Paper Pie

getting out there in it

We are a family that thrives on adventure, on getting out there in it as much as we can, and living outdoors. We had a trip planned (that we would be on this very moment) to ramble and camp around Utah's national parks, that we had to cancel for obvious reasons at some point mid-month. I'm not complaining, just sharing. I know that every single person amongst us has had to sacrifice a lot right now, has had to make disappointing decisions. I can deal with a little disappointment and postponing a trip is certainly small potatoes in the grand scheme of current events. The kids were naturally disappointed as well. There have been other plans that have had to be cancelled in the last few weeks, and even though we are homeschoolers, our current day to day is barely recognizable compared to our normal rhythm and routine. We've had a lot of family discussions about what is happening with the pandemic and what it means for virtually every family in the world right now (keeping it simple for them so as to not make them fretful and worrisome.) They are understandably upset and frustrated, making proclamations like, "Coronavirus is so boring!" and "When Coronavirus is over, I am going to..." always filling in the blank with some grand new plan.

On Friday night, when my phone blared with the emergency broadcast beep of tornado warnings of my youth (growing up in Michigan, as I did) and the modern day Amber Alert, I stopped what I was doing and hunted down my device to see "what now?" It was a message alerting LA county residents that we were to stay home, only going out for groceries, and necessary errands. And the last part, sunk into my heart a bit, "Beaches and trails are now closed." Last weekend we were able to hike in a little known local spot and we took a family bike ride around the wetlands, but now the mandates are more severe; Covid-19 is closing nature.

Right now, there is effectively no getting out there in it. Right now the government is issuing stay at home orders. And we are still in the early days of what I think will be a long haul of staying at home. Rhythm, rules, expectations, schedules, consistency -- it's all so important right now. But what is also so important right now is reading how the kids are doing in all of this, and how we are doing in all of this. Are the kids bickering more than usual? Is there stress and grief in your chest? Are you raising your voice more than you'd like? If so, don't be afraid to let it all go and get out there in it the only way we can right now... in our own backyards.

And that is just what we did yesterday. I told everyone that I was going into the backyard to build a campfire and I did not insist that anyone join me, or that they not. I let the laundry sit wet in the washer (horror!). I put off email and texting and many other items on the to do list. I grabbed my basket of crafts and just sat down. It was lovely, restorative and relaxing. My breathing slowed way down. My family joined me in the backyard, following my lead and leaving their cares as they passed the threshold from inside to out.

It was a great afternoon out there. The kids really wasted no time in stripping off their clothes to their underwear. They jumped in the trampoline like that for hours, getting out occasionally to let the hose "rain" down inside onto their heads, making the surface all wet and slippery so they were now bouncing and slip and sliding. At one point, they were poking around in the corners of the yard and they snuck up on a lizard and actually caught the little bugger for a few short minutes. As they examined him in all of his detail, mouths agape at his long, snake-like tail and incredibly intricate patterning on his scales; they noticed his long, nimble fingers and toes, his skinny body and beady eyes. Piper did her best sloth impression, splayed out in the sunshine most of the afternoon. Oh! And the mud, I can't forget that part. At some point during the day, I realized I had all that I needed to make some seed balls and got to mixing a bucket of compost and clay. As I was rolling the balls, the kids noticed what a nice texture this particular brand of mud was and asked for their own bucket. So they mixed up a nice batch and proceeded to mush their toes around in it, and their hands, and decided to effectively give themselves a mud bath. Rylie really has never grown out of her mud phase, and I love that! There is plenty of time in life to be clean, don't bother when you are nine years old!

Today, is a little more regular. School work is running smoothly, emails are sent, and the wet clothes have been moved over to the dryer (phew!). Isn't it sort of incredible, the difference that a day makes? Apparently, I'm still learning this lesson some 9 years into this parenting gig. Things can feel so overwhelming in the moment, so impossible. But time and time again, I know that these moments pass... that there are easier times just over the horizon. It can feel downright daunting to get to the other side of those moments gracefully sometimes. Most likely, these days are going to show up a little more often as we navigate these stressful times. Perhaps, the best thing I can do on days like that is to let it all go and to get out there in it. Our favorite place to be.

Well, hello there!

Hi, friends! It's been a minute, hasn't it? It's been a couple of years since I have posted here, and I realize I never even wrote a "good-bye for now" post, I'm so sorry to leave you hanging like that. So much has changed since I last wrote here -- of course the kids have grown in leaps and bounds, barely recognizable from the posts that will live right underneath this one. And as you can see from the photo above, our family finally added a beloved doggie to the fold. Her name is Piper and she really couldn't be a sweeter companion to all 4 of us. Zipper is still kicking (though not very companionable to Piper.) But, everything that has changed in the past 2 years, is small in comparison to what has happened this month of March 2020! It's hard to believe that we are approaching the end of the month now, in what seems like an endless string of "all the same" days. I have found myself more than once in the evening hours, recalling chores or activities that I did the same morning and not quite sure how it could possibly have been the same day -- time is slowing down and stretching out. Anyway... these wild times we are living through beg to be documented, as well as shared, as the entire world is living a mutual experience. So, I've been thinking about this space...dusting it off...sharing my thoughts. I don't know how often I'll be able to show up, but I feel like I've made tremendous progress in just remembering my password (ha!). Most of all, I want to say hello and connect during this hard time.

As homeschoolers, our days are not all that different than before. Except, of course, our sudden reliance on Zoom for all of our enrichment and our limited options in getting out of the house when the need arises. I haven't been very fond of the advice, that comes hurling out of all corners of the internet, about how parents that find themselves suddenly homeschooling should be handling themselves. This time is so hard and taxing on all areas of life, that those trying to navigate 24-hour togetherness with their families, should not have to bear the extra burden of if they are doing it "right." Certainly, do what works for you. If a color-coded, incremental schedule works for you, if that makes you feel more in control and grounded, than by all means do that. But, if you find yourself being battered around by waves of anxiety, let me offer this: try not to worry so much. If you are working from home, homeschooling multiple children, worrying about loved ones, and wondering how your family will weather this public health and economic crisis, please go easy on yourself. We have stress and anxiety creeping in to our body and minds at every corner, if you can take that chaotic energy and process it into a feeling of peace and safety for your families, it will be the aid and healing that we all so deeply need right now. How do you do this? How does one turn anxiety into peace? By letting go and living in the moment... with patience and gratitude. In times like these, our accomplishments should be measured in breathing and being, and that's it (well, and that we all managed to eat, that is important, too.)

I'm not one to give advice. I believe wholeheartedly in personal freedom and with all of my heart know that we are all walking unique and individual paths as varied and infinite as the universe itself. But, it's hard to argue with the idea of being kind and good to yourself and those under your care. Because, those little ones under your care are watching, absorbing, and filing away your stress-management techniques for their future lives. Showing our kids how to be peaceful and gentle with themselves is exactly what I would like for them to take away from this inordinately challenging time.

Here's what I love about writing, whether it be here digitally, or written in my journal. It's about sharing my reality, or perhaps more accurately, my hopes for my reality, and by the very act of releasing it into the ether, an intention is set. After this long day of helping Rylie with her multiplication facts, and building out yet another Kiwi Crate with Otis; all while Ryan attends an "all-agency meeting" in the middle of the living room, feeling my chest tightening when I think about the impending economic fallout and what that means, quite literally, for everyone that I know, and worrying about our parents, grandparents, all the expecting mamas, and immunocompromised among us... perhaps the only comfort in all of this, is knowing that I am not alone with these feelings, that yes, in fact, these feelings are quite universal these days. And maybe there is one more comfort: that which is my family, my people... together doing the things we love and feeling incredibly fortunate for all that is good.

Health and love to you and yours as we ride through this storm together!

Carrot Tomato Soup

The weather around here has not shifted - not even a little bit. Summer is NOT over, I am sure of that. But the light has shifted in the way it does by late August. It's just enough for the mind to wander to things like wool and apples and soup! My favorite pot (my very best friend in the kitchen, no doubt) is now atop the stove and likely will remain there for a very long time.

 

I recently enjoyed a Carrot-Tomato Soup that I can confidently call my favorite. My babes declared a very strong dislike for Mama's favorite soup. I know! So sad! They were quite polite about it, but it was just a no go. They really didn't like it. Maybe next time I'll go heavier on the carrots (and more cream. How can you go wrong with cream?)

Carrot-Tomato Soup

 

2 TBSP butter

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 lbs tomatoes, peeled* and sliced in half

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

(optional fresh sprigs of thyme, oregano)

1 medium sized yellow onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

5 medium carrots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

3/4 cup heavy cream

 

Place sliced tomatoes on a baking sheet. Cover with most of the olive oil (reserving 2 TBSP or so), and the salt and pepper. If you'd like a little more flavor, I sometimes add a fresh sprig or two of oregano or thyme atop the tomatoes.) Place in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes to roast.

 

Halfway through the roasting, melt the butter and remaining olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic and cook unt the vegetables begin to get soft (15 minutes or so.) When the tomatoes are done, add those to the pot (removing the sprigs of herbs), along with the stock. Simmer on low until the vegetables are all tender (another 15 minutes or so.)

 

Purée the soup (I use an immersion blender. A regular blender would work just fine, doing it in batches.)

 

Stop here and see below if you'd like to freeze some of the soup for later!**

 

Return the soup to the pot and onto the stove. Heat slowly. Add the chopped basil and heavy cream.

 

Enjoy!

 

Notes:

*To peel the tomatoes, heat a sauce pan full of water and bring to a boil. Place tomatoes in for a minute. Remove and let cool. The skins will peel off easier after that.

 

**Because I love the basil and cream to be fresh when I serve this, at this point, I try to estimate how much I'll use for dinner now and how much I'd like to freeze for later. Usually, with this recipe, I freeze a one quart mason jar, filling it to within an inch from the top to allow for expansion room when it freezes. It makes a perfect lunch or light dinner size for us, especially when served with some crusty breadand sharp cheddar cheese for sandwich dipping!

Making Sauce

(Many thanks to my fabulous photographers, Rylie and Ryan, for some of these shots!)

Isn't it wild that you can take a tiny start of a tomato plant, put it in the ground, water it and feed it and in a few short months it will yield an incredible amount of fruit? So much so that even if you ate salad everyday there would still be many many leftover. When our first tomato ripened back in June, the kids were so excited that Rylie picked it off the plant and ate the whole thing on the spot like an apple. Since then, the tomatoes have been rolling in daily, and her zeal has significantly waned. She is now exclusively eating the super sweet lemon cherry tomatoes, and passing on the larger, and admittedly less tasty, beefsteak tomatoes. I've been enjoying eating a tomato by itself here and there, especially the very flavorful and superbly sweet orange Kellogg Breakfast Heirloom. Our plants have grown so big and have yielded so much fruit. Ah...it makes me so very happy.

A sort of funny little side note. I had purchased 5 tomato starts at the beginning of the season, and 3 more last month. A few of the first 5 plants that went into the bed, really shot up and grew so quickly. They were as high as the garage! I had definitely not had tomatoes grow that tall before, I was also hesitant to prune them much, as my preservation instincts were keen, and I really wanted to let nature do its thing. The spot where the tomato bed lives is in the narrow passage between the back of the garage and the fence that runs along our property line. In this spot the air flow is a little less than say in the big open backyard. The limited air flow, the fast growing and bushy leafiness of the plants, and on very busy days it would be dusk before I got out to water the garden and so the soil would remain wet over the cool nights - wound up producing a bit of mildew on the leaves of one plant. Which, if you know anything about growing tomatoes, quickly spread through the whole plant and all the other neighboring plants. Oh, foolishness! I'll just have to chalk that up to learning. It's humbling, this gardening gig. Luckily, after a thorough pruning, some the leaves and all of the fruit have survived and we've still been able to enjoy a hearty harvest this year.

For the suace, in the past I've followed the recipe from the book, Canning for a New Generation, which is great and mostly all tomato, this time I used this recipe because it included lots of enticing herbs that I also had growing in the garden. It went well - I've made two batches of it now and have plenty of tomatoes left for harvesting more (even while leaving plenty to use for eating sun-warmed right of the plant.) So far, I've been freezing the quarts, but if I make much more I will be canning them to preserve the goodness for days that feel decidedly less fruitful.

And what will we make with the rest of those tomatoes? So far we've been enjoying it quite simply with pasta. I'm pretty excited about canning tomato paste, homemade salsa, and pizza sauce, and oh my the possibilities are endless, aren't they? Just from one little seed in the ground.

Tea Time

Last weekend we added all the essential herbs to our garden. Our garden that is growing in more ways than one: parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and others. And of course mint, one of my favorites by far. I knew that it would not be long before I was convincing my helpers to harvest a bunch or two for tea.

I recently added the book Walking the World in Wonder: A Children's Herbal by Ellen Evert Hopman, to our library. It's a beautiful book with great big photos, and each photo is accompanied by a description of each herb with ideas and recipes for using them. It's in this book, that we learned our monarda (bee balm) leaves would be a wonderful addition to our mint iced tea. It's also in this book that we learned all kinds of uses for dried mint and quickly gathered a small bunch and hung it in the pantry to dry.

We gathered our herbs, rinsed them, boiled water (Otis loves to fill the kettle and turn on the burner. All by himself of course), poured the boiling water over the herbs, covered the pot and let them steep for five minutes, added honey, let it cool, and added sliced lemon. They insist on glass ball jars for iced tea, and I agree, they seem to fit the vibe. They also insist on copious amounts of ice. They love breaking the ice out of the ice tray and adding it to their glasses, or jars, as it were. It's delicious tea made with extra honey and lots of love. 

Mama's Day

I had a beautiful Mother's Day filled with all of my favorite things: flowers, love, food, art, family, music, fun and lots and lots of snuggles! But perhaps the most rare and exquisite of all was the extra rest I soaked up while sleeping in until 8 AM! Upon waking to 2 excited children cheering "Happy Mother's Day," I was escorted to the breakfast table where my hot and delicious meal had been prepared and was waiting for me. The kids had made me french toast and yogurt parfaits. As we finished breakfast they very excitedly handed me gifts and cards. The day before they went to an art and craft festival and had their sweetness captured as portraits by the very talented Rosefur. While each one waited for the other to be painted, they were supplied with their own 3 x 5 art paper to draw upon and Rylie drew our family. After my heart finished swelling from their kindness, Ryan gifted me a portrait of myself a la Pop Up Charlie. Charlie will draw anything for you, just supply him with photos and brief descriptors. Ryan told him, "My wife loves knitting. She'd knit the whole world if she could." and sent him photos of myself and the kids and told him it could be as zany as he wanted. I quite like the results and it is cute the way Rylie thinks it is so hilarious. Humor and drawing play really big for her. After all of the sentimental and inspiring art, Ryan presented me with 2 tickets to see Brian Wilson's Pet Sounds tour. What fun to look forward to. How grateful I am for my amazing husband, he knows exactly what his gal likes.

After my people, bestowed me with such love and thoughtfulness, I called my mom and my mom-in-law. They both really loved their quilts and had a few tears. I felt such joy at the thought of both of them feeling our love over the vast physical distance between us. I am happy to think of the quilts as a symbol of all of the grandkids together in one place. After our slow morning, we headed out to our weekly trip to the Farmer's Market and did our shopping. Otis loves this place so much! There is so much to see and do. This week he spent the majority of his time playing the "Trash? Recycling? Compost?" game at The Green Tent, where the sweet women working indulged him endlessly. We also visited the ever popular Steve's Machines tent. After the market, the kids wanted to take me "to a picnic on a mountain but we don't want to drive on the highway." err... So we headed to a nearby park that is on top a really big hill and they were thrilled with that. We ate a bit of food and flew our kite. Otis rode his scooter up and down the big hills and for a while, and I even snuck in a quick bit of reading. It seems so exotic and special to steal a few daytime moments to sit and read quietly in the park. I've been solely on audiobooks for a while now, but I do so love to sit and touch the pages of a paper book. The sun was out, but it was not too hot. It was windy enough for kite flying, but not too cold. A perfect day that made this mama feel loved and blessed beyond measure.

Mother's Day Quilts

I hope all of the mama's out there had a wonderful and restful day yesterday! I wanted to share something here that I've been working on for a little while now but have not been able to talk about because of the element of surprise. A few months ago, with Mother's Day in the back of my mind, I finally decided to take the plunge on an idea I have had lingering for several years.

These lap quilts are for my mom and my mom-in-law with photos of all of their respective grandchildren. I felt like the kids were the perfect ages for a gift like this, though still changing by the second, they've all outgrown their infancy, but not quite through their teen years either, which is the case with the oldest of my mom's. I knew that these 2 very special women in my life and in the life of my children, would love to see all of their beloved grandchildren in one place, and in between some beautiful scraps of fabric I might add.


I have wanted to make these quilts for quite a while, but busyness and excuses have gotten in the way. Not the least of these excuses was figuring out how to print photos on fabric. I knew that I could buy the substrate and experiment on my home printer, but admittedly I was afraid of the amount of trial and error I'd have to endure. I also know that my obsessive attention to detail tends to make these sort of technical tasks quite painstaking. But then my Spoonflower magalog arrived in the mail, and it was while flipping through the pages that I realized I could upload my photos on their site and they would send me the fabric. Easy peasy. Also, if there were irksome details (only noticeable by me) I wouldn't be able to make changes without incurring more time and expense - an effective barrier to perfectionism.


After several weeks of work, and hand-stitching into the wee hours, the quilts were finished just before the USPS priority express overnight deadline. These quilts left my hands and quickly made their way across the country to their respective new homes. They are not the most complicated or precisely sewn objects, but I'm pretty sure they are the most sentimental and meaningful projects I have ever sewn. I know that both my mom and my mom-in-law will be so appreciative to have this tangible symbol of family - a snapshot of right now. My greatest hope is that each quilt will bring these dear and special ladies a moment of joy and will be enjoyed for years to come. 

Three French Hens

For the past month or so I have been taking part in a make-a-long with other readers of Taproot. The idea is simple, but oh so fun, more fun than I even expected. Every time you work on or complete a project in the current issue you can post your photos with the hashtag #TaprootMakealong and for each post you get an entry into a drawing to be held May 1 for a menagerie of good prizes. Participating in this has been satisfying for so many reasons; it has pushed me to try projects I otherwise may have not (or knot - hee hee.) It has motivated me to keep going on projects that may have stalled, and perhaps the most fun is seeing the other posts from around the world. It is endlessly inspiring to see such different and personal versions of the same project, recipe or pattern. That idea fascinates me . . . the notion that no 2 people will create something exactly the same, even when using the same set of instructions. I love the see the colors that people choose and the different details that are added or omitted. 

One of my posts in the make-a-long is most definitely a pattern I probably would have been too intimidated to try otherwise, but I am so glad for the gentle nudge of this contest. I've never knit little animals like the Three French Hens above. I've never employed so much shaping, and detail and dpn action. But look! I did it! There the are, and to be honest with you, easier than they look. You may have noticed these little hens from our Easter morning table. My intention was to have all 3 completed by last Sunday - one for each of my chickens - Rylie, Otis and Ryan. But alas, poor Ryan had to wait until Friday morning to receive his belated Easter French Hen, he didn't seem to mind though.

Despite the ease of the pattern, I did have to employ a new stitch for me on the top of the hens' backs. After stuffing them full, these little ladies had two sides that needed to be grafted together a la the Kitchener stitch. I was pretty intimidated, I'm not going to lie. There is a lot of talk on the interwebs about the dreaded Kitchener Stitch, but I went for it with varying degrees of success. I found this tutorial the most helpful. My seams are not quite invisible, but I did notice my skill progress from hen 1 to hen 3, which reminds me, these hens really need names! I need to ask the kids about this pronto!

Oftentimes I scoff at the idea of making multiples of the same thing (socks, mittens, sleeves.) However, what I realized with this project is that doing the same thing, several times in a row really allows one to see how quickly a knitter can improve her skills and also how much faster one becomes on the second and subsequent attempts at the same task. I love to see results in action! This pattern is designed and written by Susan B. Anderson whom has all kinds of other animal, doll and toy patterns available. uh oh. I also see that she is now offering a kit for the Three French Hens so you can pick one up and make your very own, which I highly recommend. You'll see just how very addictive they are.

Chocolate & Suspenders

Our Easter weekend was simple and sweet, the best way I think. A few weeks back I had picked up a random collection of bunnies, chickens and I think there was a bird's nest in there somewhere, while thrifting. I lucked into an amazingly weird Easter Bunny crafted in the style of a nutcracker wearing a basket on his back which doubles as a candleholder. I mean, who wouldn't pounce on that? So on Saturday night we got out our beeswax and rolled up some candles for that guy. The kids love making these candles (not as much as they love lighting them) and I must say I do too. They smell so good, and this kit I had just happened to be pastel colors. A new tradition? Perhaps. 

The kids woke up bright and early on Sunday and immediately checked the backyard for any signs of eggs. They raced out to the dining room and found lots of goodies waiting for them on the table. Books, chocolate, mama-made pajamas and pants. But none of these really held a (beeswax) candle to the suspenders the Easter Bunny left. Rylie has been looking and asking for suspenders for about 3 years now. I've never really searched much online, but they are strangely hard to come by in store. Highly seasonal and this just happens to be the season. So yeah, she has not taken them off since, wearing them even with her pajamas. Her pajamas, I should add were my first pair I've ever sewn for her and my first time sewing with knits. The fabric is from the Sidewalk line by Rae Hoekstra of Made By Rae The pajama top is the Flashback Skinny Tee also from Rae. The pajama bottoms are the Sleeping John pants from Meg McElwee's book Growing Up Sew Liberated I am so pleased with the way they turned out. Everything about them —the fabric, the fit, the comfort, Rylie's reaction— is quite nice. 

Otis also got himself some handmades from the Easter Bunny in the form of bigger and better Busytown pants. When Rylie turned two we had a Busytown themed birthday party for her because she loved her Richard Scarry books so much. After the party, I made her a pair of pants from the length of Busytown fabric we used as a tablecloth at the party. She loved them so and eventually grew out of them and they were passed down to Otis. He has also since grown to big for them, but he loved them so much that he still asks for them regularly. The Easter Bunny knows all these details, so naturally made him a new and improved pair. This pair are the Pocket Pants also from Meg McElwee's book Growing Up Sew Liberated I love these pants! The fit, the wide leg, the detail of the "itch free seam" and of course the pockets! The trim and cuffs are from Rylie's rainbow birthday party tablecloth from when she turned four. This upcycling satisfies me to no end.

After brunch and a fun morning, we headed to our friend's house —friend's that really feel more like family. I added this little tidbit because there was another wonderful example of upcycling happening over there. After the memorial service of a dear Grandmother, my friend Mandy took the gigantic floral wreath that would have otherwise been thrown away (gasp!) and we all made small posies to give to her neighbors on Easter. Now isn't that simple and sweet?

Josephine's Bouquet

Where do I even start with this garment? I guess I could jump in with just the facts. This is the Schoolhouse Tunic by Meg McElwee from Sew Liberated constructed with Amy Butler fabric for Westminster called Josephine's Bouquet. But the drama and emotion of the story is perhaps a little more compelling. This is the first piece of clothing that I have ever sewn for myself in a serious and grown up way. Maybe I've sewn an occasional bag, or Halloween costume for myself in the past, but this is the first time that I have taken a stab at choosing a pattern and making something that I would love to wear again and again. Even if I did buy this pattern 4 years ago and allowed it to lay dormant in my sewing stash all these years in the interim. It's true, I found this fabric and pattern still in the original packaging with a packing slip dated 2013. I'm not really sure why it has taken me so long to see it through, but I am so glad I finally have done it and now this sweet and versatile tunic hangs in my expanding closet of handmades.

I've been brushing up against this idea quite a lot lately. This notion that my creative life has been on hold since 2013. I've had the experience of looking back and wondering the last time I did this or that and it always comes around to 2013. Perhaps the most obvious example could be this online space and the practice of writing and blogging regularly. It probably makes perfect sense to the objective observer, that my time for self expression and creativity would have severely diminished after adding another child into the daily mix, and indeed 2013 is the year that dear Otis was born. I can also point to my father's death and managing his estate from thousands of miles away, as a heavy responsibility—both practical and emotional—that quite naturally has pushed the making habit to the back burner and forced other priorities into my life. Ironically enough, these events are actually just the big and weighty circumstances that make time for renewal and joyful expression even that much more critical. I can see that now. I can see that it is a mistake to give up what you love to do because it is very difficult to justify setting aside the time for yourself when so many other things, people, circumstances are demanding your attention. I no longer see self care, time devoted to a keen passion, and creative expression as a luxury I can only allow myself after the kids are asleep and every last dish and item of dirty clothing has been cleaned. No, on the contrary, I now see this making, doing, creating as a need, a need for not only focused work and relaxation, but a need for a sense of accomplishment. A need to do things that I may have previously doubted my ability to do. A need to push myself and the boundaries of what I believe is possible for myself. And perhaps most importantly—this lab of doing, creating and actually putting in the work—has allowed me to examine my thought processes and to identify where I have gotten stuck in the past. These insights are so valuable and necessary to move forward and they can only be acquired by doing. I actually have to DO THE THING or else I will be mired in the dibilitating cycle of cynicism and self doubt.

Wow, that's a lot of talking around this little unassuming tunic. I guess the short story is that I love it! It fits! I love the fabric! A very lovely and unplanned surprise is that my recently finished sweater looks amazing with the colors and overall look of this tunic. I couldn't be happier with this first for myself. And I couldn't be happier to be making again.