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Category Archives: Arts

The Book Of Thank You ~ Post Two: Thank You Miss Jane

19 Tuesday Jul 2016

Posted by duckykoren in American Civil War, Artists, Arts, Barbies, Civil War, internet, iphone, podcast, Uncategorized

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History, Minimalists, Podcasts

 

There are hundreds of podcast covering lots of different subjects such as music, religion, history, etiquette, television, entertainment, etc. etc.

By the way, a podcast is a radio show of shorts, except it is not delivered via a radio signal but rather downloaded from the internet onto your smartphone.

It’s always a good night when I can listen to a podcast and be introduced to new subject matter that I may not have heard of otherwise.

About two weeks ago I started listening to THE MINIMALISTS podcast.

If you’ve never heard of them, the minimalists advocate downsizing possessions in search of a more meaningful life.

I was immediately eager to find out how I could downsize as I am finding it hard to get rid of things that I have been accumulating for decades.

For whatever reasons, I have never given much thought as to what I would eventually do with all the stuff I had been accumulating. In my ignorance I just kept collecting more and more stuff. More books, more mugs, more records, more wool, more knitting needles.

More rubber ducks.

No word of a lie.

Case in point:

Now, I work with the lovely lady who I call Miss Jane.

She is very smart and an excellent conversationalist. We talk about history, religion, art, steampunk jewelry. Her necklaces have always fascinated me. They’re more like totems which usually have a cultural or religious significance.

From early on in our friendship one of the many things that I adored about Miss Jane is that she is as adept at discussing one of my favourite subjects, civil war history, as she is drawing portraits or designing fabrics.

Four years ago, she presented me with a small plastic shopping bag.

I peeked and looked inside.

To my surprise, I pulled out a General Stonewall Jackson Doll in it’s original packaging as if it had never been opened. General Stonewall Jackson was a confederate General during the American civil war.

She told me that it had been given to her as a gift.

The doll looked like it has the same measurements and attributes as a Ken doll, like in Barbie and Ken.

Miss Jane told me she was in the process of decluttering her home.

In all the years that she’s owned the doll, she never found any use for it.

Of course, I thought to myself.

Who would?

She offered it to me as a gift and asked if I would take it off of her hands.

I said yes and then thanked her for her kindness.

A few minutes later, as I watched her walk away, a question came to mind.

That question was…

“What am I going to do with a Stonewall Jackson Barbie doll?”

It was at that moment that I knew it was time to start thinking about downsizing my collections, or at least to stop collecting stuff.

That is why I would like to thank dear Miss Jane.

Without your kind gift, I may have never had that long overdue epiphany.

For that I am grateful…

And by the way…

If anyone is interested in acquiring a General Stonewall Jackson doll,

…please let me know.

 

 

❤

My.Daily.Distraction ~ Post 182: Spin

22 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by duckykoren in Arts, Crafts, DIY, Knitting, Spinnung, Wool

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Tags

crafts, DIY, Family, Knitting, Spinning, spinning wheel, Wool, Yarn

image

There is a photograph that I grew very fond of as a child.

This photograph was a framed picture that hung in my Aunt’s dining room in Cleveland, Ohio.

It was a very old picture picture of my elderly Great-Grandmother sitting beside what appeared to be a lake.

She was sitting in front of a spinning wheel as she spun yarn. Her eyes are fixed to her task at hand. She looks neither happy or sad. She does however, appear very content.

It is over thirty years since I last saw that picture. Nevertheless, I still remember it well.

I have no doubt that what made the photograph so memorable was the fact that my Great-Grandmother could actually spin wool.

This made me proud.

About fifteen years ago, my eldest daughter and I began to knit. To this day we continue to happily share this pastime. It did not take long for us to accumulate an impressive collection of a variety of yarns in just about every colour, both thick and thin.

About 10 years back, my Daughter shared with me her plans to learn how to one day, spin yarn.

I’m afraid that I did not share her enthusiasm.

Where, oh where, would we store the fleece, the spinning wheel, and all the other accoutrements needed for this wool gathering?

Just about every drawer and storage bin in my house contains yarn, yarn, and yet… even more yarn.

In spite of my misgivings, my Daughter made it clear to me that she was not going to give up.

My pertinent Daughter began to read all the magazine articles she could find on how to spin wool. She then watched spinning demonstrations on YouTube. Before I knew it, she was visiting local fibre stores and talking to people who knew how to spin. This was all in preparation for the time when she would be able to pursue her new undertaking.

And I am so very glad she did.

Two years ago, she was finally able to purchase her spinning wheel.

That was when she began creating some of the loveliest yarns that I have ever seen.

I am proud of her spinning achievements, and I’d like to think that her Great-Great Grandmother, the same one pictured spinning in that beloved photograph would be proud too.

Now, I have an incredible array of eclectic yarns, while local wool fibre artisans are being supported. Further, my Daughters dreams of spinning have come to fruition.

Everybody wins.

I love it when that happens.

My.Daily.Distraction ~ Post 62: Paint Me A Mask

17 Wednesday Dec 2014

Posted by duckykoren in Arts, depression, Poems, Poetry, self help

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arts, Colour, Depression, love, masks, painting, Poems, Poetry

I can see in your eyes

That you wear a disguise

Can it be that the truth

Is elusive as youth…

Not wanting to pry

I will live with your lie

Since the face is amiss

I will tell you just this…

Paint me the mask

that you want me to see

With your brush firm in hand

Let your colours run free

I will not stand in judgement

Please allow me the grace

I will see what you ask

When you paint me your mask.

Let the red stand for anger

And the blue show your hunger

Let the green show your peacefulness

The purple your wistfulness

When the mask has been filled

With your painting enough

Stand back when I show

How I’ll paint it with love.

And then when comes the day

Finally you can say

Of this mask you grow weary

You wish me to see clearly

You no longer can hide

What is real, what’s inside

Set the mask bright aflame

With no worries or shame.

So paint me your mask

Is all that I ask

Keep me not at arm’s length

Let me give you the strength

To be what you’ll be

When you sit next to me

I will not turn away

Next to you I will stay.

And when pain rains on down

Brown and blue are your crown

When you have no more strength to give

I’ll give you the will to live

Yes, I’ll give you my love

I can’t say it enough

We’re forever as friends

And ever…..

Amen.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

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