Flying Free

This past weekend I had the fabulous opportunity to go to Ocean Shores with a group of girlfriends. The weather was phenomenal, and we were lucky enough to have been there during a kite festival.  Seeing all of the different kites soaring, fluttering, and floating all around me made me feel like I was in an undersea wonderland. It's not difficult to experience joy when looking at these bright jewels floating in midair.

An extra special treat was getting to see Ray Bethell, a multiple time World Champion in Kite flying.  Ray's signature style is flying three kites simultaneously in formation (and he also holds the world record for flying 39 at once).  I had never heard of Ray, or seen anyone fly multiple kites before.  I was mesmerized, not just by the kites, but by the man's movements and his concentration.  After Ray finished a session, I went over to talk with him. What a delightful person! Through that conversation, and then after checking out his website, I learned that Ray, now somewhere in his 80's, didn't start flying kites until 1981.  I also learned that he has experienced several hardships in his life, and hasn't let them overtake his spirit. When he was in his 60's, Ray was struck by a rare virus that left him deaf overnight.  Later, his wife developed alzheimer's disease, which slowly took her life.  Ray says, "How does a person deal with the unfairness of life?  The only way you can do it is to face it head on... it's unchangeable, you have to learn to deal with it."  These are wise words that I'm starting to learn.

Here is a photo that I took of Ray with his three kites in action.  You can learn more about Ray and see video clips of him in action on his website. I highly recommend this video interview, if you have 8 minutes to spare.

 

The Gift of Friendship

I am increasingly aware of how lucky I am to be surrounded by high quality friendships.  This is something that has kept me upright during the most difficult times.

Something that I'm realizing in this modern day of computing is that I have friendships that are deep and meaningful with people all over the world that I've never met in person.  One such friend is Flavia, a fellow crafty Mama who lives in Brazil.  We have always felt a connection through our love of fiber arts and the mothering of children with special needs.  But since Bronwyn died, she has been a rock for me.  Yesterday, just as I was feeling a little blue, a special package arrived from her.  It was a bright and sunny pair of fabric prints; one with tea cups, the other with a retro red blossom.  I was immediately reminded of my bond with her and felt that everything was going to be allright. Today it was sunny enough to hang the laundry outside and, of course, the first thing I was inspired to wash was my new fabric.  Doesn't it look wonderful soaking up the breeze? 

I can't wait to start sewing with it (but I must; too many projects in the queue at the moment to start another)!

May this day find your uplifted by your own special friendships.

Teacup fabric designed by Suzy Ultman for Robert Kaufman.  The line is called "Metro Cafe"  Blossom fabric is designed by Alice Kennedy for Timeless Treasures and is called, "Poppy"



Rejuvination

What a lovely weekend we had!  It was sunny and warm.  I got to hang clothes on the line, plant sunflowers and lay in the grass with my sweet daughter whilst listening to birds.  Ahhh.... And for Mother's Day, I was presented with a lovely hand-decorated box and handmade bookmark.  Both were done by my daughter, which is much more difficult for her to create than you can imagine.  When I opened my gifts, she beamed with pride.  And that was the greatest gift of all.

Relaxed and Thawed

What a lovely weekend we had! We were celebrating Memorial Day; a day to remember those who have sacrificed their lives in the service of our military. We didn't go anywhere; no shopping, no errands. We just spent time together as a family. Brian strung up our hammock and Bronwyn and I read more from Charlotte's Web. We're 3/4 of the way through it now. Wilbur is just about to head off for the fair, while Charlotte is spinning her egg sac. I practiced the guitar. I've learned my first bar chord! F. I can now play A, A7, C, D, E, Em, E7, F, G, and G7. I think there must be a song in there somewhere, and I'm itching to play something meaningful. Scales and strumming chords is getting boring! I think Bronwyn would agree.

The garden got weeded. The laundry hung out on the line to dry. Our sheets smell like sunshine. All is well. Winter is behind me now, and I am feeling warmed through.

I am almost finished with that special clutch that I'm making. Pictures will come very soon!

Little Darlin' Here Comes the Sun

Woo-Hoo! It is sunny today. That means I'm kicking myself off of the computer for the day and will be outside working in the garden and drying off from all of the rain. I need to do some thinning today, and to plant my basil. I will also be hanging clothes on the line; one of my favorite and most satisfying of chores. Maybe I will practice the guitar outside, too: that sounds delightful. So much potential in sunshine, isn't there? The pictures here are of chives (top), Lettuce (left), and Swiss Chard.

Fabric Fun

Today the sun is shining and it is such a welcome respite from the rain, snow, and gale force winds! I went and took a brisk walk around the lake today, and it felt so good to move my body. I'm finding that my back really starts to bother me if I spend too many hours at the sewing machine and computer!

I am enjoying playing with the new fabric that I recently bought. I'm going to make some large messanger/diaper bags with the grey and yellow... and probably with some of the other, too! It's so delicious and makes me excited to create new designs to show off how beautiful it is. I wish I had more time (the artist's lament).

I'm excited to tell you about this great spotlight on Boxie Britches' blog. Check it out, it was really fun to be "interviewed." Every Friday, Melissa features a different artist, and I was asked to participate; of course I said "YES!" Thanks Melissa!

A Sunny Day

Well, I just finished watching the inaguration of President Obama and I have to say I feel inspired and calm at the same time. It's a sunny day here, the first in a long long time, and so that feels extra good. I just finished working on a new table runner/kitchen towel, which I think reflects the positivity of the day.

Also, I got another great feature in another blog dedicated to Moms who are also designers! It's called Designer Y abd you can see the little feature here.

I cut out three diaper bags last night, and am excited to get started on them. I will show pictures when they're finished.