Sabbatical Resources

My syllabus

These are some of the books I’m depending on these days. Some are new, some are old faves.

  • The Wonder of Small Things, poems of peace and renewal. Edited by James Crews

  • I eat the stars. By Sarah Wilson. My Earlham buddy Kim, suggested this one. It is not for the faint of heart, but, wow, it is opening my eyes.

  • Slow Seasons. By Rosie Steer, a Scottish woman whose voice speaks to me.

  • The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities Into Soulful Practices. By Casper Tea Kuile.

  • The Creative Act. By Rick Rubin. I’m on my second reading of this gem.

  • Devotions. By Mary Oliver. My personal bible.

  • Also, frequent trips to the children’s section of our public library. I am a sucker for kids’ book illustrations.

Small comforts

Returning to favorite comforts.

  • Quiet handwork, like this EPP project via Indigo Bird. Her new Quilted Hexie Pouch PDF Pattern has me going to my fabric stash for my old reliable faves.

  • Weeding. As the summer winds down, Batman and I have spent time tidying up the beds. It’s nice to spend quiet time together among the rows. Garlic is stored, San Marzano sauce is in the freezer, pears and apples are collecting in baskets in the pantry (we are up against the coyotes, deer, raccoons and bears as they wander into the orchard, too!)

  • Meditating first thing in the morning. Sometimes a walking meditation. Then feeding the cats, then tea. It’s a nice rhythm.

  • Mending. A mattress pad, a towel, jeans. Bringing things into their next chapter of usefulness.

  • Snail mailing with the grands. Waiting for back to school photos.

  • Making bread from scratch. Anadama. Then modifying the recipe. :-)

Maybe some of these resources will resonate with you. Maybe you have some to share in the comments, below.

I’m grateful to friends who have helped tether me back to myself. It’s a process. I’m not rushing it. I look forward to coming back here, refreshed and refocused. Until then…remember, love is the answer. xo

gratitude and next steps

Our girl Wilma

Goodness gracious.

Dearest readers, your outpouring of support, of offering me grace, of heartfelt wishes…it brought tears to my eyes as I’ve read each comment, e-mail and text message. You are the sweetest.

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. Each one of you has contributed to my deep gratitude.

You have restored my faith and helped me think about how to continue in this space.

As I’m discerning what has gotten me so off kilter I’m going to take a sabbatical. I do not have a firm return date in mind…as Anne suggested, I’m going to take my time.

I will post one more time before I pause, with a list of resources I’ll be taking along with me as I work my way through the next bit. Perhaps you will find the list helpful, too.

Until then, namaste, dearest ones. -me

wondering

Shoreline, at Point Betsie Lighthouse, Frankfort MI

Birding at the Arcadia Marsh Boardwalk, where we saw sandhill cranes!

Two generations, binding a collaborative quilt, sewn to celebrate a 20th wedding anniversary.

Pieced by Gretta and Lindsey in Michigan and yours truly here in Vermont, our squares were shared thanks to the USPS, Lindsey sewed the quilt top and Ben free motion quilted it at maker space in Michigan.

While I was away from sewandswowlife our extended family gathered in a big house in Michigan…Batman and I, our kids, their partners and all five grandkids. There was much time spent outdoors, time walking, discovering, laughing, cooking, eating together, reminiscing, revisiting childhood haunts and making memories with this new generation.

Being away is so good for the soul, and yet, coming back home is also delightful. Yet, dearest readers, I am weary. I’m guessing maybe you are too. If we all sat down with paper and pen/cil and listed the reasons we are weary it would be impressive. Honestly, I might have a hard time stopping. Have we ever lived in such times? (And, if you are not feeling weary, please discuss in the comments below!)

I started writing this blog the same month that Barack Obama first took office. In 2009. Seventeen years ago. I have tried to create a quiet, peaceful corner on the very loud and attention grabbing internet. And I am weary in this, too.

I wrote in my last post that I was “pondering”. I have spent a good bit of time pondering the value of this spot here. Am I an “imposter” or burned out, or irrelevant? I’m really not sure.

Mostly, I come here just to record my projects and sometimes let my thoughts meander with you.

But there is something to be said about showing up. Despite the weariness, despite the self doubt, despite the enormity of the times we are navigating.

I really want to know what brings you to this little spot on the internet. I am wondering how I might renew my energy here and help us all move through these demoralizing days.

Let me know in the comments below…how are you doing? How might I help you carry on? Maybe together we can keep showing up.

With hope, me.

Pausing for now

Hello friends,

I spotted this tree swallow hanging out on the nesting box attached to the hoop house. These are not the best photos, but I could not resist sharing him with you.

I’ll be away from this space for a bit. Probably til late July. I’ve got places to go and things to ponder. In the meantime, know that I will carry you all with me in my back pocket. I will not forget that we are all in this together…this survival mode we find ourselves in.

Be sure to read good books. Be sure to spend time in nature, even if it’s just a puddle of sunshine in your room. Be sure to stay in touch with your people. Remember to look up, to exhale deeply when needed, lean toward the light. And hydrate!

With lots and lots of love,

Karen

blue moon

Blue fabric dyed with homegrown indigo. The floral print is a scrap leftover from the quilt I made for Batman when we were in college.

Last night’s blue moon led me to my studio this afternoon. I needed some quiet. I needed some meditation. I needed some tactile work. I’m not sure how this wee project will end, but it felt very good to just sit and stitch. And breathe.

The moon changes as it cycles through the month, yet the pattern of change is ancient, reliable, reassuring. A blue moon is extra special.

Pulling needle and thread through fabric is an ancient movement, filled with generational muscle memory.

Circles are irresistible in the comfort they offer. Consider the fairy ring of mushrooms that delight us in the woods. Watch a cat or dog burrow into a tidy circle as they snuggle into a deep sleep. Circles represent wholeness, the infinite. Wedding rings are circles. Stonehenge is a stone circle, for heaven’s sake! A flower crown is circular.

Friends, this is just a Sunday afternoon ramble, but I hope you can relate to some of it.

Taking time to do what you need to do to regulate your heart and spirit is time well spent these days.

How are you staying afloat? Drop a comment, share your ideas! I’m so curious.

xoxoxox

so many thoughts

Hello friends. Just made a pot of Mineral Magic Tea, produced up and over the ridge from us. I’m settling in for a bit of a “catch up” with you, dearest readers. Yesterday was a gorgeous day up here, sunny, breezy and temperatures flirting with the low 70’. Just as Batman headed off to his first golf league game of the season the wind picked up and a huge squall blew in. He managed to avoid a drenching, but today is gloomy and wet and good for staying indoors.

The crocus have come and gone.

I took a posy to a friend’s house on May Day. As I wandered around the yard to gather the blooms I found a robin’s egg, fallen from its nest above. The color and the shape of the egg reminded me that there is magic all around us. This is what helps keep me sane. The color of an egg.

And another friend brought me a delightful jumble of daffs, from her yard. Our three season porch is steeped in their scent. Another reminder of magic.

I turned 70 in April. Batman has a ministry of making homemade cards for his beloveds. This one may be my all-time fave. My Mumsie made the dress, I still remember how the fabric crinkled.

We celebrated on the porch, with Prosecco and lemon cake, just the two of us. I like my birthdays quiet.

There has been a bit of back and forthing to MA, as my Mumsie had another hospitalization and follow up doctor’s appointments. As usual, I stayed overnight with my brother and sister-in-law. One evening after supper, Ra and I walked on the beach. We had jackets buttoned up tight and woolen hats pulled on snugly. Mist was rolling in off the waves, the air was salty and raw. The walk pulled all the stress and concern out of my weary body and I slept like the tired person that I was. Thank you, ocean.

Turning 70 and having a mom who is flirting with her body running out of steam has pulled me into so many conversations with myself. A friend recently introduced me to the term “anticipatory grief”.

Sometimes I feel like that term is so very appropriate for where I am in life, and where we all are in the world. But then I remember the blue robin’s egg, the scent of daffodils, the feeling of sea mist on my face…and I can step back from the edge of grief.

And now, about books and libraries. Because they are part of our survival plan, yes?

Batman and I carved out two nights for a quick trip to Montreal, to mark my 70th year. Montreal is just a bit less than three hours from here, and we had yet to make the trip. We pulled out our passports and headed north. On the way home, we went a bit out of our way to visit the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line, VT.

Built in 1901-1904, it literally straddles the border between the US and Canada. Walking around with a volunteer guide, hearing about its history, we found more reasons for hope and joy. I hold fast to the phrase “We the people”.

Riding home in the car, I had lots of time to think about books and reading.

Sometimes I listen to audiobooks. Often in the car or my studio. My recent fave? The Guncle, by Steven Rowley. It’s a wonderful book about family…both biological and chosen. I also enjoyed The Hunting Party, set in the Highlands of Scotland, written by Lucy Foley.

Sometimes a “real” book fits the bill, held in my hands, usually first thing in the morning. Our book group read Isola, by Allegra Goodman last month. Honestly, I was on the fence about this book.

Sometimes I read a book whenever I can possibly squeeze it in, because I love it so much. The Road to Tender Hearts, by Annie Hartnett was that for me. Loaned to me by a friend, I ate a bowl of cold cereal for lunch because I didn’t want to take time to make a salad, for fear of missing some time to read.

Sometimes I find a book that I read in bits and pieces, here and there, savoring it. Feast on Your Life: Kitchen Meditations for Every Day, by Tamar Adler is that for me right now. (I also loved her An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace)

I’ll end with a bit of Vermont whimsy. A few weeks ago I noticed this “lost and found” glove, set atop one of the high tech (ha ha) snowplow markers along our road.

I think many of us are feeling lost these days. How can we not?

I found it helpful to sit with a piece of paper and a pencil. I jotted a list of ways I feel “found”.

What might be on your list, dearest ones?

Sending light and hope and love.

xo

(I’ve answered your comments in the last post)

show and tell

Coasters, stitched with my own homegrown, hand dyed fabrics and some of Anne Butera’s lovely fabric, available on Spoonflower.

This fabric took my breath away when I first saw it at Valley Fabrics in Northampton, MA

What fun it was to collect these sweet prints to compliment the critters. The ferns and stumps came from Ann Arbor Sewing and Quilting Center via my daughters Lindsey and Gretta. We were shopping together for our next collaboration, via FaceTime. I fell in love with this one and asked for half a yard. :-)

Binding the quilt while watching the Tigers with Batman.

Sadly, I missed the baby shower in Portland ME in January. But here’s the baby quilt, stitched for wee Isabel, born in late March. The great granddaughter of my beloved friend Franny, I wanted to make sure Isabel had some intergenerational love sewn into this gift. Because no scrap is ever too small, I was happy to sew a bit of ladybug fabric into the label, saved from Isabel’s mama’s baby quilt I made years ago.

A while back, I made some napkins with this “quince” fabric as a housewarming gift for some friends. I used the scraps from that project to make some coasters for my friend Dolo’s birthday. I like to imagine the coasters, snug under a mug of coffee, way out in the S.F. Bay area.

Thread, fabric and love, sewing me together with loved ones in Portland, ME and Viroqua, WI and Palo Alto, CA.

Remember buddies, love is the answer.

Be fierce in your love. It’s what will get us through.

xo

ps thanks for all of your kind comments on my last post.

stitched together quilt show

I was tickled to be invited to have some of my work included in this show, hosted by Chandler Center for the Arts in downtown Randolph, VT. I felt like I was rubbing elbows with some amazing Vermont quilters. I scrambled to pull together work from my archives as I was just falling into ill health as this opportunity showed up.

Hope Johnson’s work is outstanding. She was featured in the Vermont issue of Quilt Folk magazine (issue 10) This piece is titled “waggle dance”.

“Savannah” by Linda Dial. The needle work in this piece was stunning. Her quilts have been featured at the annual quilt exhibit at Billings Farm in Woodstock, VT

“Hands Off” by Linda as well. “The penguin was created in response to the first Hands Off protest, held shortly after the US imposed tariffs on Australian territory islands home to only penguins. In the background are words representing aspects of our nation that are under attack and must be protected.”

Here is Linda, on the gallery walk, talking about her penguin piece. Behind her is her gorgeous quilted portrait of Sonia Sotomayor.

These geese received a special prize at last year’s show at Billings.

This piece, done by Jane Quimby, is called “Orange/Blue/Yellow3 and it’s created with stitch resist prepared cotton, paint and heat appliqué

This amazing piece was stitched by Tom Bivins.

The fabrics Tom used in this piece are beautiful. This is red clover, the state flower of Vermont.

The gallery walk was such fun, getting to hear from each quilter about their work and inspiration. There were lots of other activities that day, as listed in the first photo I shared on this post.

The quilt show organizer asked specifically for my wee books, so they shared a spot with a few older pieces and a newer one. I am standing in front of a lovely piece by quilter Rosalind Daniels, “That Foggy Winter.”

“Be the light” is an oldie, but goodie.

I was delighted that this piece, also from the archives, “Birch, Oak and Indigo” sold!

“Jay and Wild Geese” was stitched with both marigold dyed fabric and indigo, too.

Machine stitching and hand stitching and a few sunflower seeds.

I found this blue jay feather out in the yard and stashed it away for “someday”. The flying geese pattern on the right is one of the oldest piecing patterns around. It’s my homage to Mary Oliver’s poem “Wild Geese”. :-)

It’s a good exercise to have to come up with words to explain who you are. Eek.

I wish you could have been with me to take a tour of this exhibit!

That’s it for now. Hold steady, friends, do you sense that the winds are shifting?

shine.

XO

9+things on a Tuesday

Maybe, like me, you are yearning for some quiet, uncomplicated things to look at. Sometimes, that’s all a girl can manage these days. So here you are, a few snapshots. I hope they provide you with some peace. Above, a free printable coloring page for subscribers to Vermont artist Zarabeth’s newsletter at Mountain Girl Studio.

We finally took the bird feeders down, as the bears are coming out of hibernation. I miss the flocking birds, fluttering around the feeders. They were such lovely friends this winter. The snowdrops have just sprouted, to bring the next spring delight to our side yard.

This is a Hera marker, one of my favorite quilting tools. Japanese in origin, it makes a sharp line in the fabric to follow as you machine quilt. I’ve been thinking a lot about sharp things lately. Like how changing your machine needle after it has lost its “ooomph”, magically refreshes your stitching. Likewise, a rotary cutter blade. Blunt just doesn’t work as well. I also bought a new seam ripper after my old one made more trouble than it was worth. Voila! So much better. My grandmother’s cutting shears are back in order after a nice sharpening. Once I freshen these items I wonder why I didn’t do it sooner. Does that ever happen to you?

And another sharpness…My daughter-in-law has become very crafty. She likes to do needle felting. She says sometimes she feels “very stabby”. I totally get that.

The new, 2026 Mahjong cards have started to arrive in mailboxes and there is great excitement in our group. We gather around the table to exercise our brains, to build community, to offer support to one another, to laugh, and to distract ourselves, at least for an afternoon, from the troubles in the world. The game is a sanctuary, really and truly.

Cora was very naughty and pulled one of the blossoms from the amaryllis stalk. I put it in a glass of water and it survived another week of display. In the comments on my last post, Ann had asked me about care of amaryllis after they finish blooming. We cut off the stalk and keep the pot tucked away until the weather warms up. Then we tuck the pots under a bush and let them rest until the fall. We bring them in before the first frost, trim away any brown foliage and stash them in the root cellar. Around the holidays we bring them up one at a time. We water them and put them on a windowsill and wait for the magic. We can usually get a few seasons out of each bulb, but at some point, they end up in the compost pile, ready to fertilize the gardens.

Sometimes I just take a deep breath or two and find something to notice. Then I just sit with it. Like the LIGHT above, leaning against the wall. It’s so gentle and soft and peaceful. Exhale. :-)

Companions. They are very important these days.

Our book group is reading Isola, by Allegra Goodman. But even better, I am listening to Tom Lake, by Ann Patchett, narrated by the amazing Meryl Streep. Having spent many happy times in northern Michigan and eating more than my fill of fresh cherries, this book has a nostalgic pull that’s pretty strong. The story unfolds gently, and is delightful.

There are 7 baby goats down the road. Steam is billowing from the neighborhood maple sugar houses. Batman has planted hearty greens down in the hoop house. I am getting a kick out of this piece about woolen skirts.

And so life goes on.

I’ve missed you and look forward to hearing about what you’re reading, making, cooking, doing! I invite you to drop a note in the comments, below.

I do so hope that you all are staying strong, and are sharing your gifts with the world. XOXO me.