How or Where Things Belong

In considering the sewing on a book mark recently, I again landed in thoughts of

Cultural Appropriation

It seems this comes around often, copying, taking what is not yours, being respectful, where do good intentions come into it? Lots of circular thinking.

Anyway, in thinking of placing a Medicine Wheel on this stitching, I did lots of reading and looking and thinking.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Participant-Medicine-Wheel-Adapted-from-Vickers-1992-1993_fig1_303872509

https://windspeaker.com/teachings/the-medicine-wheel

https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/what-is-an-indigenous-medicine-wheel

 

I ended up going with a spiral instead.

Added Water

Added Green Growth

And a Moon

Along with a Sun

Spiral, not Medicine Wheel, stitched with thread from Deb L.

Plus, two self-created symbols for friendship, based on American Sign Language.

I made two of this symbol to represent the way it is signed (motion done twice). But, I used two different colors of brown to represent two friends.

The whole story put together

 It belongs with the book "Crow and Weasel".

This will be going out in the mail soon. I think this friend will enjoy it! ☺I know I've enjoyed making it!

This "gift" is looking for a new home as well.

This is what we've always called "The Indian Rock" - assuming that it is an old Tataviam mortar, minus the pestle. My EX found it in our old backyard, near where these were found. I have been researching a place to donate it. Another example of what belongs to a person. This does not 'belong' to me, it truly never did and it is so silly to have it sitting on my back patio. So, I'm looking for a place to donate it where the history & meaning will be respected and others may be able to view and appreciate it. It's been a slow process, but the links I put here along with some others, may prove to be helpful.

⇶ ⇶ ⇶ ⇶ ⇶

Back to gifts: I sent a different someone a letter and she sent a small gift with a lot of heart. Included was a very sweet note, including a list of Native American Horse Breeds

My friend is very much into these horses, along with her real ones! She sent me a bunch of links to look at. It was like entering another world! I was never that kind of horse crazy little girl. But, I've enjoyed sharing her passion with her!

What kind is your horse?

Traditional Sizes 

Then I saw this one, and my thoughts spiraled back around to appropriation all over again. Using a culture to make money?

 I named her Molasses, because if I were to ever sit astride a horse again, I'd want it to be a very slow (old would be okay too). Anyway, I stood her under the TV, next to the Sage, in case she gets hungry. I can see her from where I sit on the couch. This small gift is providing loads of pleasure. Such a simple thing really, a very low-care pet, with nothing to do but imagine.

BTW~ Alternate names were Pokey, Honey...then when I told my friend I'd need a horse like an old hound...that led to the name Hound! Naming things is fun ☺

 May you live as respectfully as possible.

May you cut yourself (and others) a break if  you mess up.

May you know when to give and when to receive. 

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2021 

Birds of Feather and a Sinkhole

 Saw this guy driving home a couple of weeks ago.  Just there sitting on the parking lot wall of the church down the road.  Sitting there looking huge!  I made a quick u-turn and went back for some zoomed in pictures.

*AS USUAL, CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE*

 Holiday card form The Boy's in-laws.

Another great looking bird!

They are in need of a lot of extra light and love right about now.

Sending that across the states. ↣

So majestic. 

Calling out my presence?

 

Eating grass

 

More calling.

I couldn't get enough.

Sat for a long while, just looking.

We've had so much rain the last weeks.

It is needed and beautiful and makes for one heck of a commute.

 

A couple of Friday's ago...the day we got really drenched...

surface streets flooded, a lot.  Freeways flooded, a lot.

The 5 (on my way home, if I choose to take it) was completely closed, 

under 5 feet of water, at rush hour.

It has been a lot.  Period.

Work babies have been inside for days at a time.

Period.

The sun does break through, dry things up a bit.

The 'lake' in the back 40 gets bigger and then smaller again, depending on the day.

And one of the neighbor's 'new' trees cracked and fell, others were pruned hard for safety.

 

Remember years back when all of my trees were removed?

I ranted and raved and was so sad. 

I don't bother with that anymore.

Things come and go.

There seems to be much bigger worries these days 

than the trees in the back forty.

Not that I don't miss and mourn them, I still do.

Just quieter, I guess. 

 

Neighbor's crap and the dwindling 'lake'.

On the days when the sun pushes through...

everything is so bright green it almost hurts your eyes!

Every mound, hill, nook and all of the crannies are 

bursting with blades of brilliant green grasses. 

It is like the old song...

"Spring is busting out all over..."!

The house above belonged to my EX's grandparents.

It still stills alone on the same hill, 

lived in by some other family member I believe. 

I drive by it every work day.

Idea Drawer

In my son's old desk, I had an idea drawer, 

where I'd drop scraps of paper scribbled with art ideas.

Ideas never started.

Yet. a creative immersion that saved me during some tough years.

I decided it was time to get rid of this paper pile.

First thought: Toss it all, un-looked at (probably shoulda done that!)

Next thought: Burn them in some sort of 'letting go' ceremony.

Another thought: Give them a quick once over, then toss (started that)

The thing is, I still remember and like some of these ideas.

Maybe I will do this one or that one!  (NOT)

There was a bunch of other writings that I didn't even remember being in there.

I guess I'm glad those weren't tossed.  Maybe.

I did get rid of a small amount.

Now what?

→ Toss rest anyway?

→ Add to the Shoe Project? 

→ Type into a Word Doc? Or photograph ones I like?

→ Make into 'new' paper? ~ Idea came from something Velma said, 

really know I won't get to that.

→ Keep wishing my scribbles, ideas, words and drawings 

were as talented and inspiring as those of others?  

How fruitless is that?  Ridiculous! 

⇆

⥁

I just keep going in circles and now realize 

that I now have a paper pile out in the open, bothering me...

instead of tucked into a drawer, out of sight, 

but at the back of my mind! 

De-cluttering is complicated.

So, instead I pull out another cloth to fool around with on my lunch break.

Something else to start and maybe finish?

I've thought recently that maybe I should give up the idea of finishing.

This one is a rusty sun and moon to me.

Fold-flap of the cloth diaper now sewn down. 

It is raining again today.

On and Off.

That's good...gives the roads some time in between to dry up.

I'm thinking in between is an OK place to be.

Learned of the reason for a standing X shovel barricade out front. 

Turns out, we have a small sinkhole of our own.

It tried to eat my neighbors car.  Her car is out now. 

It is pretty deep, deeper of to the right.

I tried to get the best estimate I could without falling in!

Hard to believe her car was stuck in this!

 

Makes me wonder what will happen with more rain?

Whose responsibility is it to fix this?

Does it matter that there is a utility box in the ground right near this?

 

Trying not to let this give me "the ground could fall away from you at any minute" feeling!

Or the "Where will the next 'sinkhole' be in 2017" feeling? 

Oh well, what can one do?

Here's to enjoying and appreciating the moment,

getting rid of the old, 

and walking lightly into the future.

Love to all,

⇜Nancy⇝ 
Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2017

Super Duper

Tonight is the Super Moon.

The super-est super moon!!

I really wanted to capture the way it was as we drove home from the grocery store.

But timing is everything in photography.

Well that and having a camera that is good enough to get the job done.

Tonight was not one of those nights.

But, I'm sharing the photos anyway (smile).

Shining down on a main street through town.

Up the canyon near home.

When I heard the term "super moon" as I drove home, 

it made me think of one of the What If? cloths laying in the studio.

I thought: What if a Super Moon wore a cape?

Wonder what it's super powers would be?

So, I cut out a flaming red cape for this starry moon!

The white lines are flaws...that I liked and put in the moon on purpose.

Don't know if I'll actually sew this, but I had to at least share the laugh here!

I can hear it shouting "Up, up & away!"

Last week on a sleepless night, I patched the little white crib sheet from work, 

leaving it with a little lovin' along with the hole.

heart patch

Back side...see the hole?

So, Happy one-day-later Solstice!

Happy Super Duper Moon Night!

Happy Weekend to All!

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2013

Earth ~ A Beginning

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2012

This is what I've doing recently.  I re-discovered a large piece, maybe a yard, of fabric I had purchased about about 2.5 years ago, on a big road trip.

This was a special road trip to meet (for me) and see again (for him) an important family member, long ago lost contact with.  Now, with contact renewed, an in person meeting was in order.
It included about 4537 miles, 9 states, 7 rivers, 16 kinds of animals, 10 kinds of transportation, 9 types of weather and 10 quilt shops!  We traveled for two weeks.
We saw places we'd never seen before.  We saw places we may never return to.  It was a first for this kind of an adventure.  Hopefully it won't be the last as well.

This trip holds many treasured memories.  Many remembrances.

If I remember correctly this fabric had a little tag that read 'cotton linen'.  It's super soft and thin.  It falls and flops nicely.  You can see the light through it beautifully.
It symbolizes earth...desert to me.  Reminds me of that trip, parks in Utah (Zion, Bryce The Arches) and a prior trip to Sedona and Albuquerque.  Even Joshua Tree.  These places have been in my thoughts a lot lately.  I miss them.  They call to me.
Anyway, I am not sure where this is going...what the filter may or may not be.  But, I know that it was heading towards "precious" to me.  You know, where you don't want to cut into it, ruin it.  Just keep it, hold it and adore it.
So, I folded it in half, a little snip of the scissors...and Rip!!  Then I ripped those halves in half again.  Now I had four pieces of it and I planned on sewing them back together again.  Before I could do that, I decided to use one of the quarters as a 9 patch.
That's where it's at right now.  I'm stitching the smallest squares together. This is a new way for me.  So, of course there is a learning curve.  However, I'm really enjoying focusing on this task as I stitch along.  It is a practice in lack of perfection.  That desire to have my work look exactly like my vision has slowed me down for way too long.  I'm trying very hard to relax and let go of specific vision...falling into the process instead.  So far, I like it!
This is good practice, a good lesson to carry into other parts of my life.
I have a couple of additional ideas.  One involves a big circle, but that is the only fairly firm one.
After watching Jude's video with the freestyle patchwork (is that the new name?) - I thought HEY!!!  I could have used that technique!  But really the ripping and reassembling is a big part of the story, a big part of the process for me, so I'm glad I ripped!  :)
Additionally, while watching Jude begin a circle on the The Magic Feather Project cloth the other day, I filed away her technique as one that may be useable for my cloth as well.
Hopefully I will get to upload photos soon.  I've really wanted to post photos with my stories lately.  But, for now I've had to get creative in my problem solving.  Thank you for accepting the photobooth computer shots for the time being.