Stasia's Place Of Grace

Wednesday, October 01, 2003

 

Finished Object!

I finished the Colinette Absolutely Fabulous Throw in the Cornucopia colorway, and here it is:

I think it kind of looks like seaweed and coral. The colors are a bit wild for me, and I did not enjoy hooking on all that fringe, but all in all it was a relatively quick and painless project... and it is very warm!

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Ready To Write?

So, you've clicked on my last entry's links, and you've got all sorts of fancy stationery and pens... and no one to whom you can write?

Fear not! The Letter Exchange is a cool little publication that offers listings of potential pen friends eager to discuss books, politics, the arts, general life, cats... just about any topic imaginable!

I belonged years ago, and met several very cool people by responding to some interesting listings. I eventually took out one of my own and got a ton of responses.

You can remain anonymous if you wish - you are assigned a membership number, as are all parties who have listings in the current issue, when you subscribe. Whether or not you exchange personal addresses is entirely up to you.

They don't accept personal ads, or mail from prisoners, and from my experience the group is a very literary, well-educated, kind, and fun crowd, eager to fill your snail mailbox with lovely letters!

Why not respond to one of the cute senior citizens' ads? You could make their day by sending them mail at their nursing homes.

If you're an artist, there are others who would like to exchange hand-painted or hand-drawn postcards, or you can just respond to one of the picture ads!

Even if you never write to anyone, I think that reading the listings and interesting letter-related quotes and articles is worth the small subscription fee... and it supports this tiny effort to keep the art of letter-writing alive in the age of e-mail - a good cause, in my opinion!

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Speaking Of Writing...

... I'm currently reading Emily Dickinson. I'd like to share this poem with you today:

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

The Selected Poems Of Emily Dickinson, The Modern Library Classics, VI, page 6, 2000.

I just finished listening to The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, and even though my tapes were abridged, I really enjoyed it! Very exciting with unexpected twists - a fun mystery which takes place mostly in Paris.

Current books by the bedside are Animal Dreams by Barbara Kinsolver and Gift From The Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. And I'm still working on Chesapeake by James Michener (it's good but very thick! You know, maybe if I read one book at a time, and knit one thing at a time, I'd actually finish something!)

I also have a copy of "Kiplinger's" which I don't want to read in the least, but I am determined to learn more about Personal Finance (blech!) I have decided that if I learn more about it, I will stop living in fear of money - where it should be invested, will there be enough for retirement, can I squeeze one more thing on my VISA card... To that end, I have also requested some of Suze Orman's books from my local library. Hey, if she's good enough for Oprah, she's good enough for me.

Speaking of Oprah, I am thrilled with her O Magazine. It is so refreshing to read a magazine that leaves you feeling uplifted about who you are, rather than depressed because you can't fit into a size two Badgley Mischka gown (like I would ever have a need to wear one walking my dogs in our meadow!) If you're looking for some spiritual and creative kicks-in-the-pants, rather than advice on what unaffordable, impractical things to buy, subscribe - I just did!

Stasia Trivia: I was once invited to be on the Oprah show, because of a crazy ex-husband. I did not go because my parents would have been embarrassed. I should have gone! Never miss an opportunity to meet Oprah!

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What's New Here?

The apples in the orchard are all ripe. Have you ever made an apple doll?

We are expecting our first frost tonight. I put all the cotton plants in the garage. They bolls still haven't popped.

I am one pound away from having lost 20 pounds... c'mon, pound!

I'm going to focus on the Creatures Of The Reef shawl once again, now that the Colinette throw is finished... and will start an afghan for my sister for Christmas.

I'm going to try to get my new-to-me Mighty Wolf loom all set up and warped - I would like to weave some handspun cotton fabric to make some Colonial-type clothing. I have no idea why I want to do this - I think just to experience what my ancestors did, just "to do it." I think it has something to do with reading Home Life In Colonial Days and using all these funny quill pens...

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Have a wonderful rest of the week! Please TAG me! I do love to hear from you.

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