april 28th

april 28th is a happy day.

 31 years ago today batman and i embarked on 

our favorite adventure of all time.

happy birthday to our firstborn child,

stewart.

thanks for making us parents. 

xo 

late april afternoon

chives, garlic and sage...greening up.

blueberry twigs and the shed.

matching.

dreaming of summertime pancakes.

at our bit of earth.

earth day

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.

-Shakespeare

waiting

Waiting is so hard. 

Waiting for spring to come.

Waiting for a baby to be born.

Waiting for test results.

Waiting for a cake to bake.

Waiting up for a child to come home.

Waiting for a dream to come true.

Waiting for a package to arrive in the mail...

Waiting to hear what will happen in Boston this morning.

The city of America's birth.

The city of my youth.

The city of education, culture and history.

The city of strength and compassion and courage.

The city filled with families and friends, waiting on the edge of their breath.

The city of our dear and beloved daughter, Lindsey. 

I hold them all in the Light this morning.

The light of hope, of protection, of love.

Friday evening...thank goodness for closure. Rest well tonight, Boston. xoxoxo

how to carry on

Our Lindsey was on the marathon route, stationed with a group of her students, cheering on two of her co-workers who were "charity runners".  I got a very brief phone call from her early on, to say that she was safe, but there was no time for details and we were unable to talk with her after that. (Cell service was compromised).

Last night we finally heard from her. She helped all of her students get safely home. She is not sure what today will bring for students, co-workers or the city of Boston.

My brother Doug shared these words this morning.

"I can imagine a fully armed man to be at heart a coward. Possession of arms implies an element of fear, if not cowardice. But true nonviolence is an impossibility without the possession of unadulterated fearlessness". - Mahatma Gandhi

Today I will remember that courage, compassion and love are more ferocious than fear and cowardice and ignorance. There are stories in the news this morning that prove that this is, indeed, true.

Let us turn away from the fear and remember the transformational power of love. 

xo

4/14/2013

spheres, by Grace Knowlton

grasses, by Mother Nature

storm king wall, by Andy Goldsworthy

the wall comes down the hill, into the lake

and up the other side.

storm king lichen, by Mother Nature

 the three legged buddha, by Zhang Huan

Storm King Art Center

New Windsor, NY.

distracted by wonder

our summer companions in vermont 

come from many different families. 

spiders take up residence under the eaves,

sheltered from the summer heat.

in the evening, they belay down on their silken threads

and sway in the evening breezes.

we welcome them, as they help control bothersome bugs.

the extraordinary vimeo of a cape made of 

golden spider thread can be viewed here.

(it sounds creepy, but it is NOT!)

watch it and be amazed.

i found the vimeo via one of my faves,

mister finch, a british textile artist.

see his wonderful work here.

i am lucky to have a mr. finch moth.

 it reminds me of our meadow in vermont.

spiders and moths and mother nature...

inspiration abundant and filled with wonder.

working together

today i received some very special snail mail.

do you know geninne and arounna?

geninne is an artist who lives in mexico

with her architect husband, two sons and a fabulous

border collie named turbo. 

arounna and her partner john created bookhou,

a lovely shop in toronto.

(their friend margie at resurrection fern

is also very creative. they are quite the trio!)

recently geninne and arounna 

collaborated on a lovely fabric wallhanging.

they printed a limited run.

i knew from experience they would sell out in hours.

i ordered one and am i glad i did.

to see what this beauty looks like

all hung up look here.

the collaboration and encouragement these women

share inspires me and challenges me to think about my future.

longing for the day when i will have time to devote to

my (new) studio and my new life,

i would love to collaborate on a project or two 

with some of my nearest and dearest.

have you ever worked on a creative 

collaborative project with someone?

shifting gears for a bit

you've probably noticed that there has not been much 

sewing or sowing here lately.

batman and i are moving into quite a complicated chapter...

real estate adventures, a career shift and lifestyle adjustments.

this space will become a shelter for my weary self.

a simple place to catch my breath.

to search for a center, even when it's a moving target. 

if all goes well, 

there will be sewing and sowing again.

(pent up sewing and sowing!)

until then, 

drop by for a little shelter of your own.

xo

out on the porch

the screened porch is open, swept, washed and welcoming.

the french doors are wide open today

and a flood of chilly but gentle air has moved into the house.

supper on the porch may be ambitious, 

but a cup of tea this afternoon is a fine 

way to christen the 2013 porch season.

this will be my safety zone.

my place of deep breaths.

my sanctuary. 

gretta has been deposited to her residency in vermont.

batman and i are empty nesters once again.

meetings with realtors have been scheduled.

this is getting serious.

;-)

Poetry is what gets lost in translation. -Robert Frost

Thank goodness April is National Poetry Month. It serves as a reminder to go to my poetry shelf and catch up with a few friends, and get to know some new ones. In the midst of a very busy chapter in my life, making time to read poetry slows me down, gives my brain some space and brings me a sense of balance.

The Writer's Almanac and the Poetry Foundation are both great online resources for finding poetry. One of my favorite books is an anthology "in celebration of women's spirituality" entitled Cries of the Spirit, edited by Marilyn Sewell.

I love Rumi, Wendell Berry, Richard Brautigan, Marge Piercy, Mary Oliver, Richard Wilbur, Dana Faulds, Tracy K Smith, Denise Levertov, and May Sarton. My buddy Melinda Morris Perrin, from our Chicagoland days is a fave too. Earlhamite and Vermonter Julie Cadwallader-Staub's collection Face to Face is a gem. Vermonters David Budbill and Katrina Van Tassel are wonderful too.

Do you have favorite poets? I'd love to hear about them. Please leave a comment!

yesterday and today

On Sunday
Spring/Seder/Easter brunch for 9.
Matzoh and charoses.
Fruit salad a la Gary.
Local bacon by Chef Pierre.
Leek, asparagus, feta frittata here.
OJ/Prosecco mimosas.
Jelly beans and foil covered chocolate eggs.

This morning in Vermont

No fooling...

A fresh dusting of snow and dense fog, too.

Happy April!
And Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law, Ra. xo