Valerean

The thrifted Vera Bradley purse I'm presently carrying has, like the last one I patched, developed some fabric wear holes after only a month of daily use. This one has them on both sides of the purse. I think it's the cheap fabric, which seems to be deteriorating due to thinness and age (I wasn't banging the purse into anything.) My fix was a quick one -- sew two small white doilies over the wear spots to keep them from getting worse. I'll likely switch out my purse again soon and wash this one to see if the doily repair holds. I guess the fabric wear is going to be a continual challenge.

While out hunting two small doilies for a purse repair project I caved into the temptation to buy two more mystery bags of jewelry, one with brooches and the other with bracelets. I had some extra royalties money come in this month, and I already know I'll get more than I expect from this mystery bag seller. At another antique place I also invested in a vintage tin, a jewelry jar and a small handmade zippered pouch for my stitch markers. Here are the brooches that came in the first mystery bag. Beautiful! I'm already planning an Art Deco tote around the pearl/gold chain piece. The bracelets were awesome, too. They're all stretchy, which is easier for me to put on and take off. I thought the jewelry jar would have a mix of things, but nope, it was filled with five more bracelets. This is perfect for me because it's the only jewelry I wear everyday. I love them all. :)

Pick Up Limes had a short video about taking a color walk as a mindfulness exercise, so I tried it and had a lot of fun. To follow in my footsteps, check out my album of pics here.

With my nephew moving out, my daughter now coming for an extended visit, and my guy needing minor surgery, as well as a project I need to finish for my day job, my quiet life is suddenly becoming very chaotic. Pressure mounts as I try to manage the additional tasks as well as everyone's expectations of me. This time, however, a lot has changed in my ability to do so, thanks to some changes I've made in how I perceive and address the expectations of others. Actions versus Expectations: As always I do what I can, but I no longer overextend myself, especially while others who create the work for me stand by doing nothing and/or criticize me for not satisfying their requirements. I am not a machine. Nor do I beat myself up if I can't make them happy. That's their problem, not mine. Calming Meditation: I have a new habit in the mornings, in that I'm choosing a spiritual teaching to focus on that day, and also to meditate on as I walk the dogs or do my chores....

I do like stories about mythological foxes, and used one in a project for work, so when I saw the clever cover art for Yangsze Choo's The Fox Wife I had to invest in a new copy. This turned out to be a very good way to spend book money. The historical fantasy story begins in 1908 China, and told from two points of view: Bao, an older detective investigating a strange death, and Snow, a shape shifting fox who wants revenge for her murdered child. At first I wasn't sure I'd like it -- the fox's grief and the detective's rapidly declining health both seemed depressing and dark -- but the story does capture and hold the attention by not focusing on either but absorbing you into their adventures. Eventually Bao and Snow meet, and then everything they have been chasing comes to an unusual climax that is unexpectedly upbeat. Upsides: The writing is beautiful, spare, and wonderfully experienced. This may be the author's third novel but she writes like she...

Last week I woke up right before sunrise, thanks to Shadow, who can't stand to let me sleep in. Since I wasn't all that tired I got up to let the dogs out, and saw an unusual sight: the sky beginning to turn lavender. I can't remember ever seeing a lavender sky at sunrise, so I decided to take some pics. Only the first one really showed the color, and only when I boosted the color saturation to 75%. I've always tried to remember to look at the sky, which for me is a metaphor for the self, at least a couple times every day. In a sense I was as lavender in the moment as the sky was. Lavender is a gentle, quiet, soothing color to me. Lavender and chamomile are my favorite calming tea blend. The color is not as in your face as purple, or as dark as violet, but softer and much more serene. Seeing this lovely sunrise left me feeling calmer and more peaceful, which is a wonderful way to start the day. As I walked back to my home office I wondered how many o...