mint

I have a friend who is an art teacher.  I get these strange text messages from her.  Or Facebook messages.  Usually about something I know.  One of the last times was using plants for dye.  I went back to my books and saw that mint could make a green.  A grey green.  I thought, hmmm.

I picked up some mint and put it in a pot.  I boiled for awhile.  Strained and then added silk that I had had soaking in water and alum.

It was a cabbage green when it was wet.  It then dried to a sage green.  Green grey.  Something like that.  I wanted something a bit more for ribbons.  So I added a bit of iron and woad.

Wet, it looked more olive.  But after washing it was a silvery green grey.  Of course I did not save anymore of those pictures!

I find plants are interesting.  I always want to do more.  Put plants in water and see what happens when I add silk.  Or see if I can duplicate other colors I see.  I have been collecting inspiration for quilts and yarn colors.  This could be an interesting process in the future.  But for now, more play.  More ribbon.

It is cold and rainy here today and all I would like to do is dig in the earth.  I would like to plant seeds and dye plants.  Maybe in February.

For those few who have contacted me, my Mom's first treatment has gone well so far.  The chemo stops being pumped into her system later today.  She was told there may be some reactions later today and in the next two days.  In two weeks, another infusion of chemo.  They still are not sure of diagnosis so there is a bit of wait and see.  Will this work or, if there is more clarity, will the drugs need to be changed?  Yesterday and today were good days though so that is a plus.

balance

Balance has been hard to find.  

My Mom having cancer has been interesting.  The biggest hurdles we are facing currently is that the team of doctors she is working with are having a difficult time coming up with the origin of the cancer.  The big deal about that is different cancers have different treatments and respond better to some treatments then others.  It causes stress.  

I have told my Mom I am there for what she needs.  She asks and I will try to make it happen.  I am trying to keep my emotions out of it because it is not about me.  It is about my Mom.  But I will say that it is interesting how old patterns that I thought were broken come to the fore.

Part of finding balance for me is trying to continue doing what I do.  I find Mondays I work on my mending pile.  There were four pairs of pants that needed to be mended in that pile this week.  Yes, I am being cheap but I am also quietly stitching.  Like spinning, it can be a place of meditation.  And I am being productive.

The creative is interesting right now.  I am being pulled in a couple different directions.  My creative with textiles and fiber and creative for the boyos knife making business.  Some of that is still textiles and fiber because I am working on chef rolls.  Some of it is working in wood.  I now get asked questions every time a wood question comes up.

The sharpening truck may be taking a different path.  I am putting it on hold currently.  And it is a good thing because it is cold outside.  There are not usually freezes this time of year but we are under a freeze warning for tonight.  

I will just keep moving forward.

neutrals with a pop

I was actually able to get a quilt top together before I left.  Did I get the back made or it quilted?  No.  But it is together.  The edges of the quilt did not come out well but I used a lot of red, burgundy, or browns that were trending toward reds.  I did have a bit of help taking the pictures.  Blue likes fabric.

With everything going on in the last two weeks, my head is really not on straight.  There is not much I can do but I have a lot of knowledge.  It is called I have an interesting group of friends and acquaintances due to the oil industry and ice skating.  I have particular knowledge because I have always wished to live for from any urban areas.  Southeast Alaska in the woods in particular.  Maybe not so much now but I still would not mind.

I am still working on being creative but I am being pulled in many directions.  My Mom.  My Beloved's business.  Taking care of short people, no matter the age!  I do know I need to take care of myself but that only seems to be possible in small pockets.  I almost wrote this sentence with out being positive but I am not taking the best care of myself.  I may be flying to be with my Mom next week for her first treatment and I am thinking of the flight as a moment of quiet.  Truly.  

This is an interesting period of my life.  I do believe all will be well but I may be in and out of this space a lot.  Now, if I could only focus!

Doctor Strange

Two prom dresses, thread and buttons from the thrift store, and a cape was created.  It was just a lot of long seams because I used the hems from the dresses.  It does not have all the detail from the Doctor Strange Cloak of Levitation like the movie but this made Koda Bear so happy!

You cannot really tell he has his vest on under this but it is his whole costume.  He wore it all day on Halloween and all weekend at the Renaissance fair the weekend before.  I think I did wll.  Now, it is time to start thinking about his birthday presents.  Life does not stop.

Along those lines, I am back from the mountain.  Which I never got to.  I spent the week in doctor exam rooms, the ER, and imaging rooms.  My Mom started two weeks ago with what was thought to be just a horribly bad UTI.  There was a horribly bad UTI that was actually due to cancer.  She has pleomorphic carcinoma of probably the liver.  There is more then the liver involved which means it is Stage 4.  Also, that probably.  It could also be the kidney or pancreas.  But it is rare.  If you chose to google it, that type of cancer is normally related to the lung.  And it is rare for the lung.

Last week was trying to help her heal from the UTI.  She is very weak and everyone is so focused on the cancer word that they forget how bad it truly was.  There were a lot of doctors' appointments and almost another hospitalization.  If Dr. Matt had had his way, when we went to ER for the MRI he would have kept her.  Her blood sodium levels were off and she could have done with another transfusion.  But she did not wish to be there. 

Healing is about more then just what the doctors can fix.  It is being comfortable.  Being able to eat and rest.

The things that are most frustrating are the people dynamics.  I am there for my Mom.  What she needs, I will make happen.  I will facilitate what her doctors wish her to do to make her well.  It is not about me.  But because my Mom is such a center in her family and her community, it is interesting to see how scared people are making it about them.  Because if something happens to her, they will not know who to lean on.  There is a lot of power and control dynamics going on.  I find those people who are in the power and control game, are not even recognizing that my Dad has a role.  I do not wish to be watching this.  It is a bit fascinating.

I did have a friend tell me I need to take care of myself because I am such a caretaker.  Yes, he is right.  Last week, I made sure there was good food for everyone.  It was interesting how so many of those close to my Mom needed her attention but really did not let her rest or take care of her.  She was still supposed to take care of them.  Those people are still playing those games.  I get beautiful pictures of my Mom's Christmas cactus.  I can tell them, I win.  My Mom is feeling better even though there is a very long path forward.

Halloween for Bear

Koda Bear wanted to be Doctor Strange for Halloween.  The Tall Short Person looked at buying him a costume but they were pricey.  Most, could not even be made or delivered before Hallows.

What did I do?  I spent a lot of time researching Doctor Strange.  I am going to have to get the movie from the library again just because I researched it so much.  I really enjoyed it.

This is the under layer I created.  Doctor Strange wears a very martial arts looking outfit under his cape.  But it is blue.  Really an indigo blue.  It is a very Japanese color if you ever look at the indigo dyed there.  And yes, I have.  My hands are blue today because I did put them in my indigo pot.

I had a blue corduroy dress that had a small hole in it and two pairs of jeans with holes in them.  I made this vest.  The jeans were stretch jeans and these bindings were not fun to work with.  The denim did not wish to stay straight.  It wanted to twist even though I had cut everything as close to straight on the grain as I could.  But it turned out well.  It is shorter then what the movie character wore but Koda Bear was very happy with it.  

I also made a sash out of jean for him to wear.  Again,  denim with spandex wants to twist if is coming from a pair of preworn jeans but  I made it work.  I am a bit stubborn.  He wore this all afternoon yesterday.

The jeans I keep mending for him needed more length.  I added that length and now they look very much like the pants that Doctor Strange wore.  The character had bindings on both his forearms and calves.  This helps with the legs to look closer to what the character wore.  And I do not have to figure out how to get Koda Bear to stand still!

Not bad for an old dress and two pairs of jeans.  

There is a cape but I will not share that until after Halloween.  I am going traveling.  The timing could not be better because my Mom is under the weather.  We just have to figure out how ill she really is and what path forward she will wish to take.  All prayers and healing energy for her are gratefully accepted.