October is nearing its end

I haven't posted in quite awhile. It's been a strange last couple of months. Good in some ways and very bad in others.

First, the good things. The memories of the Penland class I taught in August are ones that are definitely good. I've been hearing from several of the class participants in the weeks since then and seeing the results of tapestry work they've been doing. I hope we'll be able to keep in touch for years to come and see how everyone is developing their tapestry to new levels along the way.

Another good thing is that a book manuscript I've been working on was completed and turned in to the publisher by the September 30 deadline. There's more work to be done before the book is published (probably in late summer or early fall of 2020) but it's out of my hands for some time. And I have to say this was about the hardest thing I've ever done! I hope it will be worth it once published.

I have another book manuscript that's in the next stages with another publisher. Work on both of these books has been consuming most of my time in the past year and especially since January when I learned that both had been accepted by publishers. Once I know more about when they will be available I'll be writing about that.

Bad things now. First--the sudden and unexpected death of the husband of my friend who was helping me in the last two months of intense work with editing and preparing the manuscript for the publisher. It is so sad that their marriage of over fifty years ended without warning. Figuring out how to adjust to life without that long-time partner is heart breaking.

My husband and I also had a death to deal with--not of a human beloved but of our almost 20 year old cat, Raymond Purr. Some may say, "Well, it's only a cat... get over it." And those who say that probably have never experienced the total trust of an animal. Most likely have not had a relationship with total understanding without speaking the same language in words--but definitely communicating through actions.

Raymond was a shy "scaredy cat" sort of little fellow. He came to live with us as a tiny kitten from a home where he didn't have the best of times or treatment. And that seemed to affect him for the rest of his life. Yet somehow he put his trust in us. We were his family, his tribe, his clan.

I was away for an artist retreat in the last days of his life but was able to get home about an hour before he breathed his last. And he did it on his own. Lay there on one of his favorite blankets and left us. He will be missed forever.