Update

Well, June has been a whirlwind of a month! We arrived home from the wedding, went to a Boston Pops concert (which was great), helped with the decorating for our church's 200th anniversary (First Baptist Church of Plymouth, MA), hosted friends from Sweden for 6 days, and hosted my weaver's guild picnic in the back yard. Whew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm tired writing about it! But it was fun!!!!!

However we had a slight disaster in the middle of it all. My bookshelves in my office fell off the wall! Yes that's right. They fell off the wall! We had been out to the church's anniversary celebration (thank goodness I wasn't home or at my computer) and when I came home and went into my studio, the books and cases where everywhere except where they should be!!!!!!!! What a mess! Books were all over the floor and the bookcases were precariously sitting on top of my flattened monitor and desk! My monitor was damaged along with several other office items. Fortunately the computer itself was safe. Of course the only book that was damaged was the most expensive one, "Memory on Cloth" by Yoshiko Wada, which she had signed!

(At this point we had dismantled the bookcases and picked up some of the books. Believe me it looked much worse!)

Set backs are hard to rise above! It has been a struggle to get the business going again since moving to New England. This year has been difficult. The loss of a whole box of my inventory along with the loss of sales due to a bad economy have been hard enough. Now the damage to the studio which home owner's insurance will not pay is sometimes more than I can deal with at one time.

It does make me question what to do next. It does make me question if I am doing the right thing. It does make me question the work that I produce. I know this is my artist insecurity speaking and I sometimes feel like Scarlet O'Hara when she said, "I'll think about that tomorrow!". But, since this work is so much a part of me, I must also like Scarlet build again and "never be artless again no matter what"! (I took a little free license with Scarlet's words but the meaning is the same)

So the beginning and building process starts all over again. Stay tuned for the rising!!!!!!

Wedding

I just got back 2 days ago from Florida where my son was married. What a beautiful wedding! My husband and I had a great time meeting our new in-laws, entertaining the wedding party and guests at the rehearsal dinner and of course at the wedding and reception. We danced the night away. It was a great celebration!!!!!!

The wedding was held in beautiful Siesta Key Chapel. Our family has many connections with this church as it was the place where my husband's parents became members after moving to Florida. Their remains are buried in the cremation garden at the chapel. Their spirit was very present and I'm sure they were looking on.

I also, several years ago, was commissioned to weave the alter cloth for the chapel. It is a simple white linen and cotton fabric woven in a bird's eye twill. The pattern repeats the window and cross at the front of the chapel.

Ben and Erin have since joined that church, so the family connection will continue.

Dancing with my husband, Jeff.

Dancing with my son, Chris, the best man.

Dancing with my son, Ben, the groom.

Yes I had tears in my eyes but not for long as it was so obvious that these two were so much in love. They were both beaming through the ceremony! They experienced some hard times when Ben's fiance had a very bad car accident. She miraculously did not suffer serious injury but did need surgery on her knee ligaments which required a long recovery period and a lot of help. It was a true test of their caring and patience with each other. When the minister said the words, through sickness and health, she commented on their journey through the rough times and their love through it all.

We feel so blessed to have added a daughter to our family. She is a beautiful smart young woman and I am happy to finally have a girl to talk to!!!!!!!!!

So, here's to you Erin and Ben. And "may your days be good and long upon the earth!” (quote from a Navajo wedding blessing)

Mr and Mrs Benjamin William Jones