Morning Glory Studio

windblown sunday...

 

 

"Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads.
The wind is passing by."
-  Christina Rossetti 

5:30 am: The wind awakened me very very early this morning. Unable to resume sleep, I instead got up and read, finishing The Cruelest Month, Louise Penny's third Inspector Gamache novel. Finally! 

Downstairs, I make tea, open my journal and write:

7 am: The wind has settled a lot - earlier, it howled and roared and roared and howled. A mountainous grey cloud hovers; one of the deck doors creaks; and the wind chime is going crazy, rocked to and fro by the wind. A flock of small birds is swept up by the wind and then, dropped safely on the garage roof...

• I am grateful for my warm house and the bright sun that takes a bit of the edge off the howling wind ...
• I am grateful that I do not have to venture out ...
• I am grateful for a quiet Sunday and that I have many options from which to choose ...

12:20 pm: Morning has ticked its way to now. Throughout the morning, I've read and written and read...The wind continues to gust and howl; trees sway, bend ...  I, still in my jammies, debate getting dressed ...I take mental inventory of what is on tap tomorrow/this week and decide to dress, after all! And get on with the day.

Shhh! The wind has quieted down! For a moment...

sometimes mondays | quilters make quilts...

 

 

(baby quilt)

Mondays are quilt association meeting days...and this Monday, we had a sew-in. During the summer, we received a large fabric donation. Q: What to do with it? A: Make friendship quilts -our main charitable project - ranging in size from king to not much bigger than a 8.5 x 11 inches for NICU babies. 

(see photo key below)

This quilting year (September - June), we  have scheduled sew-ins. Members made blocks with the donated fabric and today, we assembled and stitched  them together .  T'was a lot of fun: we made two king/queen sized quilts ( not quite finished but well on the way) and made up kits for the next quilts we'll make in the new year... 

   

(1st friendship quilt made from blocks made in September)  

In addition to the camaraderie that comes with all/most of us engaged in some aspect of assembling a quilt, we get a chance to learn new techniques and from one another. This is the best part of belonging to a quilting group. And an experience I am grateful for having. 

We had a good time, accomplished a lot and celebrated November birthdays and our hard work with quite a spread of yummy sweet treats. 

 

Cheers~

Photo Key:

Top row : cutting blocks and strips

Middle row: assembling blocks and ironing strips

Bottom row: stitching blocks together and yummy sweet treats

a page from my journal...

 

I arrived a tad early for the gathering with my Thursday stitchin' group, so I thought I'd park the car and take the few minutes  to write in my journal - since I'd not done so earlier this morning... I happened upon a cul de sac, about a block away from my friend's home: what a treasure.

10:37 am Thursday 2 November    Sunny    61 degrees

    Tis a lovely, quiet day: the sounds of a lawn mower and a hammer. Gently, leaves fall. Two women, out for a walk, pass by. The sky is is blue, cloudless. A bird's tweet, just barely audible. A whirligig - a boater in a kayak- stops spinning, momentarily...a car's horn...

I shed my scarf - it has the colors of Fall: green; turquoise; blue; purple; orange; red; golden yellows. A squirrel scampers - two more people walk by: I wonder if there is a path to the lake. Note to Self: Remember to ask Hilary. Another walker and shortly, a runner. I check my iPhone and decide it's time to leave.

I drove a bit around the circle, thinking "I do have a few more minutes to explore", so I parked, got out and started down the path. Oh my!

"Look at everything always as though you were

seeing it either for the first or last time.

Thus is your time on earth filled with glory."

~ Betty Smith,

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

FriYAY ...day lilies

 

 

The day lilies are out in full bloom - doesn't matter where one looks: tended gardens; wild ones; fringe of wooded areas...there are even a  couple of slow-bloomers in my garden (I use that term lightly). Today, as I walked the neighborhood, I could see from several blocks away, a patch of bright yellow and a variety of pink/red ones...just a nice clump. They brightened my day and I hope these photos brighten yours. Enjoy!

Cheers~

ten on tuesday | thankful in nov for ...

 

 

 

1. 30 mornings of Morning Solitude and Quiet Time - a decades tradition…
2. Norman's daily morning serenades...
3. connecting and reconnecting with friends, silver and gold…
4. lovely afternoon walks…the changing season… and several afternoons at Zeke's coffee house...
5. glorious skies: sunrise, sunset and rainbows...
6. concerts with friends and moments with families...
7. birthday celebrations for Norman, me and several friends ...
8. watching  the bébé climb stairs and & listening to him "sing along" as Norman played the sax...
9. learning a new quilting technique and finding "lost" Dec 2010 journaling...
10. chronicling and sharing my november 2015 ...

I am thankful for all the moments that resulted in these and other wonderful memories and the opportunity to document and share snippets of my life, to all who shared these moments …and to Carole for hosting Ten on Tuesday. 

What are your favorite moments and memories of November 2015? Take a few minutes to jot them down before they slip away...

Cheers~

Fini…but not the end...

 

(finished paper-pieced quilt block)

 

monday 30 november 2015     7 am        39 degrees/cloudy

         Today marks the last of 2015  NovNaBloPoMO. It has been a fun and at times, challenging ride: There have been days when my mind was seriously lacking  the spark of an idea,  a story and/or photo to share… any creative energy at all...

As I pen this in my journal, I remember I chose to incorporate drafting my  daily post during the 7-8 am hour of  my MSQT routine. I plan to continue this new habit/routine and to continue to post daily in December, sharing not only my December 2015  activities and also memories from years gone by.

Just like the finished quilt block pictured above, every piece of  fabric and stitch combine to eventually make a whole - so do these 30 November  blog posts and your sharing my month.

Thank you for joining me and I'll be back tomorrow! I'm looking forward to December!

What's on your horizon  for December?

 

Cheers~

 

NaBloPoMo | week #1 gratitude...

 (click on photo to enlarge )

        November has a lot going for it: In addition to NaBloPoMo - 7 days down and 23 to go! - November is  also the month we focus on giving thanks, acknowledging gratitude for the goodness in our lives. So, I thought that today, one week into NaBloPoMo, I'd share some mini gratitudes:

1. my iPhone screen photo (an Inkwell Press download). I really like the bright colors and clean look when I turn on the phone… it's calming...
2. the floral arrangement at my local Starbucks…I hadn't been in a while and I especially enjoyed this arrangement…and my new drink: hot tea with one and one half pumps of pumpkin spice…just sweet enough...
3. my walks through the park…most days this first November week, we've had sun—and we were even treated with warm temps... I especially enjoyed ...
4. the sounds of leaves crunched under my feet...
5. surprise packages … Norman's nephew sent the perfect gift: hat and sweatshirts with inscription Kid from Chicago. Tho' not a kid any longer, perfect for Norman, a Chicago native ... and the items support the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago...
6. google's doodle homage to Adolphe Sax's birthday also fell this week.  Inventor of, yep, the saxophone, Norman's favorite instrument … tho' I didn't hear any sax tones coming from Norman's sax in celebration, I thought it was fun that they share the same birthday month!...
7. connections with friends. When I think about the people and things that made up the days of my life, this past week, I am in inspired. Though yesterday was grey and rainy, the day was perfect for gathering my thoughts and preparing for another week of daily documentation. I enjoyed and appreciated your comments/responses to my 7 Nov post. Thank you for reading and sharing! T'was fun!

I hear a football game on the TV so I guess I'll close for now and gather some "tv watching" stitching; I think I have a stem or two to sew...

Enjoy your Sunday! 

Cheers~

 

Thanksgiving 2014

 

As we transition into this glorious holiday season, may we all be grateful for having more than enough!

 I wish all a very happy Thanksgiving - a day filled with family, friends and great food! Enjoy! ( And don't eat too much!)

Cheers~

 

PS. I plan to stay more connected...for real!

30 days of thankful | nov 2014...

I am thankful that each morning,  during MSQT,  I can sit in my chair,  look out the window and watch the seasons change, as evidenced by this tree. I have been doing this for nearly ten years; each day brings me joy, comfort, solace and appreciation...11/7/2014  9 am.

Generally, everyday, I write a few sentences of gratitude on my journal pages  - somedays in list form;  somedays I record in apps : Day One (this app is on my iPhone, iPad and Mac and they all sync!) and Collect; somedays in photos - only and somedays, I use all of the above.

This year, during this November  month , I decided to join in with CZ Designs and make a gratitude photo album. So, added to the above mix  will be  a  4 x 4 miniature album designed to hold Instagram and other smart phone square photos, including the one above. I intend to share the weekly entries here. 

Here's wishing you a great weekend and as Lori Marrero of ClutterDietblog.com says: "and may you always be grateful for having more than enough."

How do you document your appreciation?

 

Cheers~

 

"new in town"

Three weeks ago today bébé Chris was born, albeit a tad early. He's growing, getting stronger every day and even holding his bottle. I usually get at least one photo/text update daily - love today's instant keep-in-touch, up-to-the minute technology. Of all the daily photo updates, this is my favorite...so far:

 

I told Dolly to save his onesies, especially this one; she can put it in their Project Life® album.

On to a busy day. Hope yours is great and welcome also, July! TBC...

Cheers~