Tuesday 30 August 2022

Serious Talk, A New Sighting, Redwork Hanging, Cross Stitching Feet

I  finished another biographical book about Eleanor Roosevelt called Eleanor and Hick by Susan Quinn.  Here is one of Eleanor's lines I like and wrote in my journal.

" You can not live at all if you do not learn to adapt yourself to your life as it happens to be." 

How to remain caring and sensitive yet adapt and accept the unkind things life throws at us. Not easy. Especially those times when "you think you've lost a lot and then you lose even more" times. One foot in front of the other with music in my ears is the way I coped at one such time. I think I logged miles. But this thought applies also to the bigger picture of learning to live with what seems like a lot more complexities in the world not the least of which is a war, drastic effects of global warming and a pandemic that just isn't coming to a clean end. I feel like nothing is simple anymore but maybe that's my age talking.

After that little serious bit, I have to show you something that I spied and loved.

From my kitchen window-late afternoon, nearing dusk which accounts for the odd colouring, sunlight through trees. That always seems like a symbol of hope to me.

And close up on the late July Phlox- first I thought this was a Wolf Spider but with a little research, I now think it is a Nursery Web Spider.  It was lucky to spy this one.
I've been a bit lazy about the indoor chores lately especially after I did a big clean up when the dogs, Petey and Abbey, went home. And I haven't really been putting a lot of effort into meals- just cobbling together easy meals with the excuse who wants an oven on when humidity is so high; it's 34C as I write this. I feel like I haven't made anything really tasty lately. So this week I need to get back to deep corners of the house and also think up meals with meat and vegetables, etc.  

My Flight of Fancy quilt is moving along. Ned was happy when I changed up those two adjacent striped blocks  I've added a border and got ready to make a backing. Here it is in the back hallway and it really suits a wooden house. 

 I was dissatisfied with what I was sewing together for a backing and thought, you know what, this piece deserves better than this.  So I've been looking online to order backing fabric that would suit the birds, colours, etc. That was a TO DO item but has now been done. 

My Jack Rabbit is also growing feet and a tail. Love when that happens!

A couple of things I want to share.  Piecing the Past Quilts has opened registration for a free BOM beginning September 26. It is called Harvest Gatherings and is quite lovely. 

I'm a little obsessed with keeping my hands and fingers mobile.   This article on How to Improve Hand Dexterity -and Why That is Important is a pretty good one for providing simple exercises you can do to help keep the fingers in good shape. I had to smile when I read the author's opening where she says she is 30 and noticing some changes in her hands.  30!

My Acer is acting up and also more odd things happening with Blogger. I found comments going to a whole other place and not showing amongst my emails. Sorry if I've missed some of your comments.  I absolutely love reading them and will respond to any questions or queries. And if you have a blog, I promise I will visit you back.

Hope you all are off to a good week in your corner of the world!

Sharing this post with Texas Quilt GalFloral Friday FotoCreations, Quilts, ArtQuilting Patchwork Applique and My Corner of the World.


24 comments :

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

Love your jack rabbit stitching. I have read a lot about Eleanor Roosevelt over the years - my great aunt actually got to meet her when she was touring the Pacific Islands in WWII - my aunt was a pilot with Red Cross flying small airplanes between safe islands and met Mrs. Roosevelt at one of the airports and got a photo taken with her which I have on my shelves in the living room. She was such a roll model

Jenn Jilks said...

I quite like that quote! It's been really tough lately for so many of us.
I enjoyed your spider on phlox! They are good little bug eaters.
Your jack rabbit is really coming along. I have no motivation right now. As you say, too hot. I've not been doing well with meals. I'm ready for fall!

Nancy J said...

Yes., serious stuff is right with us every day now. I try to avoid the doom, gloom, and war on TV, and don't listen to negative comments there either. Feet on the floor in the morning is a good start, a quote from our GP after Hugh was recovering from his heart attack in 2012.We are off to Hawkes Bay, Te Mata Peak , if you Google it, our daughter is house sitting a large home, Ralph is there too, so some "serious shopping" for you know what. That note will be exchanged for some NZ dollars first. Lots of lovely shops there, she tells me. Finger exercises at that young age, what will she be thinking when she reaches our ages???

Ivani said...

Hi Jocelyn, your embroidery quilt is lovely. And you made great progress on Jack Rabbit cross stitch project, what kind or fabric are using? linen?

Jenny said...

Hello Jack Rabitt, aren't you growing into a really big boy! And so handsome too.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

That is a wonderful quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, and a good thing to remember. From what I know about her life, she embodied that statement! Beautiful view outside your window, Jocelyn. I love how both Flight of Fancy and Mr. Jackrabbit are looking! I'll have to check out the hand exercises. I notice my left hand/thumb being stiff sometimes, since I broke that wrist a few years ago.

Jackie said...

I need to keep my hands busy or I snack.

I love your quilt. It really does look great against that wall.

God bless.

Brian's Home Blog said...

Eleanor was a pretty interesting lady. Blogger and Wordpress are both doing strange things lately.

PaintedThread said...

It's not your age. Life right now seems a lot bleaker, overall. I carve out my little area of happiness but there's other stuff lurking out there. The greens and pinks in your yard are soothing. Love that jackrabbit! Good luck with your cranky Acer and blogger.

Michele McLaughlin said...

That's a good quote from Eleanor Roosevelt and I added it to my journal. I haven't been cooking much either because of the humidity. On Sunday, I made "everything but the kitchen sink" pasta salad with stuff I had in the pantry and from the garden and hubby loved it. I loved that photo with the light in it! Thank you for the link to the hand post! I've also had problems with blogger lately--I often write my posts a week in advance but blogger dropped one post all together. Very weird. Love the projects, love that you found the backing for the bird quilt because that is one of my favorites! Wishing you a cooler--and a peaceful--week. Hugs!

Annelein said...

Thank you for sharing the link for the free BOM. Get myself in.

Linda said...

Your Flight of Fancy quilt is beautiful! I look forward to seeing the backing. Mr Jack Rabbit is quite impressive. We had such a flurry of housecleaning before our family visited last weekend that now we are ignoring the dog hair rolling around on the floor. Don't get me started on Blogger -between Wordpress and Blogger I just say a big UGH. That looks like a lovely BOM to join.
Thank you for sharing with us at To Do Tuesday!

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Your 'Jack' is coming along nicely! The Harvest Gatherings design could easily be adapted to make table runners too (at least IMHO!).
Thank you for the link to the article on hands. I have 'arthur' in mine and do exercises to try to keep them limber (and I'm way past 30!!)

audrey said...

You are an inspiration to all of us to keep our hands mobile and working well! Love how busy you keep yourself with the good things in life.:)

piecefulwendy said...

Your posts are some of my favorites; you always find such interesting things to share. That photo at dusk has some very cool colors in it - the variations of colors in the leaves, for instance! Your cross stitch project is looking good and your stitching is lovely!

Cheree @ The Morning Latte said...

Ah, you have reminded me of a quilt pattern I purchased from Piecing the Past Quilts years ago--on a cd! Not sure how I'll even access that one now but I do love their patterns. That Harvest Gatherings will be so fun and very pretty!

Chopin - A Passionate Quilter said...

I am so excited! I went to Follow It and put in your URL and now I am getting each post. I want to take some time this weekend and catch up with all the post I missed in August. I did not know that Bloglovin went belly up but it did!

This is a great post. The USA is in serious condition. I am hoping for changes in November. But many are suffering unnecessarily and we just need to close our borders.

But even with all the negative Clay and I have so much to be thankful for. Turning off the news helps but we do keep up with all the happenings. Not living under a mushroom!

Love your pictures of the tree! Flight of Fancy is pretty and that Rabbit! Great work! Hugs

Gwyned Trefethen said...

Your red work is stunning. Glad it is getting the backing it deserves.

Susie H said...

Thank you for another beautiful post. Love the view from your window and the spider in the flowers is lovely. I like spiders and seeing their webs. Jack Rabbit is really coming along and I am so tempted to sign up for Harvest Blessings. What a pretty quilt! Are you going to? I think a BOW is little beyond my reach but fabric doesn't spoil! Ha! Enjoy your weekend.

Chantal said...

Lately, Life is not what we had come to expect and it's not just you or age. It's affecting everyone, my young men included. They are discouraged; unable to find good work, can't afford a house, etc. Something has to break, or give, somewhere. Soon, please. But pictures like your backyard sure do help to remember that there's still some good stuff out there. We need to keep looking. Love your redwork quilt. Looking forward to seeing it quilted. I love the BOM quilt and I might sew along. Thanks for the link. Hope life treats you better this month. ;^)

mamapez5 said...

Thank you for visiting me this week. I always like to see new names appearing.
What a beautiful outlook you have from your kitchen window. It is truly inspiring.
Well done on spotting the spider on that pretty phlox. It certainly isn't like the wolf spuders we have here in Spain, so you are probably right and it is a nursery Web spider. I love all the wild-life though spiders are not my favourites!
You are doing some lovely quilting and other stitching. I mainly do crochet these days as my hands are not so good with needles etc. I hope you have a beautiful week. Kate P.

Angie said...

Jocelyn - yes, there are plenty of problems in the world. It is easy to get overwhelmed by them; I try to focus on the things that I can do. Love the picture of the spider - recently in my garden, I saw a spider that had caught a bee. Imagine that! Your Flights of Fancy quilt is gorgeous!

Frédérique - Quilting Patchwork Appliqué said...

Beautiful flowers (and spider!), and I love your Flight of Fancy. This rabbit is cute, it's fun to watch it appear. Thanks for the link to the article about dexterity, it's always good to exercise ;)
Thank you for sharing!

Grams Jean said...

I can already see that your Jack rabbit is going to be quite handsome!