Sacred Space: Cabezon/Tsenajin

Cabezon/Tsenajin, taken by me

Cabezon Peak, as it is usually called by New Mexicans these days, is featured in the mythologies and cultures of the people native to the region. You can see it as you drive on highway 550, and you can hike it if you choose.

The Navahos call the peak "Tsenajin." For them, it is the head of the Big Giant Ye'iitsoh, who was killed by the twins Child Born of Water and Monster Slayer. When the giant died, his blood became the black rocks around Mount Taylor. This mountain marks the eastern boundary of the Navaho world.

Thanks to the twins, many people were saved from being eaten by the giant, and they were able to do this by the help of a variety of important figures, including their father, the Sun. The Sun was also father of the giant, making the twins and the giant brothers. 

What I love about this story is that even the "evil" character is intimately related to the heroes. I appreciate world views that accept evil as a part of the world, rather than as a wholly Other force. 

What I love about the place is that it is so physically connected to the story. (I can't think of any place that has such historical/cultural/religious significance. Except maybe for Jerusalem. But that is very far away and not part of my daily experience.) How would your life change if you had stories for the most beautiful, mysterious features of your world? What places would you choose to mythologize?

See the excellent full epic Dine Bahane for the story, or visit Voyage to Another Universe, Day 7 for a summary. You can also see a interdisciplinary master's project on the area here.

Admiring: Ladies Who Love to Dance

I visited my Nanna at her retirement community last week so that I could hear some of the classic tunes of her generation as played by the local piano sensation. (I totally recommend bonding with family through song. There's nothing like seeing your grandmother get teary eyed at "I'll Being Seeing You" to give you a picture into her world.)

One of the best parts of the afternoon was seeing one of Nanna's friends dancing to the tunes. She'd dance in line as she waited for her cocktail shrimp. She'd dance in her chair. And then when a gent asked her to dance, she got up and moved her feet with such quickness you'd think she was a young woman. She even did the Charleston bees-knees step. She was a star. It didn't hurt that she was wearing glasses like Bono, either.

This is who I want to be when I get older—someone who'll take any opportunity to enjoy life that's given to her.

Billy Wells and Janet Richter doing the Charleston, Life Magazine, 1952
via Letters for George

Golden October Days

The Joy of a Fallen Leaf, by Arthur Rackham
via If We Live That Long

"I'm so glad to live in a world where there are Octobers."

    —Anne, in Anne of Green Gables, by L. M. Montgomery

I rediscovered this quotation from Anne of Green Gables via Mon Cabinet de Curiosities, via Book Oasis.

Being a red-head and imaginative little girl, Anne was my hero growing up. I loved how she was continually trying to add romance and magic to her world, always with comedic results. (Green hair and raspberry cordial, anyone?) As the books progressed, she learned to love what was quotidian and simple, without losing her talent for seeing the world through poetry and beauty.

It's about balance, isn't it: taking joy in each falling golden leaf, without getting swept away? 

Food for the Soul: Fried Eggs over Lentils

This dish, for me, is the ultimate comfort food. Eggs? Check. Bacon? Check. Mushy, flavorful base? Check. (Wait, don't overcook the lentils! But they're still nice and soft when you cook them well.)

Eat this and imagine you're in a French cafe. 

Hotel La Perla Dining Room, ironically in Italy, not France

Fried Eggs over Warm Lentil Salad with Lardons

Gourmet, October 2000

Ingredients

3/4 cup lentils (preferably French green lentils)

6 oz thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips

2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), finely chopped

2 celery ribs, finely chopped

1 large carrot, finely chopped

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar, or to taste

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 large eggs

1 cup baby spinach

Preparation

1.      Cover lentils with cold water by 2 inches in a saucepan, then simmer, uncovered, until just tender, about 20 minutes.

2.      While lentils are simmering, cook bacon in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, leaving fat in skillet. Add leeks, celery, and carrot to skillet and cook, stirring, until just tender. Add vinegar and boil until most of liquid is evaporated. Remove skillet from heat and stir in tarragon, half of bacon, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm, covered, reserving skillet.

3.      Drain lentils well in a large sieve. Stir into vegetable mixture and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm, covered.

4.      Wipe skillet with paper towels, then add oil and heat over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Fry eggs in batches until whites are just set but yolks are still runny and season with salt and pepper.

5.      Divide lentil salad among 4 plates. Top with spinach, eggs, and remaining bacon.

Hope Is a Thing That Floats Like a Balloon

Let's face it, life is about flux and change, and it takes serious hope to see an overarching narrative to discontinuous events. Everyday I can't say for certain what the next day will look like.

Even when things feel pretty steady, it takes a certain amount of bravery to be present in the moment and to accept that the moment will soon be gone.

That's where the balloons come in. Balloons are great cheery symbols of hope. I knew someone who described her partner as her "mylar balloon." We all need someone to be our cheerleader and our messenger of hope, but even more, we need to adopt that encouraging voice within ourselves.  

Boy with Balloons, by Kamala Kannan, via National Geographic

It also helps to remember that whatever situation we're in is a human condition shared by more people than we could ever imagine. Accepting where we are and what we're feeling is what feeds our compassion and what makes life beautiful.

Hot Air Balloon, by Bruce Dale, via National Geographic

Freedom or Gold

"Have you ever seen anything more beautiful? Come on, man, look around us. Do you realize what we've got? We can work when we want, sleep where we will, eat from the Lord's bounty. . . . We're free. The two freest men in the whole world."

    —Alexander McKeag, a character in the Centennial miniseries

Richard Chamberlain as Alexander McKeag (captured by me)

We just finished watching the Centennial miniseries (which I also posted about here). My favorite episodes were the first three because they dealt with the exciting, strange, and heartbreaking encounter between Europeans and Native Americans, and the environment of North America. If you enjoy historical dramas on cable, such as Deadwood or John Adams, I think you'd enjoy Centennial.

The point of this post isn't to review the series, though; it's to share the best moment in the series. It's when two trappers argue about what's worth striving for: freedom or gold. Go to 3:48 in the video, and watch at least to 5:23. I think it's a dialogue that every one has at one point or another.

Sacred Space: Spirit Nests

Let's fly away to these little nests, and watch the sun rise. (Originally discovered via Unstitched.)

Via Treebones Resort

What makes these spaces sacred for me is that they're homey and welcoming, besides being beautiful. They can be used for gatherings as well as for more meditative purposes. But no matter how they're used, they're set apart from the usual Western style shelter. Circular and constructed out of raw branches, the nests reorient visitors to the world, hopefully in a way that is more harmonious with the world and more filled with wonder at how humans fit into the beautiful world.

Ten-person spirit nest