Another February is coming to a close.

It has been a strange month, filled with odds and ends of “finishing stuff.”

In that spirit, I thought I would share some random ruminations:

• One of my 2019 goals was to read the books I have accumulated before purchasing/borrowing a fresh read. What I have discovered as I delved into the archeological morass a.k.a. the reading pile next to our bed, is that I have begun numerous tomes. Goal now shifted—I want to finish what I have begun. [This, btw, could be the theme of 2019 in many respects…]. And so I have begun the great dig and read. I am pleased to share that I have finished 4 books:
  • Ann Lamott’s, Halleluia Anyway
  • Emma Gray’s, A Girl’s Guide to Joining the Resistance
  • Lori Joan Swick’s, Dreaming—the Sacred Art
  • Joyce Rupp’s, Boundless Compassion—Creating a Way of Life
• I have about 10 or 12 more partially read books, so stay tuned.
• The aforementioned books completed are generally spiritual in nature but very different reads. The book on dreaming is a more intensive read as it delves into some psychology and academics. Joyce Rupp is a 6-week daily reflection genre; Emma Gray is a great stir-it-up-rant-and-get-moving-girls easier read and great resources option; and Ann Lamott is, well, Ann Lamott! Delightful, thought provoking, heart wrenching and generally inspirational.
• The great blue wool trench coat is almost done!! For real! I hope to finish it this afternoon. I’ve no doubt that it will get traction as the weird winter of 2019 does not want to wind up.

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• Finally, I finished up my annual contribution to our parish Art Guild Hallway Show. I am so very proud of Our Lady of Lourdes in Milwaukee Wisconsin!! My contribution is to the mosaic. 100 participants received a 6” x 6” empty canvas on which to create anything. I needed to consider this for a long time. Nothing was jazzing me and I certainly did not want to toss something together that had little or no meaning to me. At the last moment (literally), the inspo hit as I heard snippets of a book, Just Mercy (Bryan Stevenson) on NPR’s Chapter a Day. This, in conjunction with learning some fabulous facts on women and men of color during this Black History Month, and heightened by increased racial tension in our country, led me to create a mini weaving.  I assembled a string loom on a couch pillow—complete experiment here—and began assembling 8/2 cotton warp and weft in various skin tones.  Once completed (just a simple plain weave with a needle and fingers) I ran a red thread through the center to resemble a heartbeat. Our lives are interwoven and we rely on each other…

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That is all for now friends.

Best to you and blessings as you ruminate on your February!