Thursday 31 October 2024
Autumn's Beauty, Tasty Treats, Susie's Scrappy Basket Block
Wednesday 23 October 2024
Autumn's Golden Light, Stitching Updates, Help on the Journey
The last flowers to come into bloom in my garden are the Asters. The wild ones are also in bloom and like these, starting to fade. The sunlight lately has been wonderful and has that noticeable October slant. But shines strongly with a golden tinge that makes it beautiful. I've tried to capture it in this weeks' photos.
The scrappy EPP Tiny Nine Patch quilt keeps growing and I think I'm nearing an end with this project. The red certainly makes it cheery. This was meant to use up scraps but I still haven't made a dent in my scrap bin. That last bit seems to defy logic.
It is about 48 in by 90 in at this stage.I think we have a muskrat in the pond. There was a tunnel into one of the banks when we came here and we've always wondered if there had been a muskrat here as they are very common in small ponds in Ontario. Lately, twice I've glimpsed something much much larger than the frogs moving through the water stirring mud in its wake and going into the tunnel. A lone muskrat would have a field day there having it all to itself.
I got several questions about what was on my turkey before baking in the last post. As many guessed, it was pats of real butter. It was fresh from the fridge which made it hard to cut hence the odd triangular pieces. Happy to know so many are paying attention here and your kind words and encouragement are sincerely helping me through whatever the heck this is I'm traversing.☺ How we all love to know we are not alone on the journey.
On that hopeful note, I'll sign off for today. Staying Steady and Keeping Calm (trying to). Hope you all are too!
Thursday 17 October 2024
Three or More Things To (Maybe) Beat The Stubborn Blues
I read this line recently...you are a work in progress because life isn't done with you yet. I definitely mistakenly thought the opposite. That at my seven decades and counting age I'd have everything figured out, things would be settled down to a point where life would be smooth sailing through whatever years are left. The thing that might derail that would be unavoidable illness. But no, there are still people/family worries, messy situations and uncertainty. That last thing is creeping into my thoughts more. I've questioned how I'm handling certain present situations which has led me to distrust how I handled things before now...just to make it all the more complicated. And then there's this little point...I've mentioned Be Prepared was my Girl Guide motto and I tried to live by it all my life. How to be prepared for what we don't know about or a possible reality that involves something we think we can't at all manage- that is a challenge. As one of you brilliant people said in a comment, it seems for some of us who are born worriers, as we grow older, we swap out one set of worries for another. How true!
Thank you all again for taking the time to comment, commiserate or share your wisdom and stories to cheer me up. And in spite of what I wrote above, that heavy, generally low, dragging feeling has lifted from my brain. Hallelujah! I mean it now when I write that I am doing better overall.
So what have I been doing? I made the vow to just get up and keep going no matter what I was feeling like. I didn't use a journal to make a list of things to do which I've found helpful in the past. This episode I seemed to know what I needed and that was to just get on with things. With swimming in the summer, I had mostly dropped my morning jog. After the pool closed, for a couple of weeks I did chair yoga, one that gets your heart rate up and I enjoyed it. I followed the exercises but after a couple of listens, started using my own music. Last week I felt up to starting the day with a little jog outside and that too has been great so I've kept that up. I could feel what an energy boost that was immediately and could kick myself for not doing so sooner.
I've been spending time each day in my new sewing area (whether I feel like it or not). As you all know, you are not there long and something needing doing will catch your eye and there you are, engaged and even moving a project along and even just a smidge feels good.
The view from my sewing machine table...a side look at the Hydrangeas. I've cleaned all the windows on the outside and paid particular attention to this one. Many birds and wildlife use this area near the bird feeder and I'm keeping my camera handy.
The Hydrangeas in this tree turn pink as the temperatures drop. Taken before window was web free.
Wednesday 9 October 2024
Still Here, Stitching and Thinking Out Loud
We have been having a gentle ease into autumn with just one overnight frost so far and temperatures reaching into the double digits most days. We did have a terrific thunder and lightening storm the other day that brought unique clouds overhead looking like something AI generated. These are called Asperitas clouds. Even the clouds are fancier these days. I only ever knew of Cirrus and Cumulus clouds growing up.
Cindy Broderick photo |
But as my doctor said, we wouldn't be human if horrible events, those personal and even those far away from us, didn't make us feel somber and even sad at times. So still wallowing a little here, big sigh.
Thank you all for writing to me, wishing me well, commiserating and offering so many wonderful suggestions too. 💗
Thursday 26 September 2024
Birthday Cake, Carolyn's Everglade, Feeling Low
On the drive to our place there are lots of fields, farms and horse ranches. Many of the original zigzag cedar rail fences built by the pioneers have been maintained.
Monday 16 September 2024
Thrifting, Gardening Hazard, Autumn Slow Stitching
The Japanese Anemones are making the late garden shine again this year. A reader told me mine are called "Splendens" and splendid they are! Their leaves are also a pretty shape and shade of green. And the bees love them too.
This patch is the result of transplanting a couple of summers ago. They have spread! |
The Needlepointer offers this lovely Sunflowers Pumpkin pattern.
And KC Needlepoint had this very cute little angel wearing a skirt of sunflowers and again with that deep turquoise colour for contrast.Remember my Autumn Quakers from Rosewood Manor? I'm adding a few more motifs to it. Such a large over all project but I'm still loving it. Each motif sewn gives a feeling of satisfaction. Acorns are fun to stitch especially in autumn shades. I love the variegated threads.
This angle makes my leg look huge! |
Ah well, tiny in the scheme of things and a likely hazard that has not kept me out of the garden. Hope you are staying away from stinging critters, keeping busy and loving whatever you are doing these days. I know I am.
Thursday 12 September 2024
Simple September Terrific Twos
In twos...
The two of us went down to the pond early evening during the time some call the Blue Hour. As we turned a corner of the skating shack, I saw clearly two fawns lying together in the tall grass at the far end of the pond. Luckily Ned was entranced with something on the ground and hadn't seen them. I watched for a minute, then pulled him back to quietly exit the scene. No photo, just the beautiful image still in my mind.
My indoor Geraniums have put on quite a show outside this summer. The heavy rainfalls did not affect them. Such a hardy and colourful plant when in full bloom.
And my Madagascar Jasmine also flourished in the summer heat and rain. These flowers have a waxen feel and love rain.I've spent most of my stitching time with two projects since I last wrote to you.
My progress on the cross stitch project, Tudor Bee, has been slow and interrupted by travel. It went with me but I didn't lay one single stitch while away. Here is how far I am with it...
I am sad that two of my favourite blogging friends have decided to give up blogging.
Jenny of Jenny of Elefantz has decided to say farewell for now after blogging for many, many years. I was a member of her stitching club for a year and have purchased several of her sweet designs. I loved all that she shared with us...her tidbits about their life including the struggles of living in northern Australia, her garden photos and the wonderful recipes she also so gladly shared with us.
The wonderful Weaver of Grass, Pat in the Yorkshire Dales, has decided to stop blogging. She has cancer and is receiving end of life hospice care at home. She is 90 years old and I have been reading her words for almost two decades. Her wonderful musings and terrific advice, descriptions of food and flowers, love of her dogs and the monarchy, steady focus on the positive, her will to keep the body moving...all inspired and often prompted me to buck up and get on with it all myself. Her final note...it is better to travel than arrive.
My goal for August was to keep things light. I failed miserably at that having been downright emotional at times and letting my feelings seesaw so much my head felt tired of it all. That ever happen to you? You just feel tired of juggling all the thinking about all the things all the time. But I'm putting a stop to the moaning and groaning right there. Yes sireee, September will be super I'm determined and so far, so good. Do you feel like this statement too?
"September is the other January." -Gretchen Rubin
And there's stuff to be done here. I've decided to downsize my sewing room and move it back to the tiny room I had used originally when we moved to this house. I'm basically only in the sewing room when at the machine and I don't need much space for that. I've purchased a bunch of those under bed containers to sort fabric and projects and store them properly and hopefully, more efficiently.
Thank you, friends, who reached out and sent kind words of encouragement during my little blogging break. Stitchers are wonderful people!