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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Small Bundles and Large near-Finishes...

Hi, welcome to March !~! While still trying to figure out where January went, February scampers off into the Pacific, chuckling as she goes.

Good things have found their way into my life this month:

Thumb


Physical Therapy for my cranky-thumb helps a bit but the drive to get to it is onerous. Chris, my therapist, has great hands and does lovely massage but the bottom line seems to be that if I don't do the exercises regularly then the inflammation will just return for another stay. Dang it all !~! I wanna be lazy and still have a perfectly functioning body--who has the secret to that wish ?~!

insert pic of thumb here... Right !~! there is no picture of the thumb cuz no one but me can see the owie-ness of it. Trust me--it hurts and it makes my forearm hurt too. Oh well, what next !~!

Wyatt

Ah yes, Wyatt arrived in all his three-month old splendor. I have waited a long time for this little gem to come to me and here he is. In my lap most of the day, we chat back and forth, neither understanding much but Hey, isn't that just like real life too ?~! He eats and coos and poos and burps (we call him Wyatt Burp for fun and entertainment) then grins and promptly falls asleep again. What a hoot, his head control has stabilized (thankfully-bobble heads are cute in the back window of the car-not so much in your arms) and he wants to be looking into my eyes all the time. So rewarding this vocation. It truly is a calling and I cannot ignore it. Time after time thruout my life I have tried other professions and I always come back to babies. The younger, the better.

Is there anything anywhere more beautiful than a peacefully content sleeping baby with a full belly and a heart bursting with love ? ... I thought not.

Oh my, surrounded by homemade goodness, the young lad naps. Belly full and burped, diaper clean, body swaddled and tucked between my two favorite quilts.
It's all good, isn't it !~!

Quilting


In the picture above, two of my creations appear. To the left is Denim and Batik which I finished a month or so back with a gorgeous gray linen back. The batting I forewent-my home is usually pretty warm and so I need lap throws that aren't too thick. This weight turned out to be Perfect. Washable, it will soften as time passes. I love it; the green batik is African and elephants are the main motif as well as my favorite animals; the denim recycled from a thrifted denim skirt that I cut up and reused here. To the right of Wyatt is Diamonds in the Corners which I am tying instead of quilting. Almost done, I spend a lot of time figuring out how to do the edges. The batting-two of my velour blankets sewn together-are barely big enough to fill out the flimsy. I suspect that the border will have to interact with the flannel backing in a way as yet undetermined and still undiscovered. Ah well, the joys of being my own designer show themselves.

I am also working on Squares and Stripes and getting it quilted by machine. Not going very quickly but that's ok. Time and I have a deal; whether she will hold up her end of it I have no guarantees but I promise from where I sit.


Gardening


Ormond bought tomato plants today and we have tilled the soil in the garden plot behind our home. I love it; our most industrious neighbors are planting fava, corn, tomatoes, squash, peas and lemon cukes. One has even dropped in a few parsley starts-we'll see if they get watered; our rainy season appears to have ended early again this winter. Let's see if I can find some pics from last year's gardens...

Toms, lemon cukes, bells, zook
in one of the raised beds.

Same bed to far left, then just to left of front and center
are the blooming Field Irises we planted after Teri died in her memory.
Planted in the right side box is the plastic car the Littles pedal around our courtyard.

Innate Emotions


Love demonstrates its instinctual drives:

Sans coaching, Ginger loves Chester.
Dropping her pink beads in the moment,
she slides next to him 'neath the dappled sun

 wrapping the little guy with love's warm embrace.


Monday, February 11, 2013

A New Chapter Begins...

Wyatt

Today began my full-time work with a baby boy who was born the end of November and still has some trouble controlling his head. There is nothing in the world I like more than a baby. This one smiled at me a dozen times today. He'll be with us four or five days a week until school lets out for the summer. I couldn't be happier.

Wearing a bald spot under all my kisses.

The four-hour shakedown cruise last Wednesday went so well that today seemed simple with the young lad. He's easily comforted and very cute.

Nibble nibble while he sleeps, his tiny hand grasps my finger,
my heart melts into his eyes. I love babies. All of them.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Completion to Crow Over

Today marked the first time I hand-sewed a binding on and I loved it.

Would you like to see it ?~!

There she is-complete except for a label.

Close-up of the binding. What do you think ?
I did not cut it on the bias and I don't know why it makes a difference ?~!
Can 
Anyone help me with this question, I appreciate it.

Who loves his new lap warmer !~!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Sleep Cures and Projects Delight


 In my early days of sobriety nearly thirty years ago I slept a lot; for a two reasons: to allow my body time to repair the damage I had inflicted on it for the previous eight years while drinking and to avoid the hours of the day or night during which it was hard to say no. Sleep as an escape is time-honored and truly permissible. For some, it's the only way we can get thru.

Now as a chronic pain patient, I use sleep similarly: to heal and to avoid the worst of the discomfort when the weather turns or the meds just aren't getting it all. Rest provides respite, quiet time, and horizontality which allows fluids to circulate efficiently to the top part of my body and not settle in my legs and feet.

I have spent a lot of time in bed since the first of the year. Resting, recuperating, regaining strength.

Now I am up and ready for some action:

I am tying Diamonds in the Corners.
I plan to sleep with this quilt when I am finished tying and binding it.
Shooting for month's end. Keep your fingers crossed for me !~!

Machine quilting Squares & Stripes:
The backing for this one is a beautiful piece of woven plaid wool.
It's bluish-green, soft and warm at the same time.
I feel better with projects in the pipeline.

What are you doing this month? Valentine's special pieces? Springtime pastel bunnies for upcoming basket-filling?

Thank you for dropping by; it's always good to see you.