37 Comments

Oh my gosh, your Dad reads your blog? That is too cool.

I am not surprised that Beryl doesn't like being left at home. I could see in the video how she keeps a close eye on you. You are her precious human who makes her happy and it is wonderful to see.

As ever, your creativity is off the charts. I learn SO MUCH reading about your weaving and other arts.

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Gosh thank you Lorraine! And yes-- I'm so lucky that Beryl has such attentive powers as our mutual tether means she can be off leash more than might otherwise feel safe.

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When my father and mother were very first pregnant, they referred to the baby as "the first twig on the family tree." They named the baby Ann, but she's been called Twig ever since. Another use of the word. Signed, the second twig on the family tree.

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HA! I always wondered where Twig's nickname came from. I've never heard you refer to her as anything else so sometimes wondered if it was the "real thing." And apparently, it almost could be. Glad I can call you second twig now though...

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Sarah, your posts are my weekly moment of respite My question is: How on earth do you find all of these events? Neil Gaiman, Hourly Comics Day... I, too, love this kind of stuff and wouldn't know how to even start to find it (and I consider myself to be relatively tech/search savvy). Hugs to Beryl from my pups, Alfie, Mo, and Biscuit.

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The Neil Gaiman conversation was one of many fantastic recorded talks from the current exhibit at the British Library called Fantasy: Realms of Imagination. I learned about it from the amazing @TerryWindling's Myth and Moor newsletter (also on Substack) as Terry helped organize the exhibition and is the moderator on a couple of truly fantastic conversations. The link to all the talks is https://www.living-knowledge-network.co.uk. (for some reason I can't make it an actual link and apologize for not doing that in the body of the post)!

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Thank you, Sarah! You truly are a Renaissance woman. :)

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The words twig and land DO conjure a dream... A dream to live somewhere quiet, out of town, with land and twigs to examine at my leisure with beloved canines by my side. Oh my... I guess I should start looking for a spot.

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Sounds like a call to action -- or at least investigation???? Those twigs are so very enticing...

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I love that twig also works as a verb if you're British: "Beryl twigged that I was prepared to leave her behind as I ran errands and so, reluctantly, got into the truck."

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Geez-- the perfect sentence and ever more breadth to these wee words. Incredible.

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I use twig all the time in normal conversation! I think that verbal usage might derive from air force slang in WW2, and was disseminated for a couple of generations afterwards in comics and cheap pulp novels with zero literary merit but a lot of exciting action.

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So love to know where this word came from. Air Force slang-- amazing! I'm tickled even more to be reminded that twig is a verb as well as a noun, and is in regular usage even if I don't get to hear it. Thanks!

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Nope, I'm completely wrong. Twig may have been revived as a verb by the RAF, but it first appears in the Oxford English Dictionary as a transitive verb in 1764, and in its meaning of 'to understand' in 1796, or 1815, depending on the nuance. Which means it could well have already been in North American colloquial vocabulary too.

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Curious then, that it didn't stick over here. At least in the circles in which I run. Perhaps in other parts of the country it is used? I do love that it has such a history. Thanks for the fun infestation. And Rochelle, for instigating it!

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Hey there, if you have a free second and can post the link to the Neil Gaiman-Rob Wilkins talk, I'd love to listen. I assume they are discussing Sir Terry?

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Hi Barclay -- They were indeed discussing Sir Terry! There are other conversations too-- one with with Rhianna Pratchett and Gabrielle Kent talking about their new book, Tiffany Aching's Guide to Being a Witch, one on Sir Terry's lost stories, one on Ursula K Le Guin, a couple moderated by the amazing Terry Windling -- oh they go on and on. I've only just begun and have been smitten every time! The link is: https://www.living-knowledge-network.co.uk. Well, it's not a link as I can't seem to do that here, but you should hopefully be able to copy and paste...

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Seems to have link-ified in the saving, I guess. Thank you! This is very exciting! Our household is all in on Pratchett. During some recent gloomy weather we did a jigsaw puzzle of the barricades from, and at the same time listened to the audiobook of, Night Watch. It was a delight!

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I'm so glad it did that all by itself. So clever. Sir Terry was a most most remarkable man and I hope you enjoy the talks.

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Sometimes it you leave a space or 2 after the sentence (ie link) end and before the "." denoting end of sentence, it works. Links don't like additional periods at theIr end. Depends on Substack 's internal rules too.

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That's super helpful -- thanks Heather.

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I love the matching coats you and Beryl have!

You and “words” are a beautiful pair too!

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Well thank you kindly!

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what you do is important to me, reminding me of other important ways of connection.

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A heads up about the truck- you might have a slight exhaust leak that is upsetting Beryl

Or maybe it's too high up. Idk, dogs are weird 😄

But maybe have your exhaust checked

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Beryl is such a smart pup!

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Thanks so much for sharing your weaving process videos, it's always so interesting to see how other people do it. The warp is quite thick right? I'm in awe of how snugly your letters all fit into the rest. I can barely do triangles, but I'll get there. About land - I just wanted to say that in the Irish language there are 32 words for field. Maybe that's interesting.

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That's magnificent. 32 words for field. Bliss. I've actually been making lists of four letter words with soil and field-like connotations, hoping to add them soon.

And so so glad the process videos are helpful.

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Sarah you and Beryl do me such good! Thank you for sharing your path through life. It is a real treat!

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Gosh Sandy. Thank you.

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Can't possibly convey the solace thinking of "mend land" offers at this moment. My meditation for the moment 💚

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Love the way you put that: the solace of mend land. It was so kind of the little word tapestries to show themselves to me that way, eh?

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I love MendLand. I’m on my way with a oneway ticket!

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Yes indeed! me too

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Lovely as always, Sarah. Such a gift to be able to read it. Watching the weaving take place says so much to a visual learner. Thank you. I am fixated by all things blue these days. What do you use to make blue?

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It's impossible to resist, isn't it, that blue? All my blues are indigo based, but I don't yet build natural vats (well, other than the urine vats I did decades ago), relying instead on some "instant indigo" crystals (freeze-dried reduced indigo), I bought years and years ago that continue to seduce me with with their ease. Unfortunately I have no idea what is in them, so though recommended for easy color, I don't recommend for a natural vat...

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I just love where your mind goes with this but being surprised and delighted by where your mind goes is why I like reading your newsletter so much! Like the process of creativity itself, woven in and through what's being made ...

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