juxtapose and tears

 this is one of the four chipmunks i've relocated this spring

 this is what keeps me sane

 and some of the insane stuff:

photos that won't rotate

shanna leino made the etchings on this little snippie

 the spine of the binding from my book from tim's class

with some of tim's paper

 and the text block

 the stairs are almost complete in the new place

all the woodwork is yellow birch.

harvested locally.

 the living room looking into his room 

 white trilliums on the turn

 i think this is the seed head from coltsfoot

 indigenous violets

at the new place

 a new rodent has appeared!

a black squirrel

first i've seen around here

 i've caught 3 woodchucks 

this year

two live trapped and relocated

you can see both traps here,

chipmunk and woodcock hostels.

i take them far enough away 

they won't return.

 postcard from gabby

again the photo problem!

 a print from suzanna

whose pup insisted it come to me.

 i don't usually get this sort of message

but today

after going to the after hours clinic

(why? i'm cleaning the garage and barn

stepped on a nail,

and it's been too long since the last tetanus)

and you rule was with this amazing book--

 in maine i sold some paper

and had several conversations,

one with todd and his wife--

i don't remember in that great rush their faces,

but i do remember talking about 

the book he wanted to make with my paper

and katie mcgregor's paper

for the pages, and i asked

for a photo (i always do-i love to see what people make!)

 well, todd sent me a book!

 beautifully bound

 with sky blue mcgregor paper

after the morning's medical intervention,

i found this beautiful gift in the mail.

thank you.

thank you all who have sent me 

little somethings in the mail.

this week has been rocky in several ways.

but i feel sustained by affirmations 

of the importance of fine craft. fine work. good work.

and those amazing human beans (as the bfg called us).

thank you.

stream to river to ocean

sometimes synchronicity or connection just occurs: 

i got an email

asking me for a sheet of printed paper,

warm colors and fairy wings

were what gabby was thinking about
(this IS my kind of order!)

and last night she sent me a little link.

you should go there.

gabby is finishing up the rigorous two year course at

north bennet street school, studying binding
and aiming to be a designer bookbinder.

 my first bookbinding teacher was a total surprise

someone i met in the tiny IGA in star lake

the late sally smith

 renown designer bookbinder

spent several hours with me

helping me make my first hardback book.

sally worked wonders in leather

and taught in london.

gabby is following a similar path.

meanwhile fiber has always lead me

to new and startling adventures

gabby took some of these and made her own work

as did jean
who knows all about the difference one small stitch
can make

my three melbourne books,

oz books, 1, 2 & 3

~~~

i am so hoping htat

this class with dorothy caldwell

at lovely longridge farm

will deepen my making into work that is richer

than i have dared go before.

why else do it?

to gabby and to jean,

thank you. 

this week i have been playing

with a few pieces of kozo graciously given to me

by nancy jacobi at the japanese paper place.

interesting results, and GOOD learning.
mixed in with tim ely's teaching.

seeing what these papers and plants and waters and pigments

will teach me

is enough to keep my brain dancing

as i sort it out and push myself forward.
this is good work for spring.
~~~
then there is a little rest
and then off i go to the morgan
to teach two classes, one a new one
four days with aimee lee and me, laughing and playing and working and making fiber/paper/textiles.

light this spring

one of the things

that keeps startling me this spring

is the light

 it's everywhere!

i'd forgotten.

(last winter was serious business.)

light plays reflection games

 near and far

 so do the geese

 and a tiny primitive painting 

 displayed at the deli

 near school

others are watching the ladies, too,

not just me.

 and besides the mouse trouble here

(caught this morning, yay!)

there is chipmunk trouble!

but

 some people plant themselves

where they're welcome--

i think--they may not be bluebirds--

birders?

 and on the way home the geese

 seem to be pairing up and prepping

for some goslings.

i'm decidedly not a foodie

but i like to eat.

i used to have a wee flock of 

dairy goats

and made cheese and milked daily and

even sold a bit.

i like the idea of being able 

to eat from your place

just the way i know the land where i live

the plants mostly.

i love my hortus siccus that continues

as i explore the wild garden called home.

anyway. 

kathleen rose smith's book 

is something i'm enjoying.

it feels good in my hands. i love it when

machine made books feel right in my hands.

~~~

there have been some little snippets of news:

i'm going to be a student again,

taking a class with someone i've long admired:

dorothy caldwell!

just think: tim ely AND dorothy caldwell in one season!

and

i will be adding two teaching gigs to my list

one near algonquin park this summer

another for university students

early next spring.

wake robin

here it is!

spring ~ trillium ~ wake robin

many white ones, and few reds

commonly called stink pots

 my favorite of the neighbor clydesdales

the old ford

 downerville or donnerville

depends on which side you're on!

 upriver

 downriver

 wake robins at donnerville

 before the new leaves

that are clogging up

our view!

 everything's all about survival

 lovlies

and that pesky mouse returned

 valerie asked about the corn ladies

here they are 

on their way to the barn

where they will provide feed

for the duration.

 spring work:

plowing after taking 

the ladies home.

our amish neighbors show us

thrift and industry,

home economics,

but also a slower way.

to see the spring.

i strive for something betwixt

to dive down deeper

to plant my dreaming deep

(with apologies to may sarton).

hormones

 it's been an odd and exhausting week

prom season here amongst the hormones

of high school

 i want to watch these

but was compelled to spend 

hours explaining myself: 

(email better than phone)

so i would escape outside to walk,

where i spotted black flies.

 i am finding some lovely things

to help with the next few prints,

 like frogspawn on sticks

hardened and browned

but not like at all, really.

sigh.

there have been two dead turtles already

on the roadsides.

 there was a horrible time with a woodchuck,

too, but aimee was there.

~~~

 today i got lovely mail

 carol's new card

makes me so happy

 it's just a word

says wise aimee

who sent an envelope of love

 blues and cut outs

 and lovely juxtapositions

and a note from gabby-

so after this week, a

week fraught with pressures and personalities

endless writing for work work

meetings

tutoring

writing for art work

and today i picked up four prom dresses

for students...

shopped for the classroom

survived walmart.

first thing tomorrow:

another meeting, then school, then the blessing of 

weekend.