handstories

onward

    The energy for purging and rearranging is waning, but I've gone too far to stop.  The house is an obstacle course at the moment.  Yesterday I sat in the middle of the piles, boxes, shelf in the middle of the room, and stitched for the first time in almost two weeks.

    Organizing has been a life-long challenge.  

    Remembering when Dad brought home a "Dump" sign from one of his job sites and nailed it to my bedroom door, and then there were the times when he would take away the door all together in an effort to force me into picking it up. 

    And the time in college, when a friend returned a book by wrapping it in a bag and taping it to my dorm room mirror with a note, "I would have left it on your desk, but was afraid you'd never see it again."

    Stitching is so much more fun.

    Next, I'm heading up to the book, old games, toys, and everything else we haven't known what to do with room . . . if you don't hear from me soon, send help!

covering & clearing heads

    Two more hats for the donation bag, the only stitching that's happened this week.

    There is nothing very interesting to report.  After a kind of rough end to the school year for a couple of us, it felt like things came to a screeching halt.  

    In an effort to get a grip, the shelves are being attacked.  There are three and a half of these that  are  were stuffed full of boxes, baskets or piles of things- cloth, wool, yarn, beads, papers, popsicle sticks, wire, bottle caps...you get the idea.

    This shelf is almost empty, just some straggling bits to deal with.

    Organizing is hard for me.  Letting go of perfectly good, "I mean to do that project someday" stuff makes it even harder.  There has been guilt, self sanity questioning, yelling ("Not another box of yarn!?!"), plenty of wallowing in feeling overwhelmed (there may have been some crying in there, too.), and some talking down and through by my sister (who has none of these organizing issues).

   These boxes are empty!  

    There are bagged up piles to take to school or donate.  The rest has been sorted and condensed. 

    Back to work...

We are all just walking each other home

Singing In the Rain Family Choir, June 2017

Walking Each Other Home

We are all just walking each other home.
We are all just walking each other home.
We are all just walking each other home.
We are all just walking each other home.

Lyrics: Ram Dass. Music: Kate Munger ©3/2013

    My  favorite song from our concert the other night.  

    It comes from the Threshold Choir, a group who's mission is "to bring ease and comfort to those at the thresholds of living and dying."

    As we sang, a collection was taken for the ASAP (Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project/Urban Justice League).  

    When we were in full harmony (just after 2:00 min.), the beautiful space seemed to swell with song and emotions...for loved ones, for the children, the parents, and for each other.

Crazy busy

    Ok, so maybe it wasn't a good idea to run out of town for a week near the end of the school year.  There is a lot of scrambling in catching up, keeping up, and scurrying, to get through this last week of school.  

    Moon has had band concerts (with one more performance to go), finals, projects, a first real job interview and training.  (Which begins next week, which required half an hour of finagling to reschedule appointments.  Including the orthodontist, which I had so carefully planned to happen NOT at rush hour again...sigh.)

    K. has much going on at work, and out of town trips being planned. (Plus he has my stress and whining to listen to.)

    Blue is enjoying, and tired, from his new summer job, while trying to squeeze friends into every other spare minute.  (We see him occasionally at meals, or as he goes out the door.) 

    My work has been mostly gathering art from the walls all around the school and organizing it to return to students before Friday.  In my efforts to be efficient, I've taken down (and had to rehang) the wrong displays three different times.  There were some nice moments with my first grade friend, who was not wielding scissors this time, and gave today a thumbs up while announcing that it was a "Great day!"  We colored popsicles and discussed our favorite flavors...blackberry, blue-raspberry, lime, and Pepsi (his, not mine!)

    Tonight we sweated (literally and figuratively) through our family singing group concert.  And, NO, I did not practice while I was away.  And, YES, it showed.  During the final run through, the talented woman who stands next to me asked which part I was singing?  "I have no idea.  Clearly not the right one!"  (She quickly traded spots so her voice could have a better angle into my ear.)  Gratefully, all reviews were lovely.  Our leader, she really is a miracle worker!)

    AND, it's Hot.

    All to say...that I've been knitting on, and finally finished, this hat that was started months (years?) ago, out of old handspun, because it took absolutely no brain cells.

filled & finished

    Seven boats.  Seven stories with moons, seas and a few trees.  Started with a wish for balance, distraction and floating.  Stitched out of cotton, silk, damask, tulle, thread, beads, one little button, and a whole bunch of daydreamings.  (Some of the makings are from last summer's indigo vat or the walnut and iron filled cast iron pot.  Many others came from the gifts of others- Jude, Deb, Tina, and Heike.)

    Balancing seven stories was a little like being tossed at sea.

    I'm attached to the smallest of spots...  Droplets of moonlight,

    Bits of Borealis-like light,

    A lace of craters,

    A tangle of roots and jeweled seeds.

      It was a different kind of a challenge for myself, giving focus and helping to keep things afloat.  I wonder what the next cloths will hold?

    These stories are sailing into the shop tomorrow morning. 

back from the middle of swell

 

    Only a bit of stitching happened, but it was a wonderful week...

    Full of blue skies,

    And sea.

    My sister's backyard, on the edge of a pond, is full of wildlife.  Those who wandered through during my stay... house sparrows, titmice, red winged blackbirds, mourning doves, cardinals,  oriole, chickadees, blue jays, nuthatches, goldfinch, grackle, red-breasted nuthatch, song sparrow, house finch, robins, catbirds, mockingbirds, hawk,...

    ...and a wild turkey!  Not to mention the chipmunks, squirrels, and the swans that flew by.  And the scent of the honeysuckle surrounding it all.

    A great egret was by the bay.

    We visited gardens and parks...

    There were gorgeous flowers galore (and a couple of wild bunnies).

    A moon gate.  (Part of the beautiful gardens we happened upon at the Blithewold estate.)

    Such a good time, with lovely wanderings and delicious meals.  Nothing that had to be done.  A week without driving, appointments, commitments or responsibilities, and other than some texts home, and two emails to friends, there was very little communication with the outside world.

    And now back to things- time with the guys, a couple of more weeks of school, and some boats to finish.

elsewhere

        Today, during the last class of the day, first grade, with one of my very favorite kids, things went awry.  He is often a handful, on the spectrum, and all over the place sometimes, but he cracks me up and I love hanging out next to him.  Today he did not return those feelings at all.  There was a stool up over his head at one point, and then scissors in his fist being shook at us.  He was so angry, and unable, or unwilling, to communicate what was wrong.  The scissors were finally put down, and he was taken to the support room.  I wish we could've understood.

    Moon continues to maneuver through new teenage things.  I wish I could convince him that I do understand.

    Blue is working hard to let us know that he's his own person with his own life now.  Sigh, I wish he could understand how I can be both sad and glad about this.

    Number seven has barely begun, and is now packed up with the other six.  They're coming along with me tomorrow to visit my sister in Rhode Island for a week.  Everyone is this house understands that I'm so very glad for some time away from it all.  There will be some days by the sea...I can't wait.

    I hope you all find restful spaces in the upcoming week.

    Toodle-loo...

    

swash of sea & dots

    Six.  It's more coracle than ship shaped, but it has a cheery soul.

    And polka-dotted five.  Polka dots make me smile.  We had a Polka Polka-dot Parade Party for Blue when he was two.  We had round foods (grapes, cookies, satsumas, olives, etc...).  Folks came dressed in dots.  The walls were dotted with big construction paper circles.  There were dot-to-dots and dotting with bingo markers to do, and pin-the-dot-on-the-dalmation.  One friend brought his accordion and played polkas while the kids paraded around the house with their own instruments.  Everyone had a good time, except Blue, who became overwhelmed and went outside to take a break, sitting in the sandbox crying.  Lesson learned, we didn't throw a party for anyone under the age six after that.

awash

    I wish I had something clever, profound or at least funny to say... oh, well.

    Number four is filling up.

    A blue velvet sea shimmers on three.

    Number two is missing its mast...

    These boats are keeping me afloat.