Working myself through fall issues...

The past ten days have been emotionally draining, and it has been difficult to find the leisure to write a decent blog post.

I am astonished that a few radical blokes can shut down their huge country’s government and endanger world economy simply because they want to bring down a law that has been legally passed. Isn’t this unconstitutional behavior? How can the majority of their party let themselves be driven by a small number of fundamentalists? This country, that has been telling other countries what democracy is all about...

I am appalled at the self-conceitedness of the Bavarian government, where one party, again characterized by a series of undemocratic decisions and procedures, has regained the absolute majority they had lost in the last election. But I am also alarmed at the fact that the voters made this possible, and even topped the percentage a week later at the federal elections.

I am afraid that the results of German federal election might turn into an unhealthy type of coalition. And alarmed at the growing practice of lobbying in German politics, which so far have still managed to at least maintain a picture of integrity and upright procedures. Probably merely a self-delusion, and my alarm is caused by the fact that I am getting aware of this?

And I am deeply ashamed that Europe, last year’s winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, does not do anything to open their borders for refugees, drowning in the Meditarranean by the hundreds, fleeing countries in which many of the problems have been caused by historical and economic interference of the so-called western world.

These conditions upset me. Add to that the first longer stretch of high fog, always a difficult climatic situation for me in the fall. And a lot of work – picking apples, picking quince and making juice and marmelade, getting the garden ready for winter. 

These apples will be made into juice coming Saturday

The larger part of bottles of quince juice -
very nice, because it has a very low sugar content.

We had to take down the quince tree because it was sick, but we planted a new apple tree. And we are planning to put in another quince tree before the winter.

See that awfully gray sky? Isn't that
a good enough reason to become all depressed?

And my son’s process of adjusting to third grade demands, quite a different pace of schooling than last year’s second grade still comfy atmosphere. And of course, this already difficult week was the one when the rejection for my Quilt Nihon entry arrived, and the rejection of my entry for the Creative Outdoor Award.  I really don’t mind the latter, I was expecting it because I myself wasn’t really taken with what I had produced. But it did take some serious self-suggestive work – won’t have to go to see the customs guys to ship it, one extra quilt to enter in other competitions – to talk myself out of being disappointed about the rejection from Japan.

Nevertheless, I did get some work done. I am working on an entry for the German Guild’s bi-annual “T bis M” (“From Tradition to Modern”), which I won’t show here because it must not have appeared anywhere. It will be called “Light Sculputre”. And while I was waiting for the batting to dry I started on the first of the five small quilts I have to make for next October’s exhibition in the Fagus Works.  And it is getting along nicely.

Of course, there are going to be larger quilts in this exhibition, too.

Weather had inproved over the weekend, so things have brightened up a bit on that line. Although it is raining and cold now - but much better than high fog! 

And I have decided not to let myself be run down by politics. Even if world economy should falter tomorrow. I can always make a comforting quilt.