august first

first splintless handwriting since april,
the quote is from leslie avon miller: paper has it's own language"
today i drove two hours to lake placid to see my orthopedic doctor.
i can now be splintless during the day, 
as long as i'm not being too rough. 
i wear the splint at night for another three months, until i next visit.
the tendon is healing, 
about 50 percent,
slowly but surely.
 a surprise awaited me in the mail, 
 a drop spindle made by kevin from a morgan kozo shaft, 
and an inscribed whorl
"expressly made for velma, ms. shifu"
and on the very bottom, the morgan logo
susan sent me her first shifu the other day. 
i was so very moved.
(it included a "map" of our workshop learning.)
a repeat today, of tears welling up,
when this lovely memento from the morgan arrived.
the enthusiasm for shifu and spinning kozo continues:
 in cleveland there is a shifu group.
~~~~~
this summer i have seen it happen: 
when someone is sparked by an idea, 
or an idea catches them, 
or something resonates and compels and needs to be explored.
~~~~~
so after lunch i slept deeply, 
adjusting to my finger's allowed mobility is strange
adjusting to being home and quiet for a time
also strange
adjusting to thinking about some books that are 
brewing, brings excitement.
august, indeed.





some papers

i've been making paper
first the amazing golden hosta (remember?) 
and this second batch is smaller
greener.
hosta
field retted
remained uncooked
gin petty writes of how ornery it is, 
always cockles, no matter how much restraint in the drying.
that's my experience also, but i don't actually mind.
much.
doctor says to inspect my finger in two weeks.
if there's no healing, it will be time for the orthopedic surgeon.
cross your fingers for me,
please.