Of a Bear

Hiding in the blackness and shadows of the forest,

is a Bear.

A big one.

Her wet nose makes her cute and cuddly,

her glassy dark eyes give her depth and character,

even a bit of a sense of humor.

In an over-dressed fur coat,

she seems absolutely approachable. 

But make no mistake,

this Bear is a fierce wild animal.

The essence of the name enthrones her

as the queen,

the very top of the food chain.

Above us.

Which doesn't happen often.

This Matriarch of the last of our wild places,

she's a reflection of her environment...

rugged and rough like the Northern Rockies.

Snow and scarce food make her grumpy,

people too close to her children make her uncomfortable,

even irate.

Which is why we love her,

Why she is steeped in such reverence and regard.

Because everyone knows you don't mess with a Mama Bear.

Every once in awhile,

you hear of a misguided tourist 

dabbling in home video or wildlife photography,

a touch too close to our cartooned black beauty.

The result usually ends in front-page headlines,

and a dead animal.

Sometimes the encounter is purely chance.

 A startled hiker and bear are caught in the terrifying dance

of two predators vying for space and safety,

and hopefully they find a way to two-step their way out of it.

This is always the goal in the backcountry,

but not always the result.

Sometimes the only response when coming face to face with an adversary

 is a combination of territorial behavior,

motherly instinct, bad attitude, and truly wild energy.

The kind that sends hackles down the neck.

 Alive and acutely aware of danger,

the trespasser and trespass-e stand off a bitter battle of space,

both smelling the danger rising in the air,

blood-red veins pumping fast and furious,

 eardrums buzzing like angry bees.

Something that we,

as humans,

do not experience often.

The caveman parts of our brain

are buried deep in our civilized ways.

We have tried, since the beginning of time,

to avoid, conquer, and extinguish

the remote possibility of our second-rate predation. 

We try very hard to believe we are on top.

...............

As an avid and sometimes terrified tourist,

and as a hiker on that trail where bears live,

I must say....

that kind of energy within our wild mountains

inspires me to be a better human.

The hackles down my neck remind me I am ONLY human.

I am merely a participant in the web,

not the epicenter of it. 

The buzz of my eardrums and heart palpitations 

in the presence of something more powerful than me

 is an honor.

..........

This piece inspires me to walk a little lighter,

and pay homage to the frightening woman in the woods.

For without her,

I fear our place in the ecosystem will always be self-applauding.

I fear our hubris as the human species,

and find the humility this gorgeous species provides

a comfort.

To the Mama Bear.

May she always be feared.

........

*Mama Bear of the Woods*

100% hand-fabricated and created,

with reverence and regard.

Sterling Silver and a tiny 14K gold *berry* nestled in foliage,

Crazy Lace Agate.

In the Shop. 

Of Reaping and Sowing, a Necklace

I must'v taken apart this necklace, like, at least 200 times....

No kidding.

Things came together, and then came apart.

Things fell together, and then fell back to the beginning.
I fell short of finishing,
and then fell close to tearing it apart,
and starting all over again.

I broke stuff.
Melted stuff.
Scorched stuff.
I cursed.
I almost cried.
I ran the gamut of emotions when one puts something into the universe,
and the universe just slaps it out of your hands,
and says "NOPE".
Try again.

In the last few months, I've applied some new rules to myself...

one of which is....

nothing is perfect.

As a critical and sometimes overbearingly introverted Virgo,
who sometimes takes perfection to an unhealthy and spiral-ey place.....

this is not an easy one.

Not. One. Bit.

But it has given me some peace in places in my life I least expected it.

A garden planted does not necessarily mean a good yield.

A house built doesn't necessarily make it a home.

College does not equal success.

Money does not equal happiness.

Happiness does not equal easy.

And hard work doesn't always pay.

But, at least for me....

Meaningful work matters.
The call of creative work, regardless of the outcome...
matters.

The act and propulsion of forward movement.

The work done to get there.
No looking back.
No second guessing.
Just what. it. is.

This Neckpiece is all about work...

the literal and multi-layered experience of applying yourself to your one and only life.
And for finding where that work can take you.

To reap what you sow.

For this season.

And the next one.

And the next one after....

This piece, along with many other silver-y musings from the garden,
will be in the shop Tomorrow, Friday 6/20.

xo Erin

Freeze and Thaw

Wintertime.

Flat light covers everything

making it harder to open my eyes,

and I can't tell if it's the brisk temperature

or the heaviness of our northern air.  

This light slides around my collar,

slinks in-between my layers of wool and down,

 breathes down my neck.

A cold and damp breath.

The cold snaps me in the face.

look harder.

let your eyes adjust.

Powdery snow begs for attention,

dancing into swirling whites,

into fresh fir green,

baked chocolate brown,

inky winter black.

The mute of all-white,

in an instant,

 goes glassy and alive.

The dance is all around me.

Freeze and thaw is here.  

.....

Freeze, a Sterling Silver and Rose Quartz Bangle.

For thawing your heart this season, 

for a little powdery-pink love, 

and a little dance around your wrist.

In the shop.

....

And Thaw,  a Sterling Silver and Prehnite Square Ring.

A garden of icy twigs....

 Remnants of life before winter.

For the light breath of warmer temperatures,

a reprieve from sub-zero.

a hope of springtime green.

In the shop.

.....

and a little *winter* tune for the soul.

This is a lovely band,

and a great studio soundtrack lately...