Friday, February 22

In my life --and my blog should reflect this -- I want to do more than observe birds and endless snow. My wish is for my life to be more connected with the natural world and this is why I live in the country with Bill, who takes such a way of life for granted. (Bill has read this and points out that he doesn't take it for granted -- he asks "Why do you think I'm here?")

I belong to MERA, McDonalds Corners-Elphin Recreation & Arts, and here I have met wonderful people, and am developing new skills and improving the ones I learned as a child. MERA promotes Lanark County's Heritage Arts, which was what pioneers did to survive using the materials available to them, often in highly creative and ingenious ways. This does not imply that MERA is stuck in the past -- we may make soap, but we use coconut oil, and don't render tallow from beef fat.

As a child in the 1950s, I wore beautiful smocked dresses made by my mother. Not because she was "into crafts", but because making your own clothes was a way of life. As a teenager, if I wanted a new dress, I bought some material and made it. As a mother myself I knitted for my babies, and made flowery dresses for my daughter to wear when she wasn't wearing jeans. And then I went back to work, and school, and so on.

At MERA, inspired by my Aunt Pat and encouraged by the Spinning and Knitting Group, I am learning to spin, and am improving my knitting skills. We also hold fibre-arts workshops where we get to try out something different and learn from one another. It is great to be retired!