Morning Glory Studio

I marched...
Exhilarating!
Bone tired...
More tomorrow!

never say never...

 

            I was bent and determined not to watch the inauguration. But then, three things happened that I hadn't figured into my resolve/the equation:

1. Norman - who always turns on the TV to start his day...
2. My friend Linda who opined that she would watch, since more n' likely she'd be seeing bits-n-pieces anyway...might as well watch it from the get-go...
3. My sister and niece, both who reminded me that this was going to be our last time seeing Barack Obama as POTUS 44!

Number three sealed the deal! So I watched and sighed and silently cried and gave thanks that I have been able to live the past eight years under the stewardship of a truly caring, remarkable, genuine, real, decent man! As much as I didn't want to see his tenure as President of the United States end, I wouldn't have missed his leaving for the world. 

Thank you Barack Obama for an incredible eight years. Thank you for caring and for being you.

Yes, We Can!

think write thursday | were i POTUS ...

 

(13 january 2017 | 7:20 am )

 Tomorrow, 20 January 2017, the inauguration of the 45th President of the United States (POTUS) takes place. I will be among the many who do not watch or celebrate this event, the 45th in this nation's history. For this week's ThinkWriteThursday post , Carole and Kat invited us to share three things we would do if we were  to become POTUS 45. My thoughts are a) I had never entertained such a notion but since you asked, here b) they are:

Education: According to the origin of the word, to educate means a leading out of ...Years ago, when I was in school, we had classes called ''civics." Idea: teach/learn about this country's founding principles. Somewhere along the way, we lost the knowledge and understanding of how the US government is supposed to work...these days, it's which political party gets to call the shots and the people, be damned! Our way is it and if you don't like, tough...there are all sorts of conventions and tricks and this and thats...So, I would clearly have lots of education about the principles of a democracy, this country's founding ideas and ideals and the roles that we the people play - as citizens, voters, legislators, judges, justices, vice president, president, POTUS.

Health Care: Life is a pre-existing condition. Any individual's greatest asset is his/her health. Doesn't matter if you are one of the richest people, if not the richest (think Bill Gates) in the world. The world stops when a person gets sick. Loved ones, caregivers, friends, co-workers, classmates, etc...all focus on that person's getting/being well.  I would focus on

•  1) universal heath care and
•  2) moving the insurance industry out of the business of providing health care coverage, insurance, etc. They are in the business to make money. Period! 

 Wealth: When I attended and graduated college there was never any question that I would have a reasonable, decent paying job in the industry of my choice. And I didn't owe my soul and any potential children's future to banks(ters).  And had I not gone to college, presumably I and/or a spouse would have made enough money for the essentials: a decent, affordable roof over our heads; food on the table; and perhaps a couple nickels to rub together to take in a movie or save for a family vacation to visit relatives on the west coast, friends in Chicago, or even, buy a house with a reasonable mortgage and time to pay it off.  As children, we had good shoes on our feet, books to read - many borrowed from the public library and also, many in our home library - crayons  for coloring, dolls, bikes, warm clothes for the cold Michigan winters... In short, our basic needs  -and some of our desires, too - were fulfilled!  Today, "The United States exhibits wider disparities of wealth between rich and poor than any other major developed nation." [Wealth Inequality.org] I would work towards redistributing the economic pie, an honest day's pay for an honest day's work. 

I think it's one thing to have a platform and another to have the values that support that platform for the common good. Values are tricky things. Here's a sociological definition. My mother always used to say "You are either of good will or you are not." I subscribe to POTUS 44's approach:  If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists - to protect them and to promote their common welfare - all else is lost.  ~BO

In my book, POTUS 44 approached his tenure in office, living out those words.  I shall always be grateful for his respect for and commitment to us, we, the people.

Do visit Carole's blog for others' visions.

Peace.

 

 

watercolor wednesday | in between...

 

We awoke this morning to fog...shortly before sunrise, it began to lift and made way for very interesting skies. 

In between watching the sky, we washed windows, inside and out! ... and 

Watched President Obama's last news conference... Oh how I will miss him! ... and I  stitched more circles...

...Afterwards, I caught the beginnings of sunset.  A quietly busy day. How was your day?

Cheers~

 

 

 

 

 

five on tuesday | quiet thoughts...

 

 

The day has been quiet and rainy. A soft, gentle rain - accompanied by light classical music.  Just enough rain to keep one in the house. I'd planned to take a walk and instead, worked on my 50 circles. I made 30 and have them pinned, ready to stitch tonight.

Tomorrow, I plan to begin joining the blocks! At least one  vertical row! Just the idea of sitting at the sewing machine excites me!

This morning I started a new book: writing with quiet hands by paula munier. You can visit the author's blog here. Did you know, according to some one's wisdom, that one has to write a million words in order to be considered an author? And no, I do not intend to write a book...I've always enjoyed reading books about the practice of writing. For a couple years, I'd lost interest but for some strange reason, this past fall, I started reading in the genre again.

Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Thought (from yesterday ) on Paradoxes: "Keep an empty shelf, and keep a junk drawer." I have several junk drawers...guess I must be very happy.

As I write this post, it occurs to me that I've not taken a photo all day...and that this is my 78th consecutive day of posting since 1 November 2016. And that I should take the time to write about the why  for posting daily. Correction: not should - will! 

And with that, I shall end today's post and go downstairs, pour a glass of wine and start stitchin' those 30 circles.  

Cheers~

 Oh, and btw: I decided to take a photo, after all.

this n that...

 

 

My sister came over. First we've seen one another since before Christmas. She too was afflicted with the strange malady and was more worse off for the wear than I. 

1. I ran across this link. Do take a look.
2. On a quiet Martin Luther King Jr Holiday Monday, we watched Representative John Lewis's speech in Atlanta.
3. We succeeded in setting up my printer to do duplex (back to back) printing.  
4. I  spent the better part of the afternoon making "perfect circles." I have just under 50 more to make and stitch. Progress is slow but steady. 
5. It's nearly 9 pm; I am going to take a nap so I can watch tonight's Brian Williams' 11 pm special on President Obama's years in the White House. I hope I won't sleep through.

Cheers~

simply a moment |15 january 2017

sunday 15 january 2017        1:15 pm  friendstitchin'

         Simply*A*Moment is the time on the 15th of each month when I stop, pause to document the moments: what I see, hear, smell, touch, feel, remember. Today was also Friendstitchin' Sunday, my monthly gathering with three friends, occasionally we're five, that I share on the blog. I don't believe the two monthly events have ever fallen on the same day...and today, I invited my friends, Pat, Margaret and Theresa to join me in documenting the moment...

I wrote:  "Spread before me, my friends and our stitichin' projects. A sound interrupts - Theresa asks:"Is that your phone? Oh, no, it's mine" as she gets up to answer. (Theresa wasn't familiar with her new (rose gold) iPhone's ring tone. )  Each of us is writing- fun to hear the sound of our pens - and I am also taking photos. A sunny day; a different vista for Simply * A* Moment...so good of my friends to indulge me and join in with this exercise..."

Margaret: "Lunch was really good! Nice sunny day. Got some good feedback in the "Creation series" project. Now working on the needlepoint dogs and hoping the Schnauzer doesn't make me nuts. Looking forward to another wonderful afternoon with my stitching friends! This is always one of the highlights of my week when we get together like this. GOOD TIMES! So Blessed to have this!"

Pat: "This is what life is all about! Family and friends together - relaxing, sharing - just being with each other and doing what we enjoy.  Discussing projects - new and finished as well as some that might be. Simply being in the moment, enjoying and thanking God for this time together!"

Theresa: "The yarn is fuzzy and fuzz is flying through the sunlight. My dining room table is littered with unfinished projects and ideas. A mysterious sound interrupts my writing. Just my sister. Will call back later. Been wondering how long it will take me to finish this sweater. It's nice to have everyone over. Makes me feel homey. "

I also wrote: "Margaret just finished and hands me her card...she's back to her needlepoint. Pat's still penning hers...finished, she hands me hers...Theresa finishes up too and resumes her knitting. Pat's stitching the binding on her Flower Pot quilt...we both started our flower quilts at the same time - hers is almost done...mine is almost almost..."

 1:22 pm. Thanks, my friends for all the memorable hours, over the years we've spent together: laughin', eatin' delcious food, stitchin, enjoying one another's company. We are indeed blessed. See you next month!

Cheers~

 

 

 

slow stitchin' sat...

(Flower Garden Quilt  - soon to be assembled)

 

Today I made two things:

navy bean soup in the microwave...I've had a microwave recipe cookbook since I bought my first oven in 1985; there are a lot of great dishes and soups among the recipes. With today's weather threatening to be icy and cold, I thought a hearty soup would be just the best...it's tasty but a tad salty for my liking...but it shall be eaten!

perfect fabric circles -approximately thirty -  for the Flower Garden quilt. The process, created by Karen Kay Buckley, is simple tho' time consuming... I started about 12:30 pm and I just finished about 5:15 pm. Next step: applique´ the circles on...I shall start tomorrow. I am getting closer and closer to finishing the quilt tho' somedays, it seems as though I shall never end. I think I'm almost finished and then I take inventory and find something I need to do...but, I keep at it and someday soon, someday soon: Voila! A fait accompli...just not today. 

Today, no sunrise or sunset or wintry weather of icy rain and roads and no complaints...just a slow saturday. Here's to more.

Cheers~

full moon friday...

 

7:20 am 

I said to myself: "Honore´ just how many sunrises must you capture?" And Myself responded:  "As many as you wish."

This conversation took place this morning as I was preparing to fix my mug o' tea.  I looked out the kitchen window and saw heavy dark clouds, tinged with bright shades of pink, orange, yellow. Well, that decided it  - I wanted a photo or two so I hastily donned a muffler around my head, switched slippers for outside shoes, grabbed my coat and iPhone, and stepped out on the deck. In just those few minutes - maybe 2-3, the view had changed but I clicked on anyway, walked down the steps into the yard and turned to my left.Whoa! there, bigger than day, the full Wolf Moon! 

7:23 am

Sadly, my iPhone camera just doesn't have what it takes to show the moon (that yellow, sun-like circle)  in all its glory but it's indelibly imprinted in my mind's eye...

Did you see the Wolf Moon? You can read more about it's lore here...

Cheers~

think write thursday | rsvp...

            Thursdays, about 1 pm, 4-5 of us gather for a quiet afternoon of stitching and conversation. Some of us  quilt, some knit, a couple, do both. We always start our gathering with a light snack: fresh fruits, a variety of beverages and something sweet: scones, muffins, pastries, etc. Today, we had a feast: homemade apple pie, a lemon poppy seed bundt cake, fresh melons, berries, strawberries; a delish tomato chutney (also homemade) and warm brie with crackers. Since the table was set and today's Think Write Thursday prompt front and center in my mind, I asked my friends who they would invite to a dinner party. Like me, they had a tough time narrowing their lists down to just three people.

To a person, we all agreed we'd invite our parents or a sibling or relative who was no longer with us...and we also each said POTUS 44 - Barack Obama. 

Others on our list included: Michelle Obama; Pope Francis; Franklin Delano Roosevelt; Shakespeare; Mozart; Wagner; Hans Christian Andersen; any number of Greek philosophers; Paul Robeson; Louisa Mae Alcott; other authors; Michelangelo and other artists. I also offered that I'd invite childhood friends, playmates and a couple of teachers I'd had throughout my school years.  And that I'd have my gathering on an island in the Pacific. 

Of course, we barely began to touch the list of potentials...and we all agreed such a gathering would be quite illuminating, to say the least. Who knows, perhaps we will have that gathering on some lush Pacific island. You're invited too...and who would you like to invite? Visit Carole's blog here to see who else is planning a dinner party and who they are inviting. Enjoy!

Cheers~