threads from one loom

There is an old Shaker proverb that says "heaven and earth are threads from one loom."  I love that image of connectedness, of everything being connected.  It says a lot to me about forgiveness and God's plan for us.  Most of us feel well when we feel connected to the universe—the down side is of course that we are also connected to people, places and things that challenge our love on a daily basis!

Years ago I learned to weave and there was great comfort in preparing for the process—deciding on a design, selecting the fibers, warping the loom and making sure the tension was correct and that the warp threads were evenly spaced.  Then loading the shuttle with the fiber and finally the delightful swish-thunk as the shuttle glided through the weft and was beat gently into place.  It's a process that requires attention—mindfulness.

So is loving life into a piece of land.  So many things to think about as I help birth Wildbranch.  It's good that winter is long and I have lots of time to consider design, plans, materials.  I am not a patient person.  This is learning that I need to do.  I'm waiting to get to the comfort stage of things.  Right now I 'm girding my loins as I deal with banks, builders, loggers and subcontractors—all of whom I will have to look after so they love my land gently.  Soon enough there will not be a delightful swish-thunk.  More likely crash-boom-brrrrrrrrrr-kaboom.

Sometimes I am tempted to find an old lazy girl recliner and haul it onto the property, positioning it so it faces east and west.  That way I could watch the sun come up and the sun go down.   That would be it.  Nothing else up there but heaven and earth, connected like threads of a loom.