Finding Myself

I found this picture of myself from the late seventies while sorting out old tax papers. I was early thirties. Had two young children that were fun being a mother to. Housewife, homemaker and having such fun in the second house Lee and I built. I had started teaching basket classes at home that included lunch and homemade wine with all the materials necessary to complete a basket. These were such fun and innocent times. I loved it. Just look at that face!

So when I found this yesterday I decided to do a black and white of me now….forty-five years later….

When I was younger I decided a permanent was a good idea to get lots of curls. Now I just don’t bother to comb it and get curls. Back then everything seemed in front of me. Now most of it is behind. A long meandering path that brought me to this. There is very little that does not make me smile at the memory. It has been a lucky life. A very happy life for the most part and I doubt I’d change any of it.

Earlier this week I gave some basket materials to a friend in town teaching basketry. It was the last few bits I had saved for the “someday”. What “somedays” I have left most certainly will not be forcing stiff materials into compliance. Looking around I have more baskets than I could ever use. There is little else to give away to someone needing materials that used to seem important to hang onto. Letting go is such a good idea at my age.

Yesterday at the dam it was lovely. Seagulls on the shore…loons a little further out.

And details..

And this morning. Such a sky.

Tomorrow I will go back to the river and have a lavender latte before coming home to see how the cleaning lady is doing. She is so kind and is willing to travel the extra miles to my new place if I want her to. So nice to have her continue. Some times we just need to hold on to the familiar.

I did some bird drawings. A pileated woodpecker and flicker. Black feathered birds are hard to capture in graphite. And I could be getting bored with drawing them. Maybe.

Not many more pages to fill in the Bird Stories Book. I might try some more exotic ones to keep me interested. Perhaps a flamingo, a vulture, a penguin……

I am going to make a soup out of things in the refrigerator. Cooking for one is so very boring.

Til later….