Decisions & Exploration

It has seriously been a crazy couple of weeks. We've had everything from excessive rain to 100 degree heat; trouble with the sewer line; health scares for several members of our larger family; bug infestations of some trees on our property, and more. Thankfully, things seem to have calmed down for most of those issues, though two members of the family are fighting cancer, and we will have to have some work done on the trees. We are grateful that Tropical Storm Debbie didn't do more damage (several family members live in Florida). We're watching the fires in Colorado (two nephews and their families live near Denver), and praying that they are brought under control soon, along with the wildfires elsewhere.

I've also been doing a lot of reading. Many of the books I've been reading lately were written by Robert S. McElvaine. The ones I have been particularly interested in are his books on the Great Depression, as I have been researching for a novel I want to write about the 20th Century. I find myself truly grateful for the library system we enjoy, and the ability to get books for libraries other than the one in my town.

That reminds me of the library at GSU, for which I helped make the bookshelf quilt. I have been serving on the Friends of the GSU Library board for the last four or five years, and made the decision that I need to step down at the end of my term. Elections will be in August. I hope those of you from the GSU community who follow my blog or Facebook page will consider joining the Friends and helping to further the mission.

The mission of The Friends of the Governors State University Library is to bring together those who share a love of knowledge and desire to promote the role of the library in the University and the surrounding community. Friends provide support for resources and services to benefit learners in the university and the community.

I also made a decision this last couple of weeks about setting up the Etsy shop. I've decided that I need to take some time to work on UFO's and experiment with different techniques and artforms. So, I will be putting the shop off for a while. Making this decision has helped me to realize how much pressure I was putting on myself. What I need more right now is permission from myself to play. To that end, I have just purchased Destination Creativity: The Life-Altering Journey of the Art Retreat by Rice Freeman-Zachery. I also have her book, Creative Time and Space , which I have thoroughly enjoyed and keep as a reference. My plan is to use the workshops in the book, along with those in several other books in my personal library, to explore different media.

My hope for you is that you give yourself permission to play every day, even if it is only for 15 minutes or half an hour. Our busy lives and fast-paced society cause so much stress, we need to remember to act like children every once in a while.

Until next time, I wish you peace and all good.

Busy Times

It has been fairly busy around here the last month. I have been gradually getting involved, again, in social justice work, in addition to working on Christmas gifts and continuing my involvement with the Friends of the GSU Library. I have reconnected with an outreach group that helps to provide food, clothing, and household necessities to poor people in my area. I, also, had the opportunity to reconnect with the Peace and Social Justice group at Pax Joliet.

Something I don't believe I have mentioned before is that I am also a Secular Franciscan. I can hear you asking, "What in the world is a Secular Franciscan?" In the early years of the 13th century, St. Francis of Assisi established three Orders. They were the Friars Minor, Poor Clares, and the Third Order. The Third Order was originally known as the Brothers and Sisters of Penance. Over the intervening centuries, there have been many changes, of course. One of those changes is that there are now what are called "regular" and "secular" Third Orders. The "regular" are priests and nuns. The "secular" are lay people. Therefore, as a Secular Franciscan, I am a lay person attempting to follow Christ in the manner of St. Francis. You can find out more about the U.S. Secular Franciscans at NAFRA. We are, also, part of the international Order. You can find more information about that at CIOFS. These Franciscans are Catholic. However, there are also Franciscans who are affiliated with other churches. You can find out more about that here: Order of Ecumenical Franciscans.

One of the things I did recently was go to several craft/artisan fairs. They generally serve to inspire me, and I occasionally come across some wonderful artists. Unfortunately, some of the artists whose work I would like to share with you are not on the Internet. There are a few I can share, though. The Posh Kid Boutique does not have very much on her Etsy site, but has wonderful satin flowers along the lines of the one shown. Moon Cookie Gallery has delightfully whimsical watercolors, and Amy Simpson makes beautiful fused glass pieces.

Another thing I have been doing is research for a book I am writing. It is an historical fiction piece, set in the 20th century. Since it follows the life of a woman who was born in the early decades of the century and died near the close of it, my research has to cover a lot of information.

I am truly grateful for the opportunities I have been given, and happy to be able to share some of what I have found with you.

Until next time, I wish you peace and all good.

Friends of the GSU Library Bookshelf Quilt

I am very pleased to have finished a project that has been in process for several years. A small group of quilters from the Friends of the GSU Library put together a bookshelf quilt to raise donations for the library. The last stitches went in on Tuesday, and I delivered it on Wednesday.

Friends of the GSU Library Bookshelf Quilt

I designed the quilt, using images from the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park on campus, cats for some special people, and the Friends logo. Carol, Susan, and I pieced the blocks, and Carol quilted it. Each "book" has space for a title purchased by donation to the library. Since we originally were allowing people to donate fabric for the "book," too, only making blocks for purchased books, it was a learning experience. It was decided, at some point, that it made more sense to put the entire quilt together, first. Additional titles can now be added as donations are made. The quilt will be hung in the library.