a visitor (aimee)

 and i cleaned off the white table. 

the story is that everyone said, "the white table?" yes, "the white table!"

 delicious space

 no dust (now)

and i found a tumbler that ian made in high school. 

i love this.

morgan class: north country shifu

it was GREAT!!!!!

everything about my class was great, the venue, the weather, but:

THE STUDENTS

this is chris and the paper hat that came home with me!

she really isn't blurry, but she works very fast.

 lisa prepping a self-decorated sheet of lokta for spinning

 margaret and chris, lisa's hand

 jill weaving her very textured lokta

modeling a velma scarf

 i arrived early at the morgan on sunday and put on a podcast of a tim ely lecture

i like this! 

 decorated lokta for shifu making

 vannajill and her little book she made with aimee. 

jill plunked that book into the dyepot!

 margaret's weaving

 our dyestuff: onion skins

 chris's hands took to spinning and weaving like ducks to water

 so did jill's foot!!!

 i think susan is telling a story

things i learned: 

not everyone learned to make pot holders as little kids. 

women have great staying thin strategies. 

there is a collective energy about learning that the morgan fosters, 

that i will love my students. can't help it. ladies: 

i miss you already. i was honored to teach you a little bit about paper.


cleveland pics:

 !!!!!!

 a surprise angel in cleveland

jill, susan, margaret, chris, and lisa, thank YOU for all that you taught me. 

susan, tom, kevin, lauren, thank you
tom, those not very well formed sheets centered me. 

morgan conservatory,

you rock more than the hall of fame.

north country shifu

this little fellow fascinates me.

cleveland is cool.

the morgan conservatory is cool.

the morgan conservatory is totally awesome.

susan swinging at a happening opening

susan and i both liked this elegant, simple idea.

a thread, a strip of paper.

it's hard to write about a class, especially when i'm only half through. 

the women are terrific. 

each brings a skill set and sensibility that totally enriches the whole. 

i've thrown alot at them, 

asked them to do new things with their hands, 

offered them many options. 

we'll see where they go with their spun and decorated papers today. 

we have two dyepots to use today, more lokta, morgan kozo,  

and some of my ancient abaca. 

hurry up ten o'clock!

at the morgan

space rabbit 

friday night in cleveland 

it's hard to see the rabbit's blown glass helmet.

guess who made this?

this is what i left in the north country.

i'll be back. 

but i'm having a fine time.

more later!

preparations

leaving you with three images, before i leave early tomorrow for the morgan. 

the last photo is...

guess...

lightning bugs. fireflies. amazing summer friends.
*****
and
my friend carol said it so clearly: 
your finger has cost you a great deal.
my feeling at loose ends and unprepared is 
largely due to 
the inability to function correctly.
i have, after nine weeks,
adapted somewhat. alarming how much
i rely on this right hand.

solstice

old bear paws, almost round, ash and rawhide

yesterday i went to lake placid. my finger will remain in a splint for 6 more weeks. 

damn and blast. it is, however healing. 

and i like my doctor.

 i did what a woman at the birch store called retail therapy. i shopped, only in two stores.

 if any of you know the adirondacks you may recognize this.

 car pics on the perilous drive between some mountains

 cascade, anyone?

i love signage, as the man says

 so i take pictures from behind the wheel, as i navigate the curves "hills"

they don't call them the high peaks for nothing

trying to photograph and watch the road and watch the jumps is impossible

i have seen summer and winter jump practice, terrifying fun.

 lunch in the park on lake flower, and a little education

up from the sign

a glorious day.

therapy

BY THE WAY,

happy birthday, IAN!!!!!


ADDENDUM:
go and look at what jean is doing. 
she is really really making beautiful shifu as well as beautiful everything else. 
morgan students: look at this!!!!!

early monday

 potential paper

 i have this stuff and it spreads like crazy-have no idea what it is-the bees like it's flowers

 this little place has all kinds of potential, lots of violas for happiness and dyeing

 a little black ash basket i made

prepping for the morgan

saturday after the week before

and WHAT a week it's been! 

today, however, after a fine sleep, i woke to many tasks and the heart to do them. i thought about my several baskets, tools for lugging stuff around. 

 this large, soft but strong african basket is my day to day laundry basket. 

i lug this up and down my scary basement stairs and outside to the lines. 

four loads today!

 this is a big round brown ash basket i bought at the native american festival in bar harbor.

i cannot remember the maker's name.

 this black ash basket was made by cindy tripp, a local basketmaker. 

it's a work horse.

 someone insisted on helping me take pictures.

she worries and whines more at the weather changes as she ages.