Posts in Category: Mother Earth

Feature Friday: Lehi Thunder Voice Eagle

The artist
True renaissance men. It’s always rather grand when we come across one such human being, isn’t it? Someone whose creative and artist brilliance sparks a fire in you so strong you are immediately inspired and uplifted. Even if you aren’t an artist, the pure form of eye candy and sould fulfillment alone is enough to launch your spirits and let your mind soar.

This is why it is in our very genetic make-up, the fabric of our being(s) no matter our race, sexual preferences, belief system(s) or taste in music and art … this is why we as humans gobble art in all of it’s vast and glorious ways every chance we can get. So when one finds a multi-disciplinary artist such as Lehi Thunder Voice Eagle Sanchez, one becomes an immediate fan-girl.

Lehi is Native American of the Diné (Navajo)/Totonac people. He was born in Ganado Arizona on the Navajo Reservation and grew up living off the land duing the summers and has become one of the world’s elite leading survivalist experts. Lehi has taken these teachings from the land, the ways of his ancestors and tradtitional methods of storytelling to modern day with a natural flair for capturing moments, natural light, composition and colour; as a painter, photographer writer, videoographer and graphic design artist.

Motivated by the therapeutic relief that art has within his personal practice, he describes putting a brush to canvas as supremely regenerative and cathartic:”being able to put a brush on canvas, or even doodle in a notebook helps me analyze and overcome anything within my life.”

Inspired by his upbringing, his culture and the way he see’s the world, his art is a reflection of Indigenous and wilderness perspectives. Lehi is also an accomplished graphic designer and is quickly becoming a highly sought after name within the video and photography industry. His photography has been featured on many blogs including buzzfead and for Bethany Yellowtaill.

As a wilderness survival expert, Lehi has (and continues to) helped thousands of troubled youth to get back on the right path through his work with his father Ezekiel Sanchez, one of the founders of the Wilderness treatment program, ANASAZI Foundation. (One of the leading programs in the nation for youth intervention and behavior modification.) At the young age of 10 yrs old, Lehi was put out in the wilderness to begin his training in hopes that one day he would follow in his father’s foot-steps. As ANASAZI grew and developed so did Lehi and his brothers. Each summer they would assist in helping “troubled youth” learn a better way of life. Through true basic principles of life, thousands of children had a life changing experience.

Currently, Lehi is living in Mesa AZ attending ASU working on his Masters in Business Management and assist in Trail Training and assisting in Field Directing at ANASAZI. And making kick-ass art of course, to feed his soul AND yours! (Lehi also happens to be engaged to one of my best-friends, who is an amazing multi-discliplinary artsist that we featured a while back!)

It’s That Time of Year Again: Unleashed in The Apple Orchard

OBLIGATORY PUMPKIN PATCH PHOTOS

It’s all pretty self-explanatory. Gorgeous day, gorgeous kids, gorgeous man. Pumpkins everywheres.

I’m also loving photography pretty hard these days. My favourite subjects are food and fam. That’s my jam. Damn I’m such a nerd. Hope you enjoy a peek at my darlings!

THEN & NOW PICTORIAL: LITTLE APPLES, BIG APPLES

So do all kids love apple picking? Is it just a thing? I think so. I remember I did. A few minutes on any apple farm and you will hear the tell-tale signs of joy. Little people joy. Shouts of excitement, leaving swishing under the scurry of little feet anxious to pick and eat as many apples as their parents will let them.

I usually cut mine off at four, lest I want their joy to quickly turn into a tummy ache on the ride home.

Which, is the farthest thought from their mind when they’re running around like apple-drunk miniature hooligans, on the cusp of yet another autumn. Yet another winter. I’d have to say some of our top traditions as a family involve food in one way or another. Strawberry picking, apple picking and pumpkin picking have quickly turned into excursions that Wyndham now has fond memories of.

It’s a monumental development (to me), when a child can start to remember stuff like that. Where the traditions we’re building aren’t just for us anymore. When our kid(s) start to really get it, when they start to remember how the seasons change and the special things we do as a family; it sets in. The realization that this is it. I’m building memories for my kids and myself too.

It’s in the way they grow each year. To be able to go back and reminisce, to compare photos of each apple picked by chubby little hands, each obligatory brother/sister pose. It’s pretty to special. To me, anyways.

A look…at this year’s apple picking and the last…

Plant a Seed: Pictorial Progress of My 1st Big Gardening Adventure

I skipped over most of the veggie aisles last night at the market, (except for tomatoes, which are bursting but not yet ripe in our garden.) It felt a little surreal (not sure why), and absolutely wonderful. When I started this whole affair back in March, I had little knowledge about gardening outside of building upon and maintaing our perennial english and cottage style gardens. I knew I wanted to start from heirloom seeds.

I knew that we had to have raised beds built in our front yard because our backyard is happily and beautifully dominated by maple, cedar and birch trees. And patio. Shade friendly perennial gardens. Putting my worries aside on what the neighbours might think, (yep it’s a reality – especially in small towns) even though I totally got approached with wonder by many of them and ignorant sarcasm by but one. No need to get into detailing that. So putting all of that aside, because we sure weren’t going to let ‘neighbourly’ reactions dictate whether we grow food for our family or not, we entered into a trade agreement with some good friends to help us design and built it all, who know way more about all of this stuff that we do…

When a Toddler Goes Strawberry Picking For The 1st Time…

This post is sponsored by Disney Story. To find out more about this brand-new story-creation app – and how it puts the power of storytelling in your hands – click here.

They ignore all the rules.

Not that there should be any rules when strawberry picking, accept maybe to pick the ripe and juicy ones. You totally want to make sure to do that. Bonus points for getting covered in as much strawberry juices as possible and exuding so much joy it makes both of your parents feel like kids again too.

Which is exactly what our little man did, without even knowing it. As they do…

Pictorial: A Work In Progress, From Seed To (Hopefully) Table

Organic Heirloom Gardening

Earlier this morning this arrived…

Know More: My Top 5 #IdleNoMore Video Picks

#RealMamaLife: Mish Mash of Carnivale

Welcome to the 3rd edition of Real Mama Life!  <<< (click there to learn more about how you can participate!)

Where we embrace the glory and humour in the chaos. Un-staged and imperfectly beautiful.’

You guys.  I have some random thoughts, feelings and questions today, this carnival-esque feeling start to the week. My head is spinning with work deadlines, home-related to-do lists and piles of laundry. Not complaining – all normal stuff. Today began with straight up tom foolery. The kind wherein you just have to laugh, lest you let the foulness of it all consume the brain. Kind of like when a toddler looks like they are going to eat your face as they lay their demon eyes upon you when waking up too early for a nap…

Weekend In Winneway

Ever road-tripped 7 hours, (that’s one way my friends), with two littles in the car? Sure, some of you may have, with perhaps even more, (children/babies). It is not for the weak of heart. Naye.

However. We survived. Rez bound, towards a most lovely place – Winneway, Quebec. The home of one of our very best friends, the band leader of the one in which (the band), that the mister plays bass in. This is a community that we all visit together at least once a year, largely for the community.

Also? It was dang cold in Winneway. Minus 30. That’s some chilly.

This didn’t stop the littles (and the even bigger littles), from partaking in some outdoor snow frolick and fort making.

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