The Cloth Whisperer

 As found on Mira Gupta's Facebook page...

"The Cloth Whisperer," Jude Hill creates Spirit Cloths using a philosophy rooted in storytelling and the inherent nature of fabric.

Her journey began with domestic sewing taught by her mother and grandmother, eventually evolving into a creative practice during a long commute where she completed her first queen-sized quilt entirely by hand.

Hill describes herself as an alternative quilter and folk artist who rejects modern synthetic additives, or "gunk," that she feels interferes with the cloth’s integrity. Instead, she prioritizes recycling and repurposing old textiles, noting that aged fabric is softer and more receptive to hand stitching. Her process, which she calls "thought catching" and "what-iffing," treats each piece as a metaphorical sampler of life’s journey, blending layers and mending techniques to explore the relationship between sewing and weaving.

My favorite of her works. How many critters do you see in these?

Her work reminds me of "Slow Stitching" which  a friend is enjoying.

My  second favorite!

Sharing with Saturday’s Critters 

-------------------

---------------

Tomorrow is Imbolc, or Bridgid's Day.

-----------------

The other night I had an interesting phone call from my oldest grandson. He wanted to know if I was interested in attending his wedding on a cruise in 2027. I had to decline, thinking of two things, my health and the cost. I wished them a really happy time, since they do take cruises regularly (yearly at least) and both are working full time from their recently purchased home. It's nice to think of their future and what a different life style they have, though we are still FaceBook friends and share a bit of our lives there.

I'm not taking part in all the walk outs and vigils this week, so won't be posting about them this time. I'm so glad that people are doing what they need to do!

A rainy day in 2018

 Repost from my blog (no longer being updated) Living in Black Mountain. 2018. Leaf Peepers are people who drive through the mountains just to take photos of autumn leaves.

 Yes, a robin was flying around, tried to find his favorite berries, but there didn't seem to be any.  Otherwise, he could do fine with the worms in the mud below the trees...if he wanted to. Sharing with  Saturdays Critters.

The clouds obscure the distant mountains completely, which otherwise would show through our almost leafless trees.  I will bet the "Leaf Peepers" were all hanging out indoors yesterday also.

And speaking of robins, remember my Feb. 26 post about them gifting my car with lots of splotches?  

The robins have attack my car this week. They flock through mainly in the mornings, eating those red berries they can't digest! Unfortunately there aren't nice bugs and worms left in our sterilized grass areas. So the undigested berries are left under all the many bare maple trees, and my car is partially under one.

Tree with red berries

The sidewalks are also scattered with the leavings, so people have to really scrape their shoes when arriving home in their apartments.

Day two of bird gifts... I decided to not deal with windshield spats so have been backing into the space.

This is now day 4, and my goal is to use these warm days to go scrub off the splats and then go through the car wash as soon as they stop! But they seem to be here for the week, and I need to do this deed and get gas by Wednesday. So I'll patiently look at the splats that happen on Tuesday (writing this then.)  But with bird flu found in wild birds in the area, I'm careful not to touch any of the crap which is even on the handle of my door. They are clever little guys. I have a love-hate relationship with them at this point.

-----------------------

-------------------

Life is full of mystery. The mystery is our invitation to let go and to embrace uncertainty with the fullness of our being. This is how hope becomes our bearing. It’s how it becomes our compass in uncertain times. ​

JOE PRIMO

Meet Alice

Visit to Asheville Art Museum

---------------

More of my grand-pets

Alice kitty with her dad, Michael, my grandson! Taken sometime before 2021.

Thanks to another cat-lover on the internet...not Alice, but gotta love those pink bean paws.

Alice at full size.

Alice showing her pretty tummy!

------------------

Arla Lucia by Cara Romero at Asheville Art Museum

---------------------------------

Phone Box of The Day. Outer Hebrides. Pic. Joan Irvin.

-----------------

Sharing with Eileen's Saturday Critters

Today's quote:

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot. Eleanor Roosevelt An Old photo: Barb & John Baumgartner Winter Prom 58 or 9 - I would have thought that a spring prom dress, but those are Christmas trees sprayed white.

I discovered these precious little ones

 While walking around the lake last week,  I had a nice chat and petting session with this four legged prince.

 

I saw this little fairy princess, well dressed in warm garments as well as her tutu! 

To wish everyone good beginnings of the short month of February, (tomorrow) rabbit rabbit!

By Victoria Beata

Gin Durham 'Part of the Landscape'

Not her photo* Beatrix Potter -- the beloved English author and illustrator of “The Tale of Peter Rabbit" and many similar animal books -- is pictured here with a real-life "Peter Rabbit." As a child, Potter and her brother kept, cared for, studied, and drew their impressive collection of animals and insects which they kept in their school room and on the Scottish and northern England estates where they spent many of their summers. In 1902, Potter’s most famous work, “The Tale of Peter Rabbit,” was published to immediate success. For almost two decades, she continued to publish two or three similar books per year, ultimately writing 24 children's tales.

Potter also spent a good deal of time drawing and observing things found in nature. Mycology, the study of fungi, was of particular interest to Potter, and she even wrote a paper on the subject of fungal spore reproduction. Her paper was presented at a meeting of the Linnean Society in 1897 by a mycologist from the Royal Botanic Gardens, because women of the time were not permitted to attend the meetings. Upon her death in 1943, Potter, a dedicated conservationist, bequeathed sixteen farms and over 4,000 acres of land to the National Trust, enabling significant preservation of the lands that created the Lake District National Park. At the time, it was the largest gift the National Trust had ever received.

Source: Facebook page "Exploration of History"

* see comments for link to some of Potter's photos - in Black and White!

----------------------

Today's quote:

Practicing humility is important — while you may have a greater understanding in some areas, others will always be able to teach you something.

Today's art:

An Argonaut! by Andrew Barnes

Sharing with Eileen's Saturday Critters (tomorrow)

--------------

I've seen Dr. yesterday, and he said maybe I should call the dentist back, since he couldn't do anything except check that it wasn't a blood clot in the swelling. So I'm going to see the dentist this afternoon. She was also concerned enough to work me into the schedule. Of course it is slowly getting better, so maybe by then I won't have the numb lip, swollen cheek and pain any more. Actually that would be great and I'll just cancel the appointment! (I'll let you know tomorrow!)

It's a bird!

Look closely toward the bottom right, he's looking down.

Here he's sitting looking up on the left center of the photo. I spied this lovely woodpecker on a tree this week, though the window, and with the iPhone enlarged to 5x, then cut and enlarged in edit...and still am not sure who he was. Grey front of head with a bright red patch from back of head, and on cheek and under eye. Grey on back,  white underbelly.

So I hope my birding friends will name the one in the maple tree for me.

A happy Dr. Schrodinger and his cat

------------

And from Texas, actually the Alamo in San Antonio.

The Alamo in 1880, if you look closely to the right of the Hugo & Schmeltzer Grocery store.

And in 1950, young Davy Crockets gathered at the Alamo.

------------------

Thought for today: 

In an age where there is much talk about “being yourself,” I reserve to myself the right to forget about being myself, since in any case there is very little chance of my being anybody else.

THOMAS MERTON

--------------------

Sharing with Eileen's Saturday's Critters and Sepia Saturday

Last year's pet parade in Black Mountain. It's happening this year again, today at 3 pm!

---------------

Today's sobering photo of the area around me effected by Hurricane Helene, Sept 26/27 2024