Freecycling, boundaries and pumpkin soup

Yesterday was a good free cycling day. While I was looking in the coat closet for yarn, I realized I could free cycle a bunch of the bags and purses hanging in there,  and this group is leaving today.

Several of them I handmade and they can move on, served their purpose with me, handspun and woven, Tunisian crochet, beaded knitting. Others are nice, like the Indian embroidered tote,of which I have others. So all the bags are in a bag (!) on the step awaiting their happy taker.

The big painted art bag was picked up yesterday, as it turned out by a longtime art acquaintance who has been trying to get a closer connection for years. A bit shovy, which I've handled politely but not with fervor. I didn't know the identity of this taker, just the free cycle screen name, until she rang the doorbell, most unusual, instead of just picking up. 

Turns out she also received a stack of art books, back when I winnowed the collection, and is pleased with them.

She was wearing a fedora, very stylish, she can wear hats, and wanted to come in and visit. Um. I explained I wasn't free, and she was quite graceful about it. 

I'm very picky about who comes in , no sudden irruptions, except Gary, who's basically family,  and not  uninvited ones. We did chat on the step.  She messaged me later to say she loves the bag. So I felt I did a bit of kind boundary management on the spur of the moment. Clever me. It didn't hurt that I was giving her something nice at the time!

And yogurt has happened again, also the sugar pumpkin from the front step is now soup, as planned

And, tidings of great joy, I didn't have to go in person to the dreaded snarling Motor Vehicle office to renew my driver's license.

At my age, and I noticed they'd changed the expiration to my birthday, oh-oh, I wondered if they'd want a retest or new photo or something. Their website was very cagey about who could and couldn't renew by mail, though they did say there's no age requirement for a retest. So I waited, and they sent me the form to mail in. So now I think if your license is clean, they don't make you do anything special.

 I renewed by mail, and they just recopied the old photo, now looking worse even than before. I'd hate to be recognized from it. But yay, four more years of legality. At which point I'll be amazed if I'm still driving anyway.

Happy day, everyone, enjoy whatever good thing happens, and there will be at least one. You might have to look closely.

Textiles and tea, socks and boundaries

 Yesterday's presenter is a dyer and weaver who works in ikat, where she paints or dyes the threads ahead of weaving, to create interesting shapes and pools of patterns. There were big technical problems, losing her repeatedly, so they had to salvage what they could, and here's the result. Still pretty good.

She started out wanting to make wall art but has been drawn into wearable clothes. But her work with words, in the piece with sayings from a large number of religions, and symbols of peace and unity,  the landscapes, and that group work, are all wall hangings.

The long gallery piece is a communal schoolwide work, where every student,  teacher and staff worker was invited to add a piece of work, using strips of textiles they brought in, meaningful to them. The blue markers indexed,  to help them find their own contribution, in a work over twenty feet long.

She started in the seventies, with a very subdued natural color range, but burst out into color later, as you see.  Weaving blogistas, have you tried ikat, or fancied it?

Meanwhile back in the sock world, the first sock for me is done. 

Rose, I think this is yarn you gave me. It knits up nicely, very friendly.  As you see, I used different color for heel and cuff, because I'm not sure how far the main color will go. They're going to be great to wear.

November is full of memories for me, aside from the general memories of family and war dead, because it has birthdays of two sisters and my parents'  wedding anniversary.

If the sisters had observed and respected my boundaries better, if my parents had dealt with their bullying better, my life would have worked better. Just a gentle reminder to older sibs who wonder why younger ones have become distant. Sometimes they can't protect themselves till they're adults, or you've left the family home. Then they're not in touch any more. But it's not too late to get in contact gently, and try again, on a different footing. 

One of my sisters did, in very old age, and said she didn't know what to do other than feel guilty. It didn't occur to her to say she was sorry. And I knew that would bring on a burst of rage if I mentioned it. But I accepted this was the best she could do. No point in pushing for what another person can't do. I think this is true of friends, too, when they let you down. They're probably doing their best.

Odd how this continues to be important even into old age and survival. But now in my turn,  I'm observing other people's boundaries with care. 

Happy day, everyone! How do you feel about boundaries, yours and other people's? No need to answer this question if it crosses your boundaries!