on my table

on the table 

 i finished another page

there have been gifts: aimee made a little book with my blogwords 

thoughts about human behavior

and jean sent me an ornament, 
a catcher of dreams or not-look at the intersections, and the heart-like beach glass
red osier dogwood

and a leaping rabbit

a new year greeting from giselle.

how was she to know that i loved her diamonds that i saw at p.b.i.? 

how was she to know i love rabbits, hares, and most 

especially angora rabbits.

and i love seeing snowshoe hares here in their between colors.

saranac lake airport, where i saw hannah off and into the seat of copilot!

hannah made the new banner above before she left.

we drove to lake clear with the open rockbook covers clunking until we stopped 

and i moved them a little.

i need to haul them out.

the drive home through the mountains

 evening unsettling until

 i arrived home. 

the almostfull moon had a story to share, but it's too cold for me tonight.

maybe tomorrow i can manage, 
but this cold has permeated my toes and fingers.
sleep warm.

slippery elm and saranac

i had a longing to go into the mountains today, so i drove to saranac lake. i passed this old guy at sevey corners. 

wendy the border collie and i visited lake flower, where i ate a deli lunch and she explored sticks and the water's edge. she loves this park, which was quiet until we met up with a llewellyn setter and a king charles spaniel. lovely dogs, and wendy behaved herself.

i thought about my slippery elm explorations as i drove. wendy occasionally put her nose in my right ear and grunted hello. she likes "going for a ride". alot. i wondered where the elm would go. at nori's village market i saw slippery elm lozenges for my sore throat. i figure, i'll just chew on some of my bark, instead of paying $3.00.

i was able to finally get a consistent braid from the inner elm bark.

i do need a thinner braid, however, about 1/3 to 1/2 the size here, if i want a more usable weaver. i am working toward something a bit more flexible and textile-ish.

basket detail, purchased in bar harbor, maine, 2009

this was woven by matthew dana, a maine native american basket maker, who asked the elders before he started if it was appropriate for him to use cedar, arbor vitae, to weave into baskets. he received their approval, before he began.

actually i had to buy this one. it is small, traditional, but very, very non-traditional.

sweetgrass, cedar, and black ash. sewing basket style. it smells heavenly.

this is a quiz! i harvested this from my yard. do you know what it is?