Posted on

Quilting — Inspiration

Quilting has been my therapy for the past year. Actually, fondling fabric has been a pastime for quite a few years. But in 2018, after my youngest sister passed away, it became a necessity. When in my quilting studio — whether picking and cleaning up, or organizing, or planning, or actually creating — time just seems to fly by. And my worries and cares recede a bit and things get back into perspective.

Colors and the peace that comes from cutting up fabric and putting it back together again into a quilt top are a necessity.

And I hope to be busy in this studio for quite some time — and have named it “The Beehive” — in much positive contrast to the bomb shelter, or bat cave, as I was referring to it in my mind.

So — some photos for inspiration of works in process in The Beehive.

Drinking Bird – CPQG February guild challenge, will hang in the 2020 show
Marlene’s Block Party
words to live by — prayer flag from March work shop with Judy Coates-Perez
Yankee Quilter BOM – block 1 in test fabrics — LOVE IT!
Posted on

Spring! At least in New Jersey

So, I’m really allergic to the fragrance that comes from Bradford Pear trees (ornamental tree pictured below). However, they are such a sign of early spring that the sniffles are worth it.

We took a beautiful, short walk with our friends Dave and Jane (and Milo) in one of their suburban parks in the middle of New Jersey. This tree was irresistible on a beautiful, sunny Spring morning. It’s hard to argue with this kind of day.

Spring blooms in New Jersey

Milo was riding shotgun and anxiously looking through the windshield as the park appeared on the horizon. Time for a walk! Time for a walk! Time for a walk!

Looking forward always — to where we are going — is it the park???

Posted on

Dear Blog — It’s 2019? How have you been?

The last I said “hello” was March of 2018 and I think I vowed to start blogging again. What happened? Well, not much blogging, that’s for sure.

So, I’m going to try again. I loved (at one time) looking back at old posts and photos and also loved the challenge of writing something intelligent, witty, insightful, or just at least grammatically correct. Finding that Facebook is causing my writing and sentence structure to deteriorate, I’m going to see if I can improve on things. Of course, this is going to require me to hook my phone up to ye’olde laptop to transfer photos more often.

Just home from a 3 day quilting retreat, I’m thinking about all the fun times we had, all the sewing I got done, and how interesting it was to spend time with 20 women that I had never (or barely) met before. Should be able to write some interesting thoughts here soon.

In the mean time – to insert a photo has become cumbersome on wordpress, but I’m going to try. — and once again, promise to start writing again.

An old photo of some blocks from Cape Cod Log Cabin, which has actually been finished and sits on my coffee table/trunk in the sitting room during spring months. More to come 🙂

Posted on

Down in the “pits”

Well, not actually. Not plural, it’s only one “pit”. And down being a physical location rather than metaphorical. We were on the patio tonight by the fire pit with a couple glasses of wine and the song “Smoke Gets In Your Hair” running through my mind.

It’s a beautiful place to be here on this evening, the last one of Spring 2016 as tomorrow is the first day of summer. And full moon is at 7:04 am. Wonder what that congruence will bring for the day. Not sure, but I’m up for it whatever it is.

And up for a return to regular blogging, for now at least. I found myself posting on someone else’s blog tonight that I liked reading hers even though I failed to comment and interact much. I also wrote that I found my blog (only read by Hubby and a bunch of spammers) a form of a scrapbook and one that I really enjoyed reviewing. Then, I proceeded to “review” my online scrapbook and found that I hadn’t been doing much blogging and had no good photos to review. So — promising to rectify the situation, here I am. And here is tonight’s Facebook photo and a couple from my “Scenes from a walk” Facebook post this week.

And I do think I have discovered the problem. Facebook posting has taken the place of my blog, but it’s not presented nearly as well and is not so easy to review. So — lookout blog world, here I come.

Down in the pits
Down in the pits

walking feet
walking feet

Scenes from a walk 6-16-16
Scenes from a walk 6-16-16

Posted on

Markers of Spring

Yes, spring is here! Spring is (finally) here!
There are indications all over our yard.

The PJM azalea is in bloom. Beautiful purple right outside my kitchen window. I call this my “thermometer plant” as I can tell how cold it is in the winter by how curled up the leaves are. This past winter was really hard on it and leaves and blooms are scarce, but it is still alive

The marsh marigold plants are in full bloom in the pond — beautiful yellow.
The forsythia is solid gold up on the hill and by the driveway.
The daffodils are also in full bloom.

Oh yeah, and I’ve played 2 rounds of golf so far. Lots of bogies, which are good for me. Don’t know where this good golfing is coming from, but not worrying about it too much less it go away. 😉

Yes, at last, spring is finally here

(photos to be added later)

Posted on

Snow day here — holiday update (1)

Leaning tower of ginger
Leaning tower of ginger

So, it snowed about 2 inches here today and I’m enjoying a day where I don’t have to go anywhere or do anything until tonight.  Decided to do a little blog work and so some postings with reflections on the holidays just past.

This photo is from our day trip to Peddler’s Village in Lahaska, PA with our good friends from Jew Jersey.  There is a gingerbread house contest there every year. One of my favorites from this year is the leaning tower of pisa represented in gingerbread.  And guess what is keeping it from falling down?  A bunch of Santa’s reindeer have joined forces to hold it up from the right side.  There are also several in the sleigh cheering them on.  Close up photos will reveal a strained look on the face of the reindeer who is the bottom of the group holding up the tower and a couple of them in the sleigh with their “arms” raised in cheering.  So cute!

Photo taken on almost the last day of the year (Dec 29).  Where did 2014 go?

Posted on

Happy New Year!

Yes, it’s time for those resolutions again.  Blogging is among them.
Future post — more info on how running alters time./

It most certainly must, because here we are in 2015 and I haven’t posted since October of 2014.

But life is good.

Posted on

Running alters time – day 2

Today, two minutes seemed way longer than two minutes.  Or maybe, since I was running in my hilly community, my timing was just off and the uphill portions were in the wrong part of my splits.  Running uphill is a bit challenging when you are just starting out after not running for about 30 years.  Where are those endorphins that everyone keeps talking about?  I could have used a few of them today.  But day 2 is under my belt, so to speak.

Posted on

Running alters time – day 1

Started training for the Turkey Trot today. Did a 55 minute workout with 9 five-minute splits in it (2 on 3 off). Not really a hard workout but by the 5th split, the three minute walk was sooooo short.

But I was running in a beautiful resort community in Westbrook CT – great views of Long Island Sound.

So it begins.

Posted on

Spring! Spring! Spring!

Windows were open today and some spring cleaning has begun.  Things are really waking up around here and today’s (or this week’s discoveries) include:

– at least 21 of my BFFs are alive and well and swimming around (Best Fish Friends)

– at least 5 frogs have survived the winter including the original pair who have created the family we have — Yes Phinneas and Phillis are back!

– several daffodils opened today

– lots of day-lilies are showing thru the ground

– and hubby has found the first deer tick on his body!  oh boy, here we go again

And I did some “airing of the quilts”.  These are destined for the Hospital Avenue Housatonic Habitat homeowners.  A friend of mine has a friend who wants to do charity quilting for Habitat so she gave me 5 of her quilts.  They have been in this friend’s house since completion and the house has a big hairy dog.  So, I’m tumbling them in the dryer to remove dog hair and airing them out.  They now look and smell great!

Four Habitat Quilts getting their spring airing out
Four Habitat Quilts getting their spring airing out