conversation and quiet

september 6, on the phone with my dearest friend

september 7, a quiet hour before bed

time spent on the phone with friends who share their joys and struggles and truth and then also listen...these long conversations fill me up. yesterday, i had a talk like this with a dear friend. i first brought her up to date on some things in my life. as we talked, i took millie outside and stood talking while millie zoomed around in the yard chasing squirrels and imaginery creatures. i knew that this moment, of someone deeply listening, was something i wanted to capture as my sacred life photo of the day. and as i took the picture, the conversation shifted, as it should, and my friend began to share a lesson she is trying to unwrap; one of those lessons that seems to simply repeat for her without kindly skipping a year or two. and i listened. and i talked. and she talked. and it felt like we didn't solve it. and we like to solve things. in fact, i think we could open up a friendship shop of sorts where we solve things for people. but, we both know that this is friendship too. the not solving. the sitting in the quiet in a conversation, even one over the phone, when you realize it can't be solved. it is what it is. it is life.

tonight, after a really nice evening out with jonny that included a trip to borders, i sit in the quiet of our (newly reorganized) living room with my cup of tea, new magazines, and some twine and clothespins. don't you just love this twine? i remember seeing it in issues of martha stewart living back when i was in college and wishing i knew where to get some to use to tie my christmas gifts. you can now buy some at michaels in martha's new craft line. or, you can come to artfiberfest and get several yards from me as a trade. you might notice that i have, ahem, more than i need on that spool to the left. i use it to wrap my orders from my shop. i am happy to share. i am wrapping it on those clothes pins as a trade and will attach a little card with my info.

(and by little card i mean the wicked cool business card heather designed for me! i have been wanting to show you all for weeks, but the box that holds the card was, of course, put in another box in this great cleanup decluttering we are going through. i haven't uncovered that box yet. i will. and then i will share. cause you guys are gonna want her to design you a card too.)