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almost Everything

001
these are Desert Willow seeds.  each tree makes Many pods.  each pod contains Many of these seeds.  there are probably zillions out there.  a few will find the perfect condition to take root.

002
this morning,  Jude  placed things.  the cloths hold them.  i had been up during the night looking at this.  the stone is from Lake Superior in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan, 1987.

[ the Spiral is Valerianna's work…Raven Wood Forest      the small woven piece is Jude's ]

i have reached a point on the Diaries Cloth where everything i "know" is in place.  for a couple days, there seemed to be a standstill of some kind.  this morning i knew that from this point on, there is no need to know anything.  just stitch.  however it goes. 

003

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32 responses to “almost Everything”

  1. Eva Ucgatwork Avatar
    Eva Ucgatwork

    Grace, that photo is wonderful! Did you draw the ring in the background?
    You composed an interesting still-life: a bird, a stone, butterfly, Buddha, a beautifully woven basket, some seeds (what’s the tree’s name??)…and a work of your own. Great!
    “Things/items” that (for an outsider) seem to be of importance to you. You captured an essence…
    The little seeds in your hand do look like tiny eyes…
    I really love your work and your profound thoughts.
    Time to go to bed,
    have a great evening,
    eva

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  2. saskia Avatar
    saskia

    indeed, just stitch….just do..just breathe
    love your placing together

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  3. grace Forrest Maestas Avatar
    grace Forrest Maestas

    Eva…i fixed the Credits…the Spiral is one of
    Valerianna’s. it’s Jude’s little weaving. the pods
    are from the Locust tree. the little crow fetish is
    from the Bosque del Apache Visitors Center south of
    here. i need to get the name of the person who makes
    them.
    Cindy tried to teach me to do links and it’s clear
    that i didn’t get it. oh well.
    and the only profound thing here is what i am looking at.
    it’s part of my meditation altar. should say that too.

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  4. grace Forrest Maestas Avatar
    grace Forrest Maestas

    indeed!
    sometimes it changes. this has held place for quite a
    while now. gets moved around, but stays.

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  5. KaiteM. Avatar
    KaiteM.

    what’s that in the far background grace? it looks like a rock wall but maybe it’s cloth

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  6. grace Forrest~Maestas Avatar
    grace Forrest~Maestas

    it’s a piece of slate…just sits on the shelf, leans against the
    wall. it’s beautiful. i wish it was a rock wall. or that i
    lived in a slate cave, even better

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  7. jude Avatar
    jude

    those seeds are almost funny!
    i an glad you are where you are.

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  8. Valerianna Avatar
    Valerianna

    Wonderful to see a bit of my world in yours – in the midst of your siteline. I love the peacefulnes of the buddha head and the wind-like gesture of the pods. Looks like a serpent on its way into the center of my spiral, too! Sometimes its just make, no thought, just watch oneself making… breathing in and out and making, breathing making, breathing making…

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  9. grace Forrest~Maestas Avatar
    grace Forrest~Maestas

    i wish i had an even better camera…they are REALLY
    funny, but oh so serious i guess too.?> seeds here
    have all kinds of tricks that help them in this ecosystem.
    and they are NOT the seeds i saw in town that are like
    your eyes…i will get some of those tomorrow.
    i’m not sure what you mean by where i am, but whether
    it’s here on this dirt or mindless stitching, i am glad
    too. and in general. i was very close to dangerously
    out of toilet paper, wine and coffee and was going to
    see if i could make it till tomorrow, but then…didn’t
    want to risk the coffee so zipped into town (bad planning)
    and had 5..i counted, 5 really good exchanges at the
    grocery store. really Good. AND there were perfectly
    ready plantain, purple pear and mango. who could ask for
    more?

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  10. grace Forrest~Maestas Avatar
    grace Forrest~Maestas

    i really wish i could get the link thing together. but
    oh well….
    It’s beautiful there, with those pods and all of it. it
    is very quiet but very “active” too. that little weaving
    of Jude’s…….so small, so really just a little weaving,
    but it “talks” about so much…has a conversation with
    the Spiral probably more than i know even
    i think this next part of the Cloth work is going to
    be really interesting

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  11. Valerianna Avatar
    Valerianna

    Yes, I see the conversation between Jude’s cloth and the spiral. I think they’re talking about
    FLOW
    One, the spiral, flows in and out in an endless spin, the other expands – in and out – under and over – infinitely. I never would have “heard” that conversation without you pointing it out…. and I’m sure that someone else might hear something very different.

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  12. grace Forrest~Maestas Avatar
    grace Forrest~Maestas

    YES…and i’m thinking, isn’t it just the best that
    someone else might hear something very different…
    and YES, but because of it being
    noticed
    That
    is the thing.
    to notice
    and to say it “out loud”.
    Big love,

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  13. Doris Avatar
    Doris

    I think the parts of your cloth are in conversation too and you can hear what they tell you – so there is no need to think about it. Just follow.
    It is a strong arrangement of strong things on your shelf, the effect is impressing.

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  14. Penny B Avatar
    Penny B

    A glorious collection of treasures.
    Btw…what does a desert willow look like when it’s grown up?

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  15. jude Avatar
    jude

    ha, i love your priorities.
    i suppose i meant all the Places you might be in at once.

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  16. Linda Avatar
    Linda

    the alter is beautiful. i love every piece places there.. especially the crow. i love crows.
    your stitching of the grass is so perfect.
    i think to sit and stitch without having to worry about what’s next is what makes it a meditation.

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  17. Eva Ucgatwork Avatar
    Eva Ucgatwork

    Hi Grace,
    sorry, but I insist:
    1. your thoughts are profound (most of the time)…not always, of course!
    2. the things/items your looking at are profound too!
    3. your cloth is beautiful
    4. best wishes,
    eva

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  18. Robyn Ayaz Avatar
    Robyn Ayaz

    Grace, your meditation altar is so beautiful! My whole life seems so cluttered when I look at something beautiful like this; somehow I have to find more space to breathe into, to be able to LIVE in! I guess I will get there one day, just keep working at it!

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  19. grace Forrest~Maestas Avatar
    grace Forrest~Maestas

    i love the shelf things. the basket that the “snake tree”
    pods are in is really wonderful…an odd shape. next time
    things need to get moved around, i’ll take a pic of the
    empty basket.
    there is trepidation to just going with the cloth stuff.
    but i am doing it. and as i am doing it, i realize that
    it is what’s going to teach me more at this point…doing
    stuff and seeing the result. i used some colors of thread
    and “daring” stitches yesterday and a little this morning
    (had to work all day) (like away work) and at this moment,
    i’m not at all sure that i like it. but will continue
    tomorrow and then hang it back on the wall to see from
    a little distance…..and my guess is that it will have
    been a good choice..??????

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  20. grace Forrest~Maestas Avatar
    grace Forrest~Maestas

    you could google it or
    wait another couple months when the Mother tree is all
    leafed out and beginning to bloom. there are some very
    OLD ones in town i should take pics of. really
    really GRAND old trees

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  21. grace Forrest~Maestas Avatar
    grace Forrest~Maestas

    yes. that’s why i love endless kantha. but at this
    point, it’s detail and choosing and placing small pieces
    that will matter. interesting point in the process.

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  22. grace Forrest~Maestas Avatar
    grace Forrest~Maestas

    oh, Eva…we have become good friends enough to
    argue.
    5. a lot of it just comes i think from living alone.
    xoxo

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  23. grace Forrest~Maestas Avatar
    grace Forrest~Maestas

    Robyn…clutter is just such and huge and really,
    wonderful thing. and to un clutter is too. i have
    just so recently taken a major step with uncluttering.
    and amazingly, don’t miss any of it. but this has a
    lot to do with clothmaking. it’s Enough. the first
    thing really, in my life, that’s Enough. i find that
    very interesting.

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  24. ali Avatar
    ali

    once again, you have inspired me to slow down and just be

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  25. Jennie Avatar
    Jennie

    everything we do is kantha-
    Jen.

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  26. grace Forrest~Maestas Avatar
    grace Forrest~Maestas

    i need more words, but if these are what’s given,
    then
    i love the thought. a lot.

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  27. grace Forrest~Maestas Avatar
    grace Forrest~Maestas

    i get lost from that every now and then and looking at
    these reminds me

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  28. Robyn Ayaz Avatar
    Robyn Ayaz

    Grace, it is becoming very important to me, more so every day. Sometimes I feel those threads are the only things that stop me sliding into …. well, somewhere I don’t want to be. Before my son came over we de=cluttered a LOT but now he has gone and disappeared to who knows where and for what reason. Such is life, I am determined to make this year the beginning of MY LIFE. Not at the expense of others but because I put away myself for too long. Sorry, I have run on too much. Just thanks, Grace.

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  29. grace Forrest~Maestas Avatar
    grace Forrest~Maestas

    dear Us All. isn’t it amazing how hard it is to say:
    I am going to DeClutter my space. I am going to Claim a
    Space, like any good and self respecting bird or dog or
    mouse does everyday. they all bite or poke their grown
    babies.
    and then to go even further and Claim the right to sew.
    not just curtains or dangling buttons, but Art. Claim
    the right to stitch something never seen before.
    it’s almost a kind of heresy. and after all these years
    of feminist thinking.
    “run on too much”…no…if you get me started on this
    you will see “run on too much”.
    thanks to you, for being Real

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  30. grace Forrest~Maestas Avatar
    grace Forrest~Maestas

    and i went back to making my star beads but thought….
    when i said all that above, i don’t even mean Claiming
    and Saying to any one else…just saying and claiming
    to our Self is such Work.

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  31. deb taylor Avatar
    deb taylor

    your second photo has drawn me into the computer screen.
    I would frame this shot.
    So lovely, full of spirited art and life.
    I want to climb right thru my screen

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  32. grace Forrest Maestas Avatar
    grace Forrest Maestas

    this is a compliment from a Photographer….
    but
    it’s what i was taking the photograph of….it all
    “dances” with itselves…..
    oooo…if i hear noises, i’ll come and help you through.

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