Thanksgiving

Nov27

The other day I was sitting on the couch writing in my journal. As I glanced up, I noticed that the room had filled with light as the sun came out from behind a cloud. This hibiscus bloom had just fully opened that morning and it glowed as the light from outside came in and illuminated it from behind. I was so taken with the moment that I held my breath and just gazed at this magnificent flower. Then, of course, I ran and grabbed my camera.

I am thankful for amazing moments like these.

I am thankful for my wonderful family and friends.

I am thankful for being able to get up every morning, take a deep breath and then journey out to experience this beautiful world.

I am thankful for the ability to see and love colors, patterns, textures and shapes and express my authentic self through them.

I am thankful for everything warm these days – a steaming mug of tea, a roaring fire, a cozy scarf, a fleece blanket.

I am thankful for being closer to nature in my new home – the majestic trees, the birds and wood critters, our gardens sleeping now under big piles of leaves, the sunrises and sunsets, the clouds writing their messages in the everchanging sky.

I am thankful for all of the friends I’ve made here and the opportunity that we have to connect and share our stories and passions.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Gabriella

Nov9

When I hold Ella and talk to her, I feel like she knows so much more than I do. She holds so much wisdom inside of her and you can catch glimpses of it on her face if you look closely. Now some might think that’s crazy because she’s 2 days old and I’m 50 years old. However, to see her listen intently like this, I can feel how close her spirit is to the divine source and to the answers to all of our questions. She is so newly arrived in this world that I can feel how strongly connected she is with everyone and everything in this world and beyond. She just can’t tell us because of the limitations of this brand new tiny body she is in. It is there though and I am listening carefully. What do you have to tell us, precious little Ella?

Can you tell how much I love her already?

Ella’s Blanket

Sep28

Right around the time I found out that I was going to be a grandmother for the first time, my Mom, an avid knitter, gifted me with this gorgeous yarn and showed me a new stitch. It all flowed together so synchronistically that I decided to knit a blanket for the baby, using my new yarn and the stitch I just learned. We have since found out that she is a girl and her name will be Gabriella, Ella for short. She is due to be born at the end of October and we can’t wait for her arrival!

The stitch is not too hard once you get the hang of it. It creates little diamond shaped units that build upon each other. You create 2 diamond shapes (the bottom edge is curved instead of pointy) and then pick up stitches from the right side of one diamond and the left side of the other to create a new diamond that links them together. You continue in this fashion and can make your piece as wide or as long as you want.

I found a book through my library system called Domino Knitting and the pattern and stitches in that book reminded me very much of this pattern.

The yarn I used is called Noro “Matsuri”, comprised of 87% cotton and 18% wool, giving it breathability along with warmth. The only drawback is that it needs to be handwashed but I know that most washers these days have a delicate or handwash cycle so that should be ok. I also think that any handmade knitted piece should be delicately washed anyway.

As I write this, memories drift up of my daughter’s favorite blanket when she was a child. It was a pure white crocheted blanket, created by one of my colleagues at the bank where I worked at that time. She loved that blanket so much that…well…sorry, Aim….we ended up calling it the “string” blankie. Memories like that fill my heart with warmth and love.

I hope that my new granddaughter will love her new blanket, too.

I’ve been Tagged

Jun11

It’s wonderful when friends come for a visit. In that spirit, I’ve been tagged by Vivage for an internet meme. It’s a fun game where someone tags you to, in this case, answer some questions about yourself. It gives your friends, new and old, the opportunity to learn some things about you.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

10 years ago my children were 17, 14 and 10 so, depending upon the time of year, I was very much involved in their ice hockey, field hockey, baseball, band practice and various other activities. I was also working part-time at the tea company and creating jewelry and selling it at arts and crafts shows in my area.

2. 5 things on today’s to-do list:

*Work in my studio (yay!)
*Work on my April BJP page.
*Help my son take care of some things before he leaves for Air Force basic training next week.
*Take Jack (our dog) for a walk.
*Do some more unpacking (ugh).

3. Snacks I enjoy:

Haagen daz vanilla frozen yogurt with fresh raspberries (Yum!)
Any kind of fruit
Anything chocolate

4. Things I’d do if I were a billionnaire!

Wow, I’m such a frugal person who has always lived on a limited budget so this is a hard one to contemplate. Anyway, here goes.

Quit my job.

Travel all over the world, first to Hawaii, and bring my family and friends, too.

Pay off all the debt that my family owes like mortgages and student and car loans.

Build a beach house with a fabulous studio with lots of windows overlooking the ocean and have workshops and retreats there.

Donate a lot of money to help all types of living beings.

Play in my studio a lot more

5. Places I have lived:

New Jersey
Ohio
Illinois
Massachusetts
Kansas

6. Peeps I want to know more about

Anyone who would like to play along!

A Package of Treasure

Feb13

Most of the time I receive bills and junk credit card offers in the mail. Not the other day though. I received treasure in my mailbox! A beautiful pendant and a pair of earrings from the wonderful Nina Bagley. As I connect more with my love of writing, this pendant is a perfect companion to grace my neck. Nina’s poetic writing, soulful photos and creative artwork have been such an inspiration to me and I am honored to wear her jewelry.