In Perspective, Comfort

 On and off over the years, I've chosen a 'word for the year'.  This year it was 'purpose'; in 2020, hope (how significant needing that turned out to be, eh?!)  In 2019, a word chose me; "more" (you can read more about that here).

In between 'hope' and 'purpose' was 'comfort'.  I thought about that one on its own for 2022, because it's what I've been seeking for myself and for others over this past year...and hope to practice going forward, with comfort quilts, words, notes, knits and stitches.

But...I realized that there's been much discomfort this past year too: estrangements and isolation due not only to the COVID pandemic but also to the politicization of public health measures and vaccinations.  Fires and floods and unseasonal tornadoes due to accelerating climate change.  There's a great deal of angst, anger, frustration and just plain suffering going on.  It's enough to make a body join with Ebenezer Scrooge in his pre-conversion view of Christmas -- and probably life in general:

Designer: Bent Creek
Wee pillow idea: Lori Holt (YouTube tutorial)*

*I've owned this wee kit for eons, but just put it all together this week during the Deep Freeze.  It finishes at about 4 1/2" square.

What's one single soul to do?  

Some of you may recall that I finished a couple of cross-stitch pieces, mounted in my living room, to remind me to be positive -- both by Lizzie Kate (now retired, but you might be able to find her designs here and there):

These remind me that I'm a) blessed with a cozy home, sufficient income, wonderful family, a clutch of very close friends, and a sizeable stash of fabric, fibre and floss with which I can create -- I can do something to promote comfort in my little corner of the globe.

And that's the key: "my little corner". 

My recent reading has been encouraging too.  I've recently finished Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Fetell Lee, and The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, a compilation of a weeks' worth of interviews with the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his good friend, his Holiness, the Dalai Lama.  On reflection, both of these speak about the importance of keeping things in perspective.

That's IT!

That's my word for 2022.  Looking around me, close up, to find joy in even the smallest thing -- and looking 'way beyond me, to realize that in the grand scheme of things, I may be only one, but I am one, and while I'm blessed with life, sight and skill, I can't do everything but I can do something -- as long as I don't allow myself to be discouraged by the scope of The Mess the World is In.  As long as I try to emulate God's eye-view of the world S/He created, loves and lives in.

Perspective!

With that in mind I'm filling my days with a routine that I hope will help me be more joyful, and to feel more useful, more purposeful, more creative and more compassionate -- with myself and those around me -- without being overwhelmed and exhausted.

So I'll laugh at the "Humbug" in one of my yarn baskets, and keep on truckin'!  

So...what's on the needles and under 'em now?   I'm so glad you asked!

Bonnie Hunter's moving right along with her 2021 Mystery, Rhododendron Trail, and I'm moving along with it, to whit:

Clue #2 - units finished!

Clue #3 - Units under construction

That wild pink fabric just keeps going and going and going! LOL!

Making the Clue #2 units produced a pile of what Bonnie calls "bonus triangles".  In the past, I've mainly stuck these in bags -- along with Good Intentions! 😊😉  This time, though, I thought I should make-up-as-I-go, so I've made a start. 

First, I didn't separate them when I cut them off the Flying Geese; I kept them in pairs, and then used them as 'leaders and enders' while I'm sewing up the units.  These ones have produced a mountain of tiny Half-Square Triangles (HSTs) -- from which I'm slowly assembling pinwheels, each measuring 3" square (before set into blocks):

It's hard to tell from the photo, but so far I've assembled 2 pink-and-white pinwheels and 2 butter-yellow-and-white ones.  Now, I can't do much with them at 3" square, so expect to eventually put them into some sort of star block for a comfort quilt.  What I can tell you is, that with each star taking 4 HSTs, I'll end up with 15 pinwheels in each colour combination, and a couple of HSTs left over.  Potentially 30 pinwheel star blocks...

As I began to collect that mountain of HSTs, I thought about what I'd done with earlier "bonus triangles"...and looked at my stash.  Well!  I have them in baggies, I have them in baskets...some still just triangles, some already sewn into HSTs.  I found a batch of them all in a very light tan/dark brown combination, and was inspired.  I woke early one morning about 10 days ago with an idea, and produced a diptych:

Scattered I, II (c) 2021
9 3/4" W x 30 1/4" L
Commercial cotton, fused applique,
free-motion quilted

Quilting Detail 1

Quilting Detail 2

Some of the HSTs stand out, and others have sections that meld with the fabric -- especially after quilting.  I don't quilt free-motion very often, but these pieces called for it, and so I used a loose pattern of random squares all over the pieces, and came away liking the result.  I've bound each piece with fabric that matches the background.  Again, I usually face my art pieces these days, but these pieces wanted binding, given their long and very narrow design, so that's what I've done.  

And how many tiny HSTs did I use up in this bold endeavour?  Sixty-two -- 31 on each.  Not much of a dent in the stash, but at this rate, I figure every little bit helps!  😆

All of this -- as well as providing comfort for some and visual art for others -- is in aid of the Keep it Out of the Landfill Project which, of course, is ongoing, and never-ending (or so it seems).

In this endeavour, YouTube is unfailingly helpful -- not only for entertainment, but also for tutorials and ideas.  A new-to-me 'Floss Tube' podcast is one example.  In addition to The Quilt Show, to which I subscribe, I already enjoy Karen at "Just Get it Done Quilts", Lisa Walton's "Quilt Stories" interviews with art quilters, The Woolly Thistle's "Shopcast" and "Little Big Knits" with Selma, an Ottawa knitter.  And this past week I tripped over a new-to-me pod-caster: Lori Holt.  Her name rang a bell and well it should -- as she's a quilt and fabric designer and, as it turns out, a skilled cross-stitcher as well.  Her style in either genre isn't mine per se, and I don't have bolts of fabric in matching lines to draw upon for what she calls "scrappy" quilts (mine are from the "where the heck did this come from?" source of fabric scraps, the ones that breed in the night)...but she's entertaining and I love some of her ideas.

She inspired me to dig out the wee "Humbug" and turn it into something fun.  And she's inspired a new use for some of my scraps from my Scrap Savers System (so named by Bonnie Hunter): tiny squares made into 4-patches, plus plain squares in assorted neutrals and colours.  These I'm starting to assemble in to what Lori refers to as her "Spare Squares" block (a YouTube tutorial). These can be made in assorted sizes, depending on the size of the squares you use; mine are 6 1/2" unfinished...and as of yesterday afternoon, there are a dozen of them:

Again, I created these as 'leaders & enders' while working on the Mystery quilt units.  They'll eventually end up in a comfort quilt...or two or six.  Trust me, there's more where they came from!

Lest the knitters out there think that all I've been doing is quilting and cross-stitch...well, now!  You know that chez moi there is always some knitting!  I finished the "Countdown" socks on Christmas Eve (the last day of Advent); they're now washed and in the charity box:

Pattern: Countdown
Free on Ravelry from EdithABDesigns

My friend Mary W. has a young couple in her life who were expecting their first child any moment, so I offered a couple of pair of baby socks, which I enjoy knitting from left-overs.  Baby Girl arrived last night -- so I'm glad the first pair is finished:

Pattern: Baby Socks - River City Yarns
Yarn: unlabelled leftovers - wool/nylon
Size: 0-3 months

The second pair will be in a 6-month size, I think, perhaps a cotton/wool blend for spring.

And my daughter's birthday is mid-January.  This year she's requested a headband to wear when she's out and about in nature, photographing birds and wee critters -- when we're not in the throes of a Polar Vortex!  So last night I cast on this one in her chosen pattern and colour:

Pattern: DROPS 114-4a - Alpine Twist Ear-warmer
Yarn: Berroco Vintage DK in "Cracked Pepper"
-- a left-over from mittens made a year or two ago

It calls for straight needles, but because there are only 28 stitches, I'm using two double-points that are 9" long, rather than my shortest straights.  The yarn splits a bit more than I remember, but I still like working with it, and love the colour.

Aside from these smaller projects, I've decided to make fewer socks this year, and to focus on finishing at least 3 of the sweaters I've started.  The first of these is the Ranunculus -- on which I've finished one sleeve and am working on the body:

Pattern: "Ranunculus" from Midori Hirose
Yarn: BC Garn Bio Shetland GOTS

I'm told the pattern is addictive; indeed over 10,600 of them have been at least started -- some folks having made half dozen for themselves, friends and family.  I'm not sure I'll go that far, but time will tell.  It's an interesting top-down construction without seams, which is a real plus!

So...what's ahead for 2022?

• 
  Calls for Entry (maybe).  This week I entered a second piece into the call for Sacred Threads for 2022; notification will come at the end of March;
• The Lacombe Art Show & Sale?  Being Featured Artist at last?  Only time (and COVID) will tell!
  
• More cross-stitch!  
• My friend and former client, Jeannette Douglas of Calgary, is launching a 'motif of the month' style piece, the "Mini Bouquet Sampler" composed of a dozen tiny floral motifs, one per month -- FREE!  She's already posted the thread selections (with DMC conversion for those who don't want over-dyes or silks), and a chart with the borders for those who want to do them all-of-a-piece.    I've started a bit of the border, using some fabric I've had for several years collected...28-count Platinum Cashel Linen from Traditional Stitches near Calgary, and DMC cotton floss #712:

• Inspired by Lori Holt, who has a habit of starting new projects based on holidays through the year, I'm planning to return to What Remains is Love, created by Blackbird Designs for Traditional Stitches' 20th anniversary.  I'll be working on it through the month of February because not only is Valentine's Day mid-month, but also my late DH and I announced our engagement February 11, 1975.  I'll do what I can in the month, and then come back to it in August, which is the month we were married in '75.  
• On Valentine's Day itself, I'll focus on a tiny piece (another wee pillow, I think!) that Jeannette designed -- again, a little kit I've had for over a decade: Mon Coeur. If it interests you, click on the link on the page for the free PDF of the pattern.  It's very tiny -- 1" x 2" on 32 count linen -- though it'll be a bit larger when I make it on 28 count!
• Then there's spinning, in which I've decided to make a larger investment of time in 2022.  I bought (on sale!!) a Craftsy class in the basics, in hopes of a) being motivated to spin more; b) to improve my spinning techniques and learn more than one or two ways to draft and ply; and c) use up fleece, roving and top so it doesn't end up in the landfill. Focus!
• Last but not least: when spring comes, there will be The Yard and Garden.  I'm hoping to plant a sugar maple (hardy to Zone 3, of course!), to plant more wild flowers (ones that didn't need to be over-wintered in the ground), to preserve with dandelion blossoms, raspberries and rhubarb in season, and to reconfigure the veggies I put in my two raised beds.  And yes...my Outdoor Studio will continue to be the perfect place to read, knit and/or stitch, helping me keep a sound mind -- and a comforting perspective.

And so, Gentle Readers...thanks for reading this epistle.  May your New Year be safe and healthy, full of the comforts you find in home and hearth, family and friends, the work of your hands.  May you bloom wherever you've been planted.

I'm linking this up to Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Friday, where this week she too is pondering a Word for 2022.  

Happy New Year!  

😊💓💖

Just a Word

 

Those of you who follow me on Facebook know I've had this lit candle as my profile photo for a very long time now -- pretty much consistently for the last four years.

It remains lit for the time being, but now it is lit more in hope than for release.

That said, today is Remembrance Day in Canada and much of the world, marked in various and sundry ways and places.

I'm marking it at home today, and have already watched a Service of Remembrance prepared by our parish priest and volunteers, as well as celebrating Morning Prayer with the Dean in the garden at Canterbury Cathedral.

It will be a day of quiet handwork -- mainly knitting socks for Christmas gifts -- and a bit of outdoor work too, as we had more snow overnight and all that was cleared yesterday has to be cleared again.

All of this is a preamble to what I really wanted to share, sitting here sipping coffee and listening to Ralph (aka Raif) Vaughan Williams' Lark Ascending on CBC radio.

As I listened and knit and thought, I realized that although it is early, a Word of the Year has come to me for 2021, which I hope and trust will inform my work in the brief time left in this year as well: 

comfort

It's what I'm acknowledging I need in my life right now, and what I want all of my somewhat frenetic making to be about: bringing comfort.

I expect I'll write more about this as time passes, and I might even ponder the 'word' I chose last year -- but for today, this is enough.  Going forward, may the time ahead bring each of us comfort.

The Lark Ascending

Violinist: Hilary Hahn

Where To?

It's a new year; we're on the way in to a new decade.  It struck me this morning that a mere twenty (20!) years ago today, many of us turned on our computers with 'bated breath, wondering if they'd crash!

It seems a bit silly now, with so much water under the bridge since then, and so much more roiling and churning beneath our bridges nowadays.

That said, with every new year comes the hope and promise of a better, brighter era.  That has some folks pondering a 'word of the year' -- but this year, I've seen very little of that.  Perhaps it's a fad whose time has come and gone.

Ah well.

Last year, I didn't want a word -- but I 'got' one.  Like it or not.  That word was "MORE" -- but not as in "stuff".

Prairie Quintet -- the Wall-to-bed
Project - September 2019

How did it play out for me?  Let's see...

• More peace. More quiet. -- some;
• More time in the studio. -- Yes!  Including that "Wall-to-bed Project" that had me working in the studio very solidly for three months!
• More fruits and veggies. -- maybe...
• More water. -- yes!
• More rest. More sleep. -- well, more rest in the form of sleep -- I went to bed early most nights, and I think I may have even taken more naps!
• More giving (away). - Yes, actually -- including three quilts for a refugee family and one more for a neighbour burned out of his house, and a collection of paintings by artist Wadim Dobrolige to the Kuhl Centre in Edmonton.
• More fresh air. More long walks.  -- hard to say.  Our relatively mild winter is meaning more walks in recent months, but perhaps that only offsets our rainy summer that saw me indoors more than I'd like.  
• More poetry. - Yes -- I even wrote a bit!
• More finished projects.  I think so -- especially with respect to knitting UFOs that are now finished: two sweaters, a Shetland shawl and two pair of socks -- not counting new things started and finished this year.
• More connections with friends and family. - Yes -- largely due to a visit home to Quebec in

  

  Presenting CVR High School
   graduates with a family-founded bursary
  -- 50 years after my own graduation
  June 2019

  June, a visit to friends south of Calgary in August, and seeing my kids a bit more often.  
• More love. -- hmmm...well, I've felt loved more often this past year...and I hope I've shown it as well, but that's hard to tell.
• More forgiveness.  - probably not. 
• More patience. - maybe...
• More kindness. More gentleness. - well, let's just say I made more of an effort to be kinder and gentler.  And that took patience! 😉
• More self-control. - a bit.  But only just.
• More people remembered. - I hope so. 
• More letters written. - Not by hand...but perhaps by e-mail.
• More sweet memories made.  - Well, there were sweet memories made -- this last Xmas being part of that -- but more than before?  Let's just say, "more than in the last two years" -- and leave it at that!
• More joy. - not sure.
• More prayer. - Definitely!
• More contentment. - a bit, yes.

So...where to for 2020?  Is there another word following me around, nagging at me to be spoken into the new year?  A word, yes, but it expresses an attitude, one that I want to live into in 2020:

HOPE.

I choose to live in hope.

I want to weave me some sunshine into every day...

And then perhaps more of what I sought last year will appear

in my life -- and in yours!

Happy New Year, Gentle Readers...

Let's join hands and go forward in hope.*

*Sending New Year's wishes to my friends and fellow-makers on WIP Wednesday over at The Needle & Thread Network.  

I Don't Really *Want* a Word

"A word for the year", that is.

I know, I know...some folks still choose one, rather than -- or perhaps in addition to -- making New Year's Resolutions.

I gave up resolutions a while ago...but the idea of a 'word' comes back to haunt me every year.  The last time I chose one it was 2016, and the word was "Celebrate!".  Indeed, that year there was much to celebrate.

The following year?  Not so much -- though 2017 found me having a great time at the Lacombe Art Show & Sale (April), turning 65 (September) and travelling to Scotland...out of which arose the 'Scotland Series'.

And that -- in collaboration with my friend and SAQA colleague, Mary Wilton -- gave birth to two well-received exhibits.  ("Shamrock & Thistle: Textile Art Inspired by Ireland and Scotland" is showing in Lacombe's Memorial Centre as I write; it comes down January 30.)

As for this past year (2018)?  Well...yes...there have been some memorable moments: the 19th Annual Lacombe Art Show & Sale; the showing of S&T at the Camrose Art Walk and now at the LMC; a lovely visit with friends at their new home south of Calgary; and the acceptance into my first juried International Exhibit with SAQA, Season After Season.  In addition, I taught my first-ever mini-class on knitting with double-pointed needles (dpns) at two consecutive "Creativ Festival" shows, and have secured a spot (dates TBA) as part of an Artists' Collective in a nearby town, for a four-month period later this year.

The not-so-memorable moments? Relationship challenges in my family...coping with health issues myself (nothing major but nonetheless troublesome)...and the mess the world is in -- in no small way related to the foolishness in the government of Canada's neighbour to the south.  Sigh...

So why a word for 2019?  And what word?

Like I said, I don't -- and didn't -- want a 'word'.  I didn't want to think of one.  I didn't want to own one.  But...it came to me out of the blue -- and here you have it:

MORE

Not as in "more stuff" or "consumerism" or "unbridled accumulation".  NO.  "More" as in...

More peace.

More quiet.

More time in the studio.

More fruits and veggies.

More water.

More rest.

More sleep.

More giving (away).

More fresh air.

More long walks.

More poetry.

More finished projects.

More connections with friends and family.

More love.

More forgiveness.

More patience.

More kindness.

More gentleness.

More self-control.

More people remembered.

More letters written.

More sweet memories made.

More joy.

More prayer.

More contentment.

I'm thinking I might just like this word. More of it, every day.  Any of you want more?  It's there for the taking, if we can just slow down long enough to find it, treasure it, and take it home with us.

Happy New Year, Gentle Readers!

May it bring you MORE than you hoped for.

What's This About a Word?

:-)  

A 'word for the year', that is.  This concept isn't foreign to me at all; it's just been a while since I did it -- chose a word and let it carry me along for the next 12 months.

Looking back, I see that I've really only taken one year off this word thing...but having ignored my 2014 word for most of that year, it feels like longer.

And I wasn't going to do it again this year, either; that is, until yesterday, when I listened to a recent podcast from Sandy of "Quilting for the Rest of Us", when the subject came up again.

Suddenly, a word came to me.  A 'WORD' for 2016 that would actually make sense.  A word that will be an essential part of this next 12 months, for a variety of reasons.

That word is celebrate!  Yes, the exclamation point is included!  :-)

This year, there'll be something to celebrate just about every month, I think...to whit:

• January: 
• I just had my first-ever acceptance into a major SAQA juried show! (My Corner of the World: Canada).
• My sweet daughter -- and photographer extraordinaire -- Gina was born 35 years ago this month.  Whoa! A milestone...from which she (and I) can look back on a life well-lived...tragedies overcome, challenges met (like living without kitchen counters for weeks!), scholarships earned, employment successes noted, relationships forged (like her "second family" in Saskatchewan)...living out the tenets handed down from the grandfather she never knew: family, friends and faith...
• I'll be sending off two more quilts to France for our 15 x 15 Guest Exhibit at Beaujolais later this year.
• February: 
• I was engaged 41 years ago this month;
• My sweet DIL-to-be, Chereena, has a birthday --  turning...23?
• March:
• SAQA's annual Conference -- this year, in Philadelphia, PA (March 31 - April 3).  I'm not going, but you can bet those attending this year will be celebrating the studio art quilt the entire time!
• My dear friend, JM in the UK, turns 64 this month.  We've been corresponding (pen-pals) for 54 years...and have met twice.  Our relationship ebbs and flows, and there have been gaps...but we continue to connect across the miles.
• EASTER Sunday is March 27th.
• April:
• Gina and I hope we'll be accepted into Lacombe's Annual 'Encore Sale and Celebration of  Creative Expression' -- April 15 and 16 --  to share a booth...with our landscapes.  Hers are photos on stretched canvas, or framed, or in cards or bookmarks.  Mine?  Well...textiles all the way!
• Quilt Expo en Beaujolais is on this month - and my work will be there as part of a Guest Exhibit with my 15 x 15 group.
• The Taiwan International Quilt Festival opens April 30 and runs through May 29.  Again, my 15 x 15 group will be sending a Guest Exhibit!
• May:
• I'm going to Stratford, Ontario...for the opening of  the SAQA exhibits "My Corner of the World: Canada" and "My Corner of the World: International" at the Stratford Perth Museum.  (May 21) I'll be sharing the rental car and B&B accommodations with my colleague, Jaynie Himsl of Saskatchewan.  In addition to the MCOTW opening, we'll be taking in "A Chorus Line" at the Stratford Festival Theatre, and socializing with SAQA colleagues from across Canada.
• Victoria Day - Long weekend!
• June:
• A break in the action?  Nope!  My son Marty turns 31 on the 6th!
• AND I hope to have finished a piece to commemorate my mother's centennary on the 8th.
• July:
• My nephew, George, turns 23 on the 7th?  5th?  Somewhere in there!
• My afore-mentioned son, Marty, and his sweet Chereena, are being married on the 23rd.
• The same date would mark my widowed mother's marriage to my step-father, Reg Daniel, July 23, 1957.  My sis and I were the cutest flower girls *ever*!
• August:
• Heritage Day long weekend -- and my artsy gal pals come up from Calgary to play in my Outdoor Studio;
• The 9th marks my 41st wedding anniversary;
• The 9th also marks the 10th anniversary of my DH's death, and the end of stitching on the Mark on the Body project.  After this date, the project is polished up and prepared for exhibiting.
• September:
• Labour Day - long weekend!
• I turn 64,
• October:
• Thanksgiving!
• November:
• My sweet sis turns 63;
• My DH would have been 64;
• It's National Diabetes Month.
• December:
• The Incarnation of Jesus (aka 'Christmas')...
• And Hanukkah celebrations...
• And the celebration of another year well lived.

Something tells me it's gonna be a Great Year!  

Finito -- in a Manner of Speaking

I seem to have gotten into the habit of choosing a Word for the Year (WFTY) instead of assaulting myself with a list of resolutions I've no intention of keeping.  The thing about a Word is, you can choose it and forget about it, but it doesn't forget about you --  rather like The Word ("...and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." John 1:14), in my faith practice.  Hmmm....

Recently a colleague asked me if I'd help her find a word for 2014.  I replied that I'd think and pray about it and sent her off to do some inspirational reading.  I've come to the conclusion though, that that's about all I can do for her in this area.  A WFTY can't be chosen for you by someone else; it's one of those things you have to do for yourself.  And sometimes, like this past year, a word chooses you.

The word that chose me in 2013 is 'gift', as in giving, receiving and being a gift.  How well have I done across the board? Well... I had a bit of a bump in income during the year, so I was able to give more.  I also gave away more material items -- things I knew I'd never need but which I also knew someone else could use.  And I tried to be gracious when receiving gifts, and not resentful when gifts were hoped for (nay, expected!) and not received.

Part of my "gift" this past year involved my work:

"This means that my work must be:

• Given in love;
• Suited to potential recipients;
• Constructed with care;
• Fairly and honestly priced;
• Economically produced."

In that area, I believe I have succeeded -- especially after I began to produce the pieces I call "miniatures".  The opportunity to make one for the SAQA fund-raising auction at the Santa Fe Conference was a gift, indeed -- a gift that seems to keep on giving, as I come up with new ideas for the little scenes, and as they put smiles on peoples faces, and are purchased as gifts for others.

Another gift I was given in 2013 was the gift of an art quilt group, Fifteen by Fifteen, which I was invited to join in April -- one-third through their first year of making 15"-square pieces every two months, based on a series of themes.  I found myself in the midst of a group of talented artists of varying age and experience, most of whom live outside North America.  The size, shape and thematic requirements all challenged me.  I had great fun with this, and to my delight, have two pieces going over to France for a group show in April!  I'm now beginning work on our Dec/Jan piece with the theme, Rhythm, and am thankful for the gift of continuing another year with this group.

I received a third gift late in the year -- the gift of a vote of confidence, when I was asked to become the Alberta Co-Rep for SAQA Western Canada Region.  The acceptance of this 'gift' required some thought; I approached it with no small amount of 'fear and trembling', given the size of our region geographically, the big shoes of the departing Co-Rep, Patti Morris, the fact that the B.C. Co-Rep was also retiring so there would be two newbies, and one courageous person, Dawn Piasta, who'd been at her post (Saskatchewan/Manitoba) it seemed, only a short time.  I am truly thankful for the encouragement I received from Patti, from Ali George, whose Oceania region makes our region's size pale in comparison, and from Desiree Vaughn, the SAQA Rep Co-ordinator.

All of these have been gifts of the heart, which I will carry forward with me into 2014.

And now -- what about a Word for the (New) Year?

Once again I responded to Christine Valters Paintner's invitation to "Give Me a Word", over at Abbey of the Arts.  The week before Christmas, I found I was able to post this in the comments on the invitation post:

My word for 2014 arose in me just yesterday: FINISH. 

I'd got up and straight-away (before breakfast or anything) felt compelled to sort out a portion of my yarn stash, including a box containing two unfinished projects. Later in the day, I finished making one of my annual Christmas traditions: boxer shorts for my son (now 28). 

As the day went on, I realized that 2014 needs to be about FINISHING — what I start, what is currently unfinished. Beyond the obvious and practical, I also believe I'm being drawn to FINISH with the past — not to forget it but to leave it behind me in order to approach the possibilities and plans God has for me in the future with new eyes, new ears, a renewed mind and an open heart. 

I know I will never be "FINISHED" this side of Heaven, but loose ends can be tied up; peace can be made; forgiveness can be given (and received); and doors can be closed. "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." (Isaiah 43:9)

How about you, Gentle Reader?  Is there a word or phrase tugging at your heart or at the edges of your mind that you can use as a mantra for 2014?

This post is now -- ahem -- finished...See you again soon!

Quilty Resolutions -- and a Word

Back in August I weighed in on the "Quilty Resolutions" I'd made, courtesy of Sandy's Quilting for the Rest of Us QR challenge.  At that point I'd accomplished 1 of 3.   As of this writing, I have made little progress toward accomplishment of the other two.  One has not yet been started, and one has had some work done on it (the hand-quilting) with plans to do more during this current cold snap (for obvious reasons: working with it on my lap will keep me warm!).

Sandy, bless her, is running her QR and Give-away once again for 2013 but, given my track record, I've decided not to participate this year.  This doesn't mean I'm going to forget all about 'em.  No way!  I've just decided that I have other priorities and those 2 projects will have to be worked in as I go.  Now that the C&G is out of the way...

Well....

• There's work to be done on a piece committed to a SAQA Western Canada exhibit; deadline: June 6, 2013.
• There are pieces to review and add to for the Annual Lacombe Art Show and Sale; deadline: mid-April, 2013.
• There's the series on trees to work on, partially for the above-mentioned sale but mainly so I can make a proposal for a solo show to either the Alberta Craft Council or Visual Arts Alberta (or perhaps both).
• There's the 2013 SAQA auction to which I should contribute (and hope that my piece will sell).

And so on.

And whatever I do has to dove-tail with my 2013 Word for the Year.  

I wasn't going to do this again this year.  I'd had "Enough" in 2011, and followed that with "Life" in 2012...However, my online Abbess, Christine Valters Paintner at Abbey of the Arts, put out another challenge for a Word, and I felt a strong tug to participate yet again.

To back up a bit -- "Life" proved to be a true word for me in 2012.  Having had 'enough' the year before, I found myself with a life in 2012, living a life -- and loving a life, at long last!

The word that calls to me for 2013 is GIFT, as in giving a gift, receiving a gift, and most importantly, being a gift.  I think the seed for this word was planted when my daughter, in response to my post 'Christmas Without Presents', pointed out that perhaps a dominant "love language" for me is gift-giving.  (On Christmas she brought me one of the books by Dr. Gary Chapman in which this theory is expounded, but I haven't begun to read it just yet.)

Abbess Christine offers a free 12-day mini-retreat to help those who wish to find a word (or have one choose them)...I've been reading the posts and "GIFT" has been shouting at me daily for the past ten days so...there it is.  I will strive in the coming year -- with God's help! Always with God's help! -- to give generously to those to whom I'm called to give; to receive graciously from those from whom I'm called to receive; and to be a gift to those around me, to the best of my ability.

This means that my work must be:

• Given in love;
• Suited to potential recipients;
• Constructed with care;
• Fairly and honestly priced;
• Economically produced.

It means that my income must be shared appropriately with those persons and/or causes to whom and to which I am called to share it.

It means that my time and attention must include flexibility for sharing with those in need of it.

It means that I must remember that I too am worthy of the gift of time and attention (self-care) from me...to me.

It means, as Bonnie would say, there must be no whining about what and where and when and how I'm called to give!

Most of all, it means recognizing the gifts I've been given by the God I worship, thanking God daily for those gifts, and asking God's help to administer and apply them...each and every day.  

And where does that take us?  Back to the Light...

Let your light so shine before others

that they may see your good works, 

and glorify your Father in Heaven.

- Matthew 5:16

What's YOUR word for 2013?

'Enough!' and...

a new word for 2012.

Just over a year ago, I'd begun to let go of my former life, to release my hold on the past.  I entered 2011 with a new word, one in which I lacked confidence but which I knew that I had to believe, in order to finish the letting go: enough.  

• I'd had enough;
• I have enough; and most importantly,
• I am enough.

It took me over eight months to believe this -- to turn that last corner on the past fifteen years, to find the door at the end of that seemingly-endless tunnel, to open it, and to step out into the light.  

The turning point came sometime just before my 59th birthday.  As Joyce Meyer would say, I finally got a 'suddenly'.  Suddenly, I knew that I knew that I knew that 'enough' was true -- that I still had a life, and it was up to me to live it.

And so, gentle readers, I give you my word for 2012:  LIFE!

"This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.  Now choose life, so that you and your children may live."

- Deuteronomy 30:19 (NIV) (emphasis mine)

The Happiness Project

Last week, I ate The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  I couldn't absorb it fast enough.  I had to 'read, mark, learn and inwardly digest' it.

I'd borrowed it from the library, so I couldn't do make my usual margin notes, add my usual sticky notes to bookmark pages I'd want to re-read.

I might just have to buy a copy, or maybe one of the kids will get it for my birthday (hint, hint). ;-)

Prior to Rubin's funny, honest, inspiring, down-to-earth narrative, I'd spent months chewing on The Divine Conspiracy  by Dallas Willard.  Weightier, perhaps, but for this purportedly-Christian reader, another  in-depth prod in the direction of Real Life.

For 2011, my Word of the Year is "Enough".  Unconsciously, both these books -- and others -- plus prayer, counsel, stumbling and getting up again, have served over the past 8 months to drive the point home:

• It is ENOUGH;
• You ARE enough;
• Life IS enough.

And then, this morning, cruising through TED Talks (I've taken to listening to at least one a day, flipping through the speakers alphabetically and selecting topics that catch my attention), I found Brene Brown on Vulnerability.  I understand Dr. Brown.  She and I have a similar approach to life: it's messy, and we need to clean it up.  Problem is, sometimes the mess refuses to be cleaned up.  Been there.  Handled it by trying to escape, close my ears/eyes/mind/heart to it.  Refused to GO THERE again.  No risks = no pain, right?

WRONG.

When we numb vulnerability, we numb EVERYTHING, including HAPPINESS.

Looks like I've made my choice.

Reviewing 'Release' - and My Word for 2011


My Word of the Year for 2010 was just that: "release": to let go, to relax, to be set free.  Only 3 months into the year, I began to realize it was taking effect; I was beginning to respond differently to life events that hitherto would have turned me into a raving lunatic.  Since then, here's what's been happening:

• I've found new ways to cope with daily stresses - releasing anti-depressant use and alocohol and food consumption --  in favour of writing in my journal, taking a long walk, taking a nap, prayer, getting lost in a good book;
• I've become more forward-looking -- releasing myself from my past life, the monthly trips to Calgary, the sense I was letting people down if I didn't go.  I'm no longer chapter leader for my Applique Society group, the Wild Rose Stitchers.  I've decided to stay in touch with friends and family by e-mail, Facebook and Canada Post, and hope they come out here for a change.  If not...well...I've released fussing over that too. 
• I've stream-lined my methods of communication -- releasing myself from the "Basic Essentials" satellite package I had, in favour of "Digital Lite' (emphasis mine).  Television is becoming less and less essential.  I still don't 'tweet' and I don't own a cell phone or "Personal Digital Assistant". :-)  I'm sticking with my blog, my art website, my Facebook pages, and my SAQA Wiki Space.  Oh yeah -- and e-mail, hand-written letters and (sometimes) my land-line phone.
• I've become more comfortable with my middle-aged middle -- releasing myself from the expectations of culture and media in favour of liking myself enough to stay fit and healthy with more sleep, more activity, and whole, real food.
• I've stopped watching the news and reading newspapers, which only served to rile me up -- releasing myself from the cultural expectation that I need to know what's going on everywhere and all the time (even if I can do nothing about it).

I am actively pursuing peace -- not the massively-overwhelming concept of world peace, no.  Just the peace that begins with me.  The peace the Lord said He left with his followers at His Ascension (John 14:27).  The peace that I believe is within me, by the Spirit, and which, till this year, I've neglected to release, labouring under the misconception that it was somehow Out There.

And what about 2011? 

I believe that the word that has chosen me for the coming year is 'ENOUGH', as in 'I have enough (time, money, talent, imagination)' or as in 'I am enough: I am blessed, I am loved, I matter -- which means that the life I live and the work I create within that life also matters*.

And so...on this Christmas Eve...I pray His peace for you too.

*With thanks to Eric Maisel, Coaching the Artist Within, New World Library, January 2005, p. 10.