A voice of One's Own

So I've been blogging for about 2-3 years now and finally feel that I may - perhaps - may have found a voice of my own. One that expresses my personal opinions and life observations without appearing to simply be rants or misguided comments. Personal observations of the minutiae in my life, are just that, personal, perhaps to be shared, perhaps not. My comments are not opportunities for others to offer unsolicited advice or admonitory censorial remarks. But some people just can't help themselves, and that's part of life also. Luckily I moderate all comments (ha ha). Those are the people I now choose to avoid, if possible. Avoid, because life is too short to get all wound up and anyways, girls just wanna have fun - right? especially this girl!

I acknowledge that perhaps I see life differently than the "norm" - for a woman of my age. I have a wry sense of humor and some people misinterpret my humour as anger. Not so, but hey - that's you not me. Occasionally I wonder if I should change how I present myself to the world and then decide the effort is just too great.  I'm not willing to pretend to be someone I'm not . We've all met the fakes - you know them, the just smile optimist/extroverts (they who think they rule the world ...). The ones who never seem to notice or comment on the absurdities of this life. I sometimes think their rose coloured perspective makes them miss most of the more interesting moments. Who knows, perhaps that's what they're after.

What brought all this on you might ask? Well, I've been reading this book by Kenneth Sherman titled What the Furies Bring. It's a collection of essays on his musings on the post 911 world, Judaism, poetry, other religions, terrorism, the works of Anne Frank,  Primo Levi, Franz Kafka and Varlam Shalamov, to name a few. Challenging but interesting and I'm pleased to acknowledge that I have actually read of most (not all) the authors he discusses. I also just finished the book Money from Hitler, by Radka Denemarkova, recently translated into English from Czeck, another find from the new books shelf (remember I work in a library ...) And also Findings : the material culture of needlework and sewing by Mary Beaudry. This latter one I was tipped off about from one of my many blog surfs. I can't remember who's blog, sorry can not ascribe attribution for this wonderful read. None-the-less, thank you!  I highly recommend this work for anyone interested in archaeology and the history of sewing implements . Boring you say - no no no, au contraire! I suppose we all know there are sewing needles and embroidery needles and darners and straw needles, but did you know there are minikins, and short whites, and middlings and poppets and corkins, and even mourning pins!!! Not so boring now eh .....

Nothing much to report on the craft side, still stitching along on my cross stitch. Perhaps the reading and cold weather have decreased my productivity, I don't know and don't much care. Anyway, that's all for now folks ....

TTFN

"If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people".   and
"The beauty of the world...has two edges, one of laughter, one of anguish, cutting the heart asunder." Virginia Woolf

Winter Hiatus

Well friends and readers .... I'm back after a wee hiatus. Nothing serious, but the winter blas (pictured above) got to me and I took a break. Actually I've been a slug ... just going to work, feeding the cats and cocooning in my living room doing cross stitch! Yes - for the time being I'm all quilted out and have returned to an earlier craft. Actually, I'm taking a machine quilting class at a local sewing shop as I felt the need to have "professional" instruction in an attempt to improve. Time will tell if the effort was worthwhile. In the meantime I found a stamped cross stitch kit in my stash and am once again hooked on cross stitch. This may take me awhile so don't hold your breath!

So, being hooked on cross stitch I made up a cross stitch winter postcard for the quild's postcard exchange. Then I remade the mittens, pictured earlier, and finally got the needlepoint pillow completed. I've had the needlepoint for years and always wanted to make a small pillow. So, recently I moved a black hooked rug from the hallway into the main bath to cover the cold cold ceramic floor. Hmm, that gave me an idea and so I also moved mother's baby rocker into the bathroom corner ... and, well, you know how these things go ... I just had to complete the needlepoint pillow to put on the rocker!

So what else have Iris and Simone and I been up to you ask? Well, ok, I admit I have done some sewing. A while back I randomly put together the leftover blocks from my Cobblestones quilt. It's been on my design wall forever, and over the holidays I finally put some borders on it. I love how it looks, but it's still too small to do anything with it except maybe donate it as a kid's quilt.... So, now I'm grappling with what to do next, donate it or find something else to extend the borders. But don't forget this year's resolutions:

1) finish UFOs and 2) don't buy any fabric (hahahahahahahhah!) Wish me luck!

TTFN

Happy New Year!

 

So it's the New Year .... did you make any resolutions? I did, lots and lots of them .... I won't bore you with mine, but needless to say one of them is to be friendlier, happier and more accepting. Sounds good, lets see how long I can keep my resolutions this year! I was pretty good last year until about October when I got totally stressed out over my quilt show at the Library - oh dear. I shall have to guard against that in 2011 with the CQA show coming to London! I found a Christmas pillow someone gave me several years ago and decided it would look wonderful on the Eastlake chair my dear friend gave me. Don't you agree?
And keeping up with my sewing time this holiday season I finally, yes finally made those matching mittens for my down winter coat I call the beast. I got it many moons ago at a reduced price as the hood was missing. Since I'm a frugal shopper I purchased an almost matching hood then made an outer hood, cuffs, a scarf and now mittens out of dark brown with black trees fleece (no, the mittens are not all black!). Anyway, as always I learn best by doing, next time (ha - like there will ever be another time) I"ll know a couple of mitten tricks! Here's the online tut I used for this project from Sew Can Do. If you're anything like me I love to decorate for the holidays and hate, Hate, HATE taking it all down, especially taking down all the lights as they do brighten up the place! None-the-less take them down I must, today. But as a reminder ....

TTYL