"A man travels the world in search of what he needs and returns home to find it."
~George Moore

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Utilizing my Dyed Fabric from the Jane Dunnewold Workshop and more Spinning

Making some scrap Yarn


Cutting some squares for a possible miniature quilting project..

As well as cutting up fabric into small pieces to use as inclusions for paper making.



JoAnn's Beautiful Wool, once again

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Printing Experiment


I carved a couple of rubber stamps and printed on some hand made paper.




Summer Spinning

Haven't Spun in a month or so, this is going to change..

Spun up my hand painted roving from the workshop at the KY Sheep and Fiber Festival.

Hand spun Natural, Wool from Sweet Home Spun of course.

Hand spun Drip drying


First Time using my Two Yard Niddy Noddy. The skeins are so much prettier this way.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment is a psychometric questionnaire designed to measure psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions.
INFJ
  • moderately expressed introvert
  • moderately expressed intuitive personality
  • slightly expressed feeling personality
  • slightly expressed judging personality
Introverted: 56%
Intuitive: 25%
Feeling: 12%
Judging: 1%

Description by Dr. David Keirsey:
Idealist Portrait if the Counselor:
Counselors have an exceptionally strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others, and find great personal fulfillment interacting with people, nurturing their personal development, guiding them to realize their human potential. Although they are happy working at jobs (such as writing) that require solitude and close attention, Counselors do quite well with individuals or groups of people, provided that the personal interactions are not superficial, and that they find some quiet, private time every now and then to recharge their batteries. Counselors are both kind and positive in their handling of others; they are great listeners and seem naturally interested in helping people with their personal problems. Not usually visible leaders, Counselors prefer to work intensely with those close to them, especially on a one-to-one basis, quietly exerting their influence behind the scenes.

Counselors are scarce, little more than three percent of the population, and can be hard to get to know, since they tend not to share their innermost thoughts or their powerful emotional reactions except with their loved ones. They are highly private people, with an unusually rich, complicated inner life. Friends or colleagues who have known them for years may find sides emerging which come as a surprise. Not that Counselors are flighty or scattered; they value their integrity a great deal, but they have mysterious, intricately woven personalities which sometimes puzzle even them.

Counselors tend to work effectively in organizations. They value staff harmony and make every effort to help an organization run smoothly and pleasantly. They understand and use human systems creatively, and are good at consulting and cooperating with others. As employees or employers, Counselors are concerned with people's feelings and are able to act as a barometer of the feelings within the organization.

Blessed with vivid imaginations, Counselors are often seen as the most poetical of all the types, and in fact they use a lot of poetic imagery in their everyday language. Their great talent for language-both written and spoken-is usually directed toward communicating with people in a personalized way. Counselors are highly intuitive and can recognize another's emotions or intentions - good or evil - even before that person is aware of them. Counselors themselves can seldom tell how they came to read others' feelings so keenly. This extreme sensitivity to others could very well be the basis of the Counselor's remarkable ability to experience a whole array of psychic phenomena.

Description by Marina Margaret Heis:

INFJs are distinguished by both their complexity of character and the unusual range and depth of their talents. Strongly humanitarian in outlook, INFJs tend to be idealists, and because of their J preference for closure and completion, they are generally "doers" as well as dreamers. This rare combination of vision and practicality often results in INFJs taking a disproportionate amount of responsibility in the various causes to which so many of them seem to be drawn.

INFJs are deeply concerned about their relations with individuals as well as the state of humanity at large. They are, in fact, sometimes mistaken for extroverts because they appear so outgoing and are so genuinely interested in people -- a product of the Feeling function they most readily show to the world. On the contrary, INFJs are true introverts, who can only be emotionally intimate and fulfilled with a chosen few from among their long-term friends, family, or obvious "soul mates." While instinctively courting the personal and organizational demands continually made upon them by others, at intervals INFJs will suddenly withdraw into themselves, sometimes shutting out even their intimates. This apparent paradox is a necessary escape valve for them, providing both time to rebuild their depleted resources and a filter to prevent the emotional overload to which they are so susceptible as inherent "givers." As a pattern of behavior, it is perhaps the most confusing aspect of the enigmatic INFJ character to outsiders, and hence the most often misunderstood -- particularly by those who have little experience with this rare type.

Due in part to the unique perspective produced by this alternation between detachment and involvement in the lives of the people around them, INFJs may well have the clearest insights of all the types into the motivations of others, for good and for evil. The most important contributing factor to this uncanny gift, however, are the empathic abilities often found in Fs, which seem to be especially heightened in the INFJ type (possibly by the dominance of the introverted N function).

This empathy can serve as a classic example of the two-edged nature of certain INFJ talents, as it can be strong enough to cause discomfort or pain in negative or stressful situations. More explicit inner conflicts are also not uncommon in INFJs; it is possible to speculate that the causes for some of these may lie in the specific combinations of preferences which define this complex type. For instance, there can sometimes be a "tug-of-war" between NF vision and idealism and the J practicality that urges compromise for the sake of achieving the highest priority goals. And the I and J combination, while perhaps enhancing self-awareness, may make it difficult for INFJs to articulate their deepest and most convoluted feelings.

Usually self-expression comes more easily to INFJs on paper, as they tend to have strong writing skills. Since in addition they often possess a strong personal charisma, INFJs are generally well-suited to the "inspirational" professions such as teaching (especially in higher education) and religious leadership. Psychology and counseling are other obvious choices, but overall, INFJs can be exceptionally difficult to pigeonhole by their career paths. Perhaps the best example of this occurs in the technical fields. Many INFJs perceive themselves at a disadvantage when dealing with the mystique and formality of "hard logic", and in academic terms this may cause a tendency to gravitate towards the liberal arts rather than the sciences. However, the significant minority of INFJs who do pursue studies and careers in the latter areas tend to be as successful as their T counterparts, as it is *iNtuition* -- the dominant function for the INFJ type -- which governs the ability to understand abstract theory and implement it creatively.

In their own way, INFJs are just as much "systems builders" as are INTJs; the difference lies in that most INFJ "systems" are founded on human beings and human values, rather than information and technology. Their systems may for these reasons be conceptually "blurrier" than analogous NT ones, harder to measure in strict numerical terms, and easier to take for granted -- yet it is these same underlying reasons which make the resulting contributions to society so vital and profound.

INFJ job options:

The Counselor (INFJ) is a more private person than the Teacher. They, too, can be found in the field of education as a professor , teacher, counselor, or educational consultant. Sometimes they feel a strong calling toward the religious life as clergy, nun, or director of religious education. Social service jobs, such as social worker, social scientist, or mediator can fit their needs. Some Counselors work in human services, marketing, or as a job analyst. Others are drawn to the arts as a novelist, designer, or artist. Says Benito, "My art is very personal. It expresses who I am at the same time reaching out to draw the viewer in. My art changes the viewer's perspective of reality."

INFJ in Love:

Idealist women tend to be very romantic. They love to give and receive tokens of affection, such as an original poem, a hand carved box, or an item which reminds them of some shared experience. Men often appreciate their compassion and empathy along with their belief in others. When dating, they hope they'll get to know each other through deep conversation.

Rachel is an Idealist Counselor (INFJ). She seldom dated in high school since she was studious and reserved, intimidating the guys. In college she dated more often. Rachel had a boyfriend who pursued her. It was a passionate affair which quickly burned out when she became convinced he didn't really love her. Later she met another man. Within a few weeks, they were certain they were meant for each other. A year later, they married.


Gray


Gray:
Sorrow
People who favor Gray are the loner type or narrow-minded
Gray with more silver can be very active
Native Americans associate Gray with friendship
symbol for security, maturity and dependability
Responsibility and conservative practicality

Gray Energy:
Imparts void, emptiness, lack of movement, emotion, warmth, and identifying characteristics
true neutral color
Restful
detached and isolated feeling
Can have a cooling effect when placed next to other, more vibrant colors
Stabilizing effect making other colors stand out while muting their vibration

Gray is necessary when you Desire:
  • to emphasize your willingness to comply
  • a neutral, non-invasive feeling
  • to reduce the intense energy of another color
  • to feel detached or isolated
Gray Gem Stone Properties:
healing stones
assist in improving relationships toward stability

Wearing Gray:
suggests efficiency
Can also suggest lack of imagination
emphasize neutrality
too much or the wrong shade of Gray will suggest lack of character, initiate and detachment
hint of another color with gray will suggest efficiency with personality

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Black

Black:
Most misunderstood color
Saturday's Color is Black

Black Energy:
Black is the absence of color
Black and White are opposites
They represent polarities
Black absorbs all aspects of light
Conceals
Negative: Hidden, Fearful, bad Experience
Unknown and Unseen
Restful emptiness
anything can emerge or disappear into it
Mysterious
providing a sense of potential and possibility

Black is necessary when you Desire:
  • to become inconspicuous
  • to open the door to mystery
  • to prepare for the unknown
  • a restful emptiness
Black Gem Stone Properties:
symbolize self-control and resilience
protective energies in the sense that black is the absence of light and can therefore create invisibility

White


White:
Color of Purity, Virginity
Kindness
White is Monday's Color
White Daisies are a symbol of loyal love

White Energy:
Manifestation of the presence of all color
complete energy of light
Stands for wholeness and completion
openness and truth
cold quality
can provide clarity because its energy id complete
Purification vibrations
can be used to clear blocks from your path
Holds potential to move toward every other color
good choice for new beginnings
development in any direction

White is necessary when you Desire:
  • to clear clutter and obstacles
  • to start a fresh beginning
  • to bring about mental clarity
  • purification of thoughts or actions
White Gem Stone Properties:
Ruled by the moon
associated with sleep and psychic energy
good fortune
protection after dark
crystal amplifies powers of other stones
because white is the presence of every color, it can act as a substitute for any color

Wearing White:
Pure, wholesome impression
Clears clutter, refreshes mind

Indigo


Indigo:
Deep midnight sky
Negative effects during depressed states
Mystical borderland of wisdom, self-mastery, and spiritual realization
Increase personal thought, profound insights and instant understandings
Instantaneous
Inventors use indigo for inspirations that seem to "come out of the blue"

Indigo is necessary when you Desire:
  • to focus on personal issues
  • to develop intuition
  • to step outside of everyday life for a new and interesting way of viewing a problem
  • solitude and inner communication
Indigo Gem Stone Properties:
open the door to the subconscious symbolizing the bridge between finite and infinite
guide cosmic knowledge

Chakra:
Third Eye Chakra
intelligence and psychic power


Saturday, July 9, 2011

Purple


Purple:
Good Judgment
Seeking Spiritual Fulfillment
If you surround yourself with purple you will have peace of mind
Good for meditation
Symbolize magic, mystery and royalty
Being the combination of red and blue, the warmest and coolest colors, purple is believed to be the ideal color
Purple is most favored by artists
Thursday's Color is Purple
color of purpose

Purple Energy:
Combination of Red and Blue
Red is a focusing, dynamic and active energy
Blue is calming, cool and expansive
Purple brings a new dynamic to the dynamic of red and expansive of blue
Create more emerging creative energy
Imagination and Inspiration
Grounding Effect

Purple is necessary when you Desire:
  • to use your imagination to its fullest
  • to re-balance your life
  • to remove obstacles
  • to calm over-activity or to energize from depression
Purple Gem Stone Properties:
Mysticism and purification
Used for meditation
sharpen psychic awareness, connection with higher self and to increase imagination and inspiration

Wearing Purple:
when you want to encourage fantasy, mystery and imagination

Chakra:
Crown Chakra
Main co-origination center of the body
ensures you are connected to universal sources of energy




Blue


Blue:
Coolest Color
Color of sky, ocean, sleep, twilight
Pure Blue is the color of inspiration, sincerity and spirituality
Often chosen by Conservative people
Calming Color
Dark Blue is the color of truth and moderation
A blue iris means that the friendship is very important
Wednesday's Color is Blue
Lapis lazuli and azurite are said to heighten psychic power

Turquoise:
symbol of youth
soothing effect
communication
amulets to provide protection, health, confidence and strength
Aqua is the color of high ideals

Blue Energy:
feeling of distance
artists use it to show perspective
allows you to look beyond and increase our perspective outward
cool vibration that is helpful to communication
can be used to open energy flow where its blocked
using blue to relax will encourage feelings of communication and peace

Blue is necessary when you Desire:
  • calm and relaxation to counteract chaos or agitation
  • to open the flow of communication
  • to broaden your perspective in learning new information
  • solitude or peace
Blue Gem Stone Properties:
promote peace
calm ragged emotions
relief in difficulty sleeping or nightmares
offer inspiration
enhance quality of communication

Wearing Blue:
Dark Blue for stable, calm, conservative feeling
communicate easier
blue paper notes when you need to remember information

Chakra:
Throat Chakra
communication of how we feel and what we think


Green

Green:
nature, fertility, life
restful
self-respect and well being
color of balance
learning, growth, harmony
safe color
Favored by well balance people
master healer and life force
symbolizes money
healing for the eyes
eat raw green foods for health
Friday's Color is Green

Green Energy:
energies of nature, growth, desire to expand or increase
balance and sense or order
ability to sustain changes

Green is necessary when you Desire:
  • a new state of balance
  • feel a need for change or growth
  • freedom to pursue new ideas
  • protection from fears and anxieties connected with the demand of others
Green Gem Stone Properties:
attract money, prosperity and wealth
balancing stones promote growth and fertility

Wearing Green:
wear green when you want to overcome a sense of thwarted ambition
color of healthy relationships

Chakra:
Heart Chakra
higher consciousness and Love

Yellow


Yellow:
Pure, bright and sunny Yellow are the easiest to see
Blind people can usually see Yellow
Yellow is full of creative intellectual energy
Always use yellow note pads
Wisdom
Joy and Happiness
People of high intellect favor yellow
Yellow Daffodils are a symbol of unrequited love
Sunday's Color is Yellow-Gold

Yellow Energy:
Clarity and Awareness
Shade determines Effect:
Yellow-Green can mean deceit- disoriented feeling
Orange-Yellow imparts a sense of establishment
Clean light Yellow clears the mind, making it active and alert

Yellow is necessary when you Desire:
  • clarity for decision making
  • relief from 'burn out', panic, nervousness, exhaustion
  • sharper memory and concentration skills
  • protection from lethargy and depression during dull weather
Yellow Gem Stone Properties:
promote ability to express yourself
excellent for writers and public speakers- increase eloquence
stimulate movement and mental awareness
enhance decision making skills

Wearing Yellow:
cheery, uplifting effect
clear mind, improve memory and decision making

Chakra:
Solar Plexus Chakra
identity related


Gold


Gold:
Wealth used Wisely
Good Health
People who favor Gold are optimistic

Gold Energy:
Tibetan Buddhist's 5 Sacred Stones-
the crystal for light
turquoise for infinity of sky and sea
coral for life and form
gold for the golden ray of the sun
silver for the light of the moon
Gold is intimately linked with divinity and gods associated with the sun
symbolizes wealth and success

Gold is necessary when you Desire:
  • increased personal power
  • relaxation and enjoyment of life
  • good health
  • success
Wearing Gold:
increases personal power
promotes courage, confidence and willpower
gold chains worn around the neck preserve health

Orange


Orange:
Power Color
Healing Color
increase craving for food
Stimulates enthusiasm and creativity
vitality with endurance
people who like orange are usually thoughtful and sincere
Lady Luck's Color
If change is needed burn and orange candle for 7 nights

Orange Energy:
benign warmth of the sun
more thoughtful control than red
curiosity
exploration of new things

Orange is necessary when you Desire:
  • spice things up when you feel time is dragging
  • to become more involved in something
  • to increase creativity
  • relief from things becoming too serious
Orange Gem Stone Properties:
fiery energies of red but more gentle and creative
promote personal power
useful to people who need more self-esteem
stimulate creativity, mental quickness, and ability to adjust changes

Wearing Orange:
during times of stress or shock to help balance emotions
can bring willingness to embrace new ideas
with enjoyment, and a sense of exploration and creative play

Chakra:
Sacral Hara Chakra
sexuality and reproduction


Brown


Brown:
People who prefer brown are often conventional and orderly
Negative: repressed personality or lazy
color of the earth
associated with the material side of life

Brown Energy:
can mix into many surroundings
mixture of red, blue and yellow
has many shades and tones
each producing a different effect
stabilizing
red in brown is practical energy
yellow and blue add mental focus and energy
too much brown can make a dull effect
feeling of solidity
allows one to go unnoticed in the background
Some shades of brown create a warm comfortable feeling of wholesomeness, naturalness and dependability

Brown is necessary when you desire:
  • a solid wholesome feeling
  • to blend with the background
  • a connection with natural earth and the stability this brings
  • orderliness and convention
Brown Gem Stone Properties:
act as a grounding force
promote stability and clear thinking

Wearing Brown:
no direction or attitude
disguise to hide true nature effectively
warm browns- down to earth feeling


Pink


Pink:
Universal Love
Quiet color
Lovers of beauty favor Pink
Pink Carnation- I will never forget you

Pink Energy:
Combination of Red in White
Quality of energy depends on the amount of red present
White is the potential for fullness while red helps you achieve that potential
Pink combines these energies
Deep Pink is effective in neutralizing disorder and violence
feelings of caring, tenderness, self-worth, love and acceptance

Pink is necessary when you desire:
  • calm feelings
  • neutralize disorder
  • relaxation
  • acceptance, contentment
Pink Gem Stone Properties:
promote love, self-worth, order
protection from violence or aggression

Wearing Pink:
When you want to present yourself as peaceful
calm person who is not threatening
Soft Shades- feminine
Dark Shades- alleviate friction

Red



Red:
Action, confidence, courage, vitality
Warmest Color

Top pick among males
Chosen by Extroverts

Negative: temper anger

Color of Tuesday

Color of Mars (Planet God of War)
In roses: Passionate love

In China: prosperity and joy, front doors often painted red, brides wear red

rings should be worn on the left hand

Red Energy- fiery heat, warmth, danger, burning
Color of blood, symbolize life and vitality

Focus on essence of life and living with emphasis on survival

Passion and lust


Red is necessary when you desire:
  • increased enthusiasm and interest
  • more energy
  • action and confidence to go after your dreams
  • protection from fears and anxieties
Red Gem Stone properties:
used to strengthen the body

promote will power and courage
add vitality

overcome sexual dysfunctions

Wearing Red:

accent piece- bold and dynamic

boost confidence when you feel unsure about yourself


Chakra:

at the base of the spine- Root Chakra

life at a practical level

maintain body's heat and circulatory system


Reading about red made me realize I need more red in my life

Literary Influence

Unexpectedly my blog has recently taken a literary turn. I've been doing a fair amount of soul searching. Thinking has been a large part of this soul searching but even more than that reading other peoples words, thoughts, poems, stories, etc. has been majorly influential.

Finding different ways to define myself has been a recent interest. Discussions about which deadly sin and holy virtue I fit into. What favorite colors can say about people.

My Seven Deadly Sin: Envy
My Seven Holy Virtue: Temperance

In my search for inspiration I came across an old favorite book of mine. Freedom WritersReading about the lives and struggles of strangers always puts things into perspective for me.

In the book Freedom Writers the story is told of a teacher who truly, wholeheartedly cared about her students, recognized their difficult lives and their struggles and helped them through adolescence. She shows them other people their age who have struggled right along with them. such as Anne Frank, Zlata Filipovic.


Through these stories, the students found solidarity and strength.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Shel Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Post Secret Healing

I perused a few of the Post Secret books that I own and wrote down some that stood out with me in this moment in time. As well as wrote down a few of my own feelings. Here they all are:

  • "There are two kinds of secrets: those we keep from others and those we hide from ourselves." -Frank Warren
  • Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.
  • Physically lost is not an often occurrence for me. But in so many other aspects, I am constantly lost.
  • I want to find true love in another person whom I could always count one. Being as that we are human, I don't know if that is even possible.
  • He never gave me a chance.
  • I'm afraid to push him before he is ready, but also afraid to lose him to someone else.
  • I think I am in love. And I don't know if I want to be. I am kind of scared.
  • I'm falling for you...please don't mess it up.
  • I envy the people who have a sure-fire outlet to relieve their hurt. Drugs, alcohol, self harm. I'm sure that further complications come from them but it seems like such an easy way out.
  • Without suffering, there is no compassion.
  • I love you so much but I can't tell you.
  • I'll never forgive you for not picking me.
  • I put myself together well, a smile and a happy face. And people really believe it. But inside, I'm screaming for help. I'm broken and I'm drowning. I feel like there is no one I can talk to who will understand. Really my family and friends would be really understanding. I just secretly hope for my prince to come along and notice my hurt and heal it for me.
  • If I died today, would there be anything you wish you had said to me?
  • I wish to find a spiritual connection.
  • When two cars meet at night on a lonely country road, when they dim their headlights for each other and their paths cross, for that short moment during their journeys in opposite directions... I fell I am not alone in the world.
  • We are all so connected, I desperately wish we knew it.

Choices and Omissions

The choices that you make in life directly affect you and shape your path. It is impossible to decide to do one things without deciding not to do another. This being true there are always things that you give up with the decisions that you make.

It is often hard not to think about how things would be if you chose the other path. Not necessarily out of regret but out of curiosity.

One of the first decisions that stands out in my mind as something that shaped my path, is deciding not to continue playing volleyball.

It was an influential part of my adolescence, but ultimately I decided by committing to volleyball I was losing out on a lot more. It often kept me from participating in sleepovers and other important parts of my childhood. So I cannot say that I regret not pursuing volleyball because I wanted to keep my childhood for a little bit longer.

Another important decision in my life was that of choosing a high school. There were many that I was considering. It ultimately came down to two main high schools. One of which my grandmother attended and the other that my best friend was to attend. I was leaning toward the one that my grandmother attend up until the last minute. I chose the one my best friend was going to. We are still best friends today and I can't imagine my high school experience without her. Waiting until the last minute also meant a lot as well. About a year before high school, my grandmother passed. She was proud that I was going to her alma mater and I know she would have secretly been disappointed by this decision and it would have upset her. It's comforting to know that I had the freedom to make the decision without worrying about upsetting someone I loved so much.

This same tough choice came once again for colleges. There were also many options but I narrowed it down to three. One of which I decided they were pretentious and they rubbed me the wrong way on the visit. So the decision coming down to two once again. There was the university in my hometown and the university an hour away I always wanted to attend and follow in my brothers footsteps. Many things were taken into consideration. My decision was not made for the best of reasons. I decided to stay in my hometown because of pressure from my parents, mainly my mother. She convinced me that it would be more financially smart, which it is. I am not sure that financial security in college was worth missing out on the away college experience.
I have accepted this decision. There are many things in Louisville that I would not give up now.

Within the University decision there was also the major decision. I began college thinking I was going to become an Engineer. At the University of Louisville, there is an excellent Engineering program. In five years you graduate with a Masters in Engineering. After your first two years, you spend every other semester doing co-op and every other semester taking classes for the remaining three years. During the co-op you are paid well and many expenses are covered. Often the place that you co-op with offers you a job right out of school. There is also a high demand for female Engineers. All of these things sounded extremely attractive. Ultimately I decided that this is not the path that would make me happy. I know that I could have done it and I would have been extremely successful, but it is not where my passion lies.

All of these decisions among many others directly lead me to where I am today. Sometimes it is hard not to think about how things could have been different. but in the words of Tim McGraw, "Well you do what you do and you pay for your sins
And there's no such thing as what might have been
That's a waste of time
Drive you out of your mind"

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Academic Intentions

Undergraduate:
BFA in 3D studios at the Hite Art Institute: concentration in Fibers and Ceramics

Workshops with:
JoAnn Adams
Adrienne Callander
Silver Wheel Yarn
The Little Loomhouse
Linda Hofacker
etc.

Graduate:
MFA in Industrial Design or MID:

top graduate school prospects:
Academy of Art University in San Francisco California (MFA)
Pratt Art Institute in Brooklyn New York (MID)
The University of the Arts in Philadelphia Pennsylvania (MID)
Savanna College of Art and Design in Savanna Georgia (MFA)

If anyone has an input on these schools or programs or suggestions of other schools I would greatly appreciate it.

Friday, July 1, 2011

One if by Land, Two if by Sea

Paul Revere's Ride

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,--
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."

Then he said "Good-night!" and with muffled oar
Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore,
Just as the moon rose over the bay,
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, British man-of-war;
A phantom ship, with each mast and spar
Across the moon like a prison bar,
And a huge black hulk, that was magnified
By its own reflection in the tide.

Meanwhile, his friend through alley and street
Wanders and watches, with eager ears,
Till in the silence around him he hears
The muster of men at the barrack door,
The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet,
And the measured tread of the grenadiers,
Marching down to their boats on the shore.

Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church,
By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread,
To the belfry chamber overhead,
And startled the pigeons from their perch
On the sombre rafters, that round him made
Masses and moving shapes of shade,--
By the trembling ladder, steep and tall,
To the highest window in the wall,
Where he paused to listen and look down
A moment on the roofs of the town
And the moonlight flowing over all.

Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead,
In their night encampment on the hill,
Wrapped in silence so deep and still
That he could hear, like a sentinel's tread,
The watchful night-wind, as it went
Creeping along from tent to tent,
And seeming to whisper, "All is well!"
A moment only he feels the spell
Of the place and the hour, and the secret dread
Of the lonely belfry and the dead;
For suddenly all his thoughts are bent
On a shadowy something far away,
Where the river widens to meet the bay,--
A line of black that bends and floats
On the rising tide like a bridge of boats.

Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride,
Booted and spurred, with a heavy stride
On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere.
Now he patted his horse's side,
Now he gazed at the landscape far and near,
Then, impetuous, stamped the earth,
And turned and tightened his saddle girth;
But mostly he watched with eager search
The belfry tower of the Old North Church,
As it rose above the graves on the hill,
Lonely and spectral and sombre and still.
And lo! as he looks, on the belfry's height
A glimmer, and then a gleam of light!
He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns,
But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight
A second lamp in the belfry burns.

A hurry of hoofs in a village street,
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,
And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark
Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet;
That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light,
The fate of a nation was riding that night;
And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight,
Kindled the land into flame with its heat.
He has left the village and mounted the steep,
And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep,
Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides;
And under the alders that skirt its edge,
Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge,
Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides.

It was twelve by the village clock
When he crossed the bridge into Medford town.
He heard the crowing of the cock,
And the barking of the farmer's dog,
And felt the damp of the river fog,
That rises after the sun goes down.

It was one by the village clock,
When he galloped into Lexington.
He saw the gilded weathercock
Swim in the moonlight as he passed,
And the meeting-house windows, black and bare,
Gaze at him with a spectral glare,
As if they already stood aghast
At the bloody work they would look upon.

It was two by the village clock,
When he came to the bridge in Concord town.
He heard the bleating of the flock,
And the twitter of birds among the trees,
And felt the breath of the morning breeze
Blowing over the meadow brown.
And one was safe and asleep in his bed
Who at the bridge would be first to fall,
Who that day would be lying dead,
Pierced by a British musket ball.

You know the rest. In the books you have read
How the British Regulars fired and fled,---
How the farmers gave them ball for ball,
>From behind each fence and farmyard wall,
Chasing the redcoats down the lane,
Then crossing the fields to emerge again
Under the trees at the turn of the road,
And only pausing to fire and load.

So through the night rode Paul Revere;
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm,---
A cry of defiance, and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo for evermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.

Leg Warmers Finished


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