LAW 47: Summer is slipping away

Yikes! The last day of September, it is a gray, rainy, windy day, thank you Joaquin. Here at the marina, the weather is a more frequent topic of conversation than normal, which way this storm tracks makes a major difference in what we will plan for and experience. So we will wait and look obsessively at radar maps and weather pundit predictions and continue to enjoy our lives here hurricanes or no.

I can't believe that this is the last day of September! Summer is for all extents and purposes over. Yes, we will continue to have remarkably beautiful weather. Yes we will continue to spend much of our days out of doors, but the signs of change are in the air. People that i have never seen dressed in anything but shorts and tank tops are now sporting jeans and sweatshirts. It is dark enough at suppertime that once more lit candles grace the dinner table. There is talk of bonfires, stone soup and s'mores instead of swimming expeditions.

Dinners ready! Good food, candlelight and candles

Last night's storm took down the rest of our sun chokes, damm! They had really just come into full bloom, almost a month and a half later than predicted. We really did not intend to harvest them until after the first frost, but i think if they don't have any leaves left that we should harvest them early. I guess this is what i get for planting what is a forest verge plant in the middle of an unprotected sunny river bank. I already had planned to move them to the fence line behind the boat yard as they had grown much taller and bushier than anticipated.

Blown down by wind and rain, they were almost to the roof!

Our good friends Chris and Shannon adopted a boat kitty this past weekend, Chuck, a beautiful, three month old ball of solid black fur, energy and boundless curiosity. He and Magellan are learning to be friends.

curiosity doesn't kill...

hmm, who are you?

 Almost with out our notice the local tomatoes, sweet corn and peaches have disappeared from the markets. I'm never really ready to see them go, lucky for us our stalwart Mexico Midget in a pot is still putting out incredibly delicious tomatoes.

There is so much more that i wanted to do this summer. How did i let it slip away?

More later,
Morgainne

LAW 46: More tales of the cat

I'm actually considering the possibility of allowing Magellan his own blog, that way i could write more about art. Sadly, he is not  as yet adept with a keyboard as Cocoa Cat was. Perhaps with more remedial training….

Magellan doing yoga while guarding the electronics

Actually the thrust of this entry is about some of the rather weird, and frankly almost, dare i say, psychotic quirks that Magellan has developed over the last couple of months.
the absolute weirdest of these is the Girl on a String Game that he insists we play every day, at least twice a day. Actually more like every time i sit down to work in my studio. Luckily so far this only occurs when i am siting on my rocker, doing embroidery.

I AM paying attention! 

No, i am not making this up, here is video proof.

More later,
Morgainne

LAW 45: Some of us are makers

Recently i discovered/rediscovered yet another way that we humans divide ourselves. I am sure that you are all quite familiar with many of the 'standard' divisions that we have come up with, all of which are designed to separate us. You know, black and white, rich and poor, have and have not. Historically we have used race, income, education, talent, birth, shape, age and many other potentially divisive markers to make ourselves special and others, well, not so.

Mungo and i spent the last week, one of the hottest of this summer, building a wooden sailing dingy. Building our PuddleDuck Racer was a lot of fun, and of course, work. It was through the course of this build that i realized that people, at least people of a certain level of affluence in  this country also divide themselves in a very significant fashion into makers and consumers. Numerous times in the past week we were asked, what are you doing? Why are you making this? Are you going to……. with many variations of the basic query that indicated most, if not all of our interlocutors thought that we were likely, well, crazy.

moraine starting the name

The bottom line appears to be why would you want to build(MAKE) something if you could buy it?!? My first, admittedly flippant response, why would i want to buy something that i could make, flip or not holds significant truth.

yes, you really can find anything on the internet

If i think about it i can come up with at least three reasons that a majority of people would prefer to buy rather than build. The first and likely most compelling reason would be instant gratification. Making takes time, buying generally does not. Making does take specific skill sets. Learning how to do something takes time and practice, time that many of us are unwilling to commit to.  Making takes a level of self confidence, a willingness to fail, to play the fool. Somehow in the past fifty years it has become more chic, more in, more, well more, to be a consumer. Somehow the possession of commercially made objects has become a symbol; a status symbol, a symbol of worth, a symbol of success.

sail's up, away we go!

I just don't buy this. I have been a maker pretty much all my  life. I love making things; beautiful things, functional things. I love the feelings of pride, of accomplishment, success. I love the rush, the high, the feeling of completion that comes from finishing a project. Whatever that project is. Be it finishing and launching the Dharma Duck, which Mungo and i did yesterday;  or placing the last stitch in my newest embroidery piece; or eating a new, experimental  dinner with friends(yes, the grilled octopus was delicious), making something and experiencing the thrill of its completion, its use is ever so fulfilling.

detail summer sun banner

oh my! Ever so yummy

I have been a maker all my life. Are you?



More later,
Morgainne

LAW 44:On the making of art

Most of the work(art) that i do is incredibly time consuming. This is mainly because i eschew the use of the machine in the making. The evidence of the hand, the serene repetition of the needle and thread rising and falling, the piercing and securing of fabric to itself is in itself supremely satisfying. It is a form of meditation; at once a letting go of  consciousness and a way to secure reality.

This piece, 'The Eye of Horus', is destined to be part of the ceiling in our meditation/entertainment loft.  It measures,  26" x 16", i dyed and printed all of the fabric, it is completely hand stitched. For the bedroom loft i used all of my old tablecloths, i wanted to use something a little more personal for the meditation loft. so, i have used all of the hand embroidery pieces that i have been making over the last several years. Most of these were not purpose made, rather they were a way for me to keep my hands busy as Mungo and i traveled here and there across country.

detail of "eye"

I am currently working on a version of the Sun card from the Rider Waite tarot deck.  working of from the original card i simplified the image, as you can see from the working drawing. After i am satisfied with the drawing i prep the background fabric, sketch in the major parts on the fabric than create a fabric collage, by cutting and glueing, than stitching.

working drawing

sun before embroidery

Oh ya, there is another really good reason that i do this by hand. It is really hard to sit and talk in my outside studio while running a sewing machine.....

More later,

Morgainne

LAW 43: CATS VS DOGS

There is a certain level of controversy regarding which species makes the better onboard pet, cats or dogs. As you can imagine the census is drawn largely along party lines; dog owners stoutly maintaining their supremacy, while those of us with feline companions are serenely aware of the righteousness of our position. I offer you two candidates for consideration, Haley and Magellan. You should be the judge.

Magellan, regal, lord of all he surveys, very much the personal assistant. Affectionate and loves to have his belly scratched. Does not come when called, although he will pay attention and follow us to the boat.















Haley, and my name means tongue, and boy am i happy to see you. I love everyone and will do my best to make sure all of you have been thoroughly washed and tidied. Although i as well do not always come when called, i will always acknowledge you.









More later,
Morgainned

LAW 41:Yet more cat tales

King of all he sees

Magellan has been with us for three months now. In truth it seems as if it has been a life time since we brought him aboard. He has proven to be the most mellow of feline friends; he puts out a paw of friendship to everyone he meets, as well as his head, his belly..... you get the drift.

Please, oh please my tummy needs attention!

Now if i could just break him of his two truly neurotic habits: 1) the daily, multiple washing of the galley floor, and 2) the rather worrisome game that he and i play every morning while my coffee is brewing.

Wait i just saw something, let me down!

 We have been very cautious about allowing the boy unfettered access to the great outdoors. On the weekends there's far too many people here. Behind the marina there is a large swath of undeveloped forest/marsh. Ideal kitty playground all to true; also likely home to many a wild critter that might possibly take umbrage to the great explorer Magellan horning in. So, he only gets to go out under supervision. He actually takes the supervision pretty well, normally he will stay within eyesight; that is if we keep our eyes on him. If, however we get wrapped up in conversation, or grilling, well than of course all bets are off, and he is usually hidden in pretty plain view. At this point the rescue posse spreads out and he will be found, usually with a superior look on his face, very clearly waiting for one of us to pick him up, bring him back to the gathering so we can all play this wonderfully fun game again. And again,...

Hmmm, no one's watching

He continues to be the best personal assistant that either of  us have worked with; evidenced here as he lends Mungo much needed editorial assistance.

Cat, employing the Edgar Cayce method

What a joy this absolutely wonderful rescue cat has been. We constantly ask ourselves, who would give up such a great cat? 

More later,

Morgainne

LAW 42: HOW HOT IS IT?

Ready to go to work

It is currently very hot. Very, very hot, here on the Middle River. The heat indexes for the last couple of days have topped 110 degrees. Since we have no air conditioning it has been more than a little warm here on the Floating Empire. Luckily for us it has been quite pleasant under the trees. So much so in fact that i have essentially moved my studio up there for the foreseeable future.

threading the eye of the needle

I hardly know how to express what this wonderful  gift  outdoor community space means. Tom has created a beautiful, comfortable space in which we can hang out. Under the 'Drinking Trees'  a soft breeze  almost always greets anyone with the time or inclination to stop for awhile.

the view from my new studio

The cast often changes; by the hour, by the day, everyone stops, chats about marina and personal affairs, allows how life, here, certainly doesn't suck, and ultimately moves on. I sit and sew, thankful for this incredible opportunity; living, working, enjoying life on the river.

more studio views

More later,
Morgainne

got to enjoy your work