friday meditation

Tags

childhood, family, food, Freja, Friday Meditation, joy, reading, silliness

 

A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

~ Amanda Blake Soule

busy hands ~ cedar tree crochet

Tags

bliss, books, busy hands, cedar tree crochet, community, creativity, crochet, inspiration, joy, learning, me, reading, yarn along

I am most myself when I am centered in a creative space. I see and feel the world differently. I am more open, more grateful, more passionate. I remain more aware of the wonder that surrounds me. Reading transports me both far away and deep within. Crochet is my meditation. It soothes the rough edges of my busy days. Please join me as I share the pages I have been turning and the yarn I have been hooking this week.

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I am so grateful to again connect with the wonderful community of knitters and crocheters Ginny gathers together with her yarn along each week.

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this is my latest sample, a wide lacy cuff with a simple button closure. i’ve already had an order for one in a yummy milk chocolate brown

My crochet hook has been flying through yarn fast and furious this week! My seedling of a business, Cedar Tree Crochet, is keeping me mighty busy. (Do you like my new product labels?) As of yet, I still have no website and am still debating Etsy or no Etsy. This is all completely uncharted territory for me and I am purposefully taking time to meditate on these important decisions. I want to be sure that any decisions I make will move me forward in a way that feels really good and gets me excited. When this idea to work creatively first sparked in my mind, I had a vision of myself creating and nurturing personal relationships with local shop owners — driving from store to store, showing them my latest works and selling items on consignment. My intuition is telling me that it might be the right time to sink roots in creative ground with other creative spirits. These thoughts make my heart skip a beat… I am beginning to very quietly hope that I will someday be able to make my living working creatively. My heart would just about pop if I could manifest such an amazing life for myself and for my family.

Until my business plan unfolds more completely, my friends and word of mouth are keeping new orders rolling in. I am slowly trying to build up a repertoire of go-to designs that will be the foundation of my business. As quickly as each new piece finds its way to my wrist someone asks if I can make one for them. (Yay!) Eventually, I would also like to be able to fulfill special orders for occasions like weddings and christenings, but for now I am most called to lacy vintage inspired accessories. I’m loving making bracelets and am thinking that I might try a headband (maybe like this one) next. The Boho in me is stirring.

I, in a frenzy of creative energy, decided that I needed a place to collect all of my inspiration and designs right now. So I whipped up a “look book.” Inside this simple brown paper scrapbook is the essence of Cedar Tree Crochet. All of my carefully collected images that have been tucked away in an anonymous computer folder are now printed and organized so that I can go for a stroll with them, with my dear familiar friends. I am now able pause to appreciate a new detail or a new feeling stirred by something beautiful within this collection of pretty bits and pieces. I also have collected all of my resources for the designs that have been successful so far, labeled and organized all of my yarn samples and printed pictures of all of my sample items to date. I want this book to be the place I go to when I need inspiration — what I am working towards — but I equally want this book to be a place where I can go to enjoy what I have accomplished so far. Last year this time I was just learning my very first stitches! There are still oh, so many blank pages to be filled. There is so much potential in these empty spaces.

As for reading, I have actually found a little time to make progress in An Object of Beauty. (My hands can only crochet for so many hours in a day!) I’m still in love with Steve Martin and his sassy style of writing. He is the perfect combination of snark and wonder. I’m hoping to finished this book by summer… if I can find the time. Ha!

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My mind quiets and my well fills when I am engaged with a good book or when my hands are busy creating something beautiful. If you feel moved to share what you have been reading or creating, please leave a link in the comments below so we may revel in each other’s creative pursuits.

busy hands ~ the tiniest of stitches

Tags

busy hands, creativity, crochet, friends, reading, yarn along

I am most myself when I am centered in a creative space. I see and feel the world differently. I am more open, more grateful, more passionate. I remain more aware of the wonder that surrounds me. Reading transports me both far away and deep within. Crochet is my meditation. It soothes the rough edges of my busy days. Please join me as I share the pages I have been turning and the yarn I have been hooking this week.

~~~

I am so grateful to again connect with the wonderful community of knitters and crocheters Ginny gathers together with her yarn along each week.

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I have to admit, I haven’t read a single page of An Object of Beauty this week. I have been completely swept away by the drama and romance and suspense of Downton Abbey. Please, don’t reveal a single secret! I’m working my way obsessively through season two and loving every moment of it. Oh, the language, the costumes, the scenery — it’s all just so beautiful.

While Downton Abbey has been playing on my computer, I have been working the tiniest of stitches on this sweet baby hat. I started this project last year with the intention of gifting it to a friend who was expecting her second child. She is now expecting her third little one and the hat is still not quite finished. Sigh. Projects happen this way for me sometimes. I’ll begin something new with seemingly tireless enthusiasm, then suddenly my energy will fade for one reason or another and the project will sit neglected for months. After playing with a good deal of fun chunky yarn in the past few weeks, I rediscovered this fine lace weight project with delight. Although my progress is slow, each stitch is so gratifying — simple and small and delicate. I am now just a few rounds from completing it and am eager to crochet a pretty flower embellishment or two for a special feminine touch. There is a beautiful baby girl headed Earth-side (soon!) and I so want these teeny tiny stitches to be ready to warm her sweet smelling head upon her arrival.

I have also been commissioned to make a scarf similar to this one by a friend. After I wore mine into work, she declared that she absolutely had to have one just like it. I’m looking forward to another episode of Downton Abby and this quick, easy project — the original only took an hour or two to complete, start to finish. I didn’t realize until just now that I am working in extremes — the slowest of teeny tiny stitches and speediest of great big giant stitches. I suppose these opposites reflect my personality simply and completely — both slow and fast, small and large, delicate and rough. My truest self expressed in yarn. I think I like that.

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My mind quiets and my well fills when I am engaged with a good book or when my hands are busy creating something beautiful. If you feel moved to share what you have been reading or creating, please leave a link in the comments below so we may revel in each other’s creative pursuits.

busy hands ~ yarn bombing the suburbs

Tags

art, beauty, books, busy hands, community, creativity, crochet, inspiration, joy, reading, silliness, yarn along

I am most myself when I am centered in a creative space. I see and feel the world differently. I am more open, more grateful, more passionate. I remain more aware of the wonder that surrounds me. Reading transports me both far away and deep within. Crochet is my meditation. It soothes the rough edges of my busy days. Please join me as I share the pages I have been turning and the yarn I have been hooking this week.

~~~

I am so grateful to again connect with the wonderful community of knitters and crocheters Ginny gathers together with her yarn along each week.

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I am a firm believer that the Universe has a way of exposing us to what we need in our lives. These gifts from the Universe may be big or small, serious or lighthearted, life changing or sweet simple reminders. I simply try to recognize these messages when they come my way. Several weeks ago I was aimlessly scrolling through my Facebook feed when I stumbled upon this link to an article about yarn bombing in Detroit. A group of crocheters called The Happy Hookers (don’t you just love that?) created a giant scarf and draped it around a well-recognized statue of Passo di Danza in an effort to raise awareness of the homeless population and their struggle to stay warm during these bitter cold winter months. I was moved by the idea of such a large and public installation of crochet and its ability to create awareness. Crochet and art and politics all together — awesome!

Then, just a few days later, I was catching up on one of my very favorite blogs, Walk Slowly Live Wildly, and saw Sarah’s post about yarn bombing her backyard. I was hooked (I know, such a predictable pun from a crocheter…)! I immediately ordered the book pictured above, Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti and pulled my yarn stash out of the box in the basement. I finally knew exactly what to do with all of the icky acrylic yarn I had been collecting for years. I was so inspired by the beautiful images and patterns in this book I put my hook to work immediately. I decided to yarn bomb the suburbs!

After a couple of late nights and yards and yards and yards of long forgotten yarn, I had created a very respectable crocodile stitch sweater for our front tree. My girls and I sewed it on this past Sunday evening with the sun setting and the temperatures dropping. They were so excited that our much loved tree would finally be warm and cozy. I have to admit, I feel pretty satisfied about it too. Not only is our tree wrapped in warmth, but this feels like our, if ever so small, protest against the homogeneous nature of the suburbs we live in. This is our little expression of rebellion. It makes me giggle with glee. We’ll see how long the homeowners association tolerates our difference — they don’t like different. At. All. For now, I’ll continue to smile every time I pull up in the car or peek through our front window and see our yarn bomb in the suburbs.

I still have quite a bit of lower quality yarn that I want to use up, so this sweater may get a sleeve, or two or three, in the future. I’ll keep you posted!

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My mind quiets and my well fills when I am engaged with a good book or when my hands are busy creating something beautiful. If you feel moved to share what you have been reading or creating, please leave a link in the comments below so we may revel in each other’s creative pursuits.

busy hands ~ healing

Tags

art, beauty, books, busy hands, community, creativity, crochet, family, Freja, music, reading, soulful, wellness

I am most myself when I am centered in a creative space. I see and feel the world differently. I am more open, more grateful, more passionate. I remain more aware of the wonder that surrounds me. Reading transports me both far away and deep within. Crochet is my meditation. It soothes the rough edges of my busy days. Please join me as I share the pages I have been turning and the yarn I have been hooking this week.

~~~

I am so grateful to again connect with the wonderful community of knitters and crocheters Ginny gathers together with her yarn along each week.

~~~

A dense, cool, fog settled over our small part of the universe almost a week ago. It feels heavy and ominous. Everything is soft-edged and blurry. Dulled. Weighed down. I must confess, I have been struggling. Our sweet Freja has been very ill, and although she is healing well, the effort to care for such a very sick little one is exhausting. I am so grateful that I am able to be home with her during the day to snuggle with her, feed her, administer her breathing treatments and antibiotics, to be her source of comfort during her convalescence. Yet, with the demands of her illness, my evenings spent in the restaurant, and the everyday busy goings on of our family I am, simply put, very tired. Oh, my life is full.

Late at night, with sick babes safely tucked in bed, I have been seeking solace in some of my favorite music, breathing deeply and working my crochet hook. These simple acts do so much to nurture my mind and my spirit. I have been hooking very simple projects – some cute coffee cozies – that don’t require much counting, so that I can just settle into the rhythm of the work. Through, loop, pull, through, loop, pull. A pretty flower, a snowflake, a beautiful button. Simple things to lighten my spirit.

I finally ordered An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin. He is such a creative spirit and I adore him. His humor, his intellect, his banjo playing, all of it. I have been looking forward to this novel with great anticipation. Last night I drew a hot bath and was ready to settle in for a good soak and a long read. I fell asleep three pages in. Oh, well. I am looking forward to making some time in the next few days, while I am off work, to curl up with a hot cup of peppermint tea and really linger over these pages of well-crafted prose and timeless artwork. (Full color reproductions of famous works are included as part of this novel. How yummy.) A good book is soul medicine.

Heal we will, my little Freja and I.

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My mind quiets and my well fills when I am engaged with a good book or when my hands are busy creating something beautiful. If you feel moved to share what you have been reading or creating, please leave a link in the comments below so we may revel in each other’s creative pursuits.

Busy Hands – Melancholy Mama

Tags

books, busy hands, crochet, reading, yarn along

My intention is to take time every Wednesday to share with you what I have been creating and the pages I have been turning. My hope is that this will open up a space to help build community here at less & more. I would love to hear about the books you have been reading and to see the projects that have been keeping your hands busy!

This week I’m joining Ginny in her Yarn Along, but I probably won’t every week. I like to dive deeply into one type of project, leave it for a bit to pursue something else, then find my way back. I’ll use this space to display whatever I’m working on each week.
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I read Dylan Thomas when I am in a certain mood. His dark and brooding words transport me. His verses take me back to a time in my life filled with smokey coffee shops and late, late nights. A time filled with scribbles in leather bound journals and well-worn denim. A time of independence and freedom and interesting conversations with strangers. Oh, how my melancholy soul loves Dylan Thomas. It’s been a long few days with Eric off traveling for work, cold gray rainy weather, and me still playing tug-of-war with a cold. So, my Dylan Thomas found his way to my bedside, in all of his dark and seething glory. A strange bedfellow indeed.

While I have been indulging my angsty tendencies by night, I am still required to be Mama by day. So it is in life, I suppose. I’ve been up to my eyeballs in laundry and baths and homework and reading about chickens with my little people. We have recently become friends with a family that has a small backyard flock and, as a result, our family has been stricken with a little chicken fever. Luckily, it’s not catching! I found this illustrated guide to chickens that makes it fun for everyone to get involved. My younger ones admire the illustrations while my older ones enjoy reading about the different personalities and character traits of the assorted breeds. We have unanimously fallen in love with the Faverolles and the Orpingtons. Someday, we hope to have our very own flock of big, silly, fluffy and gentle hens – maybe we’ll even toss in a sassy rooster to keep things interesting.

As for what has been on my crochet hook this week, I am still diligently trying to finish this hat, but am finding it to be so much more work than I ever imagined. I am invested in seeing to through to completion – however long that may take. (Can you feel my jaw clenching?) I have had to resign myself to the fact that the baby I intended it for may never actually wear it. Sigh.

On a brighter note, I have been enjoying making some fun sherbet colored washcloths that are just the right size for little bodies and faces. I originally purchased this ridiculous yarn for something else but couldn’t stand it – it just wasn’t the right yarn for that particular project. It was set aside until, during one of my little girls’ marathon bathing sessions, I noticed that they were struggling with the normal adult sized washcloths. Their sweet little hands couldn’t wrangle them in a useful way, so I decided to use this misfit yarn to make them some little people sized washcloths. Each one takes about forty-five minutes so they are piling up fast and furious. I can’t wait to see them in use in the tub – Freja tells me they would be good for use as pony boats. Ha!

What a weird concoction I am – a Dylan Thomas reading, silly chicken loving, little washcloth making Mama. That’s me.

Weird, and just right.

Busy Hands ~ Confessions

Tags

books, busy hands, crochet, reading, yarn along

My intention is to take time every Wednesday to share with you what I have been creating and the pages I have been turning. My hope is that this will open up a space to help build community here at less & more. I would love to hear about the books you have been reading and to see the projects that have been keeping your hands busy!

This week I’m joining Ginny in her Yarn Along, but I probably won’t every week. I like to dive deeply into one type of project, leave it for a bit to pursue something else, then find my way back. I’ll use this space to display whatever I’m working on each week.
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It’s time for a few confessions… First, I have not finished the two hats I’ve been working on for the last few weeks. Those tiny stitches are beautiful, but they are making my eyes cross, even with my brand new glasses on. I really only need a couple of hours to get both of them finished and to tie the ends in. So, as of right now, I am setting a deadline of this weekend for completion of these projects. If I have to, I will force myself to go to the local coffee shop, order a steaming hot cup of chamomile tea, and not leave until they are finished. Sometimes, a crocheter just has to do what a crocheter has to do. I’m sure it will be rough. There are babies who need warm heads for goodness sake!

Another confession… I don’t seem to be able start a project without frogging it at least four times. I will start said project, take a look at it a few rows in, shake my head and wrinkle my nose, then frog the whole dang thing and start over. This may have something to do with my refusal to follow a pattern. Usually, by the third attempt I admit I must pull out some sort of pattern to reference and it helps. Shocker. I’m a slow learner sometimes. The yoga mat carrier I am working on now is chugging along at a steady pace now that I have finally figured out how I want to proceed. I’m not so sure I like it a whole lot, but it’s working up fast. What do you think of it?

Here’s my darkest, dirtiest confession… I have started a small library of books and none of them have held my interest. I don’t know if that is because I have unrealistic expectations (quite possible) or because I simply have too many irons in the fire to feel like I can justify the time to sit and read for pleasure (even more possible). I think along with those hats, I need to check a few other things off of my to-do list. Maybe I should start by actually making the to-do list.

I say that, but in the very next moment this thought occurs to me, “Hey You! You have four kids who have been off and on sick for weeks. You are busy nurturing the growth of new friendships and enjoying the bounty of friendships firmly rooted. You are truly engaged with your yoga practice again for the first time in years and you still manage to feed and clothe all of these little people you are responsible for. Oh, yeah, and you have a husband who needs a little lovin’ too. You really aren’t doing such a bad job.”

Whew. I think confessing my secrets was exactly the right thing to do – I’m feeling lighter already. It’s good to remember to be gentle with myself and the expectations I hold myself to. Yes, it is important to work from my heart, but it is also important to make space in my life when the living of it gets too busy or just plain messy. That stack of books will be waiting for me when the kids are finally all healthy again and my crochet hooks will be happy to get back to work when my to-do list isn’t quite so long. For now, a quiet morning with my girls feels like a good place to start – maybe I’ll get to a few of those teeny-tiny stitches, or one of those to-do list projects later.

Busy Hands ~ Sweet Sick Girls & Tiny Stitches

Tags

books, busy hands, crochet, reading, yarn along

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My intention is to take time every Wednesday to share with you what I have been creating and the pages I have been turning. My hope is that this will open up a space to help build community here at less & more. I would love to hear about the books you have been reading and to see the projects that have been keeping your hands busy!

This week I’m joining Ginny in her Yarn Along, but I probably won’t every week. I like to dive deeply into one type of project, leave it for a bit to pursue something else, then find my way back. I’ll use this space to display whatever I’m working on each week.
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This morning I find myself bleary eyed and exhausted. Both Willow and Freja woke during the night with a tummy bug. So far it seems mild as these things go and they are sleeping peacefully in the next room. Sweet sick girls. I managed to capture this image in the quiet overcast light that welcomed me early this morning.

I took the advice a fellow Yarn Along-er offered (Thanks Rachel!) and finished the hat I was working on last week with a simple ribbing made by single crocheting into the back loop only of the last few rounds. When I have the ends tied in, and also have this next hat I’m working on finished, I’ll make sure to show both finished projects to you. These hats are headed off as gifts to two special little heads, one now a big sister and one brand new to this world. I just hope they will be able to use them at least once or twice before this weird eighty degree weather decides to stick around for good.

I’m working with the smallest yarn I have to date. It is the softest of lace weight baby alpaca in deep water-colored greens and blues. It’s calming to work and soft in my hands. I am liking the teeny tiny hook and the teeny tiny stitches – just 2.5mm – once I am a few rounds in anyway.

We finally finished Trumpet of the Swan and loved it through and through. It was such a lovely story with both a silly and gentle sense of humor and a kind soul. Last night we started Little House in the Big Woods. After hearing so many of my Yarn Along companions talk about the Little House series over these past winter months, when asked by my mom what we would like her to send our little people for Valentine’s Day this year I suggested she get us this treasured series. (It can be tricky sending gifts to a family in the throws of a serious and intentional downsize. Thanks, Mom!) I remember reading all of these books as a young girl and am excited to share these stories with my little ones. They are timeless tales of struggle and joy and family and childhood. Good stuff, these books.

Now I’m off to make tea and snuggle with two sick little girls.

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My mind quiets and my well fills when I am engaged with a good book or when my hands are busy making something beautiful. If you feel moved to share what you have been up to, please leave a link in the comments section so we can revel in each other’s creative pursuits. Maybe we’ll even find a couple of new titles to request from the library.
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Busy Hands ~ Lingering

Tags

books, busy hands, crochet, reading, silliness, yarn along

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My intention is to take time every Wednesday to share with you what I have been creating and the pages I have been turning. My hope is that this will open up a space to help build community here at less & more. I would love to hear about the books you have been reading and to see the projects that have been keeping your hands busy!

This week I’m joining Ginny in her Yarn Along, but I probably won’t every week. I like to dive deeply into one type of project, leave it for a bit to pursue something else, then find my way back. I’ll use this space to display whatever I’m working on each week.
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It feels so good to have some beautiful yarn back on my hook this week!

I’m in the process of making yet another hat (they seem to be my very favorite things to make) as a gift for a special little one. This yarn is so small and delicate it’s taking me forever to crochet this simple cap. Good thing I planned it that way! I seem to burn through yarn so fast I thought that choosing a smaller yarn would force me to take my time – and it’s working. The 3.25mm hook may have something to do with my slow pace as well. I’m making up the pattern as I go along and I’m kind of stumped as to how I want to finish it. I tried something I thought would work and decided I didn’t like it, so I frogged it and am starting the last part over again. I think what I really want is to figure out a way to do some sort of simple ribbing – any advice would be most welcome!

Freja is my ever-present creative helper these days. With everyone else off to school we have a lot of fun camping out on my bed with a project to play with. We usually turn on some tunes and chit-chat our way through the afternoon. On this day she assisted me by feeding me yarn from the ball as I needed it. She may have gotten distracted once or twice.

Reading this week as been light. The weather here in Northern Virginia has been deliciously warm and inviting – I’m talking mid-seventies and sunny! We have been drinking in every last drop of fresh air, so our bodies have been completely exhausted by the time they fall into bed at the end of the day. As a family, we have only read a chapter or two of Trumpet of the Swan. Even with so few pages read this week, we are still nearing the end of our adventure with Sam and Louis. I’m happy to linger a little longer over the last few moments with these enchanting characters. This book has been joyful, silly fun from beginning to end. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the family discussions we’ve had that were started by reading one of the many anachronistic phrases found in the story. It amazes me how much our use of language has changed even in the short time since E.B. White originally penned this coming-of-age tale.

Neil Gaiman is still rocking my world with American Gods. I am purposefully taking my time with his meandering dark tale, just as I am intentionally taking my time with my latest crochet project and lingering with Sam and Louis. Maybe all of my efforts to practice patience are starting to finally starting to pay off. Or maybe it’s just spring and I would rather stop to smell the flowers.

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My mind quiets and my well fills when I am engaged with a good book or when my hands are busy making something beautiful. If you feel moved to share what you have been up to, please leave a link in the comments section so we can revel in each other’s creative pursuits. Maybe we’ll even find a couple of new titles to request from the library.
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Busy Hands ~ A Few More For The Flock

Tags

books, busy hands, cranes, creativity, Eric, reading

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My hands have been busy this week and the stack of books by my bedside has been steadily growing. My intention is to take time every Wednesday to share with you what I have been creating and the pages I have been turning. My hope is that this will open up a space to help build community here at less & more. I would love to hear about the books at your bedside and see the projects that have been keeping your hands busy!

I like to dive deeply into one type of project, leave it for a bit to pursue something else, then find my way back. I’ll use this space to display whatever I’m working on each week.
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Just a quick update this week. I spent so much of my creative energy up in the mountains of Vermont I have needed to spend significant time resting my tired creative muscles. I feel like I am recharging my batteries so I will be ready to take on my next big creative endeavor. I am planning on making a trip to the yarn store tomorrow, so I’m sure there will be something new and scrumptious on my hook next week.

I have been spending a bit of time this week folding a few cranes. I originally intended to fold my goal of one thousand peace cranes by my birthday this year. I know, it was an ambitious goal. I have let it go. My birthday came and went and I had only about one fifth of them completed. That’s okay. I think I may realistically finish them by the holiday season later this year – I imagine them decorating our holiday tree in all their splendor. This crochet bug has bitten me hard and I am having fun letting it carry me away. My cranes are always in the background, patiently waiting for attention.

During a quick stop into Michael’s this past week on an unrelated errand, I noticed that their origami paper was on clearance. I nabbed a ton of beautiful quality paper for next to nothing. It’s so pretty it cannot be ignored. I’ve found a simple joy in letting my hands work the familiar folds and creases they know by heart. It is beginning to feel like a true act of meditation. I have been surprised to discover that whether I fold one or two or twenty in an evening I still feel the same sense of accomplishment. They are, each and every one, so very special.

As for reading, my husband finally convinced me to give his favorite author a try. Eric adores Neil Gaiman and has been suggesting his adult fiction to me for years. It’s silly really, I have a history of resisting his cultural suggestions – I mean seriously, heels dug into the ground resisting them – then for no apparent reason I will open up, give one of his suggestions a whirl and then fall head-over-heels in love with them. This has happened to me with David Bowie, cornbread with syrup and milk and now, Neil Gaiman. I think deep down I don’t like being told what I will or will not like. Like some punk kid I feel I have to arrive at my decision to participate in my own time. Oh, I have issues. Eric just chuckled and shook his head when he found me sitting in a bath that had turned cold with my nose stuck in American Gods a few nights ago. I’m really, really enjoying it – it’s a page turner for sure. It definitely isn’t for everyone, but it is satisfying the dark side that still resides within me, somewhere deep down. It’s official. I’m a fan. I even follow him on Twitter (@neilhimself). Geesh.

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My mind quiets and my well fills when I am engaged with a good book or when my hands are busy making something beautiful. If you feel moved to share what you have been up to, please leave a link in the comments section so we can revel in each other’s creative pursuits. And maybe even find a couple of books to add to the stack.
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