Tangled Stitch

One of my favorites. Charlie was her name, actually it was Charlotte.   She was a beautiful little West Highland Terrier with a heck of a lot of spunk.   From the moment we saw her at Barkingham Palace, a little pet store a hop and a skip from North Shore Animal League she was my dog.   This adorable little white ball of fur who took her blanket from the back of her cage and carried it to the front saying take me I’m yours.   Of course we left the store without her and went to another pet store closer to home where I was less than bedazzled by the adorable little White Highland Terriers there.   So I made Peter go all the way back to Barkingham Palace and get me my dog. She was my 40 th birthday present after all. She was a handful from day one; she barked all the time, cried all the time and was pretty much lovable all the time.   Well maybe not so lovable but she grew on us all even Kelly the cat.   She chased poor Kelly all over the ho...

Yesterday I finally felt a little better from the flu so I got myself up and got myself dressed and went to the next town over to do a little banking and a little exercise.   I ended up having lunch in a quaint little luncheonette named JJs and had myself a grilled cheese sandwich and french-fries.   I had a great conversation with the lady behind the counter and two gentlemen who were finishing their lunch and doing crossword puzzles.   It was a great conversation about the state of the economy in this region and how many vacant buildings there are all over Upstate New York.   I live in a beautiful part of the country, so beautiful that you can see it created in art all over the world. It is picturesque New England snow and mountains that frankly could take your breath away if you let it.   There are long winding country roads and a beautiful sensibility and kindness of the people. There is also an ugly part of the picturesque.   All of the de...

Bird in the Hand As I researched a political comment I made on Beliefnet I broke my own heart again.  I was a little passionate about the new gun control laws and thought perhaps Hollywood could do their jobs a little better and get rid of some of the senseless violence we see everyday on our television(movies and video games too but we can pretty much keep them away from the eyes of our kids) so I asked the question how many guns are sold like the one in the shooting and found a story http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/12/26/ar-15-weapon-sandy-hook-shooting-christmas-gift-gun-sales_n_2364321.html?just_reloaded=1 saying that gun sales increased after the shooting and it just broke my heart.  It made me ashamed of my fellow Americans, not all of them, not even most of them but ashamed that as a society we have been so polluted by big money and big lobbyists that after a room full of babies get gunned down in a school room gun sales increase.  How does that happen? ...

In honor of the new gun control laws in New York I would like to ask Hollywood to clean up their act.   Many of the artists singing songs and making movies are among the leaders in asking our government to limit assault weapons and their availability at the same time they are accepting a paycheck for creating “entertainment” which glorifies death and exploits it in more violent, gruesome ways.    The same celebrity who goes on twitter and bemoans the latest school shooting and than collects a paycheck for making a movie where numerous people are blown up, shot down and shown in all their dead glory should look in the mirror and ask themselves what is my responsibility?   If I really want to end gun violence perhaps I should take a stand in stopping to glorify it. I’m not saying ban that sort of entertainment, which would be silly.   But perhaps just take a stand with the graphicness of those moments which makes it easier for the fragile mind to go...

Sometimes angels don't come with wings they come with mommy jeans.  I have the flu and I have all these voices in my head telling me what to eat and to just relax and embroider.  I haven't been giving myself permission to do what I love because there are other voices in my head telling me embroidery is not a job.  And you know what embroidery is not a job it is a calling.  Hand embroidery is doing something the old fashioned way.  Making thousands of little stitches and turning them hopefully into something beautiful.  In the crazy world we live in there is not enough beauty in the world. I especially miss my mommy angels today but I've been thinking a lot about mommies and their roles in our lives.  I'm having a hard time taking the full time mommy off my moniker myself.  If you had a good mommy then you miss her even 30 years after she is gone.  If you have a bad mommy you can't wait till her hold on your life is over.  Everyone se...

This lovely scarf is now available on Ebay.  It is a hand knit lace scarf made from mohair yarn.  It is listed without a reserve and bidding starts at .99.  The scarf is 48 inches long.  In my quest to do work that I love, I have found that  knitting scarves is a challenge.  I much prefer to crochet them. I do love the softness of the yarn and the beautiful neutral yellow color.  The stitch is rather dense so it will keep your neck nice and toasty and it is long enough to wrap around your neck but not Isabella Duncan long.  With the new year upon us I am going to try many different things and see which things make me feel the most positive and uplifted so there will be many challenges and many Ebay treasures.  It really is a beautiful scarf one I might enjoy wearing myself if there are no bids but nothing would make me happier than to see someone wearing it happily.  Off to the next project, I am thinking of working on The Long and...

The stitch is a bit tangled lately and needs to focus more on what’s important.   She’s really let the things that matter most in her life take a back seat lately.   It’s not that I’m not working.   I’ve written a couple of poems and songs that may or may not see the light of day.   I’ve started a few projects which may or may not see the light of day.   The problem is I am having an issue sticking with just one project long enough to finish anything even the smallest piece. I’ve moved into a new apartment, leased a new car($250.00 worth of gas in December was just too much), almost gotten a divorce but still feel like I’m stuck in a hole waiting to get out.   I guess big changes mean big doubts and a conscious effort to remember to do what you love at least for a short part of the day.   I still think I want to go back to school and may need to get a job but can’t seem to focus on which of those options is the best idea so at the moment I’m s...

This is a piece sold by the wonderful Katbird Shop located on Liberty Street in Schenectady, NY. I am writing to ask you to support the American Dream of a very strong lady shopkeeper and the wonderful artists she has assembled in her lovely store.  The Katbird Shop has been open for seven years and is thinking of closing it's doors.  With the closing of the doors the dreams of a very strong shopkeeper and a portion of every artist she gave a chance to closes with it. This isn't the way the American Dream is supposed to work.  We are all given a dream and some are not satisfied with the corporate world but prefer to make or be surrounded by beauty and artistry.  Kathy has tried everything to get people to come into her beautiful store but for naught.  She's fought a good fight for every single artist in her shop, she runs the shop by herself, creates the displays, meets the customers, finds the talented artists and artisans.  She's advertised and put ...