lasercave » Allison

Sacred Harp, part 2

Allison — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 01:16:00 +0000

Another big snow storm today! 12 inches, yikes! The stop sign on my corner is almost totally buried in the cumulative snow bank. I had a snow day and went outside only once to walk to the grocery store. I don’t have ski goggles, so I had to tighten up my hood into tiny hole and peek down at my feet the whole time. It was so blizzardy, but I liked it. Winter in Maine consists of cozy things like baking cookies and singing in front of the fire. Here are two more 19th century Sacred Harp tunes from my singing group. We sang last night and it was joyful.

P.S. Look out for some new posts. I have so many projects I’ve been busy with since the fall. I just haven’t had time to properly document them… herbal concoctions, truffle making.. Lets revive post-making. I miss everyone.

David’s Lamentation, 1778

Greenwich, 1785

flying people

Allison — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:46:00 +0000

One of my old cello teachers sent this to me. Imagine.. flying! I thought it was only in my dreams. I never thought that soaring off a cliff would be possible, nor pictured doing it in a relatively-simple flying-squirrel-esque suit. A new extreme, for sure. I think I’ll wait a few years to try it when the death-risk is down.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1778399&server=vimeo.com&

Blessings in the New Year

Allison — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 03:10:00 +0000

We welcomed the New Year with powerful -15F wind whistling against the frosty windows in Portland this year. It almost felt like the wind was bringing the change and transformation that I know is coming in 2009. As I sat meditating on all the intentions and prayers that I had written for the coming year, I waited for the clock to strike 12 and the church bells to chime, but nothing came. I finally looked at my clock when I though, “it must be midnight by now.” It was 12:01AM. I felt magic in the first minute of the new year; a good sign. It was so cold today that I only went out once. While I was out I walked to the ocean and firmly stood against the wind along the shoreline. I wrote my prayers on little pieces of pink paper and awkwardly let them slip from my icy fingers into the ocean, into the universe. I was thinking of you and sending my love.

mushrooms can save the world?

Allison — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:17:00 +0000

Incredible.

Paul Stamets on 6 ways mushooms can save the world

Time of Rivers

Allison — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:33:00 +0000

I went to the Time of Rivers festival this weekend here in Portland. I wish you all could have been there. It was an amazing musical experience, pretty consistently mind-blowing. Beautiful, innovative, pure, hypnotic. This weekend will stay with me for awhile as a sweet mental soundtrack to the changing of the leaves as life slowly slips back into the earth for winter. I saw some of the best solo acoustic guitar players I’ve ever seen, one after another. John Fahey’s ghost was there I think. I also happened to run into Bardians Tristan Dahn, Mark Ledoux, and Rafi Bookstaber. Not many people make it this far north, so it was so nice to see them. Rafi played, but I missed it. Maybe you can come next year?

http://www.timeofriversfestival.com/

glenn jones

sweet annie

Allison — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:52:00 +0000

I grew Sweet Annie in my garden this year. It grew tall and tree-like, almost as tall as me. The little flowers just started opening, so today I harvested and made the most fragrant ‘lil wreath. Its camphor-like smell has filled my apartment.

Sweet Annie, Artemisia annua, is a hardy annual also known as sweet wormwood or Huang Hua Hao in Chinese Medicine. I did some research and it is similar, though not the same, as Artemisia absinthium, the wormwood used as an ingredient in the notorious liquor. Artemisia annua, however, is known medicinally for the treatment of malaria in China. I decided not to make any medicine with this one, but rather enjoy its scent and soft, fern-like, feathery leaves.

Little Maine note about Sweet Annie: I just went to the Common Ground Fair in Unity, Maine (so wonderful, deserves a post of its own..). There, it is a tradition for women to wear wreaths of Sweet Annie. Not sure when it started or the significance, but they’re just gorgeous. I also read that Sweet Annie is also a deer deterrent. Some farmers have had luck lining their fields, especially way up north where hardly anything keeps the deer from eating the harvest. Sweet Annie loves Maine, and Maine loves Sweet Annie, even in my tiny urban garden.

good job david!

Allison — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 22:09:00 +0000

My friend David LaSpina took the photo on the cover of today’s New York Times magazine. It is a great photo and he is a great photographer. I’m so proud of him. Check it out. There is a little video about the shoot too.

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/magazine/index.html

David’s website:
www.davidlaspina.com

chicken of the woods

Allison — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:58:00 +0000

Laetiporus Sulphureus: Chicken of the Woods
Find it now! On Oak trees!

My friend just found 15 pounds while on a canoe trip. I traded her some kimchi. It is my favorite mushroom.

the deer

Allison — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:11:00 +0000

The deer gets its own post.

This deer mysteriously appeared to us at Helsing Junction for a full day.
I looked up the symbolism of the deer in Animal Speak by Ted Andrews. The deer symbolizes gentleness, innocence, “a return to the wilderness,” and “a gentle luring to new adventure.”

Good news for us all!

helsing junction photos

Allison — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:19:00 +0000

So beautiful, just like Tim said.
Here are a few photos, you’ll see.

total babez

love and rainbow sunset

Powernap, my favorite band

camping, floating down the river

valet

calvin johnson

dudes in charge, polly is so damn cute

lake

there were lots of people, huh?

downtime, funtime

hooliganship

farm space-jam, friends

so many friends

city center

karl blau and madeline

creative braids by Polly, the end.