March 21

I had Maripat over on my birthday.  I brought out my blue lusterware tea set.  I began collecting blue lusterware when I was in middle school.  My first pieces were plates I bought at a little antique shop in Maine.  My dishes have orange/golden luster accents. I also brought out my Wizard of Oz glasses.  MP cooked up a tofu salad (yummm) and I made my traditional birthday orange cake with cinnamon struesel. for dessert.  Maripat thought it was ironic I made an orange cake, because her gift to me was orange themed.   

The story of orange. 

The orange chakra is associated with creativity.  Gwen says she thinks of me as "orange."  But after losing my job I felt like I had lost my bright and orangy nature.

I felt a great shifting gravitation from some colors to others.  It felt like I was entering a new season, and that I might never enjoy orange like I once did.  Over these past few years some of my prayers were, "Heavenly Father, you control the seasons (spiritually and earthly) and you provide for everything.  Only you can make something out of nothing.  You provide me with the materials to create.  You made me a creator in your image.  What would you have me do?  Where would you have me go?"  I wanted God to place me somewhere that would satisfy worldly ideals. 

My gut went spastic in February and early March.  I had to go to the doctor and get anti-spasmodic pills.  (Remember the lower abdomen is where the orange chakra space is.)  I must have caught virus (remember I saw my sister-in-law who had started a rug that inspired me)  During my 3-4 weeks of gut problems I made a rug.  By the time I had finished the rug, in my heart I had written a hopeful list of future projects.  I was GIVEN an orange themed birthday, and I was GIVEN the inspiration to create.  I saw orange coreopsis seeds and an orange primrose.  I was hoping a certain someone was going to GIVE it to me, but someone didn't and that is another part of the story because I yearn and pray for support for my creativity.  When external support for my creative self isn't "there" I get anxious and then I don't support myself very well.  Be a Big Cat (Tiger - I was born the year of the tiger) not a cub Heidi!  I gave myself the coreopsis seeds.

Inside the lovely bag was orange tea, an orange scented candle, citrus gum,

chocolate orange candy bars (the best I have ever eaten),

and the most beautifully fragrant orange patchouli body cream. 

Kadie and Dan sent me these beautiful flowers for my birthday.

I finally hung my grandma's old lusterware wall pocket. 

Later that day I went and picked up my repaired car.

Sunbrellas

I am finally starting my Sunbrella project.  I have these old damaged umbrellas I am going to repair with lining scraps from the wool skirts and jackets I have cut up to make the rugs. 
I had just finished soaking these filthy umbrellas in Oxyclean, and decided to hang them on the line.

St. Patrick's Baby Shower

March 17th was Julie's baby shower, St. Patrick's Day, and Ivy and David's Anniversary.  I love to play Irish on St. Pat's day calling myself Mrs. O'Draky.  With my reddish hair, green eyes and Irish accent I make a convincing impostor.  I wore my plaid green skirt, short boots white shirt, green sweater, and my mother's old suede cap. Why didn't anyone take my picture?  And, why didn't I drink any Bushmills (like a good Protestant)? 

Anyway, at this time I was reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  In Rubin's chapter on money she describes herself as being an "underconsumer."  Meaning she doesn't think to spend money on the things she needs so she tends to not have essentials on hand.  I sort of relate to this.  I am an in and out of the store kind of shopper; most of the time I am concentrating on getting one item.  I bought baby Jame's baby book, but I forgot to get wrapping paper.  So at the last minutes I was scrambling around trying to "make up" gift wrapping.  The package above is the results.  Now I know it isn't as flashy as it could be, but I realized that being an underconsumer invites the opportunity to be creative.  

I was happy that I got to use my Hunca Munca stamp.  

Grandma Elizabeth gave me this wonderful cup for my birthday.  It was an ironic gift considering that Spot broke my "Secret Garden" tea cup.  Jeff said I should take Spot to the store  . . .  Stop! Like who ever sees anyone with a pet cat in the store? A dog, maybe. A cat, never.  Continue . . . take Spot to the store and buy her something she has always wanted.  Then when you get home BREAK IT!  right in front of her.  *sigh* Jeff is always the comic.

I told the kids at St. Stephen's the story and Jeff's solution and they were HORRIFIED!  I laughed and said, "That's just Jeff trying to be funny. I would never do that."  But the dears were concerned about me losing my tea cup and kinda felt like the cat needed to be punished.  Poor Spot is being punished enough with her skin affliction.  When people see her I say, "UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!" like she has leprosy.  Poor old cat, I am NOT believing that this is Karma for knocking over the frog's bowl -TWICE. Anyway Lexi asked, "What will you do Mrs. Drake?"  Able spoke up and said, "She can just a new one."  I said, "One I can appreciate the other ones I have."  I have been on a journey of detachment and what I have found is that the more detached I am the more gratitude I have. 

Anyway, I love this cup although I handle it very gingerly.  In quiet reflection I saw God's lesson's.  God loves me and will provide for my needs.  This isn't about cups, it's about the gift of friendship. All the dolls on the cup are reminders of my friends who are "living dolls." 

Apple Cake

Gwen's mother, Marianne, passed away.  For the funeral Gwen had a Hungarian style meal in her honor.  I have an Eastern European cook book and this apple cake looked perfect to make and take.  I am so proud of the results, because it tastes as good as it looks.  It was deffinately worth any effort invested to make it. 
I was the party frau.  I set up the food and got the drinks.  I had a great time!!!

The meal consisted of kielbasa, Horku sausage, cabbage rolls, keflie pasteries, poppy seed roll.  I have grown so fond of Eastern European food. 

Mom's Birthday Cake

My mom loves pineapple.  I ate this cake at Kathy's birthday party in early January.  I decided to make one for my mom.  It is a light refreshing cake.

Mix a small can of crushed pineapple into prepared white cake batter.  Bake.  Cool. Cut layer in half and fill with Cool Whip topping.  Coat cake with whipped topping and decorate with pineapple slices and maraschino cherries.

My First Rug

 At this stage some buckling occurred and I decided to redo the middle.  I ended up removing the center I was sad to see the dark center go, but the rug laid flat when I did so.  I think the problem was how I was adding thread and the tension of the lacing.

This is the finished rug.  I am okay with my first attempt and I do want to make many more rugs.  So I rolled it up to store it.  I will lay it in the kitchen after the floor is painted (hopefully this summer).  I hope to begin another rug soon.  I want to make one for the living room entrance.  I could add more to it if I wanted to. 
I used a pair of my mom's pants to get the dark teal edge.  It is 46 inches in diameter.
I really dig my rug.  It gave me a lot of joy to make it.

Braided Rug

 Last month my sister-in-law Nancy showed me her new project, rug braiding.  I about fell out of my seat because I had been thinking pretty hard for about two months to try this on my own.  Seeing Nancy's beautiful wool rug was just the inspiration to get me going. I searched the web and talked to Gwen (who gave me her granny's equipment to borrow), and this is what I have accomplished. 

I have never done this so I am learning a lot and I know I might try things different if I attempt to make another.  Bottom line:  Rug braiding is fun and the resulting product has a spiritual warmth about it.

 We went to our last Parent's Weekend at MLC.  We made a point of going to see the Claes Oldenburg Cherry and Spoon sculpture.  The artist's birthday is the same day as Randy's

 We went to a resale shop and I bought these beautiful crocheted potholders.  I am using them as coasters in the livingroom.

Yes, I was in an accident. Not the weekend we saw Kadie, but last weekend.  Icy conditions, I just slid down a ramp into a van.