In memory of Nimue

Lately, I have found myself feeling unusually introspective about life and its philosophical ins & outs (the more you know- the less you know ?) I think witnessing death and feeling loss created & intensified that opportunity for me.

Nimue's passing was so unexpected... sudden... final. With the help of ranch friends her body was laid to rest at Twilight by sunset. The overwhelming sadness lingered... and many questions were raised within myself. One of my dear friends is an animal communicator with the incredible ability to reach out & speak to animals on all planes of existence. She was able to talk with Nimue and help us both thru this transition. What a healing gift ! I feel so blessed to have had that service available to us.

I wanted Nimue's memorial ceremony to be a celebration... She was born right before spring and died a month after her 7th birthday. Named after the Welsh Spring Maiden, Nimue ('Nim-way'), her energy was bouncy and lively. Clearly I needed some time to get to that energetic place within myself. When I felt ready to set the date... it was to take place a month after that. It gave me time to process... to create ceremonial items... to order things... to be able to look at photos and... put all the pieces together.

Sunday April 18th arrived and some of my dearest Californian girlfriends & I gathered together here on the ranch and enjoyed an unusual gorgeous sunny day. We spent the morning up at Jo's taking a walk with some of her Icelandic ponies, and then returned to Twilight for Nimue's memorial ceremony, followed by a potluck feast... and in celebration of spring we indulged in a clothing swap !

In memory of Nimue... Altar

Altar dressed in yellow with honeybee hexagon motif... Favorite photos of Nimue throughout her life adorn the wall... A statue of a dog that reminds me of her... a cream dahlia flower that Melinda brought... a vase full of white calla lilies & yellow flowers that Julia contributed... four buddleia butterfly bushes in yellows and pinks... a sunflower platter filled with yellow & white wild flower heads... Nimue's food bowl filled with 70 yellow ribbons... a scrapbook filled with photographs, poems, animal communication scripts and other Nimue related memories... two long burning white candles... a mini skeleton dog dressed in a skirt, scarf & hat... Nimue's dog collar with tags... a white & yellow Brizel silk tapestry memory box with Nimue's fur in it*... A white, yellow, red multicolor Brizel silk tapestry heart plush with a custom Nimue's photo on it*... a wood pendant netsuke carving of Kwan Yin gifted to me by Jo... a platter of ceremonial canine treats and bundt cake*... a white chocolate 3d dog*... an art tile with a dog that reminds me of Nimue*... a platter of individually wrapped dog shaped white sugar cookies made by my friend Laura in VA.

In memory of Nimue... Ceremony

Light candles at altar

Invoke Nimue with Mama Calling

Procession to grave site... celebrants carry Nimue statue, platter of wildflower heads, yellow ribbons in dog bowl, and Buddleia bushes

Set statue in rock nook, plant & water flower bushes, listen to Nimue's Ballad, scatter flowers

Procession to Upper Orchard... celebrants tie 70 yellow ribbons to the fruit trees whilst reciting Nimue's Poem

Return to altar... cut Nimue's bundt cake in three, Merlin & Dingo officiate the start of the feast !

In memory of Nimue... Feast Foods

Many of the edibles were white or yellow or canine theme... dinner the previous night had been a creamed cauliflower potato soup with corn & crusty white bread with white chocolate bark for desert... breakfast was an assortment of eggs, dog shaped toast, baked beans, paw shaped french toast, a fruit salad with bananas... lunch had a variety of yummy salads: marinated sliced yellowed cucumbers, red beets with nuts, an eclectic green salad, vegan wheat gluten faux meats and lemon chicken... we had lemonade & apple juice and even some white wine available... I made a banana vanilla coconut tofu pie in a graham cracker crust... and then there was Laura's dog shaped white sugar cookies which we had all the way at the end !

In memory of Nimue... Gratitude

Thanks to my friend Karen Lisa for all her incredible love, energy & help

Thanks to all my EFA Team mates who have been so very kind & understanding

Thanks to my Etsy friends for all your loving convos of concern

Thanks to my friends Julie & Melinda for sending me sympathy cards

Thanks to Jo for making time to have fun with the ponies (Flyboy, Andi, Kappi, Svoelnir, Mimir)

Thanks to Julia, Melinda, BJ, and Jo for officiating in Nimue's ceremony and for all your gifts of love and generosity

Thanks to my friend Laura G. for the home made ceremonial dog cookies

Thanks to my father & Anne and to my siblings for being in touch and for all their support

In memory of Nimue... *Resource information

Lovely animal buttons & embellishments...

theanimalsmagicshop

Yummy dog & animal treats...

CiaoHound

Canine shaped chocolate dogs...

BeasCreativeCorner

Gorgeous animal artwork & tiles...

carolscanvas

Brizel Silk Tapestry box...

brizelhandcrafts

Brizel Silk Tapestry heart plush...

brizelhandcrafts

Beautiful vintage glass earrings...

lkfarnsworth

Entertaining chocolate mints...

purrfectgifts

All photos are copyrighted 2010 by photographers

Design copyright remain with the artists