Joy

Maria, one of my blogfriends wrote a post about joy recently. She wrote about the choice we all have in how we meet life. To value the joy in everyday life and try to always remember and cherish the things that make you happy and content and not focus on the things that brings you down or make you sad, angry and unhappy. She wrote that “joy and happiness isn’t anything that comes from the outside it comes from within yourself”

Apparently this was provocative for some, meaning that depression, severe illness, hunger, famine and war isn’t something you just shake off with a positive thought. True of course but I don’t think she meant that we were to walk round in La La Land with a constant smile on our faces with eyes and ears closed to what happens in our surroundings. Quite the opposite I think.

I have a firm belief in the power of thought! Positive thoughts can move mountains. Through work and friends I have met people with severe cancer, illnesses or physically disabled that have taught me so much about the joy of living. One of my most vivid memories is one of my patients, paralyzed from the neck down who said that he never felt disabled. He lived a full life and enjoyed every minute of it. He used to say “ What use is there to think about the things that I can’t do when there is so much that I can do”. At the age of 14 my father was in a prison camp in Siberia during World War 2. He has taught me that there is always hope and always a solution but it is up to you to find it! Or to try to figure it out!

I am sad, sometimes unhappy but I truly try to look at the glass as half full instead of half empty. Life is much more fun that way.

Today I chose to feel joy over:
My daughters
Spring flowers on my windowsill
Tuva
Snow glistering in the sunlight
My husband’s text message from Grenoble


Take care
Jeanette

Not any time soon

BBQ ?

Watering plants?





Rhododendrons?




Not any time soon! And when it comes to the rhododendrons….probably not at all!! The field rabbit ate both buds and leaves….As you can see I caught him in the act. A rifle anybody?

And the snow just keeps on coming; we haven’t had this kind of winter in years. Drove down to the country house today to see if it was still standing and because of the snow we had to walk all the way down from the main road. A mere 500 meter walk but it has never felt so long before.



The snow knee deep, temperature five below zero and if you add a blistering cold wind it sums up the walk quiet nicely. For a short while, just before falling face down in a snow-drift I felt a bit like Roald Amundsen discovering the North Pole! Well I don’t know if he fell to his knees and kissed the ground but I tell you this, if I would like to eat snow I would put it on a plate!!!!

Due to the cold weather I’ve spent a lot of time in my workroom instead continuing on my guardian angel theme.

While I was at it I made a dragon too. Nothing like a dragon to keep a girl protected…..




Take care
Jeanette

Inspired by Cathy Cullis….and a homage to my uncle

I recently discovered the brilliant British textile and mixed media artist Cathy Cullis. Her embroidery is poetic and truly beautiful. Today, inspired by her art work but also by circus clowns and old dolls I made a guardian angel. I made it out of my grandmother’s old linen pillow-case and then decorated it with vintage lace and vintage mother of pearl buttons. The face is an old photograph transferred to the fabric with decoupage coating.
The text on the wing says “Sov Du, Jag vakar” which in translation means “Sleep, I will watch over you” I plan to do a series of them….you just can`t have enough guardian angels in your life!



Today I also finished the felted piece I was working on as homage to my late uncle. I was a bit inspired by wall- hangings actually. He was a very keen bee-keeper so naturally it has a bee hive on it and an old air plane since he used to build the most fabulous model air planes. The embroidered flowers also came naturally because he was a real nature lover. The piece sort of made it self…..and it was something very soothing about seeing the embroidery grow under my fingers and remembering all the fun we had. I plan to give it to my mother.


Take care
Jeanette

Wall hangings

There is wall hangings…….



……and then there is WALL HANGINGS !

I plan to embroider this on mine:

FEAR LESS
HOPE MORE
TALK LESS
SAY MORE
HATE LESS
LOVE MORE
AND ALL GOOD THINGS WILL BE YOURS

I think that sums up my wishes for the new year really well!

Take care

Jeanette

Walk along more beaches……

.....was one of my wishes for the New Year. Thought I better get a head start so hubby and I drove to Skanör for a long walk by the seaside. The sea was calm, the sun desperately trying to warm us through the clouds and the snow gently creaking under our shoes. The bathing-huts stood silently on parade waiting for summer. Beautiful! Precious time spent alone with my husband. We don’t seem to get enough of that these days.




Enjoy the moment! Time flies my friends, before we know it it’s here - SUMMER!

Take care
Jeanette

Finally felting

I found a paper pattern for an angel in my late uncle’s house. I don’t know if he meant it to be cut out in wood, a paper cutting or maybe a pattern to use for his gingerbread cookies he always made for Christmas. I decided I wanted to honor him by using it in one of my felts.



This is what I have done so far, white silhouettes’ on grey felt. I plan to do some embroidery too, some pearls perhaps..... and maybe some vintage photos so I can use the new decoupage coating that I bought yesterday which works on fabric….or….

I’ll keep you posted!

Take care
Jeanette

2010

No resolutions this year but a few humble wishes......

I would like to:

Enjoy more moments

Watch more sunsets

Sing more songs

Jump in a lot more water puddles

Walk along more beaches

collect more see shells and drift wood

Grow more flowers in my garden

and

Laugh even more with my family and friends



Basically I think 2010 is going to be all about

living, loving and laughing!


Happy New Year

&

I wish you all the best year ever

Jeanette