Over the weekend, I learned of an amazing appearance of a pair of Snowy Owls in Chicago from my friend L.Marie. Their presence commands attention. The timing of their visit more serendipitous than coincidental. I cannot escape their gaze, their message.
Also over the weekend, I potted a spider plant ‘baby’ in a cracked but beloved teapot perfect for just such a purpose. Our son Joe delivered Spidey plus a variety of other plant starts & cuttings from his home in Denver during his visit over Thanksgiving. He is a nurturing soul, and carefully packed them in his suitcase. Spidey is thriving in his new abode, placed atop a “Cookie Plate Crumb Catcher” on our kitchen table.
The teapot makes me smile – a reminder of my first Christmas as a newlywed. Hubby spent hours with a carpenter friend in his shop designing and creating a 5-foot-tall wooden plant holder complete with several shelves to display said plants. On the big day, hubby presented it to me with the teapot perched upon the top shelf crammed full of cut red roses. You may be wondering, what was my gift to him that first Christmas as a newlywed? A paisley necktie I made by hand for the first time ever to go with a new store bought dress shirt.
I noticed Deborah has reduced the paperback edition of her novel, When Things Go Missing from $9.99 to $3.99, specially priced for the holiday season. Yes, that’s a pitch for a gift idea.
Need a nudge? In addition to my rave review, the winner of my book give away Tierney recently finished reading it and mentioned she loved the book so much she will be posting a review on Amazon.
From deep within my childhood memories, through Concert Choir Christmas Performances in High School, I offer this rendition of Dona Nobis Pacem for this post’s Finale.
Grant us peace
Yes, I still stand with Ukraine. note- the Latin pronunciation for ‘Pacem’ is ‘pah-chem’.
I am woman. I have a uterus. Feminism is in my DNA. Family is my tribe.
I was once an at-risk pregnant person. I received accessible, science-based, person-centered care during those vulnerable years.
Years of mourning 6 miscarried spontaneous abortions. Years of nurturing 3 live births: 2 biologically female, 1 biologically male. Each breastfed. Each given loving affirming care throughout their lives.
I am now an elderly woman in leadership in a male dominated world.
Hear. Me. Roar.
Note:words in bold italics indicate words taken from the federally banned words & phrases list
Monday evening, 11/17: I just pushed ‘submit’ on the Fall of Freedom Event Registration Form. This is a big deal. Not in the fact that Kevin and I are now committed to the deadline, but because even as creative participants, we don’t fit the mold – we are not an organization.
In fact, under the heading Organization Name I entered: No Organization, just two composer-musician educators in South Carolina collaborating on a Fall of Freedom Project – Laura Bruno Lilly and Kevin McKinney (Doc Snow).
So, you see, filling out the form required a very creative approach. And while not necessary, it does ‘prove’ our participation in this call to stand up for our right to free expression.
Yes, one of the things that attracted me to this event was the assertion that no effort is too small. Ours is indeed small. Just us two with a fantastic 6-minute video piece (almost finished*!) we plan to launch on my website and his You Tube channel on November 21.
And, according to the Event Registration email confirmation I received, ours is the first from South Carolina! Small but mighty, eh?
It’s great to be a part of this socially relevant event even if we still feel very isolated from the rest of those participating.
“We live in a time when dissent is punished, truth is twisted, and silence can seem safe. Under the banner of Fall of Freedom, we stand together in creative resistance, because when free expression is under threat, art becomes our voice, our shield, and our sanctuary. Artists are a threat to American fascism.”
*Our scheduled voice-over recording session set for between-lessons (Kevin) on Monday ran into technical difficulties. My home alone ZOOM H4n Plan B recording session the next morning yielded (unknown to me at the time) too much background noise to use. Technical issues resolved, we hustled to set up again for another between-lessons (Laura) recording session Tuesday early afternoon. Successful this time around. I like to think of this as our ‘surprise snafu scramble moment’ that all projects with a tight timeline & deadline experience.
Breaking News 😊: I just went to the Fall of Freedom Participants Page. I entered in the ‘search events or states’ line – each item individually – first the name of our project, then Kevin’s name, and lastly, my name. Guess what? Each item entered yielded the same result. That creative entry I mentioned above? It pops up along with the name of our ‘event’. Check it out!
My thinking being: if we are going to live-perform our evolving ensemble presentation piece in 3 weeks, I need to have freshly broken in strings for the momentous occasion.
Weeks of private student lessons and daily personal practice sessions take their toll on any set of strings. However, I will mention that the plus side of old strings is that I feel freer to work on my prepared guitar pieces. 😊
That said, I made the switch from the old, dull, thuddy, non-resonant set to a fresh new, crystal clear, deeply resonant set.
It’s amazing what a new set of strings will do for one’s sense of well being.
“The thing of it is, regardless of the strings used, music is played, compositions are created, techniques are explored, expanded and maintained. For myself as a musician, each time I re-string one of my instruments, there is a sense of expectation. A moment in time where everything seems possible, opening up a wide world of sonic possibilities, hopes, dreams and deep expressions of my (he)art flowing through my fingers into the outer realm. And when the right strings are strung, those aural rewards inspire and invigorate… The thing of it is, regardless of the strings used, music is played. Life is lived. And when the right strings are strung, life is magical.”
Due to time constraints, we both agreed a ‘fast production’ of our Fall of Freedom presentation to be the #1 priority. To that end, our collaborative performance piece will be using elements of electronic manipulation of my composition (classical guitar) and his instrumental inflections (trumpet), as a background base for the performance of voice-over adlib spoken word phrases, poems, etc taken from the 641 wc list.
It’s a start. And I’ll keep you updated on it’s progress.
Note: I’ve been managing a constant stream of migraine waves since mid-September resulting in controlled silence on my end of various communications – including blogging! As many of you know, doing what needs to be done (work, teaching, just laying low, etc) during those times is challenging and often impossible.
Today I seem to be in a migraine lull hence a blog post to communicate something that I wish to share with you, my readers.
On the cusp of my birthday, which coincided with a No Kings Day event 🙂 , I stumbled on something that ignited my activist/creative self and catapulted it into a sense of possibility.
“Fall of Freedom is an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation. Our Democracy is under attack. Threats to free expression are rising. Dissent is being criminalized. Institutions and media have been recast as mouthpieces of propaganda.
This Fall, we are activating a nationwide wave of creative resistance. Beginning November 21–22, 2025, galleries, museums, libraries, comedy clubs, theaters, and concert halls across the country will host exhibitions, performances, and public events that channel the urgency of this moment. Fall of Freedom is an open invitation to artists, creators, and communities to take part—and to celebrate the experiences, cultures, and identities that shape the fabric of our nation.
Art matters. Artists are a threat to American fascism.“
As I delved deeper into this, I realized: this is a good fit for me. This is something I can do. This is something I want to do. Alone? Perhaps. And if necessary, yes, I’ll do my part as a soloist somehow, somewhere and in my own way. Even if it means just busking my “641” (see below) piece in a random outdoor space or playing it to some of my private students during their lesson. 😉
I’ll figure something out.
Meanwhile, I immediately came up with an idea for a project specific to the theme of Artistic Freedom/Activism. Simply put it’s a spoken word/music piece. I’ll take words from the 641 (word count) federally banned words and phrases list – current as of 10.1.25 – and create sentences, poems, catchy quips, use singular words, etc. which I will speak & intersperse amongst varying lengths of original music snippets.
I’ve begun choosing words and selecting/composing various musical snippets to play around with…it’s since morphed as project ideas do, but that’s my starting point.
This past Monday evening, I attended a ZOOM Fall of Freedom orientation meeting and I am encouraged. It feels good knowing I can speak up for Freedom of Expression/Speech/Etc. in this manner and in an organized event where it could perhaps make an impact.
Additionally, I reached out to a music teacher colleague of mine who is of like mind and excited to collaborate with me on this activist/creative venture in support of Freedom of Expression.
I’m not sure if I can find any local places (I live in a small, underserved* city in the South) that would be open to allowing this event, but I do have a modest list of places I’ll approach in the next few days. My collaborator buddy no doubt has a few of his own to check out where he lives. We may stumble on a group who is actually actively organizing an event and needs participants!
In any case:
I’ll – we’ll – figure something out.
Care to join us?
I’ll keep you posted as this venture evolves & unfolds!
*FYI: just one of the “641” among others used naturally within this blog post
please note: scroll/read to the end to discover who won the giveaway.
Robert Redford – August 18, 1936 – September 16, 2025 movie star, director, producer and film champion, heartthrob, environmentalist, philanthropist, family man, political activist, person of consequence and (he)artistic everyman
Movie star, director, producer and film champion
Most are acquainted with these aspects of Robert Redford’s legacy. I’ve seen most of his commercial movies close to their release dates on the big screen and enjoyed 90% of them. I’ve seen a few Sundance films and love the vibe of the whole festival. Here I’ll just highlight a few of my fav commercial movies from the RollingStone article, Robert Redford: 20 Essential Movies. note: hover over the arrow and click for more
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
released in 1969 – I saw this on the big screen at the Boulder Theater in 1970. Let the adventures & heartthrobs, begin!
Downhill Racer
released in 1969 – I saw this for free at the Chautauqua Theater summer film series in 1970 as a concessions worker! Of course, this attracted a large local following due to its relatable Colorado skiing vibe.
Jeremiah Johnson
released in 1972 – I love this movie because Dad loved this movie. One of Dad’s favorite Mountain Man Adventures that we saw together as a family on the big screen at the Boulder Theater.
All the President’s Men
released in 1976 – Based on the non-fiction book by Bernstein & Woodward, the two journalists investigating the Watergate Scandal for the Washington Post during the Nixon presidency. Of note: in 2010, this film was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Let’s hope it stays there.
The Horse Whisperer
released in 1998 – The scenery, subject matter and silence were seminal. In fact, the silence in the movie house ( a large commercial movie theater) was as silent as the movie itself – novel concept these days, eh? I saw this on Date Night with hubby, leaving our 3 kids with a babysitter for the evening.
The Old Man and the Gun
released in 2018 – On my list of films to watch!
Heartthrob
Let me tell you, I didn’t usually go for the blonde & blue. Growing up, I much preferred Dino (blueblack/blackbrown, plus he felt like family) to Frankie (light brown/blue).
Even back in my preteen days of watching The Man From U.N.C.L.E on TV I chose Napoleon Solo over Ilya Kuryakin…even if Ilya was more youthful.
Of even greater significance is that my longstanding Beatle of choice has always been a toss up between George & John. Well, truth be told, I loved all four of them!
During my later college years, Billy Dee Williams as Brian Walker in Mahogany, and as Lando Calrissian in Star Wars was it for me. But in between all of that, when Newman & Redford hit the big screen with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, I knew Redford was the ‘best’.*
Of course, looks aren’t everything…
So when my middle daughter called to say she saw that RR had passed away, she noted at the end, “I’m sorry, Ma. I know he was your heartthrob”. Geez, was it that obvious?!
Environmentalist, philanthropist, family man, political activist
I can’t speak to the family man aspect of his life, but in reading various articles it becomes clear how much family life informed his career and life focus. That said, below is a good example of thoughtful consideration of current issues with his trademark pointed yet mellow activist attitude.
“Journalism is what keeps politics straight. Is politics telling the truth or not, you know, and very often politics doesn’t tell the truth. It just tells a story that’s being told by one side or the other. But it’s journalism that gets to the bottom line and says, wait a minute, we’re hearing this, we’re hearing that, but what’s the truth? You know I think we’re into that now.”
Robert Redford, circa 2017
Person of consequence and (he)artistic everyman
Okay, here’s where there’s a bit of a stretch of these attributes as applied to my personal story…
Once upon a time, during my freshman year at CU Boulder, I learned the Legend of Robert Redford - a former student who got wrapped up in the party scene and got himself expelled from the University. Of course, the fact that he went on to 'find himself' backpacking through Europe and emerged a creatively contributing member of society only served to reinforce the pull to do the 'drop out' thing for countless others of my generation. Of which I thankfully didn't succumb. Though I still yearn for my personal Camino Adventure!
Over the years, “The Sink” added this mural to honor their Star Janitor
Somewhere along the line I ventured deep into the nooks and crannies of "The Sink" on the Hill intent on searching out his autograph/comment on its graffiti laden walls. Meh. Not much to look at, but I can say I saw it in its original form. Nay, I can say I touched the space he wrote upon! 😍 As a rite of passage, I even took my middle daughter to view the graffiti wall her senior year in High School. The Legend lives on.
*at the time, the question was routinely posed: who’s the most handsome/best actor – Newman or Redford?
As promised, the winner of the “When Things Go Missing” giveaway is hereby officially announced: Tierney! Congrats – your book is in the snail mail. Thanks to everyone who showed such enthusiastic interest in Deborah’s debut novel.
Mini Review: When Things Go Missing by Deborah J. Brasket
Sitting cross-legged on the bed as Franny sorts through old journals and piles of stuff, I was there with her. As she discards pieces of her life no longer relevant to who she has become or where she wants to be, I was ushered into the world of the story which followed. The story of When Things Go Missing by Deborah Brasket.
This initial relatability of Franny’s character enabled me to ease into the unique family dynamics of living with an addicted adult child. Slice of life stories recounted by each member of the family – Franny (mother), Walter (father), Cal (son) and Kay (daughter) – interconnect yet move forward independent of each family member. Except Cal. The addict. Making little to no movement forward in his life, always dependent on others even during periods of recovery.
Thus, the family itself is in a constant state of uncertain flux, with personal growth and goals being held back by varying degrees over the years. The conundrum of living with and loving an addict.
As the first ‘thing’ to go missing, Franny upsets the tenuous dysfunctional family status quo. She spontaneously packs a light bag, her camera and snacks, then begins driving down the coastal highway with no destination in mind. How each family member copes and changes during her disappearance is the gist of the story. How Deborah crafts the story is what kept this reader, reading.
With the development of each character, I see the world through their eyes and think their thoughts. Getting into their heads coupled with action imagery in the narrative, they each speak their own story as it unfolds in the novel. A good example of this is in the scene where Kay’s new boyfriend unexpectedly arrives early at her apartment.
“You can’t be here already. I wasn’t expecting you this soon.” Her hands fly to her ponytail, pulling her hair free. She looks down at the dirty sweats she’s wearing and then at the mess in her apartment. Kay doesn’t do neat… “Tell me you’re kidding. You’re not really here. Not yet. Please.” She peels off her sweats and squirms into a pair of jeans. He laughs. “It’s true, I’m really here.” “Then wait… I’ll be out in a few minutes,” she tells him, kicking her dirty sweats into the closet.
This same immersive style of writing intensifies the overwhelming realities of Cal’s lifestyle as an addict. Deborah’s descriptions of the “matrix that holds everything together” – the people that make life on the streets as an addict possible – are visceral yet understandable to one not engulfed by those realities.
Glimpses of Cal as seen through his mother, sister, father, and assorted street people are woven into a complicated tapestry, expertly balancing his ‘endearing qualities’ with how those same qualities act as enabling his continuous vicious circle of addiction.
With scant softening around the edges, Deborah speaks – writes – with grit and grace.
Luckily for this reader, the story does not end there. There is much to relish from start to finish throughout the book. Nor does the novel come to an abrupt ending – hastily tying loose ends together for the sake of completion. It is not a fairy tale ending, but a workable ending. Addiction never truly goes away. People and relationships are always evolving. But the desire to stay connected with those we love is an ever-present driving force.
As in real life, we are all works in progress.
After sailing around the world with her husband and children, teaching literature to college students, and fighting for affordable housing as the leader of a nonprofit, Deborah J Brasket finally settled down among the golden hills and vineyards of California’s central coast to write the kinds of novels she loves to read.
As promised, one lucky commenter will receive a free copy of When Things Go Missing. Comment below to be entered into a drawing. Randomly selected winner to be announced sometime next week.
Sometime this past Spring, longtime blogger friend, Deborah Brasket asked if I’d be an ARC reader for her debut novel, When Things Go Missing set for publication September 22nd.
I jumped at the chance!
Some of you may be wondering: what exactly is an ARC Reader? First off, ARC stands for “Advanced Readers Copy” and is a manuscript its final proof stage prior to publication. An ARC reader reads the book pre-publication and posts a review before or immediately after the publication date.
Being a part of Deborah’s book launch is an honor. It is with great pleasure that I present my official quick blurb on the book here as an appetizer for my complete review set to be posted on September 18th.
When Things Go Missing is an excellent read, enlightening readers on issues misunderstood by many. It is one of the first novels I’ve wanted to keep reading through in ages. Brasket has such a rich, immersive style of writing that intensifies the overwhelming realities of an addict’s lifestyle— “the matrix that holds everything together” and makes life on the street possible. With scant softening around the edges, she writes with grit and grace. There is much to relish from start to finish throughout the book. She shows how people and relationships are always evolving, but the desire to stay connected with those we love is an ever-present driving force.
Laura bruno lilly, classical guitarist/composer/poet
Be sure to check out my full review on September 18th where I’ll be hosting a free giveaway copy to a randomly selected commenter.
Notice the byline on this post? Yes, the ‘USAID-funded researcher’ is none other than our middle daughter, Michelle. And yes, she is one whose voice was silenced on 1/20/2025. A few months ago, Michelle asked if she could share her perspective with my readers. It was time.
Part 3: Unresolved
My belief in people’s capacity to be compassionate has been severely challenged these past few months. I was disheartened to see people cheering for the rapid destruction of USAID online. Yes, the internet has given people the sense of freedom to be cruel and hide behind a curtain of anonymity. The internet has also made it easy for lies and partial truths to take on a life of their own, spiraling into unknown depths of conspiracy and fearmongering.
The “efficiency team” used social media to spread vitriol, claiming that massive amounts of waste, fraud, and abuse are [were] being uncovered but without showing the evidence. Certain “efficiency team” leaders and other national leaders would post that people like me whose work is USAID-funded are “leftwing lunatic Marxists”, “un-American”, and “criminal.” People who support the people in power made many, many vile comments in response.
It is hard not to take that personally or fear the retribution that may come from being labeled an un-American criminal.
On some of my darkest days, I would wonder:
are people truly compassionate, if they can easily become so cruel when granted anonymity?
Yet, I know this is not a complete or fair assessment. After all, not everyone has an online presence, and there are numerous people with (and without) an online presence who have shown their support for those in the international development and humanitarian assistance/foreign affairs community. Including, I might add, many of you who are reading this now.
Perhaps to the relief of my mother/the blog owner, her blog community (you, dear readers) has bolstered my waning faith in people’s compassion. You have engaged thoughtfully, you have asked questions and withheld judgement, and you have not stooped to name calling and vilifying. You have written your dismay at the inhumanity and cruelty wrought from the “efficiency operations.” You have shared hope for positive change. (Thank you).
Let’s be real. Yes, there is [was] waste in US foreign assistance. That is part of life. It is [was] not at the level being claimed. Sure, there is [was] fraud, there is [was] abuse. Again, part of life. Again, not at the level being claimed. Yes, these things should be addressed, and many were being addressed albeit quietly. Many of my colleagues, myself included, had strong opinions about how USAID and other foreign assistance agencies could and should be reformed. But waste, fraud, and abuse were not part of every single project. It was not being conducted by every single civil servant and every single contractor.
Instead, this “review” and subsequent stop work orders have led to incredible amounts of waste – food shipments that could never be distributed to their intended recipients, because that would be counter to the order. Instead, the food sits [sat] in warehouses in the US and abroad, rotting [and eventually incinerated]. Supplies shipped but never distributed, sitting in warehouses. Research started but never finished. Even now that USAID is officially defunct, taxpayers will still payfor the chaotic way in which the agency was shut down.
Yes, I am paying some of the price for the carelessness of this efficiency team’s “review.” But so are many other Americans who do not even realize it. USAID frequently sourced from Americans. Nutrition programs that were designed to help feed wasting children used RUTFs (ready-to-use therapeutic food), such as a product called “Plumpy Nut”. This is essentially a fortified peanut butter – nutrient dense, protein packed. It is sourced from peanut farms in Georgia, processed at a plant in Georgia or Rhode Island, and shipped via American shipping firms.
I admit, I feel a little “icky” sharing the reasons why foreign assistance is beneficial to Americans, as it ignores the true benefit: partnering with, supporting, and elevating the vulnerable while upholding their dignity. “Giving voice,” lifting up, and trying to make a small part of the world a little bit brighter.
Student Art, Beirut
My peers and I expected some kind of re-alignment of foreign assistance, maybe even a true reform effort. This is common practice with new administrations, and a true review could lead to some much-needed changes.
If the review of foreign assistance conducted as part of the “efficiency operation” was about money, efficiency, and true reform, there would have been an actual review. It would have been designed properly, to be transparent and methodical. It would have taken much more time than a few weeks or months, and there would have been a strategic plan for the review and for what comes after the review.
Meaningful reform takes time, it takes years. During which time, the 250,000+ people (almost 20,000 Americans) who are estimated to have lost their USAID-funded job could have kept working (and contributing to the tax base!) and we could have kept partnering with American companies and farms (who contribute to the tax base!) while continuing to work with and serve communities around the world (without wasting what had already been procured!) and seeking real ways to be more “efficient”.
No, I don’t think this was about true reform or enhancing efficiency. As I said in part 2 of this Giving Voice series, I think this was about testing the approach to this bigger project before taking it to other agencies. It was to test the reaction of the public. What can those in power get away with before the people start saying “stop”? No one really knows about this very small part of the government, so why not test it there?
My now-former boss reminded me early on in this period of chaos that it is easier to break things than re-build or build things.
This proof-of-concept was destruction – or, as those in the world of tech like to say, it was “disruption.” This was a disruption without any thought for what comes next. It will take years to build something new, if anyone wants to build something new. It will take years to [re]build trust of the U.S. that we carefully established across communities, across villages, across countries, across institutions. It will take years to undo the damage. The cost will be enormous.
I was furloughed then terminated from my position.
This means that, at the time of writing, I am eligible for unemployment insurance benefits, so now I am costing taxpayers rather than contributing while actively searching for a job. [At the time of publication, I have used my maximum allowed unemployment for the year and am no longer receiving unemployment but still actively searching for a job.] The changes to foreign assistance are still ongoing, with continued chaos and confusion. It is exhausting, emotionally and physically.
My peers and I continue to seek ways to do the work we/they are passionate about. I read their posts sharing how they are innovating new approaches that do not rely on U.S. government funding, seeking jobs at foundations and in other countries, and brainstorming new models for development and humanitarian assistance. They have built new communities of “USAID alumni.” These communities bring us together to be creative in our pursuit of new models, and they act as a support group when we get bogged down in the negative comments.
Boat Quote: Where There Is Love, There Is A Life” – Byblos, Lebanon
I still think about that woman, the new mother in Ituri province, DRC. She was so proud to be a mother that she tried to convince the doctors to let me hold her newborn (I was secretly glad that the doctors refused since this was at the height of COVID-19 and I did not want to risk infecting her precious new babe). She was so grateful that she gave birth safely in a clinic. She thanked me. I did nothing more than work for an organization that helped people in that community build a maternity clinic and get supplies. I played no role in that process. But she thanked me, nonetheless. I mentally thank her, for helping me see my own arrogance in that moment, for reminding me of what matters. I pray that I can be as strong as her. I pray that she and her child are safe and healthy. I pray that people regain their compassion and remember that all humans deserve dignity and respect.
The road ends, but the journey continues…
Header photo: USAID presence in DRC with non-governmental organization (NGO) affiliate logo scrubbed for privacy reasons Ending photo: Rural Road, Côte d’Ivoire All photos: Michelle L. Solorio
For Non-Exhaustive List of Additional Reading click here
Well, it’s come in handy as a transitional tool to ease into taking a break for most of August.
After weeks of teaching summer session lessons, following through with essential tasks, the editing/layout of my current Giving Voice series (part three is still in the works), and dealing with heat, heavy air and asthma, I’m ready to hit the pause button.
To refresh your memory, a little less than a year ago, I expounded on the virtues of a method I devised to help stay focused, motivated and balanced while working on specific music project goals. I set up a way to accrue points on time spent doing various aspects of specific items (ToDos) related to my primary music project Goals and translated them into ‘reward time’.
I called it the Ankara Reward because I’d been itching to play around with the Ankara fabric/Moda Grunge fabric combo I designated & set aside for a specific quilting project*.
Generically speaking the formula works like this: for x amount of time I spend on my priority/primary focus, I can then accrue y amount of minutes towards dedicated time for a certain other desirable activity focus.
Using this as a controlled ‘reward time’ helped when I was in a slump and needed motivation to keep going with my primary focus – music. It also served as a creative break that enabled me to return to my music with fresh eyes and an eager spirit.
Within weeks, I dropped the literal formula and flowed seamlessly from task to task. Making progress on ToDos, Goals, Tasks and plenty of Etc.s!
That said, musical goals are not as easily shared while in progress, so attached are some photos for you to see the Ankara Reward in progress.
left to right: 3 Ankara fabric finalists, chosen Ankara fabric, early piecing, first block with layout info, first block.
rolled up in noodle for storagefirst section layoutcompactly awaiting further sewingStopping off point for now – July 31st, 2025
