windthread

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a labor of Love

 

 

i worked at this post for 2 hours off and on.   Typepad being touchy again,  and even now,  finally,  only giving 1/2 size pic.  BUT

1/2 is ok.   I worked at the block all morning and it just wouldn't happen.  I got to  Six and  just could not find a way to go further.  Nothing worked.   I tried a thousand things.   Gave up.    Went to give water to Garden  and then looking over,  as i squated to turn the water off...to that huge broken Tree

i thought to go there and sit a while.  Just BE WITH it,   in its brokenness.   There are energy feelings there.  not  "human",  but a kind of vibration or slow pulse.  I  thought about taking pics so you could understand better but it wasn't right to do    so i went on back into and over and came upon yet one more fallen,  broken Pine.   Same break,  maybed 20,  30 ft up the trunk.  Just broken but this one fell fully.  upon Earth.     Went further and saw the one i already knew had fallen but had not gone to see.  This is 4.   Very Very Large Very Very OLD  Trees.    All Green.   Alive.   

Came back and sat at this little impromptu bench Jenny made for Emrie and Brinley,   they call it the music bench and i made a song on the steel tongue drum.   For the Trees.   Me.   this Hill.  Our Earth.

Did the thing to take all the walnuts and liquid out so i could again start up the Camp Oven burners and put them all back and fired it up  for 3 more hours of steeping today.  Brought the block OutSide and it all looked different.   I found pieces.  One at a time.   And it might just be one of my most favorite.   

I thought all day...i wished Marti was here.   Marti,  the Master Bundler.    Tomorrow i will bundle the sheet.   it's really big and i don't know how i will be able to do it.   There's no space here to work.   No table space  outSide big enough.   But something needs to happen.

today and catching up

used a saucepan to take almost all the walnuts and water out of the kettle,   into 2 buckets and the other copper pot,  just to be able to lift it onto the stove burners,   where it came to a boil and then simmered for 3 hours.   will repeat tomorrow.   Instructions say to remove ALL from atop burners  when lighting  to allow for proper  air flow.   So that means scooping out with saucepan again.    Pic is of  the water just from the overnight soaking.    at end of the Simmer,  much darker.  I put a commercial cotton print in,  to see if it would Sadden .   then,  couldn't find it.   Tomorrow.   more patience needed.

 

and then,   Goat Update

 

 

 

out of the Blue,  a few days ago,   i turned after feeding to see Black IN Jack Flash's Catch Pen where his food bowl is.  Where he eats.     Black is IN there with him.    !!!   Since  Sunny Ray was moved out,  he has been alone which is never the best choice for a Goat.   But if you remember,  he was all of a sudden aware that he was stronger than the aging Sunny Ray and began enjoying becoming a bully.    So....EEEE.....now what?    There was rearing up and head butting going on for a while but then  they just ate and soon,   Black   jumped over the 2x4 fence and was off.    This was repeated some days in a row and then for whatever reason,  no more.   Goats are Goats.

As happens this time of year,  the Doe Goats are feeling,  well,   Everything.   There's a lot of head rubbing on tree limbs,  chairs,  each other,  rocks,   vehicle bumpers,    a lot of snarky pushing and shoving of each other,   testing of the order of dominance,  AND

many long hours along Sunny Ray's fence.   Tail flagging,   pressing against,  rubbing.   All while Sunny Ray hops back and forth with his gimpy peg leg  uttering all manner of Goatly Love Sounds .    He is VERY popular.   and Thrilled.

and then....Nogal.   Who is not popular at all.    ?????    He has always been a gentle buck.   Father of Minion and Black 2 years ago.    But....no one goes along his fence.    no one.    ????     

but ever since we created the catch pen,  he has become more and more gentled and trusting.   Letting Emrie and i come in and sit  as he comes close to be touched.   And more and more.   As he has come to trust the 3 tortilla chips at morning and evening feed,  look forward to them,  come for them and then as days have gone on,  wanting TOUCH  even more than the chips.  He will stand,  eyes all half closed and dreamy as i scratch him through the fence,  rub his chest and front legs.    Today i went in to move his calf hutch shelter.   It was in line with the  widened  path of water when i empty his tub.   He watched as i drug and pulled,  moving it about 5 ft to the side.    When i was through i just stood there talking to him and he CAME.   Up against my leg and stood for what seemed like forever being scratched and petted all over,  ALL OVER,   never flinching....just standing with those dreamy eyes.   ?????      In the past,   he was skittish.   Would RUN upon approach....no reason for it,  nothing in his life,  but just the Theater.   Same Theater that Karma and Arctica carry on,   for NO REASON,   are No Touch.   

So all is Well.   Knock on Wood,   another season with no Evacuation.  This will be two.   It's not over yet,  but so close.  So close.

it was a BeautyFULL day  and i am grateful for so so much.

 

be patient

 

 

continued soaking...turning them under.   and made a note on Calendar to bring forward on New Year's Eve.     Check  Tree Weekly.      I waited longer and most are dry.   In the research,     best when green.    it takes more of dry to produce color.    There should be enough.  There's a lot.   and many softened today.    in the past i've  only dyed old muslin and linen.   The sheet will also make a difference.   its weave and quality of cotton.  Sheet is from Lace Lady.   not new,  but also not worn.   It is taking effort to go slow,  be patient.   Tomorrow i will need to think about how to tie the sheet.   Usually i just   "wad"   the cloth up.  Not so simple with sheet size.   i might tie it with copper wire.

 

the big Copper

from the antique store in Polvadera,  New Mex.   Where i used to live.   The woman who lived there was no longer  in business.  It had been her mother's store.   But if you knocked,  she would let you in to wander around.   I wish i had pics.   It was a Wonder Land of the most amazing things.    There was this.   She almost literally Gave it to me.   some few dollars.   had been repaired.

 

 

 

outside repair....not so neat.  but effective.   a boiler.  washtub.

 

it's been out back.  just there.   one of the things to be left behind in Evacuation.   Now....oh,   eeeee,  not so sure.

i hosed it off.    Here,  on the Camp Over  stove burners  to check the fit.   OK.   Since this pic i have taken it off,  set it on the bench and filled with the Walnuts and water to soak.    If there is no Wind tomorrow,  will heat for some hours.

will need to take some water out...it's too heavy....but then put the soak water back once it's in place.

i'd never noticed before,  but inside there is an emblem.... Revere Ware.   nice to know.   Some time,  long ago,  someone bought it new.   most likely from a catalog. 

Copper may give the Walnut a different hue.   I most love cast iron  but this will be a twin sheet.   Need big.

the Tree

strange goings on here at typepad.   But.    Click to enlarge

Walnut Tree.   All  around,  those miles of grasslands.   I wonder what was there,  once upon a time.   and when it changed.  At first i thought it was most likely grazing land but  there's no fencing?    Was it ever farmed?    Why is there no other vegetation,  plants,  other than just the grasses.    no bushes.    But here stands  Walnut.   I remember passing,   that first year when we  evacuated to Gridley Fair Grounds,   driving through that expanse and seeing the lone tree in the distance and suddenly i knew it was Walnut...somehow you can tell,  before you can actually See.      A half mile or so on there is a cluster of them.  Then no more because the rice growing begins.   

going down to 46 degrees tonight.   Puppy came in.

forgot to say.   i left apples.

They the last 3 made

 

 

and this one....again,  a one only scrap with the morning glories.   When i look at it from the distance of where i sit at the Everything Table,   for some reason i don't know,  it reminds me of   an image that would be in Architectural Digest,   whose photographs i used to love and save....   it reminds me of entering some Art Deco room..or  Hall.   a Hall.   Full of Design and Color with fountains and small pools with fish,  and it is also an atrium with butterflies

 

the Second.....   i   l o v e.     repeat  l o v e   over and over.    it began with just wanting to find  "light" pieces,  as in light color,  value,   but then it  very quickly became Its Self.   it's only 1~9   and i'll leave it that way for time being.     Just because.  the  9,   the tulips....there is only this scrap.    Back in the days of making fiber figures i often used upolstry cloth...this is from those days.     i was unaware i had it.

?????   these two paragraphs got turned around????   How did that happen?   

 

have reached the point where the Wall Cloth is Full.    I don't know what to do now.   Maybe double pin them up?   One over another?    That doesn't seem right,  but i don't know what else to do.     Am almost finished with enough for ONE quilt..which would be for Jenny but then...twice that for Alyssia's.    And i really want to wait until they are ALL made before i chose which ones go where.   I'll have to do that on Alyssia's livingroom floor i think.   i can't believe how happy this makes me.

Today     i drove to get Walnuts.   Got them.   3 grocery bags.

nothing in particular

B Garden.   squat sitting arms wrapped around my knees  just looking.    a long time.  at nothing in particular.  i don't even know why i was doing that.   felt like a day dream.    A lot of weeds have grown,  weed grasses,     w e e d      the word for everything that lives here of its own accord.   As i've given water to   plants   i've  also given water to weeds.    Rocks and stones,   the pattern of shadows on them,   can they Feel the shadows?   What's it like here at night?   

as is and Proof

there's only this much of this vintage red...actually,  2 more inches that can be used as a 1 or a 2.    But i don't want to cut it.  It's  3  1/2 inches.   so it will remain like this,  as is.    i don't think i'll add  strip 12.   Just this way.   

 

 

they startled me in First Sun...so  so Beauty FULL

i really tried to use incongruent pieces,  color and pattern....   just to see what it would be like and .....as it  IS,  as in ..Truth,    they just receive each other,     and it is Always Good.   Deb G's Knowing:   do not match.   Had she'd not said that,   i never would have known how this      IS.   

and how to me it relates directly to....the overlay,  the interplay of  LoveLifeForce.   Illustrates that.   How grief is a kind of love and love can be the embrace of grief while also Being grief.   Embrace like Emrie's hugs...complete   holding to,  no hurry,  holding,   breathing with.   

i went back,  which i rarely do,   and read the last several posts.....just to make sure it's   "honest".  It is.

happiness

so.   in the begining,   each end of day i would fold everything neatly.    Clean the table.     then after while,  it was just stacking on the basket.   this is how it is now.  how it will be till they're done.   

 

if  i were ever to buy a new piece of clothing,   it would be an   Ann Taylor.   Just because of the incredible workmanship.  workpersonship    This i am sure you can recognize,  came from Deb Lacativa.   It has been in SO many things over time....is a True Love.  Taking apart the placket,  an epic effort.   

and the pocket.   just SO fine....it will find its   Place.

the sense of Love~Life force    holds.