New Hobby - Almost New Year!

Blessings to All this New Year's Eve 2023! 

Another year is about to come to an end and yes, I am ready to start yet another new hobby, a new chapter in keeping busy and learning, always learning!

Weaving is my focus for the next month and I just warped my first loom according to Rebecca Mezloff's video "Weaving Tapestry on Little Looms." Of course I have ordered numerous books, but am following videos and using the books for additional resources and motivation. Where am I headed with this? Great question and I have no big goals nor productive plans. I just want to weave, use color, enjoy the dexterity of threading the yarn in and out, design a product eventually and yes, hang it on my wall. 

I have indulged in purchasing second-hand a medium sized tapestry loom and also Rebecca's complete set of videos. I think of this as my upteen master's degree without the certificate, but plenty of weavings to show off my efforts.

What are you doing in 2024 for "extra credit?" What are your plans? Nothing is too challenging because one can always approach the projects in increments. That is my plan.....maybe the bigger loom is a bit rushing the challenge - we'll see.

                                       

Let's touch base again tomorrow - poetry everyday and journaling as one feels the desire. 

Resolutions for 2024 are minimal this year. 

Dear Family & Friends,

 A last minute decision - type up the good news of 2023 and mail a quick letter to friends and family.

This I shall do….pronto….and include our new address:   PO Box 606,  Hunt,TX 78024

  

Hopefully, this is our last move knowing it’s truly the best yet. We sold our double wide on five acres, full disclosure. With the professional engineer's report in hand a couple bought the Madrona fiasco in May. The home was structurally unsound.

We moved into 100 Should Bee in Bumblebee Hills in May. It’s in a small development between Ingram and Hunt west of Kerrville on a half-acre lot bordered by a creek. Dave’s new John Deere garden tractor is being put to good use.

With only two weeks in our new-to-us home we traveled once again to North Idaho, Farragut State Park. This was my second year volunteering in the Junior Ranger program. We left Idaho mid-August for Texas, stopping in Boise to buy my dream machine, a 19’ Bambi Airstream. Since we were already towing the Transcend, we returned a few weeks later to Boise to hitch up the 2003 Bambi. After a short pause in Estes Park to see my brother and sister-in-law, we were very happy to see Should Bee. Our 30’ Transcend trailer is currently on the consignment lot.

Whew! Home and tired of collecting trailers and traversing the West, we have been spending the past few months putting our personal stamp on Should Bee and acknowledging God’s hand in the past year’s events. 

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Dave is doing great. He has those 96 year-old aches for which we try to seek the best support. He stays in touch with family and we hope to see everyone in the northwest again this summer. However, since we have a smaller trailer, living in it for more than a few weeks is out of the question for him (no recliner). I  am hanging up my volunteer hat for any lengthy commitment. 

In simple words, we’re going to enjoy these final years without a definitive summer itinerary!

I became an octogenarian last week. Still overloading my activities, one of our favorites is taking our vintage bookmobile to the Saturday farmers’ market. It is a Little Free Library bookmobile for children and folks bring donations as well as select favorite books and puzzles.

I have a blog and post diary-like while trying to become more tech savvy with it.  https://jamajoanjottings.blogspot.com

Stay in touch and know our faith in Jesus keeps our emotions stable and feeds our desire to know Him better in these latter years. He is all we have, but who needs more, right?

May you be blessed this year with abundant joys and “the peace that passes ALL understanding.”

(......and just for my blog buddies)

Blessings.

joan and dave

Gratitude Writing Class coming

I am in the process of developing a four-week writing class with the topic of  gratitude.

This class will be taught at the Dietert Senior Center, Kerrville, TX for the month of January 2024, Tuesdays from 9:30 - 11:00 a.m./

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a plethora of participants?

Perhaps I shall send a note to each of my previous writing cohorts that attended my classes at Dietert.

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I am also thinking about facilitating a West Kerr County Writers group in Ingram once a month, maybe at the local coffee shop.  Just thinking.... I could request a notice to be placed in the West Kerr Current newspaper, a small local paper that has been a delight to buy ($.50) and read.

What do you think about the possibilities of writing in real life with local folks?

Wish you all could join!💕

The Velveteen Rabbit - My Imagination

 

There are an amazing number of quotes that appeal to me from The Velveteen Rabbit.

And yes, my imagination often works overtime - bear with me!

1) imagining what I still could accomplish.....

2) imagining what probably is just a whim or fantasy

3) enjoying the limitless parameter of my imagination

4) imagining the delight that Grandma Moses felt as she achieved later in life

5) making real what I am imagining within my capabilities

6) making real what I am imagining that is not within my capabilities, so I think.

7) appoaching this octogenarian decade with hope and enthusiasm.....

8) imagining the "time reality" and making my choices

I am participating online with a group called Underground Railroad (Jill Badonsky).

A prompt this week is making a list and then writing, perhaps in litany style, about a subject on the list. I believe the above list is my first step - now to elaborate on one!

                                 

Could Be Worse!

I love this book - it is my mantra! And today, my 80th birthday - well, it couldn't be better!

It is the best day!! The only "worse" part is that I am older and feeling a few more creaks and groans.

However, the choice is mine and I will take these 80 years, be most grateful and most excited about this my new decade. I am an octogenarian and so proud of it. 

I know! I still color my hair.

I haven't been exercising.

I do take my vitamins.

I am contemplating the bicycle commitment.

I can make it all happen!

In the meantime it could be so much worse.

Wish you all could celebrate with me.

As it is, I am celebrating with my Hubby Dave in Port Aransas, TX where the beach is three minutes away and the little Bambi Airstream is cozy and comfy here in the Magee RV park.

We're opening a bottle of wine and enjoying a shrimp ring and stuffed crab that we purchased at the local grocery. 

Life is good and it couldn't be better!

Happy Birthday to Everyone!

 

Earthing

 no writing about earthing, realigning my electrical energy and its benefits…….

iam too enthralled (committed) 

walking barefoot

thirty minutes in the grass

winged compassion

winged compassion

hovers, covers, flutters from

an opened window

I submitted the above in response to Maya Stein’s pictorial prompt, an opened window.

This has been a 4 week class where daily prompts are given and responses posted with limited interactions among the participants.

This type of class is pure candy for my writing appetite.

I use stock photos from the internet but should get my camera out and begin….again….with photographing the beauty around me.

Today's List!

 12/01/20

Seriously! 

1.  Pay mortgage

2.  Finish cleaning "my room" 

3.  Hair appointment @ 2:00

Not so seriously!

1.  Have a second cup of joe

2.  Applaud Hubby's leaf blowing act

3.  Appease addiction - pick up package at post office of thriftbooks

The above was my reponse to today's prompt from Maya Stein's tri-writing class which is absolutely delightful. It is supposed to be three lines and I ususally write a haiku, but this popped out of my fingers this early a.m. and I went with it.

Sometimes I download an image and include it. It is easy peasy to implement on the site she uses.

Check her offerings out - probably will continue with the tri-writing when she offers it again.

Maya Stein