These are the pins I made for the "I Dream of Africa" swap. Not a great pic and the beads don't show up in some cases. 

Edited to add names

These are the pins I received in the "I Dream of Africa Swap"

The African face - Shelley Crowe
Abstract next to it - Karen Van Hoy
Square - mine
Triangle to right - Leigh Wheeler
Triangle on bottom - Ginger Henkel
(sorry Ginger, every time I tried, the flash bleached the lovely yellows, purples, & oranges of the fabric - a hand dyed?)

Somehow, I got one of my own back (the square with the black circle), but I love the four new ones I received. Unfortunately, only one was labeled with the maker's name, the top triangle is by Leigh Wheeler. So...if any of the other swappers see and recognize their pins, please let me know! I apologize for the glare on the bottom triangle, but tried several times and each one was bleached by the flash.

gumbo and wine

Monday, took Mother some of the delicious gumbo -one of Fee's specialties- for lunch. Then had a wonderful afternoon of shopping (well, mostly looking) with Susie. Received a bottle of wine with a corkscrew attached by a beautiful bow at the neck as a thank you for the purse I made her. Immediately asked if there was anything else I could make her.

Yesterday, after finally finishing the binding on the "trees" quilt, I began working on quilting the one with too-damn-many tiny pieces and developed a bit of neck strain. Don't know if I have the energy for it today.

Have errands to run, Tai Chi in the park (if I can make it), then on to Mother's. Must get that black thread while I'm out.

Arlee's postcard- "One of life's spirals - take control" is the message. How appropriate for the hurricanes in Louisiana!! So very rich in color and texture. Thanks, Arlee! 

section of back 

detail 

finished
Still haven't decided on the name. Arlee suggested "Freeze Frame" which I like. Mary M. liked Bony Moon (from Indian moon/months post below). I'm kind of thinking of a combination:
"Freeze Frame: Snow Moon" - Arlee's suggestion + Indian name for December/January moon.
Also liked "Hunger Moon" ...

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha...

Found this wonderful list of inventive words at Dixie's Dragon.

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.
Here are the 2005 winners:

1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.
2. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.
3. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
5. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
10. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.
11. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
12. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
13. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
14. Glibido: All talk and no action.
15. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.1
6. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
17. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
18. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating

flower fun

Found this fun activity at
Croque-choux's blog.

Rita

Local shelters are all full again. Up to 10 inches of rain a possibility here, but mostly concerned about tornados. Wind gusts are getting pretty powerful. Mother Nature is not happy, and several areas have lost power. Our lines are underground - thankfully. We do have flood insurance, Amelia. I don't pay that bill, but your father assured me that we do.

Deb Spincic is in Conroe and hasn't posted since last night, so hope all is well there. Conroe is just north of Houston which, so far, has not been hit as hard as expected.

Here is the winter trees quilt I'm working on. 

winter trees, moon months, and snowflakes

I'm working on a piece (almost entirely black and white) that has turned into winter trees and a moon. As soon as I made the moon, MacLiesh's lines "motionless in time as the moon climbs" and "night entangled trees" kept echoing in my mind.

Then I researched moon/month names used by Native Americans and found
this and this and am pondering which one I might use as a title for the quilt. Love the descriptive/poetic nature of the names.

Hot, hot, hot here. No wonder I'm dreaming of winter and Cold Moons and snowflakes.

Sunspots #12 from Deb Richardson arrived yesterday. Too appropriate with temps at 100 degrees for last few days. I love this card, especially the polka dot circle inside the orange circle. That's 3 down and 6 more to come! 

Postcards for Blogswap

All of my postcards have been received, so I'm following
Lisa's lead and posting here.

Blogswap postcards

All of my postcards have been received except for Sandy's. Why 3 arrived in the UK and one did not, I don't know. And Sandy received the glue I sent. Hmmm.

postcards 

and so it goes...

Pictures below.

Since nothing we've done since Susie got here has been what we planned to do (plan to go shopping, we eat sandwiches and drink wine ; plan to go get shoes, we go to Superior's for chips, salsa, Dos Equis and chatting, etc.), I shouldn't have been surprised that when Susie said she wanted to make postcards, that would not happen.

We tossed around fabrics, pulling this one and auditioning against that one, choosing, discarding, changing ideas, etc. Finally:

Sue - "I really want a little bag to hold my glasses and keys."
Me - " OK." (I can save all the little postcard sandwiches I made for later. I know I'll use them, as I already have plans for postcards.)

We talk about size, find a piece of batik fabric she really likes, look for a piece for lining. Discuss size, embellishments, strap, threads. This, as you know, is a time-consuming process, but we finally make some decisions.

I cut fabric, lining, batting and get to work, as she sits next to me drinking wine (I'm on diet coke, of course, to avoid cutting off a finger with the dread rotary cutter or sewing through a finger).

Me (mostly to myself): "Ok, that's not working so well; hate that damn metallic thread," "You want this kind of circular design for the quilting?" "Where's the magnifying glass? My scissors?"

Susie, looking at a gardening book: "Oh, I like this color. I'd never have chosen that color, but it looks so good." Sip, sip, flip page. "Look, they have that giant hosta at Kyle's school." "This deck, see."

And we actually converse with each other some, too. About husbands, children, friends, gardens, books.

We take a break and eat the chicken salad from Margretta's delicious recipe (think black olives, artichoke hearts, water chestnuts, and uh, chicken). Then she hurries me back to the machine (her own personal sweatshop), and we talk and laugh and make decisions about the little purse until 5:30 when she had to leave.

I work a little while longer, then decide that the wine is too much to resist and leave the purse until this morning. Finished a little while ago, and it now awaits approval from Sue.

Susie's purse and what I used to make the strap

detail

Tales of a Waiter; Waitress Song

Following a link from Looka! I discovered this blog: Waiter Rant. Anyone who has ever waited tables will appreciate the "stories" on this witty blog. Warning: language

Reminded me of the waitress in Stud's Terkel's Working and of how much I loved the musical (as well as the book). Here is the waitress's song:

It's an Art

There's some as don't care
When they put down a plate
There's a sound
Not with me
When they move a chair
It'll scrape with a grate
On the ground
Not with me
I will have my hand right
When I place a glass
Notice how I stand right
As customers pass
Serve a demitass
With a gesture so gentel
Or do it again 'til
It's near oriental
Da da da da dum dum
It's an art It's an art
To be a fine waitress
To see that you pleasure each guest
There's a twist
To my wrist
If I let a fork drop
Or cut up a porkchop
Or serve a New York chop
It all needs be stylish and smart
That's what makes it an art

I remember one day
As I do now and then
I had shakes
And down I went
There with my tray
Full of seven prime tenderloin steaks
And down I went
But I kept my poise
Not one guest heard me fall
Never made a noise
Not one noise food and all
If you have to crawl
You give 'em what they like
You carry your tray like
It's almost ballet-like
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
It's an art It's an art
To be a fine waitress
Each evening I treasure the test
Though my chef
May be deaf
I stay diplomatic
If I give him static
He might burn the haddock
Or put too much salt in a tart
Even that is an art
Tips? HA!

Tips are important
For people like captains and barmen
For them it's a tip, see?
For me, I'm a gypsy
Just toss me a coin
And I suddenly feel like I'm Carmen

So on through the ulcer
The backache
The hot, sweaty feet
On you go
Through, "Is your knife dull, sir?"
And, "Madam wants WHAT whith her meat?"
On you go
Two AM approches
he curtains descend
There among the roaches
My act's at an end
Every night I tend
To find myself crying
There's no work so trying
Or so satisfying

spoken
I tell everybody that I'm a waitress and I'm proud. Somebody comes up to me and says, "Hey you're terrific. How come you're just a waitress?" Ya know what I say to them? I say, "Why? Don't you think you deserve to be served by me?"

sung
It's an art
It's an art
To be a great waitress
To do without leisure or rest

through the demanding voices of guests
So I zoom
Through the room
With a flair no one else has
An air no one else has
I swear no one else has
My lilt
When I say "A la carte"
You can see it gives me a glow
Ev'rytime I prove I'm a pro
Maybe I'm not quite Michealangelo
But I'm not just a waitress ...
I'm a one man show

New Postcard!

Postcard from Liz - Dreaming Spirals
Lovely, loopy fibers, shimmery shine
Title: Dreams 4
Arrived yesterday! Thanks, Liz!

Why fiber art?

"So fellow bloggers, what exactly is your motivation to create?There have to be as many reasons as there are members, but I would like to hear from some of you personally. Whether you are a professional or beginner, why are you working in fiber? What drives you to create....to make art...to show your inner self or just play?" asks Gabrielle in her Sept. 13 post. http://gabrielleswain.blogspot.com/

My initial response was that the process of creating something makes time disappear. And it does. Like the athlete who gets "in the zone," working on a fabric piece is truly living in the present with little thought of past or future or anything else. This sense of total involvement, where the problems of everyday living cease to exist, is remarkably satisfying. In a way, it is similar to the feelings of a child when the world created in play is the world entire. Fiber art is playing: challenging play that requires planning, considering possibilities, improving skills, making decisions, discarding ideas, and sometimes ripping out and trying again. Whether daydreaming about a project or actually involved in the process, having the control that is often lacking in so many areas of life is an important factor.

Why fiber? Many other art and/or craft endeavors have engaged me over the years,and while all were enjoyable, the wide range of activities and techniques in fiber art incorporates many of the things enjoyed previously into one satisfying arena. Think of all the wonderful, playful, shiny, soft, rough, slick, colorful fabrics that call out to the customer who walks through the fabric store admiring (and fondling) the various bolts, but who doesn't need them for the pattern she is making... Those unsuitable fabrics might be just the thing for a quilt, fabric postcard, atc, vessel, wall hanging, banner, doll, art vest or jacket.

In this varied arena of fiber art, there will always be a use for that particular color or pattern or texture, and even if it doesn't work with anything now, it will be perfect for something in the future. What a wonderful excuse to walk up to the counter with several bolts and ask for 1/2 yard cuts of fabric to add to your stash, just because you like it. And the beads, sequins, yarn, fibers, roving, fringe, metallic threads, fabric paint, dyes (necessary embellishments/surface design) that will either compliment an idea you have or inspire an idea - well, who wouldn't love to play with all of these toys?

wine and memories

Susie and I drank wine and reminisced (and we do have a few years to reminisce about- 40 or so) for hours Saturday afternoon. She would start a sentence, I'd pluck one idea from that and start another, she'd take a name or event from that and digress, then I'd ... We covered no topic in depth, but covered an awfully wide range. We do the digression conversation frequently, but the wine helped keep things moving and somehow, we'd often get back to the original topic.

Bobby is still down south, living the pioneer life and cleaning up the house on the river. No electricity, no water...but plenty of heat and humidity. Susie said they run the generator (Bobby and neighbors) for a couple of hours a day and sit in front of the fan. They still can't get into New Orleans to check on the house there. Bobby was going to the river to bathe (hard to get that picture in my head) and got stung by a bunch of yellow jackets. I'm sure he's beginning to feel like Job - as are many of those dealing with Katrina's aftermath.

But Sue is here with her Mom and volunteering at Southfield school. Sounds more like a full time job, as she starts at 7:30 and gets through at 1:30 (and hasn't figured out the lunch schedule yet). She wants to help me in the yard (get over it, Susie, it is too damn hot to do all the work I need to do). Although, maybe I could divide the daylilies... Usually, I leave yard cleanup until Oct. or Nov., but this year with no rain, not much is worth keeping until then.

We're going to make postcards, though. She wants to learn how and has always been artistic - much more so than I.

OK - back to my list of chores. I'm trying to get some cleaning out of the way so I won't feel bad when I start sewing again and do no cleaning at all.

Tulip Performs Magic Tricks
10 1/2 x 13 1/2

:) My first postcard from Blog Swap - from Lisa- gorgeous, huh? 

Mila and Granddad 

Mila and Mac 

Gentle Mila 

computer problems

I can't open my emails. How frustrating is that? Can't write any either. Can't get HELP to work.

Received Lisa's postcard in yesterday's mail and was too busy today to post it, but it is beautiful, and I'll try to get that done tomorrow.

Took another load of clothes (about 10 pair of slacks and 8 or 10 shirts - all fresh from the cleaners that Fee no longer wears, a couple of jackets, a winter coat) to donate today. I have some more stuff in boxes stacked in the garage that were for a garage sale, that still need to be sorted through.

Depression seems to be pretty general now. Everyone you talk to has suffered from the overload of images, the frustration, the anger, the despair.

The Natural World

I just finished looking at the most gorgeous photos here at Kim Carney's blog. Click on the slide show (Sept. 6 entry) and enjoy. A wonderful relief from the ultimate reality show - Katrina and her devastation.

Mailed my post cards - all 9 are wending their ways throughout the U.S. and across the oceans. Feels better to have that off my list of things to do.

New Orleans Perspective ... and an editorial comment

http://neworleans.metblogs.com/

When I posted this link, the "Poll" posting was up, but since then there have been several more. Since this is a Metroblog, the postings are from various people in NOLA. Each one I read seems so typically New Orleans, and as Karoda mentioned, some have not lost their sense of humor. Craig Gissecke, Joe Bush, and Jack Ware have all posted interesting insights that are sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but always "true" - at least from their perspective at the moment.

http://www.gumbopages.com/looka/ Another blog I've been looking at lately.

Clean up

Erin and Eric left yesterday for clean up in Baton Rouge. Things in B.R. are tough. Hey, things all over the state are tough - with shortages of all kinds and the huge influx of stressed and needy. And MS and AL and TX. Even though N.O. is such a visual story of misery, the problems are so wide spread. There is fear, too. Immediate physical fear and emotional fear of what the future holds. Regardless of where these displaced people are, their feelings of frustration and helplessness are overwhelming. I've managed to control my news in-take because coverage of both the broad scope and the individual tragedies only feed my feeling of helplessness and hopelessness.

I've been kept busy with caring for my family and especially the energizer bunny activity of two-year-old Mila, and as long as I don't over-indulge in television gluttony, I can keep depression at bay.

What could have been done to alleviate some of the problems? I've run hundreds of things through my mind, as everyone else has. Regardless of the fact that the crisis is of such unbelievable proportions and the difficulties at relief logistically horrendous, in hindsight, we all see that foresight was lacking.

I try to avoid blame and anger, but like everyone else (even though I try to keep it in the background) those emotions exist. For me, however, they are not productive, we are where we are. Done is done; trying to think of solutions is most important. How to solve the current problems and the problems that will inevitably develop, how to prepare for the possibility of another hurricane or torrential rains. And I worry that those in charge are too busy dealing with the immediate situation to be thinking ahead. There are people in charge, now. Right?

Katrina and recovery attempts

Jackson, Miss. has been without power, water, and gas for a week now, and they are pretty far inland. Katrina went through that area in about category 2 stage. Eric finally decided he didn't need to be there (no bath, no air conditioning, no water, no gas, etc.) , and Erin went to pick him up yesterday, taking ice, bottled water, food, and gas for the neighbors. The neighbors were most grateful for the ice and the gas. Fortunately, power is being restored in Jackson now.

Refugees everywhere; our area has increased in size with evacuees - both those who have family and friends to stay with and those who are in the many shelters. Businesses have been incredibly kind and generous; people willing to volunteer are giving their time and skills. Still never enough, and we are in the best of situations, unlike places like Baton Rouge and Jackson who have no electricity, etc. and are swarmed with the needy and the suffering. I can't bear thinking about the Super Dome and the Astrodome.

This situation will test the resiliency of the entire nation and demonstrates how unprepared we have been to deal with a catastrophe of this size and nature.

I've been touched by all the people from different lists who have emailed and offered help and sympathy, phone numbers, offers of places to come. Not because we are in need, we are the fortunate ones, but because of the humanity and compassion demonstrated.