Life is a Feast....

Only a few countries in the world celebrate a day of Thanksgiving. I'm glad I live in one of those places; the United States. Some people think this holiday is all about eating a LOT and falling asleep in front of a football game on TV. And, OK, we do that. But mostly, I believe we all find, or at least try to find, things to be thankful for. It is a holiday that reminds us of the importance of gratitude in our lives.

I have many, many things to be thankful for. I have a rich family life, with many to love and be loved by. I have a comfortable home in a good community; I have good neighbors, and friends I can count on to be there for me, and whom I am glad to be there for in return. I have the riches of having people of age and wisdom in my life, as well as having those who are young and still eager and curious. I have eyes that can still see beauty, and ears that can still hear music, and a sensibility to truly enjoy both.

I find true Joy in simple things, sketching a found object, seeing birds at my feeder, working at my loom, the antics of my pets, and discovering humour in unexpected places.

I also am thankful for this place to share my life and work with you, and I have been very blessed by some of your blogs and comments and Facebook postings, as well.

Whether or not you will be celebrating Thanksgiving with us in the US this week, please remember to allow gratitude to be a part of your life. We are all richer when we recognize that we have much to be Thankful for.

On this Winter's Night...

"The lamp is burning low upon my table top
The snow is softly falling...
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
On this winter night with you."

 (Gordon  Lightfoot)  

I know it is not winter yet, but the first snow of the season is falling. I took the top photo from the front porch. There is a fire in the fireplace, and good music playing in the stereo. My sweetie and I sipped hot caramel cider, with a content dog curled up at our feet and a sleeping cat across the way. Is that all not just quite enough to be thankful for, as we enter a season of Thanksgiving?

May you be equally blessed...

View from my sitting room window

Obsessed with the Moon....

  

I know I have said before that I am what I weave. Or maybe that I weave what I am... or what I am obsessed with at the time. I really don't know which is the cart, and which is the horse. But lately, a full moon draws me outside, unable to ignore it's light... probably because I am weaving a full moon, so it is with me day and night.

 

Gus would love to be outside, howling at the moon. But the neighborhood cats have been having 'gang fights,' so he has to stay in. I have told him the loom chair is my territory, so he is now trying to claim a spot on the loom tray. Sadly, he gets evicted from that spot pretty quickly, as well.

I have been very busy with other life activities, which will probably keep me from weaving as much as I'd like through the holiday season. But I will get to the loom as often as I can, and I will keep you posted on my progress there.

 “The moon is friend for the lonesome to talk to.”
― Carl Sandburg

November progressing...

As the month moves along, the autumn light continues to bring me excessive joy. When I let Booker back inside this evening, I saw the light hitting the trees above my neighbor's roof, and I had to run for my camera. I truly wonder how many hundreds of photos I have taken of the light coming through the autumn trees? It never gets old for me. I hope it never does...

Booker loves the autumn, too. He loves to roll in the leaves on the ground, and bring them in on his oh-so-heavy-coat to fall throughout the house, so we can have a carpet of leaves inside, as well as outside. It is one of the many services he provides.

And, as the days get cooler and the nights get longer, Gus has once again claimed my weaving chair. We have to battle over it whenever I go into the studio to work. He believes it is His Chair, and I occasionally have to beg to differ.

The "November" tapestry is not progressing as quickly as the month is, but it is moving up the warp a bit. It is such a dark tapestry that I actually went out and bought twinkle lights to hang above my two studio windows, just so I'll not get lost in the darkness!

As you can see in this close-up, there is color in the darkness. It is not all blackness.

I have had a lot of activity filling my non-studio time lately. Musical activity. Is there such a thing as 'too much' music? I've never thought so. But lately, my life is so filled with music, that I've had a hard time turning the Off/On switch in my head to off when I go to bed. It may be 'too much' when lyrics and tunes awaken you in the night. I am still taking guitar lessons, so practice my beloved Taylor guitar daily. And, for the past few months, I have been pretty active in the music each week at church, and about 8 hours each week have been going into the planning, practice, etc. for that. I have also just begun directing an 'occasional choir' at church, a group of people who will get together to sing for the joy of it, and who will occasionally share it with others. I am trying to limit the planning, etc. of that, so that it does not rob me of too much work time.

Music has always been a big part of my life, and it seems to be trying to claim an even bigger part, lately. You probably already knew that music is important to me, didn't you? After all, this blog has the same title as a Carol King song.....  my life IS but a tapestry!

Weaving a Connection with the World...

Yesterday I did this self portrait sketch in my sketchbook. I occasionally do a self portrait, because I'm generally the only one around, or at least the only one who will sit still for a few minutes. I like to try different styles when I do a self portrait, since the subject is so familiar. I really like this pared down line style; it leaves out all the extra lines my face has on it now!

I'm sharing the sketch because of the quote I found and put along the bottom of it. I love the quote! It is from Anais Nin (whose words I frequently love.)  She said:

"All of my creation is an effort to weave a web of connection with the world. I am always weaving it because it was once broken."

What can I say to that but, "Yes!"

Over on Tommye Scanlin's blog, "Works in Progress," she says weaving a tapestry is like watching grass grow. More true words. In fact, I almost hesitate to even share the tapestry on my loom now, because it truly, at this point, looks like nothing at all is happening (except the sun is shining through the prism in my studio window and adding a bit of color to my woven header!) This tapestry will have very little contrast for a bit, but I will still let you know how it is progressing.

Back to my attempt at weaving a web of connection with the world....

New Etsy Print...

I first posted this small painting here, though the photo I posted wasn't a very good one. I painted it several years ago, after an autumn trip to Maine. It was just an 8x8" square painting, and it actually sold fairly quickly. I decided to add it to the prints I offer on Etsy. (You can get to my Etsy shop by clicking on the link on the right.) The print is about 5x5" and is printed on canvas and double matted. I decided to offer it after I got to thinking that I need some new-to-look-at fall art hanging in my house, and I remembered how much I liked this little painting. So I mainly have had it printed for me! I can't wait to put mine out. I like to just perch these little pieces in corners of window sills, or on a shelf in front of books, and sometimes I don't even bother with a frame. Just a spot of autumn color to make me smile, and to remind me of a beautiful day in Maine.