Mid-October

 Mid-October.  I've been playing with this embroidery for about a week as I watched some shows like New Tricks.  The basic shape is outlined in red, so there is quite a bit of time left on completing this slow stitch project I want to use on a large barrett.

The cosmos and lantana keep me in cheerful colors, 

and the coleus and purple sweet potato vines root in another jar,

 then get planted in pots that I hope will last a little longer as it gets cooler.

Incoming Mail

from Cate

From Teresa

I love the effect of the chalk pastels on black,

from Patty 

the gold sparkles all over, but doesn't show in the pic

I love shiny things. :)

from young Zoe

This is one of my favorite postcards ever!  

It arrived completely black with instructions from Zoe 

to use a toothpick to scratch a design!

An interactive postcard--creative and fun. :)

Outgoing

Lazy

I have a lot of catching up to do.  It is hot and humid, and I often choose to ignore garden chores. My housekeeping has deteriorated.  The poetry embroidery piece gets attention only once in a while.  It's time to re-schedule dentist and doctor checkups that were postponed in April and May, but I keep putting them off.    Since I have been reading (a lot), catching up on book reviews for my book blog is another item on the list.  June has been a little lazy so far.

Books

A Garden Carried in the Pocket -- so many reviews to finish writing

Garden

Embroidery

Mail

Incoming Mail

Outgoing Mail

postcard to Suzi

letter to Connie

Tlhis and That

There are blogs I visit simply because they make me smile.  Odile Baillouel's blog is one of those.  I love seeing what her mice are getting up to.  

British Library Asks Nation's Children to Write Miniature Books in Lockdown

The Bronte's miniature books have always fascinated me, as does anything miniature (like the mice and their activities above).  Many kids would enjoy creating their own books,  then writing and illustrating them.   

"The library is asking children to share their homemade miniature books with its Twitter account @BL_Learning using the hashtag #DiscoveringChildrensBooks, or send them by email to learning@bl.uk. It will commission an illustrator to create a virtual bookshelf to display the work."

 This link has several tips on planning and creating a book for the project.  

Not that kids are the only ones making books.  :)  There are plenty of tutorials on youtube.
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Mail:  two letters I've sent haven't arrived weeks after I sent them.  I know a couple have, but I don't know about at least six more sent since mid-April.   An email from Connie mentioned that she didn't get her letter.  Bryce Eleanor didn't get hers.  

Reading:  These are my favorite reads from NetGalley recently.  Since they are ARCs, they haven't been published yet, but I enjoyed them tremendously.

Pandemic Activity

Embroidery.  When I get a little antsy about the news, I pick up the needle and work on the poetry quotes.

Garden.  I spend some time each day watching birds or weeding.  Overcast this morning, but blooms are cheerful.

Mother's Day.  Face time with Erin and Mila; Amelia, Chris, and Bryce Eleanor drove by with a gift and a Happy Mother's Day poster.   Fee made Eggs Benedict for brunch, accompanied by Mimosas.  I just miss hugging my daughters and grands.

How Long Has It been? Quarantine Day??

I'm back to writing letters, after about a month of missing the process.  Part of the reason is that the USPS needs us to buy stamps and to send letters and postcards, but there is also the fact that I've missed writing letters and decorating envelopes.  I have some unanswered letters from before the lockdown, but I've received several more in the last week. Leaving the letters in isolation for three days or so only heightens my anticipation to open and read them.

Postcards to the grands went out today, and maybe tomorrow I will have something else for the mailbox.

  

Erin's letter went out Monday

the back

  

Incoming

Outgoing postcards to the grands today

B.E.

Mila

Max

 Reading:  Blood on the Tracks by Barbara Nickless, No Woods as Dark as These by Randall Silvis, The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey, Shadows of the Dead by Spencer Kope, and just finished Sharon Bolton's latest book Split.  I have a couple of nonfiction books that I started, but have been unable to concentrate on lately, so mysteries and thrillers.

Embroidery:  I started this two weeks ago and haven't worked on it since.  I have a bunch more quotes that I intended (still intend?) to include.  The incomplete quote: "Poetry is thoughts that breathe, and words that burn."  --Thomas Gray   I thought this would keep me occupied, but for some reason, it fell on the back-burner.

After all, there are so many things to keep up with, including feeding the cats and the birds.

I found James Preller's Valentine to the Earth and loved it.  (James Preller is an American writer of children's books including Bystander, Six Innings, and the Jigsaw Jones Mysteries.   Wikipedia) 

In this current world of bad news, do you look for positive news to cheer you up?  Positive news is out there, but doesn't get a lot of attention in the midst of all the depressing news and events.  I need hopeful.  Sometimes desperately.  When depression and/or anxiety threaten to overwhelm me, a few "good news" items can perk me back up.  A friend posted the following on FB, and I didn't have to time to view it when I saw it, but kept the link--and I'm so glad I did.



I have written a few letters and have some to answer, but it seems I have gotten behind in so many things lately.  Happily, I'm still on target with my three goals and have yet to miss a day of yoga or walking or weekly getting out of the house.  

 used vellum to make this envelope; next time, I'll decorate 

the letter inside so it will show through :)

on back of Max's - another pun

On back of B.E.'s

I expanded on the embroidered mandala using the tart tins again and some small circles.  

I don't know if I'll continue to add to this piece or not, 

but I've enjoyed using the beautiful variegated pearl from Stef Francis. 

 The pearl cotton is so fine it is hardly bigger than sewing thread.

After knocking my good scissors off the counter, I decided to make a scissors keeper.  My first attempt, ended up with the addition of a mother-of-pearl button before being sent off as a gift.  I'm making another one for me.  I have a lot of scissors because I cut a lot of paper, but my good scissors are another thing entirely and deserve more care.

Sisters in Innovation: 20 Women Inventors You Should Know  

Stitching, Reading, and Stuff

Stitching

25 Million Stitches.  Still working on panel #3.  I seem to be spending all my spare time on this panel.  Which is a good thing for my blood pressure as I avoid as much news as possible.

Christmas bags finished.  Both of these were started a year or two ago,  and it took very little time to finish them up.  When I get a chance (after finishing the last panel for 25 Million Stitches), I'm going to select some fabric from my stash for making more bags, not necessarily for Christmas, but for gifts of various sizes.  It will help cut back on my stash and be useful for avoiding wrapping paper for birthdays, etc.  

Well, Darn--I discovered multiple tiny holes in one of my favorite cotton sweaters;  evidently I was backing up to close to the fire when more logs were thrown on at the camp.  Sooo...I decided to try darning.  

Books/Reading
Just finished these two mysteries.  I enjoyed both of them.  

















Goals--another week done.   Shortest yoga practice 26 min.; longest 55 min.  At least 2 miles a day.  A visit to an Antique Show for my "get out of the house" goal.  :)  A third week checked off!  I may get all the way through January after all.

There were some beautiful things at the Antique Show, but I didn't need anything and was happy to walk the aisles, view, and appreciate all the interesting booths.  I did find a couple of gifts for the girls.  

Love these ceramic thimbles

which will go to Erin at some point.

Two of these coffee cups in Desert Rose for Amelia.

She has my mother's Franciscan Ware in this pattern,

but the cups are different.

It's cold and rainy here, and my internet connection has been off all day.  It just came back on, but slow, slow, annoyingly slow.