- What's in a word

Retrospective (12/13)

Patch #324 Peace bird

Original Post

Okay, I'm over myself. After writing the post below (which I considered deleting, but decided to keep), I went outside and dug up a compost heap. It was full of rich soil where once there had been piles of prickly pear cactus. There's metaphor to be found in tending one's garden.

And comfort to be found in wonderful blog posts like this one at Judy's Journal 

http://judys-journal.blogspot.com/2016/11/how-to-speak-poetry.html

I also started to think about what to do with these little guys ...

80 peace birds found at a resale shop after reading this post at Deb's Artisun 

http://artisun.blogspot.com/2016/11/another-lil-demo.html

Better now.

Original Post

I have been slogging through this week, mentally and physically. And I am shamed by that because there are so many who have far greater challenges.

Still, I sought a word with which to define myself. Ennui perhaps? Not quite. Maybe this ...

Even cloth seems like too much trouble, let alone preparations for the holidays. 

I'm not sure I want to remember this, except that it is my truth for now.

- Therapy

Retrospective (12/13)

Patch #323 Paisley redux

Original Post

Cloth was my consolation today. After learning that a single month of a new prescription will cost $250, it was a joy to find this for $1 ...

A lightweight, 100% cotton it may serve as the backing for Remember 2016.

Then there was this ...

No fabric tag, but for $9 I knew I'd kick myself in the future if I didn't get it. Even the b-side is comely ...

We'll see how it weathers a gentle wash cycle as it looks like it has already bled (to good effect in my eye) ...

- Idyll

Retrospective (12/13)

Patch #322 Wishing

Original Post

We returned to the Wildflower Center this week. There's no question it calms and centers me like very little else these days.

We took G along of course.

Turtle watcher ...

Coin tosser ...

Tower climber ...

Hand holder ...

- Symbolic

Retrospective (12/5)

Patch #321 Wearing my heart on my sleeve

Original Post

Hazel Monte posed an interesting question over at handstories

http://handstories.typepad.com/blog/2016/11/puzzled-over-pins.html

To pin or not to pin ...

And I must confess, my initial response was "Sure, why not?"

But I also read up a bit on it here:

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/11/14/fashion/safety-pin-ally-activism.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&referer=

Which made me wonder about those who oppose using the symbol. Could it be that we are in symbolic overload from the multitude of causes represented by pink ribbons, orange clothing, rainbows, yellow armbands, and the like? I don't even know what I don't know when it comes to symbols, so how useful are they if their meaning is lost in the translation?

Still, I do like the idea of wearing a metaphorical heart on my sleeve. So I have in mind to make some pins with small symbols decorating them.

Starting with peace perhaps ...

- A story for our times

Retrospective (12/5)

Patch #320 The essence of fairy tales

Original Post

The lessons I taught in elementary school are much on my mind these days. For example, I used to ask my students why folk tales, which are fictional, were shelved in the non-fiction section of our library. My explanation to them was that, in spite of being "pretend," folk tales aimed to teach us truths about ourselves and the human condition.

And while I never went so far as to teach the word "allegory," for today's purposes the term fits ...

With that in mind, let me provide you with a synopsis of The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig ...

which is a delightful reversal on the classic Three Little Pigs.

As any child could tell you, it begins with three characters setting out on their own with marching orders from their mother to make a home for themselves. Clever creatures that they are, the protagonists in this story start out building a house of bricks ...

which predictably foils the villainous Big Bad Pig ...

But the plot twist is that the pig "isn't called big and bad for nothing" and he proceeds to destroy one house ...

after another ...

with a succession of increasingly devastating results ...

At which point the three little wolves decide that there's something wrong with either their reasoning or their building materials. And here's where the modern-day political allegory element kicks in: the wolves decide to build a house of flowers ...

The fragrance totally enchants the pig who "realized how horrible he had been ... and resolved to be a big good pig" so that in the end they all live happily ever after ...

Dare I hope?

- Happy Birthday G!

Patch #319 Super moon

Or maybe this ...

A new moon rose on November 14, 2012, but today a super moon is on the rise for G's fourth birthday, which we all celebrated yesterday. Even though he didn't get his first wish --a visit from cousin Jackson in Missouri-- G was consoled by the (temporary) appearance of an obstacle course bounce house in his backyard ...

Happy hugs for Mom ...

were followed by much merriment ...

all topped off by birthday cupcakes ...

and a first-time baby-holding experience with the newest friend on the block ...

Every day should be this happy ...

- The truth of the matter

Retrospective (12/5)

Patch #318 Don't follow the herd

Original Post

Back in the day when I was an elementary school librarian, one of my favorite lessons was about the Tree Octopus ...

I made worksheets with questions like "What is the habitat of the tree octopus?" and "What is their means of locomotion?"

I linked to this website on my SmartBoard

http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/

and pointed out how hard it was to read compared to books written for the students' age level.

Always there were one or two students who would raise their hands while saying, "But Mrs. Ackert ..." Knowing my students, I would gently reassure them, "Not yet ... I'll call on you later, I promise."

The final part of the worksheet was "How do you know this website is correct?" To which students would say "if it's on the internet it has to be true" or "check the encyclopedia." So I would hand a print encyclopedia to someone and ask them to look it up. While they flipped pages, I'd turn to one of my hand-raisers and ask, "You had something to say earlier?" At which point they would blurt out words to the effect of "Mrs. Ackert, there can't be any such thing as a tree octopus!"

I don't know how many kids "got" that lesson, but I'm hoping there are a few more skeptical information consumers in the world by virtue of my efforts. Judging from this article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/14/technology/facebook-is-said-to-question-its-influence-in-election.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share

"We the People" need all the skepticism we can muster!

Addendum

In response to Dana's comment, here's what I was seeing on Facebook and what I did about it ...

- Seek and ye shall find

Retrospective (12/4)

Patch #317 Don's (first) longhorn

Original Post

Don just finished his latest assemblage ...

and in spite of the fact that G contributed a metal washer last week

http://imgoingtotexas.blogspot.com/2016/11/hanging-around.html

the rusted metal supply was getting a little low, so we headed to ...

where we found some beautiful artwork by botanical illustrator Lotus McElfish, whose blog can be found at:

https://endangeredandnotsomuch.wordpress.com/

and who also has a website here:

http://www.lotusmcelfish.com/BOTANICAL_ART.html

But the best find of the day was Broadway Paul's emporium. Don's stash is definitely getting back up to speed ...

- Number the days

Back on Day 143 ...

http://imgoingtotexas.blogspot.com/2016/05/picturing-process.html

I planned to do a companion patch when I got to Day 314, thinking I would title it "You I Love."

But then it came to pass that Day 314 fell on November 9

http://imgoingtotexas.blogspot.com/2016/11/now-what.html

and a whole new set of possible 314s came to mind:

     Why I hurt

          Can I heal?

               Him I fear

In the end, I decided on "How I hope" ...

So this, then, is what I do ...

A numbering of days ...

October 14

http://imgoingtotexas.blogspot.com/2016/10/almost-week.html

October 15

http://imgoingtotexas.blogspot.com/2016/10/change-is-in-air.html

and October 16

http://imgoingtotexas.blogspot.com/2016/10/long-light.html

Because ultimately what I chose to remember was not whatever miserable news was current on each of those days, but the simple joys they gave me:

G's gentle voice whispering "Hi bird"

J's exultant smile as he learned to ride his new bicycle

The golden light of the setting sun caught in the branches of a tree

- Self-soothing

Retrospective (12/4)

Patch #316 Like a river

Original Post

We went to the Wildflower Center with G yesterday, where I found both peace and metaphor.

Are we hopelessly fractured ...

or ready to work ...

together ...

In the weeds ...

or at the beginning of new growth?

Dare we hope to make change for the better?

"My heart is open, my will is fierce" ... with thanks to Dee Mallon for issuing the call. May we each find our best expression of purpose and meaning.

Addendum

My St Louis daughter just posted this on Facebook and it seems fitting to pass it on ...