handstories

trimming some sails & thoughts

    We're back, and it's warm on this side of the pass, too, but nothing like the 106 we left behind.  

    Some icy white crests on the waves have been added, just to help the cooling thoughts along.  There is more to do in the water, but for now I'm distracted by the sails.  They are made from the "soft sheet" from childhood, so is the moon.  It is so thin it tears easily with just the fingers.  Touching it during this heat wave brings back memories of long ago hot summer nights, when it was the only thing over me, crisp and cool.

big sky = BIG Sun

    The eastern side of Washington State has a different kind of beauty.  

        There is a wide open foreverness to it.

    Blue's baseball team is playing in a three day tournament in Pullman, Washington and Lewiston, Idaho (Moon was happy to add another state to his "been to" list).

    I foolishly brought along plenty of knitting and stitching, but I am choosing to melt in the heat instead.  

    Here is Blue pitching earlier today.  It is in the mid 90's right now, and supposed to be 108 in Lewiston tomorrow.  I don't know how these boys are making it out there without the shade, and in polyester pants?!  

    "Whether the weather be cool, or whether the weather be hot, we'll weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not!"  

    I think not. I am a hot weather wimp.

sailing

    The latest library treasure is this book.  Look at those sails!  I'm not reading the words, just getting lost in the billowing . . .

    I think this little ship is going to need a strong tall mast.

san francisco

    San Francisco was great fun- full of amazing views, food, and time with my sister-in-law.  Here are a few of the highlights . . .

    Ball gowns from the "High Style:  Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection" exhibit at the Legion of Honor Museum.  Can you even imagine moving inside of one of these contraptions?  Although, they were beautiful to look at.

    The "Strike Away" Art Show at the Paxton Gate shop.  Over 500 pieces, either made with, or inspired by matches, matchbooks, or matchboxes.  More here.

        Driving and viewing through the Headlands.  The weather was perfect.

    One of the views from her condo by day . . .

. . . and night.  We walked, drove, ate, and sat on her couch in the evenings looking at the city, drinking it all in (and other things, too!)  It was lovely to visit another world for a little while.

away…

    For a few days, to visit with my sister-in-law, just the two of us in her beautiful condo overlooking San Francisco . . .

waltzing along

    Well, I've been slowly shuffling, in a spiral sort of way, through that pile of unfinished pieces.  Picking up a cloth, stitching in a thread or two, and then another . . . 

    It's a very slow dance, sometimes trying to remember the tune it began with, and other times making up new lyrics to the forgotten song.  

    No one's complained about their toes being stepped on yet.

end of the days

        It was the last day of school today.  It was hard to say goodbye to some of them, knowing I probably won't see some of them again, not knowing where their stories will take them.  

    This blue friend has come to the bathroom window the last couple of nights while I was getting ready for bed.  I haven't seen a moth like it before.  The blueness feels like a gift, with golden feathery edges.

Legacy

    The final project for fifth grade was to choose someone they had learned about during the year and create a project that reflected how that person's story inspired the legacy they wanted to leave. One boy, the one I wrote about here, wanted to write poems.  We worked together to find and shape his thoughts.  On graduation day he posed for a photo for the cover of his project.  Looking at the finished work, I said to him, "You have the soul of a poet. This is beautiful.  Do you remember when I talked to you about taking care of your story?  You have done such a good job of that all spring.  I hope you are so proud of you, I sure am."  

    I wish you could have seen the bursting glow coming out of him.

    If I did nothing else this school year, this moment was enough.

                                            My Legacy by J.

Many people had to go through the pain of being judged by their skin color

                  By being called a name that they weren’t

                  Or a name they would not like to be called

                  By being treated differently with non-worth

Many people thought that this pain wasn’t right

                  It wasn’t fair

                  It wasn’t agreed on

So they tried to make a change

They found many ways to change the way they were feeling

                  By making new ideas to change people’s words

                  By fighting for their rights

Because everybody has the right to be treated the same

Many people would love to have those rights

 

Jackie Robinson was a strong African American hero

                  Who many people believed in

                  Who was the first African American male to be in major league baseball

Jackie Robinson had a hard time

                  Getting along in the major leagues

                  Playing on a baseball field with a crowd saying such mean things to him

                  Being treated like garbage

Jackie Robinson discovered a way

                  To ignore the crowd

                  To find a friend on his team

                  Someone who wouldn’t hide from him or think he’s an animal

Jackie Robinson was

                  As determined

                  As strong

                  As smart

                  As a tiger 

 

J.  is a strong African American

                  Who is athletic

                  Who is smart

                  And who is respected

J.  had a hard time at

                  Making new friends

                  Hearing bad things about his skin color

                  And having people judge him by his looks

J.  discovered a way

                  To go outside

                  To overcome hatred

                  And try to imagine

J.  is

                  As funny as a clown

                  As smart as an engineer

                  And as strong as a body builder

J.  is a hero like Jackie Robinson 

and the band played on . . .

    And just when I thought the week couldn't get any busier, what with Moon's band concert, our family singing group concert, three baseball games for Blue, last days of school, fifth grade graduation . . . 

    Yesterday Moon managed to slice his finger open on a pair of scissors, while making a rocket ship in science class.  Driving from one end of town to the other, the emergency room, five stitches- for four hours!

    Did I mention he had a band concert last night?  He went, held his saxophone with his pointer finger wrapped up to the size of a fat carrot, and managed to blend in with all of the other beginning musicians.

    Tonight we sing . . . 

Moon asked . . .

     "Mom, do you ever start projects and don't finish them?"

        "Look at that stack over there . . ."

   "So, what do you do?"

        "I don't know . . . just keep going along, I guess." 

    There was also a conversation about not finishing with the woman next to me at singing, about why we don't finish.  We came up with thoughts about the thing not going as planned, or in a direction we wanted to follow, fear of the end product not being what we imagined, or my favorite, a new bright and shiny idea comes along.

    I've spent the last week sifting through this heap.  Mostly, just looking.  Lost count around thirty-nine.  There are moons, seas, wayward birds, maps, trees, a teapot, and more.  And now I know where all of those pins and needles went to.  Many of the pieces were made while stitching along with Jude, during her workshops.  Some were forgotten along the way, some I don't remember making at all.  Maybe I will call this Memory Mountain, as I dig my way through?