Thursday, March 24, 2011

NO WORRIES

I mentioned Martha Beck's book The Joy Diet a few blogs back (LOVE IT!) and now I am reading this book that she authored. What she says makes sense in an easy to wrap your brain around kind of style.

 In essence, what I think she is saying, is that most of our life compasses are pointed toward the direction the social self thinks it should be going (dictated by false beliefs developed from messages sent by family of origin, peers, media, etc. ) instead of the direction your essential self needs to go , thus creating an imbalance, lack of inner harmony, a feeling of being stuck in the rut.


my compass in need of realignment

On page 10, Martha Beck shares a Taoist story that resonated deeply with me as I read it. At the end of the story she shares:

"Taoists believe that there is an immense benevolent force flowing through all reality, and that each of us - at least our essences - are a part of that force. Once you are aligned with the force (the Tao, or "Way"), you are like a surfer on the perfect wave; you move forward with tremendous power, but the only thing you have to do is go up when the water goes up, and down when the water goes down."

doing without doing

going with the flow

it is what it is

wherever you go there you are


As I continue to read, gather information, contemplate, and make subtle gradual changes (BOBBING ALONG) I have added to my selvage quilt and...

added a defined rump with tail and two legs to my elephant! I am not worrying that the contrast is weak between the words - you must eat the elephant one bite at a time - just trusting that Judy's most excellent quilting will be able to make the letters pop. NO WORRIES. It is what it was meant to be.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

HEEDING THE MESSAGE OF THE COYOTE'S HOWL ON THE FULL MOON

Our typical squishy soggy weather was thankfully NOT to be found today! 

radiant sunshine on Puget Sound

a huge swath of yellow daffodils in Mount Vernon, WA

serendipity

celebrating the perigee full moon

coyote reminds us not to take life too seriously...aroooooooooooooo

Thursday, March 17, 2011

COMPASSION

COMPASSION : To feel for; to share the suffering of

Hospice is a fabulously COMPASSIONATE organization! When my mom got sick with lung cancer last November the hospice workers said they recognized that her sickness and death was going to effect our entire family. They would provide support for a year after her passing. They were so wonderful as my mom ended her journey in this world. Well, no one contacted me after her death and I assumed that it was probably just kind words and that they were too busy and under funded to really have time to reach out.  Then, synchronistically, as I kept looping through her last month and feeling so sad, a deeply COMPASSIONATE counselor called, apologized for the oversight, and met with me - AND will continue to meet with me. To help me. As long as I need. To process this incredible loss.

Wouldn't you know?  Hanging in their office is this touching quilt composed of various worker's definitions of COMPASSION.

The buttons represent diversity.

Incredible. Wonderful. I am extremely grateful to those COMPASSIONATE workers at hospice!

Sunday, March 13, 2011

WORKING WITH SELVEDGES

selvedge: (from german) self + edge. The point of where one's own welfare is likely to begin

I used the selvedge from Freddy Moran's fabric for this tote bag

and in this, my favorite, tote bag

but I never thought about ONLY using selvedges for a quilt until Judy http://wildirishrowsquilting.blogspot.com/  starting collecting them and I thought, why not? 

This weekend, as I sewed with different groups,  I made ten of these blocks and LOVE THEM!
Simple, pure, fun.
One gal commented that she couldn't believe I had nothing else to do except this.
THIS
Really? (hee-hee)
 As a matter of fact, yes, I do have other projects, but this weekend I needed to do THIS, work with selvedges and contemplate being on the edge...on the verge of a more authentic self.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

A NEW SEASON


Spring begins... IN SYNC with the blooming of a new view of life - a forty two year old view, NOT a stuck fifteen year old view

focused

thinking about the color pink - metaphysically, the color of universal love

a glimpse of where I cut

and a peek of what is reshaped

"You must eat the elephant one bite at a time" a wise African once said. I am working on defining the elephant..elephantS ?

Gathering the tools/skills to heathily nourish my soul.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

UNLEARNING THE BLACK AND WHITE


white and black

black and white

any way you look at it, I am realizing that I most often see issues as black/white, either/or, right/wrong, good/bad

it seems that life is not black and white

relaxing into the gray is a lot more fun

"The most useful piece of learning for the uses of life is to UNLEARN what is untrue." -  Antithenes

Saturday, March 5, 2011

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

One of my first quilts ten years ago - a Jan Mullen pattern called "Log Cabinz"

I LOVE Jan Mullen fabric. Here's some from my old stash

Here's some from my new stash (bought bravely by my husband for Christmas)

AND here's some from my dear friend Heather's stash.

This week, when we met during the weekly "Nasty Girl" meeting at Aunt Mary's Quilt Shop http://auntmarysquiltshop.com/index.html,  Heather chopped all the Jan Mullen fabric she had and gave me half!!! :) WOW! 

A fun and generous act of kindess that has me smiling days later!

But, the good feelings didn't stop there. One of the nicest "Nasty Girls" showed off her latest quilt.  Heather ooohed and ahhed over this quilt. And, without any hesitation, Heather was given this beautiful quilt! Right then and there, the fabulous maker of this quilt...gave it away!!!another surprising act of kindness in less than an hour.

 Amazingly wonderful! 




Tuesday, March 1, 2011

CULTIVATE JOIE DE VIVRE

Cultivate Joie de Vivre

              In Creative is a Verb, Patti Digh, states that, "We are always in choice. We may not choose the circumstances, but we can choose how we are in them."



"What if we could be fully here now... 


                                             
                                             focused on the direction of our intention...



                  turning every day into a joy and color and sound expedition?!"