the gentle power of “mend”

This morning I woke up with the word “mend” on my mind.  What a simply beautiful word.  I kept thinking about it while I actually mended a few things.

  1. A suede jacket I inherited from my paternal grandmother.
  2. My daughter’s blue jeans…not a rip in a fashionable spot.

I realized that mend somehow uniquely seems more feminine to me than its masculine cousin, repair.

Mending and sewing connects me to the ancient wisdom of mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, aunts and friends.  Women have been sitting together stitching, solving problems, laughing and crying in gardens, front porches, church basements, adobes, tents and huts throughout the history of the world. This is a part of all of us, even if it hasn’t necessarily been our personal experience.  We mend in the way I did today, but we also mend broken hearts, bones & skin, relationships, nervous systems, false narratives and so much more.

Here’s to mending whatever is in your literal or emotional stack of damaged goods. 

Go ahead, tap into that ancient wisdom. 

The ladies are waiting to help you.

Dream, Girl

I’m taking my daughters and a friend to a benefit for the Vermont Women’s Fund tonight.  We are viewing the film Dream, Girl about women in entrepreneurship.  Then we get the privilege of a Q & A with some bold, female leaders in our community.

I created these images today.  I’m beyond compulsive about my South Dakota two-lane images. I’m all for a good creative obsession if it isn’t hurting anyone else. Here’s the Dorthea Lange quote I love.  I wasn’t kidding.

“Pick a theme and work it to exhaustion… the subject must be something you truly love or truly hate.”—Dorthea Lange

Today as I searched through my images I kept noticing shots with girls & women and shoes & boots…four of my favorites subjects.  All of these girls and women possess character, strength and a certain moxie.

Here’s the trailer.  You can do a screening in your area.  http://dreamgirlfilm.com/