Wednesday, July 09, 2008

I made this belt that matches several of my cuffs. Unable to locate the buckle I'd purchased for it (the belt has long been on my "to do" list, and I bought the buckle quite a while back), I did find a vintage buckle that has been in my stash for years.

Somewhere there is another one, a rectangular one that is slightly larger and that would probably work better...if I can find it.

Don't know if I'll add any embellishments to it as I've done with the cuffs. The second photo is on a piece of very sheer bamboo cloth that is really lovely and has a delicious shimmery sheen. I've had it for months and can't bring myself to cut it.
New silk floss that I ordered from Yodamo, Inc.
The green to the left in the picture below is an example of one of Mac's rare misbehaviors. It has been thoroughly dog-mouthed. Yuck. I've ordered some more floss from Yodamo and am looking forward to its arrival.
I bought a frame for the little embroidery piece I made for Bryce, but the double mat I bought to go with it had a 4x6 rather than a 5x7 opening. So that project is still on hold.

The last 5 or 6 days have been a bit of a wash. For some reason, I've found it difficult to make myself work on any of the projects (or anything else, for that matter) with any enthusiasm. Decided this morning that enough ennui is enough ennui and that it is time to get back to more energetic activity. Even if it must be forced. So this morning has been busy with chores that have been neglected-- because activity begets activity, right?

Returning to The Mindful Woman (which I had abandoned for a while), this little chapter seemed to be the perfect one for my apathetic behavior: Overloading Evolution. The premise is that in our fast-paced and tech-filled society, sometimes our brains (which have not yet evolved to absorb so much information) get overloaded and freeze up -- much like an overloaded computer.

The advice offered: "Adopt a simple, "byte-sized" approach to learning and life. " Sounds sensible, and I'm ready to leave the feelings of indifference and lassitude behind, so I'm starting with "byte-sized" activities that just get me moving.

8 comments:

  1. How clever. I have been griping that I need a couple belts...this is a great idea.

    ReplyDelete
  2. beautiful belt. Like Rian, I think it is a great idea...

    ReplyDelete
  3. last week on the diane rehm show was a discussion with maggie jackson who wrote 'distracted" the errosion of attention and the coming dark age" along with another author... sounds like a good partner book for the mindful woman....which I will have to check out....sounds relevant and sensible!

    I've been having many moments this summer of activity overload! ah, summertime.....

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your belt is lovely and, indeed, very clever!

    I use to have a '20 minute' checklist that I followed to help me with get over the inertia threshold and to take small steps. My goal was to spend at a minimum 20 minutes on activities: playing the piano; reading; cleaning; exercise; crossword puzzle; etc. I think it's time to revive the list.

    ReplyDelete
  5. this belt is fantastic and clever! i would have exhausted my brain power by coming up with the idea for the belt and getting it made...maybe thats what you did...keep plugging along or better yet get outside in the sun shine and have some fun during these slow times.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Rian - Not my idea - I've seen several of these on the web, but I'm glad I finally got around to making my version.

    Jules - Although the idea is not mine, I thought it was a great idea, too. And since I had a bunch of pieced strips for the cuffs, it was time to do it.

    kimy - I'll have to check out the Jackson work; it does sound like a good companion book!

    Kim - Thanks, Kim; wish I could take credit for the "clever" part!

    I do use a timer quite often to make sure I take care of certain chores and activities without becoming so immersed in one of my favorites to the exclusion of all else. I need to make a list so that I can be sure nothing is neglected (exercise & chores are usually the first to go).

    Karoda - Heh! I'd be proud if I spent much brain power on anything! I'll have to look for some of the belts that inspired me and post them.

    I did get a lot done yesterday and my mood has improved accordingly!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I like the belt you made - I need some new belts as all of my old ones are too big - do you mind if I borrow your idea?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Fioleta - Not my original idea - I was inspired by several versions I've seen online..

    ReplyDelete

Good to hear from you!