we have a brand new baby in the neighborhood. tom & i went over last night to meet little isaac and congratulate his parents. he is so tiny and vulnerable, yet simultaneously strong and vital. it was lovely to sit and stare into his warm little face, his tiny mouth automatically suckling and his hands curling into fists and straightening out into shockingly long tiny perfect fingers. they had a very dramatic and frightening birth experience and as we were talking about it, i was struck with the reality that when my grandmother was having her babies, she would have died had she experienced something similar. that reality was enormous to me. my great-grandmother was an unofficial midwife, the woman who was called to assist with births . and i'm certain she was helplessly part of many births that ultimately ended in tragedy. each new life is enormous. welcome, little isaac, to the journey.today is my grandmother's birthday. she died 12 years ago. but i have a big piece of her in me. the stories of her life as a wife and mother on the family farm in 1930's prince edward island fuels my daily work in the studio. i think of her often while i'm sewing and wish she was sitting across the room giving advice.
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