It could be a good thing, since I'm eagerly waiting for Friday to go to a quilt show in Madison with my two partners in adventure, Skully & Cookie, even though I don't (and won't) quilt. It could be a bad thing... but I don't know how. Anyway I have to work today and if it's anything like yesterday at work I won't be much disturbed by any pesky customers. I got one article polished, one written, and one started. Today I'll ship off the polished one after one more read-through, polish the second one, and finish the third one. That way I'll get them all off to Erik only 3 weeks late. Good for me! I admire him for not sending me harassing emails. He is a man in a million. I'm loving the weather this week. It's sunny but cool. In the 70s during the day and dipping into the 50s at night. Ahh. This is why I love living in Wisconsin. Now if I were only off so I could wallow in the days, crank open all the windows and let the gorgeous fresh air into every corner of the house, but I'm not so I can't. I know I'd hate being off work and home all the time. I'd miss my little paycheck... oh, I'd better wrap this up so I can walk over to the bank and cash my check before I leave.
September 6--Solomon Islands, Shield. Koa sat bent over the flat stone pounding the fibrous stems until they split. He combed them apart and laid them with the others. His hands were sticky with the sap of them and he worked quickly so that it held the layers together. He laid some of the giant pandanus leaves over his crisscrossed fibers and then rolled stones on the whole thing to compress the sticky fibers together. In the afternoon he turned to the shield that he was making for the shaman. His apprentice had chipped nautilus shells into the tile shapes that Koa laid on the surface outlining a maze and spirit faces. As he worked he sang the story of the mountain and lightning gods so that their power would enter the shield and protect the owner. He missed the days when he wasn't the only shield maker in the village. When Dyak and his cousin Mula sat with him around the clearing. All of them would sing and smoke, hours would pass and the work got done. Koa was too old now but he stayed alive to keep traditions alive even though his apprentice was lazy and disrespectful.
Look at that! Almost like a real story. No action though, that's my failing. One of these days I'll figure it out.
--Barbara
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