a wee giveaway

 this afternoon, i was trying to think of a simple way 

to offer a tiny bit of comfort for you, dearest readers.

i ducked into my sewing studio and stitched a few

scraps from my natural dyeing projects 

onto a piece of grosgrain ribbon.

it was put together spontaneously,

so it is rustic and has some wabi.

this bunting is just a small thing,

but maybe it will remind you of indigo and tansy, growing here in vermont.

maybe it will remind you of blue skies and golden sunshine.

maybe it will remind you of how so many of us 

are tied together over the wonders of the internet, one to another, despite the miles.

if you would like a chance to find this bunting in your mailbox,

please leave a comment here, or send me an e-mail.

i'll toss your names into a basket and draw one winner.

i'll pull a name and post the winner here late wednesday afternoon.

this giveaway is now closed.

xo

a new day

Ugh.

Friday and Saturday were two of the very worst days, weren't they?

Yesterday I raged.

I ate bad food. Tortilla chips and Brach's Autumn Mix. I know I was eating my feelings.

I used my seam ripper a lot, until I realized it wasn't a good idea to be sewing anger into a gift, so I walked away.

Lindsey and Scott are here for the long weekend and that has been a help. They were the ones that suggested we all spend the evening with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. If ever there were a time for wizards, it is now.

"This pain is part of being human...the fact that you can feel pain 

like this is one of your greatest strengths."

-Albus Dumbledore

The dawn today was framed by misty swirls around the hills. 

Moody. 

Fraught with foreboding.

But...

It's a new day. A day to rest, process our crazy new reality and get our feet back under ourselves. 

Let's take time, friends. Time to do what we need to do to be ready for whatever comes next.

xo 

where's your focus these days?

Wilma and Coraźon,

perched on the windowsill in my sewing studio,

on chipmunk patrol.

Four eyes are better than two?

I say we follow the lead of my beloved kitties today.

Dearest readers,

LOOK AWAY FROM MEDIA TODAY!
FOCUS ON HOPE.

I don't think we want to hear 

the roar of righteousness

that is going on in Washington D.C. today,
do we?

Instead, I invite you to explore the fun over at
the MacArthur Fellows Program.
The most recent 25 new "Genius" Awards
were announced yesterday.

Check out the fabulous winners
HERE.

Just looking at the faces of these winners gives me hope.

"It's much more radical,
much more daring,
and much more dangerous to hope."
-Mary Karr

(via On Being)

heading out the door...

"up on braintree hill"

...tonight is the opening reception at the gallery.

xo

inviting you in

pondering the possibilities here,

tossing a few treasures together.

quietly.

OK friends.

I woke up this morning to find that "our" president had mocked Christine Blasey Ford at a rally and that the crowd behind him roared with approval. And that his finances are turning out to be as rotten as we suspected them to be. I am so done with railing against this man.

When I first started writing here at sewandsowlife, way back in January 2009, I included these words in my sidebar. They are still there.

Life can sometimes be a wrestling match between love and fear. 

We can CHOOSE which to embrace. 

Every day. 

On my "to do" list? 

Breathe, hope, notice, invite, love, create, wonder, celebrate.

Don't get me wrong. I will still work to make positive changes here in my neck of the woods. I will continue to persist. 

But for the next few months, I will pour Light and love and hope into this quiet little spot on the internet. I'll pull together a few sweet little things even on the darkest days.

Today I have two treasures to share...

Do you follow Pamela Zagarenski on Instagram? Otherwise known as "sacredbee", her artwork and greeting cards are filled with lovely quotes and beautiful images.  Her message today just took my breath away. Lyrics from an anthem from my teen years, by The Youngbloods, combined with a quote from Rumi and a gorgeous image of her own just calmed me right down. Check her out. Poke around her website and read about her inspiration...it's quite a story. Maybe she will become one of your favorites too.

And I just can't resist sharing something a little personal. Our daughter Lindsey has been working at a magical place in Detroit called "Sister Pie" for a while now. She has cut back her hours to begin work on her master's degree, but she still spends two days rolling dough and dancing in the Sister Pie kitchens. Here are two delightful Instagram posts with Lindsey front and center... ONE, TWO. Yesterday the fabulous SISTER PIE cookbook was released into the world! Read about how this special little bakery runs their business here. You can find information about the cookbook if you scroll around a bit. (Liz, if you are reading this, I already ordered you a copy for your birthday. Lisa will sign it and it will be on its way to you soon). When Batman and I visited Detroit in March, before Lindsey was even working there, we ate pie there. Dang, it was fine pie.

So, friends, are you in?

Are you up for some hope, some beauty, a respite?

This will work so much better if you jump in with me! Send me links that you have stumbled upon, either by email or in a comment here. Share your inspiration, your thoughts, your resources!

From Sacredbee...

"Now is the time to know that all that you do is sacred" -Hafiz

tula tuesday::week 34

 block number 83

from tula pink's

city sampler

100 modern quilt blocks.

 very old fabric from my stash.

inspired by the pumpkins nestled out on the front porch,

sheltered from the cold, rainy october day here in vermont.

temporarily weary and uninspired.

permission granted to self.

just don't wallow, girl.

it's really okay to feel this way now and again.

xo 

Oh, October

 I lit a candle at dawn on the morning of the hearings

and held Christine Blasey Ford in the Light,

along with every-single-other-survivor out there.

I listened to the hearings until I had to attend an event at the 

Old Labor Hall in Barre, VT.
When there is a lot at stake in a situation, I look for signs.
I bumped onto this beauty in the basement of the hall. 

I was taught that there are surely at least two sides to a story.

Indeed there are.

It's just that some stories are powerful in
their stark and uncomfortable truth.

Some are blurred by privilege, power and complicity.

Some truths are flipped after research,
or the passage of time.

It can be distressing to wade through such raw feelings,
such upset.

Are you eating carefully, sleeping enough, 

getting some respite from the 24/7 newsfeed?

Are you reaching out to friends, breathing deeply,
doing some good self care?

I am here for you, dear friends.

Leave a comment or e-mail me
if you need some support right now.  

On Saturday, I helped hang the show.

Four of us made short work of the project

and went out for lunch afterwards.

Kindred spirits.

Stitching sisters.

We are not alone.

And today.
The first of October.
My very favorite month of the year.

 It will be hard for many of us here in Vermont to concentrate
 for the next few weeks.
Mother Nature will pull us over to the side of the road,
she’ll stop us dead in our tracks,
she’ll make us late for meetings,
she’ll cause our eyes to tear up.

Check back often.
I'll be here.

xo