When I say “back to it,” I mean collage. A grief series I suppose. I leafed through my piles of magazine cut outs yesterday looking for a scarlet red. Yes. Yes, I wanted to cut out a heart shape and rip it in half. Materials took me in a different direction.
I used the paper collage in my double exposure app and came up with a few variations. Today is one of six summer writing workshops so I may not get to the cutting table again until tomorrow.
I’m reading another Kate Atkinson. The Jackson Brodie series. As previously mentioned, she doesn’t cut it as a cozy mystery writer but I’m engaged.
On TV? There we go. Two cozy mystery series on offer: GRANTCHESTER and BEYOND PARADISE.
Grief wisdom from this morning’s insta tour: we are suffering from PTSD as well as grief. Not surprisingly, it often accompanies a sudden violent death. I know this is obvious but it was somehow clarifying to acknowledge this morning.
I love the moon photo
It’s real, like most unexpected things are.
I guess it is hard to put a name on suffering. It’s so many things, maybe everything.
It’s as though I need a whole new language.
Yes…
Dee~ Your collage work, like your cloth work has such a distinct “Dee style”. I figure any/all processing is helpful at this point.
That quote, such a slice of reality. I learned that lesson at 22 yr when our neighbor went to work and never returned (car accident). It had a huge impact on me, as we were young families together in the ‘tri-plex’ community.
Beautiful moon shot. I like how you can see the 4 directional lines, just faintly. Reminded me of the sun symbol on the NM flag.
The last pic is quite curious…are they on a roof? Why? I used to be a roof climber as a kid 🙂 … who is the dog?(Looks a lot like my childhood dog) Ice cream? A bottle of? They are all so frozen in the moment of watching him. Really a great photo.
The memory from your 22 year old self. Oof. How hard!
The picture is I think from Danny’s first year at CU. Near where he first lived in Boulder. I don’t know who took the picture or whose dog that is. I’ve always assumed he’s feeding it ice cream.
Dee~ Huh…I guess I could have said that the questions were not literal, although your answers do provide more context. The questions were my expression of being so invited in to the moment captured.
PS I thought of those frozen “pup cups” too. Haha My sister’s family dog, Charlie loved whose things!
Your give us all such inspiration Dee in how you find the many ways to stand and face your grief. I agree with Nancy that whatever comes to us to help us in terms of how to take in grief, whether it be written words, cloth work, perhaps a series of grief collages, special TV programs to watch, it all can bring comfort, even cooking our loved ones’ favorite foods. I’ve taken to putting a lot of photos of Rich on end tables, the bedrooms, even some Maui photos affixed with Maui magnets that we both bought from the Maui Craft Guild, when we lived there. All of the magnets depict Hawaiian quilt styles. The kitchen photos, especially have become my morning touch stones as I make coffee, touch the photos, step outside at daybreak, breath in the day and chant in the four directions, something Hawaiian elders do as well as Native Americans.
This past Sunday, found me cooking pot roast, rutabagas, carrots and potatoes at 9am since it was going to be well close to 100 in New Mexico. I ate this hearty dish, Rich’s favorite, for lunch, and I have plenty of leftovers for this week.
Now then Grantchester: this is the last season of Grantchester on PBS and I will be sorry when it ends but there are always reruns. Robson Green who plays DI Geordie has been one of my favorite British actors since he came on the scene way back in the early 90’s. His cheeky demeanor,, his intense blue eyes, his fascinating voice and the fact that not only is he an actor but a singer and songwriter, well, what’s not to like! He has appeared in may British series, some of my favorites are Reckless, Me and Mrs Jones and Grafters. As a British female friend of mine said, when we were discussing him, , “He’s a bit of all right” and I totally agree !
Photos and food — yes. It takes a bit of strength to surround oneself with all those pictures and I’m glad you can. I have a little photo gallery in the bookcase next to my bed… mostly Danny from elementary school. I’m having trouble remembering what Danny’s favorite foods were and this causes me a little distress.
I do remember one time after he’d left for college him being home for a holiday, coming in slightly drunk after socializing with friends, plunking himself down on the couch and saying, “You’re a really good cook Mom.” Now I know he had to be a little drunk to tell me that. I also know that a semester of dorm food might have e opened his eyes. I’ll never forget that.