YO YO YO YO YO

Driving up our mountain from the post office this afternoon I was struck with YO. So strong that the song started coming

YO, Spring is not too far!!!
The sap says YO,
The limbs of the trees stretch YO, YO, YO,
The buds are thickening, the air is warm today,
Nature dominates
The trees are singing,

stomping

dancing

eagle soaring on air currents

spotting rabbit nurture for his eggs,

rose bush echoes YO, YO, YO,

earth says YO-om! YO-om! YO-om!

Intensity of late winter preparations so verbal that even I can hear...

YO-YO-YO

patterns of nature

beats of the heart

breathe in breathe out

inhale YO YO YO

exhale YOYOYOYO

It will snow again, YO YO YO

but the earth in East Tennessee is warming

Yearning for the seed to sprout

YO YO YO YO YO YO I sing with the trees

YO YO YO I sing with the earth and the rocks

YO YO YO YO I sing with the sky's streams of golden light and silver moisture

YO

The mood fits the day

Well, I have a knack for prediction. Monday, I felt the impending crisis and wrote about it in my first post. In the evening, we had several electrical surges, and I got the computer turned off before it blew up. A little later, on checking emails, I received a scathing message from a relative, to which I did reply. I told Phil that email was burning the wires as it came through. Then, as if to calm them all, an uncle died this morning. Now all attention will be directed that way for a while.

We dressed the wood for the harvest table today. Really nice hickory and maple. I think I may stain this one, as it is to be rustic; It is hard to look at the wood, and see the grain and not want to polish it.

I feel lucky to work with wood. The grain in wood is like the sky. You look up, and see a beautiful pattern of light, cloud and color; look away for a moment, and it is gone, only to be replaced by an equally stunning display. I am soothed by the predictability in nature: Patterns in wood, shadow and light in the sky, current in the water, flames in the fire, air blowing through the trees....The patterns seem infinite, yet somehow always familiar.

I have to believe that one thing that seperates us as humans in nature is our ability to change the patterns of our lives. We are born, dependent, and knowing nothing but our family. We think those are all there is. Sometimes, it is so important to change our life patterns, not to dishonor or disrespect, but rather because we come to know better.

To blog or not to blog...

I can't believe it is already February. I have a list of projects that is even longer than at the beginning of the year.

Today was beautiful in our mountains. Crisp in the morning with a touch of frost; then up into the 40's and sunshine! Even so, the mountains have a grizzle of snow.

We have been revamping and cleaning our little gallery/showroom this week. Took everything out except what we wanted to keep. Phil says we stretched the walls! Next week, we start making in ernest.

This January is the first one since 1997 that we were somewhat normal... if any are ever normal.

So, how many thoughts when looking at a blank page. It is easy to find words in response to another when writing. One says, then another comments, then soon it is a conversation.

When left to only the thoughts in my own mind, it is hard to know where to start. So many things on my mind...

• diet - Phil is diabetic, so we spend a lot of time keeping his sugar from whacking by eating right. We don't get enough exercise, and keep putting off walking, but we committed to 9:00am this Saturday with at least one other person.
• online venues - I am so behind in my work, yet here I am writing for cyberspace. maybe this will organize my thoughts.
• family - dysfunction rules in the family I grew up in. Unfortunate, lots of denial, and crises... one is looming.
• juggling - designing, making, selling - that is what I do. So nice not to have a job.
• current events - kind of like the dysfunctional family i grew up in - denial, manipulation, insanity, if the part offends - cut it off.

So, i think i will start out there. and see where it takes me. i used to write poetry, and illustrate them. i love to doodle with numbers and lines and alphabet letters, let them flow into picture - poems. i think i will just let the immediacy of the words flow.

my name is martha, and i am a craftswoman.

http://www.climbingbear.com