Category Archives: Domestic Arts

Where I Worship

Karen has an interesting post about the altars at which she does not worship and provides a photo of the one that is central in her life. It got me thinking. Years ago I created an altar with items of personal significance. (On the right sits a fertility goddess that I made November 2006, a few weeks before I conceived Claire.) I used to light a candle and incense at this altar. Since moving to our most recent residence, it sits unused on top of a bookcase at the top of a staircase. It never gets used. And since Claire’s arrival, it wears a shawl of dust. Here is a photo of it (Husband’s face has been blurred out to respect his privacy):

altar

After reading Karen’s post, I was inspired to share my real altar.

my real altar

I pray at this altar, where I learn to be patient and humble and compassionate, where I have the privilege of caring for the best gift Life has entrusted to me.

Coming Up Empty

Despite my intentions of spending recovery time knitting or doing some other creative sedentary venture, I’ve let it all languish. I feel desperately un-creative. I look at my yarn stash and think, “I’ll never use this stuff, and it’s taking up space,” and struggle with the desire to get rid of it. Same with my art supplies. I feel an urge to simplify. It’s astonishing to me what accumulates over time, and if we decide to move this year, a we need to lighten our load. So I’m feeling restless to do this.

Plus we may purchase a stationary bike for me, and where is that going to go? I still have two boxes of maternity clothes in the closet.

I’ve been really successful in keeping new book acquisition to a minimum.

I just don’t know what to do with this impulsive energy.

Once upon a time I didn’t make stuff — I didn’t make arts or crafts, and I didn’t have closets full of supplies. My life was simpler. I read and I exercised. Now I waste so much time on the Internet — I do read, too, but exercise doesn’t happen. And I need to make that happen.

What a disjointed post.

Changing My (Diaper) Bag

Sometimes what’s needed is a small change. For 18 months I lugged around the huge black diaper bag, and in the first year it served well, because I carried a lot of stuff around for Claire (and it became my purse too). I never left the house with Claire without also bring the black bag. It held diapers, wipes, blankets, snacks, bottles, sippy cups, extra clothes for Claire, my wallet and cell phone, tampons, a pen and notepad, diaper changing pad, and antibacterial wipes.

Lately I need less and less stuff for Claire. And frankly, I’ve gotten much less concerned about things like carrying a diaper changing pad or the entire contents of my refrigerator. Most places have changing stations and disinfecting wipes can clean off the surfaces just as well. As for food, she’s able to get by on crackers and fruit if she needs a snack while we’re out, and since she has almost all her teeth now, she can eat regular food with the best of us.

So when I was out this evening running errands (which is what often sadly qualifies as “me time”), I happened to wander down an aisle at Walgreens and saw small tote bags. One was all pink and girly, another was black with pink lips all over it, and then there was the cute little ladybug bag. It was $5.99, and on a whim I bought it. Someday, when I’m done using it as a diaper bag I will — if it is still in one piece — use it to tote knitting projects around. For now, it’s much lighter and smaller and yet still carries the essentials. But really, the main thing is that it cheers me, and I feel less like a ox with a yoke.

Husband used to carry the diaper bag, but you can bet that won’t be happening now! It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

changing the diaper bag

This And That

My surgery is set for Friday, March 13. No, I’m not superstitious. That is also my wedding anniversary! My SIL is coming the next day, so she will help and Husband will also be home. My MIL is on stand-by, so to speak. We won’t know until after the surgery if it will be a removal or a repair. If it’s a repair, I will be on crutches four weeks, and we will need my MIL. A removal of the cartilage is more common and much easier to heal from.

Claire is not going to like this. First off, her babysitter will be with her all day on March 13 and will put her down for a nap. The only people whom Claire falls asleep for is me and Husband, so it remains to be seen if she’ll nap. She also won’t understand why I am not moving, and if I don’t rise to her imperious commands (Get up! Get up!) and play, we’ll see a lot of tantrums. It’s going to be interesting.

What else is new? Let’s see… I’m feeling some dislocation and sadness because I managed to alienate a close friend and while we are still friends, it is clear that a level of intimacy is gone. This friend has instead moved closer to another mutual friend. I am trying to let things be, and to remain open, and to remember love. There are consequences to my actions. I brought this on myself, so to speak.

Given that my free time is limited, I’ve been giving thought to paring down some of my online activities that suck time out from under me. I’m unsubscribing from certain newsletters, and I’ve deleted my account from Facebook. There are too few moments in each day, and I have the email addresses and phone numbers of people I want to keep in touch with. Simplicity is key.

I finally finished a scarf for my sister Ellen. It’s pretty, and I’ll post a photo of it later. Now I need to think of something else to knit.

A Finished Object

At last, I finished something so very simple that I started last July. It’s an accessory scarf. Not sure what I’ll do with it; I’ll probably package it up and store it as a “someday gift” for someone, or maybe one of these days I’ll get going on an Etsy shop and try to sell online.

In any case, this is the outcome of my creative efforts this week.

black silver gray scarf

Updated to add: Why wait? If you want it, you can buy it.

Creativity In The Kitchen

A dinner for two:

Quinoa and Portobellos
2 portobello mushrooms
1 medium onion
1 Tbsp. safflower or olive oil
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. dried chopped basil
Black pepper to taste
1 cup of quinoa
1 3/4 cups water (or use vegetable stock)

Rinse the quinoa well. Bring water and quinoa to a boil in a pot. Reduce the heat to a simmer, leave the lid on partially. Turn off the heat after about 15 minutes and let it stand.

Meanwhile, slice the mushrooms and onions into strips (not finely chopped). Over medium heat, sauté onions and mushrooms in the oil for about 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are tender and a little carmelized. Add basil and black pepper, then serve over a bed of quinoa with a lettuce salad on the side.
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I thought this was very tasty. Husband dutifully ate some; he doesn’t like portobellos. But maybe I’ll make it again to eat for lunch.

What’s Cooking?

The first week of January is nearly past! I have only a few minutes to write this post, so it’s a bit scattered. I signed up to participate in Creative Every Day 2009, so here’s my first post about it. For Christmas I received some culinary items: a jumbo muffin pan, four really heavy cookie/jelly roll sheets, 6 tart pans, 4 mini loaf pans, and 2 mini cake pans, along with a book called Small-Batch Baking. I really enjoy baking (even more than cooking), but most baked goods are indulgences. And as we should know but have forgotten, an indulgence is a treat, something enjoyed specially; however, the quantities most recipes create are many dozens of cookies or large pies and cakes that a family of three does not need.

This morning I put the loaf pans to use by making more pumpkin bread. I’ve found that large loaves don’t get consumed quickly enough, and another point to baking small is to reduce the amount of temptation to overeat. I was really pleased with the results and look forward to making more goodies. The recipes in the book make very small amounts; for example, a recipe for a cake makes 2 little cakes (slightly larger than a jumbo muffin) or a half a dozen cookies.

I’ve also decided this year to get creative about food in a different way. I received three other books, some of which provide ideas to ponder and one of which also has recipes. One of my relatives has undergone a significant weight loss, and she and I discussed eating habits and the need to remain healthy, and how excess weight impinges on health. Eating differently — heathfully and in less quantity — is also a creative response to environmental issues.

I realize I have, for too many years, consumed food mindlessly in quantities that would shock a large percentage of the world population. As I watch my daughter learn to eat and to feed herself, I’ve felt my conscience poked and prodded. She follows her natural hunger and satiation. It’s been so long since I stopped at satiation. I know what hunger feels like but often eat as recreation, and I often eat beyond simple fullness. So many people live on much, much less. And in fact, as my relative and I discussed, our sense of proportion is extremely skewed. We have grown accustomed to large servings and lost the understanding of how truly little a body needs to thrive. By reducing how much I consume, I can save our family money, and some of that money will go to organizations such as Feeding America and Heifer International. So the books I will be reading are:

Year In Review

I usually recap the previous year by posting the first sentence written here for each month. Here is the one for 2007. I thought I’d done it previous years to that, but I can’t find it in the archives.

January: My day isn’t over yet.

February: Claire napped four times yesterday, only 30 minutes each.

March: From an email I wrote to a friend who has several children (but it was also me talking to myself and thus worth it to me to post):
Please tell me the fact that my daughter isn’t sitting unassisted at six months is okay.

April: I’ll face reality.

May: I originally knit a baby hat and an adult hat.

June: This was a work weekend.

July: I made Claire’s hat and trusted the pattern.

August: The simplicity of this photo belies the amazing life activity that is constantly occurring within.

September: Claire is an amazing little person.

October: My good friend Ambrosia just welcomed her little girl, Gwendolyn Rose, at 6:33 this morning.

November: This year, my efforts with AEDM will probably be simple, the result of quickie creativity cobbled together from stolen moments.

December: Today was Claire’s first day at the parent-participation preschool session.

All I Want For Christmas

…is for Claire’s four molars to come through and ease up the pain for her. Poor kid.

Also: this year, for the first time in probably 10 years, I do not expect to get the holiday cards in the mail. They might be late, or might not be sent at all. And you know what? Christmas will still happen.

Why Not?

Creativity is at the core of my life. At least, this is how I’ve felt for several years. So I’m diving in and will participate in Leah’s 2009 challenge, Creative Every Day 2009.

Creative Every Day 2009

I’m not sure exactly what will come of it, but the goal is to gently inspire my creativity and to see it in my life in places I would not ordinarily consider. How about you?

Fear Not

Christmas just isn’t Christmas to me without a tree. For years I had a teeny table-top tree that my mother gave me, and each year she gives me more teeny ornaments for it. Last year she sent me a slightly larger version of that tree; since horizontal surfaces are scarce, I didn’t plan to put it (or the teeny one) up this year. But Husband persuaded me that we could put it on our dining table. I went one better and put it on the counter near an outlet so the lights can be on and little hands remain safe. So here is the Grandma Tree (it is actually tucked against the wine rack and against the wall):

christmas tree 08

So LKD, now things are all better. 🙂