Friday, March 15th, 2019
The Ides of March
An Update on the Decluttering Business

A slow process from which I am often dissuaded by the sunshine, by the essays I am currently reading, by the music I am delighted to find tucked away in numerous wicker baskets, drawers and bags, and which I am so tempted to put on the piano and let my fingers find the harmonies that were once so familiar to them....

And the memories that evokes.  The duets that Charles and I used to play at one time, - the Clemanti Sonatinas that were part of my practise when learning to play...

A musing aside,  --  as I remember walking to lessons, waiting on the bench at the foot of the stairs leading up to the lesson room,  a little nervous if my week's practice sessions haven't been up to par!

Today, as my fingers fumble along, and I note the little reminders left by my piano teacher, I am reminded of the affection I had for her and her many kindnesses, which I tried to acknowledge by "trying hard".  I have a Second Place medal to prove it, won in a Music Festival....

What shall I do with all the organ music  - or with the old tattered sheets of music that were the favourites of various members of the family.  My father - "Charmaine" and my mother, The Rosary and Ramona.

And the music that Charles played, although he gained his inimitable style from his cousin's player piano where he learned to play by ear.   Great bass, especially on "The Dark Town Strutters' Ball"
He also had the traditioal Toronto Conservatory  lessons, so was well versed in reading music.

Well I took all this music out and found that there was ONE book that I felt I could grow older without.

I have to say decluttering played second fiddle to the delightful hour I spent playing old familiar dear-to-my-heart pieces.

Such a great part of my life!!

It was the same with my threads, despite the clutter on the shelves in the weaving room - along with all the weaving books and magazines!

I will start small.

I have a very limited supply of empty bobbins, but a great display of bobbins half full, quarter full, perhaps only a one third full, - cottons of all different sizes and silks of all different colours.  Threads of no use to me, left over from other projects.....

Until it came to me that I might transfer those lovely colourful threads from the bobbins to the warping board!!!

And thus it was - de-clutter the  bobbins and create a lovely airy summer scarf, dented generously between warp threads to increase the width of the scarf,  and the weaving going at the speed of lightning as I weave twelve weft threads and then skip half an inch before I start on the next twelve.

Is this de-cluttering??

Well, I like to think it is.  The bobbins are all shy, bashful and bare, waiting to be dressed and re-filled, anticipating the chance to do their thing in some new scarf or towel or table mat or......?

I will work on the music and find somewhere I can put it out of my sight - perhaps present it to one of my piano playing children, or put it on the shelves that sit behind the organ at the Church.  Probably not Charmaine or Ramona, but The Rosary would feel quite at home there.

A work in progress!!

Clutter Begone

INSTRUCTIONS

Sheri Hostetler

Give up the world, give up self; finally, give up God.

Find God in rhododendrons and rocks,

passers by, your cat.

Pare your beliefs, your Absolutes.

Make it simple;  make it clean.

No carry-on luggage allowed.

Examine all you have

with a loving and critical eye, then

throw away some more.

Repeat. Repeat.

Keep this and only this;

     what your heart beats loudly for

     what feels heavy and full in your gut.

There will only be one or two

things you will keep,

and they will fit lightly

in your pocket.

These are stern and almost impossible instructions to a lady 

who has been keeping house for over seventy years;

who gathers to her heart six children and their spouses, 

thirteen grandchildren and an equal number of great grands!! 

What do you throw away??

Only those things that don't bring you joy....

and that limits the amount of detritus

that remains in my house!!! 

However!!!!

lately I have been very much drawn to de-cluttering;

to the books that give you wild and wonderful

advice about how to go about this...

I am cautioned to

"keep this and only this;

what your heart beats loudly for"

"throw everything on the floor

and only return to the closet those things

you simply cannot live without"

How can I throw out the beautiful blue shirt that

matched my husband's beautiful blue eyes,

even if the collar is frayed

and the colour slightly faded from so many washes?????

"leave sentiment out of this -

the watchwords are order and serenity"

Well, there are things, like old electricity bills

and tax notices, income tax forms and

other files that haven't been opened for lo these many years...

Would that satisfy the Orderly Gods?

I don't THINK SO!!

I believe we require more drastic action

to reach serenity with a capital S!!

I shall make a half hearted attempt

starting with the contents of the old trunk 

that belonged to my parents,

and going on to whatever might be stored

in my "hope" chest...

but books????  Not likely...

It is a long time since I have read Teilhard de Chardin

or Clemance Dane,

but if the longing for them should overtake me

they have more to offer than

Martha Stewart's

100 ways to unclutter your home.

.......and my thirty years of Handwoven Magazines
are precious to me
and bring me great JOY

This is an on going thing - I will let you know how we fare!

Thursday, March 7th, 2019

And the mornng was perfect...

Mild and windless, the air warmed as the sun rose

and by ten o'clock, with the front door open

I was out on the front porch

enjoying the sunshine.

My son-in-law remarked it was a lovely day

to bring a chair and a book, and one's glasses

and enjoy the rest of the morning reading in the sun.

He offered to retrieve the round glass summer table

 and the two wicker chairs from the garden shed

and it was lovely...

One would almost think that Spring

was on the outskirts of town and that it would be appropriate

to welcome her with flutes and trumpets!!!!

About one o'clock the clouds began to gather!

Dang, - wrong about Spring again  (such a flirt)

At three it began to snow - and it is snowing still

Dusk began to gather the evening shadows

and I found the camera

and snapped a picture of the round glass table

and the wicker chairs

entirely inappropriate with their

icing of snow!

What will the mornng light reveal tomorrow?

Canada Post brought me a new fringe twister today

ti replace the one that is hiding in some mysterious spot

so whether it rains, or whether it shines, or even if it snows

the day will find me twisting fringes

on the seven scarves that hang over the hall bannister!!

Weary of Winter

Are you weary of winter?????

Here are a couple of fellows to bring you some relief.

If you forgot to say hello to the White Rabbit

when he arrived

rest easy ---

he is forgiving

and too taken up with the Mach Hare to

give it any thought!!!!

If they don't do the trick

rest your eyes on these lovely flowers

blooming in my garden in the good old summertime.

or on the lilies

that come before them

or the buttercups!!

first sign of spring - out in the woods

or in any meadow!

Take heart -

Spring is just around the corner

lazing up against a tree

until she feels called upon to

gladden our hearts!

I do wish she'd hurry

she'd be such a sweet antidote

for my cabin fever!!!

re my header!

I have such fond memories of the yellow bells

that grew on the hillside

of our farm

and were brought to me

clutched in dear, sweet,

 and loving little hands!!!

Saturday, February 23rd, 2019

A lazy Day....

Well, yesterday I was seized by a passionate need to finish "the shawl"  

which has been demanding

so much of my concentration, determination and enthusiasm. 

 And I did,  as you will see......

Last night, after I had washed and agitated it late in the evening, and hung it up to dry, I went to bed with such a lovely feeling of satisfaction and slept so well I was half an hour late waking - I time my waking hour with how strong I think Bruce's bladder is  (Bruce, my darling dog)

All things necessary attended to I poured the first cup of coffee and went to investigate 'the shawl' and found it to be ready for a good pressing with the steam iron. 

 Breakfast can wait....  

I am so anxious to see this project finished!

Pressing done, I examined the fringe and couldn't quite

make up my mind...

to leave it hanging loose, or twist and knot????

For the present it is hanging loose

and here is the shawl...

(although I am not a good photographer)

I have to say I am most pleased with it

and feel those hours of sticking in a pin to mark

where I was in the instructions,

changing shuttles 

and keeping track of the tabby

were all worth while.

And so today I am having a LAZY DAY

made some orange muffins for church tomorrow

and that's the extent of my endeavours for the day!!

If I were to go to watch curling

I would probably fall asleep

so I will just laze the day away

happy with my efforts

and not even contemplating what

will go on the loom next

to keep me happy and contented.

This and That

Wednesday, February 20th, 2019

It's weaving day today!

In between working on the current shawl

(which requires me to be very diligent and concentrated

because of its intricate pattern)

I am watching a bit of Scottie's Curling

when I break for a little rest,

and marveling at the ability these girls have

(it's a Woman's competition)

of tossing a rock down the ice and being able

to aim it so aptly that it

sends another rock flying, or skidding, or sliding.

however their eye and their hand

have determined.

The first thing I had to do this morning, though,

was to go outside and rescue the flag which flies over our

garden gate.

I noticed when my DIL came to pick me up for dinner

last night

(wonderful dinner, - ribs in BBQ sauce)

anyway, I noticed that the wind had been playing havoc

with the flag, and it was entangled in the

climbing rose, beneath it.

The Beloved, from on high, would have been very upset

to see the flag so disabled, and I was prone to do something about

this immediately!!!!

Luckily there was a long pruned limb leaning against

the house (and I know not how it arrived there, but was happy

to see it!)

Between the limb and my cane, which accompanies me most places,

I was able to disentangle the flag from the rose spurs

and gradually bring it within reaching distance, free

of all encumbrances.

I folded it up reverently, and took it into the house,

to be replaced by a new emblem

that indicates this is the house of a patriot,

and I hoped my dear one would be happy with the effort!!

The sun is shining this morning, - there is blue sky

and there are white clouds.

The catkins have not yet acknowledged that spring is

around the corner, and if the spring bulbs

have started to poke through the ground

they will have discovered a half a foot of snow impeding their progress!!

However, we had a mild January, and I guess winter

had to put in an appearance sometime before the March winds do blow!!

The Christmas Hellebores were lovely,

and I'm sure the Lenten Hellebores will be just as beautiful

even though Lent is late this year......

Easter is April 23rd.

In 1943 on the day I met my sweetheart, Easter fell on the 25th of April.

A day of happy destiny!!

Lunch time now, - weaving time later!!!

I'm off to deal with this precious day.

Post Script


While having lunch I was leafing through a book

entitled "Poetry of Presence"

(an anthology)

and came across this poem by Lynn Ungar, 

The Way it Is

"One morning you might wake up
to realize that the knot in your stomach
has loosened itself and slipped away
and that the pit of unfulfilled longing in your heart
has gradually, and without you really noticing it,
been filled in - patched like a pothole, not quite
the same as it was, but good enough.

And in that moment it might occur to you
that your life, though not the way
you planned it, and maybe not even entirely
 the way you want it, is, nevertheless -
persistently, abundantly, miraculously -
exactly what it is.

In Loving Memory

February 16th, 1902 - October 4th, 1957

Dolly (Clark) Thompson

End of the day....

Thursday, February 7th, 2019

First of all Bruce goes out for some night-time air, 

and to attend to other business.

A few minutes later

The door explodes, 

 - the little dog comes rushing through,

his nails clitter clattering down the hallway.....

  -  and it is time for evening treats.

Callie gets in on the feast as well, 

but in a much more ladylike fashion.

 I gather up my mints,

 my Ipad for watching Netflix 

(until my eyes waver and close,)

 and as I go to lock the doors

 and check that the pilot light

in the little gas fireplace is on and burning brightly

 I am awash in the lovely fragrance of the Hoya

as I brush past it..... 

What a perfectly lovely way

to end the day!

And how generous the Hoya is

to scent this wintry evening!

Post Script...

many thanks to Ruth for helping me

give this plant the right name!!!!

The Shawl

February 1st, 2019

I have these gorgeous cones of

silk and wool, (combined)

sitting on my kitchen counter

where I can gaze upon them

with lovely anticipation!

I am going to make a shawl......

Doesn't it look as if it's going to be delicious?

If you say it very quickly the adventure

of making a shawl out of those skinny threads

doesn't seem to be too dauting.

But..

First you have to wind the warp.

Four hundred and fifty threads,

back and forth, back and forth

and with a cross at one end so that when you remove

the threads from the warping board

they will all be safe and secure and in order

to be beamed on to the back beam.

Once I took the warp off the board

without tying the cross securely

and there was all hell to pay when I tried to beam it on,

so I don't do that any more.

The warp is made up of even skinnier black cotton thread.......

It is safely on the loom

and I am on to the next stage, which involves

threading each of these four hundred and fifty ends.

through the proper heddles in accordance

with the pattern you desire.

Carefully, with the greatest concentration.

I thread for approximately 33 minutes, 

and then my back and neck whisper...

"hey, hey, remember your age!!  How

about a cup of tea, - or we could go and sit in

the easy chair and read a bit

(Kate Atkison - Transcription)

I have threaded two hundred and twenty-five ends,

so far.

Tomorrow morning I will tackle the rest,

and Sunday I will sley the threads through the reed

two at a time.

I figure Monday morning will see me up early,

winding bobbins with this gorgeous wool/silk

and throwing the shuttle back and forth, back and forth

with great enthusiasm and satisfaction!

It fills the days with a good feeling

of accomplishment

and weaves up all the tattered hours

and minutes.

In case you let February arrive without the proper obeisance to the White Rabbit

here he is, and you can bow three times and turn around, 

or are you supposed to turn around three times

and then bow???

In any event

have a great month - a short one

and soon it will be spring!

But hopefully, long before that

I will post a picture of the Shawl....

Tuesday, January 29th, 219

An invitation to dine tomorrow evening, - and entertainment after!

No. 3 son and I will be delving into old, old pictures, 

that don't bring back memories, because they were taken before our time,

 but do open the gates into another century, 

and other generations.....

I peer into the box of pictures
and what do I find, randomly!!!

Here is a picture of Mary Anne, my great grandmother, 

with my grandmother on her knee!

And four generations of my father's family..

My aunt, standing, was soon to die in the 1919 flu...

her son, my favourite cousin

A merry collection of my mother's family....

her sisters, her mother, probably her aunt
and cousins

Dear Aunt Hildred, - for whom I am named -

and the name goes on and on

in the family, remembering her

Ah, one of Charles' intrepid ancestors

and his mother, as a young girl visiting New York

Here is the grandmother who started off sitting on my great grandmother's knee

and now is cutting a special anniversary cake

with her husband, Leonard

(25th, I believe)

and Charles, playing cards with his sister

and a boyhood friend, who became a lifelong friend....

Just a little handful of the snaps

that lie in the box of old photos,

waiting to be passed on!!!

Tidbits

January 23rd, 2019

Variations on a warp

and other interesting tidbits...

I had just finished hemstitching the end of this scarf

(I have still to twirl the fringe)

when one of my dear Daughters in Law

(I have a few - all dear to me)

came to pick me up for dinner.

It is lovely to eat out, and to have conversation

with your meal!

We had a nice evening planned....

The weather was warm

and though snow was forecast 

there was no sign of it yet.

After dinner my son and I were going to

inspect some old, old, old, family pictures

on his humungous screen

with his "do-anything" program.

I had rescued these pictures from an uncaring cousin

who was about to throw them all out,

after my Auntie Hildred died...

They are a treasure

and we had a wonderful time 

inspecting noses, and hair-dos, hats,

gravestones and eyebrows.

Time just flew by until I looked at my watch,

and at the same time my DIL came to say

it was snowing heavily,

So on with the shoes, and out with the cane,

and we went carefully down the hill and out

on to the highway,

with the snow swirling, really quite wildly.

We all got home safely.

Bruce went out into the backyard before we went to bed

and everything was looking festive and sparkling.

 I woke in the night to see the

branches on the neighbour's evergreens

laden with a foot of snow and

bent towards my window.

And in the morning......

It is the first real snowfall we have had this winter..

who's complaining!!

The  morning was glorious

all fresh and pure and white

in the sunshine

and the sky was almost as blue as May.

From my window in the loom room

I can see the far off hills, 

where the sky and the mountains

blemd their blues together.

I finished another scarf.....

A scarf with holes in it......

An exercise in "denting" in the reed

Surely not for warmth,

strictly for decoration.

It is always a surprise when you wash

the weaving - magic in the water

and something you feel rather disappointed in

captures your heart.

More sun tomorrow - how lovely!

Probably icicles, as the temperature is going to drop,

Bruce tells me it is time to go outside,

have evening treats,

and settle down in bed for the night.

Sweet dreams.

and what shall I do today?

Monday
January 21, 2019

I am musing over breakfast about what I should do today, and where....It is wonderful to have options, even one-sided ones.

I could clean, or I could weave!

I scan the sky and note a few pink clouds clustered at the top of the Cawston Hills, 

which bodes well for the day (and for gardening if it wasn't January).  

Should I ignore this lovely weather and favour a creative day weaving,

or should I go out and feed the birds,

 poke around to see if any of the bulbs have heard the call to arms. 

 I am lost in the thoughts of spring...

Suddenly the pink clouds part, and the sun rises to lighten up the day!!!

Not all it lightens up, - my gaze is drawn to the coffee table, the piano and the buffet, 

where the sun has exposed the dust which lies, just an unseen part of the gloomy days,

 but complacent and resting comfortable on each and every surface!!

If I hesitated before, now my mind is made up for me!!!

I think of a couple of familiar housekeeping poems that might haunt me 

if I was so inclined to give them haunting room.....

This one you must know.  

 Dust if you Must

Rose Milligan

Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better

To paint a picture, or write a letter,

Bake a cake, or plant a seed;

Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time,

With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;

Music to hear, and books to read;

Friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there

With the sun in your eyes and the wind in your hair;

A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,

This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,

Old age will come and it's not kind,

And when you go (and go you must)

You, yourself, will make more dust.

Well, I did dust, and did  things to make the kitchen counter happy, 

and the hallway floors, 

but now I have had a bit of lunch and the sky is still blue, 

and the sun is still shining, - so I am off to check on the bulbs, 

and perhaps when I come back I will quote you the poem of 

"A Psalm of Life", by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow!!!

************

I found a few Hellebores

the scarlet nubs of a peony 

and a few early crocus stalks

and I look for the catkins to start filling out,

growing long and golden,

but not yet.......

A little stroll around the garden and the luck of being

able to see last night's amazing and beautiful

red moon eclipse,

and the moon, this morning

just setting, - golden and glorious

all this speaks of 
A Psalm to Life!!

Tell me not in mournful numbers,

Life is but an empty dream!

For the soul is dead that slumnbers,

And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!

And the grave is not its goal;

Dust thou art, to dust returnest,

Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment and not sorrow,

Is our destined end or way;

But to act, that each tomorrow

Finds us farther than today.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,

And our hearts, though stout and brave,

Still, like muffled drums, are beating

Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,

In the bivouac of Life,

Be not like dumb, driven cattle!

Be a hero in the strife!

Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime

And, departing, leave behind us

Footprints in the sands of time;

Footprints that perhaps another,

Sailing o'er life's solemn main,

A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,

Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,

With a heart for any fate;

Still achieving, still pursuing,

Learn to labor and to wait.

My thanks to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for inspiring me to get the cleaning done

. - the dusting and the scrubbing, 

so that perhaps some 

"forlorn and shipwrecked brother (sister),

seeing, shall take heart again!!!

I will be glad if my dusting is of some service!!!

Besides alleviating my housewifely guilt.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,

so I am off to do some weaving

for a while.

This and That

Thursday, January 17th, 2019

The sun shone yesterday and I was inspired to write a blog

but not so inspired that I ACTUALLY did it...

I was fiddling about, playing the piano (no violins or ukuleles involved)

with the front door wide open, to let in the sun,

when a delivery man arrived with a brown paper parcel, -

the 2018 edition of Daybyday

I must say a very thin volume,

only sixty-four pages

and some of them taken up with pictures!!

Between the book and the sun I was quite chuffed,

but then the sun, which skims the top of K Mountain

slid behind an outcropping at the top of the mountain,

and alas, the day dimmed.

It had been such a lovely change to have sunshine!!

We have been in the grip of an Inversion

for a few days -

pewter skies stretching right down

to the ankles of said K Mountain

When we first moved to this area of the country

we established (along with other veterans)

an orchard five or six miles to the south,

in sunny Cawston.

The valley is much wider there.

We lived at the foot of the mountain

and sometimes in the hot, hot summer

that boiling old sun stayed with us

until almost ten o'clock!!!!

However, on the whole it was as wonderful experience.

Perfect place to raise a family,

as our children will attest.

Further, to the west, the valley narrows.

The village of Keremeos is located there

along the Similkameen River

and under the watchful eye of

K Mountain.

We had this lovely feeling of superiority

(more sunshine in Cawston)

and although we felt pity for Keremeosites

we vowed we would never, never, never live there!!!

Shopping, yes, - but to live there!!!!!

Oh well, fate has a way of 

upsetting anybody's applecart, and living on an apple orchard

we were well equipped with applecarts!!!

When we first  moved to Keremeos we were on the outskirts.

We found a lovely piece of property.

Three acres - room for a spacious and beautiful garden,

and a meadow to rent out to horse enthusiasts.

Most importantly we were west of K Mountain.

We lived there for eighteeen years -

a wonderful home for us at that stage of the game.

Five bedrooms to house visiting grandchildren,

room for two looms and a pool table and fireplace

in the elevated basement.

Just heaven!!!

Eventually, as we got older and past the young retiree stage

we moved to a sweet home on a son's back pasture.

We started a new garden -

Charles nurtured some crooked willow cuttings

and planted a marvelous driveway

which provided privavy and shade.

But somehow fate had his finger upon us

and eventually, through the kindness of another dear son and DIL

here we are in Keremeos!!!

Nice home, - great garden - good neighbors,

and close to all necessities

Perfect place to be in those aging years

that limit one's mobility!

despite K mountain in the winter...

Soon the sun will be high enough to avoid all

the mountainous projections

and it will be sunshine all the way!!!!

It is snowing today..

first just a skiff, but now quite heavily.

K Mountain hides behind the cloud that covers her...

right down to the ankles!!!

I am putting in time trying to increase the weight

of the 2019 volume

of Daybyday