Piece of Mind....!!

This was a Piece I worked on one week while at Caring House the Adult Cancer House in Durham where we stayed from May to September in 2006 while my sweet hubby underwent treatment for stage 3 lung cancer. Which he was cleared of by October 2006.

Anyway .. I did not take my sewing machine right away .. so much of the work I did was all by hand...and took alot of patience to design and create....while going thru the rest of my life.. a hubby who was sick from chemo ....a place that although restful was not my home.

I created Coyote spirit because he reminds me of how helpful and ultimate survivor he can be . He adapts to whatever surroundings he is in and not only makes the best of it but he thrives.

This is not always copasetic with those around him because he is a bit of a trickster ..but is also a teacher , he will pass on his skills of how to make do in day to day life. I learned this from my studies in Native American Art and ways and my tiny but very important link to Cherokee Nation. My Great Great grandfather was full Cherokee from Tanasi .. now called Tennessee and was part of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee. but as I said my link is but tiny to the world but huge in my heart.

It is this that I use to adapt to what is going on around me and how I learned to have patience with myself and others ( most times) and to make the best of any situation. When people whether residents or visitors would comment on my work I was happy to share and explain what ever I was working on...whether it was this piece or a fabric Postcard or Artist Trading cards...which I gave away at least one a day to someone .

You need to understand we were staying in a house full of people and their caregivers who for the most part were unhappy people who just did not know how to get to the positive healing attitude you need to beat cancer and feel good each day. So coyote reminded me to teach and share what I knew . The first thing I did was to bring my beads .. I had so many left over from bead store closing in Sept 2005 that I just brought boxes of Fun stuff and Memory Wire to make bracelets with. It was something that could be created quickly once the beads were selected,,,but selecting the beads were part of the fun...everything was in a big tray ...all mixed up the therapeutic aspects of sorting and feeling the beads between your fingers takes your mind off your troubles at the same time there was always someone else to sit there with and talk and commiserate about their lives with. Many Wonderful Friendships were born over that tray.Do to donations from people all over the world the tray has continued and expanded .. and local High school kids have come and helped...I visit everytime we go to Durham to see my friends I have there still. The tray will 2 years old on May 31, and it is still doing so much good.

So I took something so simple as a tray of mixed up beads and gave people the initative to think about something else other than the BIG"C" and helped them get into a new mindset on how to deal with the illness affecting them or their loved one. It also created a in house support group for everyone who wanted to be a part of it .

So Coyote spirit is more than a Art quilt it is a inspiration for a way of life and PEACE of Mind...