Getting ready for a vacation creates lots of work- laundry, packing, bill paying, creating itineraries, finishing outstanding commissions, record keeping, sorting out volunteer responsibilities, helping friends and family with projects- plenty to do so I can walk out the door and feel whole- but miten drinen I found myself at the Salvation Army compelled toContinue reading “The True Quilter Self”
Tag Archives: Simplify
Introducing Our Better Than The Swedish Furniture Retailer’s Blue Bag
Top Ten Reasons I Love Our Better Than The Swedish Furniture Retailer’s Blue Bag10. I love IKEA’s idea of a hold-everything bag but I hate blue plastic.9. It has two kind of handles- making it versatile when holding.8. It is bigger than our Big Bag.7. It’s easier to make than our Big Bag.6. It isContinue reading “Introducing Our Better Than The Swedish Furniture Retailer’s Blue Bag”
A Pillow Turned Rug
It started with these all-weather wicker chairs that we are no longer using. Originally, there were seven and I made patchwork cushions for them out of moth eaten wool clothing and kilim rugs. I could not part with the beautiful textiles and decided to re-purpose them into a patchwork rug. It was an almost impossibleContinue reading “A Pillow Turned Rug”
Acceptance
For sometime now I have been contemplating the right action for all of my old journals. They begin when I was 19 and end around 2007: For the longest time I was going to burn them; then I was going to stitch each page while leaving it as a book. Now I have made theContinue reading “Acceptance”
Our Line- A Bag For Every Purpose
From Left to Right:To-Go-BagDay-BagTravel-BagYoga-BagFold-Over-BagWine-BagBottle-Bag X 2Grocery-BagTwo-Strap-Shopping-Bag
It’s still about the Container
It started like this- about six weeks ago, I realized I was missing something. It was a red string from a dear friend that always hugged a photo in my bathroom. In a past blog, I explained the importance of the red string to ward off the evil eye. I looked everywhere for my redContinue reading “It’s still about the Container”
It’s Time for Beginner’s Mind
In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few. Roshi Shunryu Suzuki If you haven’t figured it out from previous entries, I am no longer using my beautiful armoire as my container. My container has become something much bigger and bolder as I explore how I can apply TheContinue reading “It’s Time for Beginner’s Mind”
The Middle Way
Great is the matter of birth and deathLife slips quickly byTime waits for no oneWake up Wake upDon’t waste a moment! Rochester Zen Center My Container Project is becoming an internal thoughtful examination of my daily life, which brings me to my Zen training of The Middle Way. The Middle Way will be my guideContinue reading “The Middle Way”
Mindful Insight
One of the gifts of My Container Project is how it has heightened my mindfulness. I have stepped out of my regular habitual motions and am actively attentive to my limited palette of Container choices. It is fascinating to observe my thoughts and feelings at each particular juncture. For example, yesterday morning I have aContinue reading “Mindful Insight”
The Essentials-Part II
The selection process is complete and my container is ready to go. I will live from it beginning tomorrow morning, Labor Day. The selection process was most interesting. As I established the categories, the choices were fairly obvious. I have my favorites. I will use a beautiful handmade set of ceramic dishes with a setContinue reading “The Essentials-Part II”