Quilting on the Edge

Tuesday's Ten: Quiet Courage

We've been watching and hearing alot lately about the brave citizens protesting in Iran......how remarkable really.  Then we hear about celebrities courageous battles with illness, or other misfortunes, and admire them as well.  I started thinking about many instances of not so publicized courage........things we may see as we go about our lives, or even just hear about.  So today I decided to make a list of ten instances of quiet courage and bravery.....

An elderly man or woman pushing their mate in a wheelchair.

A child receiving the American flag at the funeral of his or her Dad.

An addict staying clean for the next 24 hours, or for even an hour!

A young mother padding a dresser drawer with blankets, the only cradle for her young baby.

A Dad working three menial jobs to keep his family intact.

A teenager turning over his paycheck to his mother to help pay the bills.

A mother making a meal from a limited pantry and making it fun....."let's pretend we're camping!"

A preteen without the "right" clothes suffering the ridicule of his peers.

A grandmother cutting back on groceries so she can send five dollars to a grandchild for her birthday.

A disabled women living alone, hoping for the phone to ring.

Maybe you are doing a quiet act of courage everyday....maybe nobody knows about it.  Or maybe you're one of those people who looks out for all those who are required to be courageous......I once heard the thought that if we were to see everyone's problem in a huge pile, and had to select one, we'd gladly take our own back when we realized what others were facing.  Something to think about. 

Tuesday's Ten: Oilcloth anyone?

Today I decided to list ten items I remember from my days in Catholic elementary school.....I'll bet some of you also have similar memories, so sit back and take a trip down memory lane.  Remember, this was back in the fifties, so that helps with perspective on this list.

The oilcloth square we all had to cover our desks for art work or for eating lunch.....I can smell it!

Whimsies......these are small round lacy pieces we used to wear on our heads when going to church......usually in black or white.  If you didn't have one, you wore a scarf, or even a Kleenex pinned with a bobby pin!!

Receiving milk in small glass bottles brought in daily from the local dairy.

Playing girls chase the boys, or vice versa, at recess.

Walking to the nearby neighborhood store to buy penny candy at recess time.  You could get a lot for five cents!  Or at another store, two pretzels rods for a nickel.

Going to Girl Scout Meetings at a nearby fellowship hall on Friday after school.

Being a hall monitor.......keep in mind there was one hall, one entrance, one way out.  Still, it was a position of status for 8th grade girls.

My friend Helen bringing cinnamon toast for lunch.

Cleaning the erasers by slamming them together out behind the school building.

Singing up in the choir loft and looking down at all the people messing around in church.

boy, I could list more, but I'll stop here and just think about those days. I know one things for sure, the kids today would never put up with some of the stuff we did...nor would their parents!  But that was a different time and place, wasn't it?

 

Sketches for Inspiration

Many people suggest using your own doodles for inspiration for art work.  Last night I stumbled upon a site that creates a sketch from your own doodles. This photo here is one the sketches created for me from my original doodling.  I was fascinated by this, and thought I'd share the link so you can try it too.  This photo reminds me of stones crushing people......see their legs at the bottom?  okay, you do have to have a little vision I admit.  but anyway, try it!

http://www.zefrank.com/scribbler

"Musings" SAQA exhibit opening at Gerald R. Ford Museum June 19th

I can now post the photo of my quilt that is hanging in the Musing Exhibit beginning June 19th at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids Michigan.

To see the other exhibitors' work, go the the link below:

http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/museum/exhibits/SAQA/index.html#

Tuesday's Ten: The Nose Knows

Can the sense of smell cause your creativity to blossom?  Perhaps.....images may occur related to the smell that give ideas for new artwork.  I do know that the sense of smell can remind me of another place or time.  While out yesterday, a powerful smell was apparent that caused me to say " sure feels like summer today!".  That's the first item on today's ten,  a list of ten aromas that I find appealing to bring back memories.

Freshly mown grass...........lots of people were out mowing after the rainy days, and that unmistakeable smell of grass was in the air.

Pizzas baking......don't you love that smell of pizza as you walk by a restaurant?

Autumn leaves........colorful, shredded, mixed with sticks, acorns, and dirt.  

Salty sea air.........it's unmistakeable.  It's one of the first things I notice when I arrive on the island in Florida.  It brings a sense of freshness and serenity.

Fresh baked bread......we live near a bread baking facility, and some mornings, I can smell the dough and yeast wafting in the window early in the morning.

Talcum powder.........don't we all just return to thinking about babies when we smell it?

Homemade Soup........always reminds me of wintry days, home, and family times indoors while the weather rages outside.

PineSol........cleanliness!   A wiping away of the old and entry of the fresh new clean house.  For a while, at least.

Christmas Smells......pine branches, cookies, candles...all wrapped into one glorious experience of good times.

A walk in the woods...........especially in early spring, with the unmistakeable  smell of new green growth, in leaves, weeds, and shrubbery.

I guess we can also think of unpleasant odors that remind us of things that we may not want to remember, but these two can trigger memories to be inspiration for art as well.   See what interesting aromas impact your senses today!

 

 

Guest blogger on Inspire today!

check out my guest blog on Inspire today....an article on experimenting with spray on fabric dyes! http://inspire.creative-textile-and-quilting-arts.com/spray-on-fabric-dyes/#comments

Studio Art Quilt Associates Auction in September 09

The SAQA Reverse Auction of one foot square art quilts is coming up again in September.  This is a cropped section of the pieceI have donated........it's called Woodland Floor.......didn't want to show the whole piece just yet, just wanted to give you an idea of what my art quilt is like.  I'll post a link to the auction site when it's closer to the date....

The Simple Life

http://happydays.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/the-joy-of-less/

check out this article today about someone who make his life simpler and is much happier for it.  We all can't do that to the extent he did, but what can we do in our own lives to simplify?   

Tuesday's Ten: Good Advice

I took a photo of this egret on the shores somewhere on Anna Maria Island........ it seems I was pretty close to him.  One of life's lessons I've learned from this egret and other shorebirds is the value of patience to get what you want. Egrets are quiet, unobtrusive, and wait calmly for the perfect opportunity to grab a creature from the water to eat.

Today I'm listing ten pieces of advice I've found to be valuable in my life.  Here goes:

Most of what we worry about never happens. 

When you can't decide between two options, decide not to choose.  The right decision will come in time. Decide not to decide basically.......that's a decision.

Nothing is ever as good or as bad as you imagine it is.

Smiling makes you feel better, even when you don't feel like smiling.

A simple act of kindness toward a stranger does more for you than the stranger.

The best way to get others to become engaged in a conversation is to ask them questions about themselves.

One good friend is priceless.

It is worth the effort to remember others' personal occasions.  You never know when that card you send is just what someone needs at that moment. People like surprises, especially in the mail.

It takes more emotional energy to remain angry or carry a grudge than it does to move on from the problem.

And my all time favorite:   Resign as general manager of the universe.

I'm sure you have your favorites too.......drop me a comment and let me know the advice that you have found to be meaningful in your life.

 

Hidden Talents: What Could you Be Doing?

Do we all have hidden talents?  Is there something else we could be doing that would make us happier than we are now? 

http://inspire.creative-textile-and-quilting-arts.com/find-your-hidden-talent/

go here for a way to discover your hidden talents.......it could be the start of something BIG!