A chilly Friday and Saturday

Last night Kate and I went to Elena's two-week belated 14th birthday party--a barn sleepover with twelve of her friends from St. Mary's Hall. When we arrived with two chocolate sheet cakes, one of the girls said, 'I like y'all's faces, they are so cute!"  Who expects that--at our age--from a 14 year old?

They were lovely, the whole group of them.  Will and Bonnie had assembled enough beds for them all in the barn and a big movie screen, but we left just as it was getting dark, so we didn't get to see the movie Will had made about Elena's first fourteen years.  They all took turns riding horses, with Bonnie leading the novice riders.  They sent us home with frozen brisket from the party that they didn't have two weeks ago due to Elena's being sick, and it was just an all-round wonderful celebration.

Today I went to two thrift stores looking for leather purses and jackets to cut up and make books with.  I found a beautiful maroon-colored bag for my first leather book and several name-brand men's cotton shirts also destined for book covers--just before my chariot turned into a pumpkin as it does every day around noon. 

Music by Mandy Patinkin

For years, Mandy Patinkin has sung "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," but this rendition at the inaugural of Mamdani takes the cake!  He's now a white-bearded Patinkin, his best look ever, and looks like a genuine mensch. 

Mandy Patinkin at Mamdani's inaugural

"The Guest House" in a Tiny Book.

It's been a week of getting rid of mold in my house.  Given that my attic has a very tiny crawl space and the pipes up there were probably approaching the age of the house (77 years), it was a tedious and hot and messy project for my workers, but it's done.

I'm very sensitive to mold, and already  I'm feeling some relief.  I slept in the casita while the work was being done to avoid breathing in those nasty spores, and I also bought a couple of air purifiers.

Meanwhile, my floors are all covered with curls of paper and snippets from pages I'm using to make a whole different kind of book, following the directions from last month's "Book of the Month" in the Handmade Book Club.

The first step is buying one of those board books written for small children, and peeling off all the shiny paper--which is very satisfying.

Collage papers are glued to each page.  I went for neutrals, old book pages and sheet music, dress pattern tissues and tea- and coffee-dyed papers. 

The next step is to type or write a poem.  I chose Rumi's "The Guest House," printing the lines in chunks to fit the pages.  Here's the poem:

The Guest House

Every morning a new arrival, 

A joy, a depression, a meanness, 

Some momentary awareness comes

As an unexpected visitor. 

Welcome and entertain them all,

Even if they are a crowd of sorrows 

Who violently sweep your house empty of all its furniture.

Still, treat each guest honorably. 

He may be clearning you out for some new delight. 

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

Meet them at the door laughing and invite them in. 

Be grateful for whoever comes

Because each has been sent as a guide from above. 

One day, when it's lighter than it is right now, I'll post a photo or two of the finished book.  I am finding it such a satisfying project that I have five of them going.  

A Brand New Year Has Begun--welcome 2026!

70 degrees after a few chilly days, this has been a good day!

I've found a wonderful team of handymen who have accomplished almost everything on my list this week.  Four guys and two of their wives (haven't met the wives yet, but one is a painter, the other a house cleaner and artist) seem prepared to keep me in this house for the long haul.  Sometimes home ownership, especially of old houses, can seem overwhelming, but with trustworthy competent helpers, it's starting to feel less so.

I rarely go to a mall, but Luci accompanied me to North Star Mall and Museum today.  I wanted to take a class at the Apple Store and she wanted to sniff every rock and weed surrounding it.   She also got tons of attention and countless hugs and pats, so she's a happy girl.

Made banana bread this morning, and am just now starting a big pot of bolognese sauce and finishing a tiny book I'm making featuring "The Guest House" by Rumi.  It feels really good to get back to some making!  

The old year turned into the new one without my witnessing it--as I fell asleep after watching the excellent movie, Goodbye June, starring Helen Mirren. 

My intention for 2026 is to witness and observe more, to play more, and to create more.  My bird feeder is hosting all my usual gold finches along with their many friends and neighbors.  

We have a neighborhood fox, a family of skunks, a raccoon or two, and who knows what else in our peaceable little wildlife kingdom.  

Happy 2026 to you all!