Blog – Page 11 – Beverly Army Williams

Get Ready for Craft Friday!

My plan is to stay home all day on Friday. Well, I’ll hike with the dogs, but other than that, I’m hunkering down. I’ll be hopping online between crafting spurts to check out what everyone else is doing. Here are some places I’ll be looking:

Pinterest Craft Friday Board (feel free to follow it, or follow me and ask to join the board if you want to pin on it). Tag your pins #CraftFriday

Twitter (again, tag related tweets with #CraftFriday)

Join the Flickr Group.

Today I’m making cranberry sauce, which I plan to use in either crostini or grilled cheese sandwiches for Friday’s sustenance. I’ll make parm-stuffed dates and a garlic scape pesto (yay June Beverly for freezing so much of it!) and ricotta dip. There may be hot buttered rum if temperatures warrant it.

I’ve got supplies from La Drougerie to make some jewelry, and I expect my sewing machine will see some use, too. I’ve been pouring over Bend the Rules Sewing for ideas. Will you share some of your inspiration and project ideas?

I’m as excited for Craft Friday as I am for Thanksgiving! I hope you are, too!

Ten on Tuesday: Thankful Edition

Today Carole invited us to share Ten Things I am Thankful For:

1. My dogs. I miss my little Maddie all the time, but Oskar, Coco, and Tilly add joy to every day. Sometimes worry and frustration, too, but always joy.

2. Living near my parents. I never thought I’d end up back in CT. I was happy to leave it, and while I returned for love, I’ve always wished my love lived elsewhere. Still, in the last year, I’ve grown more grateful to be here, near my parents, which allows me to have a stronger relationship with them than I did in the past.

3. My family. They’re pretty great.

4. All the abundance in my life. I remember times when my food budget was smaller than the cost of a manicure. I am grateful to be able to purchase not only whatever food I want, but whatever quality food. I’m grateful to have a sweet home, transportation, a job, supplies for crafting, access to any book I want to read.

5. My Oboz hiking boots. I’m spending a lot of time in the woods with Oskar, and I splurged on a pair of proper boots. They have made hiking even better.

6. My friends. What is better than that solid group of people who you really get and who get you, who will do silly or serious activities with you with the same exuberance?

7. Good health insurance. I had a battle with an immersion blender Sunday night. The immersion blender was not the one to go to the ER. I’m grateful that it was inexpensive (and that I didn’t lose the tip of my finger–the cuts, while painful and sharp, should heal easily. They were surprisingly minor, needing only steri-strips).

8. My online community. I’m thrilled by the enthusiasm for Craft Friday!

9. Writing projects. My projects, while slow going, keep me focused on what matters the most to me. Story rocks my world, and I’m grateful to create it.

10. Neal. This man, sometimes compared by my friends to Ron Swanson, makes me feel thankful all day long, every day. I feel fortunate to spend my life with him.

I’ll post with more Craft Friday details on Wednesday. In the meantime, what has you feeling thankful this year?

Craft Friday: a Declaration

I knew I wasn’t alone in shunning Black Friday, and I figured I wasn’t the only crafter who spends the day making rather than buying~but, wow! Is it ever exciting to see our revolution take off! My pal Kirsten of Through the Loops has made a really generous offer to encourage us all in our quest for hand made.

Today, I invite you to write a declaration–post what feels right to you. Maybe:

why you’re rejecting Black Friday
what you love to craft for the holidays
your history of crafting gifts (did you start as a kid? a college student?)
your manifesto about crafting rather than buying

Email a link to your blog post to me at pomogolightlyATgmail.com, and I’ll add links throughout the day to this post and share them on FaceBook and Twitter. Want to read some declarations:

Sara makes her declaration with a history of her hand crafted holidays.

Tara declares cuddling and crafting go together.

Mary Lou declares glitter and kids go together perfectly for Craft Friday.

Oh, my declaration? Of course.

It’s been eleven years since I last shopped on Black Friday. Most years I’ve visited family or friends, spent time knitting or sewing or crocheting, or written the first of my holiday greeting cards. The rejection of Black Friday didn’t start off that way; different priorities begged my attention, and I obliged. I’m relieved, though, not to feel the compulsion to get the best deal or beat the crowds.

This year, it seems more important to me to craft conscientiously on 11/29. I detest that some big box stores start Black Friday on Thanksgiving day. I’m baffled by the need and desire to shop on a day set aside for gratitude. The things don’t matter. People matter.

And crafting is a way for me to honor the people I love, to offer them something beautiful, to step away from crass consumerism. I like to buy my supplies from indy merchants, and I like to focus my mind on the person for whom I’m creating as I knit or paint or stitch. It matters to me that layers of love and good wishes are built into whatever I’m creating.

So for me, Craft Friday is about pushing back against what the commercials urge me to do. It’s about thoughtfulness and mindfulness. It’s about fun. It’s about the people I love.

Thanks for reading my declaration. Be sure to share yours! Viva la Craft Friday!

Craft Friday

You don’t need me to rant about Black Friday, consumerism, or whatever irks you about the cultural expectation that U.S. citizens will arise in the wee hours the day after we’ve given thanks for all we have (health, loved ones, material goods, etc.) to shop, to use credit cards to buy things made cheaply in awful circumstances just to conform to some one else’s idea of holiday festivities.

What if we rebel? Not in the quiet way we crafters have always rebelled, stitching our hearts out to make hats from locally produced yarn, buying a pattern from a designer on Ravelry, spending our time instead of racking up debt, striving for sustainable, for heirloom quality, for real joy as a giver and for our recipients, but in a Craft Activism sort of way: doing what we do, crafting what we craft, and letting the world KNOW ABOUT IT?

I thought you’d like that.

On Twitter this morning, I declared Black Friday will be Craft Friday instead. The tremendous response to the idea made me think we should make this a thing. You know, with a hashtag (#CraftFriday, natch), a Flickr group, maybe even a shared Pinterest board.

Let me know if you’re in by leaving a comment. And if you have a blog, write a declaration–you don’t have to spill the beans about what you’re going to make if your recipients read the blog, but how about you share WHY you’re inspired to make instead of shop? We’ll have a Craft Friday Declaration Post Party this Friday, November 22, and I’ll add a link round up here so you can feel the support and love of our community.

You in? Yeah, I figured you would be.

Remission!

After a long, draining battle with cancer, Tilly had her final chemo treatment today. This epic journey started on Good Friday when she lost her appetite. A mis-diagnosis resulted in a month of her barely eating while we treated incorrectly. When we finally had the good sense to get a second opinion, we were devastated by the news that she had stage 4 lymphoma.

But how privileged are we to live less than a mile from a veterinary practice with an oncology specialization? How fortunate that we are avid savers and able to afford five months of treatment for our beloved, sweet girl? This is not lost on us, and we are grateful. So very grateful.

Just as I did the first time, when I picked Tilly up after her treatment today, I cried a little. Throughout treatment, techs and our wonderful vet have raved about Tilly’s sweet nature, her patience during treatment, her empathy. The tech who discharged her told me they all said good bye to Tilly today, that it was a bittersweet day for them. That tender, warm care is one of the many reasons we are fans of this practice.

And having had all this time with Tilly when we thought we would lose her is priceless. For the first time since April, I feel at peace. Sure, she will leave us some day. But for now, thanks to science and wonderful care, our Tilly is in remission. She’s looking good, feeling strong, enjoying life.

In the end, that’s all we want for our loved ones, for everyone: a chance to be healthy, feel strong, and enjoy life. I wish it for you, dear reader, and I hope you’ll raise a glass in celebration with us. Here’s to life.

Ten on Tuesday: Weekend Edition

Carole wants to hear about my (long) weekend, and when she asks, I respond! So here are some glimpses at what I did.

1. Cooked this spaghetti squash noodle bowl recipe (with adjustments). So. So. Good.

2. Taught a class on adding crochet edgings to pillowcases. I love doing this, and it is so easy. Just sew on a base using back stitch or blanket stitch, then crochet what ever edging you like onto the base. It is a fast, adorable project!

3. Crocheted granny squares for a Christmas stocking class I’m teaching. I’ve fallen madly in love (again) with crochet lately.

4. Started this baby blanket for a co-worker’s new boy. I’m using Berroco Vintage, and it feels great as I stitch–smooth, soft, not splitty.

5. Organized my supplies for Brene Brown’s OWN class “The Gifts of Imperfection” (let me know if you’re taking it; I’d love to connect over this class).

6. Visited with good friends over Thai food.

7. Watched baseball with Neal. He’s a lifelong Cardinals fan. Need I say more?

8. Finished reading Half the Sky. I’m not a big fan of non-fiction, but this book was worth the time I spent reading it. I’m inspired to find a way to do more to empower women in other parts of the world. I’ll keep you posted when I figure out what that “do more” is!

9.Rode the stationery bike for 40 minutes. I did very little outside riding this year. I’m not meeting my 100-mile goal in 2013. I’ve already started thinking about 2014, though, and I’ve been increasing the time on the trainer. 40 minutes feels like a lot more than my old usual, 30 minutes!

10. Adopted this guy

It’s only been a month since we lost our darling Maddie, but I saw this gorgeous Siberian Husky on the Boot ‘n Kit page and had to meet him. He has been with us since Sunday afternoon, and so far, he’s a charming addition to the pack. Once we all get to know each other a bit more, I’ll give him his own post. Oh, his name?

Oskar Blue. Or just plain Oskar.

What did you do this weekend?

Silver Locks Project: Six Months In

Time for a Silver Locks Project update, no?

As a recap, the last time I colored my hair was April 13, just shy of six months ago.

On September 13, my stylist cut just under 2″ off, removing a lot of the dead ends along with the orange-ish ends. Ends, it seems, soak up more color, so when we bleached and colored it blonde in April, the ends were saturated. If I continued to color, this wouldn’t have been noticeable because the whole head of hair would have been re-touched every five weeks.

Today I measured the silver at about 2.25″. I am so pleased with the shades that are growing in. Want to see?

Em, my stylist, gave me some tips for babying my hair. She’s great about not trying to sell me product (although sometimes she uses a product on me that smells sooo good that I ask for it!). She said any conditioner I want to use is fine, but the shampoo I use is more important. Of greatest import: no sulfates. You might have read about this in other places (the Curly Girl method is a big proponent of no sulfates, no silicone. Even though I’m no curly girl, I am going to take up their methods). Other tips that have helped keep my hair healthier:

Healthy diet. This goes without saying, but my vitamin-rich diet seems to work. My hair grows fast and has good integrity.
Minimal washing. I wash every third day or so.
Avoid blow drying as much as possible. Over the summer I only used the blow dryer twice. Now that I’m back in the classroom, I blow it out most days, but when I’m not working, I let it air dry.
Use a wide-tooth comb when hair is still wet. Even if I’m not washing, I usually rinse my hair. I don’t know what I do in my sleep, but I wake up with wild hair! The wide-tooth comb helps prevent breakage.

Want to read more about my Silver Locks Project? Check out these posts.

Anything new with your hair?

Ten on Tuesday: Reading Edition

Hey, Banned Books. Hey Censorship. Guess what? Carole asked us to list ten books we’re excited about reading. Even the challenged and censored ones.

1. Beautiful Wreck by Larissa Brown. Okay, I am reading it (I’ve been fortunate enough to get the plum job of working with Larissa as she edits it), but I can’t wait to read it when it comes out at the end of the year. You will love it, too, so get on the mailing list to learn more.

2. The Revolution of Every Day by Cari Luna. I’ve read this one, too, and I’m super duper excited to read it again with my students. You can check out my Amazon review here and order your copy at the same time.

3. The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides. A good friend loaned it to me quite some time ago, and I’ve been eager to dive in and read it.

4. Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. This is my university’s First Year book, and though I’m not teaching any comp classes this year, I don’t want to miss what everyone is buzzing about.

5. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I worked through this book in 2001, and I feel ready to do so again. By the way, this is a Challenged book.

6. MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood. I enjoyed the first two in the trilogy and have been eager for this third novel.

7. Nights I Dreamed of Hubert Humphrey by Dan Mueller. Another one I’ve read, but I’m re-reading it with my creative writing students. Such powerful, funny, gut-wrenching short stories!

8. Pack Up the Moon by Rachael Herron. I’ll have to hold my horses a bit, but I know it will be worth my anticipation!

9. Dimanche by Irene Nemirovsky has been on my bookshelf for a while. I am saving it for the next time I need a fix of her fantastic characters.

10. The Art of Styling Sentences by Ann Longknife and K.D. Sullivan. I know, I know. Could it get more exciting? Not for this word nerd!

9 Tricks My Dog Taught Me

If you love a dog, you’ve probably learned everything on this list, too.

1. Don’t bother to fuss. Just get down to business. Maddie could do her business anywhere in the yard or woods. No persnickety miss there.

2. Good food is worth singing about. Every meal = a song. A loud, soulful song. You never had to wonder about her feelings towards food.

3. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it won’t kill you. Who knows what’s under that pile of leaves or behind the firewood? Why not take a look? Just be careful of porcupines and skunks!

4. A deep, deep sigh of contentment makes you feel even more content.

5. Vie for the best sleeping accommodations. A good rest solves a lot of problems.

6. Keep an eye on the rest of the pack. Even if you don’t like them.

7. Never be too cool to show your love.

8. Make up your own rules for the game. May as well play the game you want to play, not the one someone else is forcing on you.

9. When your favorite people walk in the door, make a big, huge deal about it. Every. Single. Time.

That list is my way of avoiding writing this: on Sunday, we unexpectedly lost our beloved Maddie.

Within an hour of noticing she was having problems breathing, we learned she had a tumor on her heart t hat had ruptured. The treatment options offered by our vet left no expectation of giving her quality of life, and so we made the decision to let her move on before she suffered.

I like to imagine she’s entered a world where there are always balls to be chased, always a pond in which to swim, always branches to drag around, always squirrels to yell at, always a loving lap on which to drape. From the moment I adopted her in Albuquerque, she was my pal. I feel fortunate to have known her and been the recipient of her exuberant love.

Play hard in your afterlife, my sweet mutt.

Perfect Sky. Wrecked Sky.

Twelve years ago, I walked up the hill from the train to my office. My step was jaunty. The air was clear and bright as I chatted with a pal. The night before my college had hosted a writer to a huge crowd, and I felt the afterglow of an event gone right.

The sky was perfect.

And then the sky was wrecked. And so many lives were wrecked. And our nation’s sense of self was wrecked.

Every year, I remember each moment of that day. Every year I see it through new lenses, new ways of understanding.

The grief I feel is softer, but more complicated now. My instincts remain the same: hold all my dear ones close. Be kind. Commit to living life with with exuberant imperfection. Express gratitude.

One thing in life I am grateful for is you, dear reader. Thank you for sharing this world with me. Perfect or wrecked, it remains beautiful.

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