Woven In - I found 2 mistakes in my weaving, but ...

THIS POST IS FROM JULY - I just discovered that it never got posted. So 2 months later here it is.

It's interesting that for the last 3 days we've been riding our motorcycles through zillions of butterflies (a trip through America's heartland "farmlad" on US HWY 36, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana) ... I may get a picture of the front of my bike, it is practically yellow from them - my bike is dark cherry.

This was a heart-felt post, and I didn't post it. I think we had sketchy internet at that rally, and I went on with life not knowing it didn't post.

Woven In - I found 2 mistakes in my weaving 7/23/09

I finally got a good picture of the finished piece.

My first weaving.

What an awesome shop in Bloomington, IN. Yarns Unlimited. You go in use their looms, have an awesome instructor and walla, 4 sessions later - a finished piece.

A butterfly flew right in front of my face again the other day. I was irritated over something and starting to get a little impatient, almost said something ugly to the hubby, and this butterfly was pink, and in my face.

I went to the Port-a-Showers (big brother of the Port-a-Potty).

If this is not a familiar apparatus to you, think, hot sweaty filthy bikers, walking through fields that were cow pastures two days before they arrived, rain every day, drying out sleeping bags, clothes, and tents just in time to crawl in, put in ear plugs to ward off the noise of party goers in the next camp, tent pegs touching yours. Then think generators large enough to power a 16 stall portable shower in a converted semi-truck. Walk into a hall that is just narrow enough for broad shoulders, step into a plastic curtained dressing area with one hook for everything you want to keep dry, and pull another plastic curtain to separate the shower from the dressing area.

Picture hot sweaty steamy high 80's outside, and since the truck driver lives in a barn, the doors to the showers have been left open, so at least high 90's in the porta-showers. This was the beginning of developing the attitude.

And since there were reports of chiggers in the camp, I'm wearing my motorcycle boots to the shower, try putting sock and boots on and drying off in 100% humidity in a 90 degree sweltering shower stall. OK I'm trying to set the scene for this visitation. Before and after shower were really no different, except my sweat smelled cleaner.

Now I look at the wall of the "shower semi-truck" and there in front of me is this beautiful pink butterfly ... it almost looked fake, like it was made from pink lace - I had never seen one like it or probably never will again, and of course I'd never think to carry a camera to a porta-shower.

We have this thing going. A few weeks before my mother-in-law died she showed me a greeting card I had given her years before. It was a photograph the hubby took in Macinaw Island at the butterfly house, mounted into a greeting card size frame. The butterfly is stationed on it's favorite flower, wings full spread. She began to tell me of her love for butterflies. She said that for some reason butterflies always shown up anytime she is having a moment. They reminded her of new life - what God does for anyone who asks. She hung onto the card we sent and had it by her reading chair because there are seasons where butterflies aren't around.

Since her death 2 years ago, God has woven many butterflies into my life. I miss her so much, I've mentioned it before - she was the one who loved my creativity and pushed me forward in my crafts. All of my crafts before her death were just that, little things that brought joy but probably were never used or worn.

I landed on some fibre projects in the process of trying to go forward. Without her input, I really felt deadended. I couldn't even go into a "Yarn Store" because I felt so inferior, and when I looked at finished pieces, I was pushed deeper into the fear of failure.

Now that I've completed some projects, written patterns, designed items, and sold many pieces, I know why she hung onto that photograph, and I know she is still with me in spirit. Her confidence in me was passed forward even without her physical presence today. I'm the elder lady in our family now and I hope to pass along that visitation of an occasional butterfly - new life - hope from above ... what a joy to carry that responsibility. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will fill me with His purpose and allow me to express it - using butterflies if he likes.