lavender blue, dilly dilly

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poorly lit photo of a birthday crown wip

last night i was working on a birthday crown, when i realized i hadn't any lavender floss. this crown has to match a capelet made by the talented pin pon, so my palette is set: orange, light orange, white, & lavender.

i knew that the color i needed was in the box of floss i'd brought back from my mother's home. until now though, i had not even considered using any of it. as it was, it took me a goodly bit of time to convince myself that it was ok to use a length of lavender.

you see, when i was in oregon, i only took a small box of her gigantic collection of embroidery floss. i honestly don't know why i didn't take it all; it just seemed right at the time, to take a bit as a remembrance. of course i'm kicking myself now. so, the floss has taken on a sort of sacred aura - to be fondled & hoarded. yes, i know i am being silly, but i imagine it's all part of dealing with the loss of my mother.

short story made long; i used a bit if her lavender floss on the crown. it did feel strange to do so. i remembered the countless times i saw her embroider, the gorgeous works of art she created, as well as the silly. my brother & i each had pillow made from our little jeans, with tush, stitched onto the pocket. & no, i don't still have mine :)

some of these memories brought with them a feeling of peace as i worked, others brought immeasurable sadness. i'm told by the (too many) friends who've lost mothers, that this will be the way of it. how ever does one get used to such things?

another poorly lit photo of the birthday crown wip

once i finished, the lavender floss went back into its box, & the whole was placed on its shelf in my sewing nook. that's her writing: 211. i miss her all the more when i see it.

a favorite song from my childhood, that is stuck in my head:

~peace.

children are wretched

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change is on the wind.

recently thehobbit filled a mess of bags with things i don't need anymore. in poking through them i discovered nearly every toy he owns. it broke my heart to see all he'd cast aside. this doesn't come as a total surprise; a few months back he gave me his pirate ship, castle, & collection of wooden swords to pack away for elfling. since, there has been a trickle of items added to the pile. but this latest, this was him telling us he is done with a part of his life.

often these days i see him slouching, wearing headphones, his mp3 player stuck in his pocket, a slight scowl on his face. to me that seems such a teen thing, & that is the very thing sucking the air from my lungs: teen. in just 5 short months my firstborn will be one of those walking bewilderments. wow.

lately, at gatherings, i've been watching thehobbit & his friends. their play has taken on a more hanging out feel to it, they are all nearing my height (or have passed it), & all of them only slightly resemble the kids i've known for so many years.

all of this proves what i have always said: children are wretched.

~peace.

the early morning sun

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 vintage insulator caps

we spent some time visiting manlyman's mother, in the high desert. wow, i can hear your shock from here: what?! you, in the desert? where it is hot?!? oh my dearest one & only reader, it was so hot there. i mean like walking on the face of the sun, barefoot, whilst eating hot peppers, hot. i just don't understand how people are able to live there. the only time we could spend out of doors, was the early morning, & the night. i will say that the early morning sun there was beautiful. i took photos for you!

my very own early morning sunshine.

~peace.

a give-away of gigantic proportions!

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head nope, you procrastinated again, & missed the deadline. how do you expect to ever win a prize? on over to soulemama for a chance to win one of three gift bundles, by the talented artisans of natural kids! don't tell the others, but i hope you win

as i mentioned yesterday, the pouch i created for this give-away was the victim of scatterbrainitis (real word), so did not get taken to the post office in time. that's it in the above photo. if you want it for your very own, it's in theshop. although, those dinky pencils are so swoony that i may keep it for myself!

the specials are still going on in my kid shop, with free shipping on orders over $40 being the most fabulous one! ok, so go enter the drawing, then pop over to my shop to see all my new pencil pouches & stuff. by the way, i have decided that i'll refund $2 to those who want pouches sent without the pencils. i recognize that some people don't want colored pencils, only pouches. weirdos.

oh, & one more thing: good luck! nope, no one more thing. shame really. i was hoping you'd win.
~peace.