First Sliver of Sunshine

Just as the winter blues and blahs had blended into interminable grey, my first sliver of sunshine arrived in the mailbox...the first tangible and tantalizing reminder that summer at Chautauqua is indeed coming. And of course the best way to savor this reassurance was with the remaining sips of my Niagra wine.

Chautauqua, and especially the Institution, are tough to summarize although President Thomas Becker does it so eloquently in his opening article:

"The purpose in doing all of this is to continue Chautauqua's 136 year contribution to the development of a people prepared to govern themselves in a fashion that is at once informed, effective, compassionate, secure, just and inclusive. Our founders believed fundamentally that a citizenry capable of such a task is made up of lifelong learners in constant pursuit of both self knowledge and an informed awareness of the world as it is; people who can act beyond the boundaries of their narrow self interest in search of the common good".

Thomas Becker, The Chautauquan, Season:June 26-August 29, 2010.

Other tantalizing tidbits included the launch of the Charter of Compassion:

And announcement of the 2010 Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle book selections:

Summer. Chautauqua. Soon!

Love on the Rocks?

Some people deride Valentine's Day as crass commercialism (they are not wrong). Others feel a heightened sense of lonliness or disappointment. I've come to believe it's a matter of perspective.  As below:

LOVE ON THE ROCKS?

OUR LOVE IS SOLID AS A ROCK?

OR THE MAKINGS OF A HOT STONE MASSAGE?

I like to let commercial holidays remind me to SLOW DOWN and APPRECIATE what I have ourway, not to dictate what I should do, spend, or expect..

Here is a glimpse of Valentine's Day OurWay.

My gift to Alfie

A quilt block coaster to replace the old utility bill or whateverisathand in the music/computer room. It was a first effort at quilting and after two false starts did not turn out too badly. (The cute little heart/flower card is from Pink Paper Peppermints http://www.kindawonderful.typepad.com/.)

Why would this be appropriate?

My Gift?

In addition to breakfast in bed and the dinner Alfie is cooking now...Oh, and BTW, the many acts of kindness and tolerance of me, my hobbies, and eccentricities not prompted by a commercial holiday.

My perspective on the opening rocks?

Our love is solid AND they are the makings of a hot stone massage.

Make it a Happy Valentine's Day... Your Way.

Rethinking Waste

Rethinking waste is a constant process, even for those of us with a lot of practice and determination. When the zipper on my boots broke, I considered them regretably ready for the landfill. Until... UNTIL a shifted paradigm stimulated new and creative thinking. I attached a mechanic's jump ring to the faulty zipper with results that may even look better than the original, don't you think?

Score a win for the landfill and bank account. Score a loss for the country that no doubt made these with inequitable trade agreements and dubious environmental practices. WooHuu! Winning the war on waste one new thought at a time!.

Memory Project

PLACKET PILLOW

This is part of a project made in memory of my father in law Vernon. He was a gentle soul who passed away 8/08. I used  the body of his shirts for another project. The front of this pillow is made from the button hole plackets. The back is the front of another shirt.

To make:

Cut pillow fabric, 1 piece of interfacing, and 1 piece of batting 1" larger than pillow dimensions.

Cut and trim plackets from shirts. Weave on top of fusible interfacing and iron.

Align plackets, interfacing, batting, and pillow fabric together and randomly machine stitch on top to quilt.

Center your pattern on the second shirt where you would like the opening to go. Cut out the back.

Place right sides together and sew.

String Quilt

Made from shirt scraps.

This picture does not do it justice!

The Sandwich That Love Built

Although tired, Alfie stayed awake to hear about my difficult day which was really bad. Later, he offered to make me a sandwich. He makes most of our dinners, but I told him not to bother tonight. He persisted to tempt me with roast beef.  How could I resist?

I am grateful for acts of kindness, roast beef, and Alpha Dogs. They heal my heart more than they can know.

Our 14th Anniversary

14 years have flown by with more than a bit of our youth on their wings. It seems like yesterday that Alfie and I were married at sunset on the beach in Negril Jamaica.

It's snowing... horizontally

Winter arrived with not just a vengence, but a slant! The audacity of snow and winter to slap my face sideways instead of landing gently on my head and shoulders. UGGH SQUARED. But because focusing on what one hates or dreads make it last longer and be harder to cope with, I have developed an (albiet) short list of what I love (like, tolerate) about winter.

Hearty homemade soups; ideally with homemade bread.
Flannel jammies.
Handmade scarves.
Apple/Cimmamon potpourri simmering on the stove.
Fleece and Chennile (although the latter sheds horribly).
Winter holidays with my family.
Custom CDs with my favorite songs during icy drives (pour a little sugar on it baby).

As I said, the list isshort. But I'll keep thinking. It's 5 months 'till April.