How full is the moon?

...here comes August...how did this happen so fast? June seemed slow and July flew by.  Tomorrow I'll start working on my grandson's quilt again because he and his family are coming to visit soon.  But meanwhile...

My apple tree has been Very Productive.  It's hard to keep up...so far one apple pie and several containers of apple sauce.  Here are apples on the tree:

And here they are on the ground:

This year I've been taking the windfalls to the Community Swap...trading apples for plums and lemons and cucumbers and exchanging kale for collard greens and beans.  I'm trying to make use of the limited space in my yard, and I have a LOT to learn about it all.  Here's a photo of one of the Swap tables...things don't stay on them very long...it only lasts one half hour...people keep arriving with new offerings...I really like meeting my fellow town-dwellers this way.

Also I wanted to show you how the Edgar Memorial Portrait is coming:

And here is his mom, Molly, in real life...she has started to sing again, and participate in games with Gilly.  More on that at another time.

I added some unintelligible grief markings to this one, which has to do with my experiences of wishing things had turned out differently regarding Edgar's lifespan, but finally accepting that it was what it was and I'm so very glad to have known him:

And here is the start of my first portrait of dear rambunctious Gilly, who right now is having a little time-out.  She gets a little crazy at night, ( I think the full moon is making a contribution), but often settles down in the crate.  We're learning together about harmonious living.

This is the news from here...sending you love and wishing all of us the beginning of a good August and the fullness of your heart and times this full Moon.

Sigh...

Hello everyone,

I'm sad to say that my dear little dove Edgar didn't regain his health and died, which is probably a blessing because he was quite miserable.  I was a very awkward nurse for him, but he seemed to appreciate my clumsy efforts to help. He was such a beautiful bird and a glorious singer...here's a picture of him as a very young fellow with his mother, Molly...well, perhaps it's his father, Earnest.  I could never tell them apart:

So it's quieter here.

I've started work on my boro jacket, from Jude's Contemporary Boro 2 class.  I'm just copying her plan, because it seems a good one.  I really love handling the fabric strips that I'm placing on the backing, which is Batiste.  I decided that all the cloth of this top layer would be pieces I dyed in my indigo fermentation vat, that I learned about in Glennis' class.  My vat still has problems because there is some rust in it, but the very silvery blue of some of the pieces seems magical.  I'm going to start over with a new stainless steel vat in a while but this one is fine for now.  This is the basic design on me; below is the first strip pinned on.  I LOVE this process...

Finally, Gilly has recently been barking at her night-time reflection in the window...I decided to try to demonstrate how it's just a reflection and carried her outside...she immediately looked at the back of the glass, saw there was no doggy there and then buried her head in my neck as if she was embarrassed to have thought such a thing!

That's all for now...good health to you all and Happy early July...xoxo, S.

This has been...

quite a month!  The washer/dryer (one unit) died.  Because space is very limited here, all sorts of adjustments have to be made for something that will work better.  Slowly the project comes together, needing only some more electricity (Tues.) and then INSTALLATION! I will be very happy to not have to go to the Laudromat.  Then the computer died, but that project is  almost completely fixed.  And then poor Edgar, my beautiful white dove, became very sick.  He might not make it, but in hopes that he will I've started a felt cloth:

Then here's "Nursing the bird with a broken wing" (he doesn't have a broken wing, but he's quite lame and can't walk, let alone fly...)

This one's name is "I wish I hadn't said that":

And lastly,  "Connection with a will-o-the-wisp"

They're all projects I've started...apologies for the crummy photos but improving them is for the future.

This year I've been growing kale and a wonderful North Carolina squash...my dear friend Catharine sent me 2 seeds and look! They're growing in something called an Earth Box, a gift from my son and his family last year.

Also some lettuce:

and here is dear Gilly, on her 6 month birthday! (today)  We are both learning so much in Manners Class.  We go over and over the basic concepts...building trust and staying in harmony/love with each other. 

Well, that's sort of a catch up.  Love to you all and best wishes over Independence Day. 

Reservations

Hello everyone, well, more time has gone by, and faster, than I had planned, in between posts, and here is one reason:

This is Gilly, waiting for the next exciting thing to happen around here.  I'm learning in Puppy School how to encourage her to find entertainment without nibbling on me or pulling at my clothes.  Raising a puppy is rather time consuming, in a nice way, but still I'm glad I don't have 5 of them which her (birth) mother might have done.

But luckily there's time for making things:

That's the "asymmetry of independence".

"Heaven's Radio", named after an old song.

"Nine Patch Horse"

Here's one of my favorite horse inspirations, from the Art Institute in Chicago:

"Re: productive thinking"

Now as to the title of this post, "reservations".  I've been thinking how it can mean making a nice time- space for something, like reservations for dinner.  Then again if one has reservations ABOUT something, it's likely to forecast a change of direction, one of which I've just had.  I was thinking of having a little show/sale at my house, but then I began to "have reservations" and changed my mind!  It's a big relief.  Perhaps another time.  Meanwhile I hope you are enjoying plentiful reserves and moving forward contentedly.  xoxo, s.

Moon Shine

We were lucky to have clear skies for the big moon...what a beauty it was, is...peeping through the roses.

and here is a piece I began at the new moon...experimenting with combining embroidery and felt...

The other day there was a lovely shower of rose petals that Gilly pondered in wonderment:

I wasn't fast enough to capture them falling.  Now she has had her shots so we've been taking walks each day.  Today wasn't too successful down at the waterfront due to some aggressive dogs...we have to figure out when is best to go, and I need to get her a harness so I can lift her out of danger safely.  She weighs 7 pounds now and was complimented in Puppy School for her increased confidence and good Sit and Down.  Wow!!  That's all for now.  Happy Moon!

New Moon

Things have been buzzing here.  We've been to our first Puppy Social and tomorrow is our first Puppy Class.  Here are the buzzing bees on an eyeglass case.

Here is a finch in the apple tree.  That is an apple blossom petal in its mouth.

This is Gilly in the apple tree...in pursuit of the squirrel. She got there by herself; it's about 4 feet off the ground.  Trying to get down she slipped, but did some kind of crazy flip and landed on her feet.

Voila: the ipad cover...front and back:

(I used some fabric from Glennis and Eva, my grandmother's shawl and an old skirt.)


Here is my completed experiment in asymmetry:

And because I enjoyed doing that one so much, I started another:

Well, I better go now, there's a very sleepy puppy on my lap.  Happy New Moon to you...

Day before Easter

The first time I had a puppy, the rest of the household was so chaotic that I had little time for training, and no memory now of how we managed.  But this time, being older and maybe a little wiser, I want to be aware of the process.  So far we're on a 2 hour schedule for trips outside during the night.  I hear a little whimpering and I grab the leash and the pup and out we go.  Oh the sleepy drowsing, but she's getting the idea!  Last night the full moon watched us through the bamboo:

When morning came here's what caught my eye, framed in the wicker chair:

And here's Gilly, after a good day of back yard exploration (one week anniversary):

 Happy Easter and Passover and all celebrations that are happening today...