QUIET TIME

It seems intolerably quiet tonight.  Although I was lucky enough to spend some splendid hours this afternoon with my children and the dogs, returning to this silent house was hard.  I have spent many many weeks alone this year, and it does not get easier.  I wish that I were better with this solitary existence.
While walking out to the garden this morning I discovered numerous puff balls (for want of a better description!) dotting the overgrown lawn.

 I think that they resemble little peeled open craniums!  I have to stifle the impulse to kick them! Andrew warns that this action will distribute spores all over the place!  (He should know - he mowed last week.)

The zinnias are still beautiful and providing  bouquets each day.

This unfocused image is of my black beans, drying in their pods.  I've begun to harvest them - a little bit each day. 

When you open the pods the shiniest black beans appear!  The morning light wasn't conducive, so I'll try to show you a 'group shot' when I shuck them all tomorrow.  Harley and Jack and I settled in on the porch for a few hours of fresh air and knitting -

I am redoubling my efforts to finish this piece - Hillflowers by Anne Hanson.  It's such a glorious shawl and the fiber is amazing (Briar Rose 'Grandma's Blessing') BUT it is taking an outrageously FREAKING long time to complete!  I finished the first half this week and immediately cast on for the second -

two repeats with 14 more to go.  (sigh)  This shawl has been in the works since last year.  Of course, it isn't as if I haven't finished anything since then - that's more than half of the problem - I am not a monogamous knitter!  I need to learn how to be.  When I am struggling with feelings of sadness and isolation, it is very difficult to sit down to my sewing machine and work on my quilts.  The quilting can languish for a long time, but I'll always find joy in the portable nature of my knitting.  This is why you haven't seen any fabric progress for a while - my heart just isn't in it.  Quilting requires more from my creative well than just about anything else that I like to create.  When I begin, I submerge myself 100% and this effort knows no limits!  I can get up at 5:30am and work until midnight without feeling weary.  It's hard to understand, and harder to explain!  But I bet there are many of you out there who are shaking your heads in silent agreement and recognition.  Housework?  I don't think so.  Baking?  Not this weekend!  Shower?  Oops - I really should attend to that.


A long time ago I found an image of a vintage appliqued quilt and I had it framed because I loved it so much AND it was discovered in Poughkeepsie, New York - the town that I hail from.

I've recently discovered that there is an Australian group who are reproducing this old piece, The Civil War Bride Quilt, block by block.  Can you see those ostriches?  OMG. And the peacocks and the horses and owls and black dogs, etc????  I am soooo tempted.  Somebody stop me.  Another languishing project will surely do me in.