Monday, December 29, 2008
thinking about the new year
i have not been blogging for a long time. i think that this might be the place to explore my wishes for the new year. Part of a very large cloud that hung over me last year has lifted. Small issues remain, but hopefully they will lift sometime soon as well and i need to get on with my life.
Ok, i have been thinking about the way i deal with money. i spend it....every cent that comes in to my hand, no matter how much money i make, i spend it. i buy magazines, books, fabric, yarn, wool fibers and now jewelry making stuff. All great stuff, but i have more stuff now that i could use for the rest of my life. No amount of stuff seems to satisfy me, because i am always out looking for the next thing.
So, what to do? What if i decided not to spend any money on fabric, etc for a whole month. That would be a start. If i fall of the wagon, it is ok, no bones broken. Just start again.
There are alot of other people whom i have met online who are doing various forms of lessening spending.....actually zero spending: noimpactman.com and several on Flickr....These days in my French Life......etc.
i'm looking at this as a very positive thing. i already have plenty of everything. My life is abundant! In world terms, i am rich, rich, rich! i have hot running water and an indoor toliet AND a refridgerator! i have plenty of good food and a car that runs......right now. i am rich! i am lucky to have a good job in an arts and sciences museum....very creative place.
This is actually a start of getting back to my hippy roots. In the 70's, i lived on the Tennessee Farm. At the time, it was the largest commune in the United States. Our main goal was to develop a sustainable lifestyle that would be accessable to everyone on the planet. We were totally vegan and gave up all worldy goods except clothes and musical instruments when we joined. We had no money. We called ourselves voluntary pesants and had a non-profit relief agency called Plenty. As in "Plenty for everybody." Good thoughts and intentions, but the reality of creating a whole new society from scratch as a group was unrealistic. I lasted about a year.
Right now, i feel the world shifting. With the election of Barack Obama and the economic situation that is happening now, i hope that we take this opportunity to shift into a more sustainable lifestyle. i think we have to if we are going to survive on this planet. i have more hope and a one year old grandson.
ok, some of my goals for 2009 include....destashing.....giving some of my extra stuff away. Wasting less food....buying only the food i need and buying the best organically grown and as locally grown foods as i can. This is going to be fun! Maybe i will not be vegan, but more vegetarian.
Ok, i have been thinking about the way i deal with money. i spend it....every cent that comes in to my hand, no matter how much money i make, i spend it. i buy magazines, books, fabric, yarn, wool fibers and now jewelry making stuff. All great stuff, but i have more stuff now that i could use for the rest of my life. No amount of stuff seems to satisfy me, because i am always out looking for the next thing.
So, what to do? What if i decided not to spend any money on fabric, etc for a whole month. That would be a start. If i fall of the wagon, it is ok, no bones broken. Just start again.
There are alot of other people whom i have met online who are doing various forms of lessening spending.....actually zero spending: noimpactman.com and several on Flickr....These days in my French Life......etc.
i'm looking at this as a very positive thing. i already have plenty of everything. My life is abundant! In world terms, i am rich, rich, rich! i have hot running water and an indoor toliet AND a refridgerator! i have plenty of good food and a car that runs......right now. i am rich! i am lucky to have a good job in an arts and sciences museum....very creative place.
This is actually a start of getting back to my hippy roots. In the 70's, i lived on the Tennessee Farm. At the time, it was the largest commune in the United States. Our main goal was to develop a sustainable lifestyle that would be accessable to everyone on the planet. We were totally vegan and gave up all worldy goods except clothes and musical instruments when we joined. We had no money. We called ourselves voluntary pesants and had a non-profit relief agency called Plenty. As in "Plenty for everybody." Good thoughts and intentions, but the reality of creating a whole new society from scratch as a group was unrealistic. I lasted about a year.
Right now, i feel the world shifting. With the election of Barack Obama and the economic situation that is happening now, i hope that we take this opportunity to shift into a more sustainable lifestyle. i think we have to if we are going to survive on this planet. i have more hope and a one year old grandson.
ok, some of my goals for 2009 include....destashing.....giving some of my extra stuff away. Wasting less food....buying only the food i need and buying the best organically grown and as locally grown foods as i can. This is going to be fun! Maybe i will not be vegan, but more vegetarian.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Back to rug weaving!
Yesterday in the mail, I got an invitation to exhibit new work in a show honoring my mentor, Mike Cornfeld, who is retiring from Marshall University. I was so excited. I got all my naturally dyed weft yarn out and found that I have 26 POUNDS of yarn. That should be enough to weave a few rugs!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Eric Pardue's pottery
I've decided to post images of my favorite handmade things in my house. I spent several hours in my kitchen today canning tomato juice so I am starting with my cannisters. Eric Pardue made them, he lives outside Milton, West Virginia. I have quite a collection of his work and I never grow tired of it.
Monday, September 1, 2008
14 pints and 7 half pints!
I have spent the whole day making and canning hot sauce. I used a box of tomatoes from the farmer's market..... $8 for the whole box...not organic, but dead ripe and ready for the jars. All of the jars sealed....that is such a good sound!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Playing with my doll, Charlotte
I am working through a difficult time in my life. The difficulties are not over yet, but I am working on how I deal with stress. So I've decided that I need to spend more time playing and taking care of myself. I made this little doll, Charlotte, when I was in the 5th grade. I had just started reading the "Little House" books by Laura Wilder. Laura's mother made her a doll and they named her Charlotte, so of course, I named my doll Charlotte.
She has stayed with me through 42 years and countless moves. Somewhere along the line, she lost her skirt and shawl. So today I made her a new skirt. I have some lovely, soft red merino wool yarn for a shawl.
Charlotte got her picture taken with some of my other dolls.....made by the clothing company, Flax. I found them while in Maine last summer. I printed the image on cloth and surrounded it with some of my favorite fabrics and phototransfered images of morning glories blooming on my front porch.
She has stayed with me through 42 years and countless moves. Somewhere along the line, she lost her skirt and shawl. So today I made her a new skirt. I have some lovely, soft red merino wool yarn for a shawl.
Charlotte got her picture taken with some of my other dolls.....made by the clothing company, Flax. I found them while in Maine last summer. I printed the image on cloth and surrounded it with some of my favorite fabrics and phototransfered images of morning glories blooming on my front porch.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Sunday, July 6, 2008
I've fallen in love again!
I bought a lamb's fleece on Ebay last week. It arrived on Friday and I was delighted! It is the most beautiful, soft, long stapled fleece that I have purchased in 25 years. I am in love! I have not washed it or even carded the tips. I am able to spin directly in the grease.
The staple is averages 5 to 51/2 inches and it is many shades of gray. I am spinning it fairly thin S twist and plan to ply it Z. I think it is going to become socks and mittens.
I learned how to spin when I was 20 years old....thirty years ago. I really got into it during my 20's, but haven't really done much spinning lately. It feels good to try to slow down and just focus on the wool and the spinning.
Back to the wheel!
The staple is averages 5 to 51/2 inches and it is many shades of gray. I am spinning it fairly thin S twist and plan to ply it Z. I think it is going to become socks and mittens.
I learned how to spin when I was 20 years old....thirty years ago. I really got into it during my 20's, but haven't really done much spinning lately. It feels good to try to slow down and just focus on the wool and the spinning.
Back to the wheel!
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