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Elizabeth Carls
Minneapolis, MN
Works with words, mostly.
Interests: Gardener, Teacher, Writer. I have been known to swoon over a well chosen word, and fall deeply in love with eloquence. I practice yoga and I practice peace. I believe in kindness and try hard never to be an asshole.
I'm a life-long learner by nature. I have a degree in English Literature. I hold an Advanced Certificate in Book Arts. I have completed over 300 hours of Yoga Teacher Training. And I recently completed the Urban Farming and Permaculture Certification Program at the Permaculture Research Institute - Cold Climate.
Recent Activity
It's Just Myself - A New Year's Post
"It's just myself" --an expression I picked up while traveling in Ireland this past October. The expression seems especially appropriate as I look back on 2014 and notice that in many ways it was indeed the year of it being "just myself." In June I spent a three-day weekend alone... Continue reading
Posted Jan 1, 2015 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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The Darkest Dark
Today is the Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year. It also happens to be a New Moon, which doesn't happen often. This means that today will be the darkest dark. I teach yoga on Sunday mornings and I wondered, should I teach a vigorous class full of Sun... Continue reading
Posted Dec 21, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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Winter Arrived Today
Winter arrived today. And she intends to stay for a while. The garden was ready; the garlic had been planted, the leaves were all collected, and the young trees were heavily mulched. The house was ready too; radiators in good working order, the whole house cleaned and tidied, and my... Continue reading
Posted Nov 10, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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Mushroom Foraging in Ireland
Yesterday I spent the day attending a mushroom foraging course with the Lavistown House. When I registered for the course a few months back I saw it as a two-fold opportunity. On the one hand, it would be an opportunity to spend the day in the forest here in Ireland.... Continue reading
Posted Oct 19, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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Kilkenny Part Two
I arrived back in Kilkenny this past Monday after a long weekend walking in and around Graiguenamanagh. I will stay here until next Monday, when I will return to Dublin to fly out on Tuesday. This week in Kilkenny has been intentionally quiet. My idea for the week was to... Continue reading
Posted Oct 16, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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Walking from Graiguenamanagh
I've just spent a long weekend in Graiguenamanagh, a tiny village on the Barrow river in County Kilkenny. I stayed at The Waterside, a lovely little B & B right on the river. It was three days of peace, and quiet, and walking the river. When I arrived by bus... Continue reading
Posted Oct 12, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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Kilkenny Part one
I arrived in Kilkenny yesterday around noon. There is something about this beautiful, medieval city that mysteriously feels like "home" to me. I can't quite identify what exactly, but I feel at ease here. After checking into my hotel I walked along the River Nore to Lavishtown, about 4k outside... Continue reading
Posted Oct 9, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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Cloughjordan and Dublin
I've been in Dublin for the last two nights, a city I enjoy very much. I came in on Sunday so that I could take a train on Monday out to Cloughjordan, a little village in the north of County Tipperary. I went there to visit the Cloughjordan Eco-Village, and... Continue reading
Posted Oct 7, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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Kilruddery
Yesterday I spent the day at the Kilruddery Estate and Gardens. Kilruddery was established in 1618 by the Earl of Meath and the formal gardens are the oldest in Ireland, remaining largely unchanged since the 17th century. The walled kitchen gardens and orchards were added in the late 1800's. The... Continue reading
Posted Oct 5, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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The First Three Days
The first two days of my trip to Ireland were consumed mostly with travel. Getting here is an arduous journey. It involved two trains, a bus, two airplanes, and a backpack that despite my best efforts at packing light is a daunting beast. In reality the two flights were flawless--the... Continue reading
Posted Oct 3, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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Some Things Stay the Same
Two weeks from today I will be flying into Dublin. It will be my third visit to Ireland in four years. In many ways this will be a very different trip for me, and some things will stay the same. This time I will be traveling without the group; traveling... Continue reading
Posted Sep 16, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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Honey Harvest
This weekend I had an opportunity to learn yet another aspect of beekeeping. I was very generously invited to attend my first honey harvest with Yuuki and Joe of Four Seasons Apiaries. Because I relish any opportunity to spend time with bees, I excepted the invitation without hesitation. Although the... Continue reading
Posted Aug 17, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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Hidden Gems: Mushrooms and Fungi
Fungi—and their spore bearing fruits, mushrooms—are the hidden gems in the garden. They are fabulous indicators of a rich healthy soil, they are often stunningly beautiful, and they are an integral part of a complete garden eco-system. Last year, after removing all of the turf from my urban yard in... Continue reading
Posted Jul 8, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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The Sounds of Nature
This past week I spent three days alone on the North Shore of Lake Superior, the largest fresh water lake in the world (by area, not volume). It was three days of writing, hiking, and generally being reclusive. And it was fabulous! This is a trip I try to make... Continue reading
Posted Jun 30, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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The Big Idea
I was at a neighborhood Solstice party this past weekend and folks were asking what the hell I've been up to in the yard. Their curiosity inspired me to write about the process. Briefly, here's the big idea... Two years ago I planted a small portion of my side yard--a... Continue reading
Posted Jun 24, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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The Value of Community
I'm adding a second phase of fruit trees and shrubs, as well as many herbaceous perennials to my very young forest garden this season and I've been tapping into community resources to source most of my plants. There is real value to be found in a community of fellow growers... Continue reading
Posted Jun 12, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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Apis Mellifera The European Honeybee
Apis Mellifera, the European Honeybee; Honeybees are not native to the United States, most Honeybees in the US are Apis Mellifera, a species originally from Western Europe. They are a non-aggressive social insect that lives and thrives in a complex community with one Queen, tens-of-thousands of female Worker Bees, and... Continue reading
Posted May 20, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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Signs of Spring
There were times during the Unrelenting Winter when I doubted the whole idea of spring. I feared spring would never return, but it has returned and it's the dawn of a new season in the garden. Each morning I don my red rubber boots and wander the garden looking for... Continue reading
Posted Apr 29, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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A Sad Goodbye to A Best Friend
Friends, last night we very suddenly and unexpectedly said our final goodbye to Layla. She died peacefully in my arms at the Emergency Vet Clinic. I'll spare you the details. To say she will be missed is a vast understatement. To say I am a crumpled heap of sadness is... Continue reading
Posted Mar 26, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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Spring and Summer Workshops
I've just scheduled four workshops for spring and summer at Ripple River Gallery. A little bookmaking, a little gardening, and a ton of creativity. Registration information and additional details are available on the Events page. But here's what we've got in store. Simple Sewn and Folded Books - Get introduced... Continue reading
Posted Feb 19, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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Dark Days
The Dark Days of winter have settled in. It's that time of the year when things seem hard. The holidays are over, and for me, yet another birthday lurks just around the corner. Tick-tock. I feel old, and cold, and cooped up. This particular winter has gone from hard to... Continue reading
Posted Jan 26, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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Upcoming Garden Workshops
I've just schedule two garden workshops for this summer at Ripple River Gallery. First up is Spread the Love: Pollinator Friendly Seed Bombs - In this workshop we will create our own seed bombs with a blend of pollinator-friendly seeds. Seed bombing is a guerrilla gardening tactic where the bombs... Continue reading
Posted Jan 12, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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Another New Year
Another New Year is upon us. One year ago today, on January 1st, 2013 I wrote here on this blog about Change, about the hard changes, and the gentle changes. I wrote about 2012 as the year of Change, and about embracing the idea that we never know what happens... Continue reading
Posted Jan 1, 2014 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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Best Books
One of my favorite things about this week between Christmas and The New Year is the plethora of "Best Of..." lists, and my favorite "Best Of..." lists are "Best Books of..." lists. Last year I picked a favorite for myself, a single best read of 2012. This year it wouldn't... Continue reading
Posted Dec 27, 2013 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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Happy Christmas
The Solstice has passed. The darkest day of the year is behind us. From here, it's clear sailing towards longer days and a brand new year. Happy Christmas! Continue reading
Posted Dec 24, 2013 at Elizabeth Carls: Making Peace with Middle-Age
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