Keep Tibet in Mind

What if the President of the US announced that the Congress or the Constitution should now replace Jesus in the lives of all American Christians? Youmd think it was a comedy routine, or you'd be insulted, and probably furious. Most Americans take for granted they can have their religion AND the political system they believe in. Well, the new head of what has euphemistically been called The Tibet Autonomous Region. I think he believes it.

I know people who read this blog are not much interested in politics but do one simple thing, please -- to understand what's happening in the Asia. Click on this link which is a blog written by a wonderful man from New Jersey who happens to be a Buddhist monk who works in Mongolia. He writes his blog brilliantly. He quotes part of the long NY Times article that describes the above comment. Reading the article on the subway home today gave me a real stomach ache. He gives lots of links also, exploring them is fascinating. Konchung's [his Buddhist name] is a blog I always read even when he's off on a birding adventure.
I'm moving along with this little quilt, there's a real possibility I'll have it done tomorrow; I've just finished the hand quilting of double helices on either side of the central picture. I have more quilting to do, by machine, and then the finishing touches--a decisin whether I'm going to use some buttons to echo the round picture. Definitely there will be twine around the outer edges. I'm liking the knots in it a lot. And still wondering why I felt like giving those dour old grammas such pretty colors when I have plenty of grays and browns in my stash --guess I'm grateful for the mitochondrial DNA they passed on.

Moving Along/new little quilt

At last a couple of hours to get back to work on this little geneational art quilt, with luck I may be able to finish it by the end of Monday. I'm away for Cori's wedding this weekend -- I've mostly packed and as I work my mind goes over things I want to remember -the battery charger for my digital camera-etc. I've got mostly quilting yet to do. The top picture is a detail, the last three generations. Around the pictures I've couched with clear thread colored twine. In the next picture is the whole handful of the twine that I have been saving for some project.
I'm happy to have found a first use for this pretty twine. I was wandering alone in Ching Mai, Thailand one afternoon and went into a shop which I hoped would have some textiles. It had lots of attractive crafted items but nothing I felt calling my name. Then I noticed this twine - two foot lengths of it, hanging behind the cash register and asked if I could buy some. The proprietor was surprised, maybe shocked. It was simply what they used to tie up bundles of purchases. But like the smart merchant she was, she named a price, a small price, so I bought this twine. It will appear in future projects also I think I am going to finish this little piece with a pillowcase type backing and then will couch twine around the very outer edge. Back to work now.