Sunday 14 April 2019

Avocado, Birds, Free Patterns

Lately this has been my favourite lunch which I make sure I eat by 1 pm.  Two slices of dark rye bread, a little olive oil, an avocado and a sprinkling of pink salt. I find avocado, like bananas, filling.
 I have to work on not gobbling it down and am practising mindful chewing.  Yes, that's a thing and pretty tiresome too but necessary for me as I have a tendency to inhale my food.  Even with this, I tend to forget sometimes and then I'm a big old turkey, gobble, gobble.
As a Newfoundlander, we are known for a love of food..."love our stomachs" as we used to say.  And just mentioning that conjured up an image of Mom's homemade bread just out of the oven spread with butter and molasses.  Washed down with a big cup of tea.

Saw a whole flock of robins yesterday and was thrilled. It was a day that also felt like spring with a double digit warmer temperature and dry pavement. A day to not wear my winter jacket but a lighter one with a turtleneck sweater under it.  Progress!
This is a redwork pattern I embroidered a few years ago, part of Crabapple Hill Studio's Flight of Fancy project. (Still have those blocks somewhere, unpieced!)

No robins but did capture from my kitchen window, this little guy sitting in my boxwood bush. 
So many different sparrows and the immature versions also make identification tricky.  But because of that spot in the center of his chest, I'm going to guess song sparrow.  Any other thoughts?
Yes, the Barred Owls of Indiana have hatched!  Two little white puddles in the nesting box at this point surrounded by prey. Both parents hunt to feed the young, are very able at it and the young are always blessed with lots of food as a consequence.
 All About Birds Barred Owl Cam



Spring and Mother's Day
Jacquelyne Steeves has coalated this selection of 25 Free Spring/Mother's Day Patterns to stitch.  Umbrellas and chicks, flowers and butterflies...the usual springy lineup. Love this one.
                                       
And my own efforts in the sewing room have led to this.  My first four blocks of Spring Strings.  I'll change up the fabrics for the next four appliqued flowers but hoping to keep them springy though.  I have also made a different flower template but wondering if I should just stick with this.  I have a stack of these string background blocks made so lots to play around with.  


Coffee finished and we are heading out with the dogs for our morning walk now.  We have a rainfall warning to begin early afternoon.  So more stitching time coming up. 
Linking with the following wonderful link parties:- Kathy's QuiltsQuilting is More Fun Than Housework
What a Hoot Quilts, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Viewing Nature With Eileen.

18 comments :

Powell River Books said...

For two years I had a song sparrow overwinter at the cabin. He (she?) didn't return this year. During the dark cold months it was nice to have a bird other than our resident ravens. - Margy

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I love your new photo with the glasses! so cute and funny - also I love your hair style. I really need to grow my white/gray hair back out and let it go natural but after I did one time it made me feel old and I started to dye it again - but I hate dying it - I wish it would just go one shade/color like yours is.
Love your birds and your quilting. I do not eat avocados every time I do I get sick - I think I am allergic!

Chopin - A Passionate Quilter said...

Great post! Love the pictures of the Owls! Neat redwork block and those Spring Strings!!! You picture is so neat with those beautiful glasses (hee hee). Nice picture of you! I love the grey! More money for quilting (LOL).

Shortbread and Ginger said...

Love the birdie pics - and the quilt.

eileeninmd said...

Hello, I agree with the Song Sparrow id. It is a pretty bird. I have had to cut bread out of my diet, trying a low fodmap diet. It is similar to gluten free. No bread for me, lol. The owl image is cool, neat seeing the owlets. Thanks so much for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Sunday, enjoy your day! Have a great new week ahead.

Sarah said...

Your lunch looks delicious (I'm like you, I inhale my food. Wish I could slow down) great bird pictures .

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

I love avocados, so your lunch looks yummy to me! I'll have to try that. Always enjoy your bird pictures, and thanks for reminding us about the owl cam! Last time I looked the little ones hadn't hatched yet. Enjoy your stitching today, Jocelyn!

Deb said...

Your photos of the birds are beautiful as is the redwork stitchery of robins. Hope ythe Spring weather hangs on.

Libby in TN said...

DH blessed me with two bird books and a pair of binoculars for my birthday this morning. The books agree with your identification of the song sparrow. I was surprised that the American Tree Sparrow also has a spot on its chest, but the coloration is slightly different.

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

Your spring string blocks are super cute. Thanks for sharing with Oh Scrap! I can't wait to see more.

Brian's Home Blog said...

Those bird photos are totally amazing!

Angie said...

Jocelyn - just read through your last two posts. I can relate to the weather - all day it has been alternating sun and short blizzards of snow. We decided to light a fire, perhaps the last one of the winter … I love your robin embroidery - the simplicity of one thread color seems to bring out the detail. The owls are adorable - I am sure they will grow into those large beaks! Joining you from I Like Thursday.

CathieJ said...

I love the bird photos and that pretty bird embroidery.

Jenn Jilks said...

The weather has been something.
Our song sparrow is back, too!
I love your work. So good.

Lynette said...

Oh! I really like your spring string blocks! That's a pretty bird embroidery, too. I have a bird BOM project that I'm itching to pull out of deep storage, but I need to clear a few projects up first. Your photos are making me want to build an owl box here - with a camera! It would be the coolest thing in the world to me to have eyes on the Great Horned owls that I love to listen to in the wee hours of the night. I hear them calling to each other quite frequently around 3:30, 4 am, but I've never seen them yet.

Denise said...

I love your redwork and the baby owls, so cute.

K Reeves said...

I love reading your posts, Jocelyn, there is always something to learn, a beautiful photo or 2 or 3, and of course some lovely handwork! You are making spring happen in your part of the world!

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Sounds like an excellent lunch - alas there's no avocados in our house because the Resident Chef doesn't like them. No sense in buying them just for me. Such a beautiful photo of the sparrow - he was posing so perfectly too.