Sunday, October 18, 2015

Oreo's Memorial Stone



Today, I got her name, Oreo painted on her memorial stone.

                                          Oreo
                                          Beloved Kitty of Mary Lee, Bob & Amaliya
                                          July 1995 - July 24, 2015





The stone had been place on July 24, 2015 and I'd written out what I wanted to paint on the stone.  It was the right day to paint all of it on the stone today.












The stone surface was irregular and the painted letters look child like.  It makes me happy to have painted it in her honor.  She was such a special cat.






Her grave is located on the east side of our house.  Many cats in the neighborhood come around and pay their respects.





 
May you rest in peace, my dear kitty girl, Oreo.  You're good energy is around us always.



 

Friday, October 16, 2015

Autumn Light




The leaves are just turning in our beautiful Winona area.  I was on campus at Winona State University  last evening and the light shining on half of the Performing Arts Center was quite amazing.




















This Poem Belongs To You

This poem
    belongs to you
        and is already finished,

it was begun years ago
         and I put it away

knowing it would come 
     into the world
       in its own time.

In fact
you have already read it,
     and closing the pages of the book,

you are now abandoning the projects
  of the day and putting on
    your shoes and coat
         to take a walk.

It has been long years 
   since you felt like this.

You have remembered 
  what I remembered 
     when I first began to write.

David Whyte

from The House of Belonging
        Poems by David Whyte


Let's meditate for a moment on all the good in life.  I wish you peace on this day.




Thursday, August 6, 2015

Once A Day




 Michael Franti and Spearhead

Once A Day’ is about unexpected moments in life. Some days we have unexpectedly beautiful moments and others that are unexpectedly challenging. Last year I had a really challenging moment when my son was diagnosed with a kidney disease called FSGS (Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis). We thought it would break our family apart, but moving through the initial tears, made us realize life is precious and that we need to hug, kiss and be close to each other every day and through that we could ‘rise up’ and face his illness together. I hope that Once A Day brings inspiration to anyone in this world who is going through challenging times. Through music, dance and gratitude for this life we can all ‘Rise Up’!”

#OnceADayTour #LoveNow #RiseUpMusic video by Michael Franti & Spearhead performing Once A Day. (C) 2015 Boo Boo Wax, under exclusive license to Concord Music Group, Inc

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Memories of Oreo




















Our little old Oreo sleeping on one of her favorite pillows, made for us by Margie Donndelinger.  Oreo had good taste.  2015




























She found her way into a wrapped up quilt--a present for Amaliya, our daughter.  She liked all the coziest of places.  2001



















Oreo liked to sit on a quilt that I was working on.  This is the cutting table; she relaxing on a quilt with other tools and materials all around her.  


























 Amaliya giving Oreo some love.  1999



























As a younger kitty, she was very curious about water.  Or maybe she wanted to give Amaliya support in getting her Halloween makeup on just right.




































































Oreo helping Amaliya with a wrapping project. 
































Bob, Amaliya, Oreo, Mary Lee hanging out.  2000










































Oreo, rest in peace our dear little kitty.  We love you so very much.

July 4, 1995- July 24, 2015.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Oreo, Our Cat Who Lived a Very Fine Life



July 4, 1995 – July 24, 2015 

























Our dear kitty girl, Oreo left this world on Friday, July 24, 2015.  She had some fine adventures and travels.  Today, to celebrate her life, I’m sharing a few pictures and stories.  As I look at the pictures, I shed another tear.  She was a dear member of our family—for Amaliya, my daughter and I; then Bob came into our lives and Oreo came into his life.  We all loved Oreo very much.  Amaliya grew up and moved to make a home; Oreo stayed living with Bob and I.


















Oreo is sun bathing on a winter day on the cat tree that Bob built for her. 























































She is cozy in the bed covers.



























 She kept track of the goings on in the neighborhood.  Here she looks out the window in my lower level studio of our house.





















Bob and I loved Oreo so.

















 She had some favorite napping spots.



    
























A guitar case was a very good spot of a nap.









































 Bob's lap and chest were the best spot to get comfortable.
























They liked to send me messages!  I liked it too!  They were cheering me on with my graduate studies.




















Oreo loved to dive into wrapping paper when she was young.





















Bob and I have gone on some adventures and Oreo would appear along on our annual Holiday card.  More of Oreo antics to come.  These photos are from 2008-2012. 







Thursday, July 23, 2015

Season 10 Great River Shakespeare Festival Quilt




Ideas and plans to create the Season 10 Great River Shakespeare Festival Quilt began in February 2013. Seven local artists, artisans, stitchers, and sewers, Dee Cipov, Connie Larson, Mary Kaser,  Kathy Seifert, Mary Alice Anderson, Margaret Kiihne, Mary Lee Eischen and Rob Thomas  came together around a large dining room table at Margaret and Ray Kiihne’s home.  This is a simple story of the quilt coming together.  There were many hours of work, gathering together, discussion, laughter, and time that went into this quilt.  

           Margaret Kiihne and Dee Cipov

                     Connie Larson, Ray Kiihne and Dee Cipov


Three additional artists Jeanne Oost, John Baird, and Zachery Wagner agreed to create blocks for the Season 10 Quilt.  


 

                               Jeanne Oost and Zachery Wagner

                                   John Baird


People came forward with design ideas: Kathy Seifert, Connie Larson, and Jeanne Oost.  After much discussion, a design was chosen that would include a center medallion and 10 blocks measuring 9.5” finished squares to surround the center.   Sashing strips would be added around the blocks.  It was decided to create a queen sized quilt.  Guidelines and parameters were considered for balance, design, and artistic beauty.

                  Dee Cipov, Kathy Seifert,and Mary Kaser
                Photo credit Rob Thomas

Photo credit Rob Thomas

   Mary Alice Anderson, Mary Lee Eischen, and Margaret Kiihne
   Photo credit Rob Thomas


The artists who lived at a distance were sent costume fabrics from the previous season’s plays and invited to create a block. The discussion was involved.  Some of the discussion happened via e-mail and telephone.




              Connie Larson, Dee Cipov, Kathy Seifert, and Mary Kaser
            Photo credit Rob Thomas

       Stitching the final binding  Photo credit Rob Thomas


 A design decision was made to use solid colored cottons as sashing around the blocks and as part of the border. Kathy Seifert and I agreed to take swatches of the blocks fabrics and find solid colored fabrics to compliment the costume fabrics used in the blocks. 


 



Many discussions about the center medallion happened.  It was suggested that we create a rosemary plant image to honor Rosemary Ingham, the costume designer and co-founder of the Great River Shakespeare Festival.  She graced the Great River Shakespeare Festival with her talent until her death in 2008.  I agreed to work on the rosemary design alongside Kathy Seifert.   I created the drawing.  Kathy provided the expertise about the applique technique.  Over one weekend, we put it all together.  Then the rest of the quilt could be assembled.  
















                                          
                                     
                                  Kathy Seifert 

  






















                      
                    
                  Rob Thomas



























Season 10 Great River Shakespeare Festival Quilt 2013 
86" x 96"


Raffle tickets cost $5.00 for the chance to win the Season 10 GRSF Quilt.  They are available at the downtown box office or from any of the makers.  Drawing for the quilt is happening at the Callithump, July 30th, 2013 at the Performing Arts Center on the Winona State University Campus. 

Learn about all the events of the Great River Shakespeare Festival such as plays, free concerts on the green before the plays and more.

Thank you to Rob Thomas for taking group stitching photos on the day of the finish binding. All other photos on this blog post were taken by Mary Lee Eischen.

See you this summer around the festival.







 

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