FOUR WORD SELF HELP

FOUR WORD SELF HELP Simple Wisdom for Complex Lives. by Patti Digh

Author and blogger Patti Digh has created a sweet little book full of short pithy 4-word phrases of simple wisdom: "mean what you say" "stop counting, start including""get your fingernails dirty" and my fave (so far) "always assume positive intent."

I first met Patti--online--through her award winning blog 37 Days. I was soon hooked as her essays were both poetic and thoughtful, and here was someone who loved poetry as much as I did! Soon, I found myself checking her blog every morning to see if she had written something new and inspiring; next thing I knew I was commenting on her blog posts and soon we had an online conversation going.

Patti writes in her intro to this book that she "kept to her own 4 word advice" : 1. keep it very simple, 2. make them four words,  3. avoid the word don't, and 4. make each an action. Sounds simple, huh? but in reality...not so simple to write a book so simple with so much depth to it.

She addresses 12 issues in her book and has a thought provoking essay for each issue: Community, Love, Stress, Travel, Soul, Wellness, Success, Green, Activism, Children, Generosity, and Endings. In addition, each page of this book is wonderfully illustrated by readers of Patti's blog 37 Days.

I left this book out on the dining table for my housemates to read and soon would find one of them engrossed in the book---and all commented enthusiastically---they loved it! I suspect you will, also. (so, my advice to you: go out and buy it now!! at your local independent bookstore...) I plan to gift a few of these to special friends over the holidaze..."open doors for others"

They Danced for Us

Everywhere we went in Ghana in our bus---the people would gather around or come up to the windows and try to sell their goods to us. I was thankful for the bus because it had air conditioning--I do not do well in hot climates, so the respite the bus provided from the heat was welcome.

While in Mole--two young men from a village (Damongo) not to far away sought Shirley out---they were Muslim (Ghana is about 1/2 Christian and 1/2 Muslim---and is a good example of a country where all the religions co-exist peacefully) and knew the sister of one of the Homebase kids--as she had visited their village before while in Ghana.

These two young men attended college in another town---taking a long bus ride to go to school--but also had started a school in their village---and "took care of the village kids that needed extra care." We had brought some supplies for their school.

The young men invited us to come the next day and visit their village, and their school children would do a "small dance performance" for us. Here are some of the photos I took that day---

This Is Ibrahim--one of the young men who invited us, and he helps run the local school.

some of the the school children--all ready and waiting to dance

the drummers warming up

she's dancing!

After they finished the Homebase kids presented the supplies we brought, and shook the dancers hands....
Then they got inside the dancer's circle and performed an Alaskan native Yupik song for them...as we were leaving I heard some of the little kids from the village singing the song...(ah! music! the universal language!)

Here are some shots of the village and some villagers...






Their school needs and welcomes supplies--I plan to send them a few boxes of children's books in English---they are learning English. If you would like to contribute books or $$$ toward the postage--please e-mail me : aurora at morningstarbooks dot com and I will get right back to you! and bless you....

Art and Inspiration

How do you become inspired to create something? When I lived in the Alaskan bush, most of my inspiration came from the nature I was surrounded by. Now that I live in a city --- I am still inspired by nature and the urban environment which surrounds me--but I find myself turning more toward books, magazines, and the net for artistic inspiration.

So, to get my creative juices flowing--I just go through my books or get online and look at other's artwork...I love both Ravelry and Etsy for inspirational websites since they are so easily searchable.....and books...

For textile design, these 3 books area great place to start:



For knitting--I love knitting stitch dictionaries....(because I like trying out new stitches and knitting swatches):





And sometimes I just look out my windows at the blue sky and fleecy clouds....daydreaming is another way to motivate the muse within.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "I have a promiscuous muse. My muse wants to own every color, work in many media, and in numerous genre." --Mary Klotz

Holiday Gift Wish List : Books

Have they been naughty or nice? Some ideas for gifts for the Crafty Person in your life! (these are on my wish list;-)

Beyond-the-Square Crochet Motifs: 144 circles, hexagons, triangles, squares, and other unexpected shapes by Edie Eckman

Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines: Patterns, Stories, Pictures, True Confessions, Tricky Bits, Whole New Worlds, and Familiar Ones, Too by Kay Gardiner & Ann Shayne

The Knitter's Book of Yarn: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Using, and Enjoying Yarn by Clara Parkes






Knitting Through It: Inspiring Stories for Times of Trouble by Lela Nargi

and this very special yarn ---handspun and hand dyed--so lovely to knit with! from SPINCYCLE YARN --I first encountered this yarn made by some lovely young women from Bellingham, Wa @ the Bellingham Farmer's Market--and I fell in love with it at first sight--then I knit a hat from it and I was hooked!

and the colorways are beautiful--this is just one example---they have many to choose from--so do visit their website.

Soul Coaching

I am joining a " book-blogging" group--and today! the 1st of November--- is the first day.

The concept behind a book-blogging group is that a community of bloggers work their way through a book, sharing their experiences by posting on their own blog and by reading what other participants are sharing. You can choose to share as much or as little as you like. This book blogging group is hosted by Jamie at THE NEXT CHAPTER blog. (thanks Jamie!)

We're starting out with the book Soul Coaching 28 Days to Discover Your Authentic Self by Denise Linn.

I was attracted to this group and book because I am in the midst of a huge life transition--a friend recently told me that he thought transitions were just chaos--and since mid July that is how I feel most of my life has been--rather chaotic and messy.

Soul coaching "is a process that takes you to your spiritual source and helps you find meaning and sacredness in your everyday life." (and who could not use that?) "It allows you to take an honest look at yourself and your life, face fear, release old negative patterns, get motivated, and step boldly and joyfully into your future."

Now, I am aware that this life transition---although not from my own choice--was never-the-less caused partly by own action--or inaction; so the above concepts---taking an honest look at my life, releasing old negative patterns and so on--- seemed very appropriate for me at this time.

In three weeks I will be moving from Berkeley/Oakland California to Portland, Oregon. Of course, I am both excited and a bit apprehensive about this move. I guess I thought the process of being in an online book group and reading this book and doing the suggested activities would help to keep me grounded and aware while I pack, apartment hunt via the net, and move.

Am I ready for change? the honest answer: not really--but life thrust it upon me, and so I am endeavoring to go with it. A few days ago I set up a small alter in my room---I was unaware that the Soul Coaching author Linn would suggest doing this--I just felt the need to have one set up....synchronicity already?

"We can't control our destiny, but we can control who we become."---Ann Frank

Sketchbook Exchange (again)

KNITALONG! the book!

KNITALONG : CELEBRATING THE TRADITION OF KNITTING TOGETHER
by Larissa Brown & Martin John Brown

Imagine my delight and surprise when we received this lovely book at Mrs. Dalloway's (the bookstore where I work here in Berkeley), and found my name among the other knitters on the endpapers!

Awhile ago I was surfing around the web reading knitting and craft blogs and came across the blog Stitch Marker by Larissa in Portland, Or.....and she was asking for knitters to knit a square for an afghan for a charity---and maybe she would also put the square into a book she was writing on the topic of "knitalongs" which she defined as "any organized event where people knit together for a common purpose or goal."

I happened to be leaving the next day on at trip and thought knitting a square would be a good project to work on while traveling....so I printed out the instructions and found some pretty sock yarn in my stash and added this to my carry-on backpack. I knit the square in airports and finished it just in time---I was in Portland, so decided to drop the sqaure off at the address she had posted on her blog--so we went there, only to find (duh!) that the address was a mail box...so ended up mailing the square after all. In all this traveling and knitting--I never did get a photo of the square....but here is one of the afghans in the book made from these squares.


Larissa writes about this process in her book---"I wrote a plea on my blog to recruit test knitters. Each would choose his or her own sock yarn to make a square. The squares would be mailed to me, and I would assemble them into the Barn-Raising Quilt. I didn't set a sign-up limit. I figured I'd use any extra squares to make blankets for charity. How many could that be? Well...thanks goodness Martin figured out how to automate the sign-ups at knitalong.net, because by the end there were 500 knitters." So--I was one of the 500 knitters! but still my name is credited on the endpapers...

This book also provides an interesting history of "knitalongs" of the past--including ways women tried to reduce the drudgery of knitting socks for a living, or the story of how orphans were compelled to knit for their own "self-improvement" to the tradition of knitting wartime socks--all paired with great knitting patterns the reader can use to create their own projects.

Included are 6 projects where the authors ran online knitalongs and write "we loved the way different knitters working from the same pattern produced finished objects that are so remarkably individual, so we've posted the entire galleries for you to visit at knitalong.net." I heartily recommend you check out their website, as well as purchase this wonderful book!

I have always--since I learned to knit in the 1950's from my beloved Grandmother---been involved with knitting groups, and participated in many co-operative projects---from knitting a scarf that is passed around from knitter to knitter (also a project in this book) to knitting or crocheting squares for a co-operatively made baby blanket---so this book struck a harmonious chord with me. I feel blessed to be alive now in the era of the internet which allows us fellow knitters to connect from all over the globe and create a project together, or be inspired by someone's knitting project--even though they live far away.

Since discovering the world of net knitters and knitting blogs I have made about 6 squares for charity projects and sent them off--and 3 hats! and I have knit one healing blanket for an ailing friend, and I am currently in the process of creating a co-operatively knit "healing blanket" for another very ill friend....and I certainly agree with Larissa when she writes: "Making something for another person is a profound act. In a world where we often become obsessed with "quick gifts" and piling up FOs (finished objects), its easy to forget what a fundamental and meaningful gesture it is to knit something and give it away. Giving is at the very heart of the knitting experience and the culture of knitting together."

Thank you Larissa and Martin for articulating this all so profoundly and for creating this book! Oh, and did I mention that the photos in the book are stunning?

Biblio-fun @ the Book Fair

papercut from the 19th century from the ephemera dealers ECLECTIBLES from Tolland, CT

I took my digital point-and-shoot camera to the San Francisco Antiquarian Book, Print, and Paper Fair this weekend ---and I just wandered around the Fair taking some photos of images that I thought were interesting. This Book Fair--as the title suggests---is so much more than just books! The artist/craftswomen part of me loves all the wonderful images at this Fair---from old maps, to gorgeous botanical prints, to illuminated manuscripts, to vintage valentines---this Fair has all of these and more.

I fell in love with these hand-drawn paperdolls from the 1950's---so quirky, with handlettered notes, and an "outsider art" type of appeal...also from ECLECTIBLES booth.

More movable ephemera from the ECLECTIBLES

and from ANTIQUARIAT BOTANICUM ---located in Lydnen, Washington --a lovely image from a BOOK OF PEONIES


plus, some lovely bindings from Turtle Island Books, Berkeley, Ca --the booth where I was working....why don't they make hardbacks with these lovely bindings now?



Here is a partial shot of Serendipity Books booth---a Berkeley landmark bookshop on University Ave.


There were many posters and vintage photos --like this one of poet Allen Ginsberg that Serendipity Books had for sale.


And original paintings...this one from Serendipity Books...I thought the folk art style in this painting was intriguing.



More ephemera---(and oops! I'm not sure whose booth this was)--but you can get a notion of how much paper ephemera treasures there were to look at...if you like ephemera and vintage paper, or old trade cards, greeting cards, or postcards--you might check out the Ephemera Society of America's website.


Cobblestone Books from Sacramento, Ca had a trunk full of colorful vintage OZ books...(when I was child in the '50's I read every Oz book our local library had in stock--about 20 of them)


and some lovely lurid dime mystery magazines....


There were numerous antique maps, both large and small.......these ones from Alexandre Antique Prints, Maps & Books from Toronto, Cananda




and rare maps in books....this one from Antiquariaat FORUM from the Netherlands. This map is from a Folio --GEOGRAPHIA by Claudius PTOLEMAEUS, published in 1490. "One of the most important early editions of the world-famous atlas, based on Ptolemy's description of the world..."

Walking through the Book Fair and looking at historical treasures like this---is a stroll through history...one I never tire of. I am acutely aware I have the privilege of looking at museum quality books that are truly "rare."

Then we have the illuminated books and manuscripts--my most favorite part! This book from Phillip J. Pirages of McMinnville, Oregon.

He also has numerous illuminated vellum manuscript leafs....


and lastly, these "fine bindings" ---also from Phillip Pirages




I hope this has been a visual feast for you--blog reader! like the past weekend was for me...

Creative Every Day: San Francisco Book Fair Weekend

I'm off this weekend to work at this:


you can find more info on the Book Fair here. I 'm working for Roger Wicker of Turtle Island Books---a small antiquarian ABAA (Antiquarian Booksellers of America) bookstore about 2 blocks from my house. Turtle Island Books specializes in antiquarian and scholarly out of print books in the Fine & Decorative Arts, Literary First Editions, Architecture, Photography, Fine Press Books, Book Arts and Printing History and is located at 3032 Claremont Ave. Berkeley, CA 94705.

If you are new to my blog then you won't know that books--especially antiquarian books--are my other love! after creating art---then comes the books! I once owned a Used and Out Of Print Bookstore, Morningstar Books, in Bellingham, Washington. I always find working at an antiquarian book fair fun and stimulating, with interesting books to see and many fascinating people to meet.

For those who may be wondering what "antiquarian" means---an antiquarian book is one that is at least 100 years old--(that would make a book published in 1908 an antiquarian book), but many book sellers at the Fair also sell Modern First Editions. However, many if the books at thus fair will look like these...
Nowadays I'm mostly on the look out for interesting design and art books----or anything I can use as reference for textile and surface pattern design. I usually find some item in this genre that really interests me. I will also be on the look out for older knitting and needlework books and ephemera---but mostly I will be working---which means showing lovely old books to potential customers....if you live in the Bay Area, come on by and say hi!