Wednesday, March 30, 2011

A little circus story

As she walked to the booth she was to work at the county fair that afternoon, she passed a trailer marked, "World's Tiniest Horse." To the immediate left of this trailer were balloons hanging and drawings of a marsh. In all capitol letters the title read "World's Largest Alligator."

Admission to each was one dollar. She thought maybe it was a bad idea for these two to be parked so close together, and that all the dollars they generated may not be worth the potential tragedy.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Hers is Tuesday; His is Wednesday

Tuesday is her favorite day of the week. Good news, happenings, conversations, surprises always seem to arrive on a Tuesday.

Wednesday is the case for him. His day is Wednesday.

She loves having different favorite days. It's good to have similarities, she believes, but it's a requirement that the best day of the week be different. That way, joy and and anticipation last longer, and hope extends.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Item of the Week


Happy Week to all. Pictured is the featured etsy storefront item. This week, anyone who purchases this handbag will receive this hat to match:






low. To purchase and receive this lovely set click here

Friday, March 25, 2011

Strangely Happy



While reading "The Invisible Bridge," and listening to a hard morning rain fall atop this room, I am reminded of "Great Expectations," perhaps my favorite classic novel.

"The Invisible Bridge," by Julie Orringer, is thick with character, sentence structure, foreign words, and anticipation, and I've not yet made it to page 50.

Enchanted, I look forward to going back to the story. So much so that I am confident in my premature recommendation. Go get it and delve in. Make sure the sky is grey and rain is falling when you crack the spine. This adds to the classic feel, I'm sure.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

where monkeys use manners

This morning has her thinking on that warm December day when she saw her first wild monkey.

His uncle waited patiently by the car as she walked around taking in the street, the rainforest, the small lake which reportedly had no bottom.

Walking back to the car, she watched a monkey climb down from one of the trees to the railing which boarderd the lake. He patiently sat next to the woman selling spices. Spice seller talked and laughed as monkey waited, just sitting there, until she handed him a banana. He stripped the fruit, ate, and handed her back the peeling.

This is the first morning the girl knew life on this island would insure her favorite sort of magic: the quiet and pure kind.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Perfect little alcove


On a day that required a certain amount of inspiration, I went looking in this small town. I came across a doorway, complete with a string of lights above an abandoned chair and table, set up just for me, bunny and Greta Pancake.



On a day that required a certain amount of inspiration, a chair, table and string of lights were set up on a quiet alleyway.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Yarn Bowls

Stories unravel like balls of yarn. Sometimes they roll out smooth and easy and sometimes, quite unpredictably, they knot up when we aren't paying attention, needing to be untangled before storyteller can go one step further.

The human spirit does this too -- impossible knots seem to arise when we aren't paying attention.

Stories and spirits need yarn bowls.

Happy Monday


Hello, hello and happy Spring to you!!!!!!

The item of the week is pictured above. To purchase, click here.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Bunnies for sale


When all the scarves get too clausterphobic, and the hats too tight, and the need for sun too desperate, nothing left to do but knit toys.

Inspired by, "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane," I set off with the goal of creating my own Edward. Now, I'm sharing.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Happy Thursday

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you ...

To celebrate this Thursday, any item purchased or special ordered on the etsy store front, a small green token of appreciation will be sent along ...

Happy shopping, happy greenness.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Assuredness comes calm and quiet

"No shadows, no doubts," she says to her lamp-lit bedroom before closing the book and wishing the sweetest of dreams.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Item of the Week

To celebrate the coming of spring, and all new adventures related to, I'm introducing my "Item of the Week" promotion on my etsy store. When the Item of the Week is purchased, a free gift from Purl Through the Back Loop is sent along with it.
Below is the featured item of the week -- a hat to celebrate the promise of sun soon to come.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Knitting in Grenada

Just like that the sky twisted from sun to rain and back out again. They grey never stays long enough to wreak havoc and dull the spirit, and that is just one of the happy little secrets of this tiny place.

That, and how the weather will tie itself in knots, and loosen them all on its own.

Knitting is a natural hobby for such a locale. The activity is related to the weather.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Shopping

Looking for something to do this Saturday afternoon? Go shopping: (click on grey words below to enter store.)

Circus flowers make all happy!



And remember, purchases made in this store get this love-sick pilgrim closer to the island life ...

Friday, March 11, 2011

Distance.

My most favorite people, my closest connections, live hundreds, some thousands, of miles away from me.

This brings about a natural state of loneliness. Interestingly enough, however, the distance often doesn't matter. The connection still there, the tenderness still felt.

I think it took me a bit too long to learn this. Let's just be thankful I finally did.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Where the Sidewalk Ends

There are little spots of beauty and quirk here in this tiny town, and while the grey sky and small population can make one feel a bit clausterphobic, I do love the sporatic sidewalks. Sometimes, for a house length or two, one is walking on a moss-covered, cracked and un-even sidewalk. Then, quite magically and like a Shel Silverstein poem, the concrete path ends, and grass or road ensues. And even though the town is only five blocks long by two main-streets wide, the side walk ends a total of six times.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Open for business

Hello all you lovely ones --

My etsy store is happily open for business. Unfortunately, I made a few errors along the opening-storefront-way, which apparently cannot be fixed, such as the name.

I titled the store Purl Through the Back Loop, in conjunction with this blog project, but the name is actually girlwithsheepdog, like my email and facebook, and other projects.

So, click here, have a look around, do a little shopping if you so desire.

Thanks for strolling by ...

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Second-guessing

Second-guessing is what will throw you on a typing test, not your ability or talent for speedy hands at a keyboard. Nope. Second-guessing is the biggest hurdle.

This is true for everything. Ev. Ry. Thing.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Definitions

Still, and always, thinking of home. Is it a place, a location where we sit and sigh and say, "Ah, this feels good with lots of comfort and happiness?" Or is it a person, one we return to daily, yearly, weekly, and sigh and say, "Ah, you feel good with lots of comfort and happiness?" Or is it people -- friends, loved ones, random and surprisingly quick spirits we pick up along our way -- which make us sigh and say, "Ah, this feels good to talk to you, giving me lots of comfort and happiness?"

Could it be all three, and we don't feel complete until the three abovementioned home-factors meld? However, that may be too much to ask for -- a perfect blend of space, love, and support system? Or, do we most likely have it and are so busy searching for home and our various definitions of it, that we ignore abovementioned?

Big storm last night. The kind where rain falls so hard and with such fury I feel sorry for the roof as that pounding must hurt. It's also this sort of storm that aids in thoughts and dreams--erasing some, creating others. And while I hate winter, really really hate it, and even though I feel terribly uncomfortable in the place I currently reside, I do love the sound of crashing water, even if it's coming from the sky. For the storm duration, I felt comfort and happiness and ease and thought, Ah, this feels good.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Note to self

When all else, fails, create something pretty:

(Okay, not that anything is failing, but sometimes, we must remember the things we create.)

(Also, this item will be in my etsy store, for all of those wanting the ruffle-Anthropologie-inspired scarf. This will be the only one for a long while.)