What are they doing?

you'll never guess, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

They are not knights. There is no sword fighting. They are swordfish. From the Pacific. She is the idea girl, and he wants to be just like her.

clothespin kimono ladies

clothespin kimono ladies, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

moving at the speed of light

So next week is Thanksgiving. And then Christmas.

I'm happy that John is home. Ella is watching Mary Poppins, and there is a pot of chicken and dumplings bubbling away on the stove.

Heart Sutra

Avalokiteshavara Bodhisattva, practicing deep
Prajna Paramita,
clearly saw that all five skandhas are empty,
transforming anguish and distress.
Shariputra, form is no other than emptiness,
emptiness no other than form;
form is eactly emptiness, emptiness exactly form;
sensation, perception, formulation,
consciousness are also like this.
Shariputra, all things are essentially empty-not
born, not destroyed;
not stained, not pure; without loss, without gain.
Therefore in emptiness there is no form, no
sensation, perception, formulation,
consciousness;
no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind,
no color, sounds, scent, taste, touch, thought;
no seeing and so on to no thinking
no ignorance and also no ending of ignorance,
and so on to no old age and death and also no
eding of old age and death;
no anguish, no cause of anguish, cessation, path
no wishdom and no attainment. Since there is
nothing to attain,
the Bodhisattva lives by Prajna Paramita
with no hindrance in the mind; no hindrance and
therefore no fear;
far beyond delusive thinking, right here is
Nirvana.
All Buddhas of past, present, and future live by
Prajna Paramita
attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
Therefore know that Prajna Paramita
is the great sacred mantra, the great vivid mantra,
the unsurpassed mantra, the supreme mantra
which completely removes all anguish. This is
truth not mere formality.
Therefore set forth the Prajna Paramita mantra,
set forth this mantra and proclaim:
Gate gate paragate parasamgate*
Bodhi svaha!

Translated by Diasetz Suzuki as "Gone, Gone, gone to the other shore, landed at the other shore."


Sometimes when you are looking for a new mantra you find it in the drawer of your bedside table where you put it eight years ago.

mama loves some cats with banjos and fiddles

cats with banjos
Originally uploaded by ellajohn.

checkers set fabrics

checkers set fabrics
Originally uploaded by ellajohn.

john

sweet, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

swinging with granny

swinging with granny, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

floyd

floyd, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

It is always a good time to go out to Floyd, Virginia on a sunny saturday, especially if you want to go to a killer fabric store and suddenly need to make everything under the sun, even shoes. I have fabric and buttons to make that plaid checkers set, a set of advent stockings, and maybe even some sweet stuffies. Maybe a cat. Maybe a quilt.

nap

nap, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Here is a picture for daddy in Texas. He is whooping it up with the intellectuals until sunday.

plaid

Oh, the cuteness of a plaid fabric checkers board with vintage buttons. I need another arm and more hours in the day.

http://flickr.com/photos/27615684@N00/292584009/in/photostream/

Holiday

The Magic Cabin Holiday catalog makes me very happy. You can turn the pages online.

Vote

I voted at seven thirty and here I am at 7:55 sitting at the computer waiting impatiently for the results. Just kidding. Like Ella said, we were out there voting for a "new government". In her mind, we need a leader who will help us get all the red Solo cups and beer cans off the streets of Smalltown. Also, no one will have guns any more. That should really muffle that war thing. The one she doesn't even know about.

leaf banners

leaf banners, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Great birthday party. One with vegetables, homemade goodies, dress up, outside fun, and pie. Everything was delicious and thoughtful, and I think that every child had a great time. I picked up one of Ella's little friends on the way. The friend's parent's were raking their leaves, and I commented that Ella and her dad had raked leaves yesterday at our local forest Park. Not realizing that this was a community service event, she looked at me as if I were a crazy person and said, "Don't you have a yard?"

jbp

jbp, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

birthday banner

birthday present, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

This is Isaac's birthday present. I was so inspired by the Thanksgiving banner, that I wanted to make another one. I like the banjo and the singing chicken.

hat and coat day

hat and coat day, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Guess who got his first haircut today? Here we are about to go to Lowes to buy a closet door. Ella and Daddy are out being community helpers, raking in the park and eating pie.

ella japanese

ella japanese, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Here she is in all the parts of her costume. Some of the accessories did not go out trick or treating because of the all important candy bag. I love that she wanted to be japanese instead of the ubiquitous fairy princess. Of course, what does she want to be next year? Fairy princess. We were almost an hour late for the town trick or treating, but she got a few pieces of candy, and we went to dinner at Moosewood 72 with some friends and their daughter. It was a mostly vegetarian buffet, good for the most part, but, god, don't ever roll fish fillets in oatmeal. Next year I'd like to do a dinner party at someone's house and trick or treat at five houses who made homemade treats. Who has these mysterious popcorn ball making neighbors? Maybe it could be a caravan. The town trick or treat is good for daylight treating and convenience, but it lacks the spookiness of going up to the doorway, not to mention the gutbusting nature of all that artificial color and flavor. Not that I'm against sugar in all forms. Moosewood 72 had little tiny yummy pumpkin pies and dark chocolate pie cut in bitesize pieces. Next stop, Thanksgiving.

parasol

parasol, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

e

e, originally uploaded by ellajohn.