An Ornithological Mystery

Who pooed this poo?

Was it an eagle, an owl, a green winged teal?

A linnet, a limpet, a hoopoe, a bat? (Bats=Birds?)

An Ibis, an egret, an egress?

(I know nothing of birds*)

Whatever it was, it was massive.

A moa? A roc? A Pteranodon?

(Dinosaurs=Birds, I have this on good authority)

I'd like to issue a rebuttal of this scathing critique of my architectural prowess, But I've no clue whether to direct my outrage to a Stork or a Sparrow or a Starling.

Any information will be rewarded with slice of Lemon Meringue Pie

(if there's still any left)

I made it last night and had a slice before bed. During the night I think pixies got into it; they helped themselves to another slice. Apparently they liked it, as it is now bedizened with fairy jewels, cabochons of amber and topaz and scintillating citrines. (i know a lot about Shiny Things)

*this rambling is dedicated to the prose of Mr Frank Key, more of which can be heard here

**UPDATE** there's no more pie. Sorry.

Inspiration

BORO!

(I'm shocked to say that Wikipedia has no wisdom to offer about this)

I first read about boro at Donna Watson's blog, layers

And there's more here and here (best photos)

Boro is a hand-sewing method of patching clothes and other textile goods, used in pre-industrial Japan.
As in, if you want fabric, you've got to spin the thread and weave the cloth yourself, and when it wears through as fabric generally does, you either create an entirely new garment, or work with what you've got.
Boro patching is an art form all its own, with a wise frugality. Much of the fabric is blue or indigo, like my old workpants I was inspired to improve.

the butt part seems to wear out first

the circled-with-stitches hole is where i stuck a boxcutter into my leg while cutting wine-red carpet for my van floor. No bloodstains, just paint



indigo fabric is supposed to be flame-retardant, so this is a good location for it; when things unintended happen to catch fire i generally stomp madly on them.


That was so much fun i moved on to my quilt. I made it the first year that Lily I moved back, and it's just too good to throw out.



absolutely ratty



So I've started sewing on my crazy patch squares that I had been waiting to make use of til I had a whole blanket's worth. Just a plain running stitch, with some backing fabric to hold back the groady parts.





if you look closely you can see little white stitches. After 3 days working at it I can feel them when I pinch needle between thumb &forefinger, a tired twinge in the muscle of my forearm. Nicely comforting.

More on the St Matthews business, Sacred Cow Tipping

my comment on their page

"I recently heard aloud a saying that was already engraved on my heart - "What is truer than true? - the Story"
I love myths and stories; they inform me of a larger self that includes all of humanity. I think there's much grace in Rev Cardy's statement,(paraphrasing) none of us have all the truth, others who believe differently are not evil, WE NEED ALL THE STORIES to be complete as human souls.
Mary's story is not made untrue by considering its relevance.  There's rather a disconnect between that revered unwed mother and today's condemned ones; the fact that a Church is inviting thought and discussion on the subject is quite heartening.
My own opinion says the literal interpretation of a virgin birth is not the meat and bones of the story, more likely it was added in later years to establish divinity, just like many other myths. We all want our stories to be true, but why? Does the meaning vanish if Jesus was just a man who said, "Love one another"?
Does it remove the blessings we would give and receive? Can we not maintain faith in God, if we must seek out God for ourselves? We need the stories, but we need ALL the stories.
And as a woman, as a mother, I need the realism. Pregnancy doesn't *just happen*. Maybe it did for Mary, but not in the reality I live in. Women, mothers, daughters and Sons need to be mindful of our human reality and the roles we all play.
Bravo to this Church for speaking these truths. "

I'm not sure this will change anybody's opinion, nor even let in a crack of light.
I got fairly frustrated reading some of the commentary. Very narrow-minded, to my mind.
I get that people have Faith. I get it, I really do.
But the picture on the billboard is just that, a picture. It isn't the actual real Virgin Mary, you know. Not the one who appeared in Guadalupe, or on the grilled cheese sandwich, OR THE ACTUAL 12 YEAR OLD GIRL THAT GOD IMPREGNATED (link), If your faith-mixed-with-reality will allow you to wrap your mind around such things. It is a picture that presents an altered truth, for surely there were not pee-on pregnancy tests in those days. There weren't c-sections, or antibiotics, or epidurals. There weren't social programs to provide for unwed mothers, either. She's lucky Joseph stuck around. This altered truth allows for thoughtful analysis.

The unwritten reality of this Greatest Story Ever Told is an unrealistic one. The  Church has devoted vast tracts of dogma to explaining how Mary conceived without a penis (nother link), with dire consequences for any doubters (another other link). One wonders the spiritual value of these beliefs.  Faith in God? Promoting that suspension of disbelief which produces malleable followers?
Really, why do we NEED this story to be true? What good do we glean from it that couldn't otherwise be found? No, really, I'm asking. Anybody with an explanation, their own truth, is warmly invited to share it in a comment.

Amen to that!

 "When will we recognize that none of us have the whole truth?  When will we recognize that those who hold contrary opinions are not ‘of the devil’?  When will we recognize that truth comes in many guises, often in unexpected ways?"

from St Matthew in the City, an Anglican Church in Auckland, New Zealand, in response to the vandalism of their billboard, below:

Commentary, links and photos at http://stmatthews.org.nz/

Astronomical Internet Widgetry!

Online Orrery

There is even a sound option so that you may hear the Music of the Spheres!
 (it is somewhat underwhelming, in my opinion)

Advent Calendar

So you may
count the days

(this one is from Zooniverse. It contains no chocolate, but it has got stars)

Joy to the World

This year's Holiday Card...the friends & fam will all be getting one, but the rest of the world can too, here -----> My Etsy Shop!

it's rather bare at the moment but i will be adding more things to want & buy.
Who knows, maybe hawking my crap via the internets will be my Next Big Thing!

I drew this card over Thanksgiving holidays, intending it for Christmas & such. It's somewhat open to interpretation; I was going to put "Happy Dies Natalis Solis Invictus" inside but that might eliminate a lot of potential shoppers. I personally like Thankful-for-Photosynthesis Day.

and since I'm rambling, I'll also mention my heartfelt thankfulness that Mom is home from hospital & doing just fine, thanks, and when did you say the turkey will be done? She missed Thanksgiving AND the Black Friday sales, poor thing...We will be on each other's nerves again in no time, but I sure am glad she's back.

Very Thankful

Things Lily Makes

Science has been Fun this Year!

above, Tree of the Life of the Mind

Solar system

(pronounced Your Anus)

the Brain Hat.

She made the headband a size larger so it would fit me. What a great Kid.

A Homemade Soul

On an even keel....

ReAdjusted the legs of the cobbled-together easel so it stands Straight.

 This looks like something to make Soulful Soles from...

Trace the old stinky ones.

Embellished for Love, Luck, Health, Wealth, Beauty and Kindness

These are the most Economical Shoes I've ever met; they are nearly 30 years old & only require slight soulful maintenance. Used to belong to my Dad. I think the hairy part might come from a Horse as I've never seen a Cow that Color.

Also Made the best Sourdough Bread I've Baked So Far. Just needed a bit more Salt than it got; Otherwise lovely.

Recent Doings

A Great Idea

Clothespins to keep the three ends of a braid from entangling. Probably somebody thought of this already but it made me feel clever. It works best like in the picture, with one long and two short. Adjust as needed.

A Thing I Made for Myself

A vest from one of my old baby blankets, a very thin worn fleece(felt?)

lined with satin from a cut-down bridesmaid's dress from the 25cent rack at the resale shop. Sewn entirely by hand, because it was good for my soul. Might add front closures. Bonus points for not including the toilet in this picture. Also, Serious Face.

A Thing I Found

Cardboard backing for a trio of smoke detectors sealed in one of those nearly-impossible-to-open plastic packages. Faces with a beauty mark? Masks to be made.

Passing of a friend

Not dead, just gone, for reasons I don't entirely Understand.

But I think she'll be OK.

Halloween!

The best way to get ahead is to make it yourself. It's meaant to be a Wolf, but it resmbles one of the dogs we live with, a German Shepherd mix. She surpassed my expectations of her intelligence by not barking madly at it.

I used one of those microfiber plush blankets for the body of the costume and glued pieces of it to parts of the face with MOD PODGE(i love mod podge). In related news I've discovered a time-consuming method for coating one's hands, workspace, and immediate vicinity with short white fuzz.

Possibly one of the creepiest things I've made.

Had to

massacre a teddy bear for the fluffy bits. the extra stuffing went into a slightly flattened-down pillow which is now much improved. Use every part of the buffalo, ya know?

better pics tomorrow...

Winter Coats

This is a tradition I greatly enjoy. I've always, thankfully, been able to afford to buy my child clothes, but making them just feels so much more right.
This first one was inspired by Proverbs, the Woman of Noble Character - "In the Snows, she Does Not Fear for Her Family, for they are clothed in Scarlet"

it's a tiny thing, for a tiny person. She called it her "goke", with her tiny voice.

a Sweater from the following year, New Zealand wool and American acrylic. No it's not a Mercedes symbol.

The Blue Kimono coat & detail of machine embroidery

Pink Woolen Elephants!

He's not real ivory; i carved him from part of a beef bone. Mom gets them from the butcher & the dogs leave them lying all around, looks like a dinosaur burial ground.

This one

has a vent at the back for a horse. Riding lessons were a big hit until the trotting stage - too much bouncing, no brakes.

This was not one of her favorites but she still managed to wear off most of the buttons.

Last year's coat used to be a blanket.

This year's coat under construction. The trick to making it warm is to pad it so thickly that the child is unable to move its arms.

Done! Might have to add more buttons...

Paper Stars!

A previously undiscovered waste of time! Magical.

Learn how here.
Great site; it's amazing what one can learn from the internets in the wee hours of morning.

Sacred and Profane

Song

A thing I saw today

It's blurry...and it makes me glad i'm not a pear.

intense waspage!

I got stung by one of these when I was 10 and it swelled up horribly. My Mom, a nurse, dosed me w/ benadryl, then kept waking me to make sure I hadn't died. I told her I was fine; she said of the swelling, "You've got cellulite!" (she was slightly overwrought) I corrected her: "It's cellulitis, Mom"

The diagnosis: too clever for my own good. I suffer from it to this day.

But I did get stung yesterday on my right social finger whilst gathering pears and suffered only a burning/itching that resolved itself without dramatic incident.

Maybe there's hope.

MWAHAHAHAHAAAAA!

For OSM , if he'll tell me where to send it ; )
One of my recent sewing projects. I've beeen doing BIG THINGS this week!

Clever camouflage for the stylish Space Traveler (also seems to impart some immunity to the Earth's gravitational field as evidenced by the fact that I didn't fall down)

With UltraViolet lining!

DISCLAIMER: This Garment does not render the wearer invisible, indivisible, invincible, bulletproof, childproof or idiot-proof. Not a flotation device. Probably Flammable. When attempting to fly, always take off from the ground, etc. Be aware of the HAZARDS.

It's a dangerous business being AWESOME, but somebody's got to do it.

Teh comment thingy is not working

it won't let me comment on my own blog. LAME

Anyway, RE: the Harpy...

Hi Orlando! thanks for the links. i love Waterhouse so freakin much. Hadn't seen that particular work before.
Much of my recent birdly art is based on these fabulous creatures:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vasnetsov_Sirin_Alkonost.jpg

Sirin being a form of Siren, and Alkonost (halcyon) the bird who rests on the Ocean's smooth surface - twin birds of Sorrow and Joy

Wow this is actually a thing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmony_of_the_Spheres

I thought it was merely a literary trope... Poe:

In a theory known as the Harmony of the Spheres, Pythagoras proposed that the Sun, Moon and planets all emit their own unique hum based on their orbital revolution,^[2] and that the quality of life on Earth reflects the tenor of celestial sounds which are physically imperceptible to the human ear.^[3] Subsequently, Plato described astronomy and music as "twinned" studies of sensual recognition: astronomy for the eyes, music for the ears, and both requiring knowledge of numerical proportions

My Dad is Leaving Again

He's going back home to New Zealand, to his life there, his job and his wife and their house, under a sun that doesn't shine on me, different stars.
I clutch at the treasures he brought me, and cry.

The Harpy

the Eater of Dreams (she has none of her own) with an eternally Empty maw (give me, give mee, give meee)

I made this painting so I'd know her on sight and stay clear of her.

She's filthy, screeching, hateful, bitter.
Her Shape suggest the whittled-down hips of the modern ideal - prepubescent except for the boobs, which as everybody knows, are for attracting Men...if you haven't got a proper pair, buy yourself some. Not a bit of fat to get her through Winter on her own, not a curve to carry a child. She is the Spirit that demands we give ourselves away to become what others want. She's the Woman who goes back to a Man who doesn't love her, she's the Fool who roams the World clamoring for Attention rather than Love.

She's Empty, a negative energy that pulls you in and shits you out.

When you meet her in a barren Desert she's quite overwhelming. Another good reason to cultivate, as Carolyn Hax would say, "a well-populated Life"

(yes i Capitalize Words as randomly as William Blake; he wrote a lovely Poem for my Birth Announcement so it's an HOMAGE)

this post is dedicated to several of my Mothers, for reasons which i hope won't come back to bite me. None of them read my blog so i'm prob safe
Also, thanks to Piers Anthony for his desriptions of Harpies in all their foul-smelling glory.

Song-of-Summer Shrine

A small hanging bit of cardboard w/ newspaper clippings and a dead bug. The text reads, "God Bless our Ability to Transform". 
 I won't be hearing the cicadas much longer as it's getting chilly outside.

Windborn

this is one of those..i can never wait til the paint is dry before i photograph them