Take your time. No, not like that!

Today's little bouquet as a thank you.

I've had so many helpful messages and emails and comments and I thank you all. 

Now I've already started to get anxious follow ups, "just checking"! So I thought I'd better bring you up to date to help with the anxiety. 

It's very funny, take aaaaaalll the time, then after two days, what's up, are you okay, talk to me! But I love it and I get it.

What happened to me was a series of setbacks culminating in Joanne's death. That was the one thing too far.

I'd been dealing with what felt like a great betrayal, different context not discussed in here, followed by realizing I had put a lot of energy into supporting  someone who now was off on a new path.  Not a relative nor neighbor.  I felt like I'd thrown away years of sustained energy where it wasn't wanted. User error. 

Then the goodbye to a significant part of my life, the Knitting Ministry, that was a loss I can hardly describe. It's often kept me mentally on an even keel, having a sock to knit, with a worthwhile destination.

Then I've been dealing with a significant drop in energy, partly the heat and humidity, partly age. After 85, things are different, and I was still acting as if. I need to rest between every little activity, can't walk as far, though I still walk, 

Then Joanne died, and here a note about her. 

She wasn't only a blog friend, she was a fellow fiberartist, with whom I exchanged materials and ideas, and she collaborated on some of my activities.  

There was a bond you don't get outside of the fiberarts world. For her I brought back to mind her mother and grandmother, particularly the latter, a great needlewoman. For me she was a helpful sister sharing expertise generously.

So this has been a cascade of losses, and I've been resetting this week.

I simply don't have the energy to do everything I've been doing, so, aside from sleeping, I've been sorting through my options.  That and doing brief videos for my YouTube channel, the least demanding  part of my online life.

So here's the plan, as of now, just so you know everything is fine, just a bit different.

I think I will not delete, just cut back, on a lot. I won't narrate every Textiles and Tea, nor attend every Tuesday Knitting group, nor every audio pod. And maybe not write a daily blogpost. I've been making a daily post since 2008, with very few missed days, but that doesn't mean I can't change now to suit my new situation.

Today, Misfits day, as a trial run, I omitted all the photo prep today, and now see how much energy went into checking and tracking and timing and photographing and explaining.

I love to do it but I have to live within my new means and do all these capers as and when.

I'm doing very well, in case you're wondering if I'm leading up to a diagnosis, I'm well -- particularly since I'm a lot nearer 90 than 80, though up to now it's been easy to forget that.

So that's where we are.

But I thought you'd like to see what Misfits wrought today anyway 

Happy day everyone, be a butterfly!

Or thistledown 

RIP Joanne

I just heard that Joanne has died. This is hitting hard,and I may need a little break from blogging.

Thank you all for helping with the call to action.

Urgent call to action, please read, and call

 In Friday's Chop Wood, Carry Water, there's an urgent request for readers to call Alabama Senator Katie Britt to intervene on behalf of a seven year old child imprisoned in Dilley. The child has written begging Britt to help her because Britt had said she was very moved by the plight of Liam, the child in the bunny hat, similarly imprisoned.

Here's the thing: Fredimar and her parents were in the process of leaving, to return to Venezuela, when ICE arrested and imprisoned them in Dilley. 

I called with a message asking Britt to intervene. 

Anyone may call. I particularly leaned on US readers. But I hope nobody lets distance and national borders deter them from trying to save this little family. If you call from abroad please identify yourself as such, especially if you're a voter in American elections. That will carry a lot of weight. And if you call and find the voicemails full, yay us.

Early morning and later

As I looked out first thing this morning I saw this Chinese neighbor grandfather bringing the baby out to see birds and rabbits. I could hear him pointing them out as they walked.

I got in a walk myself later, and when I came home I stopped at the gate to make a picture looking left

Then right

That's my entire planting area, mostly rescued -- including the Japanese maple there -- or grown from seed. Heres today's morning glory. 

I'm getting one blossom at a time, no fear it will get out of hand.

The patio's become a miniature nature area, never sprayed, and full of bees,  butterflies and moths. 

Since I've been a member of the Xerces Society, I've been much less concerned about insects eating my plants, in favor of being pleased that the plants are clean enough to interest them. Wild folk tend to be gourmet eaters, taking only the best! 

I'm a bit less enthusiastic about the mosquitoes dining on my arms. 

About the community art I showed you yesterday, MaryAnne was interested in the rest of the story.

The Tin Quilt was exhibited for a month after which I heard the ptb wanted it for the Town Hall, so I checked with them and they said they'd get back to me.

I never heard so I did what I usually do with art that's had its turn, cut it down and used the parts for other artworks which eventually were exhibited and some sold.

About a year later the Town Hall ptb called me to say they were ready to receive the Tin Quilt. I had to break it to them that since I hadn't heard from them, it now had several other lives. 

Whereupon the caller said but, but, we thought you'd keep it forever! Not being familiar with the working artist who's not a conservator. 

As for the Birds Nest, the official running the event, had been obstructive throughout and had been pressured by the phalanx of artists invested in it to let it proceed. 

She agreed to leave it in place for a month, because a number of residents wanted to bring children and friends who hadn't known about it, along to see it.

I went out early the morning after the event, to see all was well, no tools forgotten, and the  Nest had been removed. Not a sign. I checked with the Works Department who said, well, sorry, but she'd instructed them to remove it ASAP. 

So they'd bulldozed it and trucked it to the compost area.  Sic transit gloria! I'm in the good company of artists whose work has so enraged authority that they destroyed it. Not a club a person wants to be in, but oh well. 

It means that it succeeded, because it got a huge reaction, joy from many, rage from others. So I lived to fight another day, and I've no idea what she did.

Happy day everyone! Just keep on, your friends will like it and it will annoy your enemies.

Go to Monday June 7, 2010 blogpost

That's where you'll find a better account, with a terrible picture, of the Great Tin Quilt Caper and the pet care business. I had a laptop back then, so it's much wordier! 

Meanwhile, back to the present, I found a dragonfly wing on the rug, probably carried in with a flower. It's surprisingly tough to handle, and I put it on a daisy in today's little bouquet. 

And Misfits arrived, in the wrong colored truck, driven by Jeff, who looked like a man with a bad back today. 

Picking up and carrying these boxes with heavy ice added in, is no picnic. I did feel for him. He used to hoist the box on his shoulder, but that's not happening now.

The food pantry has finally got up to accepting $ donations online, no more township losing my checks and causing extra work for the already busy pantry crew. 

That kerfuffle was why I started giving food instead of $$, but I think they could make better use of money for known needs instead of donor guesswork based on their website.

So what you see here may include the last of the donations which I'd ordered before I knew about the jump into modern times. They still don't have a regular donation function, oversight, because I'd have used it. 

Anyway I donated $$ and they'll still get vegetable broth and canned beans and tuna.

Envy apples, which I'll cook and maybe add in some of the blueberry jam I just made this morning, 

or the nectarines I froze last week.

The yogurt is new to me, because my usual isn't available, so why not. It turns out, as I  found when I had some with blueberry jam for lunch, to be very good, lovely texture.

Yellow potatoes to parboil and later roast, to go with the chicken, all of which I'll roast at once then use as I go. Scallions to roast with chicken, too.

Olive oil, because I'm completely out, also because they don't have avocado oil at the moment which I like for baking. 

Beautiful eggs, one was cracked, only the second egg casualty in five years, and they refunded me. I honorably pointed out that it's only one egg, but they refunded me for the dozen. I don't think they can subdivide, though I wouldn't mind if they did.

Bananaz for maybe banana bread, or just to eat, what a concept. The sourdough bread is a bit of a venture, they being out of all the other breads I buy. 

I had an allergic reaction to sourdough many years ago, but I'll try it because I've outgrown so many allergies that I thought it's worth a try. If it's not a good idea, I've no doubt Handsome Son will take it off my hands.

So that's us today. Now for the Thursday boiling, slicing, drying, freezing, roasting procedures, followed by a lie down. 

A while back, a friend, mistaking a cheerful attitude for joy, said oh that prep is as good as a party for you, you love it! I just looked at her, where to begin to describe the grudging attitude I have to food prep.. but never mind. 

Happy day everyone, when I don't feel like food prep I remember I'm lucky to have it. There have been times in my life when I'd have given a lot for food like this, plenty, too. 

That was when I lived on one meal a day, what I could afford. And several memorable days when all I had was oatmeal. Bad old days, let's not dwell.

Sez Ted and Big Ursy and Pony and Ursula 

Wednesday is when I recover from Tuesday.

Beautiful walk this morning, a bit bitey because all the insects decided to keep me company.

Home again, here's a view down the street

And look who showed up in the wandering dude.  A wandering morning glory.

And tributes to Ukraine. Here's the patio version

Wildflowers (?) in blue and yellow.

Then the new bracelet, which has two sides 

In other gripping news, I read recently that goldfinches nest very late in the year and use thistledown in their nests. My thistle has dozens of flowers maturing to down now, and yesterday I saw a goldfinch in brilliant yellow mating plumage. So I  guess it's true. I hope they'll find the thistledown. They do fly around the deck now and then.

Also I had a hummingbird sighting this week, so I guess it's all life in the fast lane right now.

I was reminded by Textiles and Tea about community art projects and a couple I ran back in the day. 

One was the Great Birds Nest, which I organized at the annual Township Founders Day. On the field where events took place, I had the Works Department drop a truckload of brush and branches.

I also volunteered other artists to attend with clippers, and the general public happily helped build a giant nest, big enough for humans to climb in (and take pictures!). 

We decorated with ribbons and various colorful items, and all ages plunged in, little kids wildly excited to be in a giant nest. 

It was about 10 feet across and I kept the sides low enough for people to climb in and out. Everyone wove branches and tied brush and generally created the artwork. No pictures, it predated digital cameras.

Another was the Great Tin Quilt Caper,at the library gallery, which I spent months preparing. I cut, hammered, pierced and embossed dozens of pet food cans which I cut into 6O° angled diamond  shapes, to create a tumbling blocks design.  Inside tin cans there's a beautiful range of colors, it's marvelous art material.

Then I built a backing of foam core and plywood and gessoed it black. 

All the pet care clients whose cans I'd used were invited to the opening/workshop. I had created the tumbling blocks center then everyone who wanted could attach the many  extra readymade pieces I brought, to the outer sections. I provided hammers and panel tacks, and it was a great party. The library gallery was heaving! 

We ended with a wall mounted quilt about five feet square, and displayed it for a month, with a lot of people admiring their own work (!) and their pets' contributions.

On the catalog (flyer) I acknowledged the name of every contributing pet and I was hysterical at how seriously everyone scrutinized it to make sure their Fluffy and Barnaby and Boots were included!

I've done other group events, but these were the biggest ones, open to the public.

Such larks!

Happy day everyone, just do it! You'll be glad you did.

Resistance reading, Tuesday Knitting group and Textiles and Tea

Today's resistance involves reading Malcolm Gladwell 

The gist is that the powerful figures of our time aren't as fearful as they seem. And that the smaller people can defeat them. We need to remember this when it seems the oligarchs are winning.

We have examples from our own experience of resisting. Target,  boycotted by the people, is now struggling, the price of denying diversity and supporting a tyrant. 

Citizens Bank now starving ICE prisons of funding after massive public pressure. There are so many more. They all need us to stay brave and do our bit. None of us is exempt from trying. Wr have more power than we know.

Meanwhile I'm reading Gladwell for tips on strategy as well as encouragement.

The Tuesday knitting group was fun as usual, my bracelets admired and the Ukraine one under way 

Wearing one project while embarking on the next 

The embroidery continues, but she'll soon be teaching again so we'll only see her occasionally 

This work goes on until all the yarn is used up.

Chat ranged over birthdays and death days, Shakespeare productions, cat behavior, baking, age, birth order, socks, travel, quilling, glasses and more.

Home to Textiles and Tea with 

A young New Yorker from Venezuela whose work in textiles expresses resistance, narrative and the impact of economics on the individual. 

She runs community events creating large textile installations, often with braiding, where anyone can show up and participate.

She also creates intuitive woven gallery pieces, with great color sense and high energy. Look for her teaching a workshop in Queens NY in September, and a gallery show in New York in spring 2027.

She's worth following, so young but she's made her mark already in North and South America.

Happy day everyone, Tuesdays are always full of things happening here.