Bobbie Hill Having Fun Working with Nature

                                            New Book Just Out!

We, at Gnomestead Press released the book Turtle olympics...when and where it took place two years ago, and are now releasing another one, Those Wonderful Antelopes - the Eglopes, both by Bobbie Hill.  I would say these books are "new", but we at Gnomestead Press feel their ageless wisdom which is still so prevalent - maybe even MORE prevalent today than when Bobbie (now over 85) helped create them into being some years ago.  This is what drew them to us here at the Gnomestead.

Their poetic lyrics, their agelessness, and their simplicity, with an earthy rootedness in Nature (Yes, Nature with a capital "N") had the gnomes and other Nature Spirits here telling us to get them out there in the world. And so we are.

Our message at the Gnomestead and also Bobbie's message share the love for Recycling - in a Fun, with a capital "F", way - in the Turtle Olympics...when and where it took place.  In this first book, Bobbie's turtles make a yearly trek to the dump to find all sorts of new uses for what others no longer have use for.  And, besides being ingeniously creative with that, the turtles make ready for and experience incredible athletic feats for any and all who wish to join in. It is another fantastic event to be remembered while hanging out on a log together shooting the breeze sometime.

And Bobbie's second book, Those Wonderful Antelopes - The Eglopes shares our thoughts about children still having strong empathy and compassion for all of Nature's creatures (both large and small) and how we could listen a little better when they point this out to our possibly less sensitive sides.  We feel everyone - including the animals and any other sentient beings - need a voice to share what is kind and also, very likely, an easier and more just way to live in harmony with Nature in the long run.

Bobbie's energy is boundless, and so is the understanding about boundaries she shares with Nature which encompasses and includes us all!


May we do less harm.  And may the thoughts, words, and actions of our lives contribute to more of this harmlessness, and more freedom for all.
                             - variation on a Sanskrit Quote by Nirmalananda

Rush-Time is not Enough Time

There are many ways to express yourself in the world. Many ways to express and impress upon this magical fabric of time.  The cycles of the moon-time, sun-time, nighttime and daytime, work on our minds to hold us steady as we move about.  Balance...  We here in the finer ethers are wishing you would use these methodical natural forms to calm yourself and relax your routines into them.
Those greedy for more time-gluttons - those never-enough-time-gluttons are the ones impinging on that Just  and Natural reality for many of you.  Their growing addiction is creating a tidal wave of temptation dragging in the unsuspected until many are now caught up in a maelstrom of pressure and overstimulation.  It can be hard to keep afloat at times like these.

If you want your balance back, if you want your life back in what will feel like your own spacious time; it will open up for you when you guide yourself back to your calmer natural-time. Natural-time protects you as nature-spirits will protect a wild flower. It is the human-race which is exceeding your innate time, or, nature's time.  There are those who are deep in addictive behaviors who are pulling everyone into their personal tornados. They are burning themselves out as they create an undertow in their wake.  They are losing their awareness of their true-nature as they go under, at the meeting place where we are one with the Elementals of this world:  that place where we are connected to all those finer layers of Spirit - those parts of us which hold us dearly and gives us a place in true-time where we can belong.

Rush-time is tumultuous like the rushing of wind pushing about leaves and debris into the air, causing dust devils, storms, hurricanes, and other chaotic plumes of mayhem.
Rush-time leaves a mess of confusion in its wake - either physically, as we speak of here, or emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually.

There are those addictive types who may able to temporarily deceive you during these times. They will  say, "More is better."  "Time is of the essence."  "Get more Things, more Time, more Action, more Love."  But enough is all right here and now.  Some of your spiritual leaders throughout time are so right when they tell you to focus on now.  Because it is all here for you to feel warmly in your chest now, to understand what you can kindly move, now. And your awareness, right now, is the center of your balance.  The calm in the storm.  This is how we all live and are fed by Spirit in natural-time.

You are not alone on an island.  Your island is a paradise of all that you love and have held close to your center.  It is there that you will find sanity ...and enough time.