Monday Inspiration Celebration: sewing magic

Singer Rocketeer
gift from my father to my mother
compensation for swollen ankles,
indigestion, insomnia
and my eventual arrival.

1962 was the last year of all metal parts
but I inherited
my mother's weak knees
not her patience
or even stitches.

The rhythmic hum
one room away,
sewing was my mother's one true gift,
each stitch a mantra of love
neatly executed.

Only now can I appreciate the extent of her devotion
to manifest affection
through cloth, word, paint, song.

It is only now, a mother myself, do I recognize the need a parent has to express their love through multiple mediums. As if words are insufficient when it comes to describing the extent of my love for my child. So I paint, I make cards, I leave notes (well, she believes the fairies and our house gnome leave those), I sing and yes, I even attempt sewing.

I love the creativity behind re-purposed clothing and when I saw these skirts made out of old t-shirts, I was inspired to clean out some drawers, dust off the Rocketeer and try my hand at creative sewing.

I am pretty shocked this came out as well as it did -









I used this video for guidance although I fudged the pattern a bit, making more of a wedge shape in the hopes the skirt would flare out from the waist a bit more. My machine does not allow me to slip the skirt over a sleeve arm, so I cannot easily sew in the round but I was able to create a gathered or pleated effect by "bunching" the excess material in even spaces around the waistband as I sewed the two together. (I don't know if that makes any sense unless you sew; suffice to say, as I sewed the two pieces together I had no idea how it was turning out or if indeed I had sewed the skirt shut!)

This was a great project completed in the time Cowgirl and her dad were at the swimming pool. As applique t-shirts are a staple in her wardrobe, I am excited to realize I can salvage those cute designs and stretch their use out for another season or two. (for this project, I used 3 of Cowgirl's t-shirts to create the 9 panels and the bottom of an adult tee for the waistband.)

Now I am seriously contemplating this play tent design (with the help of the husband for the frame) and of course some festive pennant banners as seen here. (Honestly, can you imagine a more magical birthday celebration?)

Happy fourth of July to my fellow Americans enjoying a long weekend!

blue mood (52 photos)

final sunset in tuscany

It is rather poetic that this week's 52 Photos Project theme is The Blue Hour. While this refers to the color of the sky just before sunrise or after sunset, it also captures my mood as I find myself settling back in after two consecutive vacation trips away from home. Not that I am feeling blue; but I am caught in that in between state of integration. There is the me on auto-pilot before taking a break and there is the me I reconnected to while absent from the usual demands and distractions of my daily life. Vacation and travel always effects me this way. It allows me perspective to evaluate what I value in my life and also determine what is absent or lacking.

I am by nature a bit of a hermit. I am pretty self sufficient and can go days with very little interaction with others. Yet I also crave connection and community. Balancing the two has always been an issue for me which is why on the surface online communities seemed like a perfect solution.

Then I spent a week in Italy totally unplugged and I was aware of how much time and energy I devote to staying in the loop. I came home conflicted as to how I could maintain relationships built upon regular communication but also manage some level of depth and integrity to those connections. I have found myself in the past commenting on other blogs and forums for the sake of expressing my interest to be a part of things but not necessarily because I have all that much to add to the discussion.

I had a brief spell at home before heading out to heritage camp with Cowgirl and I left feeling like I was hopelessly running behind the train that is online social media. It's a strange feeling to consider oneself behind in one's life. Or rather behind in my creative life.

But it was also liberating to just create in my journal without a sense of what anyone else is doing. I have to remind myself that much of what I do is in the spirit of exploration and discovery; I am trying on various forms of creative expression and I am searching for that perfect form that fulfills my needs. In fact, I doubt there is one medium that will satisfy me and it is becoming apparent my challenge is to know when it is time to switch things around. Photography, writing, painting - each form offers me a different lens for examining my life. Each speaks to a different mood. And then there is the question of finding my style (or my voice) which is beautifully addressed in this post I fortuitously stumbled across today.

So yeah, I am in a funky state but one which is not without its unique beauty. I admit I feared I would be forgotten in my absence and then I came home to find so many friends leaving me comments and along with new voices hopping over from other blogs. While wondering about this whole virtual thing - is this real? - I am discovering the connections, the support and the abundance of this world is very real. Sitting on my counter, the bounty of mail love affirms these relationships nurture me and others in very deep ways.

Each friend represents in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born. (Anais Nin)








I am not a different person because of blogging; rather this space and the community fostered through questioning, sharing, supporting each other have allowed a fuller version of me to manifest. A very real me.

There. I think I've removed the last bit of lint from my navel ... at least what was gathered from my travels. Back to our regularly scheduled whinging.

Monday Inspiration Celebration: Italian memories

No words, just a lot of sighing these days ...

from Cowgirl's summer journal: "I was pushing the Tipping Tower."

(I know today is Tuesday; I started this photo essay before leaving with Cowgirl for Chinese Heritage Camp and go figure, the morning I had planned to finish uploading our wireless went out. So here I am with tales of camp to tell but dipping into my Italian reveries. It's quite a contrast; tales of dim sum, dumpling lunches and counselor crushes coming soon.)

i learned the secret ...

... of good living from a graduate chef of the Italian Institute of Culinary Arts University of Pizza!








The second night of our trip, we had the chef come to the farmhouse where we were staying and teach us all about pizza. As he lectured us on the necessity of quality ingredients, preparation and timing, it was apparent his lecture covered more than just the basics of pizza making. He was giving us the formula on how to live a good life. A life where our actions yield delicious, healthy results.







Point number one: quality over quantity. Less is more when it comes to ingredients - it is better to have one fresh, simple but tasty topping than a heaping of mediocre items. In fact his sauce was tomato puree with nothing added. Just the sun, earth, rain, and life of Italy apparent in the mighty pomodoro (which contains the word "gold" giving a sense of the value of this fruit.)







When making the dough, take your time. There is an order to the blending of ingredients and intervals of time between each pairing. Rush things and you will get bubblegum crust, his opinion of American pizza dough. Handle the dough with care. Massage it, tend to it, feed it and it will feed you.









Only a very hot oven will work. As in all things, heat or passion, enthusiasm, intensity are required for anything to reach its fullest potential.








Once out of the oven, take time to appreciate your efforts. Enjoy the moment fully - smell, touch, taste, look, feel the enormity of your passion expressed in tangible - and here, edible - form.







Most importantly, share with others. Often true joy is found in witnessing the delight of another. Be with friends. Be outside. Rest in the moment.








Raise a glass to health and happiness, invoking the best of all Italian toasts: cin cin which has no real meaning, just the pleasure of the words on your lips.

la dolce vita

So I am sneaky ... while things seemed to be "normal" here last week, I was not actually here. And now I am back and feeling still and quiet and realizing there are changes to be made. Or rather, a letting go of old habits and cultivating a slower, more engaged mode of being. One less cluttered with distractions. Allowing space for the sweetness of life to come alive.

Where does one go when wanting to learn how to savor the juice of life?









Of course, bella Italia.

For one week, this was my dining room, reading nook and painting studio:










My recipe for retreat includes plenty of gelato:







and wine:









Lots of scenery








and even more time to relax and enjoy what truly matters.










I was unplugged for a week and I did not miss a thing. I had been craving spaciousness in my life and it was easy to find once I quit rushing, grasping, doing and just leaned back and let life come to me. Una pausa di piacere - a pleasurable break - that shall be my guiding principle this summer.








More will be coming but for now, I am still strolling through the Tuscan hills in my daydreams. Gelato withdrawl is a bitch. And Cowgirl and I have more adventures coming this weekend so expect some photo journeys in the coming weeks. Heavy on ambiance, light on words.

welcome visitors

Instructions for living a life:

Pay attention.

Be astonished.

Tell about it.

- Mary Oliver

I am welcoming my teachers with open arms:

Aine - Celtic goddess of love and light, transformed into a fairy queen when the old ways were driven out of Ireland, she represents for me survival. She is a summer goddess, evoking fertility and the continuing power of magical ways which are available to those with a heart willing to accept and believe in its own power.

I have to confess: this season of unsettled weather has had me on edge. Seeking some sense of control, I gathered favorite herbs, mixed them in a bowl while singing a yoga chant of protection and then headed out to the fairy circle in the back of our yard. There, I offered my prayer for protection while also acknowledging the power and the gifts of nature. I thanked the fairies for all they do and then walked the perimeter of our yard singing my song and bringing into my heart the blessings of my home and all the life - the birds, animals, plants, and insects as well as the earth and air deities - who share this space with my family. Having acknowledged the gifts received, I do feel more at ease with whatever happens.

Moth - A recent visitor, although now I am seeing moth everywhere. I pulled the Moth card and that day went into work and rescued a moth from my office. A day later, I got out of my car and found a pure white moth lying on the ground. Nocturnal by nature, moth represents intuitive knowing over intellectual understanding. For me the gift of moth is understanding that we always move towards the light. My actions may be less than skillful, but the intention, the faith and the determination are always there.

Mouse - While hawk is one of my main totem guides, mouse - like rabbit - is a necessary companion. Hawk represents a more spacious awareness or presence, useful for someone like me who gets bogged down by details, momentary distractions and discomforts. But it is necessary for me to return to what is causing me anxiety, to explore it more intimately, closely so that I might understand what rests underneath it all. Mouse is about paying attention to what is right before me and giving my full attention to the details of my life. And then knowing when it is best to return to my hole and take refuge, allowing the wider perspective of hawk to help fill in my experience, my understanding of what is true in my life.

If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it? - Master Dogen

What is astonishing you today? What visitors come bearing gifts? Let's share the bounty of our experience.

Monday Inspiration Celebration: relax and be inspired

On Being has become my favorite way of unwinding, relaxing and receiving. I have been going through the archives, picking a favorite author or speaker and listening to inspiring talk after inspiring talk. I love working on my mandalas or doodle pages while listening.

There are so many great talks to choose, but the one that really speaks to where I am right now is this offering from yoga teacher and social activist Seane Corn. Even if you never intend to practice yoga, I invite you to take the time to listen to how she transforms her wounds and challenges into opportunities for healing, growth and empowerment. Make a cup of tea, put up your feet and prepare to be inspired.

For information on Off the Mat and Into the World go here.