Heavy rain and the odd thunderclap were keeping us inside for the most part. It came with wind too lashing about the trees.
We went out for our walks but I worried Hubby would get cold from the dampness. I grew up with those notions; did you?
Bit brighter today and there is no doubt "spring is breaking in glad surprise" all around us.
For instance, the phoebe has returned to the rafters of the tiny garage by the pond. Last year two nests were inside and the birds didn't seem to mind the closeness. Having a pond on one side and meadow on the other provides lots of food for these little insect eating birds.
And all the rain didn't stop this mother robin (can you see her?) from continuing her most important work, nest building.
Which she is accomplishing in a tree overlooking our back deck conveniently placed for me. I can stand in the patio door and watch her at work.
Nests with their precious cargo make me think of baskets. Did you know humans have been forming baskets as far back as it is traceable? Like mother robin, our need to collect and carry inspired every form of a basket.
I have this woven one that I love, bought at a thrift store years ago. I keep my best magazines in it.
A few yellow appliqued baskets have joined the browns/tans on the wall. Think I'm going to keep the colours very controlled; maybe just in this range of tans, browns and yellows. Putting them together on the wall makes them look like something which is encouraging to me.
I feel like I should have felt more upset about the fire in Paris which was truly horrible but we seem to be hearing about one catastrophe after another. Just this morning, dreadful news from Sri Lanka, for instance. The way the world is these days, some things just have to be thrown overboard. Lamenting heavily every single bit of awful news, I guess, is one of them. You can't carry it all, I tell myself.
But on a positive note our love of wild birds here in Ottawa means the
Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Center is getting a brand new building by 2020. The 17 acres to house it have been purchased and we have seen the new design. I'm very happy about this and support it all the way.
Special visitors at the front of the house yesterday stopping by the bird feeder- two white tailed deer.
Happy Easter to all who celebrate! This is April's redwork block called
Buns and Peeps from
A Patchwork Year by
Kathy Schmitz.
I'm stitching appliqued pieces on my
Spring Strings blocks today and also giving the
Cornwall Cottage piece some attention.
Hope your Sunday is calm, peaceful and you are doing something that you love too.
Something else I love is joining these link parties.
Kathy's Quilts,
Viewing Nature With Eileen,
Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and
Busy Hands Quilts.
15 comments :
Jocelyn, I love your bunny and bird redwork piece - what fun! Always enjoy your wildlife photos, too! You'll enjoy watching that robin's nest, I know. Pretty baskets - hope you get some stitching time today!
there are so many horrible things that keep happening in the world we are becoming immune to it I think - it is like - ok it happened again - where? and then go on with our briefly thinking how awful it is. When will it change and will it change in our lifetime or get worse?
I love your birds and the deer - We had several deer run through our back woods the other day - I was out working in the yard and hear neighbor dogs barking like crazy and then heard a crashing running though the trees and looked up and saw two deer running.
Little bits of work will be done today but mainly I will sit and enjoy the day - my back aches from yardwork!
Hello, love the sweet Phoebe and the cute deer. The Easter block is pretty. I like the basket too. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Enjoy your day and new week ahead. Happy Easter to you and your family.
Such beautiful critters! Happy Easter from all of us!!!
It's wonderful to have a bird's eye view of the robin building her nest. There are nest in several trees in my yard well hidden in the shrubs, I often don't know till I am trimming than all work halts for a few weeks. Love you basket blocks and the stitched redwork. Happy Easter
Lovely red work block!
Love your Redwork and the Baskets. Great Post! Our deer will be dropping babies soon - we have one buck and 7 doe's hanging around. They were all born on the place. We have spoiled them with the corn, but love to see them each day! I have named 2 that are pretty tame!
Sometimes I wonder what God thinks of his world at this horrific time in our lives. Will the bickering ever stop? Will the human race ever begin to get along again? Will protesters just quit thinking they are more important than other opinions? This is just not the world I was born into and lived in for the last 74 years! I do pray that Easter touches some of the hearts of the people who have so much hate in their hearts and souls! Hate is draining! They must be very tired!
Hugs
Every morning I wake up and think "what happened in the world overnight and what stupid thing did trump say or tweet". American politics, catastrophes caused by nature and horrible terrorist attacks fill the news and try to roll right over us. But you are right, you can't carry it. My answer is to find the good in the world and in my own small world. My birds always bring great joy AND my pooches, AND stitching. Focusing your thoughts on thread and fabric are a peaceful respite. Right now I am waiting for Orioles to appear at my feeders. Soon.
xx, Carol
Lucky you to have a close-up view of a bird's nest - it will be such fun to watch the babies grow. And to have little phoebes in your shed is a blessing too. And like you, I try to carry on my life without dwelling too much on all the bad that is happening throughout the world. We simply can't think about it too much lest we become filled with hate too. Finding as much joy as we can is what we should be doing and if enough of us do that, perhaps the world can change for the better.
I love your little baskets, and really should try harder to get back to my little batch of purple ones. Afraid that's going to be another 'lifetime' project. I think if we spend too much time focusing on all the hate in the world, we shall all become as insane as the haters. I choose every day to focus on the true, the honest, the pure and the lovely around us, as we are told in Phillipians 4:8.
Sweet bunny stitchery. Kathy Schmitz comes up with the best designs but always so much stitching involved.
Jocelyn - despite the sad events around the world, Nature keeps on. Birds building nests, grass sprouting, flowers blooming. I find it encouraging and it helps me have hope. I think the best we can do is to hope and pray.
Love your wildlife photos. Your redwork is so pretty. I've saved a quilting magazine since the early 2000s that had a redwork quilt on the front. It was always in the back of my mind to make it. Your redwork makes me want to start it!
dahling! love the donatello glasses on you! The first little bird is so so so pretty. She lifted my heart just seeing her and hearing about her homemaking. You have a tender heart. You sounded like the Buddhist teachings my husband shares... feel the deep feelings, do what you can, then let it sift away in the soft breeze. It is heavy to hold onto, I know I hold onto feelings much too long, and you are balancing it with the balm of nature. Love this post. LeeAnna
Enjoyed reading your post! I love watching birds build their nests. We also have a Cardinal nest near our house but I can't see it without walking around the yard (try not to go check on it too much as our little gray cat tends to tag along and I don't want to upset the mama Cardinal). Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
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