pause

in january i gave myself permission not to write on my blog every day. for 4 years, there was almost always a daily posting. but eventually it was becoming more difficult to say something new. a few weeks ago i realized that the life of this blog has come to an end. it may some day resurface in another form. for another purpose. thanks to all of you who followed regularly. you breathed life into my blog.xxx

heaven

a gentle spring rain (on my birthday)

getting the garden in

so much faster and easier and so much more fun with extra hands. thanks brenda and trudy (and blackie) for your help this evening.

not enough hours in the day

most of the shops i sell my yarn and kits to are seasonal. in newfoundland the tourist season kicks in by mid-june. so this is the busiest time of year for orders. my days are spent dyeing and spinning. labeling and packaging. and mailing out. the weeds in the flower garden are freely taking over.

good dirt

last evening, mild with a little sun and a weekend forcast for rain, marilee and catherine and i decided it was the evening for planting peas. we have 3 garden plots in the community garden now to share between us - share the work and share the harvest. the new plot will be just for potatoes. the garlic we planted last fall is growing tall and healthy. in the next few weeks we'll be planting carrots and kale and chard and brocolli and squash

- all crops that do pretty well here in this northern climate. it was a pleasure to get my hands back into dirt again. to spend time with dear old friends. to stop and gaze out at the last snow on the blomidon mountains. to pay attention to this new season.

little brothers

unfurled

as i waited for the birth of my grandson these past few weeks, this is the piece i was working on. i finished it last night. "unfurled" is about spring. and new life. i'll be submitting it for the newfoundland and labrador craft council's upcoming annual member's show.

welcome to the world levi james

i got back home last evening after almost 3 weeks in st. john's. aching for my family, for the grandchildren and especially the newest little one - levi james born april 27th. i went in a week before my daughter's due date - to be there in case she went into early labour as she had for the previous 3. it was a week of being with the little ones - walks to and from school, playgrounds, special one on one times. beautiful spring days.

my daughter went a week over her due date. not wanting to be induced, she got labour going with a few sessions of acupunture.

so when labour did come, it came stong and fast.

the contractions started at 2 minutes apart and were 1 minute apart before we could get out of the house.

my daughter and son-in-law are old pros at this birthing. i sit back and watch and record as they do their slow and painful birth dance. they are wonderful partners.

the other children saw him within an hour of his birth.

week 3 of my visit everyone is settling in. levi is a very happy little guy. once his needs are met he's content to sleep or be held (always a pair of arms wanting to hold him) or swing in his chair taking in the activity of this large little family around him.

wait time

later today i'm flying into st. john's. my newest grandchild will be born within the next couple of weeks. this time my daughter and son-in-law chose to know the sex of the baby ahead of time. it's a boy - and knowing this has made him already such a member of the family. we're all just waiting for him to make his appearance.
this is a peak work time for me to be getting yarn and kit orders out to the shops so i'll be taking my work with me. 20 bags of batts for 20 skeins. i took my travel spinning wheel in last month when keith and i drove in for the trade show.
and for the quiet evenings, i'll be working on my latest textile piece.

yarn making heaven

one of the many reasons i love making yarn is that it is an activity that is gentle on my body. except for the carding. recently i applied to the newfoundland government through their "technology utilization program" to purchase a new carder. i love my old louet but if i'm doing a lot of carding at one time it's very hard on my shoulder. my application was approved (they will pay 80% of the cost) and my new pat green big batt carder from chilliwack, b.c. is installed and in use. it purrs. it is so smooth (lots of ball bearings) i can't believe that the fleece is feeding through. and the drum is larger so i can do more at a time. thank you newfoundland government!

my new best friend

i joined pinterest a few weeks ago. it's now my new best friend. a hugely exciting source of inspiration.

the sacral chakra

the sacral (or 2nd) chakra is orange. it is where we shift from survival to nourishment of the soul.

it is a place of creativity and sexuality and pleasure. and of fluidity.

and the very next day...

but it's april!

red

springtime in Newfoundland

the root chakra

i've spent the past week nursing a cold, finishing and sending off a couple more yarn and kit orders, and slowly and quietly in the evenings, completing a new textile piece.

the root chakra is red. it's about energy flowing downwards and connecting you with your physical world.

beginnings and endings

it was a "large" weekend - a weekend of beginnings and endings.
1. it was the first time i'd taken part in the newfoundland provincial trade show. i have shops in st. john's, and on the west coast of the island. what i'd hoped was that i'd have a chance to meet shop owners from other parts of newfoundland who didn't yet know my product. and i did. and i now have enough orders - in newfoundland, the maritimes and across canada and even in the usa to keep me going for the forseeable future.

2. we spent the first couple of days with the grandchildren. we took finn to his first ever big screen movie (the lorax) and he was entralled. keith bought lucy "sea monkeys" (which hold the same fascinating allure now that they did when we were young). and he taught her how to do head stands. and on one of the days i was at the show, he took eamon to choose his joint parent/grandparent birthday gift - a super scooter. he turns 12 next week.

3. and i got to be with my very pregnant daughter. the newest baby is due the end of april.

4. and at the same time, keith's sweet uncle nish was dying and we spent time with family in and out of the hospital, and when nish died on monday, eamon was with us at the hospital and there was a merging of our families. of generations young and old. lives beginning and lives ending.