My work takes care of me

october 11

Making something slowly with one's hands is perhaps one of the most nourishing things one can do

october 15

As I get older I worry less and less about making a product that others might like.  Instead, I want to spend the time I have left allowing my work to be as intuitive as possible.  

I want to be led by feelings, not thought.

The Sleeping Giant peninsula
in the foreground, pier 2 of the new Prince Arthur's Landing waterfront park
with Mark Nisenholt's digital images of awake giants on lantern sculptures  
read about them here. 

Ned and I went to Thunder Bay last weekend to attend the celebration of life for Sandy, one of our longtime friends.  Thunder Bay is a special place for us because we met at the University there. He was in his second year of the new Forestry degree program and I was in Teacher's College. The city is finally developing the waterfront and we stayed in the new hotel right on Lake Superior.  I was so glad to be able to glimpse the Sleeping Giant from the window of our 7th floor room.  The Sleeping Giant is famous in the area and I’ve written about it on this blog before.   2013 here and 2008 here. 

november 3

Visiting Thunder Bay is full of emotion for both of us and we took some time to drive in our rental car through the grandeur of this beloved northern Ontario area.  Ned loves maps and we used an old map from his huge collection.  

november 3

It's one of our favourite ways to spend time together. 

november 3

About my work again:  

One of my ideas is to go back to making old folk patchwork quilts and using the fabrics that I come across in my studio almost by chance.  

I want to use what comes immediately to hand.

I want my work to take care of me and provide me with answers. 

november 3

I stitched during the drive, and also took photos out the window. 

november 4  

Back in Toronto, I was able to spend time with the grandchildren before their bed times and then in the evening, I continued stitching red thread into this yellow cotton piece.

The serenity found in a field of hand stitch is almost a religious experience.

november 5

On Tuesday we returned home via the north bound 400 highway.  It's a six hour drive from Toronto to Manitoulin.

Americans were voting for a new president on the day we drove home.  

november 6

I stayed up until 3 am to watch him accept the presidency.

The CBC newscasters and observers helped me to understand what seemed like an impossible event.  It was most certainly an historical one.  

I've named this quilt Prayer Cloth.

while everything else continues, unexplained and unexplainable

What is there beyond knowing that keeps calling to me?

I can't turn in any direction but its there. 

I don't mean the leaves' grip and shine or even the thrush's

silk song,  but the far off fires,

for example,  or the stars, heaven's slowly turning theater of light,

or the wind playful with its breath;

or time that's always rushing forward,or standing still 

in the same - what shall I say - moment.

What I know I could put into a pack as if it were bread and cheese,

and carry it on one shoulder, important and honourable, but so small!

While everything else continues, unexplained and unexplainable.

How wonderful it is to follow a thought quietly to its logical end.

I have done this a few times.

But mostly, I just stand in the dark field in the middle of the world, breathing in and out.

Life so far doesn't have any other name but breath and light, wind and rain.

If there's a temple, I haven't found it yet.

I simply go on drifting,

In the heaven of the grass and the weeds.

What is there beyond knowing, by Mary Oliver 

from New and Selected Poems volume two published 2005

These images are from the road trip through northern and mid Western Wales that Ned and I did the second week of August.  

All of them were taken from the passenger seat of a moving vehicle by me.  

We enjoyed this trip together very much.

The feeling of being with him in the middle of this fairy world

will stay with me for a long time and I am grateful.