November BJP

To feel the Sunlight of the Spirit which is my theme this year I think of the word gratitude. In Alcoholics Anoymous November is gratitude month. So many readings are centered on service to others, which in turn serves us and also to be grateful for what we have no matter how little we may have. I have many things to be grateful for -though often I forget and feel overwhelmed with lifes demands. I attend AA mtgs twice a week so that I can be reminded of this. In the book As Bill Sees It (page 37) the reading is titled A Full and Thankful Heart and we read it at a recent mtg we took to a treatment center on Thanksgiving Day. It really grabbed me and I knew I had to do my Nov. piece on this topic. Bill says to try for a full inventory of my blessings and then for a right acceptance of my many gifts that are mine both temporal and spiritual. Here I try to achieve a state of joyful gratitude. When brimming with gratitude ones heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love, the finest emotion that we can ever know.I know my life will only improve if I try to live by Bills words.

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Some Close-ups for your viewing pleasure.

I am finally able to have someone help me post. My pieces this year are a theme. I am a recovering alcoholic. I have 14 years of sobriety. This year I decided to focus on a line I really love that is in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous On page 66. It says that when harboring feelings of anger and resentment we block ourselves from the "Sunlight of the Spirit". So I am doing my pieces an things that I feel gratitude or appreciation for. I hope that this in turn will encourage me to feel more peaceful within.

This is my September piece. My husband and I went to Yellowstone and I was just in awe of its beauty...I found this piece of hand dyed silk in my stash and it reminded me of yellowstone. So off I went with my theme. Im really happy with it. I found myself feeling excited to work on it each day. .

Below is my October piece. We took my motherin law on a long drive of the leaves 2 weeks ago and it was so beautiful. The reds were spectacular. Ferne was just so thrilled to see the beauty on a sunny day. The sun filtered through them. I have found that hearing her reactions to things I take for granted helps me appreciate them. I learn a lot from her. She is 91 and fairly housebound so she loves getting out with us to see even the every day of the world. This is why I decided to work with only autumn colors. There isnt really a shape to it but it did turn out to resemble a cottonwood leaf. Funny how that works.

This is a piece I did for my sister Wendy.

My sister wanted me to do three pieces for her. This is it finished and I backed it on a piece of wet felting that just asked for it. So here it is finished.

November

This is an early piece. It came out looking like a bird so-its a bird, a very colorful bird. Really not much meaning for me.

I found a fabric with the word "rejuvinate". I put it in this piece but it got covered up. I just had fun with the colors. I used ruffles again.Again with the orange.

July

This was an early piece and again was just playing. I have this way of cleaning up my bead tray. I pick up whats on it from other projects and just go. This is what happened with it. It reminds me of a brain. I do not have any deep thoughts on this. It just helps me escape from the committee in my head.

April

I have just been playing with colors that make me feel good. Orange is pleasing me and I also was experimenting with ruffles and the green swirls. I like where the dragonfly landed accidentally.

February

This is something Ive been working on personally for some time now. The 2 Gingko leaves represent the 2 sides of me. The upper leaf being the young,playful part. The lower leaf being the tough,layered dense texture that you cant possibly get to. Very protective. Im feeling like I dont need that as much anymore. I could remove the spikes certainly. But one step at a time, right? I really like this piece,I think its my favorite.

January

I was just really feeling like doing a piece with orange and blue. I love that combination. I started with the orange curve and it grew from there. I was walking to my car one day and found this bottlecap in the street. thus the title A Little Blue.

Three additional pieces

October

I did this right after my son got married. I felt so relieved that I finally had time to bead something that wasnt for the wedding. I quickly found a scrap and just got beading. I think it reflects freedom. Unfortunatly it was short lived (time that is).