Happy Holidays to You

May each step we take lead us closer to Peace.

Happy Birthday Grandson

My grandson, Anthony, turned twelve last week. I sent these two pieces:

Off to Oklahoma they go to comfort and warm a growing lad.

Happy Birthday, Anthony.

I love and miss you.

Winter Solstice - Time to Speak the Truth

Reaching Higher right now

Lot of family activity right now. I'm stretching for balance. It helps.

Back soon.

Thanks for your good thoughts; all appreciated.

Kissing Kitty GoodNight

CatCat 2001-2013

You'll not be forgotten; you have the softest fur of any kitty I have ever known.

Your way of laying on my desk and banging my keys with your back feet thrills me.

I love you, Kitty Kitty.

lyndamo.tumblr.com has ten of CatCat's best pictures

Nelson Mandela

The world says good-night to one of its World Citizens today.

“Nelson Mandela was everything the world has said of him.

Madiba, as he’s affectionately called, was profound, humble, kind, calm, generous, strategic, funny, brimming with honesty and integrity, occasionally impish and with a heart that seemed as though it could encompass the world.

And encompass the world, it did. It’s always said that after 27 years in prison he turned the other cheek: in truth, he emerged from the fires of hell with nothing but wisdom and love, for his people and for the planet.

There will never be such another.”

- Stephen Lewis

Happy Birthday, Baby Boy Wyatt

Wyatt, aka Burp, Turns One This Holiday Weekend

Mighty climber-naught shall stop me in my quests !~!

Water ranks as my number two favorite drink !~!
Who can guess what's my Bestest ?~!

The Pooh fold-out couch that Preston gave us gets used Every Day.
He plays on it, rolls around on it, makes forts and crawls under it.
Loads of fun, thank you Shaw Family, it's a gem !~!

I walk.
I am one year old.
Wow ?~!

Happy Thanksgiving

May we appreciate what we have, stay out of the stores, enjoy our family and friends,
eat in reasonable portions and share our love.

Who appreciates an undisturbed post-prandial nap ?~!

Happy Birthday, My Soulmate

On this date, in 1951, a baby was born who was to become the most beloved woman in the world to me some thirty years later. In the over-thirty years since then, we have weathered all kinds of storms: financial, health-related-our own and those of others we love dearly, marriage, kids, grandkids, deaths in the family and near to it. Through it all we held each other close and shared.

Happy Birthday, my dear Karen Fay, may we see many more. You are a rare and precious gem.

Happy Birthday

Don and Karen

Karen getting Cuban Coffee

Phyllis, our beloved third sister of other mothers, and Karen

Karen on the Caribbean

Karen and her family

Phyllis, our third sister, and Karen

Karen and Iris

Karen and her beloved Bella

Karen and I celebrate my fiftieth.

Emmy, Skyler and Karen

Karen and Don
Skyler and Emmy-grandkids

Lap Loom Generates Hours of Pleasure...

... and a Lot of Wall Hangings !~!

The small twelve by sixteen inch Lap Loom that I ordered when I began this weaving adventure has given me hours of pleasure and a bunch of cute little wall hangings in bright colors and various textures. I have used yarn, roving that I dyed with food coloring, fabric strips from my sewing supplies, and redwood twigs to create the little gems. I decided that the small hallway would be the display place; I took down all the other stuff and created space for the little yarn projects to be displayed. Love it.

My desk in the living room where my computer lives. Here is where
the majority of my handwork gets done. An amalgamation of craft supplies, remote controls, baby clothes, books I am reading and bottles of water.

How it begins...

My current favorite combines embroidery thread, fabric strips and roving. 

Baby Boy's first birthday comes next week.
This is the start of his little piece.

Hallway with displayed pieces. I've added spun, dyed silk to several of them.

Solar Installation Program Graduation Brings Smiles

Poignant Moments Create Memories

My daughter graduated from her Solar Panel Installation training program last night and it was a fun occasion. Thirteen young and middle aged individuals completed Solar Richmond (CA) Training Program and received their Certificates and the well-wishes of their families and friends.

My daughter completes Solar Panel Installation Course,
adding another set of skills to her repertoire.

The buffet table groaned under the weight of the spaghetti prepared by one guy's mother and all the fixings made a nice meal for the forty or so people who came to cheer for their graduates. This is Solar Richmond's second class of qualified technicians to complete the program. Solar moves toward the forefront of our alternative energy choices and these are the talented trained people who will be climbing on our roofs placing the panels.

Congratulations to Each and Every One of You

Special Warm Hugs of Love to Dimitris and Iris 

November 2013 Solar Panel Installation Graduation
Solar Richmond CA

Autumn Arrived Over the Weekend

Cooled Off and Got Windy

Perhaps a weather report is not why you dropped by LyndaLand today but here in the land of "no weather" it is noticeable when it changes. The leaves are dropping in full force, the clouds cover the sky altho rain has yet to fall and the time switch sealed the fate of evening outings for a few months.

This marks the last autumn for our trio of decorative pear trees; fire blight has hit them and after two attempts to halt its spread, the remaining option is to remove the infected trio and hope that stops its spread thruout the courtyard. These three were among the first planted on our absolutely bare lot when we moved in Dec 2002. The place had been left unplanted for ease of care by the elderly man who lived here and for more than two decades, this corner lot in Atchison Village had sat barren. 

We began with a queen palm, moving from three decades in Florida seemed reason enough; in our home there we had planted a trio across the front of the lot and watched them stretch taller than the telephone pole in just under six years. We wanted a queen palm here too to mark time.

Queen palm started at just under three feet tall; she's done well in twelve years.

The blight can be seen here right of center-it's bright red.

All three trunks are visible. Wonder what will take their place ?~!

Time passes, trees live their lifespan or it may be cut short due to disease. Sounds familiar when humanized too. Lots of loss due to disease that one wouldn't expect has given me an appreciation for what's Here Now. Trying to stay in the Present by living and loving that which is still within my reach.

Will it Ever Get Easier?

We said Good-bye to the Pug we walked everyday at noontime for the last eight months. Old age took her at fourteen; she had had an excellent life with two devoted humans in sequence. She never lacked for love, affection, dinner, fresh strawberries and tomatoes, or a soft bed in which to snore her nights away. May her pains be gone as she ends her earthly visit and may the tomatoes be year-round ripe where the next plane of her existence takes her.

Reblogged from Sew Katie Did

::Sari Bari’s 2013 Quilt Auction and Raffle::

November 3, 2013

I wanted to share with you Sari Bari’s 2013 Quilt Auction and Raffle taking place through November 10th.  I hope you’ll take a minute to read more about Sari Bari’s wonderful efforts below and support their fundraising cause.  You’ll have a chance to win a beautiful quilt made with Indian saris while supporting the women they employ as the artisans!  Please feel free to copy and paste this to your own blog.  Let’s spread the word of their work!  Thanks Beth Pinckney for the heads up on this.

Sari Bari and What They Do

Sari Bari is in the business of making things new. We take cast off saris, the traditional dress of the Indian woman, and stitch them together in the Kantha style of Bengal, a simple running quilt stitch done by hand. We piece and patch and layer to create beautiful, unique quilts. We are lovers of transformation and are exhilarated by the unique possibilities and potential within each sari to create something new.

More profoundly we are interested in the potential and possibilities of the women who make the products of Sari Bari. These women have found their way to freedom from the sex trade through employment at Sari Bari, where they find an opportunity for a different kind of work and a different kind of life. Sari Bari provides a safe place to be restored; to receive training as a quilt artisan, educational support, support for dependents, and retirement and health insurance. At Sari Bari not only are saris are uniquely transformed, but the women themselves emerge from the broken reality of lives as sex workers, to empowerment, healing and a way forward– truly a difficult… and a beautiful process.

This year Sari Bari has engaged the talented quilt artisans of Sari Bari in Kolkata, India together with quilters of all skill levels from around the world to create a unique collection for the 2013 Sari Bari Quilt Auction and Raffle. The auction will be held at www.saribari.com from November 1 to November 10, 2013. Each quilt is stitched from either new or recycled saris. The quilts produced by Sari Bari women are made from recycled saris in our traditional five-layer style. The other quilts reflect each of their creators, using a variety of design choices, patterns and construction techniques.

In addition to the auction we will conduct a raffle this year, giving everyone a chance to own one of these amazing quilts. For only $20-$30 you can purchase a raffle ticket for a chance to win one of the unique quilts. You will be able purchase your raffle ticket for the quilt you choose via www.saribari.com.

How to Participate

You may place bids and purchase raffle tickets at saribari.com at any time between 5:00 p.m. November 1 and 4:59 p.m. November 10, 2013. Winners will be announced November 11, 2013.

If you’d like to make a direct donation to the work of Sari Bari, visit  http://www.saribari.com/donate. All gifts are tax-deductible.

All proceeds from the auction and raffle will go toward supporting Sari Bari’s ongoing freedom work which will include:

• Purchasing a property in the Kalighat red light area so we can employ more women for freedom.
•  Opening our second prevention unit in 2014 in an area that is notorious for trafficking young girls and women into the sex trade.
• Training for at least 50 more women who are waiting to choose freedom.

We are so grateful for your interest in and support for the work of Sari Bari and the women whose lives are profoundly changed.

Thank you , Katie, so very much for letting me repost this wonderful opportunity to put our money somewhere that matters in such a tangible way.

Halloween - Many Kids, Lots of Dark Clothing...

Terrific fun for us too as the neighborhood fills with Latino families and their delightfully attired brood of youngsters. Some nearly too old and yet wanting "their" part of that free chocolatey haul, littler ones so small they have to be helped up and down our two steps, still others in their strollers trying to stay awake and say Trick or Treat. My heart warmed to witness a three-y/o young lad who, without even thinking about it, took his 18 month old sister's elbow as they descended the steps. She accepted the help graciously without pause and he assisted her so naturally I could just tell he'd been doing it for her since she began to walk. Love, respect, caring; I cried a bit for the old days... 

This year we asked them "Salty or Sweet?"  The choice between a small candy bar or a small bag of chips or pretzel. Mighty funny to watch them interrupt their established routine of speak-get candy-mumble thanks-walk away with a startled, "What?" Then I squat down to their level and ask them individually which they'd prefer. A pleasant change for us all from the usual grab and go routine of previous years' interactions.

Halloween Treat Bags

Patchwork Treat Bags for my Favorite Young Girls

Last summer (yes 2012) I stopped at A Verb for Keeping Warm to browse the quilt cottons and the yarn. In the fat quarter box, which often I find cost prohibitive, sat a great-looking skull pattern with teal and purple background peeking thru and gold around many of the bones in the Sugar Skulls. So I bought it with the idea rattling around about Treat Bags for my Littles. Well, October got away from me and I realized this year would be a repeat if I allowed it to happen. No, I vowed, I would sew these up and get them delivered if it took all week.

Well of course it took only a few hours one afternoon and there they were: linen-lined, with a silk strap that goes all the way around the bag so no tearing loose. The skull fabric ranks as the centerpiece six-inch square and then I surrounded with coordinating prints just varying slightly so they can tell them apart and I can still work it as an assembly line type operation. Three inch wide strips only needed to go once around to be the correct size for youngsters.

Ginger (L) and Piper show off their costumes and their treat bags at their Halloween event.
Our favorite dads catch up in the background as the kids have fun.

Jen, more commonly known as Mah-Ma!, and Ginger delight in the treat bag.
Gingin's such a gracious recipient, I love making and giving her gifts.

I am Linking up with Barbs October FO Linky Party and my treat bags are my FO for the month.
I have Barb's button on my sidebar there if you'd like to check out all the cool Finishes for the month.
And you Don't Have to Finish to play-isn't that cool?

Barb's husband, Mike, is in hospital so if you have a spare minute to either drop by her blog at Cat Patches and offer a word of encouragement. We all know how hard it is when our partner is away from home and who on earth wants to be in hospital. Here's to a solid recovery and a trip home soon.

Sweetness that Makes One Weep with Joy

Daughters Do the Most Delightful Things

I read thousands of words a day when I can; I'd rather read than eat or sleep. Blogs are my fodder and I have followed Jen's stories of her four kids for several years-maybe three or four even... Henry's getting bigger alla time !~!

So are the triplets and recently one of them made her mom the happiest woman alive. I had to share with you, my readers, because these gestures, made by kids for the ones they love, send my heart soaring. My faith in the goodness of people restores itself. Do enjoy it for yourself.   

Teeth are Sooo Cute... and Sharp

Oh my, counting teeth could become a seasonal pastime here in LyndaLand.

The Girls Come Visit Once in a While and Fun's on the Menu

 As is macaroni and cheese !~! They love to eat and mac and cheese sells to every kid I have ever cooked for. I don't have pictures of us preparing the feast however we ate it off the picnic ware and sat on the floor as we do and it was lovely for all of us to be together again.

Linen Bowl Holds Embroidery Thread

I put together this linen bowl/open box one afternoon when I wound up with a strip of grey linen that cried out to be folded into an open-topped box. I trimmed it with pink embroidery thread and toss into it the current crop of colors of that same thread for whatever project I have going.

May have to stiffen it somehow as I see it sagging in the photo. What does one use for such an application, I wonder, without losing the lusciousness of the linen ?~! Hmmm, suggestions, sweet readers who have made similar items...

Happy Autumn, may each step we take lead the way to Peace.