Learning Gentlness

Mourning Dove

Tonight I didn't go to Power Yoga.
I am learning to listen to my body, my mind, my spirit.
My spirit was willing but my body didn't think it was such a great idea and my mind, after weighing the evidence, voted with my body.
It makes me unhappy to admit it but the injury isn't ready for a vigorous workout. I will end up hurting myself further.
I opted to do a Kundalini workout at home, it was more than enough.
Getting past this is going to take baby steps. Gentleness.

Swan

 Being gentle with myself isn't easy. It takes a different sort of strength.

Eastern Blue Jay

 Resiliance, delicacy, grace. Strength to heal and to fly again.

Feather Stones

Abacus Moon

Abacus Moon

I am starting to fight back against the winter blues and find my daily practice again.
We have been battling illnesses (Lar's) and injuries (mine) and Netfix streaming has replaced most life of activities.
I need to start moving again, body mind and spirit or I will slide into a full on depression.
I'm trying to get out of the house a bit, contact friends, shake off the cobwebs, and tomorrow I will be going to Hot Yoga again, its been over a year since I've been to that class.
Not sure how that will go, I pulled a glute muscle back in January trying to see if I could still do a cartwheel (the answer was yes but I have to stop at 3 in a row or all bets are off and something will go POP!!)
Last night we went to see The Who with some friends which was a badly needed night out. Sometimes a loud rock concert is just the ticket to shake things loose. Roger can still sing those high notes and Pete may not jump anymore but is still a phenom on the guitar!

Nemo's Wake

 We got up early today and finished the last of the shoveling, now we can leave the house AND get mail. It was a big job for 2 folks with snowshovels but we got it finished. Funny how ones standards diminish as the fatigue sets in,
"is it wide enough for the car?"
"barely"
 "good enough then"

 This is the back yard, nearly featureless under the blanket of snow. Some of it has already melted down and we are expecting 40 degree weather tomorrow so I'm sure the chail will become more visible soon.

Some sort of small yet intrepid adventurer has left a tiny path across the yard, probably some sort of vole finding a place to hunker down, just like the rest of us.

Nemo

When did they decide to start naming all the storms?
We have weathered the storm with barely a power outage.
the measurement on the back porch is 30+ inches (some of that might be drift but whatever) I have spent the day either shoveling, eating (I figure I can have ALL the pizza), watching DVR-ed Project Runways or walking the dogs. Those poor dogs just don't know where to poop, all of their favorite spots are covered up!
It is utterly hilarious to watch them porpoising through the snow, tires them out too, which is good because I have NO energy left after all of the shoveling. We got a path big enough to drive through down the drive to the street done today. Tomorrow we plan to dig out the mailbox and the rest of it is of no concern whatsoever. I will happily wait for it to melt on its own.
Off to medicate with wine and Naproxin now and watch the Bruins game. 
Hope everyone else dealing with this is in good shape, safe and warm.

Orbit

Sometimes I start with a plan, other times I just grab a stone and try stuff.
and sometimes I like what happens!

This one was kind of lumpy and pitted, like a meteor, it seemed like it needed some orbiting beads. Its just a little guy, but even a small entity will have other things encircling it

We are preparing for a blizzard here with high winds, another big storm sweeping up the East Coast, global warming at work.
I expect we will lose power for a period of time, we almost always do.
Will catch up when it has passed...

Step by Step

 Initial wrap

 Cross wrap, anchored

 Beads added

 Lacing

Finished

(pardon the whacky color fluctuations, the lighting can be challenging here)

Girdled

Stone Kachina #5, Girdle 1

I have shown you this one before, but since then I've updated the thread weaving. The first connecting stitches were a straight back and forth, that was replaced with a caught stitch similar to netting.
That led to this one, the netting is featured here, easier to see as it is in a color that contrasts nicely with the stone. The tarnished gold beads and the lacing make me think of very complex clothing, something a Tudor would
wear.

Stone Kachina #6, Girdle 2
 

Both of those led me to this, a more complicated development of the idea.

Stone Kachina #7, Girdle 3

 I am currently trying another offshoot of this idea...will post it soon.

Brother and Sister

Stone Kachina Series #3 and #4, Brother and Sister

These two are a bit of a mystery
I don't really know their story, I'm not even sure which is the Brother or which is the Sister. I suspect more family will be joining them when the proper stones show up.
I am trying to reestablish the early morning work again, its easier on weekdays since I have to get up for work anyhow. I'm very glad I managed it this morning since I need to spend some time this evening doing a production run for the ETSY shop. Off to work now.

Stone Kachina #3, Urchin #1

Still catching up with posting these, I think this one was done back in December.
Lar thinks it looks like the crown jewels, I see that too but to me there is a sea urchin in there.
More ideas to play with here, variations to come.

A few more thoughts on the insecurities of sharing the work...
I am old enough now that I don't think this will ever leave me
I have always thought that if the work was good enough I wouldn't feel this way, and that just doesn't seem to be possible (seems to always be just out of reach)
Therefore I need to just let it go and learn to live with the discomfort of being not quite there, and just do it anyway.
I have an idea that I used to be better at doing so...

Context, and Scale

Three Sisters

Spiral

Dancer

Woven Net #3

Mary asked as to size so... just to provide some idea of scale (and to exhibit my lack of digital grooming)...here are a couple held in my average sized hands.
The Three Sisters are the smallest I have done, less than the diameter of a dime. The largest I've worked so far was nearly the length of my hand, about 6" long.
I've spoken before of Twyla Tharp's The Creative Habit a very good book that I haven't been able to finish because it sets off all of my most insecure inner voices (working on that)
I did get as far as the first couple of chapters and I found myself realizing that the scale I gravitate to could best be defined as "intimate" which I struggle with, in my mind I have a weird prejudice that bigger is better.
(another thing to work on)
I think I will try this book again and see if I can't set those voices and prejudices aside.

Thinking Cap

This one took quite a bit of trial and error before I figured out how to weave the beads onto the stone.
I think I took it apart 4 times before I got it to do what I wanted...
hope I can remember how I did it next time I want to use the technique.

As I develop this series I am more invested in the craftsmanship.
I want them to be well made. That can make them more of a struggle to complete but I am better contented with the results in the long run.
It matters now in a way it didn't when I stated fooling around with the idea.
I think sometimes that value I have come to place in them makes it harder to share them, a risk is inherent to the act that wasn't there in the beginning.

I am working on just being present, not judging the outcome of sharing,
Sometimes it comes easily, other times not so much...
Trial and error.