Category Archives: Thoughts

Redefine, not retire

18 Friday Dec 2015

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There’s nothing I would retire for,
so I won’t retire.
[James Earl Jones]

INSPIRATIONS

I started my adult work life as a caregiver (nurse) and, fifty years later, I spent this year working on a job for Willowgreen, Inc. (a publishing company) that is designed to inspire caregivers. Willowgreen’s owner, Jim Miller, writes this about Daily Inspirations for Caregivers:

If you’re a family caregiver, you can be encouraged and lifted every morning for one complete year with James E. Miller’s newest electronic resource. Each day you’ll receive a personalized email from him containing one of four offerings: a short inspiring video, a brief audio, a one-page writing, or a photo-thought, incorporating a striking photograph with a meaningful quotation.

I’ve been an independent graphic designer for thirty years, and I consider this to be at the top of my list of beloved products upon which I have worked. I was diagnosed with, and had surgery for cancer right before I started working on this project last spring. As I worked on the 365 items used in Daily Inspirations for Caregivers, I discovered that immersing myself in the positive thoughts and images bridged the time between diagnosis and recovery for me. All summer, I was filled with joy while I worked.

Now who in her right mind would retire from a job like that? I’ve decided to redefine my work toward publishing my designs and patterns, something I can do in my home office, but I’ll not retire while I can see, think, and draw on my new iPad Pro.

If you would like a free sample of Daily Inspirations for Caregivers,
you can sign up for it HERE.

you, me & Winnie

30 Monday Nov 2015

Posted by in Favorite Things, History, Thoughts

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We make a living by what we get,
but we make a life by what we give.
[Winston Churchill]

Letter from Winston Churchill

When I was a child, my Aunt Esther always sent me birthday cards that were signed “you, me and Winnie.” The three of us shared birthdays. Today, I am 73, she would be 103, and Winnie would be 141. Until I went to school, I thought Winnie was a relative I’d never met.

When I was in grade school, I learned that Winnie was Winston Churchill, he’d been in the Navy (First Lord of the Admiralty) like Aunt Esther (yeoman cartographer, USN), and he worked for the British government (Prime Minister). Then I was assigned to write a letter in class. I labored to write to Mr. Churchill to share one of Aunt Esther’s cards with him, and to tell him that I figure the three of us were like twins since we shared a birthday. I told him I’d heard it was his 80th birthday and I was so glad he still had a job and hadn’t given up and retired. Then I wished him a Happy Birthday, and I mailed it.

I was home the morning Mama took a letter from the mailbox and almost fell off of the porch when she read the address. It was a response from Mr. Churchill! In the photo above, you can see that the letter has yellowed over the years. It reads,

10 Downing Street
Whitehall

I am so much obliged to you for your very kind token of goodwill on my birthday.

Winston S. Churchill

Moments of Gratitude

25 Wednesday Nov 2015

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Grace isn’t a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal.
It’s a way to live.
[attributed to Jacqueline Winspear]

TG-before

No matter the history of the Thanksgiving holiday, it is a day that I welcome with joy. I stop for a few moments every hour thoughout the day to think thoughts of gratitude. I’ve decided to start that practice today as I set the table, clean the bath and kitchen, and finish some work….

May your moments be blessed with gratitude as well.

Summer Knitting

16 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by in Favorite Things, Knitting, Knitting Sites, Ravelry, Thoughts

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A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining,
the breeze is blowing,
the birds are singing,
and the lawn mower is broken.
[James Dent]

Summer Knitting

I spent the summer knitting other people’s designs (something I rarely do) and I enjoyed every minute of it. This was restful, relaxing and healing. Here are snap shots of the projects I’ve completed since June.

The Decapo jacket [top left], pattern by Danish designer a Hanne Falkenberg, was knit using yarn that was a “Get Well” gift from a friend of mine. (Madelinetosh sock yarn from Simply Socks Yarn Company). What a perfectly delightful way to recover. Here is a link to the first Decapo I knit with Shetland yarn from a Falkenberg kit.

The Ballerina jacket [top right] was knit from a Hanne Falkenberg kit using Shetland yarn. This was one of the most interesting patterns I’ve ever knit. I have one more of her kits to knit—Profil. This designer is amazing.

The Monkey socks were knit from a 2006 Knitty pattern by Cookie A. I used a silk blend from Simply Socks and these feel better than any socks I’ve worn.

The shawl was designed by Rosemary (Romi) Hill, and I bought her pattern on Ravelry. The shawl is named, Artesian (like the water that bubbles up in a natural well). I used Copper Corgi marino in Stormy Marsh color. I bought the yarn at a shop in downtown Savanna, Georgia, but the link here goes to The Copper Corgi Etsy shop. The shawl turned out very “Savannah” so it is a fond memory of my trip.

I consider myself recovered so now I will embark upon publishing more of my own designs on Revelry. I’m working on a collection of texture knits—mostly sweaters.

Pelee Island Holiday

24 Friday Jul 2015

Posted by in Favorite Things, Knitting, Thoughts

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Sometimes you just have to stop
and let your soul catch up with your body.
[Frances Foster]

Pelee Island, Ontario

Pelee_CompositeI boarded the Pelee Islander in Sandusky, Ohio and sailed half way across Lake Erie to Pelee Island, Ontario last week. The voyage took less than two hours, but it took me a world away from my spring encounter with ill health. A friend of mine has a home on the island, and she invited me to come for a knitting vacation. Here is a collection of word snapshots of my impressions:

  • The Jackson Street Pier in Sandusky must be one of the better duty stations for the Customs and Border Patrol officers. The inspections went smoothly and I got to use my new wallet-size passport card. I also added another item to my list of reasons I like being over seventy. Everyone stood back and let me go first. They didn’t see me get in my two-seated roadster to drive on home.
  • Lake Erie has come a long way back from the brink in the past fifty years. When I saw it on my way through Cleveland in 1965, it was dead. Last week, the water was clear, and free of debris and odor. Since there has been so much rain this year, the water level was unusually high so many beaches were covered.
  • Starting a trip with a boat ride adds to the excitement, and is a fun way to separate one from everyday life—unless, of course, one works on a boat in ones everyday life. I didn’t even feel sea sick.
  • Knitting is an essential skill for those of us who aren’t adapted to aimless idleness. It makes us patient waiters. I knit as I waited for the boat, I knit while we traveled. I knit while my friend and I visited. Some folks don’t realize that most knitting doesn’t require constant thought so one can converse and pay attention to other things while the fingers are moving.
  • Halfway into our voyage, the Ohio rain gave way to the first sunshine I’d seen in days. It lasted for several days. I even brought it home with me.
  • As my friend said, Pelee Island looks like a chunk was cut out of the Ohio farm land and set down in the middle of the lake. The center of the island is planted in crops like soy beans.
  • A morning stroll down a shaded country lane adds even more to an already excellent breakfast at the local Bakery. The baker is also a painter and jewelry maker. I invested in earrings and a tea pot as well as croissants.
  • A trip to the local winery was educational as well as fun. Did you know that rose bushes are planted at the end of each row of grape vines for their “canary in the mine” effect? The same diseases infest the roses as the grapes so, if the roses show disease, the whole row is likely to be involved.
  • The history museum, the local craft co-op, a food and hardware co-op, and a small dress shop also grabbed my attention. I didn’t put too big a dent in my budget, but I did bring home good-memory triggers. Some folks call these souvenirs.

As I drove west toward home on U.S. 6, and U.S. 27, I felt whole. I think that is what vacations are for.

American Neighborhood

03 Friday Jul 2015

Posted by in Favorite Things, History, Knitting, Thoughts, Writing

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You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness.  You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.  
[Erma Bombeck]

2015-July4

Last evening, there was a spontaneous gathering of my neighbors. We were trimming our yards for the holiday, each helping the other. We represented a variety of age groups, nationalities, races, occupations, income levels. We were the poster group for the old-fashioned term, melting pot. I felt enriched. I’ve often thought that the best part of being an American was being heir to all countries, languages, cultures, and religions. I label myself with a new hyphenated term. I am an enriched-American.

P.S. My neighbors also liked the holiday socks that I hand knit last weekend.

the-wright-brothers-9781476728742_lgP.P.S. I listen to audiobooks while I knit and found this one stunning. David McCullough is one of my favorites, both as a writer and a narrator. This book captures the brilliance of Orville and Wilbur, and the world-changing nature of their achievements. When I was in Dayton to teach a knitting workshop, a friend took me on a tour of the city. We saw the Wright homes, the sites of the Wright printing company and bike shop, Paul Dunbar’s home, and the place where the brothers tested their planes. McCullough captures it all in this book. Reading it is time well spent.

Gifts of Summer

23 Tuesday Jun 2015

Posted by in Favorite Things, Thoughts, Writing

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Weeds are flowers too,
once you get to know them.
[A. A. Milne]

2015Home

6:30 a.m., June 2015, My Home

Flowers are a gift of grace. What I know about gardening would barely fill a thimble so any flower that blooms in my gardens is a gift and not a result of my tending. If this photo had been taken closer, weeds would show to prove my point. When a foot of snow was piled over these window boxes and lawn, I rested on my shovel and imagined this scene. The anticipation of enjoying the warmth and the color was almost as much a gift as the flowers.

Wounded Warrior Project

09 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by in History, Ongoing Projects, Thoughts

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In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.
[Jose Narosky]

The Vietnam Women's Memorial was designed by Glenna Goodacre and dedicated on November 11, 1993. It is part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and is located on National Mall in Washington DC, a short distance south of The Wall, north of the Reflecting Pool. Photo by Rudi Williams (American Forces Press Service).

The Vietnam Women’s Memorial was designed by Glenna Goodacre and dedicated on November 11, 1993. It is part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and is located on National Mall in Washington DC, a short distance south of The Wall, north of the Reflecting Pool. Photo by Rudi Williams (American Forces Press Service).

Fifty years ago, I reported in to U.S. Naval Hospital, Charleston SC and, by Christmas, we admitted one of our first Vietnam casualties. Within a year, our census doubled as air-evac flights brought us wounded Marines, Seabees and hospital corpsmen. Looking back, all I can remember was living in the moment—doing what I was able to do each day. Our hospital wards were big open rooms in stilt buildings that were left over from World War Two. I never thought about how poor the environment was for patient care, nor did I ever know what happened to our patients after they left our unit.

I was reading a novel about wounded soldiers from the recent conflicts. Their post-hospital situations were dreadful. Compound that with what I had heard on the news about veteran’s affairs problems and I was sick at heart. I asked myself if our folks had it as bad fifty years ago? Then I ask myself what can I do to help this generation who could be my grandchildren? Within days, I received information about the Wounded Warrior Project from USAA (United Services Automobile Association).

Here is what USAA had to say:

Honor and empower wounded warriors.

The purpose of the WWP (Wounded Warrior Project) is:

  • To raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members
  • To help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other.
  • To provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members.

If this issue calls to you as it did to me, Here is the LINK to more information about WWP.

Apple Experiences

24 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by in Favorite Things, Review, Technology, Thoughts

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You can focus on things that are barriers
or you can focus on scaling the wall or redefining the problem.
[Tim Cook, CEO, Apple Inc.]

yosemite

So here’s the deal. I’ve had one personal computer or another since 1982. Apple soon became my choice as my major tool in my graphic design business (after I gave up using a triangle, T-square and drafting table). I’ve used every operating system since the Apple II so I do not shy away from upgrading. Here is a cautionary tale in case you are anxious to upgrade soon: do wait for the patches and tweaks to come out before you forge ahead, unless you have a high tolerance for fiddling with technology.

  • iOS 8.0 and 8.1 for the iPad: I upgraded and immediately had problems with connecting with my bluetooth devices, especially my speaker. I even bought a new speaker and it exhibited the same problem. It would play for short awhile and then turn off. I searched the internet and the closest I could come to an answer is to wait until the next iOS upgrade. Meanwhile, I am using my earplugs for my audio books.
  • OS X Yosemite: This upgrade is reputed to have a number of cool features but I haven’t found them yet since I immediately encountered a fundamental problem—I couldn’t get email to send. I’ve spent three days researching the internet and finally resolved the problem. My advice, search apple support until you find Mail Settings Lookup. Then look for the instructions for using that information in your Mac Mail preferences.

The delicious Apple news is that Fort Wayne has a new Apple store (simply • mac) at Jefferson Point shopping mall.

Pinteresting

24 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by in Favorite Things, Other Favorite Sites, Review, Technology, Thoughts

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Mama, you should try Pinterest.
It is like receiving a new magazine every day.
[Rachel Smith]

Pinterest

I’ve had a long line of personal computers since 1982. Computers fascinate me and are now my main tool in my work. I spend hours standing in front of my Mac fiddling in Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. I don’t use a cell phone. Frankly, I like being out of touch. I’ve never felt pressed to answer a ringing telephone. I maintain 5 wordpress blogs and I am working on revising my website, but I am not a member of Facebook or Twitter. In other words, I try to be a gatekeeper to filter that which bombards me from the outside world. Then came Pinterest.

Of course it has been around since 2010, but didn’t reach out and grab me until now. Oddly enough, a tip for cleaning the buildup off of my gas stove grates pushed me over the edge. In addition to shiny grates, I now have an unclogged shower head and plenty of advice for training my two new puppies. The industrial design section convinces me once again that humans can create instead of destroy. The gardening section almost makes me want to pull weeds. Pinterest reminds me of the 10-inch thick dictionary on the stand in my third-grade classroom—whenever I look something up, I am in constant danger of getting completely sidetracked.