November is very special in Giraffe World. It is dream-digging time!
As you know, dear bloggy-friends, our gleeful motto is 'Stick your neck out for your dreams!' During the year, our dreams often become a little clouded. We use this time of new beginning to review and re-energize our aspirations.
First of all, we take special leaves from the garden, and write onto them our cherished dreams for the year to come.
Then as a whole family, we busily dig over our vegetable plots ready for winter. Even youngest child Littl' Nicky loves to help, and is very nexcited about our dream-digging!
As the moon rises, we all go out to the Forest to collect fallen leaves from among the pale dappled tree-trunks.
The drive at Necky Knoll House is soon piled high with beautiful leaves.
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They are dug deep into our vegetable and flower gardens. For us, this is both a solemn and gleeful occasion, during which we review the past year, and look ahead to the year to come.
At the first signs of dawn, we take our special 'dream-leaves' and dig them deep into the tilled earth. Along with all the other leaves, they will be transformed over winter, and take part in the magical rebirth of spring. Through all the seasons, whenever we look at our lovely garden, we will be reminded to stick our necks out for our dreams!
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What helps you to follow your dreams, dear human bloggy-friends?
54 comments:
Beautiful illustrationd,I love the colours too.And we most hold on tight to our dreams, for dreams are precious things they take us from the darkest hour and lead us on our way.
That is certainly an innovative way to manifest any dreams for the new year. The coming of winter is a time of reflection and preparation for the new spring that will arrive.
For my dreams I write down on paper what I desire to manifest and meditate upon them. A reminder would be to continue the exercise until the dream comes to fruitation.
Thank you TFE!
It is so important to hold on tight to our dreams, for the reasons you say, which are so true.
Barbara, it is good to read that you write down your dreams. The very act of writing them down starts off the manifestation process!
beautiful illustrations and words.. love those fallen leaves :)
i made a little dream box and place my dreams within.......
lovely blog you have here x
These words,
these dear images,
these dear intimations,
touch me deeply with the powerful stirrings of Autumn.
The soul responds to your message, Raph.
Thank you richly, & Aloha, Friend!
Comfort Spiral
What a wonderful tradition Raph! No cards yet :( but I will keep looking! Special hugs to you all!
I seem to be living my dream Raph - I am one of the lucky ones. I love the idea of writing ones dreams on leaves and digging them into the soil - if I could think of a dream I would do it.
As usual you have transported me to your magical world......dream digging is a wonderful term......feel that way when I plant bulbs for the spring..must say I am impressed with your attire for digging!
Thank you GreenWhisper!
How lovely to keep your dreams in a special box you made. I keep other written copies of the dreams I write on leaves, and may try and make a little box for them!
Thank you Jen! Very happy to 'meet' you too. Glad you like the motto - it is a good thought to start the day with because it makes us laugh as well as motivating us!
Thank you dear friend Cloudia! The stirrings of Autumn indeed touch the soul, and the November sunlight is streaming through the windows of Necky Knoll House today!
Glad you like our tradition, Janet.
Hope the cards arrive soon - all the other giraffaway winners' have arrived - I hope they haven't got lost!
Hugs from all of us too!
It is a wonderful thing to be living one's dream, Weaver of Grass! Maybe you could write onto leaves various aspects of this that you appreciate the most, and dig them into the soil?
Rosemary, thank you! I do like to dress stylishly at all times, and all my pin-stripe suits are easily washable too! :)
Oh my dear Raph,
can you forgive my negligence? My dashed feeder did not show your posts! You cannot rely on anything in this world of ours. If I grow a longer neck, could you please pick me up to visit your place when the portal opens again. I promise to be good and dream even harder than you do yourselves.
With the most abject apologies. Arija
PS. I have now caught up on the posts I had missed and am green with envy of your trip to Durham. I have wanted to see the cathedral ever since I studied it in art history.
Arija - you are most welcome to visit us, no need to grow a long neck! I'm sure you have many dreams, and you could write them on some of our leaves and dig them into our garden too.
We immensely enjoyed our visit to Durham, and admired the cathedral from various vantage points around the city. It must have been most interesting to study in your Art History. I'll let you know if we visit again, and reserve a place on our Giraffe World bus for you!
what an amazing and wonderful family tradition! :)
Ah Jeane - it is more than a family tradition - it is a tradition throughout our world! We also meet with everone from our village of Neckelchester, up at the sprout gardens, and have a special dream-digging for the aims of us collectively as a village. (And then tea and cakes at the Gleeful & Greedy restaurant!!)
After a bit of serious diease, I must admit that I cling to the old adage "Carpe Diem".
RuneE - I just looked up 'Carpe Diem' on Google, as I didn't know what the words mean!
'Seize the day' - oh yes! - to me this has the same kind effect as 'Stick your neck out for your dreams'. Life is too precious to hold back. When I look back on my life I want to know I've stuck my neck out in every way possible and seized every moment, for all good things and used my talents to the full.
This is a lovely idea and the illustrations are a delight. I love the moon rising over those birch trees. My dreams are mostly concerned with living up to the expectations that others have of me.
This certainly is a wonderful tradition that you have established. A wonderful time for reflection and looking towards the new year. A new beginning is always good.
Thank you Heather! I do love to look at the moon, always so serene and tranquil.
I hope the expectations of the others are in harmony with your own aspirations. If that is so, you have double-strength dreams!
Choices - thank you - we do enjoy our tradition, and it helps us to follow our dreams. (And ensures we get our autumn gardening done on time too!)
Your motto brings you magic. Your art is wonderful :)
What helps me follow my dreams is a short visit to Giraffe World. What a magical kingdom you possess, my dear, cyber-elongated-neck friend. I loved this little trip into the woods and your diggin session. Many thanks. You've made my day.
Greetings from London.
Thank you Jasmine! We giraffes like to share our magic too!
I'm so delighted to have made your day, Cuban in London - thank you! Keep following your dreams, dear friend!
How lovely to have special leaves for dreams and I'm sure the dreams must come true for giraffes.
Wish it could work for me too!
M x
I do so like writing my dreams on leaves too, could we be related? I also write them in the sand,(the secret ones)..
I'm a practical dreamer..I reach for what's possible..although I do dream of winning the lottery! Just for fun!!
Kayla coo - do try it! I'm sure it would work for you too!
Lyn, maybe we are related! (There's a way to tell: next time you have a cappucino, breathe onto the cup, and watch the chocolate dusting on the top - if it forms into giraffe-markings, you must have some Giraffe World ancestry!)
May all your dreams come true.
If you don't have a dream then you can't have a dream come true!
Thank you Acornmoon! May all your dreams come true also.
Happy November Ralph! Your post absolutely gave me goose bumps this morning! What a wonderful custom you have! Hope all your dreams come true this year.
Thank you Dee! Happy November to you too, and may all your dreams come true!
Your little yellow tree has triggered my next post ...
Hello Raph,
Nice to see you again! After noticing you and Littl' Nicky digging in snazzy scarves I was surprised to see you out on your evening walk in your suit and especially Maureen, wearing just a blouse and skirt! Isn't it cold?
Writing dreams on leaves sounds a good tradition. Funny that we should both be on a dream theme eh? Maybe divining dreams is precisely the skill our 4D giraffe's have!
Derrick - the cool clothing on a chilly night out must've been inspired by our recent visit to the North East! :)
More on dreams later ...
What an absolutely charming way to look at the changes and the coming of winter. I shall henceforth be looking at all the leaves as potential dreams. (I have a pile of dreams in the backyard right now. Lucky me!)
Kat
Thank you Poetikat!
Better start writing on all your leaves ... (We find an old-fashioned quill pen best for this).
Love the idea of dream digging. Mine seem to be stuck in some mud. Wonderful pictures as always. Maybe if I had a wood like that next to me, I would do it too.
Oh dear Madame DeFarge! When my dreams get stuck in mud, I find some good digging helps, to invigorate my mind, and to stir up the dreams again.
Woods like the one next to us can be seen in unexpected places, even boxes of mustard and cress, if one so desires ...
that's a beautiful ritual, thanks for sharing
This narrative and accompanying illustrations calls to mind Tove Jansson's Moomintrolls. I like your winter recipe.
Thank you Crafty Green Poet! Our ritual means a lot to us.
ArtSparker - thank you - what an honour! Tove Jansson's Moomintrolls are wonderful.
Ohmigoodness THAT is so ~beautiful~
so beautiful! x
Thank you so much, Nollyposh!
That tree is beautiful!!
Those illustrations are so beautiful, maybe I'll dream beautiful dreams to match them. Lucky Weaver to be living her dream. My liquidamber tree has spread beautiful bright red leaves on the green grass and they look so beautiful, I will wish on them.
BT - your liquidamber tree sounds wonderful - I have not see one of those. I'm sure it will be perfect for writing dreams!
Hi Raph,
Your Blog is just delightful...love the ideas and the colours ...absolutely everything. Nice to have found it...
Just popping in here with my e-mail addy so you can send me your address to receive the book.
isabellavalido@yahoo.es
till laters then...and love the 'putting one's neck out' philosophy...wunderbar! ; )
Thank you Liz - I'm honoured that you like the blog!
Whoopee - I'm really nexcited to have won your book and all of us at Necky Knoll House are really looking forward to reading it!
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