My original plan when I was "young" was to be a birder when I retired.* I am pretty sure I may never retire unless forced to, so I've come to the realization that embracing birding right now is the thing to do.

After all, the world feels like it is exploding before our eyes and though we do what we can, marching with 800 of our neighbors with modified Burger King crowns on our heads doesn’t quite take away the helpless feeling. A birding app, a field guide, and a pair of binoculars has helped me ground myself when I feel like all the molecules in my body are going to fly apart never to be reunited.** The bird feeder, bird bath, and a friend who likes to go birding help too.

This tendency to peer through the windshield (as a passenger of course) and yell, WESTERN KINGBIRD!, started a year ago with the Ute Mountain Mesa Verde Birding Festival.

This question used to really bother me but now I love it because it gives me an opportunity to think about why I weave tapestry at all. The answer also relates to almost everything else I do for fun: knitting, drawing, birding, hiking, reading…

For me weaving my tapestry diary or sketch tapestries is all about the process. My tiny tapestry diary or sketch tapestry pieces are often just 2-4 inches and they’re too small to hang on the wall without being mounted. It is about slowing down, paying attention, and making something with my hands. I’m the same with knitting. I have piles of shawls I’ve knit because I love the process. I can’t possibly wear them all so sometimes I give them away, but the making of them is all that I really care about.