handstories

Coupeville & Christine

    Things are so strange right now.  The virus... How much to worry?  Events being cancelled, going to three stores before finding toilet paper (we were down to our last roll), Moon says a third of the school is staying home, K.'s office has told everyone to work from home for the next two weeks... Where is the line between panic and reckless?

    Meanwhile, I took myself on a short retreat.

    Traveling companions- pincushion complete with guardian girl, Velma's bear, Jude's star, a piece of smoky quartz (I don't know what it does for me, but it feels good in my hand), and the "ease" cloth.

    A whole two days to myself looking at the water and trees, listening and watching the many birds, and stitching and stitching in a cozy comfy room.

    I watched the neighbors frolic during breakfast.

    For lunch there was a walk into town, a table by the window overlooking the water, and eating in a restaurant alone for the first time ever.  Yes, ever.

    And more stitching, knitting and a little painting into the twilight.

    The next morning, and why this getaway happened, there was Christine Mauersberger's  "Stitching a Small Story" workshop.  Christine is a wonderful teacher- inspiring, generous and she creates a warm rich environment to work in with wonderful kindred folk.  I especially love her prompts and how she shares her own process.  It was really good to step out of my own "boxes" and stretch my abstract muscles.  Everything informs and enriches everything.  Also, what a gift it was to be able to see and hold so much of her beautiful artwork.

    "Yesterday in Coupeville" in progress.

    The water, trees, birds...  What a good piece of time.

    There was even a hot pink sunset (pinker than it looks here).

    This photo, with its glowing moons of light, is just how it all felt and was.

holding time

    These are pages in progress from my book created in the workshop.  (This pretty wave is an indigo gift from Deb.)

    I loved how Christine's prompts gently brought focus and honing to our stories.  There was an exercise that I thought would be a few quick words that turned into a rough fairy tale that helped to make a bit more sense of myself.

    Another assignment, that I thought would be a short story, became a long list, and later lines in stitch, of memories in rivers, pools, lakes and the sea.

    And yesterday, I took the book completely apart, and started this new page, not wanting the lessons and feelings of the gifts of this time to end.

playdate for new old friends

    After years of "knowing" each other on-line, Deb and I have finally met!  How great it's been to spend time getting to know each other in real-life.

    We're spending time in Coupeville, WA, as students in Christine Mauersberger's workshop.  She has brought us a world of techniques to explore.  

    Here are just a few from the first two days...

    Cyanotype prints- this one had seed beads and buttons on it.

    Geli plate prints.

    Strike-out poem.

    A happy accident with a piece of Velma's beautiful handmade paper.  After dipping the edge into the indigo, it caught on itself, folding up into a wave... more to come with this page.

    The indigo drying tree.

    There's a lot more, too... Christine is filling our minds and time and with creative play, with two more days to go!

love sutures

    Good thing that bag was packed.  There was another trip to Urgent Care that day.  While waiting for the next thing to happen, out came a needle and blue thread to mark the blanket covering my friend.  "There!  You've got a kiss on you!"

    And on the sheet,

    the pillowcase,

    the curtain,

    And her sleeve.

    The stitches and photos are wonky, quickly done just in case the next doctor/nurse/CT scanner/whoever appeared.  They probably won't be noticed, and if so, maybe they'll make someone wonder, or even smile?  Or they will be unwelcome graffiti (that isn't knotted, so easily removed).

    Anyway, they helped to pass the time, and made her laugh during four stressful hours.  (And things were ok in the end.)

light

    There has been a lot of silence and stillness here.  Sometimes our stories are not ours alone.  In the big picture things are ok enough, there are some challenges that have taken most of my attention and energy.  Things are still being worked through, but there is some ease after last week's big gulps of sea air.

    Remembering how poorly Moon slept until he was four... how there might be six hours of sleep in four pieces.  The first time there were four hours in a row someone at work commented that I looked/seemed better... and saying to her, "I feel like I've come up from the bottom of the ocean."

 

    Having been much away from here and making, I'm feeling overwhelmed about finding my way back, so I’ll just start...

    

    Today I stitched.  Almost the whole day.  Until the moon came up.  And I'm looking forward to more tomorrow.

needled

    Jury duty- so much sitting, not a lot of stitching.  A little bit between breakfast and the bus, and then it's grabbed during the two short breaks we're allowed (At lunch I go outside and move).  There have been a some questions and a few odd looks from some of the other jurors.  Knitting would probably be less strange to them, but knitting needles of any kind are not allowed into the courthouse.  

    The biggest excitement I have each day is seeing if I can make it through security without setting off the alarm twice a day.  I've only made it through peacefully once.  It's becoming automatic to raise my arms after passing through.  I think it's my underwire.  Maybe I could sneak some knitting needles in that way?      I'm calling this "prayers" for right now.  Many thanks to Jude for sharing her "crumbs".

friends...feathered & otherwise

    This piece tugs at something in me.  During this unusually busy weekend I found myself clinging to the minutes that could be spent stitching on it.

    It was Seattle's first annual Bird Week, and the Audubon Society led bird walks all over the city yesterday.  The rain kept most people away, but a few of us tromped around the park looking, listening and learning all kinds of bird things.  Pine Siskin, Red Breasted Nuthatch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Anna's Hummingbirds, Varied Thrush, American Robin, Dark-eyed Juncos, Crows, and a Mallard Duck family were all seen.  I spotted two Bushtits, (I didn't know they were Bushtits, but was told it was a very good sighting).  

    The mama Mallard had eleven babies she was trying to protect from the Blue Herons and Seagulls in the area.  Meeting a friend for a walk in the same park today, we were happy to see that all eleven had made it to another day.  

    There was lunch with Janie's daughter today, too.  She brought her wedding photos from last summer.  What a fairy tale day it looks to have been...out in the country, a field of poppies, handmade buntings and jars of wildflowers...so much joy.   She glowed and laughed sharing it all.  It was just like the celebrations her mom used to gather folks together for.  I'm sure Janie's spirit was floating through it all.

    Two dinners dates with other friends filled out the rest of the weekend.  It was all very good, but I am peopled out.  Tomorrow is a day off, and I plan to fill it with stitching, stillness and silence.

 

sights & sounds & silence

    In the middle of my time on the island, I realized that this was the first time I have ever been away alone overnight.  It was very deeply swell.  

    No internet, housework, appointments, to-do lists, etc...  Just the wind in the tall tall trees, eagles, hawks, a heron, birds calling at dusk, and later frogs in the darkness.  

    There was stitching, successful fire building, and a delicious second breakfast.

    Painting happened for the first time in weeks, bad painting, but still, it was good to move a brush.  The guys thought I was crazy for bringing that little Christmas cactus along, but after two years of waiting for blooms, and having them finally show up last week, I wasn't going to miss a minute of them.

    And there was time in a fairy tale with a couple of friends for company... one of Jude's strays marked the spot, while Velma's bear weighted the pages of Snow & Rose by Emily Martin.  ("Snow and Rose didn't know they were living in a fairy tale...people never do.")

    And more stitching and some writing, too...lots of beginnings.  

    During a nice long beach walk with the guys once they came, there was some wondering about how to stitch barnacles? 

        It was all really really good.

off to the island...

  A little spot that you get to on a ferry that only holds about twenty cars, with one store/restaurant/gas station (and a motto of "If we don't have it, you don't need it"), lovely views and lots of quiet.

    Cloth, knitting and books have been gathered.  There will be two days alone in the cabin before the guys join me!  

    I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your week.

how to make time for being still

    Today-

    Wrestled with oil paints.  Neither of us going where or how we planned, but ending in an acceptable truce.  At least until the next layer.

    Scurried from painting class to an appointment.  It was a new driving route, to a place where there is frustratingly little parking, so allowed for plenty of time.  Arrived in plenty of time and found a perfect parking spot.  A spot under nice trees to stare at, with a breeze.  Time to sit still, breathe, listen to the radio, stitch and think of the sea.

    After appointment-

    Because of that time of sitting, staring, stitching, and listening, the car was dead.

    Called AAA.

    Phone died.

    Borrowed stranger's phone (she had to show me how to use it).

    There were two more hours to sit, stare, stitch, and to imagine the music of the sea and the hum of the moon.