Well hello friends.
Jeepers. What a mess. I’ve postponed showing up here because I don’t really know what to say.
Again I’m comforted by words from Virginia at Gather Here. “…I have learned that despair is not an option. And hope is a discipline. Being in community is building resilience and experiencing interdependence.”
That’s it, friends. In a nutshell.
I’m guessing that many of you who come here are looking for a break from the heaviness of life these days. So let’s push aside the grim darkness for a bit (we know it’s there) and simply move on to catching our breath. Pausing. Finding spaciousness. Refueling.
Tidying up…our house, our yard, our gardens…sometimes it helps me feel more centered and grounded. It helps me feel like I’m in control of something. So, Batman and I spent the 4th up here on the hill, weeding, mulching and mowing. Laundry floated on the clothesline. It was very satisfying. Friends came over to sit around our fire pit and we toasted democracy. Under duress, but still an inspiration. We watched the sunset, we listened to the birds say goodnight, we laughed, we sighed. We appreciated being in this place, with peace all around us and the comfort of community.
Yesterday we weeded some more (because there are weeds 24/7) and Batman cut the garlic scapes. I cut some lavender and marveled at the way the stems sang so beautifully with the California poppies. That color combo knocks my socks off.
Here’s a sneak peek at squares I’ve been working on for Freya’s birthday quilt. It’s been SO MUCH FUN to work from my stash. Stitched with instructions from Sara’s sew along, I’m taking time to trim seams as I go and I am loving the results. Excellent matching of seams and consistent sizing of squares. Slowing down and doing things with care has been a pleasure. Really focusing can move me into flow.
Our little library is working on gaining certification from the Sustainable Libraries Initiative, and last weekend we hosted a “sustainability celebration” highlighting what we’ve accomplished so far. A few of us set up a mending and patchwork station to demo those skills. I brought a few items I made with repurposed stuff for “show and tell”.
(You may have seen some of these items in older blog posts.) A drawstring rice bag (using KZSteven’s pattern) made with an actual fabric rice bag. A rope bowl, dyed with marigolds and tabbed with a bit of leather from the factory floor at the Vermont Glove Company. A canvas tote, made with repurposed handles from a bird seed bag. A potholder, made with bits of ticking, worn tea towels and napkins. Have you repurposed stuff? Drop a comment below and tell us about it. Little, intentional actions add up, friends.
Wilma cannot seem to get close enough to my sewing machine and I sew on despite her pushiness. Corazón likes to curl up in any container, anywhere. Their company is such a balm for my soul. Cora hops up in my arms several times a day and nudges my face with a huge purr. Then she settles down, tucked under my chin and forces me to stop what I’m doing, relax and just breathe. It’s the best kind of CAT scan.
We had another overnight trip to Portland, ME to meet up with Doug and Ra and we took the mail boat out onto Casco Bay on a gorgeous, sunny day. Wind, sea air, sunshine, a nifty picnic and birdwatching…another refill of the spiritual tank! We enjoyed a great dinner at Ocotillo and breakfast at Becky’s Diner (a local favorite). We don’t eat out much in Vermont, so these meals cooked and served and cleaned up by others is a treat. On our morning walk to Becky’s, we saw lots of sidewalk poetry and I’ve shared one here. Such a delight to find these little truths along the way.
And will you look at this! I’ve been keeping up a practice of writing to politicians…to thank them or encourage them to change their ways. Our junior senator, Peter Welch, wrote me this note. I’ve done some research, and I believe it was written in the Senator’s own hand, not an aide’s. I gotta tell you, being a Vermonter is really special.
Where am I finding joy? In snail mail. Watching the swallows flit around the birdhouse, feeding their babies. Sitting on a friend’s deck in the evening with a bunch of fun people, watching the river meander its course and munching on a potluck spread of amazing hors d’oeuvres. Seeing pictures of the grandkids, playing in water to keep their cool on a hot summer day in Detroit. Eating salad from the hoop house. Playing Mahjong with pals on the screened porch, where nothing else matters but friendship. Discussing Miss Benson’s Beetle with our book group and eating a tropical pot luck supper together. Working on tough things with others who give a damn. Watching the Tigers on TV with Batman, even though I can barely follow the game. *yawn*. The things we do for love. :-)
How about you, dearest ones? Are you able to find joy? Are you able to refill your tank? Drop a note below, and let us know how you are doing.
Love, light and hope to each of you, beloveds.