new luxury

in the new york times july 29, 2013

this headline: 

Hotels Add Libraries as Amenity to Keep Guests Inside 

by Amy Zipkin

is a quote from Jenny McKibben:

“It’s a new luxury item,” she said of books.

~~~

well
~~~
and also on the book front
in maine
hannah appeared inthis blog

here she is in the northeast harbor
archive.
me, i'm working on a couple of books.
must be the thing!
addendum:
some things to make out of
an unwanted, abandoned walmart.

july wanes

 at the new place

 so first i saw this one

 then this one

but i thought it was the same one

 before it vanished

not before i saw two white banners

leaping away into the meadow edge

 yes, sleepy babes

one tiny touch, 

my finger tingled with blessing.

 on this morning

 crazy funny hummingbirds

 a feast from valerie's tree

 yum

 see the moth shape 

on the bluebird house?

wings brush the rough wood as mom and dad

come home

 a little later

 this morning

the babies were hungry

waiting for more food

  rain clouds

moved through

and the day is fair, clear, a day

a day to love life,

to take care of

obligations and promises.

just a day.

back in the saddle

after the morgan class of 14

i was asked to do a private class of 7

and the pace was as busy,

but it's a different sort of business

lokta shifu

 making stump looms

 two more on the back porch

 an ingenious method of storing the loom and the yarn 

in a cigar box

which is also the loom!

thank you rebecca!

 small looms and large

 and then there was daisy

a very large girl who

 when pam wasn't looking

did a bit of freeloading

 the top of the cigar box

 slicing messages

 the group and daisy

 and the obligatory teacher in the picture

holding the cigar box loom

 morning walks are

 so very interesting

 i monitor the bluebirds

they monitor me 

 the moon is unconcerned

and the cows lick

each other

there...

...and back again. letting all my loved ones

in cleveland

and out
know that

i'm back in the north country.

safe. sound.

and it's deliciously cool!

XOXOXOX

velma

second day

we repeated day one, in more depth.

papermaking with flax and abaca

ecoprinting from ohio

with a little help from northern new york

large pots allow for better results on large paper

many delicate greens

indigo experiment to see if there would be

any transfer

there were no prints, nor overdyeing

the morgan alleyway is a good worksite

rinse buckets full of magical rainwater.

~~~

on to a two day shifu class

and then home.

there's a clunk in my right front tire that i need to have looked at.

sigh.

almost new car. new tires, low mileage. sigh.

but we had 14 engaged students who, i think,

learned heaps.

several came from far away, michigan, pennsylvania, ohio and MAINE!

aimee beats me, though, she had a student from

eastern europe. 

~~~

i have been staying in

a magic box of wonders.

tom, i found the frog.

it's now in the dining room

hanging out on a lady.

morgan magic

i love teaching at the morgan conservatory.

this place makes me happy.

we made prints and then paper and thoroughly 

thoroughly enjoyed 

the process.

tomorrow: more prints on our paper, more paper, more prints.

10 hours, 14 students, we are something!

special thanks to tom, lauren, susan, 

and the interns:

this was the only time 

ever

that i've taught papermaking 

and haven't prepared the pulp myself!

happy thursday

Ah haptics..the word for what we learn from our hands. A whole different part of our brain lights up when we read a paper book compared to screen...hang onto that old paper and take it in...

chela metzger

~~~

 it's hot

so hot it took me a while

to see that my camera was on

a weird setting

 but the cows, calves,

 and here,

the bull

put on a sunrise show

 and the sun kissed

my neighbor's thing

 my garden is on third blooming

 my table a mess as i prep

for the cleveland classes

 my salida journal

 a busy family

getting FAR away from me

and some pink for aimee!

happy thrusday!