Quilting on the Edge

First Beach Walk of 2009

On my first beach walk here on Anna Maria Island the surf had eroded the sand to create a ledge of sorts.....this photo shows it well with the shadows created by the ledge on the sand below.  I like to walk on the wet sand area.....I usually can do this  without the water getting on my feet, but not when the situation is like this.  It's either trudge through the dry sand, or walk on the wet sand and get wet.  I removed my sandals and just got wet.  The water is warm!!  I guess that is expected after the hot summer montths. 

One our first chores is opening the shutters......so light can get in.  They are outdoor shutters we close before we leave here in the event of a hurricane, so it's always a relief to let the light in.  One of the shutters couldn't be opened until we got some shrub clippers and cut away some of a giant ficus plant that has grown up to the second story!  It always amazes me how much growth occurs over the summer months......which leads to our next job, which is yard trimming.  We did the back and side yards today.......and then brought out some of our patio furniture.  Luckily, the air has cooled to the 80's and humidity dropped, and it wasn't such a sweaty chore.  Once the trimming is done, our yard work will not be much, since we don't have a lawn but a shelled area, so keeping the shurbs and foliage trimmed back is our main task.   It doesn't take long to feel at home here........we are grateful for that everyday.

Tuesdays' Two Cents: Journeys

" A journey is like a marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you can control it"  John Steinbeck

We've been getting ready to travel south for about a week now.......decisions, decisions, decisions!  The usual ones about clothing and personal items, yet those pale in comparison to the decisions I've been making about which of my quilting supplies to take and which to leave behind.  It's like deciding in advance what I might want to use on one my quilts at some point 32 days from now or something like that.  No way of knowing that in advance.  By now I've made all the decisions and packed a few boxes and off they have gone.  I'm okay with it....no doubt, some day I'll reach for something and it won't be there.  that will force me to punt.......find a new way, or change the idea  I had planned.  so that could be good.

The photo is taken by me while paddling a canoe at Potato Creek State Park earlier this past summer.  Without practice, canoes can be difficult to control.  Besides, we didn't really have a plan in mind as to where we were going anyway.  John Steinbeck's quote reminded me of how much I've been trying to control to make this trip turn out to my best advantage.  I think I've done a pretty good job so far, but no doubt there will be the absence of a favorite quilting book, or fabric, or other supplies.  But I remember I left behind a lot of fabric and other supplies there when we left last spring, so it'll be all new to me again!  And that should make up for whatever stays here to wait for me to return. 

One Good Quote

This photo is a cropped section from one of my quilts.......it reminds me of the fall season, especially Halloween.  That's the way it's starting to feel outside here in northern Indiana......cool, foggy mornings, geese in vee shaped patterns honking overhead, the smell of drying leaves.  This photo doesn't really have anything to do with what I want to write about, it's just one I selected that I hope adds interest to this posting.  

I don't know why today I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes, but I have been.  Maybe a message from my subconscious that I should be heeding.  The quote is:  "don't let what you can't do keep you from doing what you can".  This is a piece of advice I have often tried to remember at times when I've felt overwhelmed.  Or unable to figure out how to deal with a problem.  Just do what you can do........no one's expecting you to bring world peace or anything major like that.   This is a nice way of thinking because it allows you to do something in the moment..... twice in the past few weeks I've come upon people who were clearly in a bind and it was obvious they needed to call somebody.  After sizing up both situations and feeling safe, I asked both if they needed to use a phone.....yes, they did, so I offered mine.  so, I couldn't do anything about the stalled car, nor could I figure out why the poor woman's transportation hadn't arrived.......but offering them the phone let them start solving.  Maybe that's why the quote has been on my mind.......anyway, just passing it along this fall day, for whatever it is worth. 

Tuesdays' Two Cents: Moving ON

Won't be long until I leave here for our time to be in Florida.  I'm ready to go, I have creative energy and a lot of peace of mind when I'm there, so of course it is appealing to return.

But first the issue of saying goodbye to my friends here, and deciding what to leave behind in terms of creative tools.  The latter is a challenge, the former is more difficult. 

My longest friend Jan and I go wayyyyyy back to our days in high school, we both worked at the same dairy store,  lived together after college and before marriage, and after years of living separate lives, we picked up again about ten years ago and now we walk regularly together at least once a week.  You know the comfort of being with someone who knows where you've been, and how you got to where you are today.  I think Jan would agree that it works both ways.  We talk over the phone when I'm south, and that's something I always look forward to.

Three women and I play MahJohngg once a week usually.....we're a fearless bunch, since we just decided to play one day, bought the game, and taught ourselves.  We have had some great times.......I think we've been playing now for three years on Wednesdays when we can all manage to get together.  We don't take ourselves tooooo seriously, yet we have managed to learn the rules and get through three or four games in an afternoon.   and besides that, we are a comfort to each other through all the stuff that messes with our lives  along the way......that is the most valuable part of the whole thing.  Some have been through the messes before, and we know some will be there in the future.  You can't put a price on that kind of friendship.  As the commercial says, it's priceless.  Women are great examples of looking out for one another.  I hope you have the same in your life.

We've been out several times with a couple we are close to, and that has been great to laugh and worry together about things we can control and those we can't.  but we soldier on, despite the worries and wonders about what tomorrow may bring.  whatever it is, I know we all know we'd be there for each other.  

After being the "go to" person for my mother in Assisted Living, it's hard to tell her I'm going again, as she then relies more heavily on my sister who is out of town.  This creates issues for both of them......I hope it's a little easier this year.  Still, the goodbyes aren't easy, even though they are temporary.

On the bright side, I'm looking forward to setting up my studio again there and working on some new projects........have some new ideas for this season, so be watching on the blog.  I'm a restless soul, so I'm always looking for something new to keep me motivated!

 

 

 

Baby Quilt: Love Beads

Here's the baby quilt I made for my new grandson that is expected in early November.  As I know the primary colors are easiest seen by babies, I made this modern pattern with large circles in primary colors.

According to his parents, it is a hit!

It's about 60 by 66 inches or so, and will be nice for the baby to look at, as well as use as a toddler.  It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed this departure from the traditional baby quilt.

Perfectionism versus "good enough"

Sometimes doubting ourselves prevents us from getting started on

something.........read the article http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=3845   and find out how to avoid the trap of perfectionism.

What's good about "good enough"?

Tuesday's Two Cents: September 15, 2009

I've been spending some time lately looking at old photos of the family and things from a long time ago......over 20 years actually.  I keep a basket of photos out so when the mood strikes me, I can just flip through them, and not have to go find them in an album somewhere which I would probably never do. 

I'm always amazed that a photo can spark so many memories of the whole thing.......the people in it, the place they were, even feelings about when it was taken.  One of our sons and his wife are expecting their first child, a boy, in about six weeks........I was looking for photos of him as a baby to share with his wife.  I happened to have the photo of him only a few hours old in the hospital......I remember it was funny because he had his left hand raised up with the fingers folded in the form or a salute.  His expression was nothing but serious though.  We had a good laugh about that.  We don't take many photos anymore of people......seems I'm always taking photos of inspirational scenes or something out of the ordinary, but not so much of people or family members.  I guess that is reserved for when the kids are young......then the photos abound.

I recommend getting our some of your packages of photos and tossing them in a basket.......leave then out in your living space somewhere, and you too will enjoy looking at them while relaxing sometime.   Sometimes life can be quiet, too quiet........sometimes life can be stressful and uncertain......and seeing the photos from the past are reassuring that yes, there was another time, another place, when things weren't as they are at the moment.  I find it uplifting in down times, and a way to get in touch with all that you have been in an earlier day and time.  And it's good for teasing the kids about too!  

RiverTown Quilt Completed!

Here's the final piece after quilting is completed.  First, I threadpainted a large tree over the  house section, it's in brown variegated thread.  I free motion quilted over the same section in a pattern of leaves connected by vine type lines.  For the outside, I echo quilted in a variegated orange thread for three rows, then continued the echo quilting in clear monofilament thread.  These quilting lines are spaced about one quarter inch apart.

The second photo is a detail shot showing parts of the large tree and the leave pattern.   If you click on the photos, you'll see an enlarged version which should show the quilting better.   Thanks for taking the trip.......I enjoyed this project, making something from scraps.

Birthdays, Past and Present

Birthdays come every year to give us a chance to not just remember that we're another year older, but a chance to look back and see how far we have come.  This photo is of my husband on his birthday last June 9th.  I bought a cake and surprised him at some friends' house after we went out for dinner.......yep, we did candles and the whole bit.  Even sang Happy Birthday.   Years ago when the family was young, I bought a red plate which had written on it  "You are special today".....it became sort of a tradition in our family that on your birthday, you were served your cake and ice cream on "the red plate".  That's fun to remember....I can just hear the boys when they were young saying "don't forget the red plate".   I know I still have the red plate, but to tell you the truth, I don't know exactly where it is right now.  I'll have to find it and place it in the possession of one of the boys to use for their own families.  Wonder if they'd use it?  Not for me to know I guess.  Our old traditions don't necessarily translate into new traditions for the next generation. 

My birthday comes up again in October......we'll probably eat out for dinner as usual and get a little melancholy about times past, that's typical as we age.   Remembering.........the good times, the not so good ones, and ones we survived being not so good.  That's a testimonial to the human spirit that we can look back and remember times of hardship, struggle, and maybe even pain, and realize that we made it through them.  Probably a little wiser and better prepared to handle things the next time the pendulum swings to the dark side in life.  A reason to celebrate all the more!  Whenever your birthday is, take time to remember that life can be good, it can be hard, it can be not exactly what you expected, but it's still good to be alive.  I have a saying written in calligraphy framed that says:"Life may not be the party we expected, but while we're here, let's dance".    That's my message for today. 

Tuesday's Two Cents: Could We Survive?

I've been listening to a book while I walk.....I'm about three hours of walking time from finishing it.  That's what has caused me to talk about survival. 

In the book, our country has been attacked and changed forever by an EMP attack (the book will explain this).  Suffice it to say that our lives as we know them today are utterly altered.  No communications, NONE.  All of life comes to a screeching halt....think of food supplies, medical supplies, jobs. Money is worthless.    EVERYTHING.  The book shows the life going on in a small North Carolina community after this attack.......how quickly people revert to behaviours unspeakable,  and also how quickly our resourcefulness comes to help in some way.  Right now the community is preparing for an attack of pillagers coming down the interstate to destroy what little community is remaining. They've left behind other communities destroyed and murdered people for food.   And the community people, though starving, weak, and dying daily, are preparing to protect themselves.

I've been thinking a lot about how to survive  in the event of any emergency.......I've realized how much I take for granted.  Can one ever really prepare?  Could we survive?  I've learned things from this book about survival.  I've also learned things about our fragile vulnerability which I never gave a bit of a thought.  A story it is, but a possibility still the same, if not the attack they propose, but something else.  This is the kind of book that leaves you with decisions to make.  Should you prepare?  what would be enough preparation?  Would it be worth staying alive?  would I be able to make it through the tough times in anticipation of a return to a better life?  There are people living in our world in these conditions as I write this, yet I rarely think about them.  What if it were me?  Think of all those you know  who would persish without their daily medications, not to mention food.   Could we become victims of our own technological advances? 

The book is One Second After by  William R. Forstchen.   Read it for yourself.   It has had a powerful impact on me.  An impact I'm still trying to make decisions about for my own life.  This is a lot more than a power outage after a winter storm.  The whole country is in the same situation, so no one is coming with the rescue supplies.  Would I have what it takes to survive?  Mentally as while as materially.  I'm still wondering. I also am not in the least bit prepared.   And that's my two cents for this day.