WINTER’S TRANCE 38H x 38W 2013

Alaskan winter nights, if we are lucky, are a brilliant combination of darkness and light. The night is dark. The snow is light. To be outside in the dark, in the snow, in the middle of winter is to be completely present to the gifts of our natural world. The snow glistens with ice. The sky glistens with stars. The world is muffled and silent. It is a celebration of the extreme elements of our world—cold and dark, black and white. If you let it in, an Alaskan winter night can freeze you into a moment of brilliant stillness. 

“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.”
Lao Tzu

Every January, I celebrate my birthday at the Tanque Verde Ranch by enjoying the sunny beauty of the Saguaro National Park, learning and relearning with Nancy Crow, and generally having a good time with my friends new and old. It is kind of the best way ever for a reluctant Alaskan to avoid the winter and celebrate the new year.

Prior to this planned retreat hosted by MISA, I push myself to cross it ALL off my list, and MORE. All day, every day, I push forward knowing that all this frenetic energy will be rewarded with an awesome quilting experience in the sun. I pack my bags. The stage is set.

And then it all sort of fell apart—literally and figuratively. 

My plane is delayed. It is delayed again. I miss my connecting flight. I wait hours in the Denver airport. I finally arrive in Tucson. We passengers gather like docile cows at a waterhole to wait for our luggage. After an hour, the airline admits that the door is jammed, and they have no real idea when our luggage will be tossed onto the conveyor belt. I ask to have my bags delivered. They are delivered at midnight, and no one is there to receive them. But it gets worse.

I get up at 5AM and put on the clothes from the day before. I know! This is terribly planning on my part. I make phone calls. The luggage delivery guy is driving in circles trying to get an entire plane of luggage delivered. He tells me that two guys quit last week! And his family wants him to also quit this stressful job. He will try to deliver the bags again later that afternoon. We both agree to stop stressing.

What is good in this situation, what can I control? Well, I do have boxes of shipped fabric and a sewing machine. I will wash that fabric and make do for the day. It is 7AM. Tucson is unseasonably cold. The prickly cactuses are all covered in sheets. Tanque Verde Ranch looks like a garden of mummies. I gather my fabric and head to the laundry room. I am walking at a quick clip when SWOOSH the trajectory of my next two weeks is transformed in a sheer second of miscalculation. My boots slide out from under me, and there is an audible crack as my head hits the pavement below me. I have just wiped out on black ice in Tucson. This is the scene of the accident—normally, there is NO BLACK ICE in Tucson. 

I am dazed and confused but weirdly determined to carry on as if nothing has happened. There were witnesses who eventually convinced me that I am not alright. Supposedly, I am acting weird. I am driven to an Urgent Care where they tell me to go to the emergency room. I am frankly annoyed by the entire thing. I have quilts to make! 

The conclusion is that I have a concussion. I am told that I should avoid all screens, alcohol, thinking, and reading or listening to books or podcasts. I must rest in a dark room until I feel better. What? That is not possible! But it is, because every time I try to do one of those things my head goes foggy, and I feel mildly nauseated—like throwing up would really make things better. It is as if I am moving underwater or in a dream. I listen but I can not comprehend. I take two or three hour naps like a good toddler. I worry that this is my new world. That I will now and forever be slow in all things. I accept this. My body is in charge of my fate.

If you emailed me during this time, you got a message back that said—

“I recently fell on some black ice, cracked my head on a cement sidewalk, and ended up with a concussion. My doctor has restricted my screen time for the next few weeks while my brain recovers. Consequently, I will be responding to emails at a slower pace than normal. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”

Day by day, I try to slow down. I appreciate my body and my brain’s ability to heal. I get better. I give up the naps! It is futile, but I try to catch up on my stitching.

I am not a fan of fast cars, but I do like to go fast with my life and plans and making and teaching and doing—always and forever. That is until my head hit the cement, and it all went into slow motion. 

I am still slow, but I am on the mend, and I am so grateful for that.

WHAT'S HAPPENING
ROUND & ROUND—IMPROV MEDALLION QUILTS—NEW WORKSHOP!
Wednesdays, January 24 & 31, February 7 & 14
6PM-9PM Eastern Time (EST)

Round and Round quilt created by Kelly McDermott

KITCHEN SINK QUILTING—The ART of Making Do
9AM-1PM Alaska Time (1PM-4PM Eastern Time)
Sunday, February 11 & 18

MOROCCO with AMAZIGH CULTURAL TOURS
I am going to Morocco with Amazigh Cultural Tours, and I would LOVE for you to join me! The tour is happening April 13—27, 2024.

STUDIO SNAPSHOT
I did not get nearly as much work done as I wanted to, but I spent two incredible weeks with friends and Nancy Crow! 

FLASHBACK PHOTO
Ten years ago, I participated in Object Runway which was an incredible moment in the art scene of Anchorage, Alaska. If it could be worn, it could be walked down the runway. In 2014, I designed a mini collection of pieces inspired by the north and created from upcycled materials to walk down the runway. What an incredible event! I miss it.

May you move at the pace that makes you feel best.

Maria