Today's reflection...

I took a class at Herd's Nursery and made this miniature fairy garden

There's me 'n Ray and, of course, then there's Henry; we reside together in peace and we are happy.  I cook and bake and sew and knit and do little artsy stuff from time to time; that's what I do, what I have always ever done, from the time I have kept a home of my own; sometimes in balance, sometimes in chaos, my core strength remains intact.  Ray goes to work and comes home and then goes to work again, but soon he'll retire.  I have two sons but they have gone away from us; grownup men now with lives of their own.  I am a better person than I once was.  Can't change the past, you know; learn to forgive yourself as well as others, and then move forward.  With that, growth happens, or at least I hope so.  I'm all for growth.

Oh Henry!!

See me hiding in the bushes up at Weinie Dog Hill? There's two of them, Sophie and Ruby, on the other side of that fence; weinie dogs, that is. I peek through the chicken wire to see if they are there. Sometimes they peek back and we all go crazy! "Henry, stop it! Come inside!"

2012 begins here...

A quiet New Year at the casita; appropriate time for reflection and contemplation. 

Goodbye 2011...

I enjoy whimsical things and simple living.  Did you know that?  I also love to sip on a cup 'o tea, brewed by me own self.  In 2012, I will grow a potager, a simple herb garden, maybe an apple tree.  Today, on the last day of 2011, I have socks on the knitting needles and a pair of pants cut out and ready to sew for my sis.  All in all, I'm in good shape, come what may.

Merry Christmas!

Can you believe it?  Christmas is here and 2011 is coming to a close.  As I get older, it becomes harder to let go; however, I'm a firm believer in turning pages and new beginnings.  That's what I love about each New Year...a fresh start, a clean slate; life is a series of possibilities.

Still sewing...

Well folks, sewing is still at the forefront of what I'm up to.  I just completed a shirt, the Plain and Simple Superfantastic Shirt by Hot Patterns, which I'll be posting soon.  That makes two tops in shades of lavendar blue that I've finished.  Now it's time to set sewing aside for a few days so that I can tidy up the Casita before Thanksgiving.  Visit www.mysewingbasket.blogspot.com to see Christine's most recent projects.

The Hula Years...

Christine at the Birthing Stones near Wahiawa, some years ago.

It is important in my mind to define the person that I am, how I came to be, those kinds of things. The Hawaiian word "halau" translates to "school" in English.  I once belonged to a hula school and during those years, it was my greatest pleasure to dance; however, I was more often called upon to be confidant and counselor, held in high regard by my Kumu, but never quite fitting in with the population at large; mine was an edgy position.  Toward the end, I commented to my husband that, instead of a dancer, I had become the turtle whose back they stepped on to get to the other side.    I wrote this piece shortly after phasing out of hula and the halau that had preoccupied my life for almost ten years.

Christine Leionaona Paz on What Halau Means to Me….

An excerpt from the book, “The Wisdom of No Escape and the Path of Loving-Kindness,” by Pema Chodron: 

 

          “I would say that for four or five years practically the only teaching Rinpoche gave, in many different forms, under many different titles, was, “Stop shopping around and settle down and go deeply into one body of truth. He taught that this continual dabbling around in spiritual things was just another form of materialism, trying to get comfortable, trying to get secure, whereas if you stuck to one boat and really started working with it, it would definitely put you through all your changes. You would meet all your dragons; you would be continually pushed out of the nest. It would be one big initiation rite, and tremendous wisdom would come from that, tremendous heartfelt, genuine spiritual growth and development.”

The question is what does an excerpt from a book written by an American Buddhist nun have to do with the study of hula and this brief bio about myself?

In participating and being a part of Hula Hālau Nā Meakanu O Laka O Hawai`i, I was in the canoe; a body of people, an ohana, where each dance step, each lesson learned, each moment of loving kindness between hula sisters and friends, each unkindness, disappointment and sometimes heartache were an initiation rite. Not all things come easily and dancing was not something I had ever done. My family’s roots are deeply embedded in the Islands of Hawai`i. All that I am began on the Islands of Hawai`i...my family, my heritage, my roots. The old people, my mother and father, grandparents, aunts and uncles, have all passed away, now safely nestled in the arms of O`ahu. I am a transplant and California is my home. Studying hula opened my heart and my mind to many things lost. A distant drum called to me as we stood at the Birthing Stones near Wahiawa, the place where I was born; my first ipu heke, Little Thunder, was a tribute to that moment. Rainbows appeared everywhere I went during my halau years, and they follow me still. These were magical moments. How does one define the wealth of a lifetime, encapsulated in those years I spent in the fold of a loving hālau? How does one give thanks to a Kumu who crossed my path and helped me to define myself? It is different for each of us. Perception is an individual thing. I perceive hula and life within the hālau to be something larger than what it appears. “Hula is life,” this is what Aunty Mae Klein told us. It is a noble thing, to “step into one’s shoes,” as I like to say, and also to know when to move on and how to let go with grace. Life is a journey of forward motion, always moving toward the Light.

Adventures of Henry the Yorkie Pup

Henry will be three years old in December.  Let's see...dog years equal 7 per every 1 people year?  That makes Henry a young adult.  These pictures are recent; ain't he cute?  Last season Mallard ducks visited our swimming pool regularly.  Quack, quack, quack, Henry would hear their chatter and charge the pool like a speeding bullet to chase them away (that's how we learned Henry can swim to save his life).  I  don't think he craves duck meat; I think he just likes to see ducks take flight; maybe he wants to fly.  But then again...he is a terrier, bred to...  Sometimes those ducks would bob and float purposefully, just out of his reach; poor Hen!  The ducks moved on and we haven't seen them in months.   For a long time after, Henry would sit at the pool's edge looking wistfully up at the sky; waiting, listening.  He finally gave up the hunt but, seriously, we can no longer say the "D" word out loud, nor can we quack.  Maybe we should have named him Bullet, as in faster than a speeding bullet.  Just say DUCK! DUCK!  and there he goes!  Poor doggie door!

Still sewing...this time a blouse

Here's the back view of the blouse I just completed.  See Christine's www.mysewingbasket.blogspot.com for more details.  At some point, I have to stop sewing and get back to knitting socks for Christmas gifts.  Oh boy!  Never enough time to do it all!



Still sewing...

Visit www.mysewingbasket.blogspot.com to see Chris' latest completed project, a fun frock for casual wear around town and at home.

Future garden project...Garden Path

http://www.sunset.com/garden/backyard-projects/great-garden-paths-photos-00400000043327/page44.html

A sampling of garden paths from Sunset magazines; a project in planning for the back half of our property.   

Upholstered Headboard...diy

http://www.designsponge.com/2009/09/diy-video-graces-upholstered-otomi-headboard.html

Do check this out...a fabulous upholstered headboard project; very do-able, I do believe.  I want to make a headboard for the queen-size bed in our guest room.  The biggest challenge for me will be to find someone to cut out the shape of the headboard from wood.  A headboard template is provided as part of the article.  Credits go to Grace Bonney at www.designsponge.com for this DIY project.

Still sewing...

When I sew, I love it best; when I knit it is my favorite thing to do.  Right now I'm sewing.  Fabric stash is out; pattern boxes are on the counter.  So far...one sleeveless top completed, one dress in the making.  Visit www.mysewingbasket.blogspot.com to follow Christine's most current sewing projects.  Right now, I have it in mind to make a variety of stylish dresses, using knit fabric; one in progress, more to come.

Time for Sewing

Visit www.mysewingbasket.blogspot.com to see Christine's most recent sewing projects; a skirt, a dress, about Paris Chic styling.  Still thinkin' on how to consolidate my blogs; keep it to only one or keep separate as they are (I have three which are linked together but separate nonetheless).

Socks for Kiana Paz

Kiana's Socks

I've been working on these socks for Kiana using a Magic Loop pattern.  My BFF Kathy G. and I took a sock-knitting class a couple of years back and this is the pattern we were given for that class.  The socks are knit on a circular needle where both socks are knitted on a big loop continuously, one after the other.  The end result?  Both socks are finished at the same time.  Following the pattern instructions without a teacher to guide your every step is tedious at first; however, her instruction sheet is clear enough and I was able to work through the confusing parts.  See?  Kiana's socks are nearly done, then I'll start on Kristen's.  Kiana and Kristen, our nieces from New Mexico, chose their colors from a big bag of sock yarn from my stash when they came to visit during last Christmas/New Year.  These will be Christmas gifts, I think.  As for the dusty purple knitted handbag that I showcased in an earlier blog, the knitting is complete and now all I have to do is sew it together.  I'll post pictures when it's all done.

About Those Tomatoes...

It's the end of tomato growing season at the Casita.  The very large grape-type tomato is of the Juliet variety and provided a bountiful harvest.  I have read that the Juliet is somewhere between a plum tomato and the smaller grape tomato; meaty, excellent flavor, keeps well for a long time after picking.  The other tomatoes pictured are Brandywines, picked from my garden; See them ripening?  These Brandywines are almost ready.  I only grew one plant of each kind so there would not be an overload of tomatoes to deal with; I had only enough to do small batches of this and that.  From the Juliet I put up a Spicy Tomato Jam as well as making oven-dried herbed tomatoes packed in olive oil.  We also roasted the Juliets, skewered shishkebob-style, on the BBQ.  Mmmm good!  I'll definitely look to grow the Juliets again next season.  The Brandywines ended up in a Beef Tomato dish, using my alltime favorite recipe from Madame Wu's Chinese Cookbook.   Also cooked up some Fried Green Tomatoes for dipping in Ranch dressing.  The Brandywines were delicious in sandwiches, too; I fixed mine very simple; sliced tomato w/a little salt and pepper, bacon and mayo on toasted bread.  This is truly a yummy tomato but it is an heirloom variety and therefore subject to the persnickety variances that are the hallmark of old-fashioned tomatoes.  So there you go; my homegrown tomato season is coming to a close.  I'll be thinking and planning for next year's bounty.

Know what you love...

A person will dedicate a good chunk of time and money to those things closest to his/her heart or things he/she loves to do.  Think about it.  I know my passion.  Do you know yours?

Hobbit Shoes

In pursuit of cozy house slippers to wear, I sewed up a soft shoe from a free pattern I found on the internet; soft denim, calico lining, applique flower and covered button to match.  It is adorable I think, but not a good fit.  Never give up says me!  So I tried another pattern "Oma's Slippers," a crochet slipper which I think is very nice.  See the result?  I have made only one side of each of these...prototypes.  Result?  Another loose and goosey fit.  What's up?  Not to worry; simply size down the crochet needle, tighten the stitch and work it until proper fit is achieved.  I'll try again.  Friends and relatives beware; these could be gifts in the making.

Creativity Reigns

A chaotic blend of creativity reigns at the Casita.  Quilt sew quilt sew knit knit crochet embroider sew draw/paint carve gourds quilt sew sew read read read quilt sew sew quilt embroider; research research research; hunt down patterns; hunt down recipes; put up preserves bake bake cook; grow tomatoes grow herbs; blog a bit; draw a bit; paint a little; Netflix documentaries and PBS series.  Out of all of this comes bits and pieces of artwork complete.  There is no schedule; this then is creative chaos; I think my sis thinks I am crazy.  I think I am.  It is my most recent goal to quiet the mind and continue with what I do.  Today and for two days past I am knitting a purse in a lovely cable pattern; the color...dusty purple.  It will be done soon.   

Adventures of Henry the Yorkie Pup

Then and now!  Henry was only 12 weeks old when he came to live at the Casita.  See his puppy picture?   Henry has turned out nicely but I remind him from time to time, "Handsome is as handsome does."   Sometimes I call him Mister Dog because he is independent of spirit.  Henry loves to rummage through his doggie toy box to find squeaky toys with which to make a merry sound...eee-eee-EEee!! Henry has a big, big backyard to explore.  His favorite haunt we call Weinie Dog Hill, at the far corner of the property where the fences meet.  If he kneels down he can peek through the bit of chicken wire at the bottom of the fence to view the other side.  His mission?  To see doggie neighbors peeking back, for there are two little Daschunds that live there.  It is a sight to see Henry hopping and skipping backward down the slope of little Weinie Dog Hill in shock and surprise.  How in the world can there be little round eyes looking back at him?