Sleying

I like the homophonic nature of the word "sley"...because to be honest, I feel like I've been slaying some demons this week.  Of all the weeks since I've been in Nevada, this has probably been the most difficult emotionally.  I'm not exactly sure why, though I have been feeling a tad lonely (ok a lot lonely)...but I know this too shall pass.

One day I'll have a passel of friends and it'll all be good.  But today...today I was sad and lonely.

Those demons I'm slaying?  Well, they have to do with the ones that burrowed under my skin at some point in my life and said it was ok for people to control or take advantage of me.  In a way those demons gave me a lot of protection and as I slay them, they go away and I'm feeling rather exposed and vulnerable.

BUT, I'm learning.  And acknowledging emotions, being vulnerable, all of that is part of being human and making connections and being able to develop strong healthy relationships.  And I'm all over that.  So, I'll be lonely for a bit and learn about myself and figure this out.  Because this whole journey has opened my heart to the realization that this is totally worth it.

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so, what the heck is sleying, then?

See the picture below.  It is of a sleyed reed in my loom.

The first step in dressing the loom is to take the wound warp (I'll go through the process of planning a project with my next set of towels...planning the project culminates in winding the warp and that was already done with this project before I got to NV) and separate groups of the threads so that they lay evenly across the loom.  During this particular project, I took two threads and "sleyed" them through the "dent" in my reed which sits in the beater of the loom.  I love watching the warp get laid out as I'm working on it.  It shows me the beauty of the projects and allows me to see how the colors play together and whether my idea worked (usually it does, I'm happy to say).

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Sleying, slaying...I'm doing a good bit of both these days.  I'm happy to say that both are necessary to making the next steps in my life or weaving possible...and just like the warp that gets laid out for me to view, slaying these demons is allowing me to see the beauty of the life I'm laying out before me too.  Deep breaths and trusting in myself...and plunging ahead!