I know I said I would not likely be back this week… but here I am with what I hope will provide something’s calming… something’s perfectly distracting… something’s maybe to get you over the hump of angst that is flowing through the air.
I listened to these podcasts this week and they were all amazing… and they have a common theme: poetry.
First up, a conversation between Emanuel Vaughn-Lee and Jane Hirshfield. It is wonderful… Jane wrote a poem for the Time edition (and it is brilliant, of course!) and listening to her made me love her even more than I already did. She is the perfect calming factor!
September days have the warmth of summer in their briefer hours, but in their lengthening evenings a prophetic breath of autumn. — Rowland E. Robinson
Happy almost mid-September! This quote… so very true. I love the warmth of the September sun that gives way to a hint of the coming autumn at night! Yes to another blanket on the bed… at least on my side! Ha!
Ruminating —
I have been doing a good bit of thinking about my making life… how I really want to spend my time next year.
My Rumination List:
I think I would like to do another temperature project… perhaps a bit of a riff on this genius little book that Jo Avery is doing this year. I think square within a square would work… and would be a touch simpler than stitching circles.
I am pretty sure that I will be letting Ali Edwards go… no, I am NOT giving up a word! (My new word has me so excited!!) What I don’t think I need any longer is a video of direction and ideas. And while I am not a scrap booker, I the past two years I have worked a bit in a Word Journal… one which I print out a photo of me sort of for posterity (and really to get more comfortable with taking *and appreciating* photos of myself). But next year I am trying a new calendar/journal… I ordered a Hobonici Weeks MEGA (thanks, Carole for the inspiration) and I am going to do *all-in-one* next year… calendar, thoughts, images, word, etc.
I am not letting go of Ann Wood’s Stitch Club… the group of people there is most inspiring! And I am looking forward to another 100 Day Book!
I am waiting to see what Karen Turner does for 2025 daily stitching before I make a decision there.
And… I am thinking about paring back on knitting. I know. I know… but I am just thinking about it at this point.
Indulging (my) Inner (painter) —
One thing I have really loved this year was my impromptu sketch/painting time. I am spending about 15-20 minutes every weekday just doing. I generally use a photo I have taken for inspiration and I am learning so much! Do I see room for improvement? Absolutely! Do I expect perfection? Oh hell no! It is all about the process and I am liking painting so much more now than I did trying to recreate someone else’s painting. Now, don’t get me wrong… I learned volumes in all those classes I invested in… but I needed to find “my style” and I think I am figuring that out!
I am making my way through lists each week this month… I have somehow been fortunate to get Michigan voters. I am enjoying jotting a note about the JOY of voting. I hope my letters inspire everyone to go vote! I am especially loving sitting outside on these glorious sunny afternoons and writing a letter or ten!
(RE) FILL —
The loss of Sherman has not easy but this month we began to contemplate being ready for a new furry family member. I did some research, made some phone calls and, wonder of wonders, we have a plan that will find October welcoming a new little furball into our lives! Yes… after we get back from Erie we will be taking a trip to pick up a new pug! I don’t know which I am more excited for… a vacation with just the two of us or that vacation being over so we can go get the new puppy! I have not had a puppy in EONS… Sherman came to us when he was six months old! I am nervous and excited all at the same time!
This little boy will be coming to my house soon!
That’s it for me this week! See you all back here on Monday! Have a great weekend everyone!
It has been a good week… I got my “fall jabs” at Rite Aid on Wednesday and yesterday I was feeling it. I reminded myself that my feeling “icky” meant that my body was working hard on building new fighter t-cells and this morning I was feeling back to normal (outside my “jabbed” arm but that too shall pass soon!)
This week I have just a couple things to share (sorry, I really haven’t been paying much attention to the internet much these days.)
Steve was all excited about sharing something on Netflix with me yesterday. This is a real rarity… he does not like to watch television much at all. But as I watched the trailer yesterday with him, I felt a bit of hope flickering inside me. Perhaps Will Farrell and Harper Steele are just the people we need…
And, while I have mentioned Makers for Kamala before, I want to share it again. I follow many of the makers involved on social media and I know they are hoping to hit the 10k mark… I don’t know how far they are from it. But if ever there was a moment to get involved in an election… this is it. You will find the link here to sign up… you have nothing to lose and we have everything to gain! (And where you find a gathering of makers… you know we are not going back!!)
That is it from me this week! See you all back here on Monday!
In case you missed it, the race is on! In 95 short days, November 5th will be upon us! Yes, we have reached the All Hands On Deck portion of the election cycle! (which I think should NEVER be more than 90 days, but that is just me…)
Every election is determined by the people who show up.
― Larry J. Sabato , Pendulum Swing
This year there is something you should do ASAP to make sure you are ready to show up and vote!!
After a week of unbelievably steamy, hot weather which drove me back to my “indoor” desk… the past two mornings have been a welcome change. Cooler temps and the lack of humidity found me back on my porch… ahhh! (Never fear, that hot, oppressive weather is due back any second now!)
All week I have been contemplating what to post on Friday… with no inspiration at all! But!! I have not done a Friday RIFF in a while… so let’s get started!
Reflecting —
July is a very good month for me to do some reflecting! My word, time, continues to be an engaging word for me and a bit of review in my journal reminded me that there is a book I want to (re)read before the summer is over. I might have forgotten it had I not done some reflecting on where I have been! I did some honest reflection on my closet… (those things I was keeping because I might someday be able to wear them again… ) well, I am happy to say that all those things are making their way to new homes! I pulled out my knitting last night and found comfort in the familiar rhythm of making one stitch after another. It was a pleasant way to pass the evening watching something on CreateTV with Steve.
Immersing —
Last December, I began a weekly practice with Margaret Renkl’s The Comfort of Crows. Each week, I read her essay and then I write down my thoughts about my backyard. This practice has been such a life altering thing for me. I feel “in” the season and have spent almost no time wishing for the next thing to arrive. And I am really loving the things I am realizing simply by paying attention to my ‘backyard world’. Steve is not a reader, but he has loved hearing essays and our discussions about them has been equally fun! (I guess we are officially old as birding is THE THING in our lives! LOL) I was more than a little bit excited when I saw that Margaret has me covered for next year as well!
(epic) Failure —
As in the MSM’s “Pundit’s” failure in coverage of President Biden. (I’d also add in here the elected White Men and White Women who have also showed their hand as well!) If you are wondering what I am talking about, just Google Brokered Conventions and see the results (cliffs notes: we lost every election where this happened!) When all this nonsense started, I had this niggling thought in my brain that what this was really all about was VP Harris… and I fear I am right.
and finally, because I don’t want to end this on that low note…
Feast —
Today I am baking something with some amazing Michigan blueberries! (Yes, I think Michigan blueberries are THE best!) and I put the ice cream maker back in the freezer to make a second batch of peach ice cream! (the first batch was amazing!) So there will be some summer feasting going on here! And now I am going to start the dough recipe that Carole shared a few weeks ago! Pizza happy hour FTW!
That’s all from me, have a great weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!
