Tuesday, December 16, 2014

a star of batik beauty...

some time ago
our friend
crystal of
 
 
frivolous necessity
created a pattern
she named
from the
moment i first
saw it
it looked most like
a star of david
to me
this past week
i needed
 to accomplish
something with fabric
for the total
relaxation of the
project
from the
organizing and the cutting
 

to the stitching
 
 
to the squaring up
 process
where the end
 result is
this
lovely pile of
color
 
 
to the layout
on the design wall
 
 
it was just the
stitchy therapy
i needed
and now it's hanging
in our front window
just in time
to wish
everyone a
very happy
hanukkah

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

horizon...

oh the magic
of her
designs...

 
...and the sweetness
 of her heart
speak to me
 like few do
how i adore you
 your newest
makes my
purpliest passion
so happy
the tranquil colors of
 sea glass
are so inspiring

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

the early years...

i've been
living 
in a funk...


lately
just not sure
of anything
anymore
life has a way
of waking you
up
every now
and then
just when
the days seem
to be coming together
bam
out of the blue
comes a
situation
that takes you by
complete
surprise
renders you
clueless, shocked
disappointed
and heartbroken
then just as
you dry the last
of the tears


a small treasure
appears
a memento from
years past
that brings
a smile back to
your face


puts a glimmer
of happiness
back into your day
just enough
to recognize
that
those early years
are there
forever


treasure
the memories
and know
they are yours
to keep
no matter what

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Friday, September 19, 2014

my handsome prince...

i've learned
 so much
from this one...


our third born
the baby
of the family
he came out wildly
kicking
nonstop
and it was that
way for years
oh the stories
we can share
somewhere
along the way
he developed the
kindest heart
the warmest smile
a tenderness
and compassion
not often seen
in a boy his age
i think his classmates
recognize it too
they voted him
to the homecoming court
this week
so proud of him
and grateful
to be his mom

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Saturday, August 9, 2014

celebrating four years..

so hard to
believe
our quilt shop...

is four years old
today
it seems like
just yesterday
we were cutting
the ribbon
on my sarah's
twenty first birthday
we had no idea
where this journey
was to take us
yet today
i can't imagine
us doing anything
other than sharing
our love of fabric
our zest for
fiber creativity
demonstrating
sarah's sewing talents
while fulfilling
our mission
of employing creative persons
of all abilities
including those with
down syndrome and autism
and assisting
kristen's light to shine
around the world
celebrating we are
with our annual
sweet treat extravaganza
life is good

Saturday, August 2, 2014

twenty eight...

twenty eight
years
today...
 
the peaks have been
higher than the clouds
the valleys go
pretty deep
through it all
we try our best
 to remain
a team
we're not perfect
but together
we pick each other up
and continue on
happy anniversary
to my man
i love you honey
 

Friday, July 25, 2014

two signed leases...


i've been

trying
to find...
 
 
...words to describe
what my husband
 son and i
 have been through
 the past few months
 with regards
 to the buildings
 our two businesses occupy
 but the wild range
of emotions
simply can't be defined
the miles we've put
 on our cars
 looking for space
may be quantifiable
 but the burden
 of weeding out
 the good from the bad
 just can't
in the end
we've both found spaces
 that we believe
will work out well
for each of us
just one block apart
 this pic
 was taken right outside
 the new door
for jellen's house of fabric
 that tan building
 on the other side
 of the shell gas station
 is where the two johns will be
along with a few other
businesses
 being run by father/son teams
 interesting
 how life works out

Thursday, May 29, 2014

market miracles...

there's nothing
quite like
the inspiration...
 
 
of quilt market
to get
the creative juices
flowing
yet beyond
the colors and fiber
the friendships
the camaraderie
of like minded souls
is the simple fact
that i am
blessed beyond measure
to be sharing the
experience
with my girl
my miracle
of all miracles
and that
is the greatest
inspiration
of my
lifetime
so
very
grateful

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Monday, March 31, 2014

an empty shell...

sterile walls
plain windows
empty rooms...


our quilt shop
is gone
cleaned out
finished
at it's
very first location
it was a fluke really
opening that is
not something
i had ever planned
on doing
the timing just happened
to be perfect
as are the memories
if only
these walls
could talk
what would they say
likely they'd speak
of all the friends
we've made
the tears we've
shed
together
from both happiness
and sorrow
we've watched mommas
nurture pregnant bellies
we've welcomed
 babies
and watched them grow
we've held hands
with friends
receiving a life
altering diagnosis
we've helped many
a new sewer
select fabric for a first quilt
we've also
assisted the selection
of clothing to
go into a memory quilt
of a loved one
little boys, fathers, husbands
grandmothers and wives
we've cheered triumphantly
alongside families
as they embraced their
new sons and daughters
sharing that one
extra special chromosome
that welcomes them
to the world of 
down syndrome


i've learned
 much about myself too
my patience
 is better
my stamina
is greater
my knowledge
more expanded
my skills
more refined
my gratitude
is immense
my heart is
so very thankful
i thought
i would feel sadness
as i locked
the door
for the last time
yet what i feel is different
it is a sense 
of contentment
with excitement too
i'm curious
to see where we
go next on this journey
i know not
 the answer
for we are following a plan
not of our own doing
but of our creator
i've learned
a building is simply
an empty shell
it's what is inside
that matters

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Thursday, March 13, 2014

moving...forward...

i admit
the tears
are falling...
it's not
that we didn't
know
it was coming
we have been
under a dark cloud
since september
in this building our
 two businesses
occupy
on mayfield road
one bearing my
 creative name
we have been preparing
for this moment
for some months now
just in case
but we have been
in denial too
until late this afternoon
when
 correspondence arrived
telling us
we have three days
to vacate the premises
i know in the end
good things
will come of this
in the meantime
we have a lot of work to do
yards and yards
of fabric to sell
so i shall
 dry up my eyes
pray deeply
for our landlords
our future
and march forward

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Sunday, February 23, 2014

decluttering...

if i had
life
to do over...


i would buy
a lot less crap
i've been cleaning
out my mother's stuff
for weeks now
still have a garage full
onto our house i go
last night when
i went to bed
this was my living room
i have nightmares
about it
so very unnecessary
it is just awful
the amount of money
we waste on
needless junk
and then
we hoard
like it's treasure
not so
it's mostly
dust mite collecting
or worse
mold and mildew
we could and
should
learn to live
with so much less
my goal for
this year is to
follow the
 rule
that is
once i rid the house
of all
the
unnecessary stuff
our happiness
depends on it

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

blindly into the night...

last evening
i was
calmly driving...
 
when all of a sudden
 it started snowing
within moments
it was nearing
white out conditions
it was hard
 to see what
was in front
of me
i slowed to a
crawl
just making sure
i was staying
on course
then as i gained a
bit more confidence
i eased my foot
further down
on the gas pedal
keeping faith
that the road
 was still
before me
and isn't that how
we live life
we have no idea
what tomorrow holds
the next minute
or hour really
we slowly
build up confidence
develop a faith
that
there will be
a reason to go
on
and then we do
one foot in front
of the other
blindly
like a white out
in the darkness of
night

Thursday, January 30, 2014

tattered & torn...

many years
of
healing warmth
 
and love
from this quilt
my very first
paper pieced
hexagon
 stitched by hand while
i was in college
this week
it was my comfort
while i slept
in a chair
due to a frozen
back after
shoveling the drive
there are places
that need repaired
but i can't bring
myself to do so
as the vision
is so alive
when i think
of my
kiddos
curled up
underneath
when they
were not feeling
 so well
i cherish those
memories
and each thread
that is hanging
and
seam that is
 torn open
is there
from their
tiny hands
yet
comforted hearts

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

another year...

older...yes
wiser
i hope so...

my girl and i
made our annual
trek down to the q
for disney on ice
i watched
her closely
she demonstrates
such enthusiasm
the minute the big
eared mices
skate through the curtain
even though she's
seen them a
bazillion times
and i marvel
at that
i want to live
like sarah
just simply
enjoy
each and every
moment
that's what i wish
for this fifty fourth year
of mine
to simply enjoy
everything
all the little
moments

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

all we really need...

i recently wrote
a note
to someone...
 
who had been
quick to judge me
and
 turn me into
a villain
my sentiment was
 simply this
i really
 could not understand
the position that
had been taken
when all we
(my husband and i)
needed
was love
i have been trying to
articulate
for some time
a message
and
this week
a friend of mine
said for me in just
a few words
what i've been trying to
for years
using fear, guilt 
shaming and negativity 
does not build love 
trust 
or a feeling of safety 
just supposing
 the call had instead
been about love
just love
the outcome would
have been
 so much
different
today i vow
to spread some love
forgiveness
followed by love
for that is all we
really need

Wednesday, January 1, 2014