august 2017-august 2018

the devil whispered in my ear,

"you're not strong enough to withstand the storm".

Today I whispered in the devil's ear, "I am the storm".

Revisiting the mantra of “strong mind, body and spirit”, I started working with a health coach in May of 2017 (FREE, through our local hospital!). As part of my conversations with Carolyn, I decided to get back to some formal gym training. Late last summer I wandered into our local, small town fitness studio and began working with Sarah, a gentle and supportive trainer. Recently, two more women have joined Sarah’s amazing training team. This week I am celebrating the one year anniversary of finding this supportive community of kindred spirits! 

That "plank with arm reach"? Yes, my palm could be directly under my shoulder, and I continue to work on form...but, dang, I feel strong! 

I recognize my privilege and I am grateful as heck to have access to this opportunity. I see my increasing strength as a very proactive part of my own unmedicated health care. My arthritis is easier to manage, my balance is better and I feel healthier all over. In a very real way, working out is part of my survival kit for 2018 (and hopefully, into the future, as well.) It's part of my plan for resistance and persistence!

This is a very rare "selfie" and I struggled with whether to share it or not. Celebrating is part of my mission here at "sewandsowlife", so that's what I'm doing! Thanks for humoring me, friends. And thanks to Sarah for taking the pic. :-)

(That pup, curled up in her bed next to me? That's rescue dog Lila, she keeps all of us on our toes).

taking time to reflect

Hello friends. It's steamy here in Vermont again. Do you see how hazy the view is? Not my favorite. We have been having supper on the deck, and linger until the sun sets over the foothills of the Green Mountains. Out here we can catch a breeze, if there is one. 

I've been thinking about patriotism and courage and democracy a lot lately. #notmypresident and the passing of Senator John McCain have me consulting and exploring my moral compass. So much to ponder. 

And then there are the real compass points in my life. These bring me joy and remind me of why we live here, nestled in this pastoral slice of New England.

 Looking south on our road, from our driveway.

Looking north.

Sometimes the heaviness of current events can sap my energy, just like this steamy, late August weather. I am reminded that in the midst of all this chaos, there are moments of sheer delight and lightness. It's a powerful thing to embrace the good that is still in this world. Here's a few links to help you find some...

We went to see Christopher Robin at the movies a few nights ago. It was wonderful. Maybe you have seen it too? Here's a preview.

Awhile back I found a very sweet book on sale. It caught my eye because it is called Wilma's World. Alas, it is about a dog named Wilma, (not a cat), but it's enchanting anyhow. Subtitled Good Advice From a Good Dog, it is full of wonderful photos of Wilma, captioned with lessons from this wise pup. You can read about the book here.

I've been guided lately by a few queries from Plain Living, a Quaker Path to Simplicity, by Catherine Whitmire.

• Am I a grateful recipient of the gifts that life provides? How do I express my gratitude?
• Do I live with a grace and lightness that makes joy and laughter part of my everyday life?
• Do I live expectantly, watching and listening for life's "minor ecstasies"?

I find these to be valuable questions to consider as we navigate a world fraught with division and uncertainty. I invite you to find a few spare, quiet moments to sit in stillness and consider them, too.

Namaste, friends.

xo

(Tula Tuesday will return soon)

we are all connected

Years ago, one of my brothers worked in a frame shop with a woman named Judy.

One day, my Mumsie and Judy met and they became fast friends.

My Mumsie introduced me to Judy's blog and I loved her work.

Then I met Judy in the "real" world and we became fast friends.

Then Judy "introduced" me to Sharon and Anne, a mother/daughter duo via their lovely blogs.

Then I found Sharon Nullmeyer (Nullsie) via Anne's blog.

Now I follow Judy, Anne, Sharon and Nullsie on Instagram.

Today, I stopped dead in my tracks when I read a post on '"Nullsie's" Instagram feed.

Please take a minute to read the post here. For a more medical and clinical update, this post is a bit hard to read, but lets us know the realities of Leah's situation.

Our connections can be circuitous, virtual, tenuous...but imagine what a simple postage stamp can do to bring hope and support to a young woman who is in a dire situation.

In a world where we can often feel lost and insignificant, here is a small "something" every one of us can do to make a difference. It's easy, affordable and dang, it's filled with love!

Please join me in flooding Leah with massive amounts of long distance love.

Thank you. xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

renewing our hellos

Last evening was full of freshness. 

A cold front came up and over the ridge here at our "bit of earth", and some news came out of Washington D.C. that might help shift the current situation there. We can hope.

The last few days here in Vermont have been marked by lower humidity and cooler temperatures, such a relief from the past few weeks of sultry and energy sapping days. 

The gardens have kicked into overdrive. The beets (three varieties!) are growing up and out of the dirt. I dug the onions this morning. Tomorrow I'll cut some herbs to dry in the breezeway. 

Things are beginning to look downright wild out there. The sunflowers are ready to open, the cherry tomatoes are falling off the vines faster than we can pick them (I'll be oven roasting them soon, and stashing them in the freezer for mid-winter vitamin C)! The indigo is thriving. The corn has tassels, the squash and pumpkins are growing and the chard is still coming on strong. And...oh, those carrots...such beauties. This weekend we'll clean out and prep the root cellar, making sure that all is ready for the bounty.

And do you see those sheets, hung out to dry in the sun? This weekend we had houseguests here to recharge their own batteries but they just could not resist a project. So...

 ...we pulled out the roto-tiller and cleared a space for a hoop house that will be finding its way up here sometime this fall. My brother Doug has once again led the charge on a project to enhance this sweet little homestead. He is the best. Stay tuned for more.

And look at these two. Wilma and Corazón. The best of friends.

I've got a bunch of links to share with you. Things that caught my interest, that you may enjoy too.

• Did you know that Batman played Ultimate Frisbee in college? The team even made it to the Nationals in Amherst, MA one year. By a fluke. But they were there. Many entertaining stories from those days. But I digress. Here's a link to a story about the "invention" of Ultimate Frisbee. So fun.
• Driving along I-89 last week, I heard a story about Che Apalache, a band playing Latin Bluegrass Fusion. Yup. Sounds crazy, but it is fun! You can hear the story here.
• Do you remember reading about Mister Finch here a long time ago? Well, he has become very well known and has a huge show in Leeds in the UK right now. (I wish I could just pop across the ocean to see it)! He has also self-published a book, which I splurged on. The Wish Post was a labor of love and it is a beautiful piece of work. It has become part of my survival kit for 2018, along with Mary Oliver's Devotions. To learn more about the magic of Mister Finch, click here to see a quick and delightful film about his work.

I really am not sure whether blogging is dead or not. This current fresh air has reinvigorated me, and so I look forward to sharing more bits and pieces here with anyone who wanders by. It's an all volunteer situation at sewandsowlife...both to post and to show up as a reader. I like that.

xo

tula tuesday::week 29

 block number 58

from tula pink's

city sampler

100 modern quilt blocks.

 and the inspiration...

our first effort at growing corn in our gardens

here at our "bit of earth".

(detail)

i found a bit of nani IRO

"herring bone pencil"

double gauze

to use for the corn tassels.

 the hand-dyed indigo sky

is from my buddy shawna,
one of my favorite members of our vtmqg.
she is on her way to create a new life for herself in colorado
shawna gifted me with some of her precious indigo fabric
before she left (she knows me well).
we will all miss her big heart and her sparkling smile.
you can follow her adventures on instagram, here.

 stitching this very simple block reminded me of how connected
we makers really are...over time, over distances, over generations.

kindred spirits, all.

p.s. the weather here in vermont has shifted big time.
i can feel my energy shift as well, inspiring me to be here more often.
i've got notes of things to share with you and ideas for
making things.

"see" you again soon.
xo

bonnets and flowers and aretha

gretta sent me some fabric from her stash and
asked me to make a few hats for maggie b.

pledging to stay on the hill today, i hunkered in and 

finished two wee bonnets.

there was a lot of fussy cutting with the lotta jansdotter fabric,
and i used this free pattern by shwin&shwin

the liberty of london fabric was a dream to work with,

and i used a free pattern on the purl soho website.

corazón and wilma joined me in the sewing studio
and we have been working on kitten etiquette
amidst the fabric, pins and thread.
wilma is not always a shining example of best behavior.

ahem.

our flower csa from stitchdown farm
continues to delight.
(another week with some snow in the mountains,
a gorgeous green and white bloom).

we listened to an afternoon of public radio programming,
covering the extraordinary life of aretha franklin.

i'm hoping all of aretha's light and love and truth
seeped into the stitches i sewed
and that little maggie b will someday
get to know the music of the queen of soul.

we will miss aretha's
LIGHT.

tula tuesday::week 28

 block number 18

from tula pink's

city sampler

100 modern quilt blocks.

 and the soggy, tiny crabapples that inspired it.
it's so wet up here that we can't even see the mountains.

 block number 97

and the onion bloom 

that inspired it.

(not sure this block will make the final cut...)

 and then i stitched this little needle case

to pop into the mail for a friend.

i really do love to spend time down in my funky
sewing studio space in the basement.
it's a refuge.
where are you finding sanctuary these days?

xo

wilma and corazón

"Fissssssh."

-Gollum

tula tuesday::week 27

 block number 72

 from tula pink's

city sampler

100 modern quilt blocks.

and the inspiration behind it.

sewn with scraps of fabric from spoonflower

and designed by my friend anne

at mygiantstrawberry

(apologies for the photo quality...
a thunderstorm just rolled through,
bringing some more blessed rain
but it darkened the skies!)

for today

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us."

-Albert Schweitzer

(photo taken by Hannah, 

during our family week here in VT).