I dyed two newborn articles of clothing purple once upon a time. Afterwards, I twisted the cloth and secured the twists with rubber bands. And then abandoned them.

When cleaning out a storage area in the basement recently — there they were. They’d sat untouched for many years, maybe as much as a decade.

This square plexiglass resist (above) left a lot of white, so I redyed. First, then second results below.

Turns out the powder I purchased is “pre-reduced” meaning it’s synthetic. Oh well. I don’t really understand the difference. It sure smells like natural indigo. In any case, I’ve appreciated how simple the process has been.

Cleaning out the space underneath the cellar stairs is part of the impetus for dyeing here. It’s where I kept everything. Another part of the impetus is forward looking — to an indigo workshop in October. Looking back. Look forward.

Since Danny died, culling things for giveaway has changed. It’s easier somehow. Most material possessions just don’t seem to matter much anymore for one thing. Maybe they never did.

For another thing, we’re acutely aware that at our deaths only Cary will be left to deal with everything. That makes these efforts satisfying but also heartbreaking.