But it is perhaps the best growing season I've ever shared in and it has revived an old thought of mine that I would like to own a farm. No, not one of those mega farms with mile long barns, just a little one with chickens and a small vegetable garden. An old dream of mine. I must renew this talk with Hubby.
Recently I watched several videos about a most remarkable woman, Hannah Hauxwell, and perhaps that too got me thinking of farms. Hannah's farm was in Yorkshire, England.
Hannah became famous for her steadfast attitude of thankfulness while living alone and in poverty. She took her only enjoyment in life from the land around her. A lesson for us in thriftiness and loving nature. I also loved her opinions on life and her accent. I had tears in my eyes watching her.
Meanwhile, in the sewing room, more reds have been added to the wall. And two older projects brought out for an airing. More later about that.
This tiny nest squished between the electrical box and the eave on a backyard shed yielded two successful broods this summer.
All quiet and calm here at the wooden house this morning, a gradually retiring sun shining down on us. Already a noticeably weaker kind of light.
Joining the linky parties at Kathy's Quilts and Viewing Nature With Eileen.
21 comments :
I usually leave bird nests alone but with it being by an electrical box I don't know if that would hurt it
A lot to be said about living a simple life and being grateful for what one does have. I shall watch Hannah's video when I'm prepared to shed a tear or two. Have you tried to use a magnifying accessory for the finer weaves? Try not to overstrain your eyes.
Hannah sounds pretty amazing. The bird nest might not be in a safe spot so removing it is okay I think.
We do indeed love our summers. They go by so quickly.
I, too, am feeling a bit melancholy as we near summer's end. I head back into the classroom tomorrow for the fall semester of classes at our local university. Even though we will still have plenty of warm, sunny days, being in school always alters my perspective on the season. I am very intrigued by Hannah and I am definitely going to check out the videos later today. I hope you find a magical spot for a little farm!
You should get yourself a magnifier. I have found it is a life saver when stitching on high-count fabrics. Don't be too hard on yourself with how the floss lays. I have never worried about it and I have almost always been happy with the final result. Personally, I would clean out that nest as it is by the electrical box. Sometimes the bird nest attract the squirrels who will munch on any exposed wires.
Great stitching. I need to use magnifying glasses for my work. I too am a little sad as we near the end of summer, as my dear granddaughter headed back to school on the opposite coast yesterday. So won't get to see her again till Thanksgiving.
Hello, your stitches are pretty. If you are not noticing any birds around the nest, I would think it is safe to remove it. I love summer too, I am not ready for it to come to an end just yet. Your garden and yard looks pretty. Lately homesteading and farmettes are popular, people like to riase the chickens and grow their own vegetables. Thanks so much for linking up! Thank you for your visits and comments! Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy new week ahead.
The light is changing, isn't it, Jocelyn? I'm feeling a bit melancholy about it, too, even though I do love fall. I also used to do a lot of cross-stitch but haven't for a long time and I know my eyes have changed, too. Maybe a magnifier for stitching would be helpful, like your other commenters mentioned.
I have a friend who cleans out the Phoebe nest after the wee ones have flown. Hannah, what a remarkable lady, struggling to eke out an existence, one calf a year for income, how did she cope with those winters? What a wrench to sell and move, but I am sure she so enjoyed running water and heating and electricity. A small farm? we had 3 acres and were almost self sufficient, with trees for firewood, a huge orchard and vege garden. Another friend had a large magnifier on a stand with a light as well, it was a large circular glass and she did fine thread stitching, this might help.
This is my favourite time of year... the fall weather with the sunny days and cooler nights are just the best! Hope you enjoy your cross stitching... it's disappointing when we look forward to a project only to find that it's not as fun or relaxing as we had hoped.
Peace and quiet, and simple is great - especially as we get older. I am so glad to be home from a week away! I would love to cross stitch - maybe after the cataract surgery I will try it again! Nice post, and I love the Prism quilt and printed a picture of it from Soho with directions. It is in the 'wish' stack! Send Fall as soon as you can to South Texas -we are still in the 100's I am wondering if we might get a late hurricane from the Gulf in the next month! That will cool things off!
Thank you so much for posting the video about Hannah Hauxwell. It was so moving and inspirational. What an amazing woman. I enjoy your blog too and appreciate you sharing with us.
I hate the thought of summer ending - I know it's nicer to have cooler nights for sleeping but I must admit I'd rather have the heat because I know that all too soon it will be the dreaded winter. Can you tell I'm not a winter person?!! As for the cross stitch - 32ct must be really hard to see...I'd be tempted to use something a little larger.
Our days feel like Fall is in the air. Our nights are REALLY cool, if not cold. Those are tiny cross stitches. I don't think I could tackle anything that small right now. As for the birds, I'd leave the nest. Not sure about other birds but we have a Robin (at least I think it's the same Robin) comes back to her nest year after year. I think this year was 5. I DO clean out the nest boxes though. Often I find bee hives in them at the end of summer.
xx, Carol
You said it so well. The light is getting weaker the days cooler already.
I remember watching the programes about Hannah when they first came out - they were wonderful and I am glad that you enjoyed them. What an amazing lady she was. I would leave the nest where it is - it will either be refurbished next year or the remains used elsewhere..xx
Jocelyn - even if we have plentiful resources, we can have a simple life of gratitude. Sounds like Hannah is a role model for us all. Sorry you are having trouble with your cross-stitch. I have found that small fabric is difficult to deal with as our eyes get older … How wonderful you have had two bird families use the same space - it looks like you have had plenty of advice on the nesting material.
What a lovely post.
I'd remove the nest. There might be mites in it. It's good to start fresh, I think!
I second the vote for a magnifier. I have one and it's great for aging eyes (though honestly, I've used one since I was in my 30s).
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