Long Story Short

Almost four weeks ago, I crashed and burned, health-wise, and every time I thought I was improving, I crashed even harder and found myself further away from feeling better.

As a result, in the last month, everything stopped.

I received four more beautiful birthday blocks and hurt too much to take photos and thank the block makers.

I made NO progress on birthday blocks I am making for others or any other quilting, sewing, crafting or anything.

All work on the Walking in This World exercises stopped after my last artist date, a couple hours spent at a local quilt show. Photos were taken, but never labeled or shared.

Just about my only progress in life these last four weeks is measured in doctor appointments and lab tests.

I must be some kind of crazy optimist, because I've joined Kate's little quilt swap . . . believing I will feel well enough soon enough for long enough to make a little quilt for this swap.

And I'm optimistic that I'll feel well enough to catch-up on blogging soon, too.

Spring

It is beginning to feel like Spring around here, even though there are no buds and flowers like these, from Mrs. Mel's blog, Fibermania, . . .



. . . nor wildflowers, like these from Rian's Pages . . .



In fact, when I drove to a nearby park, curious to see if a walk was possible, it really didn't LOOK like Spring at all.

But the main path was clear, if sometimes wet or icy and even if it didn't look like it, it sounded like Spring–the songs of birds filled the air–so, I walked.

It was a short one, only about a mile and a half--the unpaved paths turned out to be too muddy/snowy/icy for me and I turned back. I nearly had the place to myself: just me and the birds, the river, blue skies and sunshine.

More snow is in the forecast for next week, but today, it seemed that Spring ihad arrived, even if I was all bundled up and walking among bare trees, snow and ice.





Closer to home, a pair of geese stopped by to check on the state of the still-frozen pond.

Art & Life & Walking in This World

This is my check-in for week 8 of Walking in This world.

Morning Pages: every day

Walk and Artist Date: didn't happen. This week zipped by and, although I had a plan, before I knew it, I was out of time.

The Rest: The reading and exercises turned out to be more about work than art for me, which surprised and intrigued me. My creative monster was based on people from my professional life--I created it a la Flat Stanley and ran it through the paper shredder . . . and thoroughly enjoyed that task ;-)

Walking in This World, the Meme

This is my check-in for week 7 of Walking in the World.

I thought the Geography task looked a lot like the memes that bounce around blogland and the questions are interesting to consider (and share). Whether you are reading and working the book or not, you might consider your answers to these questions. Here are mine.

1. What culture other than your own speaks to you? Navajo
2. What age other than the one we’re in resonates with your sensibilities? Arts & Crafts period
3. What foreign cuisine feels like home on your palate? French
4. What exotic smells give you a sense of expansion and wellbeing? Indian curry and spices
5. What spiritual tradition intrigues you? Buddhism
6. What music from another culture plucks your heartstrings? Navajo flute
7. In another age, what physical age do you see yourself being? 30
8. In another culture and time, what is your sex? Female
9. Do you enjoy period movies or movies, period? Yes ;-)
10. If you were to write a film, what age and time, what place and predicament, would you choose to explore? The present, the reality of what our tax dollars at work looks like.

Morning Pages: every day

Walk: between snowstorms, I parked off campus and walked to the MSU Museum. The trip there was quite pretty; but when I left about an hour later, the sky had turned gray, it was snowing and the wind was blowing . . . I pulled up the hood on my coat and was pulling it close around my face. I thought about how, when I was an undergraduate there, we referred to walks across the open areas on campus as trips across the tundra.

Artist Date: I went to see the quilts in the Quilts & Human Rights exhibit at the MSU museum. The exhibit explores the role that quiltmakers have played in raising awareness of human rights issues around the world and the power of textiles to communicate important ideas and information. The quilts were inspiring and provocative, made to document and express transgressions of human rights, to educate others about human rights issues, and to pay tribute to leaders of human rights movements.

I will share more photos later, but here is a detail photo from 9/11, made by an unidentified artist or artists in South Africa in 2002.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

This is my check-in for week 6 of Walking in This World.

The theme of this week was Discovering a Sense of Boundaries. One of the tasks was to Recall and Rescue of a project spoiled by indiscriminate input. I immediately thought of this quilt project in progress, how I asked for some input on one aspect early on and opened the door to asking for and receiving the opinions of others and how all that well-meaning collaboration stalled my work on this quilt. Can I rescue this project and complete the quilt? Only time will tell . . . but I'm committed to an attempt.

Morning Pages: 6 of 7 days.

Walk: I had hoped to get closer to the beautiful winter landscape at a nearby golf course, but there was just too much snow. I walked the length of the course along the street.




Artist Date:

I went to a thrift store in search of a quick project. The cold temperatures and frequent snow storms have me thinking hat these days . . . something warm and beautiful. I thought some wool fiber (or a hat that could be remade) would give me a head start on a new hat.

This mens wool sweater caught my eye and only cost two dollars.



Which, after a trip through the washer, looked like this.



The resulting felted sweater is much thicker (and much smaller) than I expected, which required a revision in my design idea . . . I'm now headed in a completely different direction.

The Rest: I have been afraid that our group decision to take a week off will kill my momentum. What an interesting bit of synchronicity to find that the title of the reading for next week is Discovering a Sense of Momentum ;-)

My plan for our extra week is to review some of the tasks I didn't complete in weeks 1-6 and to get a headstart on week 7, since the theme seems to have my name written all over it.

Thinking About Personal Territory

This is my check-in for Week 5 of Walking in This World. The theme was Discovering a Sense of Personal Territory. Although this passage refers to artists, I think that it's interesting food for thought for everyone, whether you see yourself as an artist or not.

As artists, we must be alert to what people ask us for and reward us for being. Our partners and friends do condition us in behaviors quite unconsciously. We must be alert to what they reward us for with their thanks and reciprocity. These things condition us and they also are the conditions in which our art will or will not.

It is interesting how much we can learn about our relationships with others by just paying attention.

Artist Date: Mother nature foiled my planned artist date this week; going forward, I need a foul weather back-up plan.

Walk: I bundled up and walked around the downtown of a small town near me, in search of a bakery and paczki–a Fat Tuesday treat in the Polish tradition. (I forgot my camera, this photo courtesy of Sheri's blog, Northern Quilter.)

Morning Pages: Every day ;-)

The Rest: I dragged my feet this week, in denial of ways some people in my life have invaded my personal territory.

Our WiTW study group has decided to add an extra week into our weekly adventure. Our goal is to be collectively ready to begin Week 7 on February 22.

Re-discovering a Sense of Adventure

It's time for my check-in for Week 4 of Walking in the World–it feels good to feel back on track with this. The theme for this week was Discovering a Sense of Adventure; in some ways, I feel that I am RE-discovering it and continue to both look backward and forward, designing a life that brings back the best of what was while continuing to grow in new directions.

Artist Date: I headed to the City Market this week, to explore and have lunch. I'd never been before, probably because I live close to a great produce store/nursery (home of last week's artist's date). I expected some version of the great North Market in Columbus–my favorite place to go for lunch at the NQA show last summer.



Instead it was small, dark and deserted. I didn't have my camera with me, but I'm not sure there was a shot that wouldn't have been depressing. While I picked up a nice lunch, I left feeling it was an unsatisfying artist date . . . so I went from there to an art supply store and bought my artist some toys: a small sketchbook, new charcoal pencils, a kneaded eraser and some watercolor crayons.

Walk: I'm so glad I made time for the walk on Tuesday. As predicted the weather turned very ugly that night and after two days of bitter cold and windy days, we're now being covered in snow.

Morning Pages: 6 of 7 days. Since various kinds of lists keep appearing in my morning pages, I bought a bunch of blank index cards and keep a couple tucked into my journal to use for those lists of things to buy, things to do, people to call, etc.

The Rest: I notice that when I think in terms of taking baby steps, I make more progress because I'm not overwhelmed by the big changes I want to make. Even the small sketchbook makes the idea of drawing a lot more approachable. I don't have the sketching habit yet, but I managed a handful of sketches this week and really had fun.

A Walk Before the Storm

Yesterday, my patio was a snow drift and the pond beyond was solidly frozen and hidden under more snow.

This morning, I woke up, looked out and was shocked to see grass, the patio, the pond and very little snow. The day was dark and gray, but surprisingly warm (above freezing). I knew if I wanted a walk outside this week, today was the day.

I intended to go to the park, but decided it would be even darker among the trees and took a walk through the neighborhood instead. It felt so good to be comfortably outside. As I neared home, the wind picked up and it started to rain. I knew the storm was on the way.

The high today was 44F. The forecast high for tomorrow is 15F. And tonight:

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 12 PM EST WEDNESDAY

...Winter Weather Advisory Remains In Effect From 7 PM This Evening To 12 PM EST Wednesday...

One To Three Inches Of Snow And Plummeting Temperatures Tonight Will Make Roads Very Slippery. Blowing Snow Could Result In Near Zero Visibility At Times As Winds Gust Over 40 Mph. Expect Hazardous Travel Conditions Tonight Through Wednesday Morning. Scattered Power Outages Are Also Possible Tonight And Wednesday Due To The High Winds.

I'm glad I made the time to walk today, in the gray before the storm.

Squashed

Week three of Walking in This World found me feeling stuck and frustrated (and perhaps a little squashed.)

Morning Pages: 7 of 7 days.

Artist Date: I went to the produce store, planning to bring home the unusual or new-to-me and cook something new and interesting.



Along with the usual, I brought home mangos, ripe, ready to eat peaches (a luxury in January) and something called Opal Squash. When I got it home, I found that I didn't have any information or recipes for opal squash, nor could I find any online, so when it came to cooking it, I was on own. It blended nicely with some spinach and roasted tomatoes, garlic, cumin and jalapeno pepper . . . with a glass of chardonnay, it was quite nice.

Walk: I didn't. The weather was especially cold and snowy and as much as I liked the idea of the task (since my morning pages had become quite negative), I didn't think I could accomplish it inside.

The rest: I didn't make the collage either. Mostly because of my health issues, I spent the week feeling very frustrated and squashed by the experience of dealing with the medical community and insurance companies. Despite all that, I did get some valuable perspective that will help me move forward from this stuck spot. Stay tuned . . .

Chick Flicks and Winter Walks

This is my week 2 check-in for Walking in This World. As Linda explained so well last week, Walking in this World is a 12 week (one chapter per week) workshop sort of book designed, so it says, to jump-start your creative impulse if it is stalled, or let it flow more smoothly if not.

Morning pages: 6 of 7 days

Artist date: I don't think I've been to a movie in more than a year–on some level I think I've been fearful of falling asleep, and movies are one of the many things that had been dropped from my life. I treated myself to one.

I thought the writing could have been stronger, but, as a fan of both Diane Keaton and Queen Latifah and someone who is easily amused, I enjoyed this light-hearted chick flick.

Walk: My one walk this week was a city walk to the library and around the small park across the street. It was 30 degrees and sunny. The temperatures have since dropped into the teens with some serious wind chill numbers and the forecast is that they will stick there for a while . . . I have a feeling I'll be walking in the mall or around the indoor track at the gym next week.

The rest: As someone who has taken many paths in life and is often drawn in many directions–artistically, professionally and personally–being reminded this week that an artist's path is NOT LINEAR was quite comforting to me.

When I talk about my health, I almost always say that I want my life back. The exercises this week reminded me of some of the things that used to be part of my life before I became more and more tired and those things fell away. I am ready for some bigger than (my current) life expansion.

I experienced some synchronicity this week when I went back to the gym to talk about getting back into the exercise habit and ended up talking with a personal trainer there who works with clients facing similar medical challenges to mine.

WITW - Week 1

Checking in at the end of Week 1 of Walking in This World:

Morning Pages - 7 days
Walks - 1
Artist Date - yes, and this artist's model came home with me–she's walking, can you tell? I went to Barnes & Noble and just browsed for an hour. I don't go to bookstores much anymore . . . it's so much easier to order online and a lot less overwhelming. I couldn't believe the volume of diet and self-help books. It's been forever since I looked at new cookbooks, flipped through travel books or checked out new mysteries by some of my favorite authors.

Walking in This World

I created this blog a couple years ago as a requirement of a group of quilters working their way through Julia Cameron's The Artist Way.

When we finished, a few of us talked about looking at the sequel, Walking in the World, but never really got started.

(image and link, courtesy of Amazon)

I'm ready now . . . and planning to start after the holidays, in early January. Want to join me? My "walks" should be interesting, given Michigan winters and short winter days.