Life ~ 105 Days Home

Home again

home again

jiggity jig!

Except, I haven't gone anywhere!!

Just my masked walks several times a week.

Most of the time, I couldn't be any more grateful 

for all we have. So much. More than enough.

But there are moments here and there...

certain things and people ~ missed.

I enjoy seeing the landscape views when I visit the blogs of y'all.

Here's what life looks like around here these days.

This is Ritchie.

(Yeah, why do we name critters and creations?)

He finally decided to taste the cherry 

and discovered how delicious it was! 

(Yeah, why are we so tempted to feed wild animals?)

 Peek-a-Boo!

 Ritchie is our responsibility-free 'pet'

And yes, I don't think we should feed him/her

 He/she looks so pretty in the sunlight!

Sometimes he stops and stares in the window at me.

I half expect him to leap forward onto my face or something,

like so bad comedy movie. Ha

We watch the lizards run along the wall.

J. calls this one Bill.

Daily this lizard comes and rests in the shade or sun

and does lizard push-ups!

I finished this bag today. 

Added some little curly thread bits, 

which was a new idea specific to this bag.

 It's so colorful, like a little party!

I left the other side woven only.

 This beautiful flower, right outside the front entrance,

compliments the little party bag!

Today's walk...

 Just look st the Century plant!

It has so many new and growing sprouts.

We always comment on the broccoli like look.

 I've been meaning to capture these beauties.

The long strand of flowers is tipping over from the plant on the right (barely seen)

 So pretty

 And then, so pointy!

When I had done online research about the agave plants,

one thing that caught my eye was that Native Americans used them as weapons.

I can see why!

Yikes!

 On the way back, we found this butterfly.

We thought maybe it was still alive, so J. went to move it out of harms way.

Sadly, it was already gone.

 So beautiful

 Then we came upon this lizard on the curb.

This is our nature...

out of the window, on our walks, curbside.

We have to look closer than we we lived in the old place.

There's a lot more cement in my life now.

But, I look hard and remember to be grateful.

 Upon our return, we walked out back where J watches the birds, lizards, gophers...

One of the residents created her own secret garden, 

decorated with little garden treasures

This was my first time back there, 

as the picnic table there is one of the designated smoking areas.

 Bird silouettes in the afternoon light

  Crows nest, high in the power tower

 Two little birds...

May you remember to look closely to find ways to fill you
May you hold your missing, but not fall too far into it
May you reach out and share in reverence
xo


Photographs by NAE ©2020

Orlo's Song and Weaving Again

   

Well guys, this is the tune we recorded for our new grandson
(as seen in a previous post here)
J. wrote/played on it/recorded it...
he told me where to stand and helped count me in
(I'm not very strong with that!)
"His name was called in the ancient fables.
He always had a seat at Odin's table.
He's such a nice boy"

It was a blast!
J. also recorded 9 more tunes and we sent them off.
Orlo's daddy says he liked the more mellow tunes,
unlike his daddy who used to fall asleep to "Cat Scratch Fever"!!

Besides becoming an elder grandma recording artist...
I'm still weaving away,
expressing myself, my feelings and learning as I go...
even after all the weaving I've done over the years!
This time around, it was learning about different warp threads ~
ones you can order online, specifically made as Warp Thread!
Who knew?
Or which yarns in your stash won't work as warp thread, and why!

The one you saw last time, along with 3 others are all done,
this includes the one below (seen in process).

 Two sides!

Hard to photograph true colors around here,
but I liked how golden the brown looks in the pic above.
I miss my big Rosemary bush at the old place.
It was great for laying cloth/weaving on to photograph in good daylight.

 Here it is all done, in different lighting.
The color more true, but still not quite right.

 Liz always talks about the "B" side of cloth
and I always listen to her, because I too like the "B" side.
One of the fun things about weaving like I do,
is the sides are original but equal!
A~B~A~B

My yarn stash, which was cut at least in half,
if not more, during the move...is getting much smaller with all of this weaving.
After an email chat with Hazel, more bits and pieces will be on their way!
Yay! Thanks Hazel!
It is hard to shop online during a pandemic for such a sensory product.
I like to feel the yarn,
test the weight, texture, size, quality...and heart of the yarn.
So, ordering online is not appealing or even necessary at this point.
There is something about working with what you've got and making do
that is very comforting to me.

Here is some bits of yarn that a friend gave to me years ago.
Little Treasures

 It's hard to tell, but this yarn has a cotton feel to it.
I have no idea what it is made of, but it feels good in my hands.
The bottom pic shows it best.

Lastly, here is a cherry J. put on the railing for our squirrel friend, Ritchie.
Nah, not squirrel food! Hee Hee
I noticed how brilliant it looked in the sun,
almost making it glare and looking beautiful!

 Still Life with Cherry

May you enjoy something new, even if not perfect
May you learn something new, even if based on an old skill
May you be willing to experiment, even if unsuccessfully
xo



Photographs by NAE ©2020

The Chicks - March March

trippin'

  

A little road trip from here to there.

We found this old video J made and posted on you tube back in 2010.

We'd forgotten all about it!

J's music, us, children, grandson.

Adventure!

I like his music and the way he edited the movie clips,

which gave it an old timey and fun feel.

Now it is here, so we can remember.

May find family treasures in the least likely places
May you find ways to hold the memories
xo 

Sock Monkey Goes to Emma Wood ~Safe for Young Viewers!

     

This is what is known as embracing the "stay-at-home"

aspect of the pandemic.

This is no way reflects my deeper feelings about the state of our country.

Even now as I type this, the news is on

and thick with the news of a firing, a funeral viewing and a statue removal,

along with the ever present and growing virus.

So we walk or read or weave or chat with loved ones or...?

A couple of days ago, I remembered and resurrected a few old iMovies

in my almost dead lap top and started playing around with them.

This particular one was created in 2011.

I cleaned it up a bit, adjusting the timing and sound effects, 

but not much more than that.

I have no interest in beginning again, but finishing.

I have a couple more in draft form and a couple of more that I'm still working on.

Anyway, enjoy!

xo

He's Such a Nice Boy

Last Night:
Hanging out at home

weaving and laying some vocal tracks,

first his, then mine

Got it with only 4 practice takes!

May you find things to do, 
which are new, comforting or...?
May you find and embrace what you need during these days
xo

Photographs by NAE ©2020

Reading

I'm still reading 

Not quite as much as I was earlier in the COVID days

But I am

At night mostly, for relaxation and distraction 

I'm one of the last 'never read 1970's books'

This one actually written in 1982

The thing is, like the Walk Across America book,

this book has so many connections to today,

so many similarities to what is happening now...

Not really escape reading!

Okay

So, I'm taking it a bit slower, trying to absorb this and 

the historical/geographical information (not my strong suit)

Today I encouraged myself to finish organizing my yarn. I have more weaving I'd like to do, but I haven't touched the yarn or my loom in a while

Uninspired 

It may be time though

May you find things that challenge you, and plug through
May you find your inspiration in the best way you can
May you learn, grow, create...
May you be.
xo 

Today June 13, 2020

Today...

Photographs by NAE ©2020n

Meet the Woman Behind L.A.’s African American Miniature Museum | Atlas O...

     


I learned about her on the local news tonight. Thought of Saskia and Grace of course!
So amazing!
You can find her here:
https://www.africanamericanminiaturemuseum.com

Sorry, my add a link do-hickey isn't working.

Growth Takes Time ~ A Welcome

Sometimes growth is so slow that you can't see it,

until you can

Sometimes it happens so quickly,

you didn't really have time to prepare.

But, what is important is, 

that growth happens

 As the Century plant gets ready to bloom

new tendrils, buds appear

ready to spread seeds

for future growth

As this happens, 

the leaves below start to die off

↔

Meanwhile my grandson decided 

that he'd waited long enough and 

entered the world a bit early

All are doing well

Meet Orlo!

May he grow well, in his own time

xo

Photographs by NAE ©2020

Try Not To Laugh Challenge - Funny bird videos awesome compilation 2017

             

This video is pure silly

after another intense, news-filled, eventful day...

that is yet to be over yet.

And yes, if you heard the news...

5.5 earthquake tonight.

Out where the one was a year ago, so not close to me.

I felt it, J did not.

So, there you have it.

What's next?

Come on, bring it on!

I just wanna live

I've been quiet

But I've been here

I've been hearing...and seeing

Enough to make one speechless for a time

Here are some places for you to explore
or head on over to Dee's for more

(Sorry they are not actual links, it was not working and I gave up)

https://www.obama.org/anguish-and-action/

http://www.chookooloonks.com/blog/this-was-a-good-week-200529

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v4amCfVbA_c&ebc=ANyPxKppFrwzy8Ax6nnuXAJ-RrFyXaqkiHafTd9Qexryc94Uq0dCsG_L30zOC_-PWNa5pFXZe27HkK2wzdOYVaPCKTpXi8QoEA&feature=emb_logo

     
May you...
xo