Saturday, April 30, 2011

weather

weather: keeps us busy, adjusting expectations, plans, ideas
huge clouds brought rain and big winds, 
flooding even closeby, 
i was thinking of only my little stressors
the finger, 
a muscle in my back,
bloodroot then equisetum 
baby leaves, 
and a cooler but calm day today.
a happy saturday
after stretching out in the sun
and eating a yummy salad
i feel human.
soon i will have a new,
non-invasive splint for my finger, 
so i will be able to use the hand a bit better.

11K

another update: the college book art association site admin reported that it has collected over eleven thousand to help steve and des. now THAT'S community.

Friday, April 29, 2011

tornado update

here's an update on steve: red hydra. to help out, go to the college book art association and press the donate button on the top right. when you fill in the form, just say the donation is for steve miller disaster relief.
i am so happy to hear that he, his partner des, and their pets are well, and rode out the storm in their basement. the photo of their house is sad. i wonder if it can be repaired. 
steve called me once, around a decade ago, introduced himself and said "you got it". what he was referring to was the nell meldahl scholarship for p.b.i., the paper and book intensive. when it sunk in (i had replied, got what?) i ungraciously shouted "no shit!" and he replied with a grin in his voice, "no shit!" 

Thursday, April 28, 2011

frustration and forgiveness

today in my inbox were two messages. one about the amazing steve miller, a teacher, a bookmaker, a printer, and a fine human being. steve is ok, but his house in tuscaloosa was in the path of one hungry tornado and has been destroyed. the other message was from an internet friend, jean betts, who is checking on me and my sick finger. 


i am frustrated, but have a plan of action regarding the finger. i am buying an amazing tiny plastic splint that will enable me to function as well as possible minus one joint, while this heals. it will be on at least six more weeks; this splint will allow me to do prep for my summer teaching gigs. this is good news indeed. my doctor gary gets it. and i will get better.


but steve, though he and his partner are safe, have lost their home. i have a tiny hurt, his is huge. and yet, they are safe. 


it's very windy here. i watched two tree branches crack in the wind. water levels are very high, rivers above flood stage. the snowmelt is adding to the rain and our rivers are flooding. right now there is bright sunshine. as this front moves through, it will chill off. things are stirring and weird, and yet i am full of hope. steve and his partner will be ok, i will be ok, but this planet, i'm not so sure. but i'm still hoping. 

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

greening: a good walk

there was a window of fine weather today, just after my early suppertime
so we walked, wendy and and me, not out there, but on the road.


a tiny rock book. 
my favorite shape, a flattened egg. don't know why. 
thunder storm now, mostly to the south, with wonderful lightning.
wendy is hiding 
in the safety of the bathroom
silly girl

Monday, April 25, 2011

resurgence

emergence 
resurgence
yellow unsurpassed
on clear, softest white
 dak
 dak up close
fiber richness 
 bloodroot 
flower comes first, then leaf
 bloodroot
 magic lilies
the cycle 
continuum
fern dust
feathers
star dust
fiber
soft
soft through brittle 
stems of last year
fiddleheads
emerging

Sunday, April 24, 2011

some days

some days are ok, 
some aren't 
and some are gifts that surprise you when you look back
it's easter
looking

Friday, April 22, 2011

subtle but fine

 i think
 it came out
all right
the new texture 
surprised me, fiona saw it
and now i do too.
eyes keep waking up.

drying dyeing

 there was a little potful of mushrooms and water waiting for me to throw in something to dye
i was uninspired 
and exhausted
this week. 
all i could do was make paper, something i know so well 
and so  
i took a piece of lokta, 
folded it, 
clamped four quarters, 
and put it and two velvet scrunchies into the pot
the color and pattern are very subtle
but at least it's something
and i am looking for subtleties 
these days
grateful for every 
miraculous 
one

Thursday, April 21, 2011

nigel's book

this book is amazing.
i don't know exactly how i discovered nigel peake's work, but the way he interprets a place, a landscape, a trip, a city, a billboard, for example, is idiosyncratic, rich, provoking, and beautiful. check out this book. i emailed him and asked if i could blog about it, and he asked me to use his photo of it. i can tell you that there's a visual feast inside. if you click on the link it will take you to his shop. his website is worth visiting, too. 

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

hosta up close

hosta deckles
hosta chips, perhaps?
slow pulp 
and irregular drying 
make 
ornery/lively
paper
that's beautiful
if you like that sort of thing
i do

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

more paper

i came home and walked wendy 
to her delight
 then made a few hosta sheets 
wet, greenish. 
i dry these on boards
they are very high shrinkage, so when they start to peel 
and they always do
(almost)
i'll bring them in the house and use blotters and weight to finish drying.
vat still hostaful
guardian of the paper mill
(not pleased by the camera)
 we went back out to check
 saw a surprise
was seen by a surprise
(besides the greening meadow)
curiosity

Monday, April 18, 2011

some papers

i've been making paper
first the amazing golden hosta (remember?) 
and this second batch is smaller
greener.
hosta
field retted
remained uncooked
gin petty writes of how ornery it is, 
always cockles, no matter how much restraint in the drying.
that's my experience also, but i don't actually mind.
much.
doctor says to inspect my finger in two weeks.
if there's no healing, it will be time for the orthopedic surgeon.
cross your fingers for me,
please.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

milkweed pulped

these fibers
gathered
over the fall and winter
yes and spring
stolen from 
birds eager for 
construction 
no, i walk out 
again and again
spotting the strange bird seed pods
and the gray fiber 
that looks like my hair 
pull and break and peel off
milkweed
milkweed

Saturday, April 16, 2011

round things

 yesterday i spent some time in the evening looking at 
some round things
in the meadow
 they were so beautiful
 playing with vision
focus
thought
 i moved
into indigo
and out 
into gray


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