Enchante ma cher, or Zentangle infused thoughts

 Enchante,
I have fallen for a simple pen, pencil method of art and spirituality meditation work. See www.zentangles.com for the clear definitions.

Wisdom and Love 2011

Assunta and chillion practice page from sketch book

first attempts with Pais and one that seemed to reveal itself to as fledgling Chinese Dragon

Getting text into my blog page is also a new lesson. Each of these pieces cam about with no pre-planned idea.  I have found that it is a form of "yoga" for my mind. This is the beginning of a fascinating journey that is being infused within a lot of my 2-D graphical work. I have often been very hesitant to show my work and that was living in a fear based model. Fortunately with the help of friends, I have been encouraged to put my work out and appreciate the gift that the Divine has given and learn how to share it with others. This is good. I am grateful. And, I am enchanted my dear, my life has become zentangled and more clarity in spirit. Peace.

New tangles, SOCC at the bottom,and  mist and others as my patience progresses

Finding my way or Scared witless

Way too long since I have posted anything at all on my blog. Living life on life's terms continues to have it's way. And I continue to be in the construct of jobless, not enough in the unemployment check, car returned to my gracious brother (who kept me in wheels as long as he could), which is a perfect step over to, Damn I'm scared for the future. I don't live in the realm of self pity, but Damn I'm scared for my future at this moment.

When the income coming in does not equal your rent, food, transportation and simple non-edible necessities; there is no savings to fall back on and my family have helped as much as they can how am I supposed to feel?

The relentless search for real, viable honest work at a decent living wage is now the next quest.
I must get over the malaise of hating the computer as a means of applying on line. That soulless, repetitive application after application to the faceless "job sites". There is no courtesy of even a reply that they got your application. As my friend Gwen said, "this is hard work." And I don't like the feeling of just how hard and just how tough it is. My head goes to, Am I tough enough, (or smart enough or capable enough?)

Today is Samhein, the end of the Great Wheel of Life calendar, the time when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest. My marker to the ancestors times and a day of reckoning with Great Spirit.

I deeply choose to affirm the legacy of my forebears, and ask for their continued aid in shaking the "technophobia" the genuine fearful stupor that will paralyze me into non-action.

It has been a day of not even being able to make up my mind as to what I am suppose to eat, much less positive action to getting the next job.

Let me end this with my gratitude list for the day, simply because I do not feel that this is a state of forever blue.

I am grateful for:

The loving and compassionate hearts of many of my friends.

My deep prayerful and rich spiritual life.

The ability to write it (whatever IT, insert your scary monsters here) out of my system.

The collard greens and ham slice in my fridge that is dinner.

Art supplies in my home to continue to make something, anything to the glory of Goddess' gifts to me of being an artist.

The awareness that I can live this life ODAAT sober, and with enough goodness to come out on the other side of the fears and anxiety.

I will try to not take so long to write here, as this lightens my heart.

Blessed Be! Merry Meet, and Merry met and Merry meet again!

Born to Run or Angels Unaware, is it a coin flip?

Ummm Bruce Springsteen or Carrie Newcomer? Is this about fear or recognition of both? "Baby we were born to run", from reponsibility, holding onto the last moments of freedom of youth? Carrie Newcomer reminding us that at any moment in time we may have an angel near or we may become an angel unawares for the good that we hope to do or be.

It feels that I am in an interesting spot right now of learning lessons of how others who aren't as "educated" as I, (but equally smart in other ways) live a life full of the richness and power of the Divine through all of the hardnesses and tough places life hands us.

Being part of a community that values each human/soul as best as they can is the true measure of living in community, seeing the other soul as one and the same as my own soul is also a measure of the Divine's Grace currently acting within my consciousness.

Carrying a sacred fragment of music that soothes the divisive voices of the external world into the realm of the Divine Interior is what I have to keep in right order.

Thus, do I find myself hearing melodies, glimmers of poetry and sometimes raucous ribaldery to amuse and soothe and offer Praises to the Most High. Gratitude for being able to hear and be at one with the Divine. Blessings for the tools that keep me sane and whole.

Short note from the Land of Mis-placed Toys.

I am at the daily bread job that does not entail real bread any longer. I've moved from the Land of Bread literally into the Land of the Cart. Manufacturing that does not take place in our actual facility and does take place in Taiwan, China mainland, and parts of the United States.
Where have all the good jobs gone?
Gone to the best possible price for Labor that could be found.

So, I am in a job that barely pays a living wage, deeply grateful that it is a paying job with full hours Monday through Friday.

What's a college educated, wise woman to do.

Live in the faith walk that has been handed to me; continue to take actions to a deeper level of security. Believe that all is well in the Divine's intentions for me and love everyone who comes my way.
That is the blessing I suppose, to be able to see this and act within it and patiently wait for the next right action within this Now and life that I have been given.
It is the mid-term election day and I have promised myself to live in acceptance of what will be ( and we don't know that until it is all over now do we?)
Blessings as always my friends on the journey.

A Saturday with blessing!

Going on almost 18 years ago, newly, barely sober and a firm believer then as I am now that Knitting In Public (KIP) is a fine and time honored activity that has been around and accepted for thousands!!! (did I say thousands) of years. I began to make connections with women and men who were of a similar mind.

There just are not enough hours a day sometimes to share with not knitting. Committee meetings come to mind and occasionally lectures in particular. And then of course there are the train rides and waiting in line moments as well. I met my friend Anne during one such moment in the basement of a a safe place where my eccentricities did not matter, just my desire to stop drinking were valid and my ability to sit still was deeply questioned and taxed, but I knew that my yarn would keep me engaged with other's "yarns" of how they came to believe in living one day at a time.
Sometimes they were long winded, sometimes they were short, pithy, to the point that would/could cause me to sit up and really hear them. It seemed as though the counter voices in my head were stilled long enough to be able to take in their voices and learn, retain some one fact that enabled me to go on another day, without mind alteration of the negative kind.
It is how I met my friend Leslie and a wonderful KIPPer, as she brought souls to yet another meeting to help them along in a new way of life. It broke the ice that melted any reservations we might have had to become the friends we are now.

Now fast forward to today if you will; and I remember how that one act of private (contemplation in a public way, rebellion, focus, not sure but I know it was all I had at that point in time) had a period of being stilled (frowned upon, just not done in "that sponsorship line")

Imagine my recent joy at finding a women's group where the act of repetition is honored, celebrated in a quiet way, welcomed not as an act of rebellion but, as an act of necessary faith that creating brings joy to others, a deeper conscious contact with the Divine and many hours of loving work by hand and heart.

For this I am eternally grateful for KIP being an ongoing part of my life. As always Blessings and a shout out to the F/friends who Enrich my life just by their presence.

An ordinary Friday 7/2/10

Funny at work is when you realize how extraordinary, everyday "folks" are or can be. The office "gals" (of which I am one) the humor of living everyday life, as well as the pathos or sorrows of this life.

One gal is a stitch, as she recounts the story of her dad doing "guy things" ( farting and lighters). I can't quite wrap my head around that piece of "too much information" but she is good natured about how cool she thought her dad was for being able to blow flames out his a__. And yes it is funny listening to her and genuine and human. Oh the stories we tell about our parents and each other.

I find that the language and slang phrases are a means of learning about our everyday lives, and I'm willing to ask "what does that mean?"

We stand in the parking lot, smoking on a bright, summer Friday before the 4th a celebration of Independence (from what I ask), tired from the work load of year end and inventory, ready for something different yet something restful and fun. It is Friday and all that that means when one is ready for the weekend that will be all too short yet just enough for now. Grateful, joyful on this (Her/His) Divine day!

Letter to a F/friend

Hey doll Pen,
Yes I do use both.

Icelandic sheep are a lovely breed, and their wool has distinct qualities, especially being double coated. The long outer hair is great for rope and bands for weaving especially card weaving. The downy under coat is especially lovely for fine yarns for lace, and softer yarns. Now what is the challenge is how many of the critters do you need to make enough yarn.
2 fleece per year is a lot if you don't spin much. Now I know that there are farm mini-mills that you could get it processed into ready spin-able roving, or batts for quilting (which is yummy to quilt with by the way. Learning to spin is not so hard and of course there are lovely upright wheels known as castle wheels (Majacraft has a beauty called the Tina I think, that is just wonderful) that take up minimum space but spin a mighty fine (or medium or bulky) weight yarn.
That said, Spinning can be done with a simple hand spindle, over time great yarn can be had! That said I am almost finished skirting and grading the largest fleece, and will hopefully wash it up over the holiday weekend. Oh glorious, how you send me off into my spinnerly brain.
I'm getting ready to empty the storage locker and bring it down to a
5x10 and the big loom comes home. For I do think of my small apt. in a vintage farm house in the middle of the town is home. I've been knitting lace and spinning lace weight yarn, going to work at my daily bread job not on my feet and looking at my art life as my full time part time job, preparing for fall and holiday markets. May kit some of my yarns suited for mittens or hats or scarves.
A small batch well spun is more precious than the vast quantities of ho hum that is to be found on the market.

I'm going to three fairs, Michigan Fiber Festival in Allergan (on a motor coach with a bunch of crazy women from the Knitters guild) Midwest Folk and Fiber Fest (in my back yard at the county fair grounds with the shop Wool Warp and Wheel, volunteering a bit and seeing friends). And lastly the Lake County Fair. (Ah a cosmopolitan, heartland girl in the rural space totally at home with it; believe it or not and I am at ease)
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I now belong to two guilds Windy City Knitters and Wcubed "Wise Woolly Women" at my favorite shop in Richmond IL about 20 miles NW, but has weaving, spinning and knitting and more.
Check out Spin Off magazine (Interweave press) either their web site or an issue (Summer is yummy) They have good/great resources about all things spinning as well as breeds for spinning and dinner

Spirit is strong and ever present, a feeling of sinking into my bones knowing. And so we progress forward doing what we can to the best that we can being in the first motion which is Love. Reading Rufus Jones this summer, some of his selected writings. I am enchanted with him. At least at the moment. Maybe for ever, definitely wisdom and a "hearing of his voice in my heart".