Not long ago, I was fortunate/lucky/blessed to purchase a piece of Jude's beautiful work ~ Whispers of Sadness. It is now hanging at my desk so that I can enjoy it during the work week (and share it with others who stop by my work station). You can read more of Jude's thoughts on her piece here and here.Also along this bulletin board area, I have a small quilt made by the Mistress of Leehaven, a postcard quilt that Michele B. of With Heart and Hands made for AAQI, and an AAQI Priority Quilt made by Karen Musgrave (her blog is here).
These quilts comfort me. They help me stay connected to the deeper parts of myself when I'm surrounded by piles of printouts, projects demanding attention, and filing that needs to be done.
Today is one of those days when I feel a great need for comfort ~ I have so many topics swirling in my head and not enough time to work on any of them for more than a few minutes before having to leap to the next. I so want to pick one and work until I'm exhausted by it before shifting to another. . .
I want to be at home with time to "clean up" my music and get it properly synched on my Nano, to finish the major cleaning I started last night in my studio (including recovering my ironing table and sorting out patterns I'll never use), to piece the back for my finally finished scrappy baskets top, to do the laundry and get it put away, to sit and stare out the windows, to finish even a few of the dozens of unfinished tasks . . . I need to lose myself in my sewing for hours. I need to write until my hand cramps and refuses to move another inch. I need to work until I wear myself out.
These things tug at me all day while I'm supposed to be focused on early 1900's legal descriptions for a series of warranty deeds, learning how and setting up archive folders for my boss's 1000's of old e-mails that are clogging the firm's server, and loading three notebooks full of contacts into his Outlook program while smiling at each person who passes my desk.
And so, I pause and the quilts remind me that there is so much more to life than what I see stacked on this desk.
Breathing in . . . breathing out . . .
Quiltdivajulie
7 comments:
it is great to have comfort around you when the clutter of stress is hovering. i bet everyone comes into your office to relax!
Breathing is perfect and I think this lovely oasis that you have created for yourself amidst all of the clattering...that usually exists inside and out...is just perfect.
This space is your breath. And when you breathe in, breathe in the love in each and every piece you have here...trust me, each one of breathed out into our fabric ;)
Peace is just around the corner of every cubicle and often exists in the inside corners, as well. This is one of your gifts, Julie. You recognize needs and give them solace and comfort.
My gosh, 1000's of old emails. I feel bad when mine gets above 200 and ludkily I can just delete a lot.
I have the old abstract of title for my house. I am only the second owner. The abstract starts in 1844. I don't understand a lot of what it says but you probably have seen things like this.
I know these feelings so well and then I just remind myself only a few more years and I will be retired. I hae not had a vacation yet this year, and beleive me, I need one! I love your thumb tacks - did you make those or buy them?
yes...that pause is much needed in busy work days! nice to have those up to help you take a moment
I hear you on every account. I'm also stuck in a law office - I have TWO bosses that have to keep every piece of email they've ever received -- why are attorneys that way? I want to be home, I want to work on my things, I don't think I'll ever get to retire.
What a beautifully expressed, written, shared post. Your office is nothing but Artful and I would find peace in that, a real sense of groundedness. I think this would help me with all I had to do and still smile as others passed me by.
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