Family Magic – Forest Halls

December 5, 2021December 8, 2021

Paloma and Wings: An Herbal Comic – the Book is here!

Dear Friends,

I’m excited to announce that my new book, Paloma and Wings: An Herbal Comic — ten years in the making — is finally in print and available for purchase.

Here’s what the book is about:

“Paloma loves plants and herbal medicine making. Wings is a small dragon who follows Paloma on her herbal adventures. Enter the enchanted world of plants and discover their special relationship with us! A mix of comics and prose, this fun and informative book is for kids and kids at heart.”

I’m honored that these herbalists — from whom I’ve learned so much, and who I greatly admire and adore — have the following to say about it:

“Written and illustrated with children in mind, this thoroughly original and delightful book contains a wealth of information about plants, healing and nature. In a joyous and light manner Paloma and Wings guide children on a journey into the plant world with instructions on how to gather and harvest plants, make simple herbal recipes and remedies, and, perhaps most importantly, how to develop lasting relationships with plants and the natural world.”
—ROSEMARY GLADSTAR, Herbalist and Author

The first section lays down foundations for working with plants, including safety and mindful harvesting considerations and practices

“Paloma and Wings: An Herbal Comic is a wonderful contribution to the herbal genre for children! Part comic book, part recipe book, and part herbal, this whimsical tome teaches children the wonders and usefulness of herbs through stories, songs, and down-to-earth facts. From how to help friends and family when they are sick to how to handle an insect sting, Paloma and Wings will empower children to help themselves and others with the natural healing power of the plants.”
—KRISTINE BROWN, RH (AHG), Author and Illustrator of Herbal Roots zine LLC herbalrootszine.org

“An enchanting, conscientious and deeply charming guide to the earth’s natural medicines and the wonder of the animate world. A delightful and intelligent read for the herbally curious child and those who are still young at heart.”
—ASIA SULER, Founder of One Willow Apothecaries and Author of Mirrors in the Earth: Reflections on Self Healing from the Living World

Chapters introduce plants and herbal ideas. Recipes and activities are sprinkled throughout the pages.

Full color, 120 pages long, perfect bound 8″x10.5″ book – $24

For December only you can add a copy of Wintergift CD by Debra Knodel and myself at a discounted price of $8 to your order of the book (more details about the CD below).

Purchase Your Book (or Book+CD)

Purchase Paloma and Wings Book $24 and (optional) Wintergift CD $8 -for shipping in the U. S.

Purchase Paloma and Wings Book $24 and (optional) Wintergift CD $8 – local pick up

If you wish your book signed , please indicate when you pay or leave a message with me here. If you have any questions, contact me as well.

Note: To those of you living outside the U. S.
I haven’t been able to figure out yet what to charge for mailing outside of the US. However, if you’re interested in purchasing a book, please contact me and give me some of your shipping information (town/city, country, zip code). I’ll figure out what shipping costs would be and let you know.

Wintergift – mostly harp with some tracks with vocals – Debra Knodel and Jane Valencia

WINTERGIFT by Spookytree (Deb Knodel & Jane Valencia ) is a celebration of the beauty, magic, and mystery of winter, with some sweet surprises of who and what you might discover in a snowy landscape or by the hearth fire. This album is a compilation of our most beloved winter season tracks from across our albums, plus five brand new never-before-heard tracks. Cozy up by a warm fire, and enjoy a musical wander into enchantment!

Over an hour’s worth of music. You can preview the music here, but please come back to this page to make your purchase and get your discount.

November 30, 2019December 9, 2020

Salmon Returning Home – a Song for You to Sing

Salmon Leap – Illustration by Jane Valencia

As we’re swimming with the Salmon, thematically speaking here in Forest Halls, by way of blog posts and my radio show, I thought I’d share with you one of my favorite Salmon songs.

Salmon Returning Home was composed by my dear friend Kristina Turner, and is a wonderful song to sing with kids, families, and in community. Kristina has generously agreed to share her song here so that you can sing it too.

Here’s what Kristina writes about the birth of the song:

The song has a story – it arrived on Summer Solstice during 24 hour prayer-vigil drumming at Burton Hill on Vashon. It is a healing song, dedicated to salmon fisherman and friend, John Schindler.

Listen to the song here

And here are the lyrics!

Salmon Returning Home – Lyrics and Music by Kristina Turner

Swimmin’ upstream
With my belly in the river
I’m salmon returning home

repeat verse – you can sing it call and response.

CHORUS
Makin’ my way
From the sea to me
I’m openin’ up to the powers that be
I’m swimmin’ upstream
With my belly in the river
I’m salmon returning home

Verse 2:
Wrigglin’ over rocks
With my belly in the water
I’m salmon returnin’ home

repeat verse

CHORUS

Verse 3
Swimmin’ upstream
To the place I began
I’m salmon returning home

repeat verse

CHORUS:

finish by repeating the last line 2 more times
Salmon returning home
Salmon returning home

Song etiquette:

Please remember to credit Kristina when singing this song. Please do not record/distribute it for personal use or profit, or change it without contacting Kristina and discussing your idea and intention with her. You can reach her here.

And I invite you to take a moment to get to know Kristina! She is a wonderful creative, wise woman who knows how to play! Her questions and insights help me pause and wonder, and to dig into my internal landscape with curiosity and delight. Kristina knows how to follow the Salmon — of one’s passions, creative vision … — and help others to follow them too. I’ve harvested many a hazel nut of illumination by way of her, and found my way to new streams of possibilities.

Thank you for sharing this song, Kristina!

Kristina Turner, composer of “Salmon Returning Home.” Visit her at kristinaturner.com.

PS. Watch a performance of Salmon Returning Home in the video Heart of Vashon – Telling Our Story. Find it at 1:19:50. (yes, that’s me leading the singing).

A Final Salmon Note: I hope you’ve had the chance to listen to the latest Forest Halls Celtic streaming radio show, Show 38 – Salmon Return, which is a river of music, musing, poetry, and a tale with this amazing creature. If not, I encourage you to listen sometime this week, as this episode will cease being available for listening as of Dec. 8.

January 28, 2017January 28, 2017

Tell me a Story

Nature Tells Stories - photo — Nature Tells Stories – photo by Jane Valencia

Here in the Northern Hemisphere we are still in the storytelling time of year. This is the time when nature-infused community and cultures have, like the plants, reached into the roots of themselves, sourcing from dreams, song, and wisdom for the most essential treasures within. From this deep-within place new and renewed pathways are envisioned and explored in a variety of ways. Nature tells and shows us that in spring, we’ll experience the tender roots and shoots of this dreaming, storyweaving time emerging into our daily life.

In the meantime though, we rest, wander, drink deeply of and poke and prod our stories. The stories we tell about our lives, the stories that guide us forward, the stories we tell each other. It’s how we humans have survived and thrived since our beginnings. Storytelling — whether in conversation, reflecting on the day, in the gratitude we offer, and the information we aim to convey — is as essential to our humanity as our ability to create and work with fire.

Now, more than ever, we need to tend to story. Our stories need to be reflective of what we truly want in our world. They need to bring us together rather than divide us, inspire hope rather than fear, look to seeking understanding, to pointing to directions to kind and strong ways of being in challenging times. And they need to offer heart, the possibility of healing, and forgiveness. They need to be as honest as we can make them. After all, we deserve nothing less: we are in this life and this beautiful world together.

And we need to have stories that are fun!

With that in mind I invite you all to the Vashon Wilderness Program‘s Tenth Annual Storytelling Festival. I’m honored to be a teller at this event, offering harp and story. Details below!

In the heart of winter, hundreds of people from Vashon and beyond gather around our proverbial fire to share in the ancient and powerful tradition of oral storytelling.

In honor of their 10th year Anniversary,
their 10th Annual Storytelling Festival
will be offered to our community for FREE!

Join us – January 28th, 2017 @ 1pm

doors open at 12:30pm
this event typically sells out – early arrival strongly recommended

buy concessions, sign up for our 1-Minute Story-thon, and settle in with family & friends

Vashon Theater, Vashon Island

Packed with incredible stories for and by the community,

plus audience participation, including a 1-minute Story-thon, story improv games, and more.

Don’t miss this wonderful, family-friendly event!