What an odd week. It was a busy work week. I took Wed off because the doctor I work with was off. I was planning a day of sewing a witches hat. I studied the Fat Quarter Shop tutorial and was ready to cut up a table topper I long armed last year but never bound.
But, I went in my sewing room and remembered that I had taken my sewing machine to the spa the day before because it was 20$ off. I didn’t think ahead much did, I? While I was at the sewing shop I they reminded me about a quilt coat class they are having and I also realized I could take that day off. When I saw the class onine I thought we were on a trip, nope I had the wrong day in mind. I signed up for the class. I am so excited I have a half cut out quilt coat I started last year and didn’t finish it. I will now. I have to go through my quilts that would work for being cut up for a jacket and wash it. Then I need to figure out any prep I need to do for the class.
I decided on my day off, that I could get my spare machine out. No cord/pedal combo to be found anywhere. I tried my treadle and couldn’t get it going. So I sewed the 2 seams by hand once I cut out my witches hat. I will wait for my machine to bind it.
I am working on the finishing touches now.
On top of all the work week busy, Wed. shootings hit me from out of the blue. I keep being gut punched and ask myself often– what have we become in this country that we cannot simply agree to disagree? We cannot allow others to be different from ourselves, or we run the possibility of violence happening. People get angry and then tradgey strikes.
I have been diving deep into some videos and articles about how people before us survived terrible things like World War II. I learned about so many things that people did to survive. It brought me hope we can do the same now.
First thing, I follow D Michelle Perry on IG and stubstack and she is starting a fall gardening writings about planting Victory gardens right now. The garden she is talking about is planting seeds of joy. I love how she is writing about this because I just started reading about WW II. Her Planting a million Seeds of Joy article in September is here: https://wonder.dmicheleperry.com/p/a-million-seeds-of-joy
She writes joy doesn’t come from the top (leaders , govts) down it bubble up from the well springs of our hearts even during difficult times. The first seed to plant is awe. I am waiting for more of her series and I realize that there is always joy to be found, wonder and awe. No matter what the circumstances, it is not a fake way to live. It acknowledges what were going through but it also sees the hope in the day through awe and wonder.
Finding joy, beauty and wonder is resistance to dark times. Making art and creating beautiful things is all part of resisting the evil that has been creeping into society. I am planting seeds of joy and making so many things right now.
Making is not frivolous or ignoring the hard things. Making, creating and crafting helps us interpret what is happening around us, process what we feel and get out of our heads into our hands. Pretty amazing therapy. It’s my version of planting seeds of joy or a victory garden.
So this fall, I am doing a lot of therapy classes. Quilt jacket, Art Journaling, beginning pottery, and a glass fusing class with possibly a candle making and soap making class all by December 1.
Planting seeds of joy, I am hoping you are to and if you live where you can plant a fall victory garden, I hope you do.
Vicki
My Creative Corner3 
What a wonderfully cheery witch’s hat—just the kind of thing to make a little joy bubble up… 🙂
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thank you! I had such fun being a quilt witch for Halloween and I even got a little snickers at one of the shops! I decided I am going to have fun with it. I have a quilted jacket too.
i think I may have to keep adding to it everyday year!
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I love that idea! 🙂
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I hear you. I wonder all the time, “What ever happened to sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me?” “What ever happened to ‘Don’t speak ill of the dead?'” When I got my feelings hurt in school my dad would say, “Do they pay your paycheck?” At the ripe age of 11 I’d laugh and say of course not because he paid my allowance after all. Then he would respond, “Then ignore them and keep going.” It made me learn that just because it’s an opinion doesn’t mean you have to pay attention to it. When I was bullied (like that time Mike spit in my hair on the bus or Diana smacked my head into a locker in 8th grade), I cried in private and suffered through it with the promise from my parents and the Bible that ‘this too in time will pass.’ But I’m of the age where I’m the tail end of the baby boomers (1963) and was forced to think critically vs. emotionally. We had to know how to make change without a register, read a map and live in South Texas without AC and there wasn’t any internet so we didn’t have horrid tripe paraded in front of us 24/7. I was raised to understand that life isn’t fair, the world did not revolve around me, and the sun did not rise and set on my backside. So what happened this past week made me cry and feel sad for days. I felt helpless and vowed to begin to actively protect myself when I’m outside of my home. Then I put myself into the shoes of the family members left behind and realized that my personal pity party was unwarranted. I’m here, I’m strong, and I’m grateful that I raised my child (and now my grands) with the strength of conviction I was raised with. That is the best defense of all. Been reading you for years and always enjoy the posts, but loved this one. Thanks for helping me to feel I’m not alone. Follow up: I messaged the spitting incident to Mike on FB (now retired Army) and he apologized profusely and said he didn’t remember that. I graciously accepted his apology but he still felt horrible. Perhaps he will pass on to his grands that bullying is unacceptable. And Diana just passed away and I can’t say I was sad to hear this news. She tormented me for 4 years from 7th-10th grade. I’m healthy and strong and still here. That is the best revenge. 😉
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Thank you for sharing this story! I had to learn these lessons very early myself. I often think that learning them young and being a part of something greater than myself , in fact something greater than the sum of its parts, was being in band and orchestra. I learned young that everyone was essential even if the part was one note on time or a ping of a triangle, for the whole to work beautifully in the final performance.
i hope that others learn we can scroll by posts without hatred, we can leave places , most of the time,that don’t align with our values and most of all that life is a precious gift. We can leave this world a better place than we found it. Even if all I do is live my time with love and peace for my fellow humans, giving back to my small community the best that I can.
ps I am sure that Kyle doesn’t remember throwing salt in my hair because I was the new girl in town, either. I forgave her long ago but I sure haven’t forgotten
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