Yarnstorm

Is there something in the world that just grabs those creative juices and ideas tumbling pell-mell through your mind? I have several (later blogs to be expected), but rich colored fabrics and especially colorful yarn, with their various textures, stir my unused well of latent talents to bubbling.

Suddenly, I get this urge to Knit. But it's the URGE, not the knitting that gets me excited. It's

what all the beautiful colors and textures do to my, at rest, creativity. That moment when creativity goes from passive, to full throttle. It's a moment charged with possibilities and the accompanying adrenaline resulting in joy, is a wonderful by-product.

But whether it's knitting, or painting or dancing, or remodeling my house, just looking at these colors revs up my thought engine.

More often than not I do nothing with these urges. Sometimes I feel slightly bad about that and other times I am satisfied that I can have those juices flow and not feel the responsibility to do anything about them. Just to know that there are sparks just waiting to be ignited is exciting enough. I like not having the burden of always acting, doing, becoming. Just to sit comfortably as the ideas tumble through my imagination is an experience complete with it's own kind of satisfaction.

I think for my daughter, Angela, table settings and cookbooks. Roy, well, it's a sketch book, with accompanying paints. Abigail - nature, and challenge. Emily - nature, and travel. Pat - perhaps the thought of adventure. Ben - mmm...mmm...a ball of any sort? I know they have many others. What are some of yours?

But, dang, when I see something like this, I'm just sure I can knit. And that knowledge is good enough, so don't expect so see me with knitting needles any time soon.

Sunglasses for every mood

Oprah proclaimed today that,"Sunglasses are like shoes, you should have some for every mood." Feelings of isolation washed over me. I've never really been "into" sunglasses or shoes and I know that most the people around me are. My children, friends, strangers and even Roy all get excited about sunglasses. I don't get it!!! Doesn't anyone want to see the colors in the world just the way God intended them. I get driving with sunglasses on long trips to reduce eye strain. And maybe on a really sunny day at high noon at the beach, but no thanks, I just can't pass up true ocean colors, or a sunset without artificial tints. Admittedly if I looked like the model above I'd go for it. I guess I've never been with it, as I notice each Sunday as the really beautiful folks have more pairs of shoes than I have had in my whole life. But it's time to face facts: GI Joe has sunglasses, beloved bunnies have sunglasses....I can get sunglasses for sassy moods, chic moods, sophisticated moods...I'd begin to walk with a strut...I'd....I'd.........................Oh forget it, I'd much rather buy new plants for my yard.

Head over Heels or High Wide and Handsome?

Anyone that has seen me water the lawn, weed the garden, paint a craft, cook a new recipe or more recently, cut hair…..surely has seen a woman “jumping in with both feet”, “flying by the seat of her pants”, or as a past Bishop described me, “that woman is a loose cannon.” Defintion: an unpredictable person or thing, liable to cause damage if not kept in check by others. Because James recently gave a lecture on “idioms”, I decided to use his lesson to try and describe why I chose this picture to accompany my blog name. It seemed the most representative of all the idioms that describe me. “Head over heel” seemed appropriate, but interestingly enough the phrases that seemed on the mark had swear words in them – like –“Hell bent for leather”, or "arse over teakettle”. (That one gave me a chuckle) You know, I always start with such good intentions. I see a small weed in my garden – I bend down in my Sunday dress – ahhhh…another weed…another…compacted earth…needs mulch…sack of mulch is new….grab anything handy to gouge hole in sack…sack explodes…try to clean up before Roy sees…, I think you get the idea. Oh did I mention, ALWAYS, dirt in apparently hilarious locations on my person. Let’s see… What about, “Helter-Skelter”, Meaning: In chaotic and disorderly haste. Or, “Pell-Mell”, Meaning: In disorderly confusion. The trouble is I am opposed to the negative connotations implied in all these idioms. I maintain there is passion, enthusiasm, and yes, a good deal of grace involved in my spontaneous jags. HAZAAAAA! I have found it! “ HIGH, WIDE, and HANDSOME” Meaning: In a carefree and stylish manor. Stylish…hmmm…Stylish… I’ll take it! (for those of you wondering, high-wide-and handsome, originated in the mid 1900's in reference to the independent cowboy)

Rose Colored Glasses

Driving home from Utah to California, I woke from a long nap somewhere in the middle of Nevada. Roy was driving with a big smile on his face and a "little bounce in his drive" (if that can be a phrase) (cause that was what he was actually doing) - "So, Roy, how's the drive?" Roy looks over to me with a big grin. "It's fantastic, great, everything's wonderful." I'm a little unsure, I mean he has to have been driving a long time now with no break so I inquire further, "Are you sure you aren't tired?" Roy again looks at me with that contagious grin "Really, I'm fine, I'm just loving how beautiful the colors are this year in Nevada. They are so much greener and richer. It's just been wonderful." Having driven Nevada several times in my life, I cynically look out the window. Hmmmmmm......Then I look back at Roy.........sure enough, Roy has his dark green sunglasses on. "Roy! It's your sunglasses - the desert's just the same." Roy puts his hand up to his glasses and takes the snap on shades off. "Wow! No kidding - it was just the glasses! Isn't that amazing?" Yeah it certainly is. Roy was happy thinking that Nevada was a verdant desert and now he's happy that he has magical glasses. Roy just happens to be the kind of person who looks at life with rose (or green) colored glasses. Amazing?....... Yeah.