turning my back on the news headlines

Let yourself be silently drawn

by the stronger pull

of what you really love.

-Rumi

(can you spot the goldfinch?)

You've heard it said there's a window that opens

from one mind to another.

But if there's no wall, there's no need 

for fitting the window, or the latch.

-Rumi

shhhhhh...

this week

pineapple mint from the garden, with green tea,

steeping in the sunshine.

• READING Here If You Need Me, by Kate Braestrup, the true story of a woman's calling to be a chaplain to search-and-rescue workers in the wilds of Maine.
• A MEET UP with the delightful Kate, who I met online via the Sew-Mama-Sew giveaway. Kate lives in Paris and is visiting family in Vermont this summer. We met at the Billings Farm to view their 25th Annual Quilt Show. And, of course, to see their lovely Jersey cows.
• REVIEWING "28 Secrets to Happiness", listed in The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs. (for example, "live beneath your means and within your seams").
• PROMOTING our son Stewart's new Etsy shop, Artful Geographic. Cool old maps and such. (He's a high school history teacher).
• SMILING every time I think of my buddy, Potts, and her family as they celebrate a family wedding this weekend. They are WAY overdue for some joy.
• HOUSEKEEPING as we get ready to host my sister-in-law, Ra, and some of her gardening buddies, "the hedgehogs" for the weekend. I'm looking forward to field tripping with them.
• NOTICING the shifting seasons. Still summer, but with a faint chill in the evening. Goldenrod is blooming in the meadow and the vegetable gardens are at full tilt. Here's an Etsy treasury in celebration of the season.
• SOBERED by the news last night. Where are we headed? So much uncertainty. It's hard to take. And so, I focus on the present. There will be a lot of mindfulness around here today, and perhaps some meditation in the garden.
• LISTENING for the quilt top to speak to me, but I'm leaning toward a small quilt. Thanks for all of your suggestions, friends.

What have you been up to? Do you have plans for the weekend?   

guest post from batman

In July I spent 2 weeks at Yestermorrow Design/Build School taking their core Design/Build class.  It was my Christmas present, and I was hoping to learn some basics to assist with future planning for our Vermont house- it certainly met all my expectations!  We spent half the time in the classroom learning about drafting, site analysis, basic architecture concepts, and all worked on a design project of our own. In the afternoons we went to the job site, where we learned basic construction skills and built a 8'x15' garden shed with wood storage. In addition, we escaped to the local swimming hole, ate delicious and nutritious meals, and  had a chance to meet lots of new (young) people.  We also had a chance to visit several local homes that illustrated the concepts we were learning in class. At the end of the 2 weeks we all presented our projects, and got additional advice from a panel of local architects. We now have a possible expansion plan for "Bit of Earth" which may be the "dream" scenario but at least is getting the conversation started!  It was a great alternative vacation and I highly recommend Yestermorrow if you are interested in woodworking, design, construction, sustainable building, and many more related topics.

garden explosion

it's what's for dinner.

fabric jelly roll and real blueberry tart

Seduced by the lovely colors and gorgeous batik patterns, I splurged, and bought this "jelly roll" from a vendor at last year's Vermont Quilt Festival. Jelly rolls are a clever marketing tool, allowing quilters to buy an assortment of cross cut strips of co-ordinating fabrics.

Alas, when I unrolled the fabric, I found that the strips had not been cut on the grain, but at a somewhat pronounced angle! ARG! Well, after a few deep breaths, I decided to cut the strips in half at the fold and just do the best I could. I ended up with a very "wabi sabi" patchwork, with sloppy seams and funky edges.

The piece now measures about 42"x60". Shall I add borders and batting and a backing to create a small quilt, or simply line it and use it as a tablecloth? Any other clever ideas?

Despite my disappointment with the jelly roll product, I've decided that I'll embrace the funkiness of the end result. And working with all these beautiful colors has reminded me of a fabulous book, Blueberries for Sal. Last night, I made an Etsy treasury to honor the story. Check it out here.

 

Look at this beauty of a tart! The girls picked the berries when they were visiting, and Lindsey came up with a fabulous maple syrup/lemon/blueberry combo, along with a yummy crust. Summer on a fork!

Looking forward to reading your suggestions for what to do with the patchwork...

returning east last night...


our nephew christopher and his bride rebecca
were married in st. paul on saturday.
the weekend was filled with love
and inter-generational celebration.

zaira's teeny, tiny baby toes,
the "anniversary dance",
abi tim's love-filled 80th birthday celebration,
the bro-heems middle aged/adolescent sense of humor
(when they are together, it seems they never grew up),
 the tornado siren on saturday night (!),
watching a canoe/kayak flotilla on the (amazing) mississippi,

and the promises the bride and groom made to one another...

the fullness of life in 48 hours.