the Rites of Spring!