Summary

Just about two months ago, I looked up airfare to Israel on a whim. Seeing the (amazingly) inexpensive rates, I chose to look up ways for adults (past Birthright age) to visit Jerusalem. I quickly found a grant called Masa Israel which funds a variety of programs across the Holy Land.

Over the next couple of days, I researched several different programs, from several months on a nature oriented Kibbutz in the Galilee to a business internship in Tel Aviv. In short order, after an amazing phone interview, I decided to attend Pathways Plus for Women in Jerusalem, a two month Jewish Studies program followed by the two month internship with Interfaith Sustain in the Old City.

During this time, I had been working with the Marlboro College Graduate Center to be accepted into their MBA for Managing for Sustainability. When my trip to Israel started to become real, I found myself wondering about differing my graduate program, however, if would mean losing a large portion of my financial aid.

In the end, it was decided that I would spend my first trimester as a graduate student in Israel as a part time student. I am taking half time credits (4), one as an independent study in religion and sustainability and three in Macroeconomics which I will be Skyping into for the residency weekends.

I am currently in Logan Airport, my flight boards soon, so I have to go. Please expect to hear from me every week on the progress of my journey.

Thank you all!

Happy Yule!

It has been a bit long since my last post, and quite a bit has happened!

There were some issues around my medical paperwork. Some very disruptive issues, now resolved.

I have cleaned the Yome, gotten excepted to grad school, started my packing, hosted a friend for a few days, and done all my holiday shopping. On top of all that, I created an amazing, 3 course feast for 16 people for Chase Hill Yule.

This morning, we opened gifts from the community, including more funds and donations!

I will be posting at least every week for grad school, so lots of news to follow!

Everything else?

Less than a month ago, I was preparing for winter. I had just agreed to make the new banner, my big thoughts were about Grad School and Yule and my health, and going to Israel was just something I knew I would do soon. But like a year from now soon…not a couple weeks from now soon! It was just a random search, like I have done before – and suddenly, I was off!

Now, my plate is overflowing. I have so many things to do that I have to ask myself how they connect. How do I connect the traditions I have been helping build here in Vermont with the traditions of my Mother’s Mothers in Israel? Can I find a way to connect my quest to a healthier me to the coming of the snow and ice? Is Grad School a blessing or a burden at the moment? 

The past few weeks have been magical in how well thins have come together. Friends and family stepping forward to help me; the weather showing me all the things I will miss while I’m away; the scholarships and grants from Masa Israel. It truly is amazing!

So here’s some news from the other parts of my life: 

I have an Etsy page: https://www.etsy.com/shop/starofjoy. It is really more of a sampling of my work than anything else. I make custom work in everything from beading to leather masks to dread falls.

I am currently working on a new banner for the Chase Hill Folk. It is my first Appliqué piece and it is huge. Literally. Twelve feet my three and a half feet. All the applique work is hand done and I should have it finished by the end of this coming week. It will hang at the Chase Hill rituals during the dark half of the year.

I have finished my holiday shopping – yes, I am that cool – and I am now starting to work on the menu for our Yule feast. It looks like we will have between 11 and 15 for Yule this year so it should be quite the celebration!

So there is a bit of whats going on in my world. 

My trip to Israel is coming quickly and I am still seeking donations to help me in my travels. If you can help, please donate to my campaign at: gofundme.com/joystar or by clicking the link below.

Thank you!

So much to do, so little time!

My Wood Pile

December has come and my departure has become a matter of weeks. It is time to take stock of all the things I have to do before I leave and begin preparing. I have to pack everything fabric in the Yome to keep it from being eaten by mice, I have a banner to finish for the community, I have decisions to make about what needs to come into the main house while I’m away, and what should return to the Yome for the same period, not to mention the day to day chores like bringing in wood and laundry! Oh yes, and I have to pack for four months in a very different place.

Yome from Driveway

Things hanging in the Yome

Today, I made sure that I have renter’s insurance, so if anything happens to the Yome (or the things in it) I am covered. Yesterday, I (mostly) applied for a scholarship that (if I get it) will completely cover the direct costs of the program. I have started putting together a list of all the things I still have to do and looking up the costs of my expenses in Israel-like bus passes and phone.

While there is still so very much for me to do in terms of cleaning, packing, and preparing for the winter holidays before I leave, I have been so blessed with the way things have gone thus far. The right trip has fallen into my lap, It came at a time when there was nothing keeping me from going, My community mates have been very supportive and understanding, However, I still am concerned.

My amazing sister helped me get my plane ticket, but I still owe her for part of it. I will have to buy groceries and my own bus pass once I’m in Israel. And I will have expenses at home; my phone bill and my (reduced) rent will still have to be paid while I’m away. This does not count insurance and phone while I am in Israel!

So please, if you were thinking of buying me a gift this holiday season, please donate whatever you would spend to the campaign instead. Every donation is important.

Thanksgiving post

Belated Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the States!

This year we decided against the traditional turkey and I made duck. Since ducks are quite a bit smaller than turkey, we got two and I had the opportunity to make duck two ways giving us even more variety on the feasting table.

The first duck was done in the style of a Thanksgiving turkey. I stuffed it with a mixture of rosemary focaccia and the solids of a chicken soup that my sister, Sam, made. I added a little extra rosemary, but left the rest as is.

My Apple Pie

The second duck was stuffed with fresh cranberries, garlic, and onions chopped finely. Over the top, I spread a pomegranate and saffron sauce made with a cranberry base that I got from the Brattleboro Food Co-op. I roasted both of the birds for about three hours, and they came out beautifully!

It was a wonderful feast, in addition to the duck, we had both mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes, green beans sautéed in butter, stuffing, cranberry sauce, a beautiful salad with cranberries and feta, and homemade southern style biscuits. For dessert, we had four kinds of pie!

As I look back on Thursday, I am thankful for all of the people who care for me and care about me. I am grateful for the opportunity to eat decadently and well. I am thankful that I have the privileges I have in life and the obstacles that challenge me every day. I am thankful that I have a place to stay when I’m in the city and a wonderful home in the country. I am thankful for the family I was born to, and the family I have chosen. I am thankful for all that I have and all I can give.

Sunset from my sister's office

Thank you.

Time doesn't stop.

A surprising amount can happen in a week.

In the past seven days, the priorities of my life have drastically shifted around. My average day has gone from lonely and leisurely, to unable to get enough minuets in to wash the dishes! In the course of a few days, my trip to Israel has taken over my life. Every day I realize how soon I’m leaving – How soon I have to buy a plane ticket, what needs to be packed away for the rest of the winter, what I need to buy before I leave, who I need to make sure I call to talk about the trip, and ever so many other little details.

Dread Falls on Etsy

But everything else I was doing and planning has not dropped out of existence. Yule will still be here in barely over a month and I still have my responsibilities to my community. Before my decision to take this opportunity to go to Israel, I was planning the Yule feast, working on designs for a new banner, and trying to stock my Etsy account (www.etsy.com/shop/starofjoy).

I am still doing all these things. The fabric for the new banner has all been cut and ironed, the background has been sewn and hemmed. I am excited for my first appliqué project – a huge 4 and a half by 12 foot banner depicting the wild hunt. Tomorrow I will pin the creatures onto the background and finally see what it will look like.

My first banner, needle-felted

I’m debating a Christmas pudding for yule this year, and I may start working on some natural dyes for the marzipan on the yule log. I still need to find gifts for some of my community mates, not to mention my family.

I have been planning to spend almost a week at my sister’s house for Thanksgiving and now I’m feeling a bit like I don’t have the time for it.

But I do. I do have time for all of these things. And they are all exciting! There is so much for me to do and love doing before I leave, and I am so lucky that this trip fits into my life as well as it does!

The timing of this trip allows me to have Yule with my community, and still have a few days to get myself pulled together. It will get me home in time for May Day and Rites of Spring and Claire Trail’s graduation!

But time is short and I have money to raise, so back to work for me!

Snow in Vermont

Fiskii

 Yesterday, I spent some time thinking about all the things I will miss while I am away. While there are a lot of little things, like my community here, my cozy yurt, the kittens, and the wood stove, the thing I will miss the most is the snow. 

Cobweb

I know, most people are not fans of winter. It can be dreary and depressing, not to mention seriously cold, but I really love the snow. I talked to a friend yesterday morning about how I would miss the soft snowfalls when you feel like you are surrounded by the softest feather down falling from above to coat the Earth in white.

The kind of snow I will miss

I forgot about this conversation in the course of the day. Life went on and things happened.

When I went out to the Yome for the night, I stoked the fire and let myself relax for the evening. Around midnight, I went out to get a last arm load of wood before bed. As I stepped out of the door, I experiences bliss.

Snow was falling gently onto the Earth. Big white flakes, falling like feather down.

Perfection.

The Yome in Winter

 <object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="258" height="338" title="Click Here to donate!" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="movie" value="//funds.gofundme.com/Widgetflex.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="flashvars" value="page=joystar&template=0" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><embed allowScriptAccess="always" src="//funds.gofundme.com/Widgetflex.swf" quality="high" flashVars="page=joystar&template=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="258" height="338"></embed></object>

If it fits...

Sometimes I feel a little like I’m living two lives at one; one where nothing works out, I am never on time, and technology fails; and another where everything falls into place, the Universe is working with me, and I have perfect organization and management. Lucky for me, going to Israel fits into the latter category.

I spent much of yesterday thinking about the logistics of this trip. How will I pay airfare? Can I afford my expenses back at home? Will I be able to bring gifts back for friends? Am I going to be stuck with a meal plan or will I be able to use my free time to go out to eat? There is one common theme, for me, in these questions: money.

But then, something amazing happened. I put my needs out into the Universe (i.e. the internet) and suddenly, I got my first online donation. And not a little donation either. $400, for me, for my trip. Amazing! Suddenly, my first financial hurdle in the trip is taken care of. I suddenly have people telling me they are giving me sums as well.

Then this morning, I get a call from one of best friends (who I rarely see, only slightly less rarely talk to). I tell her about the trip. She has some questions, of course, and some concerns. So we play the throw-obstacles-in-front-of-me so-I-can-question-myself game, and somehow I have already thought of all the things she brings up.

Sunset at home last month: sometimes perfect happens

Then, this afternoon, I get my first IN PERSON donation $5 from KP, the electrician at Marlboro College (to be posted on gofundme after I put it in the bank tomorrow)! I’m putting my intentions out into the world, and I am being returned with goodness of the people around me. Thank you! This is becoming real. Really, really real.

I am going to Israel, the pieces are falling into place, and the road is before me!

As always, I welcome any and all donations for my trip. You sharing this is donation enough of you are willing.

Time moves very quickly

In the past few days I have gone from *probably* going o Israel to going to Israel. I am currently head over heals for a program in Jerusalem. This program mixes Jewish studies with Cultural studies and an urban planning internship. Not only that, but it will get me home in time for all the Spring Festivals. Here's the down side; I have to pay a deposit by the end of the week and, since I lost my job back in September, I'm broke. In light of this, I am asking you, gentle reader, to help me. 

"But why should I help you?" you might ask. Well let me tell you:

Going back to Israel means a lot to me. It means so much that I made a holy oath to return to the Holy Land by the spring of 2017. Of course, this is still two and a half years from now, so I have plenty of time. I am not sure, however, that I will ever have so perfect an opportunity. Right now the circumstances of my life are colliding to give me the freedom to travel (though without the financial means) and there is an Israeli governmental organization that gives grants for certain programs for people in their 20s (which I will only be for another year). I have no obligation of work keeping me here. I do not have a car that I might have to store without being driven. I do not have a significant other who I am leaving behind. I am not currently in school and I do not have very many obligations this winter. 

That list of things puts me on a prime track to travel. To experience thins that I can not experience in the place I am now. And I would like to do that.

I want to spend four or five months in a place where the only familiar face is that of a (somewhat) distant relative. I want to be forced to learn a new language and to be challenged about my beliefs. I want to truly experience a very different part of this world. And most of all, I want to explore my religious and spiritual life in the place where my traditions were birthed. I want to be in Jerusalem for Passover. This is an opportunity I have never had before and may never have again.

There is only one small barrier in my plans: my lack of funds. This is why I am asking you to help me. To donate to my gofundme or send me a check. The gofundme is set for more than what I need on purpose so that I can take the time to fully enjoy the experience. I will update as often as possible on what I am doing and how I am doing it, and I will do my best to send you a small gift in return.

Thank you

I think I'm going to Israel.

This is so scary and exciting! I am currently in contact with 3 different groups about long-term study (4-6 months) in Israel. I expect to be choosing a trip within the next two weeks and making a deposit by the end of the month. This is the kind of experience that I have been wanting for years, but I have never really had the opportunity. Right now seems like the perfect time in my life to go on a long trip and do something I have never done before.

In March of 2006, I had a very powerful and life affirming experience in Israel. This experience helped me to define my life goals and to come to where I am today.

Now, I have an opportunity to return to Israel for a longer period of time to delve into both my personal cultural history, and my studies of community living and sustainability. Using a Masa Israel grant, I will be able to fund the majority of the trip itself, however I am looking for help with funding the other expenses of the trip.

The first  of the three trips I'm looking at are a 5 month stay at Kibbutz Harduf in either Ecology, Conservation and Sustainable Development or Interfaith Dialogue and Creative Conflict Resolution. "A Kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture." I have been fascinated by this style of intentional community from a young age and it has influenced my life choices in matters of study, lifestyle, living situation, and religion.

Second is an internship in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. This one includes on the job training and classes in Hebrew and Judaism. The specific internship will be based on an interview I will be having next week. This trip would not start until May or August, but it includes  lot of perks.

I am also looking into various other long term study trips. Ideally, I think archaeology would be really great, but I haven't found any good digs, yet.

My first deadline in December 1. Please help me to get to Israel.

My first gofundme goal is $300 for a deposit. Any funders who help with this goal will receive a small handmade item from me (jewelry, key-chain, or coaster). This will be a custom item either made to order or surprise gift!

A ramble on the environment.

For the past four days, I have been listening to the loggers next door. I am growing accustomed to the sound of the chainsaw, but every time I hear the creak and topple of a tree, I cry a little.

My heart breaks for humanity as we destroy ourselves. I know that the small time logging next door is barely a drop of water in the sea of degradation, and I know that if it were not for all the other things, this would not mater at all.

 I know that logging is important, and that without it I would not have the house I currently sit in, the tent I live in, the heat that warms me in the winter, or so many many other things. But here, today, it is a symbol of the wrongs of the world. It is a piece of the problem with no relation to a solution.

It makes me think about the way I live. I currently do no have a car. I get rides from friends, I walk, I borrow a car occasionally. I stay home far more then I want to. But do I really make that much of a difference? No. One person not driving is about as much a drop in he bucket of betterment as the loggers next door are to the sea of degradation.

I live without electricity in my own home, but I use the electricity in Allison's house* every day. That electricity currently comes primarily from a nuclear power plant (not coal, so could be worse). I drink well water, and use the same for all my water needs (our water cycle is fairly small so everything gets back into the ground fairly quickly). The only natural gas I use is for cooking (propane is not a great energy source, but it is sooo much better for cooking). and we all heat with wood.

So far, more pluses than minuses.

But all that means is that I am keeping myself fairly neutral. I am no actively doing harm. But I'm not helping.

I'm not sure how to help anymore. When I was in school, it all seemed so clear. I would graduate, I would find a job in consulting, I would soon start my own firm, and I would help people to live more environmentally friendly lives. It's still what I want to do, but I have no idea how to do it.

I want to try to start budgeting my environmental impact, like I budget my finances. If your interested, here is a link to a great calculator: http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx

good luck to us all

-----

*Allison is my land lady. She owns 11 acres in south-eastern Vermont. We currently have 6 people living on her land with 5 wood piles, 4 dwellings, 3 cats, 2 bathrooms, 2 dogs, and a pond. Her house is the primary building on the property, most of us eat most of our meals in it and use it as a living space for much of the year.

The Autumn Leaves

The autumn leaves are falling, many of the trees are now bare, and Halloween is in the air.

I love this time of year. I love the creative energy of change that is so present in this season. This is a season when I just have to create. I have been finishing a project almost every other day for the past two weeks, and it is amazing!

Here's the rundown:

Food:
Last weekend was Lynn's Birthday. There were a lot of discussions about how it would be best to celebrate, and in the end, we decided to have a Fondue Party.

If you have never done fondue, you are missing out! There are a ton of recipes online for cheese fondue, so I'm not going to worry about that, I am going to tell you the absolute MOST important thing about fondue, though. Have it with friends.

 They don't have to be friends that you know super well, just don't do it alone. It's really not as much fun!

Crafts:
Lynn has been really interested in my dread falls* but she has been concerned about how they would work in her rather short hair. She has tried mine on before and always found them rather heavy. Which is fair.

My green falls hanging indoors.

I generally make falls for long thick hair. I want the falls to take over!

A pair of falls can weigh up to 10oz, and sometimes they even feel like they are going to pull out of my hair. But with Lynn's Birthday coming up, I wanted to give her something special.

Earlier this month, I slaughtered a rooster. He was an interesting bird with white and ginger feathers. Perfect for Lynn's Phoenix costume. But how to make them work for a thin Bob? I started by deciding that I could use less yarn. I both used fewer layers of yarn, and made it slightly shorter.

Feathers in Lynn's Phoenix hair

To keep them from falling out of her hair, I made them lighter, only 3oz. This is my first attempt to put feathers into a set of falls. I decided that it would be best to sew them into place.

I have also been working on my own Halloween costume.

I started with a pair of dread falls for me. Halloween colors: Orange, black, grey, glittery gold. with some reds and maroons.

Then I had to figure out what went with this new AMAZING hair. I had a shape in mind - my first thought was a corset, (but I don't have one, and haven't figured out how to make them yet) and a puffy black skirt.

So, how do you make 5 yards of white tulle into a Halloween skirt? Black fabric paint of course!

Now I just need a character idea. A mask perhaps?

Enter the Halloween Troll

Gardening:
The changing season changes the garden as well. It is time to plant bulbs for next year.

This year I added snowdrops, black tulips, fritillaria, and irises.

It is also time to bring things indoors. All my little garden sprites came in for the winter. hey will live with me in the yome for the winter.

Stump fairy before she came in for the winter.

 ~Joy*



 *Dread Falls are hair accessories that give the look and feel of dreadlocks without the commitment or maintenance.

New Beginnings Part 2

Five days after Yom Kippur, the day after the Full Moon, is the Jewish celebration of Sukkot. In ancient Israel, this was the holiest of holidays. This is the holiday of the harvest. A time when we connect to the land and to the fruits of our labors. Traditionally, a community will build a Sukkah - an impermanent shelter reminiscent to those used by the nomadic early Hebrew people of Exodus and those used by agricultural workers during the harvest season.

Just before this, on the night of the Full Moon, Heathens celebrate WinterNights. In the Anglo-Saxon calendar, followed by many Heathens, there are only two seasons - Summer and Winter. The first Full Moon of Winterfylleth marks the beginning of Winter. A time to come inside, to be with the family, to celebrate the ancestors, and to reflect.

Sound familiar?

At WinterNights we celebrate the harvest and look to the coming Winter. At Sukkot we celebrate the harvest and commemorate the nomadic life of the ancient Hebrew people.

I find it interesting that these two holidays, from such dramatically different parts of the world have so much in common. This is not to say that they are the same, they very much are not. Jews do no generally practice ancestor worship. Many pagans and polytheists from Jewish heritage have found that their ancestors do not appreciate being worshiped. Heathens, on the other hand, have a deep spiritual bond to their ancestors which is notable practiced at Winter Nights.

Both do, however have an intrinsic connection to history. Both holidays ask us to remember hardships: the ancient hardships of a nomadic desert people, and the future hardships of a long cold winter. We give thanks for the year we have just completed, and begin to prepare for the year ahead. But both ask us o celebrate, to feast, to be with our loved ones. We are in a time of rejoicing!

Hail the Turning of the Year!

New Beginnings. Part 1:

A lot of things can happen in a month. September was a crazy one, too!

I tried to make Lambsquarters Spanakopita (I'll post pics of the process, but the result was not great), I spent a week preparing and setting up my best friends' wedding, I got my wood stacked for winter, and created two new sets of dread falls. Each of these should really be their own post, and they will be. With pictures.

 But that will come in time. For now, I'm going to write about the holidays of mid Autumn:

 Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year has always felt like it should be bigger in my life.

 Both of my religious calendars are based on the moon. The fist day after the New Moon is a new month. In the Jewish Calendar, this month is Tishrei, "To begin", in the Anglo-Saxon, it is Winterfylleth, "Winter's Full Moon". As we enter into October in the Gregorian calendar, I am thinking about new beginnings, an idea which both of these months reflect.

 The first day of Tishrei is also the first day of Rosh Hashanah. A day when Jews enjoy Apples and Honey to spread wishes of a sweet new year. We contimplate our wrongs over the past year, and apologize to those we have wronged, asking for forgiveness. The holiday last for a week, yet I know very few Jews who celebrate it for more than a day. Sometimes only for a few hours. Most years, I am in the later category. I want to connect to this holiday, but I don't know how. I enjoy my sweetened apples and try to make my mandatory apologies, but I don't really feel a connection. The holiday ends with Yom Kippur. A fast day.

Yom Kippur is the strictest fast day in he Jewish calendar. A day when you not only abstain from food, but also from drink.

 Even water.

Yom Kippur is a day about repentance to God. The fast is to create a pure self with which to start the new year. I have never fully participated in the fast before. This year, I will.

Lets try not to get too grand here.

I'm going to attempt to keep a blog. I should be able to take an hour a week to post something about my life. Something true. Something real. Something me. I am Joy. I go by Joy Star sometimes. I like to talk about everything from cooking to environmentalism to religious studies. I am a communities activist, a Jew, a Heathen, a Vermonster, a New Englander, a transplant, an artist, a flower child, a sister, an ally, a daughter, a sometimes Goth, a second generation Hippy, and so much more. I am writing this blog to stop hiding. I don't want my professional life and my everyday life to be different any more. I just want to be me. This is my first step. I will attempt to post every week. I will post interesting recipes, costume ideas, things I'm selling on Etsy, stories about my pagan life, stories about the history of Judaism, pictures of my home, pictures of nature, pictures of dishes I've made, pictures of parties, and general life experience. This is my mission. I hope I can keep it up!