New Beginnings

One Sunday morning in June, we were witness to the first steps of a newborn fawn. Many a stumble, tumble and head-plant later, as it tried to follow its new mama, it plopped itself down in the middle of our hilly backyard. Mama doe walked back and gently gave the newborn a nosy nudge as captured by this photo I took with my camera from an upstairs window.
The nudge was enough to encourage the newborn to get up and follow the doe into the thicket and brambles that line the boundary of our backyard. We would not see the fawn again for days and wondered how well it was facing the new life it had come into.

Since then, we’ve seen that same fawn and others, including two sets of twins. Though the personalities of the mama does vary, some more relaxed than others, the photo opportunities have been many. Here are some of my favorites…

This little one gave me a ‘stomp’ with its right front leg, making it clear to me that I should back off. They learn so quickly to ‘speak’ the language of their kind, and, me… I’m happy to learn it.

Thanks for stopping by.
Remember…you are loved.

“Housing Development” or “Take Me To Funky Town”

Hello and welcome!
This is my latest UFO that’s now becoming a WIP. I made most of the house blocks in the mid-1990s. 😳 Unfortunately, years later, when I pulled it out again to finish it, I discovered that I had gotten rid of the quilt book (remember Georgia Bonesteel “Lap Quilting” books?) where the pattern for the templates were. 🙄Back into storage it went. So fast forward YEARS to just a few months ago, when I decided to finally tackle it and the complications I myself had created. I drafted the template patterns from a finished block, and created a paper-pieced section for the roof and sky/chimney sections and made a few more blocks to round out the quilt layout. How I should proceed with the setting of the blocks ‘stumped’ me until I came across this tree fabric in my stash, that I cut at widths, 2”, 1.75”, 1.5”, and 1.25”.

Now, I’m beginning to baste leaves on the trees, to be hand appliquéd whilst sitting on my porch this summer to help boost the presence of the trees. So, color me ‘whimsically optimistic’ about the direction “Housing Development” or “Take Me To Funky Town” is taking me. 🥰

Thank you for stopping by!
Remember…you are loved!

Link to: Needles and Thread Thursdayhttp://www.myquiltinfatuation.com/2023/07/ntt-is-on.html

This Week In Photos

A trip to our prayer garden’s pond yielded this photo of its largest creation, rising for a bit of fish food I scattered on the pond’s surface. I explored using a slower shutter speed with some success. I like the photo, but would like it better had the larger koi had been the sole (pun intended) subject caught in the frame of my shot.

But fish food tossed into a small pond gathers all those together in the vicinity. Once fed, off they wander into the shadows and shade the overhanging plants provide to hide from the strong summer sun and the marauding fisher-cats and herons whose visits have been known to create havoc and destruction in the pond. The same smallness of the pond that makes an easy snack of fish food accessible to all, also makes an easy meal of fish for those in our creation that prefer them on their menus.

And this year, in the garden of the wild brambles that are located to the west and north of our home, we’re experiencing a banner year of wild raspberries.

Every other day my husband dons his suit of armor, consisting of a long sleeved shirt, long pants, garden gloves, socks and sneakers to walk deep into the brambles for the harvest. The armor is necessary, in part to the keep at bay the sharp thorns that, by nature, have a tendency to grab and scrape clothes and uncovered skin, but mostly due to the bugs that bite he unfortunately encountered a year ago who live amongst the microcosm of life surrounding the sweetness there for his picking. I find the raspberries very seedy, but he doesn’t mind the seeds. He knows the rewards of tasting the fruit mixed into his morning’s yogurt or scattered on top of his evening’s ice cream far outweigh the added crunch, the risks of biting bugs, and walking amongst thorny brambles.

Fish in a small pond gives me food for thought, and every thorny raspberry cane makes it point.
The evidentiary fallenness of what was at one time a perfect creation, points me to our Creator and His words ”…in this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.”

I find hope and comfort in those words. What about you?

Thank you for stopping by.

You are loved.

This Week In Photos

Fawn sightings have been few and far between this Spring, but just a few yards from our porch, this brief encounter was long enough for a quick shot. The doe was not happy with me and gave me a ’foot stomp’, before ‘high tailing’ it to the woods with the fawn at her side.

It was one of the hottest days this month when we helped to cross off a bucket list item for a friend visiting us. I love quilts and this hand-pieced, hand- quilted did not disappoint, but in 90+ degree temps, it looked a little out of place. Flowers on the grounds gave me opportunities to practice composition.

Purple Poppies

This week also included a visit to a local historical mansion with the same friend. Flower gardens surrounding the mansion, gave me even MORE opportunities to practice the skill of composition.

Back at home, this beautiful Northern Flicker has been a regular visitor to our own garden.

We were doubly treated to some lake moments with a short walk to celebrate the triumph of a new sailor in our family who navigated his sailboat to a nearby cove for the first time, and by a heron who made a quick stop to gulp down a fish before taking off again for other destinations.

Cookie testing, cheese tasting, fossil hunting, sorting vintage buttons, and trying my hand at photographing lightning bugs added some excitement to my days, (and nights) as I wait on the healing ankle, which is making progress, I’m happy to say, thank the Lord!

Until next week, and a new set of photos, (maybe even some twin fawns) thanks for stopping by.

You are loved.

Magnolia

“This light that surrounds you,
It becomes you, old soul,
And this one standing below 
Your slender branches, with eyes
Fixed upon your petals milky white, 
Hears you say, “I told you I would bloom;
I’d burst my winter tomb.”
So there in casts of shadows long,
Dividing sun-kissed lanes,
Dressed in dry beds of fallen leaves, 
We begin to sing,
(First her, then me)
Of thanks and praise
To God, the giver of this day;
For new life, new awakenings,
For what’s yet hidden, 
For what’s to be,
And the more we sang, 
The more I could see
In the light of the old magnolia tree.”