Lessons learned from the Maine Primitive School

Top 10 Things that Jumped into my mind within 24-hours of leaving the Maine Primitive School *

1.       I left school and wasn’t 10 minutes down the road before spotting raccoon roadkill and shouting out to my mother “Hey we can eat that!  Is still supple?”   Uh oh, Is this my new idea of normal?

2.       I use the restroom in a nice restaurant and immediately thought  “orange buckets & sawdust are much cleaner and why are we wasting all this water?”  Qué peńa!

3.       Driving down the same route to work that I’ve been driving for years I looked up and thought “ooh what kind of tree is that?  Beech, Bass, Red Oak, White Oak, Maple, Pine, Birch, Spruce, Cedar?  Then I went so far as to pull over onto the side of the road, get out of the car and collect leave specimens so I can later identify them. 

Now all I want to do for fun is walk around my yard and sketch the plants and flowers to see what exactly they are.

4.       I passed a dead deer on the highway lying in the grassy middle lane and though “What a shame, that’s good eating.  This thought is quickly followed up by “the poor animal is probably dead because of overpopulation, human encroachment and the lack of predators and hunters all of which help to maintain a healthy natural balance. 

5.       I passed the tea section in the health food store today and refused to buy anything because I know that I have fresh mint and lemon balm growing in my own garden at home and gosh darn it I became aware that I can make your own damn tea.

6.       I  never took my shoes off & I mean never!   Even in the house I would wear slippers. Now, I find joy in walking barefoot.  I  ate lunch today on the grass in the quad under a tree at the University barefoot.  I find myself asking people if they want to come over and take their shoes off at eat salad on the lawn under my favorite Elm tree.  They look at me with strange puzzled looks on their face and they wonder if I was abducted by the mother ship over the weekend.

7.       My effortless walks in the woods now become a scouting mission for throwing sticks and thumping logs.   When I got home I wanted to set up targets in the woods and go to town.  Feeling like a playful and curious kid again.  

8.       I find the need to become a skilled craftsman.  I  desire a new knife for carving sticks, I desire the knowlege needed to throw clay pots for cooking and for food containers.  The curiosity is just oozing out of me. 

I want to learn how to build my own canoe.  I found a great book by renown Master Maine Guide Gil Gilpatrick who I went dog sledding with a couple years ago that will teach me how. 

9.       I can make my own water container from tree bark, you make a spoon out of a log using a piece of coal from your fire pit, part of a plant and a knife.  Oh and of course both of these can hold water cause’ I’m cool like that!  Wanna learn?

10.   I have a deeper appreciation and connection to the Earth, Spirit and to the Ancestors.  It has once again been affirmed to me that Nature provides us with everything that we need in to survive.  We need to redevelop and learn the necessary skills and make use of our natural landscape.  Mother Nature does not owe anyone, anything.  She may not offer you the comforts that you are accustomed to in modern day living but she will provide you with the necessities for which you need to live.

  Going to survival school has rekindled the flame in my soul that wants to play, to connect, to live.  It has taught me the difference between what it means to exist and what it means to live. It is not enough for one to simply exist...One must live!

 It has also taught me the importance of community.  I cannot wait to go back to school and learn more about edible and medicinal plants.  This is a passion that I have always had but what smothered by the modern day western society for which I live.  I am grateful to have found a community that embraces native traditions and seeks to share that primitive way of life with us modern day ignoramuses’.

*Note:  It has been 24-hours since I left school.  I can’t wait to see what other lessons I learn and develop over time.  For those interested in learning more, here is a link to the Maine Primitives School 

PS-I promise I won't leave my job for at least 3 months.  Being inside today was excruciating!  Thanks Mike!

Mike-teaching us the many uses and properties of Cattail.

Primative Cooking Technique--stone acts like a griddle.  Cooking up the venison we learned how to field dress.

Facilites-note that wonderful sawdust and orange bucket,

Instructions on Primative Pooping!

Learning how to make a Shelter-Debris Hut Style

Nate is teaching me how to Set the Trap I made.

Do I look like I'm in training for American's Next Best Ninja Warrior?  Well....kinda sorta.  Is Earth Living/Survial School is that close enough for ya?

Throwing a stick at milk jugs-I hit it~pretending the milk jug was a squirrel of course.  Sweetness!

This guy was there to wish me a good morning!

We're making spoons--I swear! 

Thanks Mom for a great weekend together at Survival/Earth Living School.

Another Adventure Accomplished and Many More to Come!

Senses

A woman in a cream, satin nightgown glares out the window pane watching the sunrise.  Leaves of crimson, amber and burnt sienna twist and turn as they fall silently to their grave.  The fruit of the trees are no more.  Gone.  Now barren, acorns litter the lawn as the bushy tails of the squirrels wiggle in the air as they forrage along the forest floor.  One by one they load the pouches in their cheeks full of the wholesome nut.  They climb up the trees and anxiously leap amongst the branches until they arrive at their nest where they carefully dispense their bounty.  The wind howls and a cool, crisp breeze filters through the cracks in the window sash invigorating her senses.  She gathers her thoughts and gracefully walks down the stairs towards the kichen.  She fills the kettle up with water and sets it on the stove to boil and heads to the sitting room where she catches a glimpse of a pair of cardinals fly into the nest in the Holly bush outside the picture window. Mezmorized by the flaming red crest and ruby breast of the male coupled with the bright orange beak of the female she's startled by the whisteling kettle as she observes the cloacal kiss. 


Opening the creaking, white cabinet she takes from the shelf a mason jar full of tea bags.  Twisting the silver top off the glass jar she reaches in with her long, slender fingers and pulls out a bag of her favorite, Earl Gray.  Plopping the bag into a proper tea cup she graciously pours the boiled water.  The rose painted cup stands for a minute or two before she decides to remove the swollen soaken bag from the cup and tosses it in the sink.  A smidge of lemon and tea is served.  She walks effortlessly to the parlor where she sits in a high back, Queen Anne style chair that is covered in chartreus fabric embellished with gold dragon flies.  She sips from the dainty cup, left pinky stretched outward to counter balance the weight of the cup as she slurps from the silver trimmed rim just as her mother and grandmother had done before her.


She hears hear husband gentle whisper "I love you" as he kisses the nape of her neck.  She is comforted by the sound of his voice.  She turns to look at him, anticipating the sight of his weathered face only to be surprised when he's not there.  She takes in a deep breathe of air, gasping, winded.  He's gone, long gone, he is no more.  Left only with memories she weeps, the salty tears stream down her cheeks over her upper lip and into her mouth stinging, the taste of regret.

Ticking Time Bomb

Patiently waiting, biding my time.
Moving forward, looking back. 
Glancing, shimmering glimmers of hope.
In your eyes, salty tears.
In my heart, sorrow is twisting.
Torn apart, ripped to pieces.
SHREDDED.


What lies ahead, no one quite knows.
Uncertainty lingers beneathe our feet.
Quietly trudging forward, hiding, hands wringing, trembling.
Keeping the cloaked huntsman and his dagger at bay.
Box lies waiting for not one heart; but two.
AJAR.


Compassion shows us the way forwards.
Prayers are cast in the form of hope, that this heartache will pass.
Baby steps, one foot in front of the other.
We move, slowly and steadily.
Faithfully, towards the truth.
Memories of the past, we graciously hold on to.
HOPE.

I love you to the Moon and Back

Growing up is hard to do.  The troubles of the teenage years are tough and when you combine that with two parents who can't get along it must be incredibly heartbreaking.  I have tried so hard to trust my daughter's father and time and time again he betrays that trust.  It pains me so much that I actually went to a priest to talk about the guilt I have.  He reassured me that I shouldn't feel guilty and that under no circumstances should I trust this man.  Although I felt reassured, I felt little comfort in knowing that my priest knew the type of person I was up against.

I am always hopeful or perhaps a better word would be naieve, that there is good in everyone.  I have learned but have been unable to fully accept that this, is in fact untrue.  There are people out there who are evil who love to see us suffer unfathomable pains.

My daughter is confused.  Torn between her own memories and the indoctinated ideas of her father she finds herself tortured.  Unable to determine truth from fiction.  Unable to know what is right and what is wrong.  Who is good and who is bad.  A war between black and white, good and evil.  The very essense of being human.  She finds solace in music, in writing songs, in singing.  Sometimes even -in rebelling.

Although our relationship has been estranged due to her fathers own sick, twisted ideas of vengence I cannot help but reach out to her.  Pray for her.  Long for her return.  I miss her.  I miss her smile, her laughter, her tears.  I miss hugging her and telling her how precious she is.  I know that our relationship will come full circle again like everything else in this lifetime.  I know Karma will pay her father a visit too. 

I'm not sure what keeps me going.  God?  Angels?  Spirit Guides?  Friends?  All of the above plus the promise that tomorrow will be a bright brand new day.  I know that no matter what happens nothing can destroy the love between a mother and her child.  I will always love her to the Moon and Back.