raw

i learned a thing today

it was shocking

and so simple

whitetail deer eat lots of wood in winter.

bark, buds, twigs.

 this is a stomach 

full of fiber

 pulled away

  moved 

out of the belly cavity

and the organs eaten

by coyotes

 the light was so flat

it's hard to see

this dramatic

 young creature

who is now keeping another creature

alive

everybody eats somebody

close to here.

likely that yearling

drank from this pond.

at the new place

the place i will call home.

white

 we got some white stuff

 walking out back

 snow tweed

YAY!

kindnesses

layers

edges

patterns

gifts

this little picture

with aimee's puzzle

and a few other things

reminds me

to tell you all that i really am well.

and thank you 

all who have given your kindnesses.

a moon

from thursday or friday

showed up during the frigid weather

i'm off antibiotics

and hopefully back.

today i'm feeling foggy

the sun just clouded over.

sometimes i think january

will never end.

rediscovery

in 1999 i attended my first pbi,

the paper and book intensive,
(actually only half of the session)

i took a marvelous class with

mary ann mckellar schwarcz

whose website i found via aimee lee.

mary ann knows books, fiber, paper, wool.

and animals.
(and probably a few other things, too!)
mary ann pushed me in some directions
but the main thing was the concept
of book/paper/textile being all of a piece
all related, all connected.
above are some of the pieces i made
with her or after her workshop
with her inspiration.

mail call

while i was sick, 

the mail still came. 

wireless worked.

a few new goodies arrived

as i was becoming ill

and then during.

some i've written about

some are not yet seen, 

but sophie, and carol, and haystack, and pien

here they are!

 sophie munns sent me a book and a few goodies

that made me dance and shout

 carol showed me some tempting process photos, 

as did aimee

 these are mysterious

but there's even more mystery i can't write about, yet

 a place i want to go to this summer

maybe

and i may have some interesting teaching gigs popping up,

 can't give details till they're worked out.

 and pien rotterdam, 

someone i "met"

years and years ago as part of the YAHOO papermakers group

evertything was beautifully wrapped

 and her sample book was lovely

really fine papers

the kind that take your breath away

these and so much more 

(you know who you are, i've still got it all confused)

enriched my illness

with caring, and art, and thought, phone calls and interest,

enough so i was able to keep stitching

one     stitch     at     a     time     .

love makes it through the internet

i swear it.

two guys

 this little letterpress note

came from a fine friend

frank at speakeasy press

reminded me to pay attention

so i'm passing it on

bright

i'm feeling the need for some 

rich color

are you?

a join

 one little join

on a tibetan book

which had to be understood

because it is beautiful

~the other side~ 

see how this icy puddle 

reflects the sky

just like the bluest blue 

on the page of prayers

~~~

been working
 needle and thread 

a few more joins 

more and more circles

fooled

this willow

whose feet are dug in 

a drainage 

closeby

has chosen to risk it all

on the possibility of

spring.

it is january 15 in the north country.

this is unheard of.

and yet we have heard this:

global warming is/is not

and the willow

she takes a huge risk. 

 

 this is the water 

that keeps her feet wet

during much of the year,

and after rain

 across the road, 

it's icing up again

as winter argues with spring

hard to believe that a week ago

the snow was thighhigh

this tall willow

she has such heart

to try to bloom

in january.

or 

she is a fool,

or i am the fool.

snow disappearing

 thaw on the weekend

ochre/gold

 some light dancing

that same sky!

 i sampled

spinning thin kozo and thick lokta 

 thread

 holy words

printed gently

  kozo and lokta

(and damned silly numbers-

been playing with the camera)

 lokta and kozo

grey birch and snowmelt

still some flu, but coming around slowly

beauty in pale

all that beautiful snow

that graced us at christmastime

and after, and through this horrid flu

is melting now

january thaw 

this is what an elder dog does 

watches, listens, sniffs.

her eyes are cloudy

her hearing leaving,

but she loves both snow and wind.

oh, and me.