The smoke is so thick that it looks like fog outside our back door. The school behind our home is barely visible, only a block away.
The spider is catching more ash than flies these days.
It's bad here, yes. But we were out in Thurston today, east of Eugene and Springfield. Thurston is on the edge of a phase one evacuation area. The air is thick.
You can taste the smoke and chew ash out there.
This week of forest fires is getting to me. I'm unfocused and tired. My eyes hurt from all the smoke and falling ash. I can't breathe deeply. Exercise is out of the question.
In the last two days, this ash congregated on our doormat. It's also gathering in the cracks of the sidewalks in front of the house.
Even more is collecting under the bistro table on the front porch, which is covered. I'm grateful there aren't big gusts of wind. The ash is quietly floating in.
This afternoon, the following was posted publicly in a local group on Facebook. These are good reminders. I've been cycling through quite a number of these feelings.
Oregon Fires 2020
It's perfectly natural for living beings to be unsettled or even outright frightened by fire, ash, smoke, etc. It's a very deep, inherent and primal reaction. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Let’s be kind and understanding.
This is a time of immense loss surrounding so many that are being hemmed in or displaced. These are normal reactions and clearly affecting the mental health of some within our community. I feel the effects too.
It’s okay to feel any way you feel.• It’s OK to feel helpless.
• It’s OK to be concerned for yourself and others.
• It’s OK to feel paralyzed or arrested in how you are able to function.
• It’s OK to feel panicked, depressed, have high anxiety, etc.
• It’s OK to not even be sure how you feel.
• It’s OK to be downright exhausted.
• It’s OK if you’re still in your pajamas.
• It’s OK if you can’t stop scrolling or checking in (However, please consider taking a mental health break).
• It’s OK that you have not slept well.
• It’s OK if you are having a hard time eating (please try to hydrate and nourish yourself!)
• It’s OK is you feel like pacing or running down the street just to escape.
• It’s OK if you’re worried about wildlife, nature, parks, historical buildings, and spaces.
• It’s OK to be sad, mad, angry, feel like crying or even laughing, or to feel confused.
• It’s OK for your feelings to change min by min.
• It’s OK to want to hide under a blanket.
• It’s OK to feel alone.
• It’s OK to feel sick to your stomach just watching it all unfold while feeling utterly helpless.
• It’s ALL OKAY TO FEELNone of this makes you weak, it actually makes you human - a real, alive, breathing, and sentient and caring being.Know that you will be okay and you are not alone. No matter what. You are strong and there are people here to help. We got this - together
wishing all the best,
Aunia
"MacroDay" sounds a lot less threatening than "Hoping the Fire Doesn't Burn Down Our Town Day."
The smoke is so thick from the nearby fires that the air resembles pea soup fog. Ash is falling. We stay inside in an air conditioned house so that we can breathe. The fires are only a half-hour drive away. It's bad. Dale and I have our "go bags" packed, should we need them, unlikely as it may be. The fire would need to eat through two biggish towns, Springfield and Eugene, before it got to our house.
So to distract myself, I watched a lot of YouTube videos today. This was one of the best.
Think good thoughts and mumble some prayers of protection for all of us, OK?
Our wonderful new next door neighbors grew a vegetable garden this year. They've been sharing their bounty with us.
We used one of their green bell peppers in our zucchini pizza casserole (they gave us the zucchini, too!) When I cut into the pepper, I noticed the "teeth."
So, what's a person to do? I had to give them eyes, too.
They are such happy fellows!
They taste good, too.
I found this beautiful card of hearts and flowers near a check-out counter. I couldn't resist it. The original painting is by Laurel Burch.
The back of the card states:
Her vibrantly colored images are whimsical creations from a mythical world of her imagination ... Laurel created art that is timeless, joyful, and uplifting. The passion of her life was to emphasize our connections with the earth and all living things.
Gosh, that sounds a lot like me. I may have a new mentor.
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| Check out all the detail. |
Last week we had a few dramatic sunsets. I shared several on my other social media, but I saved this beauty from September 1st for my blog.
Yowsa!
I spent most of Saturday backing up my computer. While waiting for files to transfer, I decided to try a zendoodle. I grabbed a piece of scratch paper (you can see print showing through the back side). I used objects found in my studio to make various sizes of circles: rolls of tape, bottle caps, pencil holders, etc. I overlapped the circles. Then started filling them in with small designs.
This activity got me through most of the double-backup. Glad it's done, because on Sunday I get a new,
f-a-s-t computer!
'Tis done!
This afternoon I framed Jeanne's stitchery. It looks sharp. I used a black wood frame with no mat. I added a thin layer of batting under the stitching. I wrapped the ground fabric around foam core.
I added a label on the back for posterity, because, why not?
Now all I'm waiting for is to have our daughter move here! Soon. Soon.
Bonus: This is part of an alternate goal on my 20 Goals in 2020 list. I've now completed five projects that were started or kitted. I'm hoping to complete 20, so I'm a quarter of the way there!
I stitched this piece for my mom in 1995. Her favorite prayer was The Serenity Prayer.
I love this pattern. I love the color pallet. I love the depth it has from full cross-stitches in front and half-cross-stitches in the background. I love how the pine trees, the lupines, the foggy sky, and the bird in flight all remind me of north Idaho where we lived. After Mom died, this piece came back to me.
After twenty five years, the stitching is still in good shape, but the cherry wood frame was pretty beat up. So this week I took the piece apart and gave the frame a nice coat of black acrylic craft paint. The final result is beautiful.
The Serenity Prayer now hangs in our living room in the corner where the couch and loveseat meet, over our new square glass & chrome table.
It's a happy accident that the grey mat board surrounding the stitchery coordinates so well with the wall color in our new home.
I feel the need for a crown.
No. Seriously. I need a crown. The one on my molar snapped in half on Monday night. I about ripped my tongue open on my tooth's jagged edge. Thankfully, Jodie hooked me up with her exceptional dentist and I got an appointment yesterday. The temporary crown is in place.
In a couple weeks I'll get the permanent crown and a teeth cleaning. Yeah! I'd been waiting until the pandemic had run its course before trying to find a dentist. But this broken tooth moved the timeline forward. I'm actually very happy about that. Not only am I six months overdue for a cleaning, but now I get to cross another goal off my 20/2020 list!
Dale dropped me off in downtown Springfield to get me started at the dentist's office. But he had a presentation to give at work, so left me there until after my appointment. I had about an hour to kill before he could pick me up, so I decided to take a walk around the shops and city buildings.
I had the opportunity to walk by many of Springfield's murals, including this one of The Simpsons.
Fun fact. The Springfield depicted in The Simpsons had its origins in Springfield, Oregon.
Another fun fact. There is a geocache associated with this mural. It's a puzzle cache that will take some working out of clues to find the cache, so I didn't try for it today. I'm looking forward to nabbing it with Jeanne and Jodie in the not-too-distant future.
I spent the day watching crafting and political videos on YouTube. To keep my hands busy, I added some patterns to my Zendoodle Catalog. I've found examples of patterns on Pinterest, then tried to recreate them. I also riffed on some of the patterns to create my own.
I like doing the patterns that are not too complicated ... or when they don't make my head hurt from the attempt. This particular pattern wasn't hard, but I didn't enjoy making it. However, the end product turned out to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing to me.
Eventually, I'll draw some doodles combining patterns. But for now, these squares are keeping me occupied.
This week Dale and I picked out the side tables for our living room. We surprised ourselves by choosing modern lines in chrome and glass. We like them because they are visually light, rather than the heavier wood pieces they are replacing.
My favorite designer, Mr. Kate, calls metals and glass the "jewelry" of a room. The chrome works with the grays of the walls and carpet while it shines and glistens in the light of the many windows in this part of the house.
We put the short square table in the corner where the sofa and love seat meet. We still need to find a better-matching table lamp.
The small C-shaped table tucks in on the other side of the sofa.
The long, tall table graces the entryway.
We also picked out a very modern coffee table which will arrive in a few weeks. We want to use it in juxtaposition to our "granny couches" and the traditional glider/rocker. We hope it works in this setting. We're definitely taking a gamble with the style. I'm looking forward to sharing it.
Jeanne and I decided to take a walk at Doris Ranch during her visit this week.
The ranch houses a working filbert (hazelnut) orchard. There were a scattering of nuts on the ground, but look up! The trees are filled with ripening fruit.
We learned that there is a geocache along one of the trails. We didn't find it. We'd have to wade through too much spider-laden underbrush. But near ground zero is this superb fairy garden nestled in an old stump.
Inside the hollow, a treasure trove of painted rocks and trinkets.
One day, I'll return and add some rocks of my own to share.
I've been in a slump where taking photos with my "big girl camera" is concerned. So to buoy myself up, Dale suggested that I take a look at some of my old photos that received recognition from professional photographers. Sounds like a #throwbackthursday activity to me.
2013 - Peppercorn
2014 - Piano Soundboard
2015 - I Shall Wear Purple (self-portrait)
2016 - Dragonfly
2017 - Tall Grass
2018 - Rose
2019 - Orange
2020 - Sunset Clouds
I had the opportunity to buy three more small jigsaw puzzles, and the time to put one of them together. It was a bit harder than I anticipated. Perhaps I'm out of practice.
The name seems appropriate for the season.
Jodie invited Jeanne, Dale and me to join her and Kenny for dinner. We feasted on taco salad, conversation and laughter. I looked around the table and realized that if/when Jeanne moves to Oregon, this kind of gathering can take place more often. I like hanging out at Jodie's house.
Apparently, this talented weaver does too.
Look who came for a visit and to share a sunset with me! We hadn't seen our oldest daughter in months.
She saw our new home for the first time ... including our evening view.
SO good to hug her tightly!
I cut up a bell pepper for stir fry. The pepper top had a surprise waiting for me. Do you see it?
They follow me wherever I go, I tell ya.
When my brain goes into a swirl of repeating and negative thoughts, I find that doing something simple and repetitive is helpful. It's why things like counted cross-stitch and crochet and knitting work so well for me. More often, I find myself playing Spider Solitaire on my phone ... W-A-Y too much. Honestly, I've WON over 11,400 games.
So last night I thought I'd try a new kind of repetitive activity. The art of Zendoodle:
Zendoodling is the art of drawing designs using structured patterns... When you draw a Zendoodle, you're creating a work of art, but you're also deliberately creating a mood, focus, and state of mind.
[It's] an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns... It increases focus and creativity, provides artistic satisfaction along with an increased sense of personal well being.
When I doodle, I usually use repetitive shapes. This practice could expand on a thing I already do, and take it to another level. I'm hoping I'll doodle instead of incessantly playing solitaire.
I found a few patterns on Pinterest and gave them a try last night.
This is my favorite of the bunch so far:
