OS Quilt

Yesterday, I picked up the Old Shirt quilt from the Long-arm service. They do such a terrific job! The owner likes more modern style but this quilt top was put together by her great-grandmother somewhere in the 1920's and is made from old worn out shirts. It is a simple 9-patch quilt top. So to merge the old school with the new, the customer selected a diamond pattern and, in my opinion, it works perfectly.

OS Quilt - back from the long-arm:

Close up of the binding and quilt motif:

Back of the quilt - the material is a light blue denim and the quilting thread is cream colored. Very subtle, elegant.

Daring Greatly

"We all want to be brave."

The three components to scarcity are shame, comparison and disengagement. In reading the questions Brene' poses for each of these components, the first thing that came to mind was the culture at the company I used to work for and specifically the group I worked in. So many of these elements were practiced there. I didn't know how to define why I quite until I read this section. The brave thing, for me, was to quit without having another job lined up. I didn't know I was being brave I just knew I wasn't going to make any one happy - including myself - by living according to the norms of that culture.

And then I read the questions again while thinking about the culture I belong to at home - I'm going to assume you can have a culture of just two people. Frankly, I was surprised at how many of the questions I answered with yes - meaning it is a component of our culture.

What makes me smile is that for each of these elements that's part of our culture, I now am aware - they have specific labels and with a definition, I can figure out how to change my approach.

Brene' goes on to talk about shifting a culture takes awareness, commitment and work - every single day. Removing or minimizing the pressures of our national culture to shift the culture of our marriage will require constant vigilance. I wonder, as I read how Brene' partners with her husband to shift their family culture (they have two children) if taking on shifting our family culture will open the opportunities for us to become partners again? I will start with myself, my internal culture and see where it takes me.

At the very core of Wholeheartedness is vulnerability and worthiness: facing uncertainty, exposure and emotional risks and knowing tat I am enough.