Twisted Ruth's Service

Ruth Schooley's memorial service was yesterday.

Her gravesite is near some undeveloped land and is full of our typical southern California brush. To me they are dry, scrubby bushes, but I'm sure Ruth would see many a natural dye opportunity. I didn't see any dodder in the field, but it wouldn't surprise me if some appeared in the near future.

Mike brought Ruth's SpinTech to the reception, along with some cotton punis that Ruth had grown, harvested, and processed. Some of us were priviledged to spin some of her cotton on her 'wheel.' I'm sure Ruth would have liked every one of you to spin there, had it been possible. Mike also brought a bobbin of cotton that Ruth spun the day she died. Wow.

Two things from the service spoke so well of Ruth and her too-short life. First, the minister read a poem called the Dash. Here is the site:http://www.thedashpoemmovie.com/

Second, Mike picked the following passage from Proverbs (31: 10-29) in the the Christian Bible. Some of the passages that follow could be describing Ruth specifically:

A capable wife who can find?
She is far more precius than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
She is not afraid for her household when it snows,
for all her household are clothed in crimson.
She makes herself coverings;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
She makes linen garments and sells them;
she supplies the merchant with sashes.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
"Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all."

Wrong Person!

A very dear friend, Ruth Schooley, died suddenly Tuesday night. Her family and our fiber community are devastated. Here she is about the time of the recent surgery on her foot, but on vacation and still smiling, as you can see.

I keep thinking that Ruth is the wrong person to die. I don't know or really care who the right person is, and I try not to wish death upon others. But still, Twisted Ruth is just the wrong person!

She taught gazillions of spinners amazing things. She taught many dyers to take a second look those "weeds," like dodder, that grow along the freeway. Ironically, the subtitle of Ruth's blog is:
It is rumored...
That the dodder
Got her.

She was almost always chipper and flying her quirky sense of humor like a flag. One of the best words to describe Ruth is Vivacious. She would love that in her own humble way, while swiveling her hips like a belly dancer to see how the word fit her.

Blessings and thanks, Ruth, for being a part of my life and making it so much more fun.