Weave and Sew Dust

HELLO!!!

I needed a break from my weaving and sewing and I am glad for your company. Thanks for taking the time to read and share.

Tis the Season for Leaf Sledding

My six-year old grandson came for a sleepover this past weekend. He tends to put things into the proper priorities with our function to have fun with him as number one. This is a blessed relief for me as I make my daily visits to the rehab center to check on my mother.

Leaves have been raining steadily for the last two weeks and we now have a sufficient depth of dry, crunchy leaves for a good sled ride down our hills. We had been telling our little one about how his daddy and his aunt used to have great fun every Autumn leaf sledding, so he was really pumped to give it a try. The first time he did it, he looked up and said, "Did I scream like a girl?" He then proceeded to tell us how girls scream. Needless to say, sans screaming, he caught on pretty quick and was soon launching himself unaided by Papa Q. Such joyous abandon!

Whenever life gets you down, visualize leaf sledding through the eyes of a six-year old.--Nonna's knowings  

I Y Q Y Q R

It's funny how I can be feeling down or up or have a question that I have been pondering while driving my car, only to pull behind another car with a message custom-made for me on its license plate. A few years ago, I was having one of those down moments when I was gifted with "I Y Q Y Q R.''

Thought I would pass this on to you on this glorious Monday. Have a great week!

P.S. Having trouble with its meaning? Try-- I YQ YQ R

View from the Nursing Home

I have been spending a portion of every day at the rehab and nursing facility where my mom is being treated. I can see why it is imperative for every patient to have an advocate and for the advocate to keep a smile on their face. I have found the staff to be very competent but, without knowing my mother's history, there was the assumption made that she had Parkinson's Disease. This opinion was based on a drug started while she was in the hospital that was supposed to help her mobility and cognition. She doesn't have Parkinson's and the drug made her so drowsy that she could barely open her eyes. After straigtening out this problem and getting her off the drug, I found that the staff wasn't always waking her up to make sure she got fed. This caused her to dehydrate. . .kidneys lost function, feet swelled up. . .They would tell me she wasn't eating. Every time I fed her though, she ate everything on the plate. She has always had a good appetite, but they didn't know that and didn't ask me.

I do commend the men and women working in this field. They are saints to look after elderly people like my mom, who has no way of telling them what is wrong. I am glad, too, that I am there to advocate for her.

The Twig

Yesterday morning, with my wake-up cup of coffee in hand, I was sitting on my balcony watching the autumn leaves gracefully dance their way to the ground. I noticed that nestled in the branch of the nearest beech tree was a broken twig that was being held in place by its entanglement. I got to thinking about my mother who has just entered a rehabilitation center after having had a fall recently. She's a lot like that broken twig because only through the support of dedicated individuals will she be able to get back on her feet again (unlike the broken twig, my mom still has life, albeit a somewhat sleep-filled one). We like to think that we are independent when, in fact, we are quite interdependent.

One of my best photos of Tranquilitree

© copyright Barbara Molinari Quinby

I took this picture on June 9, 2002, before the wooden arch rotted away. It was such an incredible early morning scene of light, like grace literally pouring in, conquering the dark. Hope it inspires your day.
 

Eve--Biblical Fall Guy?

I am currently teaching a Bible study on courageous women of the Bible and naturally, have begun with the most famous, or infamous, woman known as Eve. I had recently read that some Jewish scholarship believes that the inspired author of the second Genesis story could have been a woman living in King David's Court thousands of generations later. For those of you that don't realize there are two stories, the second story has the creation of woman from man's rib and her being tempted by the serpent. 

I got to pondering that if it was written by a woman, what was she thinking! How totally responsible to write the story so that the woman is the fall guy. I figure that maybe it was Adam who was in jeopardy so she took the hit in the storyline. Could be that she was guilty of that first lip-smacking bite of juiciness, but I somehow have always thought that it takes two to tango. Perhaps it was Adam whispering in her ear that after all, God did tell them to be fruitful and multiply. Anyway, viewing the story from a woman's perspective opens up a whole new vista of possibilities for the original relationship.

Thank you

My brother sent me this link today http://www.beforeyougo.us/play_byg --a tribute to those who served in WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. It is a beautiful way to express gratitude for the great sacrifices made.

I lost my Uncle Hugo in the Army assault on Anzio, Italy. My Uncle Vincent served in the Air Force in the European theatre and once survived being shot down. His baby brother, my Godfather, Uncle Chester, served in the Navy in the Pacific theatre. He worked on a floating drydock and hung off the side of ships in order to repair them. My Dad, who already had one child by the time war was declared, did his part by helping to dismantle the cruise ship Normandy in order to turn it into a floating hospital. The Normandy lay perilously half submerged in the New York harbor. Army, Air Force, Navy, and Civilian--quiet heroic sacrifices. It really makes me question the hero worship we have today for pop celebrity and self-aggrandizement. 

Be sure to watch the link to the song. Here is how it came about:

" The elderly parking lot attendant wasn't in a good mood. Neither was Sam Bierstock. It was around 1 a.m., and Bierstock, a Delray Beach, Fla., eye doctor, business consultant, corporate speaker and musician, was bone tired after appearing at an event. He pulled up in his car, and the parking attendant began to speak. 'I took two bullets for this country and look what I'm doing,' he said bitterly. At first, Bierstock didn't know what to say to the World War II veteran. But he rolled down his window and told the man, 'Really, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you.' Then the old soldier began to cry. 'That really got to me,' Bierstock says. 

Cut to today. 

Bierstock, 58, and John Melnick, 54, of Pompano Beach - a member of Bierstock's band, Dr. Sam and the Managed Care Band - have written a song inspired by that old soldier in the airport parking lot. The mournful "Before You Go" does more than salute those who fought in WWII. It encourages people to go out of their way to thank the aging warriors before they die. 'If we had lost that particular war, our whole way of life would have been shot,' says Bierstock, who plays harmonica. 'The WW II soldiers are now dying at the rate of about 2,000 every day. I thought we needed to thank them.' "

So do I.

Vaya con Dios

Vaya con Dios--"Go with God"--isn't that a beautiful expression?  To wish someone this sentiment is to bless them with the thought that God accompanies them on their journey. In this world that is so afloat in values that change on a dime, it is comforting that God is always faithfully by our side helping us through blessed times and stressed times.

My husband and I are going through a financially pinched time right now. We are doing something that most would say is counterproductive. We are gardening. For many Saturdays over the last twenty years, we spent our time volunteering at Habitat for Humanity sites. Yardwork was done out of necessity only. Now that caring for my mom has become a major part of our lives, we are more homebound. Turning to nature has been a "Go with God" experience, especially, I think, for my husband who rises early each morning to tackle the heavy duty work of clearing back years of accumulated decaying debris and rampant ivy (living in the woods has a blessing, we don't have to fret over and waste hours tending to grass). My joy is to give every bush a haircut! We feel the presence of God keenly in every natural event, creature, and plant we encounter. We are welcomed to feast our eyes on the natural world of God's creation.The garden tells me that if I look for God, go with God, I find God right there gardening with us. The birds and plants don't worry, neither should we. Vaya con Dios dear friends and family.

--musings of an anam cara

Thinking about one of my sisters

I am the only daughter of my parents, so when I speak of sisters it is about my extended community of women friends whose souls have interacted with mine in a unique way. One of them I first met when she was the resident assistant on my dorm floor. She had a habit of standing or sitting with her arms crossed in front of her and, with a beautiful smile and twinkling eyes, express the most wonderful humor in our conversations. Ironic humor. This kind of humor takes a great deal of intelligence and Marsha has a lot of smarts. I loved our conversations and I came to love her too. She became my big sister when I joined her sorority. Many years passed and thanks to Christmas cards and now e-mails, we have stayed in touch. She and her husband love to travel by cruise ship and have even visited Antarctica, where she fell in love with the penguins. 

She's battling cancer again, after a ten year remission. I woke up thinking about her. I hope that she is planning her next cruise.

Worry vs. Wonder

You are faced with a worrisome situation. Instead of raking your mind over the coals of "coulda, woulda, shoulda," try to envision instead, a wonderment--like, "I wonder how things will turn out." Common sense wisdom tells me there is nothing productive about worry but wonder creates a whole new world of possibilities.

Try it on a little worry and see if it helps.Wonder-full!--Musings of an anam cara