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faerygardener

Aug FOTESS - CELEBRATE ABUNDANCE

faerygardener z7 CA
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago

Please review my first post below for info about FOTESS swaps.

In agricultural societies the beginning of the harvest in August was a time to celebrate and give thanks for the gifts that nature provided. Our theme this month is CELEBRATE ABUNDANCE and it’ll be based on harvest festivals. Since my dad was born in Ireland (and I’m mostly Irish/Scottish with just a wee tad of Portuguese tossed in), I’ll start off the swap based on Lughnasadh. The festival included games (there will be games (yea!) with points and prizes; it was important that everyone participate, dances and games were meant to strengthen the community before the onset of winter – so there will be points for participating in certain games or set of questions - besides, it’s too dang hot to be outside, so come on in, fire up the computer and take an a/c break and let’s strengthen this Fotess community <winter is coming…>.

WHAT YOU WILL SEND IN YOUR SWAP (2 points for choosing to join in the swap this month).

1. Share some seed from your own harvest – two to four packets of seed, pick what was a star performer for you this year – flowers or veggies (I’d say your best items from this season that you’ve saved seeds of but we have some folks who don’t do veggies, so please try to match to something you grow to what your recipient might like and plant). If you haven’t saved seed, ok to purchase. But, if you have any garden at all – there is time from sign-ups to go gather your own seed and let it dry before needing to mail.

  • Two Bonus Points for sending seed you saved from your garden or personally collected this season (somewhere it’s ok to collect seed from).
  • One Bonus Points for sending seed you saved from your garden or personally collected in 2016 (somewhere it’s ok to collect seed from).
  • One Bonus Point for sharing a picture here (post after your recipient gets their package) of the plant in your garden or the place you collected it from.

2. The festivals also included feasting, with a particular focus on GRAIN, as this harvest would see them through the winter. Send your Favorite Bread (quick or yeasted) or Grain recipe. If you don't cook much, think of your favorite bread recipe to eat, find what looks like a good recipe on the Internet and send that to your partner instead.

  • Bonus Point for sharing a picture of your baked/cooked recipe that you personally made and sent the recipe of (post picture after your recipient gets their package).
  • Bonus Point for sending 2 recipes THAT YOU MAKE. One, a Bread (quick or yeasted) and Two a Grain (wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley – so grits, pastas included).

3. There were also visits to holy wells and Lugh is associated with skill, crafts and the arts. CRAFT (or buy if you must) something that could decorate a well. You can stretch the concept to the hose faucet,something water related (there are beads shaped like water droplets if you craft), an artificial flower decoration, a small banner, a prayer flag (some are very simple with just one image on a piece of cloth – check Pinterest or Etsy for ideas), traditionally a clootie (a strip or piece of cloth left at a holy well tied on a nearby tree or shrub) some folks do ribbon decorations, or a thank you/gift to the water sprites – let your creativity run wild on this one and have fun with it!

  • Two Bonus Points for crafting the item yourself.

4. A card themed on any of the topics mentioned above (harvest, thanks, festival, grains, wells, community …).

  • Bonus Point for crafting rather than buying the card.

THREE bonus points to those who ONLY send the four gifts mentioned above and nothing else this month. If you don’t mail by the 21st with posted tracking number, you may not be eligible for the swap points as I hope to have those together to announce winners prior to the end of the month and we need time for people to get their packages and everyone to post pictures for the bonus points.

Please do NOT send plants this month (too dang hot in most places, anyone shipping any plants is ineligible for all bonus point and game prizes).

One bonus point each to the first 3 people to sign up for the swap.

Remember - Keep the swaps simple and inexpensive to mail and share the Delivery Confirmation/Tracking number here when you mail the package.

As I’m posting early, please sign up to swap by August 4th, I’ll post partners on the 5th and mail your package by August 21st. Bonus point to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd person to mail their package and include the tracking number here.

FOTESSers not swapping this month may participate in any and all games and earn points and prizes.

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