MOONS, MUSINGS, AND THE MUNDANE

This is the second quilt I've done in this style. The difference is that these cows are black and white. The second quilt is for the baby of a young couple we know in LaJolla.

Carter's little afghan. I started this on the flight home from Portland, Maine. If you look closely at the right hand bottom corner, you'll notice that, with 6 inches to go, I ran out of yarn. I'll just have to make a trip to Michael's.
This has been a day for making moons and musing. I had two quilt tops which illustrate the nursery rhyme, "Hey, Diddle Diddle" to be finished by Wednesday, so they can be tied, so I've spent the day in my sewing room finishing them up. I cut out both quilts at the same time, but they're quite different. One has red and white cows jumping over a yellow moon and the other has black and white cows. One is sort of "campy;" the other more subdued. On Wednesday, two of my friends and I will spend the morning tying the little quilts. Good times and conversation will be shared, and our blessings for the little ones who are to be gifted with the bright quilts will flow from our busy fingers. Life is good. I've read of many cultures, including the Amish, who deliberately make an error in their fancy work to let out any evil spirits that may reside there. I never have to deliberately make a mistake; I usually spend much time covering up my mistakes!!

These last few days have been somewhat nostalgic for me. I'm not sure why--maybe it's because the rains of autumn have begun, and the smell of wood smoke wafts through the air. I think my nostalgic musing began when I watched two YouTube clips with our Institute secretary which are emotional to say the least. They are clips of the first and second place winners in the British equivalent of "American Idol." The first place winner is a Welsh man with bad teeth who sings opera. The clip is overwhelmingly emotional because the man loves what he's doing. The second is a six year British girl named Connie who sings "Somewhere Over the Rainbows" with the purity of an angel. I had seen both clips before, but I felt totally drained after watching them. Then, I read this statement in a book: "Yet at Sarah's age, one wanted consanguinity. Perhaps a last chance to mend broken bridges and certainly a longing for people who knew what your parents had been like, and what you were like when you were young." My therapy for the blues was found in the stitching of the little quilt. As I sew, on any stitchwork, I envision the person for whom I'm creating the work. I think of their influence of my life, of my love for them, and I often pray for the person. They say that doing fancy work lowers one's blood pressure. I agree.

On the other hand, Tom has been outside all day. Raking leaves, winterizing the various trees and bushes, and eating popcorn at Les Schwab while they put the snow trees on the pickup. The mundane sameness of every day tasks brings comfort as well.

Musing.....