Birthday Reflections

I'm old. I love my children, even if they don't always believe it. They are the life that came from me and my late DH. They are the last of our direct line, as they have no children of their own (yet). No matter. They are the embodiment of the best we knew how to be and give and share.

My next year may be better or worse than this past one; God only knows. I will continue to look for hope, to care for others as God expects, to love and pray and serve and create beauty...to exercise the gifts I've been given. It is all I can do and be.

But it's all being done for the Creator, for the memory of my husband, and for my children. May the Creator give me the grace to carry on.

Our Family - ca September 1985

Slip-slidin' Away...

That's what September seems to be doing.  This, of course, is not the first time September -- or any other month, for that matter! -- has appeared to evaporate before our eyes.  In 2020, this may be a good thing, for it means that (hopefully!) before we know it, this Annus Horribilus will be behind us.  A bit of hope for the future...but we'd best not start counting our chickens just yet...

One of the reasons -- at least for me -- that the weeks have flown by thus far this month, is that I've been busy.

"Busy" is valued in our culture, though it's often used as an excuse to not do things one doesn't really want to do.  But this month, this year, the last couple of weeks, I really have managed to fill my days -- and happily, for the most part.  And being 'busy' has gone a long way to keeping the 'demons' at bay -- the Blues, that is.  Those little blue critters that want to sit on your shoulder and whisper Ugly Nothings into your ear every time you try to go to sleep, or sit quietly with a good book, or as you go to answer the phone.

I decided to flip through my calendar and share with you some of my "busy-ness" since my last full update:

• August 24 -- lawn mowing, followed by an online Zoom meeting of some sort (must have made an impression on me...);
• August 26 -- a trip into town for an outdoor birthday celebration, masked and at distance, for a church friend turning 80;
• August 27 -- another trip -- for groceries, supplies, and a visit with my sister;
• August 29 -- watch the live-stream of the wedding of the daughter of my close friend, Candy, who'd died in April;
• August 31 -- another Zoom meeting -- this time for a SAQA committee of which I'm part;
• September 2 & 3 -- more Zooms -- including a Textile Talk (I enjoy these) -- and a tutorial on how to bid at the up-coming Annual Benefit Auction for SAQA;
• September 4 -- Lab tests in town -- a real production!
• September 8 -- Happy Birthday to me!  My friend and SAQA colleague, Mary, took me out for lunch and we spent some time with "show & tell".  Her gift bowled me over!  

Look at this!  Mary's a talented quilter and fabric painter who's added wet-felting to her art quilt repertoire.  She created this beauty using roving I'd given her last February -- for her birthday -- and a photo she'd taken from the Jacobite Express when we were on our Scotland trip together in September 2017.  It now has pride of place on a wall in my bedroom:

View from the Train
Mary Wilton - 2020

• September 9 -- a phone appointment with my doc (all my lab tests turned out fine and "Your cholesterol's the best I've ever seen it!") and another Textile Talk. 😊
• September 10 -- A quilty day with my friend Gwendy.  We took her first 'large-enough-for-a-long-arm' quilt to the local long-armer, had lunch out and then spent the afternoon cutting and piecing -- she at my kitchen table and me in my sewdio.  While she cut strips for a new quilt, I worked on the blocks for my daughter's "Turning 40" quilt.  All the blocks for the "original" quilt are assembled, and put together into columns.  However..the challenge comes next: adding blocks to make it wider and longer -- 30% larger than the original -- in order to suit her queen-sized bed. Onward!
• September 12 -- Another Quilt Freedom class with Joe!  

The theme for this one: Grids.  He and his friend, quilt collector and historian, Julie Silber, opened the workshop with a mini-trunk-show of quilts using this technique: antique ones from Julie's collection, and contemporary interpretations from Joe.

Then the hands-on exercises began.  For the first one, Joe had us create a grid using two fabrics -- one for the focus and one for the 'grid' (sashing).  The key was that the sashing strips attached to the blocks had to be in the shape of an "L" -- on the top (or bottom) and along one side (whichever side you wanted).  I put strips on the top of each square of fabric, but changed up the sides.

I've added outer borders to mine to make it a bit larger, as I've decided it will be quilted up and given away to a local youth centre for its new moms program.  The fabric is a poly-cotton (the orange) and a cotton.  The latter is left over from years ago, when I made my daughter a pair of pyjama pants one Christmas, while the poly-cotton was given me some years back by my late friend, Joan, and is left from making other charity quilts (the was a large chunk of it!)

The next exercise?  Joe illustrated how he inserts grids into his artwork without disturbing the original lay-out of the piece.  Here's my sample -- a small block.  And yes, there is a bit of "interference" with the original lay-out...can you tell where?

The final exercise: make a 24" (or so) square out of 3 to 5 pieces of fabric (some can be the same fabric, just in pieces).  Cut the fabrics free-hand, assemble with sashing -- either as an "L", as in the first exercise, or by inserting strips, as in the second.  Here's what I ended up with -- approximately 23" square once I added the outer strips and a pieced border:

"Is it a cushion cover?"

Yes, actually, it is!

At last I hope I've satisfied all those people who've asked that question when visiting my booth at the Lacombe Art Show.  I've finally made a cushion cover!  😉

In addition to this roster, there have been sunny days when I've been out in the yard and garden.  I've now put up a second raised bed to match the first.  I've transplanted a wild rose that sprouted up near one corner of my house, out in the lawn, just doing its thing, to a spot where I hope it will add beauty to a grove of shrubs -- lilac and honesuckle.  I've split out my irises and agapanthus (again!) and transplanted those bulbs to the edge of that grove too, adding some new bulbs -- croci and daffodils -- that I hope will show up in the spring.

And on the rainy days?  More quilting, of course!  I finally finished the "Unity" Sewing-in-Place top from Bonnie Hunter, which I've entitled "Star Crazy!"  The wide backing I ordered for it is on its way to me, so I should be able to get it to the long-armer sometime later this week.  Meanwhile, I had it outside on a sunny day for its photos -- Pookie-approved, of course!

Miss Pookie approves!

"I think I'll just stay here, okay, Mom?"

Some of the starry details

This week, I also finished the second of my "Chaos" pieces -- 12" x 30" mounted on painted stretched canvas.  I started these some months ago, and stalled...just part of the 'chaos' that COVID has wreaked in my world.  Here is the pair, which I hope to have framed in plain black 'floaters' (as usual):

Coping with Chaos
(C) 2020

Sometimes You Can Cope,
Sometimes You Can't
(C) 2020

I've some ideas for additions to this 'series', in assorted sizes, but nothing under construction at the moment.  My creative 'mojo' remains a little shakey...but it will return...I hope!

As always, there's been steady progress on a "Socks from Stash" pair for September...

And with Chrsitmas coming, there is embroidery to finish and more gifts to knit.  For that, a gal needs Stash Enrichment!  Conveniently...COVID restrictions eased just enough for the annual Prairie Fibre Festival to take place on Saturday.  Between that and birthday gifts from two Kindred Knitters...I find myself truly blessed!

The two balls of  Queensland "Perth" are the birthday gifts -- "Tasmanian Bay" colour way on the left; "Royal Blubell" on the right. (Yes, that's how the 'blubell' is spelled by the manufacturer!)  That one will be paired with the absolutely delicious lace-weight blend -- "Ekiko" -- 74% baby suri alpaca, 26% mulberry silk, in the "Dragon's Egg" colour-way from Dragon Strings -- for a Christmas gift.  

The pink-purple skein on the left is fingering-weight superwash merino and silk (50-50) in the "Crushing It" (as in grapes!) colour-way from Numana Yarns.  It may or may not be combined with the "Tasmanian Bay" on the upper left.  I'm thinking each of those will have its own project...pour moi! 😊

And so, Gentle Readers, it's time to close this out and think about a walk on this fine morning -- the last day before the Autumn Equinox arrives for 2020.  There was a brisk wind most of yesterday, that has blown away the smoke that travelled all the way up here from the fires in the US' Pacific Northwest.  I only hope those of you who live there are safe and well, and that the weather is turning so that the fires can be quenched.

There are branches to prune and flowers to gather, and more of the garden to put to bed.  There's quilting to do and knitting to start for Christmas...and blues to chase away!

And for those of you watching the 2020 SAQA Benefit Auction...Section 2 is open for bids today.  Section 3 -- where you'll find my contribution -- opens a week from now.  Bid if you can, so that art quilts can continue to be exhibited around the globe.  And if you can't, just pop on over and enjoy the eye candy, eh?  😉

Leavning you with my late-as-usual link to Nina Marie's Off the Wall Friday...and a wish for a Good Week, all autumnal reds and golds, or spring-time fresh greens, wherever you are.  Thanks for reading!

Another Year Older

I joined Facebook some years ago to keep up with my kids.  Little did I know that it would lead me to old friends, people I hadn't seen or heard from in 20, 30, 40 years.  S is one of these friends.  We grew up down the block from each other on the edge of town...her father was the local vet.  She spent parts of each summer with us at our family's cottage, and on day trips to places like the Granby Zoo.  She and I are 9 days apart in age (I'm older).  

Today, at 61, she marked my birthday with this photo she'd dredged up from God-Knows-Where.  That's me on the left, with the longer hair and the glasses.  We were about 15, I think, based on what she told me.  I think we are posing at her place, but I can't remember why.  Prom?  Just a special dance?  NO. Methinks it was the First Prom at our new high school...Chateauguay Valley Regional...May or early June, 1968....at the end of the Grade 10 year.  Check out the gloves!  (She gave me permission to post this, so don't freak out!)  (How many of you are old enough to remember when you first said, "Don't freak out!" ?)

I also heard from B and M today -- both gals with whom I graduated 'way back in....1969... Thanks, gals!

Buzz Aldrin on the Moon - July, 1969

Still, even with this photo and their well-wishes, I was a bit maudlin today.

Facebook has taken the place of "reach out and touch someone" -- that is, hearing the voice of a loved one over the 'phone.  Yep,  My kids remembered my birthday, alright -- on my Facebook Timeline.  Sigh.  No phone calls; not even a voice mail.

It's not their fault.  Somehow, my DH and I failed to teach them that second only to face-to-face interaction, the telephone (i.e., a live human voice) is the Next Best Thing.  FB and e-mail are great but I'm old enough to hunger for Real Human Contact and that includes hearing the voices of the people I love!

My sis and I celebrated last weekend -- as we often do -- because this week is always Canadian Country Music Awards Week.  This year the celebration was in Edmonton and I have to give a shout out to her because (drum roll, please!) once again she (and her team) at The Ranchmans have worked hard to win the "Country Club of the Year"!  'Way to go, sis!!

And some of my Mirror friends have helped me mark another year:  C took me for BLTs at the Whistle Stop Cafe yesterday; J gave me some pretty new earrings.  Earlier in the week, S took me for dinner at Joey's in Calgary (yum!)...so I am well and duly spoiled.

But...

Well...those of you who are Old Fogies get the picture.

Here's to another year!

Younger Generation

Thirty-two years ago today

This

became

this

and 

now

this

Happy Birthday Sweetie.

Love you!

-- Mom

Spoiled...and a give-away!

I haven't talked much about birthdays in recent years, but this one...well, it seems I haven't been able to shut up about it.  Perhaps talking about it, making it more public than in prior years, has been one way of coming to grips with it.

Some folks get bent out of shape as early as 30; some, at 40, and many, many more at 50.  Not I.  None of those birthdays hit me as hard as this one: 6-0.  Sixty.  It wasn't all that long ago that I thought of 60 as 'old'.  Now many of my friends are 60 -- and older -- and none of them seem 'old'.

"You're only as old as you feel" is a common cliche, and I certainly don't feel 'old'!  In fact, I'm in better shape now than I have been for years (and I'm resolutely ignoring my slightly elevated blood pressure).

Still, I can't quite believe it!

This past week I've been thoroughly spoiled.  My life has been a whirlwind of dinners, lunches and presents.  My Facebook 'wall' and my e-mail Inbox have been filling with greetings all day -- from friends, family, friends of my kids, and mere acquaintances!  Thank you all!!

It's high time for me to 'share the wealth' -- and what better way than to give away some artwork?  Here's the deal:

To participate:

1. Click on the tab labelled "3F Creations"; therein you'll find a menu.
2. Click on either "Newest Work" or "2008-2010".
3. Select one piece from those available for sale (those on tour, already donated elsewhere or otherwise labelled 'not for sale' are out of the running -- obviously!)

The FIRST THREE people who POSTED A COMMENT to this blog entry, telling me WHICH PIECE they want, and WHY (what strikes you about it) have, as you can read below, selected their pieces.  One will find it's way to my dear friend and singing partner, Alison.  Another is going to an across-the-miles friend, Bee, with whom I roomed at the SAQA Visioning Conference last year in Denver.  The third recipient, Areta, is new to me...but I hope she'll visit these pages often.

Although the give-away is over, please don't hesitate to look at my work on the 3F pages, and enjoy!

Stealing a page...

...from my daughter's book.

Yesterday was my husband's 59th birthday -- 'cept he was celebrating with the angels, 'cause he left Planet Earth over 5 years ago.

Yesterday was also the first time since he died that I didn't fall to pieces on his birthday.  I think he'd be happy about that -- probably think, "Finally!"  But all day, he was in my thoughts, so I just love how my daughter remembered him on her blog.  Thanks, Sweetie!

A Special Birthday...

My daughter is 30 today.  Thirty!  How did that happen?  Of course, I know...10,950 days, one day at a time = her life thus far.  A beautiful life it is too -- full of rewarding work; good, solid friendships; people to love who love her back; and people who loved her before she knew what it was all about.  Like every life, there have been some challenges, and more grief than I'd ask her to bear, if I'd had any control over it (which, of course, like every parent, I didn't).  And, like every life, the challenges and the grief have simply polished the beautiful core with Lessons Learned.

Now in her own new home, with yard, garden, snowfall and all to care for, she's crossing the threshold to a new decade, full of possibility.  My Sweet Darling, I offer you this prayer from the deep past of our Celtic heritage:

Be the great God between thy two shoulders

To protect thee in thy going and in thy coming.*

Happy Birthday!  Happy Life!

*Found in To Pause at the Threshold: Reflections on Living on the Border, Esther de Waal, Morehouse Publishing, 2001. 

OOOOOOPS!


In yesterday's post, I mentioned the cute birthday card I got from my friend, D, in Calgary.  But I neglected to mention the funky buttons that came with it.  Soooo very cute!  I wonder where she found 'em....Could be a treasure trove there just waiting...

So, I Googled.  The card labels them as "Button Sensations"; this website was on the back: the wholesale distributor, methinks.  Wouldn't that be a yummy place to work?  

These particular buttons are #6038, "Water" -- and they're made in Thailand.  I love the colours and the smooth feel of them...and have some ideas about how to use them, based on my summer sun printing....  Not on this piece particularly; only 10" x 10" -- of which 2" will be framed by a mat -- it's too small.  But see the fabric I used for those circles?  And the side strip fabric?  I have more of each of those...  So we shall see.


Thanks, D!

Prezzies!

My birthday thus far has been absolutely lovely.  First, I received an amazing number of "Happy Birthday" posts on my Facebook Wall.  Then, I got two delightful e-cards from good friends, to add to the cute and funny cards given me by my sis and my friend D.  Yeah, it arrived by *real* mail!  What's not to like?

And I have these two great -- and very different --gifts.  The gift my sister gave me is decidedly high tech -- a digital photo frame!  Thanks to my daughter, who helped me get it up and running the other evening!  For now, I'm using a wee photocard (just holds 10 photos) to produce a slideshow of detail images from my art quilts.  I figure this is the perfect vehicle for marketing at an exhibit booth -- as long as I have a plug-in!

Peaseblossom

The other gift is...well...low tech: yarn and roving, brought back from Nova Scotia for me by my dear daughter when she visited in July.  Now that's thinking ahead! :-)   The roving is white Shetland, 4 ounces, from a sheep by the name of "Peaseblossom" -- apparently named after one of Titania's fairy servants in Shakespeare's A Mid-summer Night's Dream.  :-)  Lovely!

The yarn is from Tanis Fiber Arts, which Gina really suspects is from Montreal, not Nova Scotia (the website neither confirms nor denies this) -- and it's a luscious blend of 80% superwash merino and 20% nylon, fingering weight....for the perfect pair of socks.  Mmmmmmmmm!





Speaking of knitting, I'm am making slow but steady progress on the first stocking in my commissioned Argyle kilt hose.   It's been a case of one step forward, 2 steps back, as working with 2 strands of each colourway, with yarn that has been a bit split-ty, has been rather a pain!  I abandoned bobbins early on due to tangling, and have taken up Kaffe Fassett's  technique of using lengths of yarn instead.  I ended up frogging the first 6 rows and knitting them back again; I'm now about to start row 10.  I have to admit I prefer the two-handed Fair Isle of the Christmas Stocking project , but I wouldn't be averse to trying Argyles in single strands in future.  (Somebody shake me!) 




A third 'sort-of-prezzie' arrived this morning as well: my new iPod Shuffle!  It's a tiny wee thing -- even smaller than the aforementioned yarn bobbins I abandoned -- but it holds all the walking work-out music and podcasts I  care to load on to it at once (it's a 500-song size; I have no idea how many songs' worth equals half an hour of podcasting).  The ear buds are new to me too -- with the volume control on the right cord.  (What if I were left-handed; could I request one with controls on the left cord?)  It wanted to download everything in my music library almost as soon as it was attached to my computer; I managed to stop it, and clear out what I didn't want -- for the most part.  It also loads in "playlists" -- part of the new control gizmo, rather like file folders on a computer.  Thus I have my 'music' file, my 'podcasts' file and my 'workout music playlist' file.  I rather like that.  We'll see how easy it is to manage these as time goes on.

Oh yeah -- and the colour was picked by me, too, and if you look ver-r-r-ry closely at the bottom of the silver-coloured clip on the back, you can see my "custom" inscription: "Bloom where you're planted."  The things They come up with these days to tickle one's fancy!

Thinkin' about...

My "baby" -- i.e., the youngest of my 2 children -- who turns 25 today. Happy Birthday, Sweetie!

Start as Many New Projects as You Can

That's the title of an article in the Spring 2009 issue of Interweave Knits -- and I'm likin' it! I am on a knitting jag right now; I put it down to the unusually cold (for March) weather we've been experiencing up here in the Great White North.

Projects? Have I got projects?! I've got a 2nd sock to start for the pair of "Hope" Socks I've been working on. Meanwhile those lovely Guernsey Socks (scroll down) are taking shape, and the front of my Climbing Vines Pullover is just rows away from the armhole shaping (for a glimpse, scroll down some more). And yesterday I started Jeff's Pub Sweater (IK, Spring 2009; see the link above) for my son. If I work hard at it, he might just get it for his 24th birthday in June. Yeah, it gets really hot in Lethbridge during the summer, but with the autumn...he'll get plenty of wear out of it. What? Me worry?

Having joined Ravelry (I'm MarginMirror), jumping in with both feet, I've copied out a pattern for a circular blanket and a baby hat to try and catch up with the rest of the BUTS -- that's Burning Up The Stash... 'scuse me. I have to get back to my knitting.

Birthday Gift

In the last post I celebrated my DD's birthday, and said I was knitting furiously to finish the shrug she wanted, so I could take it with me to Edmonton this afternoon. Well...

Here it is, including a bit of the back detail.

Pattern: "Sweet Shrug"

Source: Creative Knitting, May 2008

Yarn: elann.com Collection: Superwash Worsted

Colour #40820 (cream)

Now I just hope the sleeves are long enough!

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Today, my eldest, my DD, is 28 -- and I am now exactly twice her age. How did that happen? The years have gone by so quickly...

From a wee one








To a creative college student...











From a beautiful bride...To a bright post-graduate, on her own again,











a caring friend...



and beloved daughter. I love you. Blessings on you for the year ahead!

Closer to 60

And starting afresh...

Yep. Yesterday was my birthday. In less than 3 weeks, I'll be settling into a new home, a quiet place where, as Robert Genn put it in his latest letter, I can 'build [my] art factory'. Gradually, my children, friends and colleagues are beginning to understand the need I have to do this. Just as gradually, so am I.


P.S. For a little fun on your 40- or 50- or 60- something birthday, visit Yearbook Yourself for a wee bit o' fun!