sew spin seed star scissors story sustainability slow silence sing school sauce; so many stellar words to select from.
Sustainability. Finding a balance (the right mix, not necessarily equal) that allows something to thrive and grow.
I wondered if posting everyday was sustainable for me? Some days it has been a struggle and yet the process of sifting through my thoughts to come up with even a small something has been sweet.
Sewing and spinning and planting seeds is about sustainability.
spinning sunshine
Field notes: sunny tomorrow and 30% chance of snow on Saturday/Sunday.
One of the words I cherish most is resiliency, the ability to cope and survive, both on an environmental level and an emotional level. Resiliency speaks of flexibility and learning to work with what is available.
It’s about survival.
Resiliency resembles sustainability but is not quite the same.
Resources: What resources are available to us? How do we use our resources? More questions...
Recipes: Recipes are suggestions only, guidelines. An opportunity for a creative act.
love that this recipe calls for a slow oven...
Red: "Roses are red, violets are blue. Sugar is sweet and so are you!" Most of my roses are actually pink.
Rain: It’s that time of year when one of the most popular things to do is complain about the rain. I’m working on resisting this and remembering all the good things it brings us. So glad there is sunshine in the forecast for Saturday though!
Some of today's involve scar tissue, how heart can be represented, what it means to continue or to quit, why is it that I appreciate quiet so much more than I used to, quality versus quantity, what do I want to be when I grow up, do I need to grow up and if the quince vinegar is still good?
I had a plan... One that perhaps pertained to: pillows purl photography pattern pocket pansy perfect ponder and putter. Or some such mix. Instead there were pancakes for dinner and the very smallest project, a very simple pillow I promised myself. And a paragraph. I'll add pictures tomorrow because on top of it being a long day I have a pesky cat and technical difficulties...for now I'll push publish.
P.S. 2/7/18 The pictures showed up in my email at 1:00 AM, usually it takes 5 minutes from sending. Oh well.
Pancakes + yogurt + apple syrup = quick and easy dinner
old tank top + wool stuffing + pillow case made with leftovers from Pj's = small cozy pillow
No: a negative decision. No can be a one word sentence.
Nest: A place where baby birds are hatched and live for the beginning of their life. A cozy place.
hummingbird nest
Needle: A sharp tool used to stitch fabrics together.
needle at work
Number: The amount of something, the symbol representing that amount.
oh my do I need to dust...
A short story: Lola makes nests with blankets (this is not news for most people who come to visit here). She paws, nudges with her head, and grabs the cloth with her teeth to arrange them just so. Finely woven wool holds up the best to this, cotton tears easily. Needle and thread can be used to mend but the number of blankets that need mending is high right now. It is hard to keep up. As a result, there are no more cotton blankets left on the bed during the day when Lola is unsupervised....
Motivation: what makes an individual want to do something, reach a goal.
The spark.
I make and mend as a form of protest, as a way of participating. And there is a magic that can happen in the process.
Mostly: the majority of something.
I don’t ask for perfection, that would be self-defeating.
Make: To participate in the production of something...a meal, clothing, a piece of furniture.
I made one more tank style dress today. It was a "Why did I think of this sooner?" moment when I realized that they could be worn year round with a cardigan.
Mend: To repair.
I also did some mending on the corduroy dress I made this fall. The facing had come loose on the side.
Moon: That big yellowish thing that we see in the sky that isn’t the sun. Mostly seen at night.
The indigo vat isn't warm enough or the PH isn't right. Try again.
Music: sounds made by an object (like a mandolin!) that conveys meaning or communicates an emotion. It’s usually considered appealing to the senses, but some composers/performers challenge that.
The first CD I ever purchased was Cowboy Junkies, Trinity Sessions. Two of my favorite songs are on this video: "Misguided Angel" and "Fairytale."
Knit: making fabric by interlocking loops together.
Knitting soothes me. The flow of yarn from hand to needle, watching fabric grow. Second sock syndrome...the inability to finish the second sock because it is boring, just doesn't happen to me. I just want to keep knitting....
I haven't gotten this bad...yet.
Kitchen: A room in a house or a building where food is prepared. This week I have cooked lentils, tamales (not from scratch, but locally made), snickerdoodles, and eggs. Other things happen in kitchen too, like trying out new rotary cutters.
Cutting bias tape.
Kumquats: The smallest of citrus fruits, the peels are the sweetest part of the fruit.
I'd like to try growing a kumquat tree in a pot, moving it from outside to inside as needed.
Keep: To continue, to hold on to, where something is placed.
I keep trying to grow Bay but don't have much luck. If I keep it in a pot and bring it inside it gets scale. If I try to find a sheltered spot outside, it eventually dies during a colder winter or gets wind burned. My mother has much better luck growing bay in her hoop house. Maybe I'll just have to keep getting it from her?