Tag Archives: quilting

Sometimes lessons are painful.

Posted on May 28, 2012 | 11 Comments

           You guys!  Yesterday we forgot to wish Isadora Duncan happy birthday!  Dammit, I am totally to blame.  The date was written down on my fine old, ratty-ass, used envelope right here, it just didn’t make it into the post.  So, we recognize her day of birth 24 hours later, but still, festively, and with much warmth.

           Back to now, as in, today we went to the pool.  Ah….. salty, slightly chlorinated, über warm water…..  I feel much rejuvenated.  Which is good, because the earlier part of the day was rotten.  I’m seriously working on becoming all complete and shit.  But so far, the only observations I’ve come up with are not-positive emotions/senses.  I mean, that’s good too, I’m NOTICING.  So, improvement.  The WHAT of it though, not so great.

              Let’s  look at Max, then get on with our card.  He had to stay home while Dan and I were out, but tomorrow he’ll have more front yard time.  Our erranding list is very small.

Lookin’ good
in a cotton sweater.

            The weeds sort of exploded while we were gone;  some string-trimming will be the order of the day.  Before our walk/food gathering expedition (or whatever we end up deciding to do in the way of movement).

            On the rotation du jour, we’ve come around to an engagingly fascinating animal, which falls under the category of

“Earth Dwellers:

Mouse, Porcupine, Badger, Scorpion, and Fox.

These messengers make their homes within the safe, secure, and embracing element of the earth itself, and counsel that you too should remain grounded.  If material anxieties and worries are dominating your mind, they advise that you pay attention to what is truly important – your family, your true friends, your partner, and nature.

Earth-dwellers counsel that you reconnect with the wild world, even if this is as ephemeral as walking in a city park.  The grass may be manicured, the earth trodden hard, but beneath the surface worms and insects work tirelessly to renew the soil and its touch beneath bare feet can stabilize you, even when much seems lost.”

“Porcupine  ~ 

You may defend yourself honorably without hurting those close to you.

Porcupine trusts in the world.  Individual but unterritorial she shares her dens, her favorite verdant pastures, and is rewarded with plenty.  But when trust is broken Porcupine defends herself fiercely with barbed quills, causing even Tiger to defer. 

Like Porcupine, share your bounty with others, be it material or emotional, and discover that it returns to you tenfold.  Trust in others while not hesitating in defense and you too will garner the respect that Porcupine commands and the happiness you deserve.”

            See a pattern here?  I did, too.  More than one, in fact.  Good ideas that I feel strongly about, convictions I’m attached to.  Living genuinely with trust, being compassionate/sharing on all levels, and standing our ground, all are honest and positive ways to, not just survive, but to thrive.

            Unexpected interruption and delay.  Stand by, while I wait for the stars to clear from my vision.  I just went upstairs to check on a load of laundry and bashed my right hand soundly in to the back corner of a chair.

            Sturdy, go-nowhere piece of furniture vs the overly-sensitive and super-thin skin on the back of my hand = huge pain, and potentially a broken blood vessel, absolutely some massive bruising, swelling is already evident.  I’ve applied the magical blue stuff, smacked my Beloved in the arm (don’t ask, it just happens when I’m injured), and taken the Trifecta of Pain Relief.  But, I’m done for the night.  Grim pictures and medical updates tomorrow.

Today’s Deck:

Animal Messages – Seek Inspiration From Your Animals Guides by Susie Green

LateNight Crafty Goodness:

another picture I just came across, of the fabric we got on our latest adventure.

Might turn into a bag,
might not.

           Here is the shop website.  Wonderful people, I hope we can visit them again next time we head that direction.

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Special, and still visiting.

Posted on May 23, 2012 | 7 Comments

On this day, 25 years ago, I gave birth to my first daughter.  Here is what I said about her last time.  (And the one before that.)  She is currently dealing with a plumbing situation that will (hopefully) be finished by the time they go out for drinks tonight.  Fingers crossed.

Happy Happy Birthday, Hurricane!  See you in a few short weeks.  (So glad you liked your gifts.)

Matching tote bag, cozy throw, and socks. With a donation on the side.

 For this momentous event, we’ve gone with the Special Occasion deck.  (I did remember to pack that ahead of time.)

“Cockatoo  ~  Illumination  ~  10

Some say that in the beginning there was perpetual darkness – a gentle Void, a blanket of nothingness that tenderly swathed the universal plains.

Within this fertile emptiness the Great Mother stirred, as if waking from eternal slumber.  As though trying to recall some distant memory she began to unfold, twisting and churning, dreaming her self into fruition.   She began to reach out into the darkness as a massive expanse of nurturing energy that seduced everything it encountered, willingly drawing all into her protective Womb.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo’s dark sister, the Black Cockatoo carries the Genetic Memory of this sacred time and, within her Dreaming, helps us to take control of our life by insisting that we grow at our own pace and learn what we need to know in our own time.

She encourages us to just sit in contemplation and wait for the mysteries of our life to unfold without consciously seeking answers.  At the appropriate time, when our mind is still and our heart is at ease, Black Cockatoo passes the torch of illumination to her sister, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo.

To have Sulphur-crested Cockatoo appear in your cards is an indication that you are being primed for clarity to dawn in relation to one or more aspects of your life, and for stability to once again reign supreme.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo offers a time of illumination when truths will be revealed, when energy will flow more easily, and obstacles will begin to dissipate.

As a guardian of the East Gate and emissary of the sun, the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo promises a time of mental clarity, clear vision, enhanced intuition, and stability.”

Let’s notice, first off, that the number here is symbolic of new cycles.  As in, a new chapter, a new portion of life, a new beginning in some way.  We’ve started down a new path, this is our validation that we are going in the proper direction.  Remember, when we do this, we are rewarded.

As much as I keep saying I’m not all that fond of birds, turns out, I kinda am.  I love the great big ones, and the (to me) supremely exotic.  Having this one arrive for Han’s birthday is so lovely.

Today’s Daily Dog will be the oldest guy in residence.  And you can usually find him here.

Rocco, caught in a nap.

To quickly up date you on our travels, yesterday we went to a neighboring town, with much history.  Some of it my own.   But most of it actual facts.

We found a quilt shop (which is AWESOME, with Eugene connections!) and a frozen yogurt place.  Then we went to see Cousin Brad, who got Emmy’s phone situation worked out.  Thanks, Bradley!

I want to make one (or five) of these.

Here are a few of the trees in this yard.  (We grabbed some fruit for our breakfast on the first day.)

Front yard lemons.

Dan’s dad also has citrus over at their house.  THAT is one of the hugest things I miss about here.

Back yard tangerines, with Mermaid Water for perspective.

Earlier today we went to a ball game.  Sadly, “our” team lost.  But it was still an adventure!

Seats in the shade with a great view.

And as I’m writing this, our hostess is showing my daughter that Costco has booze.  Oh, look.

Bargain? Buy in bulk?

They also have caskets.  Well, that’s handy to know.

Today’s Deck:

Animal Dreaming Oracle Cards by Scott Alexander King

Foreign License Plates That I Saw In The Coliseum Parking Lot:

Missouri and Tennessee.

 

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Devoted.

Posted on May 12, 2012 | 9 Comments

            As I sat in the card altar room this afternoon I was “advised” that we REALLY need to do something about that messy, and too small, table.  And that combining some of the retired decks would be a helpful and worthwhile idea.  So.  I guess that has to be put on the Honey Do List.  *I* certainly can’t run an electronic device to set screws!  And the tabletop won’t balance there by itself.

            Speaking of cards, let’s do today’s now, because I have some pictures to share.   Of my day.  Which was slightly odd, but also moderately accomplished.

“Dog  ~  Cu  (pronounced as Coo, with the little dealie over that u)  ~  Guidance, Protection, Loyalty

The card shows a deer-hound similar to the hound portrayed in the bronze figure found at the third-century shrine of the healer-god Nodens at Lydney, Gloucestershire.  Another healing sanctuary at Nettleton Shrub in Wiltshire was dedicated to Apollo Cunomaglus - the Celtic ‘Houndlord’ – showing that the dog was strongly associated with healing.  It is a bright summer’s day, with the dog-rose, dog-daisy, dog-violet, and dog-perwinkle all in flower.  These hot days of July and August are called dog-days because at this period the Dogstar Sirius rises and sets with the sun.  We see a pool beside the dog in this scene, for there is a deep symbolic connection between the dog and water.

Cu brings guidance and protection, acting as a loyal companion and friend on your journey in both this life and the next.  In the Druid tradition the dog is seen as the Guardian Of The Mysteries.  As such, he can be fierce, but if our intentions are good, then Cu will lead us over the threshold through the darkness and the waters of the Unconscious toward the shimmering realm of the Goddess.

The time may come when you need to act with the spirit of Cu – to defend your values or protect that which you hold sacred.  Faithfulness, trust, and loyalty are vital ingredients of close relationships, and the time may have come for you to focus on these qualities – to develop them gradually in yourself and to appreciate them in others.

Drawn reversed, this card urges you to examine the degree to which you or those around you may be lacking in  faithfulness or loyalty.  Ask yourself to what extent you value these qualities in your friends and lovers, and to what extent you and they express these values.  If you find it difficult to keep friendships, Cu as your ally with help you to develop the qualities of selflessness and trust that will nurture close relationships.  But remember that sometimes loyalty and faithfulness can be inappropriate – a dog is often submissive and anxious to please even a cruel owner.”

             Max is a delightful (and highly entertaining) example of all these positive traits.  But he sometimes needs to be reminded that good dogs also have nice manners. 

Guardian Of The Yard

             We were out in front rearranging flamingos.  And some potted plants that came with him, and his girl.  I paired* them all up again, except for the ones that are in Sick Bay.

*The flamingos got paired up, not the plants.  But since she brought THOSE here they are all looking bad.  Probably not due to non-mating but more like, they are HERE, where we chronically kill house plants.  UNintentionally!

            Here (above) are two of my pink darlings that have temporarily left the flock.  They are on that table, with some broken solar lights.  These are also on the Honey Do List (it’s long, and he never really makes much progress on it, poor thing).

           That white-ish thing is a papier-mâché duck, which also arrived when our Long Term guests did.   Who else is there?

            (WordPress SpellCheck just added those dealies on top of what the duck is made of.  How interesting.)

What an adorable couple!

             Why, that’s Watering Pig, of course!  WP was a gift for Empress  not too long ago, her father found him/her* and plunked down his hard-earned cash.   Because, really.  How could we NOT buy that?!

*Emmy, is Watering Pig a her, a him?   Or neither?

            Moving now to the back deck, here is how my salad bowl looks right now.  (Thank you Karen B, for mentioning that we needed to pick the leaves in the morning when they are plump with dew and night-time moisture.  It was you, right?  We’ve been diligent about doing it right before we go to bed, because ya know, our “morning” is really 2 o’clock in everyone else’s afternoon.)

Growing my own food.

            This is the second picking.  The first batch was fabulous, and in a few minutes, as soon as I get done here, I’ll go find out how this bunch tastes.  It will be great, I’m sure of it.  Also, I kind of got over the snipping-off-leaves hesitancy I had before.  Sort of.

             Okay, so that was the outdoors portion of my day.  I did not go walking or biking this afternoon.  I know!  How strange.  I quilted instead!  Or rather, machine pieced, to be entirely accurate.  (Which, to be truthful, I am NOT, when I’m sewing along.  My hideous inaccuracy is why my quilts are crooked.  I KNOW this, I just can’t seem to CHANGE it.)

            (Full disclosure:  I actually did the pilates work-out that came with my weights Hanny gave me, but again, as with nearly all things in my life, I was half-assed.  To make up for that less-than-full-adherence, I ran up and down the inside stairs about 8 or 11 times.)

Future quilt top.

            When we head south in a week (gah! Only a week?) I’ll need a handwork project.  I want it to be this.  Emma believes that there is not enough time for that to actually happen.  I’m thinking that I can get the blocks together fast (and no doubt, messy).  Then all I need is batting and a back.  Oh hell, what was I going to use for a quilt-back on this one? 

Today’s Deck:

The Druid Animal Oracle ~ Working With The Sacred Animals Of The Druid Tradition by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Bill Worthington

 

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Positive and Proactive.

Posted on May 11, 2012 | 13 Comments

             Yesterday when Empress and I went out we took her old car, the blue one I sometimes drive.  It has had MUCH work done to it by her father, as well as a variety of other mechanics and fixing-type professionals.  It’s not a fancy vehicle, just an old Ford, but when it works, it works great.  Right now it’s not* GREAT, but it’s better than the Wee Walnut. 

*He believes it’s a malfunctioning spark plug wire, which he’ll get to.  Eventually.  As soon as he can.

           Unfortunately I may have tainted it with my boggy self elf by spending so much time driving it around town.  She noticed when we first sat down that there were sprouted things coming up from under one of the floormats.  Obviously we had to take a picture of this!

not a mushroom, but close

            We took a few shots, this one is the best.  (Right, I know that’s a subjective term.)  Can you see the small green shoot right next to my phone? This made us both laugh.  No, it’s not QUITE as leaky as my car, but it is also not entirely sealed either.  Hey, we live in a very wet place!  Precisely why everything is so colorful.  Sure, much of it is mold, and mildew.  Just how it goes.  Taking the good with the bad.

             Last night I continued on with our Exceptional Life book, every other second I wanted to share so much of it with you guys.  Every page of this tiny tome has some golden nugget of fabulousness!  This time, specifically, they are talking about dissolving habits that are serving no positive purpose.  (You’ll notice that I did not say “breaking bad habits” because that just is NOT what this is about.) 

            Falling into a negative frame of mind IS habitual.  We stress and fret, constantly complaining about having no choices while simultaneously clinging to every small bit of (supposed ) control we can find.  “When we worry, we repeat our worries over and over again until we have thoroughly frightened ourselves.”   And by that time we’ve carved a groove deep into our brain with all that negativity, turning it into a beacon for even MORE garbage to fall on us.

            So we find those areas where we are battling, and instead of trying to smash a part of who we are (because those habits ARE us), we aim towards dissolving them.  Using focused intent, kindness, loving acceptance of our imperfections and limitations, all the while doing something on the positive side to balance out that newly formed void.  “When you affirm your intentions and take action, you align yourself with Universal energy, inviting Life to rise up and meet you.”

             They recommend we begin with the following to get us started.

“I gratefully accept all the good I have in my life now.

Life loves me and provides for me.

I trust Life to take care of me.

I am worthy of abundance.

Life always provides for my needs.

Abundance flows into my life in surprising ways every day.

My income is constantly increasing.

I prosper wherever I turn.”

           The suggestion is that we copy this down someplace.  By hand.  Into a notebook, on a Post It, within our journal, or hell, on the back of an old used envelope like I did.  Yes, you can ALSO type it out and/or click print.  But first, WRITE it. 

            The very action of using your pen (pencil, crayon, Sharpie, lipstick, doesn’t matter) and making the shapes of the letters as you say it to yourself is part of the process.  Involve yourself on all levels:  body, mind, and spirit. 

             Which has kind of been a theme around here lately, every bit of NEW crap that I’m seeing and hearing and knowing, has had an aspect of all three dimensions.  Even our card it like that today. 

“Rejuvenation  ~

Get a good night’s sleep.

Rejuvenate your body, mind, and spirit.”

          I showed Emmy the card a few minutes ago and she jokingly asked, “we’re supposed to sleep in a shell?”  Ha, no.  I wish!  Now THAT is a place I could call home.  Some illustrations just call out to me.  This is one of them.  (If we look past the naked lady.)

           One more important point, on taking care of ourselves and on living an Exceptional Life.  Feelings.  We must honor them.  Acknowledge them.  In the book they tell us that in order for affirmations to work their very best we need to allow our emotions to be registered and accepted.  “Ultimately, it is the alignment of head and heart which creates the alchemy that gives your affirmations power.”

             We are encouraged to pay attention to our initial reaction to a negative situation, allow ourselves to feel the natural emotions that come up.  It’s a valuable point, and I totally agree.  We’ve talked about this here before too.  Living honestly means feeling honestly as well.  The examples I’ve been reading about span all parts of life, work relationships, significant others, parents and kids, all ways that we interact with others.

             So often we have accepted these troubles as just the way it is.  But if we address them straight on, dissolve our negativity, practice our affirmations, and then simply let go, all the elements mesh.  The Universe listens and the lesson is smooth.  We are able to walk away with a smile.

            Wanna see what made me smile today?  Of course you do.  The Daily Dog, with his girl (who was trying to take a nap after a long, tiring day of making beloved pets look beautiful).

              (Annoying them with my camera Taking pictures of them both did NOT help her rest.  Right, I’ll try to remember that.  But come on, aren’t they both so lovely?)

Today’s Deck:

Self-Care Cards by Cheryl Richardson

Foreign License Plate (and side-panel) Report:

Wisconsin, Virginia, BC (wave, wave), Nebraska, and a simple white van that had something I’ve never seen painted on it (Mobile Meditation Services ~ Quartz Singing Bowls).

LateNight NOT Mystery:

we have a new deck in route!  I won a gift card over at Kewl Kate’s place so I used it to order us another set from the Crystal Oracle guy.  Just got an e-mail saying it had shipped. 

 

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Patchwork Erranding, with Perspective Redeux.

Posted on October 2, 2010 | 12 Comments

   Today there was a quilt show, so I went.  But the minute I hit the door one of my pool friends spotted me (hi Kathy) and she introduced me to a friend of hers, who came zooming up with her camera in hand.  This super nice woman wanted to take a picture of my pants, or as she said ”your fancy seat.”   I laughed, and said, “sure, but only if you take a picture with my camera too.”My daughters hate these pants.  To me, they are just another pair of my ratty Levi’s.  (You can see the front of them in that picture from the candy store, same jeans, different view.)  I didn’t realize that I even had this pair on, I just grab the closest Levi’s and head out the door (speaking of fashion, lol).  But wearing them to a quilt show did seem kind of funny, after I realized I had done it.

The women in this guild are amazingly talented.  I would love to be able to make a jacket like this one, but maybe with less color.

  This one was made by my friend Kathy, and you can clearly see that she loves bright colors.  She had several pieces in the show, all of them gorgeous.

   I just thought this one was pretty cool.  I’ve seen many of the black and white ones done with red as an accent, but this is the first one I had seen with a soft aqua.

  No, that is not my own Wee Walnut.   Should I consider making a cozy quilt like this for my car?  LOL!

   One of my favorite combinations: quilting, hand-work, and history.  This woman’s work is award winning, whether they get awards at this event or not, I would have given her a prize.

  I am not in love with all the pointy bits here, but when you see the close up view, you’ll know why I took the picture.   Can you see the ocean themed fabrics?  Yeah, anything with a connection to the beach and I’m on it.

   This is what I came home with (it’s flannel).  What am I going to do with it?  I have no idea, it hasn’t told me yet.  But you’ll be the first to hear about it once that happens.

   In other quilting news, remember the cover I was making for J.D.?  Well, I had some Mercury Retrograde issues last month so I set it aside.  Today I dragged it back out and got it going in the right direction.  All three sides are stitched up, and I’ll have pictures next week when it’s done.

    Our cards seem to be following along with what we are discussing right now, as we come around to the Druid Animal Oracle again, today’s draw really chimes in.   “Hawk  ~  Seabhac  ~  Nobility, Recollection, Cleansing.

   The card shows a merlin, the smallest of the hawks, perched on a cliff above a beach, on which burn two Beltane fires.  It is dawn, and in the foreground to the left hawksbeard is growing, with common hawkbit to the right.  The hawk’s mate, a female merlin, flies above the beach.

   Seabhac brings the ability to see your life in perspective, to free you of unneccessary ‘baggage’ and to connect you to your ancestral roots.  See if you can take some time out of your daily routine to survey your life calmly and to see events in context, to view them from another angle.  Hawk can help you to recollect the missing pieces of the puzzle you will be trying to assemble and will help too,  to spot the details which are significant.  When you have a sense of your roots and of the breadth of your life, you will start to feel pride and a growing sense of nobility and stature.  Once you know where you have come from, where you are going, and what is important, your life will be filled with inspiration and enthusiasm, you will sense a new day dawning, and you will be able to make decisions with confidence.”

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