it is 10:00 pm...I don't think I will make it to 2010 at midnight

I have finished the christening gown so that is ready to do to the big mass....four cousins baptized in the same mass. A big day for the Catholics! Then we are off for a family food feast at Hoggy's with all the in-laws and cousins. Little Morgan will have a dress like her Mother's wedding dress ...simple and fluid lines cut on the bias. Slippery little bugger to sew on the sewing machine and with invisible hand stitches. I do so hope Erin Elizabeth will love this simple little dress made from her wedding dress...just like my own mother did for my christening over 60 years ago. I could almost feel my mother's spirit watching over me as I angst over making a possible snag in the pristine shiny white fabrics. I miss you Mom... as I prepare for familial rituals repeating themselves into the present moment. You gave me so much and I feel that I did not tell you enough how much I appreciated your generous gifts often given in silence.

The weather is hitting the single digits tonight and black ice is the major threat for our roadways. New Year's Eve is always a gamble when you are on the road so I am grateful my children have invited friends in for the night to embrace 2010's glorious arrival. Tonight's Blue Moon is full and reflects the promises of the upcoming years events for our family. I have been quiet remembering the people who have gone before me this year. Time is rushing by and losses seem to be more frequent... my mortality is becoming more apparent to me. "Living at risk is jumping off a cliff and building your wings on the way down." Ray Bradbury Seth Apter introduced me to this quote and his visual interpretation at The Altered Page Blog. This quote has stayed with me all day as I put the art supplies I have been using in an almost prayerful approach to organization. I really love holding my art supplies and selecting each with a child's abandonment ...not really thinking too much but just jumping off the starting point! I hope to live my New Year taking more risks with each day's gift.

I am back to the quilting stitches ..a chain stitch that is almost meditative when I am totally engrossed with the silent movements complete with the luscious loose threads I love to leave on the back of my quilted pieces. This is a broken rule for all American quilters and would never pass their judgment processes. Kath Walker's face is becoming visible to me and hopefully to others ...I do not sketch the individual face but rather intuitively feel her speaking to to and giving me permission to relate her story and her strong beliefs for equality for all indigenous peoples.

Have a safe and Blessed New Year and may we all discover and nourish continued good health...well at least a balanced living in good health. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart