On the First Day of Spring

I want to paint a picture

Botticelli style

Instead of Venus on a clam

I'd paint this flower child

"You are the air my flowers breathe,"

He calls, and the ladies turn around

On the first day of Spring

I'm looking at the only joy around

--- Joni Mitchell, The Only Joy in Town

Well, we made it through. The season changes at 11:32 this morning, my time, and it feels like we've been through a major challenge. I always have a hard time with winter, and this one was long and trying. I hope spring arrives for you with whatever joy happens to be around. 

I'll be overjoyed if any kind of health care reform passes tomorrow. I'm on pins and needles. And I think people who oppose health care reform -- and indeed, oppose a public option -- are domestic terrorists. There. I said it. And ignorant: see The Tea Party & The Circus: Final Healthcare Reform Protest. You will laugh and cry for America.

edited to add: I also think it's obscene and sad that our only hope for any kind of reform will probably come at the expense of women's right to choose and right to privacy.

A few lovely textile links for you:

• I love Christine Mauersberger's blog. She seeks out interesting and beautiful art and craft of all kinds, and is a wonderful textile artist herself.
• There is an absolutely spectacular gallery of traditional and contemporary Japanese sashiko textiles here. Download the excellent backgrounder PDF also.
• Maryam at My Marrakesh has beautiful images of traditional crewel stitching in Kashmir.

And, oh yes, I have my new camera (except I bought local and, hmm, paid a lot more). Here are some random samples, mostly shot on the automatic function. The color tilts slightly warm, and I haven't yet figured out how to correct that in the shot.

Here is a photograph of the floor of a Japanese restaurant I was in last week:

And books on the shelf:

 

Fabrics on the floor:

And the peace mandala, almost complete:

 

Back at the book shop, I'm finally seeing completion of some of the books I began to work on as an editor when I started the job last June. I especially love Ann Budd's Knitting Green, available soon (Ann does her own excellent editing but I was able to offer some assistance on the essays), and Jane Dunnewold's Art Cloth, which is just going to press and will be available in a few months.

That's all for now. Enjoy the first day of spring!

Comments

[jessica]

Dear Elaine,

I discovered your blog and am thoroughly enjoying it!
I got to the post where you had thought about not continuing the blog and a wonderful comment arrived that changed your mind! What an important moment for us all!
I’m just learning about Slow Cloth. I admit that I thought it
was a project at first, being attracted to the expression of the artist.
As I read more, along with your encouragement, I’m understanding
the concept.
What a beautiful celebration of community this brings.
- I was reminded that at one time I was interested in fabric weaving when the talk of book collections came up within the Slow Cloth group.
- Someone brought up another topic which lent itself to a beautiful quote.
- I applaud the process shared, whether it be a Blog , book or magazine!

There’s really no end to Slow Cloth! I can only see the movement growing as more and more people say, “that’s me” or “that’s how I approach my work”!

[Kari of Writing Up A Storm]

Bless you for voicing your hopes and prayers for health reform. I hope that those who wish, for some partisan-only reason, to oppose everything that Obama is trying to do for our country will not be allowed to succeed. When I read the comments by your Canadian and British readers, I feel even more appalled that our country is so far behind in healthcare reform. I watched the YouTube video from Dee Mallon above, and it is beyond sad that none of these protesters knows what is in the bill!

Your mandala is exquisite. I found you through Mendofleur. I love your honest, forthright voice. Happy Spring to you!! xo Kari

[Dee Mallon]

Hi Lainie,
I was shocked and amazed at the passage of health care reform bill, which we now hear will be challenged as 'unconstitutional'... it is hard to understand why people are going to such extremes, and that there seems to be a dearth of moral outrage about being the only First World country with such crap health care... (actually, as someone with a law degree, I think the constitutional challenge might be interesting -- ). I HATE the way the Republicans seem to have no platform but obstruction these days, and the Tea Party folk just scare the shit out of me. I mean, truly. Anyway, I insert a link here, from a dollmaking guy with a sense of humor -- it is one of the funniest jabs at Palin I've ever read (although he stole it from someone else -- with attribution):
http://cynjonnoah.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-02-14T10%3A17%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=7

Oh, and I like the idea of wishing your readers well by hoping they find "whatever joy is around"...

[judy martin]

Thanks for the links, Elaine.
I'm looking forward to Jane Dunnewold's new book. Happy spring.

[Morna Crites-Moore]

Thanks for the links ... I love Christine's blog, would not have found it without you.

[Jane]

We moan quite a lot about the National Health service here in the UK but really we are very lucky not to have to worry about getting care if we are ill.
As for a womans right to choose, I simply do not understand this. It is just not an issue in UK politics, no one would even think about suggesting it was anyones choice but our own.
I do hope something good comes of all this and hope that common sense prevails.

[Heather]

Beautiful mandala.

My sincere sympathies on the health care vote. We are SO fortunate in Canada.

[Lainie]

Whats amazing, as a friend of mine said, is that the people voting against it probably have friends and relatives who are deeply affected by the health care mess. They are unconscionable. And the bill does so little, compared to what we really need -- yet theyre so entrenched in making Obama fail. Anyway. Obamas speech to the Democratic Caucus today was pretty incredible. I am hopeful.
And yes, the Joni song! hadnt listened to it in ages. A great album.

[Jane]

One of my favorite Joni Mitchell lyrics. thanks for taking me there. And Yes, let's raise collective windhorse for the health care passage.

[bobbi]

I couldn't agree more...and have my fingers crossed as well (and I called my state rep. and urged him to pass the bill), so we will see.