Category: Art Journey

Art JourneyContemplationsGrandmothers

’tis the season… for integration!

Posted on by sue boardman

Preferably all sorts of integration! For this moment, though, we’re talking about the kind that happens inside us when, suddenly, a huge bunch of puzzle pieces begin to come together and make a whole other image than the one we thought we were working on.

Teachers, as you may have guessed, are involved! Here’s a list… just hold out your hand for some puzzle pieces!

First, seeing things in the sky. An eclipse. Stars over my deck. (Well, a planet or two and a bunch of planes headed for ATL!) Lots of questions. A bit of fear. All thanks to an amazing Indigenous Elder lending me some new questions. And my finding some new ways to learn.

(Note: The eclipse wasn’t visible from much of anywhere except Antarctica, though there are videos if you’re curious.)

Then, a movie. One you’ve probably heard me mention before. The Help. A hard movie. Amidst all the conventions it would be so easy to claim no longer exist, this movie is about telling the real stories… the kind that change things as they travel from one person in one time to more people in later times.

And, after that, a whole lot of crossing things off my list. Not just because I ought to, but because doing them gets me closer to what matters to me. And maybe, just maybe, what matters in our world.

And then, a Facebook post. Words from one of my favorite teachers, Walter Brueggemann:

There is no final reading of the text. We will always read it again, and it will always take us somewhere else.

Walter’s voice is hugely helpful in this moment as I ponder telling a few more of those real-for-me stories, in this context, and signing my name to them.

And, finally – for this moment – a thought from my time at Pacifica Graduate Institute. Brace yourself…

We get to choose our beliefs!

My inner consciousness feels a whole lot like my favorite stock pot…

… when the bones and herbs and veg are bubbling gently on the stove, making something wholly new out of bits some folks would dismiss completely.

Here’s where the notion of integration comes in, with thanks to a Facebook person I don’t know:

Note to self: Along with all the growth and healing, remember to give yourself time for integration, which is a fancy word for “ALLOWING SHIT to SETTLE.” It looks like doing nothing. This nothing is NECESSARY! – Emily McDowell

It sure feels necessary in my world! Even when part of me is still looking for something to check off the list.

Which might just mean putting INTEGRATION on the list!

There’s more about all of this coming… and a hatching plan about how to share it.

For this moment, though, words from a black woman in The Help, reminding the little white girl she was essentially raising that,

You is kind. You is smart. You is important. – Abilene

Perhaps the challenge of this moment is learning that those three things go together and there might just be a reason kind comes first.

I can’t wait to hear what comes up for you as you ponder your puzzle pieces! suesvoice@gmail.com

The bit of a painting, above, is called Honey in Your Heart.

Keep lighting the lights!

ps… “you is… too!“

pps… the Intentional Grandmothers Archetype Quiz is very near its due date! Watch for baby announcement coming soon! And ask me where Abilene fits! (Beta testers… it’s almost time!)

Art JourneyContemplationsGrandmothers

Stage Fright… and things that go bump in the night!

Posted on by sue boardman

Okay… truth?

About the time you read this I will be – or will just have been – reading one of my poems out loud in a Zoom group.

And, yes, it’s scary!

I write what I feel in the deepest parts of me. Those parts which are often connected to tears. Tears which don’t help the – you know – reading in public thing.

While I write these words, though, or something closer to typing what’s written itself inside me, The Voice is on TV.

I’m fascinated with the diverse group of people with dreams… with hopes so big… that they actually stand up in front of who knows how many strangers, and those who love them the most, and SING.

Trust me when I tell you that what they’re doing feels way bigger than the nightmare most preachers have had which involves standing up to proclaim the Word and realizing that they’re standing there naked. (Really!)

One of those people on The Voice this season is the same age as my older granddaughter.

This – as you’ve probably guessed – blows my mind entirely.

It also causes me to wonder what you’re dreaming that you want enough to do that kind of figurative showing up naked.

Trust me when I tell you it changes life.

And knowing that leaves me wondering what my girls might find in their worlds that matters like that to them.

I’m just hoping, with all my heart, that they will.

And I’m all in for standing beside them and encouraging them and loving them for showing up in whatever way they choose.

And that means protecting them from things they’re not ready to handle yet, while absolutely resisting the urge to protect them from opportunities to learn. (And having an endless supply of tea and Kleenex!)

So, yes to reading a poem on Zoom.

Not because I’m longing to, in and of itself.

But, because it might – just might – open a door for a sister who has been longing to and just hasn’t yet.

Meanwhile, it’s still Giving Tuesday in the USA, which is a great chance to do some good. (Though, in my case, not in nearly as many ways as my emails today suggested.)

I’m just saying there are other ways to do some good, too.

And I’ve got a closet full of tea and Kleenex!

ps… in the spirit of showing up, I’m inviting you to drop by FierceArtWithHeart and check out my work. (The elves have been busy with holiday pricing!)

pps… the mixed media image, above, is a glimpse of my work-in-progress for this Wednesday… the Co-Creator (and co-created!) emerging from the Vivid/Tapestry journey in Intentional Creativity® land. Can’t wait to find out what she wants next!

Art JourneyContemplationsFoodGrandmothers

Don’t Let the Light Go Out!

Posted on by sue boardman

The Legendary Husband and I opted for a very quiet Thanksgiving weekend.

The blessing of simple food that was also local, sustainably raised food which helps small farmers and businesses we care about.

Space to catch up on some things on the list. Some of them the “Could do” sorts of things that so often get lost in the much louder “Must do” gang.

The happy voices of our girls, having a blast being cousins.

And, underneath it all, rearranging mental space for new adventures.

In the midst of all that… a post I saw on Facebook which kept clamoring for my attention.

Actually, I shared it.

My friend and paint sister, Havi, had posted it on her page Wednesday. Here’s what it said:

The way you alchemize a soulless world into a sacred world is by treating everyone as if they are sacred until the sacred in them remembers.

I agree.

Or, rather, I choose to agree, even though I can think of a few possible exceptions!

Somewhere along the way, I had a new thought.

What if we – you and even I – were part of everyone?

What if we treated ourselves as if we were sacred until the sacred in us remembers?

What if we treated our littles the same way… until they learned that they, too, are sacred?

And, while we’re on a roll here, what if we treated every day as if it were sacred, too, instead of just the ones the calendar calls holidays?

There are, obviously, lots of definitions for the word sacred, from many traditions, and – often – with a fair bit of baggage attached.

Here’s one I like…

Something that is sacred is worthy of honor and reverence.

There’s more, but this gets us out of quite a bit of the your way – my way tug of war.

So what if we did treat ourselves, and everybody, and each day as if it were worthy of honor and reverence?

What might get different?

It’s hard to say for sure. And, since there are, in fact, people out there who play by different rules, it’s not a perfect plan. But, it feels worth a try.

I’m going to start with an excellent bowl of broth and veg. And, Muse willing, a good night’s sleep.

Then, when morning comes, some space on my list for “Could do’s”. There are, blessedly, lots of choices!

And, should you be intrigued, four words: Start where you are!

One of the places I’m starting is with candle light.

In whatever tradition, the light means hope, and that is my hope for you and yours… that we don’t let the light go out!

ps.. two more words… the ones on the mug in the photo! You do! (It comes in grown-up and kid versions!)

Art JourneyContemplationsGrandmothersPhoebe and Luther

What if?

Posted on by sue boardman

For the past 6-ish weeks, I’ve been engaged in an experiment known as Get It Done Lab, the brain child of Samantha Bennett and her team.

First… the punch line. I have, in fact, been getting a whole lot of “it” done!

Next… a bit more of the story.

As part of our adventure, Sam has been sending out daily emails. Super quick. Pointed, even. And they all begin with the same two words…

What if?

If you’ve been reading along for a bit, you’ve probably already guessed that this is an approach that really works for me!

Day 40’s email said this:

What if…. you forgave everyone everything?

What if, indeed?

But, for many of us, there’s another obvious question… How?

If we’re being real, forgiving can be really hard. And that sentence led me on the proverbial rabbit trail – figuratively, at least – to the endless bookshelves in our basement.

(Okay, with a bit of help from Google, I found what I needed to know in my phone and didn’t need to tackle the stairs!)

The book in question is titled, Is Human Forgiveness Possible? by Dr. John Patton.

John was one of my seminary professors. I read the book for a short course while I was doing my DMin. and serving a church in Virginia.

Here’s the gist of what I remember…

No, we can’t make ourselves feel forgiving.

We can choose – or intend, as I’d say these days – to allow forgiving to happen within us.

Which doesn’t make it any less a challenge!

Think about our world.

For me, it often feels overwhelming with the need for personal forgiveness – which is sometimes the easier part – to political forgiveness and ancestral forgiveness and… well, fill in what works for you.

Here’s what I do know…

Feeling forgiveness might just be connected to feeling thankful.

And symbolizing forgiveness often helps. (Think paintbrushes, or music, or…)

And forgiveness doesn’t mean putting up with whatever harm others might heap on us. It just means declining to harm ourselves further by holding onto hate.

At the risk of being redundant… it’s hard. Perhaps the hardest thing many of us will ever learn. And one of those things we probably need to learn over and over.

But, all that being said, what might we do with the energy it takes to hold grudges? To hate? To look back instead of forward?

I’m feeling blessed by a whole lot of teachers who’ve helped me learn – along a pretty complicated road – to intend forgiveness.

And by the possibility that I might just be one of those teachers for someone else.

For this moment, though, there is a Hearth to tend and an email to write and a big dog who needs to be brushed.

A big dog who, by the way, has taught me a whole lot about forgiveness.

And about being thankful for the kind folks in the world. Like you!

Blessings, from Phoebe and Luther and the Legendary Husband and me!

ps… should you be tempted to shop for creative gifts, I’d be thrilled if you’d wander through the updated FierceArtWithHeart shop and let me know what you think. There’s even a print of “Heart of Creation”! (The elves have decided that holiday discounts are in order and shipping is free in the USA!)

pps… Intentional Creativity® can help with the forgiving thing. There are new things on the horizon! email me if you’d like more information… suesvoice@gmail.com

Art JourneyContemplationsFoodGrandmothersPhoebe and Luther

Mixed metaphors, a bit more heresy… and a recipe!

Posted on by sue boardman

My Granny, on my mom’s side of the fam, used to tell a certain story before big holiday meals. Imagine her frown and clenched teeth, please.

It seems Granny and most of the family would work and work and bake and roast and fry and bake some more to spread the table with some really great food for big gatherings.

Except for one particular Aunt. Aunt Madge, I believe, but don’t hold me to it.

It seems she showed up for such events with the same contribution every time.

A pound of butter and a jar of olives.

I’ve got the butter managed. We’ll skip the olives until Christmas!

I’ll also admit that this blog post is feeling a bit like one of those big pot luck events as it hatches in my head.

I spent much of today taking photos and writing descriptions of the kind of art pieces around here that are looking for forever homes.

That, with frequent breaks to count the quarts of bone broth in the freezer – we’ve got to have gravy!

And keeping up with the world.

You can check my Facebook page for a whole bunch of the stuff I related to. Here’s a hint about a favorite, with thanks to my buddy, Lori Knight-Whitehouse…

A reprint of an article the amazing Anne Lamott wrote years ago about Thanksgiving. She was discussing the issue of table grace in her family and lamenting the fact that they were inclined in the direction of Cheers. Bottoms up. Dig in! while wee Annie longed for words she heard around the tables of friends.

And that reminded me of Dave when he was just getting the hang of pronouncing what he heard… you see, he and I did the traditional God is great… thing before meals. This was what my dear, kind boy heard. And repeated with care:

God is great. God is good. And we thank God for our food. Bite God’s hands and all be fed.

Give us, Lord, our gravy bread.

I must add that my little guy was enormously proud of his participation.

And, much to everyone’s dismay, I didn’t correct him. In fact, I cried the first time he managed it in the more usual fashion. I’m still pretty sure the Divine was delighted all along.

Which, in a stream of consciousness sort of fashion, brings us to Iron Chef America. The gang has been keeping me company as I work.

In one of my all time favorite episodes, Iron Chef Guarnaschelli is matched with a challenger who describes himself as a Norwegian Japanese Black guy. The secret ingredient was lamb. The whole critter! As it turned out, Chef Justin Sutherland took the winner’s bow, wearing a hat that read, In Diversity We Trust.

I’m thankful for that!

Now, for the promised main event…

Since I’ve already confessed to the heresy of not doing turkey the way we’ve always done it, it’s time to move on from Wednesday’s brining directions … there’s still time… to the part that smells so good. Actual roasting!

Of course, you’ll need your bird thawed, even if you skipped the dry brining process. (Note: It can take up to 3 days to thaw an 18-20 pound turkey in the fridge!) For Gorgeous Juicy Turkey, you’ll want to plan on roughly 2 hours for roasting and 1/2 hour for resting. See * below for additional info on timing according to turkey size!

A small amount of math is inevitable.

Remove your lovely bird from the fridge about 4 hours before you’re planning to serve your fabulous dinner. Allow it to sit out and come to cool room temp…about an hour. Put it somewhere the dogs really can’t reach it!

Preheat oven to 525 degrees F. 

Pour out any juices from the inside of the turkey and the bottom of the pan and discard. Pat the bird gently dry, inside and out, trying not to disturb any remaining brine mixture on the skin.

If you brined, no additional salt or pepper is needed!

(If you didn’t brine ahead of time, remove any innards, etc. now and generously season the inside of the turkey with good sea salt and freshly ground black or mixed peppercorns. )

Your marvelous dressing goes into a pan to bake. Trust me. (Sorry Granny!)

Fill the cavity with aromatics. Try a mix of your favorites… any combination of these will add to the cooking juices, keeping the turkey moist and making tasty gravy. (This part will take about 1/2 hour of our 4 hour timeline.)

  • Quartered onion, skin on.
  • A whole garlic bulb, cut in half.
  • A quartered, cored, firm organic apple.
  • 3-4 bay leaves, preferably fresh, crushed briefly to release oils.
  • A handful of fresh thyme sprigs. 
  • A fresh lemon, cut in half.
  • Rosemary and sage are good too, but may overtake other flavors. Tread lightly!
  • Any stems from fresh parsley you may have around.

After the cavity is filled, tie the wings and legs, pulling them close to the body with kitchen string so your bird will roast more evenly.

Then, scrub and roughly chop about:

  • 6 small carrots.
  • 3 – 4 peeled onions.
  • 6 ribs of organic celery, including some leaves if desired.

Place chopped veg in your roasting pan, forming a “rack” for the turkey. Place trussed bird, breast side up, on the veg.

Put in 525 degree oven for 11 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 400 degrees and continue to roast. 

(Any yummy veggies you’re roasting for dinner will do well at the same 400 F.)

Baste turkey every 20 minutes or so with good olive oil (or melted, unsalted butter), using a small brush.

* Alice Waters says to figure about 12 minutes per pound for a 15-pound, unstuffed turkey and fewer minutes/pound for larger birds. If you’re roasting our mythical 18-20 pound bird, start checking temp about 1 hour 45 min. after you reduced the oven to 400 F. by inserting an instant read thermometer into the deepest part of the breast, making sure tip does not touch the bone. Check the plump part of the inner thigh the same way. As amazing as this sounds, my 18-pound birds are brown, sexy, and beautifully done 2 hours after I turn the oven down to 400 degrees! Cook to 160 degrees F. on your thermometer.

If you jiggle the ends of the legs, they will move freely and whatever juice comes out when you take out the thermometer will be clear. Remove your gorgeous bird to a deep platter or cutting board with grooves for the juice and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. If you like crispy skin, leave it uncovered!

Remove the string. Carve your masterpiece as desired, adding the juices to your gravy.

Enjoy, with thanks in your own fashion. I’m thankful for you!

ps… save the non-gnawed bones for broth! Dogs don’t get cooked bones!!!

pps…so hoping you’ll resist doing all your Black Friday shopping before Wednesday’s blog! All that work on photos of art I mentioned??? BIG changes coming to Fierce Art With Heart! Details here in 3 days. If you just can’t resist, there are lots of new listings up, and holiday prices, now. I just haven’t finished all the “decorating”! Hint – everything that isn’t an original painting or a giclee print is in the collection called, “Small Things.” The elves appreciate your patience!!!

Art JourneyContemplationsFoodGrandmothers

Heresy… ’tis the season!

Posted on by sue boardman

In a bit, I’m headed off to a training in something known as IMM. I’ve had this same adventure before. Now – at this moment – it feels even more relevant.

It has to do with letting go of beliefs that hold us back from the things that matter most. With getting free, if you will, of lots of old stuff that more or less got installed in us like computer bugs in our bodies at times when we didn’t know we could choose our beliefs.

If you’ve been reading along for a bit, you may have noticed that I like having choices.

So, my choice for this moment…

It’s about to be the holiday weekend known in the USA as Thanksgiving. (Also as the excuse for Black Friday buying mania.)

Many, many of us are choosing what to do with the culturally growing realization that the fairy tale version of the first Thanksgiving we learned in school was, to say the least, a rather limited viewpoint.

And, if you’re like me, that feels like a call for some more learning.

And, if you’re like me, you have people you love.

One of those people in my world is the Legendary Husband who LOVES turkey!

So, we’re doing the thankful part and the bird part of the holiday.

Here comes the heresy part…

We’re not doing it the way we’ve always done it!

In fact, we’re starting with a whole different question. (Yep… you can probably guess!)

What are we trying to accomplish?

The answer, at our house, is some time to hang out together. A really good bird. Bones for broth. And – this one is important around here – not messing with Bill’s blood sugar!

All while keeping up with other things that matter and looking forward to what I am now calling the likelihood of Christmas with our kids.

So… my heretical recipe for dry brining the bird. And my confidence that my Grandmother is NOT going to disown me, especially not at this point in her adventure, for doing it differently. Dry brined turkey is really, really good and she’d probably have done it this way if she’d known. Wink! Wink!

And, for what it’s worth, a virtual bit of red ink for you. A reminder that all the stories we’ve learned – many, many of them before we reached the age of abstract thought – have been edited through the years and it’s more than okay if we edit for ourselves.

So celebrate if you choose. Or remember. And, maybe, ask some new questions…

In addition to What are we thankful for? how about What might we do to share our thanks and blessings with others? And, What other stories need telling?

And, yes, we want to stay age appropriate for the littles. No good comes of terrifying them!

Just making space for more stories. And the wonder of a world full of stories to learn!

Now for the bird…

Ingredient Notes: Buy the best you can get. It takes some hunting. Local farmers. Whole Foods. Dean & DeLuca, Zingermans, White Oak Pastures. This year, ours is a Heritage breed bird, pasture raised by my local, sustainable farmer friends at Carlton Farms. I like turkeys in the 18-20 pound range because they fit in my oven and I want lots of bones and leftover meat for soup. I can actually feed 75-100 people from one turkey by making bone broth and using it well! (You can, too!) Thaw bird, if needed, in a fridge. It may take up to 72 hours to thaw a turkey this size. Or, scale down, if desired!

Brining: This is optional but I highly recommend it. I’ve tried both wet and dry brines and I like dry the best. It’s easier, often cheaper, a lot less messy, and ultimately, more effective. And it has no sugar! The purpose is to season the bird, while holding juices in the muscle for a moist, tender turkey, with gorgeous, crispy, perfectly seasoned skin. Wash your hands a lot during the process! You’ll need:

Coarse grey Celtic sea salt

Freshly ground pepper (black or mixed colors)

Dried thyme (or other herbs as desired)

A pan large enough to hold the turkey loosely. (ie Eco-foil from your local supermarket. Nobody’s perfect!)

Mix together in a small bowl: 4 Tbsp. coarse sea salt with 2 Tbsp. ground pepper and 1 1/2 Tbsp crushed, dried thyme, etc., if desired. (You can also do this with just salt, in which case you may need an extra Tbsp. for coverage.) Don’t use regular table or fine grind salt! It leaves a bitter taste and you have to reduce the amount significantly so it’s hard to cover the whole bird without making it too salty.

For an 18-20 pound, thawed turkey, remove any neck and innards. Reserve them for other uses as needed. I freeze the neck, heart, and gizzard for soup stock or feed them to the dogs, if that’s the sort of thing yours are used to. The liver is great for dirty rice and may be frozen, separately. (Or added to the dog feast!) Pat bird dry, inside and out, with paper towels and place bird in pan. (If using foil pan, place that on top of a sheet tray or similar pan for stability.)

Working in the pan, season the dried inside and outside of the bird well with salt mix. Get down around the wings and legs and thighs. Pat and rub. Leave uncovered or cover loosely with parchment paper. Place in fridge, preferably the old one in the basement, and just leave it alone for up to 3 days. I like 18-24 hours. It will be fine. What you’re aiming for with the timing is that miraculous moment when the skin is crispy, the meat is juicy and tender, and the bird is perfectly salted.

You’re well on the way to the best Thanksgiving feast ever!

On Sunday I’ll be back here with roasting directions for Gorgeous, Juicy (Easy) Turkey.

ps… the dry-brining thing also works really well for a nice, farm raised chicken, should you be looking for something less huge. Just scale everything, including time, down accordingly. This is art, not science!

pps… the art is my Forest of Grandmothers work-in-progress. The particular bit in the photo is where I’ve pasted images of my teachers in the heart wood of the tree. Squint… you may see some folks you know!

Art JourneyContemplationsGrandmothersPhoebe and Luther

My head feels a bit like this…

Posted on by sue boardman

I suspect you’ve been here, too!

Lots of things on your list. Many of them feeling huge. It’s not necessarily the most comforting place to be.

Especially on about four hours of sleep!

At some point in what passed for morning around here, I happened to check the groovy moon phase app on my phone. (This is definitely a growing edge in my education!)

We are currently in a waxing Gibbous phase, which means growing toward the full moon.

According to the app elves, my advice for this day was:

Break new ground, get back to the things you have been putting off, turn your creativity into success. Your family and home will benefit the most from this lucky day.

Maybe it was enough to shift some of the stressful stuff from right in front of my face to a bit farther out of focus. Or, maybe, the lack of solar guys crawling all over the house improved my perspective.

In any event, for some reason, today I could see how many things I could make better just in the course of wandering through the house.

So, I spent the day putting away and straightening and recycling as I made my way from one official thing to another.

You know the way..

On the way to the studio? Take the new box of neurographia pens and put them away!

Waiting for soup to bubble on the stove? Clean some stuff out of the fridge. (I mean, how many tiny partial bowls of bar-b-que sauce do we really need???)

Stashing a book on the bedside table? Scoop up a load of sheets and head for the washer!

Is a day like this going to save the world?

Nope!

But, it did let me get some stuff done on a very tired day.

Possibly because I put the energy it takes to ignore things to good use… And, I got some extra movement in there, too!

All of which suggests, not only with the moon app elves, but with a lot of the things I’ve been learning lately, that I am, indeed, a bit closer to creating good things with creativity.

Also, for the things that weren’t going so well, but need to, I actually asked for some help!

One day, as the old saying goes, at a time… with much love from me and the Studio Angels who are, not surprisingly, sound asleep!

ps… the painting is deep under-layers of a journey called Codex.

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