All in a Day's Work (and an ode to a tree)

So despite all the drama of yesterday, I have been busy today. I'm quite proud of myself for just how much I've gotten done...maybe the stress will be relieved a bit. I think right now I'm a little out of balance, so hopefully the last 24 hours has helped me to get a bit back to normal..or whatever normal is.

I finally finished my mosaic last night. Yes! I was so scared of it for the whole project. Unlike my other mosaic pieces, this particular one was my own design (of sorts, there was inspiration) and contained only random pieces of glass (so no pre-cut and grounded bits of glass). I think it turned out rather well.

So, I'll describe it for you. The inspiration came from an Ojibway beaded jacket, dating back to the late 1800s. I've included a picture of the inspiration. What I love about Ojibway beading, especially the beading of the late 1800s and early 1900s, is the organic nature of the style of beading as well as the intricate detailing. It appears somewhat simple, but really isn't. And if you look behind the layers, it tells a story. How I intrepreted this story was that it was like a tree of life. A tree that sustained growth, beauty, and goodness.

It might sound a little silly, but I find a lot of comfort in trees. I find them peaceful and beautiful and a reflection of a community. A tree must be nurtured and cared for. In return, it does the same for you. One of my favorite things to do is listen to the wind blowing through the trees. It takes me back to a happy time in my childhood at the lake where things may not have been perfect, but in that moment, were good. I truly believe that a community or an area that has an abundance of trees is a healthier place. I wouldn't want to live in a community with little or no trees. Where I live now, there are some but there aren't enough. To me, it reflects that a lot of people don't take pride in their homes or may not be willing to make a committment to stay in an area.

When I have children, I want them to be able to run amongst the trees, rake the leaves only to jump in them, build tree houses, climb them, get stuck in them, lean against them as they read a book. As trees have meant so much to me, I want them to matter to the coming generations. I want them to remember that it's a living organism given to us by the Creator. That is should be valued and even honored.