Stuff

When you connect with people you care about....you get the chance to share stories and compare notes.  You can vent if you need to and celebrate victories and accomplishments no matter how small.  And you almost always learn things and take away ideas and inspiration that can resonate with you for days...and days. That's what happened with Becky.  

It rained all day...this photo is 
from a couple days ago.

She and I spent quite a bit of time talking about our lives....past and present. We talked about our hopes and joys....and our worries and burdens.  

We both face challenges with our "stuff." We hang onto things we no longer need and collect too many things just because they have potential. And we both find ourselves making new piles from ones. Some of our "stuff" overlaps....and some is very different.....but our challenges are the same. And we are going to quietly support each other as we try and weed through our past and see what stuff will be part of our future. 

Shortly after I got home Becky sent me an article from  The New Yorker called"How to Practice" by Ann Patchett. Ann helped a friend clean out her father's house after he died.  She knew the house well because she had spent a lot of time there as she was growing up.  Kent went through several stages and phases in his life...and he kept everything. All of it had meaning.....to him.

I read the article and was quite moved....and now I am reading it again picking out nuggets of wisdom to record.  Writing it down will preserve the words that resonate with me...and give me the chance to practice my hand lettering. 

These are Ann's words as she began to participate in the purge.

There are lots of nuggets from this article that I'm going to write down....and some of them may find their way here on the blog in one form or another....others just in a notebook for me to revisit.

Ann goes on to write about how she and her husband declutter their own home....going through EVERYTHING as they pretended to move....but stayed in the same place.  "This was the practice: I was starting to get rid of my possessions, at least the useless ones, because possessions stood between me and death. They didn't protect me from death, but they created a barrier in my understanding, like layers of bubble wrap, so that instead of thinking about what was coming and the beauty of what was here now I was thinking about the piles of shiny trinkets I'd accumulated.  I had begun the journey of digging out." 

Gardening

I got several lovely birthday cards from friends and family.....they seem to find/make just the right ones that make me smile. I am so grateful to have such thoughtful people in my life!  Thank you!

These thoughts about gardening were on a card from Linda...and the words resonated with me.  Every single line hits home. Linda loves gardening too!

Gardening
It grounds us....gets us out of our 
busy heads and back into our bodies. 
Alone there on our knees, we can breathe.
With our nurturing hands duly occupied,
while gardening we allow ourselves 

the time & space to truly feel
peace, pride, satisfaction, joy.  

Jodee Stevens

I have always loved gardening....and I've had wonderful garden spaces everywhere I've lived. 

But at this point in my life....I'm especially loving my smaller gardens here at the condo.  

In a matter of just a few days I have my little gardens cleaned up with a layer of compost worked in.  All they need is a little mulch and they're ready for the season.  I'm already feeling the "peace, pride, satisfaction, and joy."

And....at my age...I'm also feeling my underused gardening muscles.

I visited Margie this morning....and she is back to puzzling....

and had a garden of her own all finished on her board.

GO!

This quote was on Dotty Seiter's blog today....and it was just perfect for my "Go" post.  I have friends like this.....I hope you do too.  

The Go-Aheadness of It All

Here is another thing I like

about a good friendship,

the go-aheadness of it all.

You don't have to knock

to come in the door.

You don't have to ask to look in the refrigerator.

You want coffee?

Pour some.     

            Elizabeth Berg, Range of Motion

You can read Dotty's post here.  Dotty is an artist I have admired for a long time.... am just getting to know.

Early last evening my neighbor Dan called me and shouted "GO OUTSIDE!"  Dan is tuned into the stars and the moon....and the critters and every other interesting thing in the neighborhood.  So when Dad says GO....I GO!

A full rainbow was stretching across the whole neighborhood arching into the woods.  It was spectacular!  And only after looking at the photos did I notice that it was actually a double rainbow!

These are Dan's photos from his yard.

So the lesson here is....when someone you trust shouts GO...you should GO!

I followed the rainbow down the backyards of the condos...it felt like I could get closer to the other end.  

I ended up in Patty's backyard....and there in her garden were the prettiest little white spring blooms glowing in the evening light.  It felt like a little white gold at the end of the rainbow.

Right Partner

It's good to be home! 

But transitions take time for me....and I've learned to lean into them giving them the time and space they require.  I tried to tackle the clear stuff today like unpacking and laundry....and opening the huge pile mail and the weeding through the endless emails.  And I took a nap.  

One of the best thing about coming home from a trip this time of year is checking out the spring changes.  Many of the trees are leafing out and there is noticeable growth in the gardens.  Spring is most certainly springing here in Maine!

My sweet little Dutchman's Breeches are blooming....almost all of the perennials are peeking through....and the wild ginger is thickening up nicely.  I love spring!

But probably the most heartwarming visual about coming home was this tiny little gesture that Paul knew would make me smile. I had finished the succulent puzzle just before I left and picked it up to take to Becky.  Paul took advantage of the empty puzzle table and put together his 28 piece childhood Pinocchio puzzle to greet me when I came home.

THIS....is how I know I have the right partner.

We're better together!

It's A Wrap!

I am heading home this afternoon....and won't be in Portland until late tonight.  So I'm posting this early today....with some final photos from my trip.  

Wisconsin....spring 2023...it's a wrap!

It's been wonderful!

Emily....the proud mom and my goddaughter!

And just for fun....Becky liked my new shoes enough that she ordered a pair too....and they came before I left.  We've been friends for a long time....and our time together is always good for both of us. Thanks Becky!

Mighty Max

There is a magnolia tree in full bloom in Becky's neighbor's backyard....it was just lovely in the evening light. Although it has been chilly the whole time I've been here....spring seems to be just a bit further along. 

Today was my last full day here in Wisconsin....I head back home late tomorrow afternoon and it will be fun to see how things are progressing there.

Becky and I spent the afternoon with Emily, Keegan and Max again today.  

I'm soaking up all the baby time I can get and helping out with a few things around the house.  Becky and I rearranged the nursery yesterday....and we hung a few things today.  

Becky and I found this seaside painting at a local store....

and it seemed like the perfect achor art piece in Max's room.  

On another wall is a little pop of color....

....the Selma piece I made for Emily for Christmas....and a photo of a rainbow wreath of my found objects that I had stretched on canvas a few years ago for Emily. 

And do you see the teeny tiny little guy on top of the found objects?  We thought it looked like it escaped from the photo.

It's a tiny little "Mighty Max" that was in my printer's drawer from one of my kids.  It seemed like the perfect gift for Max...and his mom who loves tiny things.

Reflection

I got to meet Max for the first time today....on my 64th birthday!  

Best birthday present ever!  

 

Grandma Becky....and whatever I am to this precious little one.

I was last in line to get Brenda's booklet...so was the first one to see it completely finished. Brenda's theme was reflection.....and probably the most challenging theme for me.  It required some time to mull it over.

It was fun seeing Brenda's cover....it reminded me of the water doodles that Emily and I traded back in 2021.  https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2021/09/water-doodle-exchange.html

Once I found a quote that spoke to me....a concept for the art piece quickly followed.  Sometimes the tough ones turn out the best!

Another chance to practice my hand lettering.....I do like using a couple different styles.

For my art page, I punched squares from some of my own photos to represent how I experience the world around me. Then I made a colorful little fused art piece inserted into the cutout in the center to represent the world within me.  I was tickled how is honored the quote.

I used one of the little hummingbirds from the book Alyson gave me and some skinny strips of fused fabric.

Those of us who were the 4th in line...were the first ones to see a finished book.  So here is Brenda's completed book....on reflection.

            Brenda                       Becky               MaryAnn                 Tracie

Here are the other quotes:

"Upon reflection I often find the parts have as much to 

offer as the whole." (Tracie)

"The toughest opponent that we will ever have to face is the one that stared back at us from the mirror."  (Becky)

Balance, by David J.  

Life is of Motion

Even water itself is healthiest with movement

But stillness

will always be necessary for reflection  (Brenda)

Delight

Tracie's theme for her booklet was delight!  

Time with my three sisters has been just a delight.

We spent quite a bit of time exchanging stories and reminiscing about growing up on the farm. We played cards....shared good food....and poked around LaVonn's small town of Evansville. Which, by the way....is just charming.

And now back to the booklets.....how delightful is Tracie's cover art!

 Her watercolor piece has a couple cut layers so some of the butterflies could be tucked in and behind the petals.  

So clever!....and I learned at our gathering that it was to cover up a mistake.  A very successful cover up it was!

I was third in line on Tracie's book....and it was during the time I was doing my Ounce of Joy project.  Since handling and sharing my snippets and connecting with readers brought me so much delight....I knew my page had to come from my scraps.

I wove together skinny strips of cut-offs from previous projects...

and tucked in a little handwritten "delight."

During such troubled times this quote seemed especially appropriate....

it has always resonated with me.

Tracie's completed booklet:

Tracie's quote:

"The true delight is in the finding 

rather than the knowing."  Isaac Asimov

Becky's page...and her quote:

Becky had just been to Florida and was 

celebrating the delight she found at the beach.

"And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and 

the winds long to play with your hair."  Kahlil Gibran

Brenda's page....and her quote:

This a view Brenda painted of her spring garden...which brings her delight.

"Nature has been for me, for as long as I remember, a source of solace, inspiration, adventure, and delight; a home, a teacher, a companion." Lorraine Anderson