- Small steps

Retrospective (1/15/2017)

Patch #330 Love, peace, hope

Original Post

This is where my head's at right now ...

pinning my hopes and dreams ...

on my sleeve.

Addendum: And thus began the Peace Pin Project (noted 3/30/2018)

- "Don't take a picture ...

Retrospective (12/18)

Patch #329 Self-titled

Original Post

Remember this in your heart"

A wonderful lyric by the Indigo Girls ... perfect for this Thanksgiving.

Addendum: J's turkey

- Peace and love

Retrospective (12/18)

Patch #328 Turning inward

Original Post

Just playin' ...

Two sides of the same pin.

- Holiday prep

Retrospective (12/15)

Patch #327 J's heart

Original Post

Our St Louis daughter sent one of the photos being considered for this year's Christmas card ...

Along with the ornaments they've been crafting ...

And in the spirit of getting ready for Thanksgiving, our Austin daughter sent a copy of the "recipes" from G's pre-school class ...

Needless to say, we thought G's was brilliant ...

Meanwhile, I'm continuing to backfill the past month's patches.

November 8 For all the good it did

http://imgoingtotexas.blogspot.com/2016_11_08_archive.html

And October 23 How peeps might be paisley 

http://imgoingtotexas.blogspot.com/2016_10_23_archive.html

So named as paisley informed the shapes used for each head and body. The cloth was a muslin eco-dye with a steel wool chaser made last year.

- A day to smile

Retrospective (12/15)

Patch #326 You are my sunshine

Original Post

Got a magical picture of Lo at Discovery Cove in Florida ...

and had fun making a patch for October 21

http://imgoingtotexas.blogspot.com/2016_10_21_archive.html

- Thawing out

Patch #325 Shingled sun and shadow

Original Post

First frost hit hard before dawn, but the sun is already melting it away ...

Ever faithful, Don tucked in this non-native palm last night, the first plant we bought after moving to Texas ...

Cloth is once again consoling me with this October trio ...

October 18 Many moons

http://imgoingtotexas.blogspot.com/2016_10_18_archive.html

October 19 Bat boy

http://imgoingtotexas.blogspot.com/2016_10_19_archive.html

and October 20 Balance in all things

http://imgoingtotexas.blogspot.com/2016_10_20_archive.html

So now I'm off to the garden and the wisdom of compost.

- 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 ...