Last weekend was Memorial Day weekend. Most folks had Monday off, but our university gives us 5 or 6 consecutive days off at Christmas, so we have to forfeit some of them the rest of the year. Memorial Day and Veterans Day are the holidays we forfeit.
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Steve's birthday was last Sunday (the big 6-0!!). Peter and Jill came for dinner Saturday night and we had an enjoyable picnic in the back yard til well after dark. It was a nice, relaxing, and fun evening. I can't believe I forgot to make him a card. I make fabric cards for all of my close friends and family and usually try to do them a month or so in advance. It completely slipped my mind. And I didn't buy him a gift because he just got a $700 used fly fishing rod. And had to immediately send it off to Orvis to have some things repaired. But he's thrilled. He had the same model rod years and years ago, but had to sell it to pay for his divorce from his first wife. It is only fitting that he find another one and be able to get it back. Full circle.
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I've been struggling with this piece for months now. It is supposed to be tree branches, which are completely threadpainted onto cotton duck, then trimmed, and leaves done separately and just tacked onto the branches so they maintain some "life". Unfortunately, I forgot to put the butterflies on the leaves for the photo, which are also completely threadpainted on cotton duck. I want to do those over again because they are too thick. I haven't been able to find the background I can see in my vision. I've tried painting it and still can't get it right. I thought this background would work, but seeing it in the photo, now I don't think so. Too much going on. The smaller leaves in this photo are the wrong color. I made more last night in a yellowish-green that are much better. Steve thinks the large leaves should come up from the bottom like ferns or large plants. He also is glad it's not coming together too easily for me. He thinks I need to sweat over my work a little more. He's probably right.
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I meant to do my work today
- but a brown bird sang in the apple tree,
and a butterfly flitted across the field,
and all the leaves were calling me.
And the wind went sighing over the land
tossing the grasses to and fro,
and a rainbow held out its shining hand
- so what could I do but laugh and go?
Richard LaGallienne
- but a brown bird sang in the apple tree,
and a butterfly flitted across the field,
and all the leaves were calling me.
And the wind went sighing over the land
tossing the grasses to and fro,
and a rainbow held out its shining hand
- so what could I do but laugh and go?
Richard LaGallienne
That is one of my favorite poems. I have it posted on my cube wall at work. I'm sure there's a quilt there... one of these days. In the meantime I frequently read it and it always elicits a sigh...
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This is our guild's Raffle Quilt. We each made a block (I made the spool - 4th row down, last on the right). We are selling tickets for $1 each. I will have to buy a bunch, because I really love this quilt. Also - then I wouldn't have to finish my Turning Twenty bed quilt.
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June is going to be a very hectic month. Keri is moving Saturday from Raleigh to Knightdale (20 miles) and I'm going up to help. The movers can't come until after lunch, so we'll make a couple of trips to take the stuff she wants to carry herself over. I hope they aren't too late, as I'll have to drive back to Lexington.
Steve is leaving Sunday morning before dawn for his annual fishing trip to Grayling, Michigan. He'll be home the following Saturday. I have to go back to Raleigh that day (8th?) for a PAQA-S committee meeting to determine our theme for 2009 and to look at our new venue at the Durham Arts Council. They have 2 large galleries, as well as meeting rooms, so our spring exhibit will be there and we can hold our conference there, too. We need to check out the space to get an idea how many quilts we want to hang in the two rooms.
Sarah's birthday is June 11th, but we won't get to see her until a week later when we go to NY. Keri, Sarah, Nana, and me are going to visit Aunt Allie and all the cousins in Owego. My sil Susan and I hope nephews and niece will be there, too. We will have a big family picnic and a birthday party for Sarah. She will be 3 years old. Hard to believe - time has flown so quickly. We'll leave on Thursday, June 19th and return on Monday, June 23rd. I'll definitely be taking Tuesday off to recover.
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We had just about decided not to do a Member's Show this fall because we are not a large organization and the same few local people seem to always have to do all the work. But, one by one, we stepped up and while it is still some of the same people doing the work, others have stepped up to help, too. So - the theme for the fall show is Reflections. That should be interesting. That show will still be held at the Page Walker Art and History Museum in Cary.
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Steve's mother gave us this Mountain Laurel bush several years ago, but it has never bloomed more than a tiny bud here or there. This year it is doing beautifully, considering they don't do well in the south at all. I couldn't get a very good photo of it because it is so white and it was so sunny. But it's still pretty.
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