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Valarie Budayr

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021

January 24, 2021 by Valarie Leave a Comment

I am so excited just as I am every year for Multicultural Children’s Book Day. This year will be our 8th celebration. I cannot believe this much time has gone by. Multicultural Children’s Book Day is a non-profit diversity in children’s literature initiative dedicated to getting books into the hands of readers. For our 2021 on and offline celebration, we are proud to announce that there are 25 CoHosts and

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Earth Teach Me Quiet

January 21, 2021 by Valarie Leave a Comment

Recently I discovered the most beautiful choral piece which stopped me in my tracks. The harmonies, the choice of instruments, i.e. marimba and water glasses, gave me no choice but to stop what I was doing, and move into the stillness of listening. Deep Listening The words from the Ute Nation, an invocation to the Earth, our Mother, uses metaphors to lead us gently through our humanness. “Earth teach me

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The Threads that Bind Us: Mending the Weave

January 18, 2021 by Valarie Leave a Comment

  About a year ago I took a drum journey to visit the Norns, yes the three Giant sisters of Norse Cosmology, Urdr, Verdandi, and Skuld. The reason for my journey was simple, I needed to see where there are/were gaps in my family’s weave so I could help bring healing by mending our weave and weft, the fabric that makes us a family, both past and present.  It became apparent

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All Saints Day and All Souls Day

November 1, 2020 by Valarie Leave a Comment

All Saints Day/All Souls Day is one of my favorite days of the year. I come from a very Swedish, immigrant family, with our roots and family hailing from the beautiful island of Gotland, Sweden.  The first Saturday in November is celebrated by going to the cemetery to wash the family tombstones and once clean, placing a white pillar candle near the base of it. This is practiced throughout Sweden.

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Alfablót, Elves, and Old Norse Traditions

October 30, 2020 by Valarie Leave a Comment

This weekend will be the honoring of ancestors in all shapes in forms. In my Nordic/Northern European tradition we celebrate our male ancestors on Alfablót which lands on the full moon of Slaughter Month which happens to be on Halloween this year October 31st.  This full moon ceremony marks the start of Winter. Today as I write this there are many inches of snow on the ground. It truly seems

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Wonder Walk Deck | The Wonder Chronicles #1

April 9, 2020 by Valarie Leave a Comment

                      To find a moment of awe, wonder, and enchantment.                                             (Even in the middle of a pandemic) I know you’re probably reading the title and then the subtitle of this post and asking, “Is she insane? Finding wonder in

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Connecting with Nature: When the Light Returns

March 26, 2020 by Valarie Leave a Comment

“When the light returns to its source, it takes nothing of what it has illuminated” ~Rumi Recently the northern hemisphere celebrated the return of the sun, the return to the Light. It was really hard to concentrate or celebrate on that day because of the Corona Virus pandemic. Many of us were staying in place to help stop the spread of this virus. Nevertheless, I still missed my usual community

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Calming for Troubled Times: Troy Stones and Finger Labyrinths

March 24, 2020 by Valarie Leave a Comment

“I have a choice about where to stand in my inner landscape. I can consciously make the decision that I’m not going to stand in my fear, and I am going to stand in my hope.”  — Parker J. Palmer I was speaking with a friend the other day who saw my post on walking a labyrinth as a centering tool during difficult times.  “I wish we had a community labyrinth here

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In the Center of the Labyrinth

March 17, 2020 by Valarie Leave a Comment

  For many of us, we are living in a period we haven’t experienced before.  COVID-19 aka the coronavirus is leaving many feeling unsettled, scared, and uncertain. This is a time where we are having to consider what are our essentials, what’s important, and how to stay calm.  During our days of lockdown and Social Distancing, I have taken to being out in nature a lot but more importantly embracing

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Happy Kalevala Day

February 28, 2020 by Valarie Leave a Comment

  Every February 28th the publication of The Kalevala, The Finnish National Epic, is celebrated. Published this day in 1835 and again in 1849. The Kalevala ( pronounced “KAH-lev-AH-la), is the great national epic of Finland. Based on old stories that were sung and recited by the population of Finland, as well as the Baltic countries and Western Russia. The Kalevala itself was assembled from folk sources in the 1800s

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valariebudayr

Happy Holidays !!!! Happy Holidays !!!!
A fresh and wonderful winter labyrinth walk. A fresh and wonderful winter labyrinth walk.
A quiet evening by the fire. A quiet evening by the fire.
Gorgeous Blue Moon with Mars rising!! #bluemoon #f Gorgeous Blue Moon with Mars rising!! #bluemoon #fullmoon #sawhaim #álfablót #allsoulsday
This is such a beautiful and insightful time of ye This is such a beautiful and insightful time of year. I’m sharing some old Norse traditions on the blog. You can find the link in my bio. #sweden #alfablot #elves #ancestors
Aspen trees–whispering, giggling, and spreading Aspen trees–whispering, giggling, and spreading magic over the world.
Our colors are peaking this weekend. It is gorgeous up here!! #newmexicotrue #newmexico
Had a great lunch at the Bav today with @taoschic Had a great lunch at the Bav today with @taoschic and @peterellzey!!!
Up at the very tippy top of Taos ski valley today! Up at the very tippy top of Taos ski valley today!! #taosskivalley #taos #newmexico
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Featured

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021

I am so excited just as I am every year for Multicultural Children's Book Day. This year will be our … [ Read More ]

Earth Teach Me Quiet

Recently I discovered the most beautiful choral piece which stopped me in my tracks. The … [ Read More ]

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Meet Me in the Garden

In Praise Of

  • Eileen StraitonEileen StraitonLittle Acorn Learning

    The Fox Diaries is a beautiful collection that brings nature and beauty to life with each turning of the page.  I highly recommend this lovely book for adults and children of all ages.

  • Linda DawkinsLinda DawkinsNatural Suburbia

    What a beautiful book! The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook has given me much food for thought by reading it. I love it and even though we have already been homeschooling for almost 8 years now with children in highschool, it has been wonderfully refreshing and has encouraged me to relook at how we go about our homeschooling journey.

  • Bella AndreBella AndreNew York Times & USA Today bestselling author
    The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the most beautiful children’s book I’ve Ever Seen!
  • Renee CormierRenee CormierMother-Daughter Book Club

    Visually, this book is GORGEOUS! A Year in the Secret Garden is a treasure trove of activities, crafts, games, recipes and information all related to the classic children’s book, The Secret Garden, bringing to life this wonderful book to a new generation of readers. I cannot recommend this beautifully illustrated and detailed, information-packed book highly enough to parents, homeschoolers, teachers, and librarians. Ages 5+

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