Quilt Festival

I've been enjoying seeing the quilts shown by the multitude of creative individuals from oh, so man places.  Once again, I've added to my list of "oooh, I want to try that."  (As yet, an unwritten list, so it doesn't feel quite so daunting.

I knew which quilt I wanted to put in.  And then I read the requirements.  The one I wanted to put in is not finished.  It's still at the quilter's home, so it'll have to wait until next time.  Choice #2 is also at the quilter's.  So, it's on to choice number three.  Fortunately, I actually managed to finish quite a few quilts this year.  

So, here it is.  My entry for the quilt festival.  I love this quilt.  I made it with material bought on a FART (Fabric Acquisition Road Trip - can't take credit for the acronym) with friends.  The trip was attempted in March one year.  We were stymied by bad winter weather and didn't make our destination.  (Still had a delightful trip with friends and managed to find some fabric.)  We tried again in the summer and managed to make it to the Eureka Quilt Show.  We had a fabulous time.  I already had the charm pack for this line (Moda - Collections for a Cause - Tradition) and I picked up the layercake and jellyroll on the trip.  These were turned into a scruffy throw quilt made with a tutorial I found at Moda Bake Shop (Scruffily Quilt).  

This quilt makes me smile every time I see it.  It reminds me of my special times with friends.  And it reminds me of how playing with fabric makes every day better.

Quilt stats:

size - 60 inches by 60 inches

quilted by Devon Lavigne of Prairie Quilt Mercantile (soon to be called Prairie Now)

best categories: throw quilt and professionally quilted quilt

Be sure to check out the other quilts at the festival!  (Hopefully you'll be brought to the festival if you click on the top of this link.)

Gold?

"All gold does not glitter."  (Richard Paul Evans in The Road to Grace - p. 139)

I read these words this afternoon.  They struck a chord with me.  We live in a world that honours glitter and glitz.  We live in a world that honours those who "stand out" in particular ways.  And I think that this causes us to miss out on a lot of gold.  That is such a shame.  God has created so much gold in His world. We just need to stop and look to see it.  That's a daily challenge for me.

Here is some of the gold I've seen in my life lately.

1336) playing with fabric - cutting out a quilt top
1337) the sensation of anticipation and delight at the prospect of beginning a new project
1338) the surprise of running into a friend
1339) a very productive afternoon of errands
1340) getting a stack of "heavy" marking done
1341) parent volunteers!
1342) positive comments on a lesson observed by an administrator (and the lesson was first thing Monday after an extra long break - 5 days)
1343) insights and information shared by students after research time
1344) the beauty of frost on trees and leaves
1345) peanut butter and chocolate
1346) beauty in changing seasons (even if the snow is a tad on the early side)
1347)

 1348)

 1349)

 1350)

1351)

1352) Saturday morning quilting with friends
1353) people who stand up for what is right

quiet days

Today was a quiet day.  The first one in a long time.  And it was good. I needed to "be still and know" again. 

Church was good.  Thought-provoking as we are in a series of sermons on the idols we can put in our lives.  Sad how it is so easy to take something that is good, something that God blesses us with, and turn it into something that takes the place of God.

As I looked over e-mail, I saw one about an art show.  So I headed out to feast my eyes and feed my soul by looking at the creativity of others.  There were a couple that spoke to me - and I seriously considered bringing one home to be a regular inspiration to me.  But I wasn't sure I loved them enough.  And maybe that's okay.  I have plenty of "stuff" and perhaps I should only add more "stuff" that makes my soul happy or serves a specific purpose.  

I spent a little time rereading Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie.  It's a good reminder about what is important in life.  Among the bits that spoke to me today are:
    1) "I give myself a good cry if I need it.  But then I concentrate on all the good things still in my life."  p. 57
    2) "Remember what I said about finding a meaningful life?  I wrote it down, but now I can recite it.  Devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourelf to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."  p. 127
    3) "Each night, when I go to sleep, I die.  And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn."  quote from Mahatma Gandhi on page 129
    4) "Once you start running, I said, it's hard to slow yourself down."  p. 136
    5) "What we take, we must replenish."  p. 141
    6) "In the beginning of life, when we are infants, we need others to survive, right?  And at the end of life, when you get like me, you need others to survive, right?"  His voice dropped to a whisper.  "But here's the secret: in between, we need others as well."  p. 157
    7) "What's wrong with being number 2?"  p. 159

I also took time to concentrate on some of the good things in my life....and thus, my list of gifts continues.

1301) progressive lenses (even though I don't love them yet)
1302) teachers' convention
1303) milestones in life
1304) hugs from children
1305) visiting my grandma
1306) dinners with family
1307) walks in the fall - and hearing the water and seeing the colours and feeling the sunshine
1308) colours of fall juxtaposed with brilliant blue sky
1309) colours of fall juxtaposed with fresh white snow
1310) the passion people have for causes
1311) ringroads
1312) catching up with people
1313) short conversations - but meaningful ones
1314) learning new things
1315) being re-inspired
1316) messages of love and encouragement
1317) attending quilt shows with friends
1318) meeting a "new" young boy from Africa
1319) watching a friend enjoy this young boy, her grandson
1320) knowing roads well enough to have a plan B when snags in travel are encountered
1321) dreams
1322) passions
1323) hope for the future
1324) books
1325) staying with my parents
1326) encouraging my sister
1327) being able to laugh despite circumstances
1328) sitting around a fire with friends
1329) harvesting carrots
1330) beautiful neighbourhoods
1331) art show - and the work of a favourite artist
1332) the process of finding fabrics that create beauty together
1333) the delight of my nieces when I see them
1334) the gift of music as it feeds the soul
1335) the simplicity and depth of symbolism of stones and water

Celebrating fall!

Fall has been absolutely delightful this year.  And I've managed to be able to stop, look, and wonder quite a bit as I've tried to drink it all in.

My list of gifts continues - with pictures of what I have tried to drink in and absorb.  God is so good.

1270) fabulous fall weather and colours
1271) a day with friends at Forget Me Not Pond
1272) a day with friends at a pond in the foothills
1273) muskrats in the pond
1274) bubbling springs in a foothills pond
1275) walks with friends
1276) solitary walks enjoying the sights and sounds of fall
1277)

1278)

1279) 

1280)

1281)

1282)

1283)

1284)

1285)

1286)

1287)

1288)

1289)

1290)

1291)

1292) the sound of the wind...

1293) ...in the rustling grasses

1294)... in the trembling leaves on the trees

1295) ...in the leaves tumbling across my path

1296) church lunch outside - with good company

1297) harvesting kale

1298) picking sweetpeas on Sept. 30th!

1299) crunching through leaves

1300) the smell of fall

Gathering

Time to gather again.  Time to gather memories and make note of the gifts that I have received.  Gifts from God.  Gifts that bring peace and joy to my life.

The idea of gathering comes from a line in a book I read recently.  "We all sow weeds along with with the flowers.  Gather the flowers and give the weeds to God.  He does amazing things with our messes."  A Time to Gather by Sally John and Gary Smalley  (p. 31)

I realize that this doesn't totally mean what I'm using it for.  But the idea of focussing on the positive is what I want to cultivate.  Too often I can dwell on the negative - things I didn't do right, things I wanted to do but didn't get to, etc.  By focussing on the positive, on the flowers instead of the weeds, I believe I can see/experience God more deeply.  (That doesn't mean that I don't have to try to mend things that need mending.  It just means that I want to shake some of my tendencies to brood on the weeds.)

So, here I go - gathering the flowers of my life.

1185) picnic with KM at Big Hill Springs
1186) spending time with my oldest niece
1187) helping this niece make her first quilt
1188) her delight in her success
1189) "sewing" time with friends
1190) cool evening air
1191) chatting with neighbours
1192) the sweet smell of sweet peas
1193) refreshing water
1194) sitting around a fire with my sister and one of our nieces
1195) sitting by a fire with a friend
1196) enjoying a cup of chai tea with the paper on a relaxed summer morning
1197) reconnecting with friends after a time away
1198) watching a family celebrate their mother together
1199) chatting with neighbours
1200) watching children play in a pool in their backyard - the boy running and leaping into the water
1201) visiting my grandma with my brother and a sister
1202) time with family in Edmonton
1203) time with the a sister and her family at their acreage
1204) the rugged beauty of tree stumps juxtaposed with green algae covered water and fresh yellow flowers
1205) shopping with E and finding fabric for a quilt for her
1206) a little yellow bird in the tree in my front yard
1207) good walks with a sister
1208) playing multi-generational games of croquet and bocce ball in the backyard
1209) meeting a dear friend's fiancé
1210) apple raspberry crisp
1211) finding my iPad charger
1212) a walk with JR
1213) getting things in place for a new school year
1214) dinner and movie with SB
1215) finding good deals on new clothes
1216) fresh corn on the cob
1217) sounds of summer
1218) squirrel chattering in the forest
1219) wind rustling in the leaves
1220) water burbling over rocks
1221) words like burbling
1222) celebrating communion at church
1223) the aroma of sweet peas
1224) hawk at the side of the road
1225) warm sun on my back
1226) hawk soaring overhead
1227) a fresh pedicure
1228) having my legs and feet massaged
1229) coming home to a surprise gift and letter from a friend I haven't heard from in a long time
1230) golden morning light
1231) delightfully rich fall colours
1232) yellow leaves against brilliant blue sky
1233) sweet peas!
1234) afternoons off
1235) sitting and reading on my step on a fall morning... or afternoon
1236) garden fresh carrots
1237) spontaneity
1238) hugs from children
1239) encouragement
1240) inspiring words
1241) being able to encourage someone else
1242) laughter
1243) climbing a hill and looking over a prairie scene
1244) the warmth of the fall sun
1245) meeting a goal
1246) time with friends
1247) seeing a friend look happier than I've seen her recently
1248) a new BBQ
1249) a friend who helped me put the BBQ together
1250) drains that do their job - which is to drain
1251) clean sheets with the delicious aroma of drying in the sun
1252) developing relationships with new students
1253) watching my students interact with younger students
1254) brilliant red sun rising on delightful fall days
1255) making new connections with students
1256) dinner theatre in Rosebud - Tuesdays with Morrie
1257) bed and breakfast in Rosebud
1258) delightful breakfast company at B and B
1259) morning walk in Rosebud
1260) climbing a hill
1261) looking out over the prairies from the hilltop - river, farms, fall colours - PEACE
1262) parent volunteers on field trips
1263) conversation on a drive to Vulcan
1264) attending an art show
1265) the delight on the artist's face when she saw that we came
1266) impromptu tea invitation
1267) being able to at least pop by
1268) sweet peas still blooming at the end of September
1269) delightful little park in Strathmore

What's important in life

This afternoon I attended a funeral.  It's interesting how celebrating the life of someone else makes me think about my life and how I would like to be remembered.  Once again I was reminded that it's who you are in your relationships and how you treat other people that comes across as the most important and memorable.  Yes, the little quirks and idiosyncrasies of each of us are a part of who we are.  Like the fact that my sister's mother-in-law was a terrible driver and that she loved chocolate.  (That's whose funeral it was today.)  But as those who knew her best spoke, it was her relationships and the ways she showed her love and the way she journeyed through life that shone through.  What truly matters is this - how you treat the people in your life and how you honour God as you deal with the valleys and mountain tops in this life He gives us.  

I was reminded again of the importance of seeing the grace of God in the moments God gives us.

1146) a friend getting engaged, and enjoying her joy!
1147) finally making new cushions to replace ones that were fraying and breaking down
1148) getting my doors painted 
1149) the opportunity to spend time with my brother-in-law and talking about his mother who had died very recently
1150) the peace and contentment I've felt being home this summer - really that should be more than one gift
1151) the smell of freshly mown grass
1152) the smell after rain
1153) cool air in the evenings
1154) free breakfast
1155) Canmore Canada Day parade (obviously these are not in chronological order - see the previous list)
1156) clowns that make me smile
1157) getting rid of old computers (at the e-recycling station)
1158) getting data transferred from my old computer to the new one
1159) listening to the delighted laughs and talk of a family as they enjoy a summer evening and splashing each other with water
1160) the gift of neighbours building and painting a new fence
1161) the gentle and kind way a grandfather talks to his grandsons as they build the fence
1162) the tenacity and patience as a husband and wife rebuild their fence over the course of a week
1163) summer evenings
1164) sharing gift cards with friends
1165) watching a man lovingly care for a wheelchair bound woman
1166) watching these same two "dance" together
1167) the idea of a friend to help me finish my quilt effectively and beautifully
1168) binoculars to help see musicians better
1169) being able to delight a friend with a small, simple gift
1170) the cooling gift of a breeze
1171) a parking spot a block from the folk festival
1172) voices harmonizing beautifully
1173) enjoying one of my quilts at the folk festival - and the feeling of satisfaction of being able to use it
1174) hanging pictures on the wall - finally - a year after repainting the walls
1175) having a bed in Canmore and not having to join long weekend traffic home to Calgary after a long day at the Canmore Folk Festival
1176) chemicals that kill weeds!  (truly a daughter of my father)
1177) Anne of Green Gables in Rosebud with Weening women
1178) My Name is Asher Lev in Rosebud with Sharon and the Montagues
1179) The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and the laughter of enjoyment
1180) finally sitting down to write down gifts - and having the opportunity to revisit the last couple of months
1181) sugar snap peas fresh from the garden
1182) walk with SP at Big Hill Springs
1183) water streaming over rocks
1184) yellow canola fields and blue Alberta skies

Summertime....and the livin' is easy

I have been having a simply delightful summer.  Simply delightful.  I've managed to do many of my faithful standby activities.  One of these is the Canmore Folk Festival, which was this past weekend.  I really had no intentions of buying any new CDs.  But as so often happens, I found a new group of singers that speaks to me.  As I drove north yesterday, I enjoyed listening to their music and found a new favourite line of music.  This is from the song "Summertime" by Red Molly.

"Morning rose up singing hallelujah; every evening whispered its amen."

That's been true of my days this last number of weeks.  While I wasn't always thrilled to be awake early, I decided to enjoy slow mornings of tea with the paper, a walk in the fresh morning (before it was too warm), puttering in the garden, and then deciding how to finish my day.  And there's been no trouble doing that.  I've found a great balance of enjoying people, enjoying some of my favourite activities, and accomplishing things.  

I sat in the park in Canmore, pulled out my list of gifts and starting writing about my summer.  It was delightful to revisit my summer and to see how many gifts God has blessed me with.  (Some of these are from the spring)

1058) the smell of spring in the river valley on a walk with my dad
1059) being able to walk with my dad
1060) celebrating birthdays with family
1061) longer hours of daylight
1062) sitting on my front step and reading
1063) a friend helping with garden work (Thanks, S.B.)
1064) that same friend building a new bed for my garden
1065) finishing a quilt for a fund-raiser
1066) Heritage Park quilt festival with a friend
1067) being stopped in my tracks by the beauty of trees in bloom
1068) the smell of rain
1069) the sound of rain, when I'm safely inside my house
1070) the delicate beauty of lily of the valley
1071) the strong smell of lily of the valley
1072) a gift of plants from a friend (Thanks, T.M.)
1073) coming home to a clean home
1074) an evening chat with a dear girl from down the street
1075) celebrating my birthday with friends
1076) celebrating my birthday with family
1077) student saying that today was the first time he was able to understand what an index was and that he was able to use it
1078) surprise gifts of movie and lunch with the Stefeks
1079) finishing a school year
1080) words of thanks from students
1081) words of encouragement and thanks from parents of students
1082) no serious injury despite a serious fall 
1083) fresh summer mornings
1084) pedicures
1085) visits with friends, such as.....
1086) JN
1087) SB
1088) SM
1089) AV
1090) JH
1091) JK
1092) CV
1093) H M-W
1094) visit from a sister
1095) time with family
1096) hugs from children at church
1097) short but meaningful conversations after church
1098) The Saskatoon Farm
1099) turn lanes painted on the road
1100) impromptu times with friends
1101) a friend who is game to join me on mini-adventures
1102) the satisfaction of finishing off quilts
1103) the increased delight of these finished quilts after they've been washed
1104) working on a quilt to surprise a cousin for a wedding gift
1105) delight in the ways fabrics and colours work together
1106) a friend who jumpstarts me to finish a quilt project that had stalled in 2004
1107) finishing that project
1108) feeling a sense of accomplishment as I do "projects" that had been sitting on my unwritten list of things to do for ages - such as
1109) bank account adjustments
1110) RRSP stuff
1111) buying a new car
1112) selling the old car
1113) and the neighbour who really sold the car
1114) cleaning kitchen cupboards
1115) the "clean" feeling of bringing things to Goodwill and hoping they will be of use to someone else
1116) cleaning out the basement - resulting in such a free feeling when I go down there
1117) having places to bring old paint
1118) having places to bring all the empty boxes for recycling
1119) getting rid of horrid orange "curtains" in the basement after living in the house for over 20 years
1120) enjoying time on my from steps on summer afternoons
1121) enjoying impromptu dinners with a friend (Thanks, F.B.)
1122) a rogue raspberry cane that has ripe berries very early in the season
1123) picking raspberries and enjoying them immediately for breakfast
1124) summer morning walks
1125) Shakespeare in the Park
1126) rain God sends to water plans and grass
1127) delighting in the variety of flowers

1128) coming home to my welcoming front step  (The flowers lost a little bit of their punch when I was away for two short periods of time.  They didn't like being left to fend for themselves on a hot long August weekend as they are not so good at finding water for themselves.)

1129) the miracle of plants, growing from seed to plant, to flower, to fruit

1130) books
1131) movies
1132) Summer Olympics
1133) graciousness in defeat
1134) graciousness in victory
1135) satisfaction of doing best
1136) Canmore Folk Festival
1137) enjoying family at the folk festival
1138) enjoying the folk festival with a friend
1139) enjoying music at the folk festival
1140) shade! so the warmth could be appreciated with the Folk Festival
1141) fresh carrots
1142) discovering new musicians
1143) lemonade
1144) sunscreen
1145) refreshing cold water

Time to go.  To be finished later.