Hi Everyone!!!!! Guess what? We have a new president. One who's values seem more like mine than any president I've known. One who I am excited about! One who cares about the environment, and the people of this planet- all of them. One who came to my town here, and ate at our local icecream shop with his wife. He rocks.

Before any work got done around here today, I had to gather with friend to watch the inauguration. Wow, can that man give a great speech?! What a job he has, with the whole world watching us so closely right now too. I'm glad he's gathering brilliance around him.

What have you been up to? Me? I'm still taking it slow in the new year, business wise. The christmas season seems like forever ago, yet it was a mere few weeks and I'm still recovering and tidying up. I'm sewing every day, enjoying new custom orders, and working on my secret hush hush plans for the new year.

I have come out with several new wrist warmer designs this month, like this "Bird on Bird" set, and the popular "Coffee Time". Both currently available in my shop .

Enjoying an Oregon sunny moment, modeling "Migration", a new coffee cozy design. I am migrating as well, towards more artsy, painterly designs this year. I should say "stitcherly" rather than painterly. That's not to say I won't be making my silly and cute designs as well. But be on the look out for more Art. (She says only a little tongue in cheek).

Yesterday, our whole family joined the massive Martin Luther King Jr day march. I really wanted my kids to be part of the scene this year, of all years. it was a positive experience over all.

I have to say that I was disappointed by the quality and choices the speakers made at the end of the march. I wanted my boys to hear a rousing, "YES we can!" sort of speech. There was some overly intellectual speeches, some "this is what the media wrongly portrayed MLK as" sort of speeches, and honestly some bad music, and non-meaningful entertainment. I wanted to get into talking about the MLK peace movement, the human rights activist that he was, and the new day dawning with our first African American president. Most speakers just didn't have the right feel and angle.

Next year, I want to use our day off to do some peace work, or volunteer work together as a family, instead of sitting around talking about what was. Let's act. Not that we wait till next year to do something! We volunteer regularly and attend other events. But on the special MLK day, let's celebrate by making a difference.

Open Letter to Obama, from Alice Walker

This is so gorgeous. Give yourself a true and quiet moment to take it in. Do not miss the last line.



Dear Brother Obama,

You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us
being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you
know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But
seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year
after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be
struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost
more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended
to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of
all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It
is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations,
that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of
the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was
part of our strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely
on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors
of hope, previously only sung about.

I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that
the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for
bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do
have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a
schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your
gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your
family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon
become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their
wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles
so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to
lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about
all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From
your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that
so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless cars and
houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can
manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to
them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of
almost everyone.

I would further advise you not to take on other people's enemies. Most
damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those
feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a
certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have
enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It
is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United
States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand,
completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with
which I often fought, "hate the sin, but love the sinner." There must be
no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more
dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people's spirit. This has already
happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where
this leads, where it has led.

A good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by
the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts
the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the
soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All
else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to
peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic,
also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle
with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression
of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and
relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and
brightening the world.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

In Peace and Joy,
Alice Walker

© 2008, Al

Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours!

The Sarah Palin Rap- up

Yey!!! We are an Obama-nation! Did everyone watch Saturday Night Live's special the previous night? They were so funny, but the best part was seeing the REAL Sarah Palin on SNL The rap itself is amazingly good, Amy was amazingly huge and pregnant at the time, AND and Amy Poehler did the Sarah PalinPalin is right there reacting to it. If you haven't seen it watch it here: Youtube SNL rap link

NBC blocks their vids from being seen on youtube, so this is a news team version talking about the video, but their dialog is interesting too, before and after. Just watch! LOVE IT. Amy is fierce!

Happy Day all.