Favorite Things

 Tuesday afternoon, the Hawk continued to call. Over and over and over again. Finally it sounded close enough, so I dashed out onto the patio and there it was...sitting in the tree calling its little heart out!

I attempted to make a Hawk call back. It ruffled wing feathers a bit. 🙂 Then I imagined it flying down to/at me and thought better of my fledgling Hawk communication attempts!

The sky was so pretty and the temperature just right. Blessing noticed and counted ✅

 ~~~~~~~~~✅~~~~~~~~~

Found these while going through a stack of papers. One written in the old place, long ago and one written here. I don't really remember what prompted either of them, but I can be sure I wanted to play with words. I like to do that.

That top note..corner windows in my little duplex. I always slept with one of them open to some extent. I felt so safe in that home, at that time...and I loved it! These are the windows that flashed blue when the oak fell and blew out a transformer. BOOM. It was so scary. 

The bottom dreamy thoughts are from much more recent time, but holds less recall. Still they paint a picture.

Along with going through some papers...I cleaned the bookshelf, making mental notes of books I will soon let go...I cleaned the yarn stash, as I have more than I will need in my lifetime. Some of the yarns were to thick for my needs, but I know there are those in the building who crochet or knit. I will happily share in the 'pantry' here. Thank you again to those of you who responded to my request for "peach". I have used up most of what was sent to me! I find that to be a great thing. 🙂 And thanks to those of you who have sent yarn in the past. You are much appreciated. I have lots of variety right now, but spent time cleaning out and setting up my weaving tote box with shades of brown, white/cream and black. 
I'm thinking "people colors".  

Cleaning things at an unhurried pace, allows time for wallowing and remembering and rediscovering anew. In rereading a card and poem from my dear 'Book Friend', I go slowly enough to investigate the book she had mentioned: The Comfort of Crows, A Backyard Year, By Margaret Renkl. It sounds good, doesn't it? 

You can find it HERE

And if Hawks and Crows and words strung together doesn't bring about happiness...maybe this video will make you smile. Isn't it amazing?!

LINK

May you find what you are looking for

May you smile

May you smile

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2024

Virtual Road Trip & Home Happenings

 

LINK

I was reminded of so many things as I watched...Liz's color block play (3rd quilt shown up close) and the log cabins so many have been making.

I appreciate seeing the backs of the quilts as well.

And at 14:38, timestamp I'm reminded of the video below.

The archive room...oh my!

LINK

I had seen this (aprox. 30 minute) video the other day and was so curious what he was going to do with all of that jean material. I have often said that my favorite weather is "jeans & t-shirt", so you can see why I was compelled to check it out. I still have questions as to the "why?" of creating a jean/epoxy table, the impact of such making on the environment and so on. But, it was fascinating and I learned things I had never thought about before. I was surprised to see that I really ended up liking the result of all of his hard work.

Here at home, I was ridiculously excited to be using up the last bits of this old watercolored paper. I believe it is the sister paper to the pinkish-blue-purple one I've used so much over the years. Kinda of reminds me of Jude's 'man's bird cloth' that never ends!

I haven't really liked these newer white tags, as they are just so stark, but adding a layer of this paper makes a difference to me. They are each unique and hold just a hint of something that went before. The other side has photos. 

In contrast...I pulled out this old UFO from who knows how long ago, complete with placement notes! "Trees and Woods". In the same bag is fabric for borders and the backing (tan & greens). If I recall correctly, the dark green = backing, the light green = borders and the tan = binding. I really, really thought I was going to make this, but never did. With the donation of my sewing machine to the COVID Quilt, no large work space and a serious lack of desire...I have finally concluded that I never will. 

I'm once again in Letting Go Mode. I know, I know..."Again!" you say. Yes, again and more.

I've moved into the 'not in this lifetime' purging, after YEARS of all manner of other purging, clearing and decluttering. As my mama used to say, I must sound like a "broken record" - saying these same things for all of these years. As Vicki Carr sang, "...is that all there is?...". Really. 

I put the two small patterns (from the 1/24/24 post) out in the building's "pantry" shelf and they were picked up within a day or so. I hope someone has fun with them. I am trying to figure out what to do with this old project. It really would have been fun to use once finished. sigh.

All morning, since my waking up, the Hawk(s) have been calling and calling. This is better than any medicine, hands down. I wonder why so much calling, but only for a moment. I mostly just let it fill me. Fill me.

"Only when you are truly empty, are you truly fulfilled"

"To know full control, you must relinquish control"

May you remember what you need

May you fill up when needed

May you cultivate the skill to run on empty, when needed

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2024

Crow & Sky

 

🐦‍⬛

LINK

When a good story grabs you!

We had rain all day and then some clearing, making for a glorious sunset! What more do we need?

I put the two quilt patterns in the Apartment Building "pantry". There are ladies here who quilt, so pretty sure they'll be gone by tomorrow. Poof.

May just one or two small things be enough

May they be enough to keep things in perspective

May they be simple enough to remind you of small joys

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2024

Days Go By

 

My friend's lemon tree, with giant lemons!

🍋

“Worpswede, near Bremen,

July 16, 1903

…I want to beg you, as much as I can, my dear sir,

to be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart

and to try to love the questions themselves

like locked rooms and like books that are

written in a very foreign tongue. 

Do not now seek the answers,

which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. 

And the point is, to live everything.  Live the questions now. 

Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it,

live along some distant day into the answer.”

The lemons are just HUGE!!

Saturday's Poem...

Take Love for Granted by Jack Ridi

Assume it’s in the kitchen,
under the couch, high
in the pine tree out back,
behind the paint cans
in the garage. Don’t try
proving your love
is bigger than the Grand
Canyon, the Milky Way,
the urban sprawl of L.A.
Take it for granted. Take it
out with the garbage. Bring
it in with the takeout. Take
it for a walk with the dog.
Wake it every day, say,
“Good morning.” Then
make the coffee. Warm
the cups. Don’t expect much
of the day. Be glad when
you make it back to bed.
Be glad he threw out that
box of old hats. Be glad
she leaves her shoes
in the hall. Snow will
come. Spring will show up.
Summer will be humid.
The leaves will fall
in the fall. That’s more
than you need. We can
love anybody, even
everybody. But you
can love the silence,
sighing and saying to
yourself, “That’ s her.”
“That’s him.” Then to
each other, “I know!
Let’s go out for breakfast!”

“Take Love for Granted” by Jack Ridl, from Practicing to walk Like a Heron. © Wayne State University Press, 2013.                                                                                                                                 Link for credit HERE

🍋

Ride your horse along the edge of the sword
Hide yourself in the middle of the flames
Blossoms of the fruit tree will bloom in the fire
The sun rises in the evening.
– Zen Koan.

Found HERE

🍋

I have been on the hunt for a bag of buttons...I think are Somewhere...but where?

They are the buttons collected over many years of vacations. Perhaps I gave them away? I do have a tendency to do that. So, speaking of that...

In my search, I found these patterns for quilts I will never, ever make. It's time to face that reality and let them go. I still think that both are really pretty. Just not for me.

Along with these, I found two blank board books, one white and one black. I've never found a great idea to use with them. I still don't have one, but I think I'll think on it a bit more for now.

Lastly, I pulled out the bag that holds yet another unfinished project. This one is the makings for a quilt based on a set of "wood-like" 10X10 squares and very soft flannel in green and brown. The plan was to use a boarder around each square. I may have even cut those out. I've had this for more years than I can remember. I know I'll never actually make it, especially since I donated my sewing machine (and I feel like this is a machine project). I have no idea what I shall do with this one.

Now, if I could just find those buttons!

May you find what you're looking for

May you enjoy the surprises you find along the way

May you keep looking too

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2024

Wednesday's Poem

 

IT DOESN’T TAKE MUCH

BY TED KOOSER

Maybe an hour before sunrise, driving alone
on the way to reach somewhere, seeing,
set back from the highway, the dark shape
of a farmhouse up against deeper darkness,
a light in one window. Or farther along

into a gray, watery dawn, passing
a McDonald’s, lighted bright as a city,
and seeing one man, in ball cap, alone
in a booth, not looking down at his table
but ahead, over the empty booths. Or

maybe an hour farther, in full daylight,
at a place where a bus stops, seeing
a woman somewhere in her forties,
dressed for cold, wearing white ear muffs,
a red and white team jacket, blue jeans

and Muk Luks, one knit mitten holding
a slack empty mitten, her bare hand
extended, pinching a lit cigarette,
dry leaves—the whole deck of a new day—
fanned out face-down in the gutter, but

she’s not stooping to turn over a card,
but instead watching a long ash grow
even longer at the ends of her fingers.
Just that much might be enough for one
morning to make you feel part of it all.

From The Path to Kindness: Poems of Connection & Joy.
Forthcoming from Storey Publishing, 2022.

Go HERE (site credited for this poem) to learn more about the author and to read reflection/inspirational prompt about this poem.

"Invitation for Writing & Reflection: The next time you find yourself struggling or distracted, absorbed in your own thoughts and worries, take a notebook or laptop out into the world, and truly notice all the people who cross your path. Who stands out to you, and what details perhaps give you a glimpse into their story?"

Amaranthus hybridus 

She said: "There about 100 pieces to this pie and they are all different flavors, which don't go very well together...but have to be together to make the whole".

Or something like that.

May you find ways to be of the world, or escape it if need be

May you hold words to work through them, at will in your own time

May you weave words and growth into meaning for yourself and others

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2024

Elder ~ Older

 

Lots of thoughts, kinda jumbled together. I'm sure it will make no sense her, as it makes not a lot of sense to me in my pondering.

I'm thinking about the differences between elder and older. I'm in there somewhere...in both places really. At least right now. But, I've felt some shift of some sort. The self-imposed (that sounds pretty harsh, haha) plans I've made and done so far this month have a certain necessity and meaning that I can't quite determine yet. So, I guess I'll just keep going with the flow for now, asking questions and making discoveries. 

LINK. 12:16 listen

"The higher up you are, the lower down you serve"

🌅

I pulled together all of the postcards today, spreading them on the bed for a photo. There are A LOT!! Some are from my adult life with J. - some are from my childhood - and some are from my mom and dad. In this batch there are a few written on, sent to child me. I think I may have more of those somewhere, but they are not really intended for this project anyway. However, they were a total kick to read 🙂

For now they are being stored in my moccasins box and a large envelope from Nevada Banking Company, Carson Valley, NV, which was my mom and dad's - so it seemed fitting. Actually, even the box feels fitting - young hearted, childhood me combined with now me.

I've made the choice for February's post card and have some ideas brewing for other months of the year, 2024. 

My idea, hope is that sharing the stories will have meaning somewhere down the line (kept and treasured?) and that perhaps seeing different places throughout the USA, will inspire curiosity and future travel. But, hopes or expectations have a way of becoming in their own way...so if what really happens is a few moments of fun getting mail each month, it will be enough...like the Passover song "Dayenu". It would have been enough.

May each step on your journey hold something for you...something that inspires the next step or teaches you something or provides something needed.

May you remember who and when you serve or are served.

May the days stack up wonderfully and if the topple, may they fall into a pattern for a brand new path, ready to be stacked up again.

Post cards of our lives

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2024

Words On Cloth ~ Words In Music

 🪡

As I said in the last post..."Plus, I've added two new words to the Word Cloth and I've got one more written and ready to stitch. A deep look at the history of the Word Cloth can be found HERE. I'll get to photos in the next post or so. It was interesting looking back at the words and their meanings. These new words have a different feel to me. But, we'll see after I add the 3rd one and process it through in a post."

Actually, I've added 3 new words: ease, joy, and health.

What I noticed in my need to add these words, is that they feel more positive to me. They are not a reflection (in the same way) of our troubled world in general, or my local world (for the most part).

So, with my recent interest in and practice of saying/thinking metta, I wanted to add the word "ease". This is such a good word to me in its simplicity and calmness. It is not flashy. I don't think I want to live in exuberance!!! No, I think ease. What a difference, right? When I went to write it on, I just looked for a place to stitch it. I knew I wanted to use something from my small collection of Deb's threads, so my biggest thought was which ones have I used or not and would the one I've chosen work well side-by-side with the ones already there? In the end, the thread I choice almost blended right into the cloth. I considered this as I stitched and decided that is what "ease" means to me: it is just there, not drawing attention, not needing tons of work...it just is.

The second word that came to me was "joy". This is a word/concept I've thought about this year as I read "The Happiness Project", poetry and daily calendar pages (so far, so good remembering that!). I was thinking, in this case of my considering, 'joy' has such a sense of lightness to it, a feeling of pleasantness to it. A rosey feeling.  I was not focused on the scream out loud kind of 'joy', but a quieter kind. So, I again chose a Deb-Thread and stitched it in fat-rounded, filled up kind of letters. It ended up fitting in wonderfully right under 'hope' - which felt like a nice pairing.

The third word that came to me was "health". Of the 3 words, this is the only one that felt like it could swing positive or negative. That feels true. But, it still did not feel like it held the same energy as all of the previous words. The upset, anger or urgency just felt different, although 'health' has certainly felt all of those things too. I guess I can't really explain in words what I was feeling in considering this word. I looked over Deb's-threads, but nothing jumped out at me. As soon as I picked up the large zip-lock bag of embroidery threads, the small bag of 'peach' fibers jumped out at me. Of course, I thought. This was a good selection as I had not used this color anywhere else and as one of the bigger spots left is right under 'matters', it was a comfort to the eyes match. It was also a complimentary idea match, for what could matter more besides your health (and safety)?!! It also ended up to be a good not-straight, a bit wonky execution in stitch match! I wrote it out in the my current lettering style - used on calendars, doodles etc over the past months. 

🎶

LINK

This joyful video came up in my suggested viewing (home page). I feel like I've posted this group here before, but I could not find it. Because I couldn't find anything, I don't know if this song is a repeat either. But, I enjoyed it a lot and really felt the importance of the lyrics, so I'm sharing it here now. You can find all of the lyrics in the video's description box.

"I look to you my friend, you're the meaning of love"

You can learn more about Masaka Kids Africana  HERE.

May you find the words you need and embrace them

May you share them with those you love

May you sing them out with all of your heart

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2024