excellence in S's and Zs!
A glorious sunset:
Followed by a surreptitious drink of water:
And round and round game:
The next morning, paddling in the crystal clear water. Getting better at this. I did get a sunburn in the shape of Florida on my butt, from wearing a skimpier than usual bikini and burning my tender whiteness!
Last week, a trip to the local marine park, where a sea turtle swam back and forth in front of our window and stared at us.
The somersault is mastered by putting one’s head down and then running on tippy toe until one falls over
several hours are spent with friends at the science center in Ft. Walton
“pamaters” are blanched and peeled and made into spaghetti sauce
lizards are hunted and, presumably, eaten.
sleep catches up with us in various poses
and I spend 5 minutes in a parking lot waiting out a rain shower, snapping self portraits. Then I notice the guy in the truck facing me, also apparently sitting out the downpour. Perhaps I was blushing when I took this shot.
Who knew I’d get so freckly when tan?
When I was little, I spent so much time laying on the ground staring up at the sky.
The other day I reminded myself to do that.
Yep, this blog is one year old today!
I thought of posting a retrospective of projects, or photos. I thought of outlining a new direction I’d like to take my blog. Instead, I think I’ll just ramble on and on, like in the Oscars.
I wanted to thank a few people in particular:
Sonya, who has served as great inspiration in many facets of my life, including opening my eyes to the experience of homebirth, and including me on her earliest blog mailing list. She probably cannot know that, even while we live in different states, her style and smile and remembered laugh and compulsions lift me up on a regular basis. More than a year ago, when I was suffering from anxiety due to post-partum depression, she said “It sounds like you need to drop the baby. Once you’ve seen that they’re really more durable than you think, you’ll stop worrying yourself to death.” It was the first belly-laugh I’d had in a week.
Maria always comments and sends me encouraging remarks. I’ll always think of Maria as Uber-enthusiastic. That woman will get behind any project, as long as it’s “neato”.
My talented and creative mom Nancy and my sisters Marian and Jeaka. I always feel like we’re a force to be reckoned with when we’re in the same room (not often enough, given Marian’s life in Dallas). Other DIY valentine makers eat your hearts out…fear these doilies!
So you think your W.O.W. quilt is nicer than this one by my other sis? Not even! It’s been great to have a family that instills such Confidence! When someone asks if I spin, or weave, or leathercraft, I say “no, but how hard can it be?”. Confidence. It runs in the family. (Actually, spinning is harder than I thought, and leathercrafting is not simple. But who admits defeat? NOT US!)
I’ll thank Zach, too. He rarely reads my blog, but since he is forced to look at every single thing I stitch or create ad nauseum, you can imagine how he has “commented” on everything so far. He started his own blog, too, along the way. He’s gone through periods of being far more prolific than I, and he’s written a few things that almost made me pee my pants. On top of it all, the man is a great and supportive husband, and the very best stay at home dad for our little guy.
You may wonder why, as the mom of a toddler, I don’t write more about my mothering adventures. It isn’t because they aren’t amazing, or numerous, or any other number of superlative adjectives. It’s maybe because motherhood is the creative project that overwhelms me, humbles me, and knocks loose my confidence. I am, perhaps, not as sure of myself in this arena. (Can we get back to talking about knitted presents?!?).
Also, I don’t have so much time for blogging. I work full-time, and then go home to a toddler the rest of the time, madly knitting and crafting on the bus ride, mostly. And of all that I’ve ever done, writing about motherhood would be the topic most deserving of my writing skill. I could take hours to describe how I feel. How dear my child is. How precious his newest skills (pushing the chair to the counter to gorge on grapes [“greh-pees!”]), how tyrannical his curious streak (it was all fun and Disney until he discovered the “tape” in the “videotape”), how perfect and delectable his tiny toes (“shrimpies!”). But it’s too much. It’s too big and grand and wonderful and scary and worrisome and Personal. So for now, I’ll mostly leave it to others to talk about motherhood.
Having a blog has made me more likely to finish my projects, just for the chance of showing them off publicly. I always photograph things now, before sending them away. I’m starting to communicate regularly with crafty women in other states, and am joining swaps and collaborations. Finally I feel like my creative potential has become my creative lifestyle.
Thanks everyone for reading. Your comments mean so much to me!!
Ooh, this yarn is luscious. I think it’s from Malabrigo‘s Aquarella line, but honestly, I was so giddy as I put this baby on the ball-winder, that I cast away the ball band in haste without even looking! I went into Soul Spun looking for the perfect kidsilk haze or something like it to go with something else, and was helpless in the face of this beauty.
I took a huge series of photos trying to capture the hat’s texture and style just right, and trying not to capture any sheetrock, or pink insulation fluff, or water spots on the mirror. In looking at all these photos just now, I began to wonder when I started looking so…Mature…even in a cat hat.
ibbyskibby 