Some quiet time is needed

I feel a need to withdraw officially from this space until next week. I've been grappling with grief these last few days, and some personal issues. My friend's son died unexpectedly on Monday; he would have been 21 in mid March. I've been holding my children a little more closely, and relishing their weight in my lap. I find myself silently reciting lines to a poem I wrote nearly twenty years ago.... probably about the time this young man was a toddler.

Winter's Women

It is the howling

of wolves, surrounded

by peaks of snow-packed

longing. Their necks extend

heads back, ears flattened.

They stand solid, shamelessly

each mouth wide, jaws

relinquishing the call that is

frosted hot and deep

like the wind.

I have seen these wolves

in women whose grief

demands release from the

muscles of their abdomens.

They toss back their heads,

eyes closed and twisted into

red grooves, as the sound rises

from esophagus to tongue, out

into the wind. It is a harsh wind

which soothes the scorching

phlegm of each wolf's agony,

and the women know it.

Our valentine's weekend

Can I just tell you that I am astounded by the love in our life? I receive so much from my friends and family; it really is remarkable. I've always been an "in the closet" Valentine's day lover. I can look right past all the commercialism. The whole concept of expressing appreciation and love for those that you care about is my kind of holiday. That, and I secretly adore the combination of red and white. So, here are some glimpses of this weekend's treats.

Can you see the fairies flitting around with us in Friday night's snow?

I finally embraced the sheer beauty and stopped grumbling.


Chocolate peanut butter cup making.... the recipe from some one's blog, but I can't remember who now. Email me if you want it... it's too die for.


Placed in a reused container decorated with some Modge Podge and fabric.


Cookies made at a friend's, filled with their homemade cherry jam!

A quick little surprise for my big girl, using a nothing special shirt from her drawer.

What were your valentine's treats? I'd love to hear.

It's snowing again...

Can you hear my curses from here?! It is beautiful, but will not really be enough to go sledding in. I was thinking about a trail run in the morning, but it will be enought to ruin that. Foiled again. I'm fluffing out the tops of my jeans, people! This is not good. I am NOT buying, or for that matter, making new pants. No way.

Thank you for all of your wise input about the quilt donation. I gave it to our school yesterday afternoon and the minute I walked out, I knew I had done the right thing. Oddly, my friend Liz let me know in the comments from yesterday's post that a bag I had donated for her school will be paired with her pillows in their school auction. And they didn't know we are friends! Another total aside is that the pink fabric in that donated bag is from skirts that I helped another friend of ours (Miss Heather G., you know who you are) make for their breast cancer fundraising walk in Boston. It just all comes full circle, this giving thing. Now, I just need to work on embracing the snow.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends, no matter what your weather brings!

A retrospective

These photos make me nostalgic. I took these pictures at the end of November. I can't remember seeing this patch of ground without snow. It's been covered in shades of white since December 19. My, how February does drag on this year. I nearly killed myself going for a trail run on the snow and ice this week. Still, I slugged through six miles of varying degrees of ice, slush, mud, and snow. Mentally, I felt better for it, but I pulled my butt muscle. Well worth the sacrifice if you ask me.

This quilt was fun for me and quick. The design is Chinese stacked coins... I think. I used Moda Wonderland, and sliced up a jelly roll. I figured the layout and dimensions on my own. I was just itching to make a quilt and I feel that same itch right now. Sadly, it's not in the cards at the moment.

I made this lap size quilt for sale. My first. I listed it for $195 at our November show. My friend told me later that she felt it was under priced. It was such a lovely compliment. I have no idea. I never listed it to etsy, because I felt so conflicted. Making a quilt for sale just didn't feel quit right. That's hard to explain. I think it's because every ever quilt I've made was filled with intention for the recipient. I often stitch the word "love" into the the free motion quilting of a quilt that I make. That's pretty literal intention, isn't it?

So... because it never felt right to list it for sale, I'm considering donating it for my daughter's school fundraiser. It's a public school that is brimming with good things. What do ya'll think? I'm curious to know. I need to make my decision in the next few days.

Any thoughts?

Saturday night social

This was a house warming gift to us from good friends. They purchased it from their neighbor, an artist who knew nothing about us. On the night before our friends came here, they called her up and told her they wanted to buy it and give it to us the next day. They had seen it once, and loved the colors and the dancing bears. The artist, Debbie Whitsett said it was unfinished, but that she would complete it that night and they could come by the next day. She finished the painting by adding the honey bees and a white wolf. Now, those of you who know us, just felt a little shiver. Remember, the artist knew nothing about us.

We had a white timber wolf hybrid for 13 years. She parted from this world when our daughter was two and I was pregnant with our son. We do not support breeding wolves with dogs, but Kogi entered into our life by chance from a situation of abuse. She was an unbelievable spirit and very wolf in every way. It was an absolute honor to be a part of her life. We were her pack, and she, the Alpha wolf, watched over us. My daughter still vividly recalls her time with this wolf, and she was only 2 when Kogi passed away. Then, of course, there are the honey bees which have become a constant in our lives. We carefully tend them, celebrate their presence, and eat their honey every day.

I have never received a house warming gift. I couldn't have. I've never purchased a home of my own before now because I moved in with my husband nearly fourteen years ago. I was brought to tears by the perfectness of this painting. The vibrancy of color... the joyous movement and magic throughout... well, it's just so us. It was the very first thing we hung on the wall (before we tore that wall down.) We camped out on the floor under it looking forward to years of enjoying it's presence in our lives, a beautiful reminder of tremendous hope and joy.

The current state of affairs

This was the kids' bedroom.

This is what it looks like at the moment. I know, I know. Those of you who worship the seventies are devastated to hear that such beautiful avocado green carpet is now in a dumpster in the drive. Really, recycle, renew, reuse has it's limits. So the entire house looks like this at present. We hope to be in there in the next five to six weeks. Last weekend was just a sleep over, but it sure was fun.

In our new house...

from our bedroom window... first thing in the morning.

same spot... mid morning. I think I can get used to this.