handstories

On the Home Front

    More little houses with rainbow windows.  I think I've been craving more home time.

    There was a weekend alone.  Friday evening and all-day Saturday, I went through the boxes and baskets of cloth.  Weeding.  Knowing that cloth I didn't like ten, twenty, etc... years ago hasn't changed and isn't going to, and that no matter how pretty/good/etc. a piece of fabric is, if it's too thick for my kind of hand stitching, it's probably no going to get used, and that I do not have enough of a lifetime left to stitch ALL of the Things. 

    Of course, there were exceptions.

    In the end, there were half as many containers, and no idea of how best to keep it.  So now those baskets sit here on the floor.  I keep hoping they'll tell me what to do next.  Maybe they just need time to consider possibilities?  Or maybe it will all just be a hill in the middle of the studio room?  To be continued... hopefully.

    Old pieces were uncovered.  This one had an ugly house built on it.  It took an hour to pick it out, and then a tree was planted.  There was such a flow in putting it back together, it felt like painting.

    Again, eyes closed... I was happily surprised that the eyes landed in the right spots and under the eyebrows, but the neckline is another story.

    And, back to this for today.  Mid-sky building.  

    (Pool Report:  There was an embarrassing back-flop into the pool one day, and there was a completely empty lane to myself late Monday afternoon.  I sure hope there's a routine to doing this sometime soon.)

Quiet thoughts

    The latest block for the s l o w l y going moon cabin blanket.  

    Not much to report.  I now know that Monday morning in the pool is rush hour.  You will get swam over if you're not careful.  Went back to the water aerobics class yesterday.  Kept a smile on my face most of the time. 

    (Remembering back to when to those first couple of years at a very small college.  Everyone knew everyone and their business.  If you didn't want to be asked what was wrong, you tried to look pleasant.  My roommate and I would leave our dorm room saying, "It's plastic smile time!")

    It seemed like an indigo fail, but became so peaceful.  Now seeing one branch that wasn't filled in.  Maybe it adds to the quietness.

    Something about working pink charms.

    "Pieces of Our Stories" 

    Enjoyed myself very much while getting carried away with continuing and connecting patterns and colors.

    View at Folio yesterday with a friend.  There were sunflowers down in the garden. Great to see her, chatting to and from, and working in companiable silence side by side.

    After the hushed hours in Folio, the market seemed extra lively and wild.  We left with dahlias.  A bit of a challenge on the crowded light rail. 

    What was started there.

    Quiet at home today, not leaving, no smiles required.

Not drowning but waving

    "The Alchemy of Home"

    In the 90's, warm for here.  Not complaining, but it is the focus these days.  Opening or closing doors/windows/curtains while watching for the moments when the temperatures inside and outside switch, moving fans, searching for food in the fridge that won't require the stove.  It was 109° for Mom down in Oregon the other day.  So, really, not complaining, just managing.

    And I really should avoid people while managing.  For all of our sakes.

    Went to a water aerobics class yesterday.  The shallow end was quite full, so I donned a floatation belt and lurked just where the pool bottom drops off.  I don't know what my face looked like, but clearly not ok.  The teacher kept asking me if I was all right?  An elderly woman crossed a quarter of the pool to encourage me to come closer to where I could touch the floor of the pool.

    I tried to remember to keep a cheery smile on my face, so as not to worry others.  All the while, remembering the line from Stevie Smith's poem...

        "...I was much too far out all my life   

        And not waving but drowning."

 

    "Roasted carrots with oregano and chili powder made for $1.25!"

    I love that Blue sends photos of his new cooking and shopping skills.

 

    "Empanada making party with our Chilean friend last night!"

 

    Making smaller pieces again, thinking of picture books.  Remembering one of my children's lit professers, Dr. O., who said that in the very best books, each page, each illustration, should be able to stand alone as its own story.  That's what I'm aiming for.

    

 

Boys & Busy

    Scraps from the top layer of the worktable.

    Unexpectedly, Moon came home for the weekend.  Expecting him to spend his days with friends, I was happily surprised that he asked if we could do things together.  A while ago, I had told him about Folio, and he asked if we could go.  It's a lovely space down in the Pike Place Market.  An atheneum- a few quiet book and table filled rooms overlooking the bay.

    We packed up writing materials, stitching, and reading, and spent a peaceful piece of time by the window.  He shared some of his writing.  I may have pinched myself.

    Swam three times last week.  It's a mission.

    Meanwhile, Blue is in winter, enjoying all of the seasons of Chile!

    (Screenshots of the video he sent.)  He said it was great fun, but was sore for days.  Oh, to be young again!

    Today a picnic with Chicago friends who are passing through.

    Enjoying the calm stillness of this scrap gathering.

Blue, Books, Blanche, & Boats

    Indigo did happen, but I timed it wrong, forgot about a zoom appointment.  The result was meh at the hottest (whiniest) part of the day.  The main goal of blue wrapping cloths for the shop was accomplished and there were a few of these overdyes that made me happy.  (I wonder if I will ever stitch a piece that turns out straight with 45° corners?)

    There was another unexpected happy place... I've been thinking about zines, small books, as a way to bring some things together- stitching, painting, writing.  Also, a friend likes the boat paintings, so I've been thinking about how to make a little book of them for her.  On Thursday, a favorite artist/teacher of a friend posted a photo of blue papers with the words "the sea" announcing that he was teaching a zine class... sold!

    I meant to work on the boat idea, but Grandma showed up.

      Her name is whited out here for privacy, but it's a long list... Blanche Ione Sp., Sh., W., St., St., and Ab.  Born Sp., married Sh. (who died while she was pregnant with my mom), married W. (who only lasted for six months when Mom was in first grade. A mean man.), married, divorced, re-married, and re-divorced St., and then Ab was her on-again/off-again boyfriend in the later years.  (She said that she was done getting married.)

    I loved Grandma, but not her cooking.  I remember begging to go over AFTER dinner.  You never knew what would be on the plate.  Especially when it was a last minute invitation, which meant one of the old-timers at the bar had offered some of their catch of the day. 

    The frog legs were chewy.

    There's a growing list of ideas for more bite-sized booklets of Blanche.

   

    And the boat idea was begun...  It was a really good day.

She did, and she did.

    I went, got in, and alternating laps with and without a kickboard, went back and forth for twenty-five minutes.  At the end of the first length without a kickboard, so happy that, oh so slowly but without stopping, I made it to the end, I started to cry.  (I don't recommend doing this in swim goggles.)

    Back home, I started this piece about water, waves, sunsets, and memories of nighttime skinny dipping in the ocean long, long ago.  Jude's moon swam to the top of the basket at just the right time to float above Deb's sunset.

    Those front waves are from this Maiwa cloth from our last trip to B.C..  I just love the crackles of blue in the white.

    Pencils were sharpened.  It always seems like such a chore, but so satisfying once I sit down to do it.

    There was a phone call with Mom.  She had been to the beach with her sisters and had an "awesome" time.  She talked about waking up at four in the morning and watching "the brightest and fullest" moon set into the sea.  It was nice to hear her happy.

    And remembering our recent ocean trip...During our time together, we visited old haunts- the beach camp we kids went to for years, and a beach town where Mom had lived growing up.  The whole time, as we drove there, walked on its beach, and driving away- she recounted story after story of her time there.  Where she played with friends, the hideout in the rocks on the shore, where they caught the school bus, the boy that lived down the road...  On and on her happy clear memories poured out.

    Later, we were surprised when we asked her how many years she had lived there?

    "Only about nine months, when I was nine."

    How the ocean has held my family is really something.

    I went back to the pool this morning.  It was harder.

    I think I'll start this summer's indigo vat today.

    Have a good weekend. 💙

Will she or won't she?

    Yesterday things got done.  Packages were packaged and sent, including a six-month overdue one.  Emails and texts were sent, a letter was written, things were found, and I stopped at the Y to see what it would take to get this chubby older woman back into the pool.  The nicest young man at the counter said to call our insurance and they might pay for it!

    A phone call was made.  Twenty minutes later, the nicest woman across the state said that I wasn't old enough but encouraged me to still go back to the pool.

    Another phone call to the Y.  Another nice man, who was kind and helpful, sent the scholarship application.

    I spent the rest of the day getting carried away with this one.

    This morning forms were filled out.  Suit and cap have been found.  I'm going to eat my oatmeal now, and then we shall see...

Moons aplenty

    When I accidentally tore one of Jude's moons, a story came pouring out.  There are +'s to continue, dots to repeat, purple and magenta to float further, and, of course, more stars... 

    Moon called just to chat out of the blue yesterday.  You can't believe what a wonder this is.  Maybe we've both grown up some.

    There are twelve blocks so far (although, looking at them today, I saw that a couple were put in the pile before they were finished).  More than I thought, but less than needed.

    (Five posts in one week!  I'm calling this an official Roll.)