Friends, may I squeal in excitement? Squeeeee!!!!!!! I get to do something really fun. Not only that, we get to have fun with it, together.

I’ve been commissioned by the Michigan State University Horticultural Gardens to conceive and execute a large yarn bombing. The opening reception will be October 27. We install the day before, if all goes as planned.

This means I got 6 weeks from concept to execution. I need help. Luckily, this is the best fun kind of help I can imagine. Would you like to participate?

Bomb – (Bx2) = OM

My friend Art Cameron is a songwriter. He says that if you drop the B’s from the word bomb, you get OM. I love that.

I’ve never liked the violent words which have been used for this particular creative form. Yarn Bomb, Guerilla Knitting, Knit Graffiti. So I’m calling this one a Yarn (b)OM(b)ing. It makes me happy. Maybe I can get some yoginis to center the space the morning of the opening. It’s possible.

The Concept

I’ve got three large trees to embellish and “happify.” The first we encounter as we walk into the garden is a large, beautiful oak tree. Behind it is another tree which will drop leaves (maybe another oak, I don’t remember). At the far side, near two beehives, is a white pine. They all need to be clothed for winter.

The installation needs two different types of “garment.” One will be scarves to spiral up the tree trunks. The other is what I’m calling “pennants,” long triangles on the order of icycles, to be hung from the branches and to remain blowing in the wind even after leaves fall.

NOT Just Knitting!

Any fiberart is welcome for the pennants which will be hung on the branches of the trees. Knit, crochet, quilt, felt, weave, sew… even shrink a sweater densely and cut it into long triangles. I’m encouraging yarn ends to hang from the points, so that they will blow in the wind.

Want to Join in the Fun?

ALL PIECES:

Color limits… cool tones. Blue, blue-green / teal/ turquoise, greens of all sorts, yellow-greens. (No red/ pink/ orange, that’s how I envision this piece. Yes, the other colors are wonderful. Yes, I wear them all the time. That’s not how this space speaks to me.)

Colors to use:

Colors NOT to use:

PENNANT TRIANGLES (for BRANCHES):

1. Any Fiber, in colors designated above.
2. Any fiber technique: knit, crochet, weaving, wet felt, needle felt, nuno, quilting. Hand-created in some way.
3. Top of pennant should be in a range between 4 and 5 inches (10-12.5 cm) wide. Decrease slowly as you work, ending with a piece about 2 to 3 times longer than it is wide.
4. If possible, leave a yarn tail of at least 4-12 inches (10-30cm) hanging from the point of your pennant.
5. If you find you run out of yarn part way through the pennant, just join a new piece (not necessarily the same yarn or color) and keep going.
6. Forgive yourself for imperfection. Don’t rip back, don’t worry if it’s not as you expected. Finish one triangle and go on to another. The flowers in a garden don’t match, either!

TRUNK WRAP SCARVES:

1. ONLY standard worsted-weight acrylic “afghan yarn” such as Red Heart or equivalent. (It will stand up to the vertical gravity pull and weather.)
2. Knitted or crocheted only, for the stretch factor.
3. No less than 4″ and no more than 5″ wide.
4. Pieces as long or as short as you like. Change yarn colors as you desire, within color specifications above.
5. Any stitch pattern is welcome. I expect a lot of garter knitting and double crochet. Surprise me, if you like. Or crank out whatever is easiest for you to do while chatting with friends.
6. If possible, leave a tail a little bit longer than your piece, attached to it. This will really help us sew things together on site.

NO TIME?

If you can not make a piece but want to contribute yarn, it will be accepted until about October 15. Please read my specifications on which yarns we will be using. I don’t have much storage space for anything beyond the needs of this project.

NO YARN?

If you want to make something but need a specified yarn, pop me a note. I’ll see if I can get something to you.

Where do I turn in my piece(s)?

Out of town? SEND TO:

ColorJoy by LynnH
4800 Collins Rd. Unit 26261
Lansing, MI 48909 USA

In the Lansing Area, drop finished pieces at:

• Rae’s Yarn Boutique
• Sticks & Strings
• Woven Art
• Yarn Garden, Charlotte

It’s All About Community – Make-A-Longs

There will be Make-A-Long events at all of the shops listed above. There may be other Make events not in yarn shops as well.
Do you want to host a gathering? I’m all for it. If I’m available, I’ll attend.

I Love this Community!

I can’t do this alone. I need you, love you and appreciate you. THANK YOU for your interest and enthusiasm.

Gentlemen, start your engines…
Um, I mean…

Makers, unfurl your fibers!!! It’s time to create!

Hugs, LynnH

The fine print:

• Understand that this is a temporary installation. Your piece(s)
  will not be returned to you. There is no guarantee how your
  piece will  be installed.

• This is a group project which requires flexibility during
  installation. I will honor your contribution(s) as I and
  volunteers install what makes most sense for the whole.

Woohoo… big news is coming fast here at Casa de ColorJoy. I don’t have time to post all the details but will tonight.

Meanwhile, may I introduce you to the concept of Yarn Bombing? It’s also known as yarn graffiti, Guerrilla Knitting and more. It’s the idea of putting yarn (usually knitted or crocheted) in a public space, usually attached to a permanent object there.

This artform tends to be irreverent. It can be goofy, political, colorful or subtle. It can be anything the artist(s) make it be.

My Exciting Find

When I was in Montreal, I lucked out. I saw a Yarnbombed piece by the international artist OLEK. She’s originally from Poland but is based in New York City. (Photo above) She says “Art and Life are inseparable.” She’s my kind of person.

She crochets covers for many things, usually without permission. This means that sometimes the work comes down rather suddenly after it was put up.

OLEK covered the bull sculpture on Wall Street, and I’ve heard it was taken down the same day it went up. See Video of her installing the bull’s colorful coat.

Yet I found this piece on the street across from Montreal’s Museum of Fine Arts. I tweeted that I’d seen it. OLEK tweeted back that she was surprised it was still there. It did look as though it had been through a bit of weather.  Above is the photo I took that day.

KnittaPlease

There is another international name in YarnBombing I follow. Her name is Magda Sayeg of KnittaPlease. (You REALLY want to click that link, the cover page is trippy and interactive.) Or watch a 1 minute Video of her explaining what she does.

Ms. Sayeg and her team recently got commissioned to yarn bomb the Air Conditioning ducts in the Etsy.com main offices in New York City. She also covered an entire School Bus in Mexico (though the writing on the bus sure looks like an Asian language).

More Images

I adore this artful category of expression. Click for a Google Image search on the words “Yarn Bomb Graffiti” - more amazing pieces.

Even Time.com did a photo essay on what it called “The Fine Art of Yarn Bombing.” Not all will call it a Fine Art, but I’m pleased to hear it from Time.

More from me soon… meanwhile. Smile, chuckle, giggle or even be disgusted. I don’t imagine anyone can feel neutral about this stuff!

Changes

Autumn is sneaking up on us here in Lansing. The trees are changing color in tiny bits here and there. We are getting more rain. The biggest thing I notice is how chilly it gets at night. I need to close the doors at sundown or it’s too cold inside.

What I’m noticing is that when we all go inside more, we start noticing what in our homes doesn’t work. All around me, friends are talking about de-cluttering or letting go in its many guises.

Letting Go

I’m fighting closet clutter yet again. Clothing is wonderful stuff to me. Each piece can be an artform itself. In addition, putting things together is an artform I call costuming (even if you’re just going out for tea or shopping).

I get sentimental about clothing. I know I’m not the only person who does. Right now I have so many clothes on my three clothing racks that things are wrinkling each other on the hangers. This just doesn’t work.

In my house, I find that most things do indeed have an assigned place. The “A place for everything and everything in its place” idea goes awry because I have too many things to fit in the assigned place.

Non-Narnian Wardrobe Management

Buying more hangers doesn’t make a closet bigger! Ironically, I think I tried that idea first. In the absence of a wardrobe out of Narnia (bigger inside than out), I need to “get real.”

When I look at what I have, one item at a time, I don’t want to let go of much. The idea of taking everything off a rack and then only putting things back that I adore and use sounds sane and tempting.

Then What?

But then, what would I do with the scrumptious sweaters that have the wrong silhouette, and the work shirt I embroidered in 1976? What about the amazing Hawaiian dresses and African dresses I have which either need alterations or don’t have places to wear?

Can I bear to let them go? Can I store them somewhere other than the closet? If so, where?

Mind you, the real goal is to make living in this house more at ease. I love the word Ease. It seems such a sane goal. A reasonable goal.

Discipline can Create Ease

Cairene MacDonald of Third Hand Works is an expert on the benefits of discipline. She says this-

Here’s what discipline is really all about:

1. Creating conditions that bring out your best self.
2. Having a clear sense of purpose.
3. Being willing to be uncomfortable.

I want to create ease, by choosing the sorts of discipline I need and value. I want a clear sense of purpose. My purpose, for today, is Ease… in finding things, having clothing not be wrinkled when I pull it out, being able to put garments away without having to fight with both hands to fit it on a rack.

Are you going indoors more now, too? Finding a struggle against your own environment? In search of physical ease in your space?

I wrote a blog a while back, on how I had to take a photograph of a well-used suit before I could let it go. I re-learned some things about my process by reading it again today. It’s here: A Letting Go Experience

Also, if you are interested in pursuing this journey with some other like-minded folks, I have a Facebook group called Toss-It Tuesdays (if you are into Facebook). It’s small and friendly. I need to approve people before they can post, but I get to people pretty quickly. I’d love to have you join us.

Are you going through any letting go? What tricks do you engage to help yourself through the process?

Fun with Clay and Color!

I’m teaching a special 3 hour Polymer Clay Jellyrolls and Checkerboards class at Bath Township Hall on Saturday! Mid-Michigan creatives… even if you’ve never done this, you’ll have a great time.

Have Fun, Repeat as Needed

I did a class for this same group last Spring. We had a big crowd, and a whole lot of fun. So much fun, that they invited me back. I’m honored.

Because Bath Twp. Recreation is sponsoring the class, the price is low. It’s only $20 per person (plus any materials you need to purchase from me).

Often when I teach this at a shop, it’s $40 for 4 hours. This space allows for a slightly larger group, allowing a better price per participant. It’s a win-win for everyone.

What Will We Make?

Apply colored motifs to anything bake-able at 285F. Make buttons, beads, pendants, pens, gifts.

Hi!

Want to be inspired? These images did it for me… maybe you, too?

I took a lot of photos in Montreal. Most of what I find artful is not intended as art. However, I just uploaded 25 photos of artworks put there for the Public to enjoy… by whatever “powers that be” there are who do such things.

(Photo above is a sculpture by Henry Moore in the Sculpture Garden of the Museum of Fine Arts.)

Click this link to see the full set of images:

Slideshow – Montreal Public Art Flickr PhotoSet

Some of these pieces were found in the subways and the Central Station (where trains come in). Some were in the Sculpture Garden of the Museum of Fine Arts.

The below image I took in the public square just outside the Mont-Royal subway stop (in a funky and artful part of town, my favorite place to people watch and find a cup of tea at a sidewalk cafe).

Can you see the big green chairs? They could hold several people in those big seats. Every time I passed by this area, someone was parked in one or more of these big sculptural happy-chairs! Loved it.

If you click the image above, you can see a very large version of this photo… even if you don’t choose to go to the Flickr slide show.

I’m a bit over-scheduled returning back to my regular life after two weeks away. I hope you enjoy my photos while I post here as I can.

Hugs,

LynnH

Hi, Honey, I’m home!

I made it back from Montreal in the wee hours last night. It took about 15 hours from leaving my room in Montreal to opening the door in Lansing. I had  a good trip home, though. Other than the length of travel, it was not a particularly tiring day.

The Benefits of Change

My mind is spinning. There are so many things I learned about myself, so many passions returning to my heart, so many ideas and sparks in me because I got out of my home routine and went toward something new.

I’m sorting through the zillion photos I took. It’s a challenge to group them in any kind of logical way.

The first and easiest thing I could do to get you a bit of eye candy quickly, was a Door Collection. I pulled out shots of about 30 doors I photographed during my travels, by foot, in Montreal.

Wearing Out My Shoe Leather

One of the joys of a vibrant large city, is public transit. Montreal has a metro (subway) system which is excellent. They also have trains and numerous taxis, plus rent-a-bicycle systems and lots of things which are accessible by foot.

I took advantage of the metro and walking. I love to walk.

Surprises and Beauty Everywhere

I explored many parts of the island city. I walked in business areas, neighborhoods, museums and churches, parks and gardens. The doors really spoke to me. What a history they can tell, and what personalities they have!

In some cases it is clear that the actual door is new, while the frame around it is very old carved stone. I was sort of amazed, too, at how many doors downtown did not have doorknobs on the outside.

Oh, Yes! These are Art!

The premise of ColorJoy is that many things are artful, many more than just paintings hung on walls in museums. These doors fit here  perfectly, even those which are not colorful in the rainbow sense.

I’m offering a few photos as a teaser, on this page. If you are intrigued, please-

(The above link takes you to the Flickr website.)
(In order… door/gate in what I think was a Presbyterian School; 60′s-ish Turquoise doors on multi-unit home, beautiful door on very old residence; embellished fire door on what I think was a water utility company building; door to art supply store on St. Catherines in what I believe is called “Latin Quarter.” All of this is some guesswork, since I don’t read French signs very accurately.)

My Sis-in-Love Diana/Otterwise sent me a link to a site indexing street art… images which show up on Google Street View. (Click link above for site, click images below for their locations on that site.)

Ironically, Diana sent the link to me the day after I took my own photos of this, in Montreal (photo below by Google Street View):

And here is an image of one of my favorite art projects in Michigan… the Heidelberg Project in Detroit:

The Heidelberg Project is huge, not a single house but a neighborhood. Making art from junk discarded on the street has made this neighborhood a tourist destination with no violent crime in something like 25 years.

You may not love the aesthetic, but you’d be inhuman to dislike the impact it’s had… not only safety but pride of place.

Saying Goodbye/ Bon Voyage to Montreal

I’m on my last day in Montreal. I’m feeling pretty good about it. I’ve *LIVED* in the city, rather than being a tourist. I found groceries and markets on my own. I traveled by foot and by metro (subway).

This is how many folks live here. They have excellent public transit. My suite-mate rides her bike to work and back. It’s a very accessible city, even without a car, even out far from downtown (subway trains run until 1am). I had some lovely experiences.

The Africa Collection

I got much project work done… the Africa project now has a plan, an outline, a good start, and knitting charts/graphs for all 3 colorwork socks are made. The photos I took in Africa and temporarily lost, are found (on a backup drive… backups are my friends.

Photo of me feeding a Giraffe in Kenya:

One Major Surprise: a Change

I read my journals from the time I was on the Africa trip. Unfortunately, I found them full of dry facts rather than storytelling for the most part. Still, they jogged my memory.

I’ve been telling stories of the trip since I got back. Ironically most of those stories did not make it into my journals. I don’t know why, but those are the stories I want to include in the collection.

Thanks to some insight from Barbara Sher (writer of Wishcraft and Refuse to Choose), I’m going to get those stories a new way for me.

I’m going to find friends who want to hear the stories, and tell them verbally while I have a recorder going. THEN I will transcribe the verbal stories. I tried to write one and it wasn’t as dynamic as the actual story as I tell it.

There is so much to tell you, but it’s 3:30pm on my last day here. I can go to a yarn shop or a museum before it’s closing time. First step, go to subway station. Decide on train. Aaah, the tension of choosing between two good options!

Photo of the side of a building in Montreal, featuring Giraffe images:

I once heard an interview of the rock star, Sting. They asked him when he knew he had “made it,” whatever that means. I’ll never forget his story.

He told of being on tour, in one more hotel room. He woke up while a window washer was working outside his window. The worker was whistling. And then Sting recognized the song. It was “Roxanne,” a tune Sting wrote in the mid-’70′s and which became a Billboard Chart hit in 1979.

I felt the amazement with him. Someone you don’t know, in a random city on a random day… whistling your own creation? Wow. I can only imagine.

Reward for Consistent Work

Don’t we all need to feel that our work impacts others? The need for fame as universal as Sting’s isn’t part of my being. However, I relate on a smaller scale.

Once I waited in line at Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor, about an hour from my home… and one of the employees (Tessie) addressed me. She said “You don’t know me, but I know you.” She was a blog reader (2008). I’m SO glad she said hi.

This ColorJoy blog began in 2002 – now around 10,000 posts. Blogging is an odd artform. It’s a little like being a radio DJ. You create, you put it out there, you know people can read it… and most folks read without commenting.

In spite of this anonymity, relatively often I’m in a public space and a reader or student will say hello. I’m always delighted. However, it usually happens near my home.

My Roxanne Moment

Fiber/spinning expert Deb Robson (ROBE-sun) on and I follow each other on Twitter. She and I connected when she read my blog, years ago, and started commenting. We’ve become friends across the continent.

One day, Deb tweeted a link to a web page, and indicated that I might like to read that post. Wow.

Delightful Surprise

You may remember that I taught at Sock Summit ’11. I presented several classes, including Crystal Heels, Turkish sock related techniques, Curvy Grrl tall socks and Pool-Resistant Sock Techniques.* Teaching at the Summit was the highlight of my career to date.

The link Deb mentioned? It was an article in the Portland, Oregon newspaper “The Oregonian.” The reporter celebrates her success after taking my Pool Resistance class.

Allow Me to Smile

I’m floored, delighted, and amazed. First, this knitter had a success after taking my class. Second? She put it where folks on the other side of the USA could read it at their breakfast table…

…and thanks to the Internet? I can read it, my Mother can read it, and the rest of the world, assuming they are interested in knitting, might also read it.

I’m not Sting. However, it’s really wonderful to know my work is reaching so far. It’s incredible to know that one student had a success after taking my class… which specifically was designed to help her fix a pooling problem.

Do you want to read it? Click. Just check out that title! It’s a well-crafted story.

The curse of the pooling yarn: a knitter’s fairy tale

Thank you to Deb Robson of The Independent Stitch blog for the tip. (You must check out her blog… fiber and bicycling and Colorado fire coverage from the human-to-human perspective.)

Extra thanks to Mary Mooney, the reporter/writer. I’m delighted and humbled.

====================================================

* Pooling is when colors in a multicolored yarn clump together, in what many deem an unattractive effect. A blob of red, then a blob of yellow, perhaps… instead of a well-shuffled overall color distribution.

Here are photos of yarns in differing states of pooling. Whether or not you like it is a very personal thing, but it can distract from some design features.

Today I rode my bicycle to yoga class. It was a bit of a hassle, as the roads where Just B Yoga is located, are being torn up this summer. (REO Town, Lansing, Michigan)

At one corner, I tried to put my foot on the curb to wait for the traffic to clear. Somehow I misjudged and fell (onto grass, nothing hurt but my pride). It reminded me of a story from my childhood.

I’ve told this story before, but never put it in writing. It’s a particularly good lesson when I work with kids. However, it surely has plenty food for thought, even for “grown ups.”

The Clever Bicyclist

When I was in 3rd grade, I spent a lot of time on my bicycle. We had the largest driveway in the neighborhood, so often neighbor kids would come over and ride there with us.

One day I was riding solo around the block. I got a “great idea.” I felt very clever… I would ride my bike with my eyes closed!

Now, this worked for a while. Our streets were asphalt which came right up to the soil and grass of each yard. If I rode to the right of the street, I could feel when I hit the gravel. I’d correct my path by going a little bit to the left. When I felt myself on the asphalt, I’d try to hug the right edge of the road again.

Mind you, both of my parents were educators. Many of my friends came from homes also valuing education, learning and smarts. I got a lot of pleasure and reinforcement when I felt or acted clever.

Drum Roll…

You know it couldn’t end smoothly, right? Well, this was a neighborhood with large enough yards that the mail was delivered by vehicle rather than on foot. Therefore, the mailboxes were out on the street.

There was also the problem of driveways. I had not anticipated this issue.

So… this very clever 3rd grader rode her bike to the right side of the asphalt. With her eyes closed, of course. When she reached an asphalt driveway, she didn’t notice any change in the texture underneath the bicycle. So… when there was a mailbox at the other side of the driveway…

… she hit the mailbox. And broke her nose. And didn’t feel clever anymore.

I was so embarrassed I didn’t tell the truth. I made up a story about hearing a sound and turning my head away from the street to figure out what it was.

I have a transparent face. I can’t fib at all. My mother surely knew I was lying, but I’m thinking she didn’t want to know what the real story might be.

And the Moral is?

Two morals, one more obvious than the other.

1. Being clever is not always an asset. Don’t be so proud of it that you forget your other attributes.

2. Tell your foibles to others. Don’t hide your lessons. Let others learn from a story told, rather than a mistake made. (Humbleness is, hopefully, a by-product of this choice.)

What stories/lessons have you never told?

After a Scorched Season

Mama-bird rain… fat drops
Falling heavy, straight, with intent,
Not a breeze to confuse its path
Into the open mouth
Of the parched, hungry soil.
– Lynn DT Hershberger Hefferan
– July 18, 2012

Wake Up Inside

That’s how I write, you see? All these lovers surround me, and they love life, and they tell me about it.
– Ray Bradbury

I discovered Ray Bradbury, the person and artist, about a week before he died. I find myself very grateful for video. It allows me to explore his passion for life, living, working and sharing his passion, even after his death.

At the center of my books is the gift of life.
– Ray Bradbury

I’d read Martian Chronicles in 9th grade (not the right book for one’s first Science Fiction experience). I had no idea that the man behind those stories was such a whole and passionate soul.

When people touch my books, they are alive.
– Ray Bradbury

BrainPicker Led the Way
Lately I’ve been reading a lot of blog posts on BrainPickings.org – a site full of inspiring collections. Quotes, books, authors, videos… she’s brilliant at “curating” amazing snippets of content from diverse locations and presenting them as a whole. I follow her (Maria Popova) on Twitter as @BrainPicker, and from there I link over to her newest posts.

BrainPickings often focuses on books and authors. Ray Bradbury shows up regularly. Today, I found myself reading another page on Bradbury, and then clicked on an 8-minute video. Bradbury talks about libraries, his creative process, and his absolute love of life. A must see.

Books are smart and brilliant and wise. …Love what you do and do what you love. Don’t listen to anyone else who tells you not to do it. You do what you want, what you love. …Imagination should be the center of your life.
- Ray Bradbury

Click Below to Feel Renewed
Please click the image below (it will take you to YouTube). Your day will improve, I assure you.

To create anything — whether a short story or a magazine profile or a film or a sitcom — is to believe, if only momentarily, you are capable of magic.
— Tom Bissell

Magical Moments
The summer is so beautiful! It’s hotter here than in any year before, and the grass has been scorched. In spite of this, I’m feeling very alive.

Here’s a photo of our house a few weeks ago. Can you see that in order to sit in the sun I put my (tiny turquoise) chair in the middle of the back yard? Our lot is almost entirely shady, and this particular day I was really in need of some sunshine.

It’s too hot for the back yard this week. I’m typing this from the east-side porch in our front yard.

What to Create in the Heat?
I’m still editing knitting technique videos, and making hot-weather salads. The pile of recipes I want to try is getting fat while I wait for cool days. In the meantime, I’m drinking a LOT of iced tea!

I’m also making plans for the largest knitting pattern project I’ve ever created. I’ll have big news on that in the next week or so!!

With this enthusiasm, I went looking for quotes which seemed to fit. I’m bursting with excitement and enthusiasm right now! Magic seems real and attainable, at least the magic of creativity.

We are all creative, yes? In our culture, we ignore this… even deny it. People who garden well or cook/bake with love, will tell me they “don’t have a creative bone in (their) body.” How sad. They can’t see what is right in front of them!

Unsung Artforms
We create smiles. We create well-told stories. We create safe spaces, songs, impromptu experiences, long-planned home renovations, day trips. Some of us raise children… the ultimate creative endeavor.

Some of us make the perfect cup of coffee… some present an average cup of tea with a smile and an open, listening ear. Some hug us, console us, bring dinner when a frend is too down or exhausted to face making another meal.

Art is “Pretty Objects?”
Some of us make tangible “pretty” things. Some make tangible art objects which some don’t see as pretty.

Some of these creative outlets are designated “Art” by our culture. I would argue that all are artforms… artful contributions to our worlds and the lives of those around us.

You, indeed, are creative. As the Sufi poet Rumi said:

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty
and frightened. Don’t open the door to the study
and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don’t go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want.
Don’t go back to sleep.
People are going back and forth across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don’t go back to sleep.

Now what?
How will you create today? How will you stay awake? Can you feel your magic? Can you believe you are capable of your own sort of magic?

I wish a magical, awakened day for you!

Today I’m grateful for hot tea. Grateful for weather where hot tea isn’t too hot. Grateful for 3 yr old boy next door full of summer and himself, running and exclaiming about the sun. Grateful for a quiet day in which to work.

I’m still working on knitting videos. It’s much more time consuming than I’d ever expected. However, I love that I can teach people all over the world, and show potential new friends my style, while I’m at it.

Grateful for you, reading my posts… no matter how short. Love ya.

I love my front porch. We have been breaking high temperature records in Lansing, Michigan this week. It’s even hot on the porch, but it’s a great place to wait for a breeze. Iced tea is my favorite “food” right now.

I wrote this poem when I still owned the house I bought for myself (highest solo accomplishment to date, perhaps). That neighborhood was active, alive. I loved it.

- = – = – = – = -

The Porch on Francis Avenue

©1995 by Lynn D. Troldahl Hershberger

Sunset.

Hammock, porch, children’s voices.

Warm sun on my skin,

Sleepy eyelids drooping,

A dog barking, birds scolding, the blast of a car horn.

Long shadows, a still breeze, the coolness of the evening.

Summer Day.

Cool iced tea.

Salty damp skin, yellow dandelions,

Bees buzzing,

Body baked by sunshine.

Sharp shadows, blue sky, white clouds.

Singing out loud,

Neighbors waving hello.

Home.

- = – = – = – = -

I don’t have any photos of that porch, at least not in digital format. The photo above is our current porch, taken several years ago. Lovely, yes?