May Full Moonletter-Waskoone Giizis

Blessings Beautiful Beings! May is upon us with a Blue Moon this month happening in 28 more days! Very special indeed. This flower moon, may we blossom like the flowers all around us. Here’s what’s blooming for me this month…

English Ivy Care Demonstration 🌿

I’ll be at Wyck House Saturday, May 2nd offering two demonstrations on removing and caring for English Ivy. One of the OG colonizers of our ecosystem, English Ivy is not only invasive but harmful to our forest. I first became interested in the Ivy in 2021 when I noticed it was still growing up trees and on the forest floor all winter long. So I did a deep dive into Hedera Helix. Native to Europe and Western Asia where she holds deep cultural significance. In England a symbol of love and friendship due to her clinging nature. On Turtle Island, choking out trees, unmanaged ivy will grow and crowd out other native plants and ground cover. She reaches higher and higher up our trees turning vines into windsails, taking them down in storms. While making this climbs towards the sun, her vines grow thicker, leaves fuller and she fruits. Birds eat the berries, moving along, pooping out seeds and spreading even more ivy.

What can we humans do to protect and serve our tree friends? Understand that English Ivy is a plant that we need to be in relationship with. It’s unlikely we will ever be able to eradicate, but we can take responsibility for the ivy on this land.

This can look like:

• Cutting the ivy at the base and letting it die on the trees.

• Stop purchasing English Ivy and ask your local garden centers to stop selling it.

• Spread the word. Share with your neighbors

• Organize a get together to practice collective care in your neighborhood.

The Event:

GREAT Seed Exchange

Wyck House 6026 Germantown Avenue

Saturday, May 2, 2026 from 11am-2pm

Demos at 12pm and 1pm

My Last Shift at Young American Cider 👩🏼‍🍳🍎🥃

I’ll be wrapping up this evening with my last shift at Young American Cider. Come and InJoy all the shifties I never drank! It started with a Sunday Brunch, the last by the incredible Chef Joy. I said this seems like a fun place to work, I like the vibe here. I walked in with my resume a week later to see if they needed a server. No servers were needed, but Kate the owner asked “Can you cook?” I said “Yeah, actually I love cooking.” Hired on the spot for $17 per hour to be a line cook. My first W-2 position in years.

Banging out a big row of tickets is much like feeding hungry babies, food now, ingredients together stat! Waiting…do they like it? Let them like it! The menu is very simple and there wasn’t too much to put together, but when the clock is ticking the mind has nowhere else to be but present. The role provided me with focus and time away from the rest of life during crisis. The kitchen is simple, room for a small small team of two and after about a year I was ready for more socializing. I moved up front. Not for more money, because it often wasn’t, but to better feel the pulse of the neighborhood. To observe connections between people, to talk at the bar. It’s not too dissimilar from Life Coaching or Photography. We Beautiful Beings seek connection and there are few third spaces left in our communities. Young American was the just right space for me to connect to the outside world again after very independent solo roles.

I will miss…my co-workers (only beautiful beings work there), our regulars, live music, Wild Indigo poetry readings, meeting so many new people, and checking out their outfits while hearing about what’s happening. Somewhat of a shy being, the role encouraged the part of myself that longs to speak up. I’m certain that will emerge in other ways as I reclaim my Fridays and Saturdays and move into my new position.

Blossoming into A New Role 🌸🍁🌱

I am ready to be outside connecting with nature on a consistent basis. I’m working with a local gardener, Meg, of Carole Gardens. Learning what’s blooming, what plants get to exist in the places they are and who wants to grow where. I say who because plants are alive, all of nature is alive. I often talk to nature while I’m working. This week it was weeding thousands of baby maples. A blanket of maples. Something happened to made them all come up at once. Very few were taller or shorter than the other.

I let them know…

Welp unfortunately you cannot grow here. This area is to hold very important mulch and hostas. I am terribly sorry for this event. I promise you I will do everything I can to understand why we weed. Because all of you have meaning, just no longer in this place. And so it is.

My intention in this role is to deepen my understanding of the ways we humans care for Turtle Island. I also notice a huge improvement in my mood when I work outside. What’s that about? Plus I have tons of ideas for art in nature and trust this will lead to much inspiration and action.

Spring Forward 🌹🪻🌳🌕

Full Flower Moon Blessings Beautiful Beings! Look up tonight to soak up the light of Grandmother Moon. Breathe and let her know you’ll see her again soon. Take a moment. Sit with yourself. In the moon cycle ahead: hydrate, listen to our elders, notice what’s blossoming, spend even more time outside. I’ll see you around the neighborhood! -Sara Anastazia 🌕✨💛