Midsummer Rasos Solstice, The Festival of the Dew

Midsummer Rasos Solstice, The Festival of the Dew

After the Teutonic Knights invaded the Baltic lands in the 13th century, they were afraid to enter the dark forests surrounding them. They believed the devils and witches, haunting the woods, would snatch them away to their deaths.

One of the seasons they feared the most was Midsummer night when the local peasants gathered to honor the longest days of the year.

The celebration was called Rasos, derived from the Slavic words Rasa for the glistening droplets of dew that cover meadows at daybreak. The midsummer celebration started with a bonfire in the evening and ended with the rising of the sun. At sunrise farmers went into their fields, pulled a branch, covered with dew, and planted it into the soil to cause a good harvest.

Maidens rose before the sun to collect the dew in handkerchiefs to wash their faces. They believed the dew on Midsummer morning had restorative powers to make their skin bright.  Afterward, they crept through the forests,  collecting nine herbs and flowers to weave into wreaths to wear on their heads. The various herbs and flowers were most potent during midsummer and carried protective and healing charms.

For Summer Solstice, I woke at just after 4 to celebrate my own version of the Festival of the Dew.

The sky is light enough that I can wander through the yard without a light

barefooted in nature

The danger of going barefooted in a yard full of rosebushes.

My wreath had nine types of plantlife
1.Red Rose: True love;   2. Pink Roses:  grace  

3. Cedar: strength

4 Cherry: Love, Divination   5 Thistle: dreams

6. Morning glory: love and sadness 7. Clover: Protection & Success  8. Buttercup: riches, joy

9 Blackberry: Healing & Protection

My finished wreath

I finished just in time, the sun is almost visible

The sun is peeking out

The sun!!!!

After the dim morning, the sun is blindingly bright

Happy Summer Solstice everyone!  I hope you have a beautiful Summer.

Tweed Ride in Portland, Oregon

It was a beautiful day for the Tweed Ride. What a stroke of luck for April in Oregon.  The whole family dressed up in our best tweed for the ride. Here we are ready to drive to Portland.

Here we are all dressed up

oldest son looking dapper

youngest son

check out those argyle socks

We drove to Peninsula Park, where me met up with the rest of the Tweed Riders for a picnic under the pavilion before the ride.

Husband with his bike

Son with his cute vintage 3 spd.

Son on his bike. That is my cute little Raleigh next to him.

Everyone was decked out for fun. We enjoyed wandering through the group, admiring everyone's outfits and their marvelous bikes.

Loved this little kid carrier.

I love everything about this, her dress, her bike, and her matching sunglasses!

look at the checkered rims on his bike

After the picnic, everyone gathered for a group photo. A photographer had an old-style camera there. I mistakenly thought it wasn't a real camera, but surprise, it was! how exciting. Can't wait to see the group photo.

Camera men

Loved these old bikes

After the group photo, everyone got on their bikes. You can see just how many people there were. It was a beautiful leisurely ride through the streets of Portland.

Our family took a detour to see this beautiful pink church.

We had so much fun on this ride. We're already planning our outfits for next year!

A New Biking Season Has Begun

     Finally, the long winter is over. The sun is shining and I'm ready to hit the roads again. Let me show you my new acquisition: A 1983 Raleigh Mixte.

     

     The poor bike had a few issues, so my husband went to work fixing it up for me. He replaced the rusted wheels and put on new handlebar grips and fenders. He also added a cute basket to the front. Here it is in all it's glory.

Doesn't it look spiffy? I took this picture just before I headed out with my boys for a picnic.

They love it when I take pictures of them

Yes, the basket is detachable, just how handy is that?  So, this leads to the reason why I bought this bike. I still have my peach road bike and my blue mountain bike. This bike will be used specifically for town trips under fifteen miles. So expect to see some fun posts about various picnic and city events.
    Speaking of which, expect a post soon about Portland's Tweed Ride on April 13th. My family and I will be dressed in our best tweed outfits for the ride. I promise to take lots of pictures.

Keep Portland Weird

     Portland, Oregon is an amazing city. Every time I visit, my eyes can't consume enough. Seriously, it's a visual hullabaloo of fascinating details. I wander around in a daze with my mouth open and a huge grin on my face. Nowhere else can you find such a combination of creative and friendly people.
    In my last jaunt through Portland, I took a trip with my comrade in chaos, Adrienne, to the Hawthorne district—an area riddled with vintage shops, interesting stores, and delicious eateries. Here are a few places that caught my eye.

Miao Fa Chan Temple: This is a stunning, Chinese style, Buddhist temple.

A house with an arch made of bicycle wheels

Hinson Baptist Church, constructed in 1909

This  bike was chained to a sign post next to the Lone Fir Cemetery. I thought it was a fascinating memorial.

Okay, I saw this van and just about shrieked. We drove around the block several times trying to find a place to park because it is nearly impossible to find parking in the Hawthorne district.  This van is a work of art. Somebody spent some serious hours and creativity constructing this mobile sculpture. Just check out some of the fine details.

Amazing van

close up

I don't know if you can see inside, but the interior is interesting too.

There is a freaking dinosaur on the front. Just how awesome is that!

Hehe, there is a hand on the rear windshield wiper that waves at you.

I can't wait for my next trip to Portland. I'm sure there are more captivating discoveries to be found!