Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Where's There's Smoke

If you knew
what you will know
when your candle
has burnt low,
it would greatly
ease your plight
while your candle
still burns bright.
Piet Hein, Danish scientist and poet (1905-1996)

Someone must have told the head of security that my birthday falls in August because he showed up at the staff monthly birthday celebration today with a fire extinguisher. ;-)


Monday, August 29, 2016

The Calm of Infinity

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour.
William Blake, English poet and artist (1757-1827)

Standing in an over-crowded commuter train that was running late, I closed my eyes and brought to mind this vacation snapshot. The infinity markings on the water, inscribed by a quiet canoe paddle, had intrigued me at the time. Remembering their peaceful calm soothed my agitated spirit, loosened the jawline and hushed the mind.


Friday, August 26, 2016

The Big Reveal

A friend is like a quilt: designed by heart, pieced in time, sewn by hand, and bound to keep you covered.
I can now share four of the reasons for the paucity of blog posts over the past few months. The quilting I've been doing had to remain secret until presented this week. Now is the time for the big reveal. The teapot and teacup runner mixes Kaffe Fassett and traditional florals.

A panel of Laurel Burch's "Embracing Horses" became the centrepiece for a colourful quilt for a colourful young woman. Helen Hubert, the "Caledonia Quilter", did the longarm quilting matching the quilting design to the curves of the horses.

For the six-footer, I made a masculine panel quilt of stallions and mustangs.

The backing fabric looks like stars so I inserted a series of stars for some extra visual interest. The star block also appears on the front as cornerstones. Helen's quilting design includes cowboy boots, stetson hats, and bucking horses.

The quilts are for an equine family so all needed to include horses. It took some time (years) to find just the right equine accompaniment for the panel featuring Cicely Mary Barker's "Laburnam Fairy". For backing fabric I actually found one with pink (a favourite colour) horses.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Rainbows Over Alberta

Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray.
Lord Byron, English poet (1788-1824)

Rain and wind have been moving across Alberta's wide open vistas for the past few days. Returning to home base from an afternoon visit to a quilt shop and coffee with a crafty family member, we drove under the arc of a rainbow. Heavenly.


Sunday, August 21, 2016

Moving Mountains, Lively Lakes

No matter how sophisticated you may be, a large granite mountain cannot be denied – it speaks in silence to the very core of your being.
Ansel Adams, American photographer and environmentalist (1902-1984)
I was treated to a trek to Jasper yesterday with lunch beside the aquamarine Lac Beauvert. Being embraced by the the mighty mountains, I feel so small physically and yet so enlarged spiritually.


Friday, August 19, 2016

Full Moon Setting

When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator.
Mahatma Gandhi

What a wondrous sight to wake up to: a lake bathed in the cool morning mists with the full moon reflected in its waters. The beauty takes my breath away. And it is so easy to breathe deeply and relax. Day 2 of Vacation 2016 started off perfectly.

Sunday, August 14, 2016

See Ya' Later Alligator

Good friends never say good-bye; they simply say, "See you soon."
Unknown

Cat came to the door to see me off. There's no hint that she's holding a grudge for taking her to the vet for her pedicure or for leaving her while I take a little vacation. She knows that she will be spoiled royally at her home-away-from-home -- and fittingly so! ;-)

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Loved

The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves—say rather, loved in spite of ourselves.
Victor Hugo, French poet and author, in Les Misérables (1862)


My dear family and friends reached out and made today very special. I feel truly loved and truly blessed. And, yes, the fire department was on stand-by due to the number of candles on the cake -- but who's counting? ;-)

Saturday, August 6, 2016

Life as a Peach

Life is as peachy as I make it to be.
Unknown

Yesterday I was treated to a day at Niagara on the Lake and a fantastic trip down the rabbit hole with the Shaw Festival's performance of Alice in Wonderland. The set designs and costumes are magical. The story perplexing. I have been trying to make sense of Alice's experiences, trying to distill meaning from each of the vignettes that replay in my mind. I've come to the conclusion that I need not seek a moral in everything, in the vein of the rather confused Duchess. Some things in life are just meant to be enjoyed -- such as the peaches purchased from the roadside vendor. Nothing says "August" as sweetly as the peach.

Wishing everyone a peachy day!