A thought i'd like to share...

In the process of sorting through e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g I own and selling or giving most of it away, I found this little star I bought from another artist many years ago. Definitely a keeper.

It was a timely reminder for myself and I hope for anyone reading this.

Mary Ann Evans, known by her pen name, George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. That quote is attributed to her. She also wrote this poem... which is another good reminder that even the smallest act of kindness goes a long way.

Count That Day Lost

If you sit down at set of sun
And count the acts that you have done,
And, counting, find
One self-denying deed, one word
That eased the heart of him who heard,
One glance most kind
That fell like sunshine where it went—
Then you may count that day well spent.

But if, through all the livelong day,
You've cheered no heart, by yea or nay—
If, through it all
You've nothing done that you can trace
That brought the sunshine to one face—
No act most small
That helped some soul and nothing cost—
Then count that day as worse than lost.

💗until next time-

susie

Somewhere over the rainbow

June 23, 2020

and July 5, 2020

Two things, no... three, that will cause me to stop what i'm doing, drop everything and run outside: the sound of geese flying over in the fall or spring, the first snowfall of the winter and when the sun is shining and I hear rain falling on the tin roof -- because I know there's a good chance there's a rainbow.

I have never seen so many rainbows in my life as I have since living here... up in the mountains in Tunbridge, VT. And not just rainbows, but double rainbows.

One might think, with all the time I've had on my hands since March 16, when, thanks to covid19 life as I knew it came to a screeching halt, that I would have been blogging away all these months, and not in fact, just getting around to my first post since last September.

But, I have been occupying myself with worthwhile tasks like sorting, organizing, selling and giving away 'stuff'. Downsizing it's called these days. Inspired in part by some videos i've watched these last few months.

The first was a BBC show called "Victorian House of Arts and Crafts". In it, several modern day artists and crafts people spent a month working together creatively on projects using traditional tools of the trade and methods from the Arts and Crafts Movement period (1880-1920) inspired in part by designer William Morris. The program ended with a quote by Morris, "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

And then there are the abandoned building exploring videos. Who knew this was such a worldwide thing?! I have 2 favorite explorers, both in (my beloved) England. (If you want to check out some of their videos for fun, here are the links to their YouTube channels: Stare   AND  Abandoned World Explorer)

Sometimes, the abandoned places they are exploring are homes where seemingly every single possession of the family has been left behind. It made me think "who in the world is going to have to deal with all my 'stuff' when I leave the planet?" I mean, if I have not used my KitchenAid mixer in 2 years, do I really need it taking up space in my cabinet? Hence, the major clean out occurring in my home and studio. If it has not been used in the last year, or I do not foresee using it this year or believe it to be beautiful, it is going, going gone. 

Love having the cabinet space freed up to be able to more conveniently put away the things I am keeping. Less is more.

Also. Please, if you are an artist/maker let me know if you concur with this... I cannot be creative in a disorderly space. I. Just. Can. Not. Do. It. I am not talking about  the mess you often make in the creative process, that I can handle; I am talking about the dishes in the sink or the laundry that needs folding and put away or the dust bunnies hopping around under the drafting table, or the art and craft supplies piled up in the corner because there is no other place to store them away.

Some people tell me it is procrastination-that need to clean before I create. OK. Maybe. But then please answer me this. Why does procrastination get such a bad wrap, when it starts with a prefix that has a positive connotation? (A blog far another day, or another year perhaps, in my case).

All that said, while I have not managed to weave any willow lately (my first love), I have managed to do a wee bit of painting. For the first time in quite a long while. Like this card I made for a friend who loves peas:

Did you know that watercolours in tubes can be re-hydrated? I had some  that dated back to my college days - yes indeed, they are older than the hills and were totally and completely dried out. Thanks to the wonders of technology and more YouTube, I found out how to extract them from the tubes and re-hydrate them. It's like a miracle!

Oh the therapy of arts and crafts. Just the act of putting on some peaceful music and playing with paint for a few hours has such a healing benefit to the body. Or even just doodling with pencil and paper. Anything that does not, I repeat not, involve a screen but does involve your hand, a mark making tool and something to make marks on. I highly recommend it to you if covid19 life alterations are making you feel stressed out.

That brings me around to my inspiration for writing today. I am feeling incredibly blessed. All my extended family, as far as I know, have remained healthy. These last few months I have had the time to reflect on what is important to me and been able to simplify my life by sorting, consolidating, organizing and getting rid of things that no longer serve me well but will be very useful to someone else. I have become even more frugal in spending than I was before. In many ways, for me personally, the life alteration caused by covid19 has been a blessing in disguise.

But. I do not say that without the ever present realization that for so many it has been a time of devastation and loss. I have several friends who have lost loved ones. Three of the 566,790 (as of this moment) whose families have suffered loss worldwide. My heart goes out to you and my prayers are with you and with all the healthcare workers who have tended to the sick and dying.

Rainbows are commonly recognized as a symbol of hope. If you are struggling, with loss, or life changes due to covid19, please do not give up hope. Please try spending just a little bit of time doing something creative that you enjoy doing-  a little reprieve from reality; and may you find a measure of healing in it.

Here's a song for you from Judy Garland...
Somewhere Over the Rainbow

With love-
susie