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.
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