Falling Up

Goldie is the queen of silly in our house. And silly is part and parcel of
Shel Silverstein's work, Falling Up. Check out one
of his poems today at the InkPatch at www.SonjaHakala.com

These double-blossomed pink columbine hover above the bachelor buttons in my garden.

They came, they bloomed and now these incredibly luscious peonies are already by.
Too short, too short.

A Whole of Birthin' Going On

This baby brown creeper just fledged today!
Read all about his first flight—and rescue—on my website: www.SonjaHakala.com

I know it doesn't look like much now but
these frog eggs just hatched yesteday. The polywogs
will be easily seen very soon!

This is the second year we've been privileged to have
a nesting pair of Canada geese nearby.
This is Mom and Dad and four goslings
out for an early evening swim.

A Rebirth Announcement

Remember, you are welcome to check in every day on the InkBlog at: www.SonjaHakala.com. I always have new pictures and news to share with you.

Last week, just after I posted here last, the Cecropia moth caterpillar that we nicknamed Spiky, whom we watched spin a cocoon in September, came out as this incredibly beautiful moth.

Cecropia moths are the largest moths in North America, and we were in awe of its incredible beauty and the fact that it made it through this past winter.

Just for reference, here's what Spiky (or maybe it's Spiketta, we have no way of knowing) looked like when Jay found him/her.

It's Spring at the InkBlog!

Hi folks,

I took the camera around to my gardens yesterday and took some pix of the flowers that are in bloom or just coming into bloom, like this lilac.

Truly, this almost makes my mouth water. I just LOVE these colors.

I spent the weekend taking quilting classes from this wonderful art quilter, Sarah Ann Smith. Had a blast and learned tons.

I'm blogging every day on my personal website and I've set it up so you can subscribe and get it delivered to your inbox every day. No muss, no fuss.

Come visit at: www.SonjaHakala.com

Joy Returns! One Year of Blogging Today

It is so hard for me to believe that it was a year ago today that I sat here and wrote on this blog for the first time.

At that moment, I have to admit that blogging was the least important item on my list of things to do this past year. Now I know it was the most important decision I made.

You see, I've been a writer for a long time. I've written a lot for other people—through newspapers, magazines, book publishers, and other commercial clients along the way.

But when it came to writing for myself, I honestly felt I had nothing to say any more. When contemplating a book idea here or there, I felt empty. And when I started this blog, I was seriously considering what else I would like to do that did not involve writing.

A frightening thought because writing has always been akin to breathing for me.

My first few blog posts were a lot like pulling my own teeth. I realize now that I was feeling quite "formal" about the whole process. But once I relaxed and decided that this space is really for me—though I'm always glad to have company—I wrote whatever I wanted to write.

And that made all the difference.

This blog became a practice in priming the pump. With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, I realize I had become bored with what other folks wanted me to write. It had been sooooooooo long since I wrote purely for the joy of writing that I had forgotten what that felt like.

Now I remember.

As a consequence, I'm close to done with a first draft of a new novel that I really like. I finished Your Book, Your Way, a project I've wanted to complete for years. I have 363 posts on this blog, and plan to use the best of them, augmented by my log book for the year, in a book that I plan to do on Blurb. (Probably only print one copy just for me.) And I have two versions of my Nellie Bly mystery, called Exposure, to integrate so that it can be published next month. And I founded a non-profit to bring handmade quilts to people with Parkinson's disease.

I lost my Mom, an ache that's eased but will never go away. But we became best friends in the last years of her life, a fact I treasure more than my words can express.

My family weathered a difficult winter in more ways than one. But the Canada geese are honking outside my window this morning, and I got some beautiful fabrics to play with from my husband and my son will make my favorite barbecued chicken for supper tonight and he baked me my favorite cookies last night. (I'm not much of a person for cake.)

So a new year begins for me, and I am so grateful for the one just completed.

My daily blogging focus is shifting to the Inkblog on my personal website: www.SonjaHakala.com. I will welcome your company there.

But I promise to come visit the Power of 60 at least once a week.

I like this place a lot.

This Proof Is Not in the Pudding

I finally, finally, finally approved the proof of Your Book, Your Way yesterday. And there are 50 copies now on their way to me!!!

Today is going to be a busy one, writing letters to all of the wonderful, key folks who have agreed to read and review the book for me on Amazon, where I hope it will appear by this time next week—or so.

I also gave my first newspaper interview about the book yesterday afternoon for the Valley Business Journal, which was great fun. I've known the reporter, Kim Gifford, for some time. She took one of my workshops a couple of years ago, and we've stayed in touch.

Because of the interview, I needed an author picture so Jay took out his camera last night and snapped a few. We both like this one a lot.

What do you think?

I am still having so much fun writing this blog that I don't want to stop though I think I will cut myself some slack and not push to write every day, at least not here. Does that mean I will have to change the title to the Power of 61?

In the meantime, you can always come visit me at www.SonjaHakala.com

Click on the link to the InkBlog.

What Do You Do on a Rainy Day?

You make a Bling Bag!
I started with two fabrics and pieced them together to make an 8 x 20 inch piece.

I cut two pieces of fabric 4 x 8 inches, put them right sides together, put two
pieces of cord in loops so they get sewn into the seam, sewed them together
then turned them right side out.

Position flap at one end of the piece, leaving at least one-quarter inch
of fabric beyond the flap.

Cut a piece 8 x 20 that will be the lining of your bling bag.
Putting right sides together, sew the top of the lining and the top of the exterior piece to one
another, including the flap. This picture was taken
after I sewed the seam then pressed it open.

Fold the bag in half, right sides together. Sew the bottom and the side seam.
Do not sew the two sides of the lining together yet. Notice that I drew
a curve in each of the corners at the bottom. I used the
top of a can I use to store plastic bags, tracing it
with a chalk pencil. I then followed this
line when I sewed the seam on the bottom.

Turn the bag right side out. Turn the raw edge
of the lining in about a half inch. Sew it closed.
Push the lining into the bag.
Press.

Add buttons to the front, making sure they are placed where
the loops can get around them.
Voila! Bling bag.