"The Makers of Things"

Some "makers of things" who are making the world a better and more beautiful place: Nicole of Astulabee and her artful softies (top); maya*made and her organic cotton elephant and bucket; and Resurrection Fern and her covered stones (bottom).

President Obama's inaugural speech inspired me to break my blog silence, and so many phrases from his speech keep going through my head, especially "our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness" and his acknowledgment of what we owe to "the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things."

Listening to the speech on a long car trip home, my husband was especially taken with the president's Biblical injunction: "The time has come to set aside childish things." (I thought that was a sly dig at the Bush administration; what do you think?)

My daughter, who is currently working on a project about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in the late 1800s, loved the "For us they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West."

I think the speech was so powerful because it has something for everyone, at least one phrase that resonates--mostly positively, but for some, negatively--with every person. That's a true gift.

(Perhaps our expectations were also lowered after the last eight years, and we're all just relieved to have a president who seems to value language and can pronounce "nuclear" correctly. See this satirical post about one of Bush's last acts as president.)

I was struck also by how perfectly in tune President Obama seemed to be with the eco-crafting/DIY community. For him to honor "the makers of things" as on par with our brothers and sisters who serve in the military was very powerful to hear. The "patchwork" reference alluded to today's makers and our mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers who salvaged scraps of fabric and pieced them together to create warming, useful beauty. The whole speech seemed to be a call to tap into this DIY ethos to get our country back on the right path.

I've included images from some of my favorite "makers of things." Enjoy, and be inspired!

This is my new cat. Her name is Nina, and she is stretched out enjoying the sun in my office. I have found that she is a kindred spirit. She's quiet and serious and loves the sun but has a streak of playfulness about her. She was lovingly crafted by Nicole, the artist known as Astulabee.

Ah, and here is my new rabbit friend Christiane. You can tell she is French, oui? She put up quite a fuss when I was photographing her. She implored me to capture her best side, though I kept assuring her that all her sides were equally beautiful. Still, she had final say as to which photo I posted. I didn't mind, because she has been quite helpful in helping me organize my files in my new/old Steelcase filing cabinet. I can excuse a little bit of vanity in someone so beautiful, charming, and helpful. She was also made by master "maker of things" Nicole.

Oh, and my first Valentine of the year, crazy-beautifully made by Nicole. My poor photo nowhere near captures the gorgeous and funny details in this Valentine. It is a fabulously high quality giclee print made from Nicole's beautiful collage. It reads: "I send my love, my heart, my toes, my hand, my nose, to you." (If you're quick, you may be able to purchase one at her Etsy shop here.) Thank you, Nicole, you made my week!

And here's a very special gift for my recent birthday, from my friend Maya. It's an organic cotton knitting bucket, with natural images growing up the side. It fits three knitting works-in-progress. I love its structure--how it's able to stand up on its own while holding all the needles and yarn I need.

The knitting bucket has an ingenious pocket in the middle of the bucket that holds the knitting needles (don't you love the spindle-topped needles that my son made for me?), as well as scissors and other accessories. The pocket is perfect for keeping the double-sided needles from slipping off the yarn. It also helps keep the yarns organized into two sides of the bucket. I love the wee little slot for a crochet hook to correct my little knitting mistakes! I am oh so lucky to have such a thoughtful and talented friend who gets me! Thanks, Maya!!

President Obama's Inaugural Address

Did President Obama's inaugural address rock, or what? (The full text of the inaugural address is available at msnbc.)

President Obama has the beautiful cadence of the minister, the strong start and soft, drawled finish that give so much power to his words.

"I stand here today
humbled by the task before us,
grateful for the trust you have bestowed,
mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors."

That strong use of parallelism was just one of the many rhetorical gems glittering throughout the whole speech.

"The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms."

I'm going to share the following paragraph with my kids and the authors I work with as the supreme example of assertive topic sentence, detailed supporting details, and strong conclusion and transition. Really masterful:

"That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights."

You tell me, could President George W. Bush--son of privilege--have delivered the following paragraphs with any measure of credibility?

"In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth. For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction."

What a sensible, comprehensive call to action he urged:

"For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do."

"What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them— that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified."

And he clearly elucidated a foreign policy rooted in history and based on international justice, civil liberties, and human rights:

"As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more."

"Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint."

"We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense. . . ."

And an absolutely epic paragraph in which President Obama explains to the world that we are a nation of people with diverse religious beliefs and cultural traditions, but that ultimately we can all get along:

"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace."

(The wonderful line about "our patchwork heritage is a strength" applies equally well to President Obama personally and to our nation as a whole.)

This President Obama gets it that we are a world in ecological crisis, and that what we do here in the United States has repercussions elsewhere:

"To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it."

President Obama honored soldiers and veterans "because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves." And he called on all Americans to do the same in civilian life:

"For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."

His firm grasp of the historical implications of this day, and the resonance that it has for previous days in history, left me feeling that he was the right person at the right time in our history, an American leader who has the intelligence, courage, and strength to face down our collective demons:

"So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: "Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

In that one paragraph, he eloquently responded to all those critics who kept snidely calling him Barack Hussein Obama and questioned his patriotism. He is as American as they come, and America's history is his history to call upon in this time of crisis.

P.S. Was Chief Justice Roberts supposed to call him Barack H. Obama, rather than Barack Hussein Obama during the swearing-in? It seemed to fluster the president-elect at least.

P.P.S. Where can I hire that band that played "Air and Simple Gifts"? They rocked, too! ;)

Snowhenge and a Plea for Help! (Update: On the Right Track)

Behold, Snowhenge! The recent freeze-thaw-freeze cycles have transformed our Christmas snow fort into this fantastical ice sculpture in our front yard. We get lots of people slowing down to figure out how it was created.

I was all set to chill out in January, but I got more than I bargained for--single-digit temperatures this week, with wind chills below zero. I can honestly say that for the first time since my move to the Northeast U.S., I am truly enjoying the winter. I don't know if it's the (peri)Menopause or the extra fat layers that I've added since we moved here, but I'm not feeling the cold. I am even entertaining the idea of getting snow shoes for me and my daughter so that we can both get some much-needed winter exercise.

In all other areas of my life, however, I'm not chillin'. Four years of haphazard filing have finally come to a head, and I can no longer find even the most basic documents. (The layers of origami paper and other craft detritus on my office desk have not helped either!)

I need help, dear readers. With tax season coming up, I need to get my business files in order. Can anyone recommend a sturdy, ecologically friendly (perhaps even aesthetically pleasing, if it's not too much of a stretch) filing cabinet for a small home office, one that can hold both my business paperwork and family records? I spent yesterday and today scouring two salvage stores, the Salvation Army, Staples (blech!!), and the local antique mall, with absolutely no luck.

I've looked online and found this filing cabinet from Green Tea Designs. It's the right size and made from repurposed wood, but it just seems extremely unsustainable to have something shipped so far (from Korea originally, then to Canada, and then to the U.S.).

I'd love to hear your innovative, Earth-loving organization solutions. You'll be helping me and the planet out!

I'm finally nearing the end of a LOOOONG editing project, and I'll be scarce around here and blogland for the next month. I may pop in to share a divine knitting bag that I got from a dear friend and some Valentine's treats (I'm a sucker for that holiday!!) just because I won't be able to keep myself motivated without the occasional post. I miss popping in to your blogs and saying hello, but I hope to be a much more active blog friend in February.

Hope you are staying warm!!

UPDATE: I've just found a good solution to my storage problem, or at least an idea for how to proceed: repainted vintage filing cabinets, featured at Poetic Home. Here's my all-time favorite, a 1930s filing cabinet repolished to a brushed-steel finish, from The Old Cinema:

Now the hunt is on to find something locally (and cheap!) to reproduce the lovely finish and vintage name plates. I'll keep you posted on what I find.

Tree Museum

NYC's Bryant Park trees, near The Pond

"They took all the trees
Put 'em in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see 'em
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot."

--From "Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell

My two older kids and I made the most of the last days of their winter break by taking a short trip to New York City this weekend. It was cold but sunny, and the walks we took sandwiched between our morning museum-going and evening theatre events gave us great views of urban trees. Although I find it a little sad to see trees in their little metal enclosures surrounded by pavement, urban trees seem to survive nonetheless to offer soaring counterpoints to the surrounding skyscrapers.

Bryant Park trees, behind the New York Public Library

Origami-ornament tree at the Museum of Natural History

After reading about the Museum of Natural History's Christmas tree on Folding Trees (and decorating our own tree all in origami), I had to see this celebration of the art of origami in person. All of the ornaments for the tree are made of folded paper and highlight the museum's diverse collections. Herds of horses, swarms of butterflies, all manner of dinosaurs, and a collection of African masks decorate the tree. Hung from a rotating ring around the top of the tree, glittery stars create a dynamic and magical halo around the tree.

After spending six hours at the museum, we took a rejuvenating winter walk through Central Park. The park feels a little bit like Joni Mitchell's "tree museum," but what a peaceful oasis the park is in the midst of Manhattan's concrete and noise. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1857, the park seems like a completely natural environment but is in fact a wholly man-made landscape. The site was originally several villages, and the largely working class African American and immigrant residents were forced from their homes to make room for the park. The dirt of the original site was hauled away and fetile soil--along with thousands of trees, shrubs, and flowers--was hauled in. The result is a natural haven for urban dwellers and a host of wildlife, including red-tailed hawks and migrating birds.

Central Park hawk

Roots

Don't these tenacious roots make it seem that in a contest between man and nature, nature will always win? Those bricks don't stand a chance!

Central Park trees at twilight

Lighted trees

Sour Orange Tree

The Tree of Life motif formed the inspiration for the textile collage I made for my mother for Christmas. I wanted the piece to evoke my mother's childhood in South Texas. She grew up in a very small town, and my grandmother and my great-grandmother were both avid gardeners. My great-grandmother's house in town, where my mother lived, had a thick green lawn of coarse St. Augustine grass and a sour orange tree. My mother ate so many sour oranges as a kid that she lost the enamel on her front teeth. I had fun with the green canopy of the sour orange tree, printing on the fabric the lyrics and music of a children's barnyard tune from a vintage songbook.



This picture of my mom at nine months, with her chubby cheeks and sparse hair, looks remarkably like my daughter and my niece at that age. I showed her sitting on a white wooden chair made in Mexico, whose border was close to where my mom grew up and where my mom went with my grandmother to shop. The Mexican border markets were filled with an amazing array of inexpensive merchandise. My grandmother would buy herbs and other medicines; the most amazing candies (coconut, pumpkin, and caramels) and big boxes of Mexican Gamesa cookies; brightly painted wooden toys and vibrant pinatas; cinnamon sticks, vanilla, and chocolate; tequila and other inexpensive booze; and ollas and other pottery for cooking and feasting.



The three sour oranges hanging from the tree match the color of the monarch butterfly wings I placed behind my mom, a reminder of the thick colonies of the orange butterflies we would see as they migrated to their winter homes in Mexico.




Both of my mother's grandparents had ranches, and she spent a lot of time with her cousins running wild in the dusty chaparral and cactus lands. The chickens pecking in the dirt in front of the prickly pear cactus remind me of the birds that are fixtures on those South Texas ranches. My mom always thought it was a treat to go to the ranch and collect the brown eggs for a hearty breakfast of huevos rancheros.

That vibrant sour orange tree from my mother's childhood is long gone, and my mother's connection to her home town has slowly dwindled over the years. Time and distance have dulled some of the images from her childhood, and I hope that this textile collage will help her preserve the unique landscape of her youth. After all, its the soil to which I'm rooted in spirit as well, and through me my kids.