to be : and a bit of roll-up-and-dye

somehow one year has rolled into another

it seems timely to look at what lies ahead

and to try and think about living a better life.

not that my life is bad, far from it...i just happen to think that it should get better with each passing year

and by better

i don't necessarily mean financially [although it's pleasant to have "enough"]

my hope [ambition is too strong a word for me] is to do and be the best i can each day

so that when it comes time to lay my head on my pillow [that my grandmother made for me fifty years ago*] at night

i can feel comfortable about how the day rolled out

making New Year's resolutions hasn't worked well in the past and i think it's likely because they seemed to be quite negative

"i will not...."

"i will give up...."

this year i'm proposing a more joyful approach

some of which began when i returned home from my recent visit to the US.

i arrived on my birthday and decided to mark the occasion by taking up running again.

well, more of a fast shuffle

but i'm pleased to say i've only missed three days [on which i substituted a walk]

so this year i hope to

be kinder

be healthier

play more

listen more deeply

and find more space

that seems a nice list to be working on.

here's another person who makes nice lists

[i wanted to embed the video but it wasn't cooperating, just click on the coloured words to be inspired]

and in the interests of kindliness i thought i'd share a recent playtime with y'all

my friend Lindy had sent me this lovely linen shirt

i've worn it quite a lot [because i love dust colours] but decided to celebrate my return home

by wandering about the farm and seeing it with fresh eyes

and taking the shirt out to one of the dams, where there is much to play with

i tossed on whatever was within reach

laid a dogspike at the cuff of each sleeve

and rolled inwards

then i rolled from tail to top

and needed a foot as well as a hand [because the other hand had the camera]

a lovely tight bundle

the beautiful trunk of Corymbia citriodora

leaves and bark from the tree above, crumbled into my yabby pot

after boiling [there was a bit more old iron involved to get that black]

i wanted to leave the bundle for longer

to take advantage of the alchemy of archaeology

but it was way too big for a jar

i guess i could have tossed it into the dam

 tied to a long piece of string

but somehow it didn't feel right

so

it's sitting at the bottom of the studio "sink" instead

[water is delivered to my workspace from a tank outside]

which is a beautiful blue bowl

 

as long as i keep that topped up

- which mostly happens as i'm filling other vessels -

that shirt should be ok for a while

dreaming that it is at the bottom of some deep, far off lake

it won't be coming out for a while yet

but

be sure i'll post pics when it does

it will be very slow[dyed]cloth[ing]

Happy New Year.

* yes it is getting a bit lumpy but i love it very much.