For bathing I like nice bars of soap made from olive oil and aloe. But lathering up my body wears them out and the bars quickly turn into slivers that jump out of my hand when wet. That’s why I save the netting from store bought garlic—so I can use it to unite all the leftover pieces and make the soap hand-holdable once again. The contents of the soap remain the same even if its form has drastically changed…somewhat like growing old.
related: The Aesthetics of Mending
Yesterday I finished mending the awning for our terrace pergola. It was not an enjoyable task but the awning is fundamental as I spend much of the morning (or at least would like to) at my terrace work table and need protection from the sun.
The awning is made of heavy fabric once used for balcony curtains meant for privacy as much as for décor. Having been out in the sun for so long, the fabric deteriorated. So once repurposed as awning, all it took was a gust of strong wind to rip it. I was forced to buy new fabric but still wanted to maintain the old—you know, sustainabilty and sentiment. But also because of the fabric’s orange stripes that filters the sun and gives everything a warm glow. Somewhat like a fabric stained glass window.
After patching the rips and attaching the old fabric with the new, the awning is now repaired boro style. Honor has been given to the old fabric that for so long acted as faithful curtains for our balcony protecting us from the sun and my neighbor’s curiosity.
I want to make my life photogenic. And a needle and thread helps a lot.
for the next few weeks I will be focusing my posts on this blog:
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We are busy trimming our bougainvillea so that its energy will move forward and, with time, wrap itself around our terrace.
I have created a little window so that I can watch as my neighbor’s apricot tree makes its fruit that she will then transform into delicious jams.
Pruning is about getting rid of the past to make room for the present.
The Narrative Within 