A Contemplative Life

Written over the span of two days. Grandsons visiting. 'Nuff said.... Part One: While waiting revisions from beloveds on The Deadfern Miracles , I'm living vicariously through my eldest, currently on holiday in our former stomping grounds of England. My husband and our family lived in the UK for almost eleven years, and while hubby and I have visited twice in the last seven years, this is the first trip for any of our kids. So far it's a total WIN, despite the heat, both in London and further north. The grandgirls are finding their mama's childhood home quite the thrill, and my daughter and her hubby are happy, if not at times hot. Temps should cool down this weekend, but the British Museum was affected by the heatwave, several exhibit halls closed, and some exhibits removed. Of course, over five thousand people have died in Europe due to the heat wave, and I don't mean to diminish that. My granddaughters have found it odd how infrastructure exists for keeping peopl...

I didn't get around to posting this until after lunch, but it was initially written at 6 a.m. this morning....  Our grandsons are visiting this week, so blogging time is curtailed. It's still dark outside, yet frogs are awake, croaking like their lives depended on it. They are quite loud at night; my eldest grandson likes falling asleep to their rhythmic songs. Eldest grandson fashioned this space plane with additions to origami, lol.   My life as a grandmother is SO DIFFERENT, and because these interludes are far and fewish between, I tend to let my being absorb that realm, which before we moved to Humboldt County wasn't so altering, in part the kids were little and they napped, lol. Also that we saw them more often, at their residences, whether it was for several hours at a time or over a few days. Yet who I am has changed too; the sewing isn't paramount, though my youngest grandson wants a turn at the machine, and the writing is less. Less what, I'm not prepared ...

And...two weeks of caffeine-free living! As well as a week since I last blogged, lol. Hosting grandkids will do that to a person. But the lads are home and I've had a good night's sleep, and now it's time to jump back into my other life, that of an author who quilts and keeps chickens.... But before I get into that, let me say that not imbibing in caffeine has been an overall good experience, albeit not truly alleviating my tinnitus as much as I would hope. But I'm not exhausted at night, nor do I need a lift mid-morning. I'll continue to avoid caffeine as long as I feel the need.  So, grandsons visiting: Our eldest chap made scones with Grandpa, while I taught the younger grandson how to use my sewing machine! Both boys enjoyed the chickens, as well as trekking around, and I played a lot of card games and did plenteous art. My youngest grandson can read EVERYTHING, that was marvelous, while the elder received a calculus lesson from Grandpa, lol. I didn't do any...

Some GORGEOUS Anna Maria Parry fabric that HAD to be included. How it fits is shown below, past the chicken photo. Hard to believe it's already the eighth day of the eighth month of the freakin' year! I don't mean to malign 2025, but dude it feels (at times) like a year from, well, some back and beyond era that I thought was over. And then there's chickens.... Thankfully they remembered me after a five-day absence while I hung out at my daughter's residence, keeping an eye on those grandsons. My husband had chick duty, but yes I came back to pullets who still respond to my chicken voice, admittedly not as cute as my youngest grandson's chicken voice, but certainly familiar enough that last night one jumped from half a hay bale onto my shoulder! And it was a chicken that doesn't even like being picked up, whoa! Chicks this morning in the run.  It was sunny here today, in the mid-seventies Fahrenheit in our neck of the North Coast, and I soaked up some of thos...

My hubby has taken the grandsons to the beach this evening. I was up at stupid O-dark-thirty this morning, and while I went back to sleep (and had a half-caff tea at 2 p.m.), I am wholly TOAST now. But (BUT!) I have enough brain cells (barely) to craft this post. Because it's been days since I wrote more than notes to friends while at the same time encouraging my grandsons to write/draw letters for their cousins. And sometimes (SOMETIMES) a little plug-in to one's usual reality means the world. The week has sped past, as all weeks seem to do. The boys have enjoyed themselves thoroughly, although my youngest grandson is pretty much ready to go home. He's six and a half, could jump on the trampoline for most of the day if permitted. His elder brother could hunt for wild plums and sticks and play cards with me or watch baseball with Grandpa. We had sunny days to start, typical cloudy days for the finish. I drive them home on Sunday, spending a few days with my daughter as well...

Not the heart quilt but what I worked on last night for my medallion quilt also known as Alexandria. Pics of heart quilt coming soon! Kind of like life without grandkids around, or being on the other side of the solstice. It's an emptiness or loss that you knew couldn't be avoided. Eventually one quilt top is completed, and even if you make the pattern again, different fabrics proffer an altered vibe. And IF the same fabrics in exactly the same placement were used, the manner of application cannot be duplicated. Life isn't static. Everything changes. Yesterday after lunch our daughter and her crew departed for their home. Items were left behind, nothing essential, merely a way to remind us that a return trip is desired, or how I interpret it, lol. I threw some things in the wash, collected scattered toys and scraps of paper from art projects off the floor. I still need to toss their milk, as we drink lactose free and have no use for regular two percent. Last night as I sat ...

Venus from this morning around 5.11 a.m. Not going to ponder more than that on that subject. It's June, 'nuff said. Our granddaughers are visiting, and today Grandpa took them to Dyerville to see the giant tree that fell in 1991. I'm still fighting that dang cold, but my back is MUCH BETTER. I'm looking forward to hearing what the girls thought of such an enormous nurse tree! What else??? Doing a little hand-sewing, watching a terrific season (2014) of Great British Bake Off with the girls; it's the Nancy/Richard/Luis series, with Martha, Kate, Norman, Iain, Jordan, Diana, Chetna, Enwezor, and Claire. The girls request a series on each visit, and it's lovely reacquainting with marvelous people and their magic with food. And truly that's about all that's going on; I have loads of thoughts on various subjects, but not enough time to write about them here. Still hoping to get baby chicks soon, which will depend on how I'm feeling by week's end. Jus...

Top and bottom of Red Sky at Night . I love all that colour! To stand, to breathe, to craft, to make my voice heard. I need to pace myself; it's going to be a long four years. I spent an hour this afternoon sewing on Red Sky at Night . It's funny writing that, because it's not the quilt I thought it was going to be. 2025 isn't the year I assumed before the election, nor could I have conjured the cruelty, backstabbing, and hopelessness that has emerged. Yet I remain making myself heard, sewing and editing and doing dishes. Life must go on. My eldest grandchild will be ten years old soon, where has that decade gone? What will the world be like in 2035? I couldn't have conjured the path America has taken in 2015, but maybe some things are better left unknown. We'll be celebrating with family this weekend, perhaps a bigger deal for us adults than the one turning ten. Probably good to get away for a few days, not that my location will preclude further insults and in...

  Speckled fabric by Rashida Coleman-Hale: I LOVE this! Years ago I spent the pre-dawn hours seated at my computer working on revisions. I used those moments to slowly grasp a new day as well as fit in necessary edits that allowed me to casually embrace writing without overtaxing my brain. Those were days before I was into English paper piecing, before I became a grandmother. Those were years when I thought I needed to squeeze activity into every spare minute to justify being a stay-at-home spouse even if the most of the kids were out of the house. I still don't like being idle. I'm terrible at meditating, or even watching TV as a relaxing pastime. My oldest grandson finds that hard to comprehend, lol, but I explained that as a kid we only got three channels and television never seemed the be-all end-all. In the last few days, I have returned to those early morning screen hours, but not spent in the office. Instead I'm seated in the living room where the laptop lives, heavi...

My grandsons will be visiting, along with their folks, for the next few days. The stuffie pictured above is Peanut, an old fave of my eldest grandson. Peanut has been in our family for probably over twenty years, and is waiting to be claimed. I thought about putting Peanut on my grandson's bed, but that lad is nine and a half, better for him to do the honors, lol. I was going to read a chapter of The Hawk , but in twenty minutes my hubby and I are off to run errands and get lunch. I probably won't have time to read that book, or write blog entries, while family is here, and I can write a post more quickly than peruse a chapter. I *might* get time for revisions, but only if I wake up super-early and my youngest grandson doesn't, hahaha. In the meantime, enjoy the weekend in whatever manner is most pleasing! More tales from Humboldt County next week....

  House rules call for Free Parking to be more than a quiet resting place. Last week I visited my youngest daughter's family, helping out while her hubby was away on business. The weather in the Sacramento Valley was HOT for the first three days, and while later on we went to a park, splash pad, and pool, for the first few days we stayed inside and indulged in a different kind of entertainment: card and board games! Fortunately my grandsons love games, especially the eldest. Crazy 8's and Go Fish have been staples of his childhood, and his younger brother got in the act, learning the basics of Go Fish and how to deal, hehehe. Board game-wise we enjoyed Junior Scrabble, Life, Carcassonne Junior, Yahtzee, Battleship, and finally managed to squeeze in a game of Monopoly, National Parks version, pictured above. My youngest grandson wasn't a participant of all those games, but many, and I was so pleased he's taking an interest in card games. A deck of cards will never run ou...

  Snapped at the park this afternoon while my granddaughters made bark chip ice cream cones. I head home tomorrow. The week has been filled with great familial joys, Ted Lasso , too much gluten, several edited chapters of The Hawk , plentiful hand-stitching, and mostly warm weather. I don't know when I'll get around to finishing Season One of Ted Lasso , but I will see this section of my family in just a few weeks. In the meantime.... There are books to revise, perhaps a story to craft, a quilt to throw on the design wall, more EPP to stitch, some garden plots to clear, and memories, oh the marvelous memories of the past seven days. Easter thrills, grandgirl giggles, laughter with my daughter, some outstanding NY bagels and babka. I've greatly missed my hubby, planning an early exit from the SF Bay Area as soon as I have the car packed in the morning. While driving I can mull over the excitement enjoyed since last weekend, with maybe a few book ideas spinning in my head. St...

  Meet Oscar, my youngest granddaughter's favourite stuffy. From where I'm currently seated, Oscar is keeping watch of the dining table momentarily transformed into an art station. Coloured pencils rule the area, alongside leftover spoils from Sunday's egg hunt. Nope, I'm not in Humboldt County anymore. Time away from the North Coast is full of such activities, as well as much warmer temps, lol. Today we'll see a high in the mid to upper seventies, which feels like summer to me now. I haven't needed any over the counter medication for any sort of ache or pain, ha ha, the altered climate quite kind to my aging joints and muscles. Spending time with family is another remedy of sorts, stretching my meager drawing skills to their limits, but thankfully children aren't bothered. I spent this afternoon working on one chapter of The Hawk , sipping decaf coffee that my daughter fixed, grateful for both the soothing brew and opportunity to dip my toes into slightly f...

A dahlia still thriving in the garden. Rain is forecast for the next few days. Right now the sky is cloudless, although hours ago misty fog ruled the horizon. And a few days previously it was, get this, EIGHTY DEGREES FAHRENHEIT in our actual neck of the Redwoods. Global warming or late summer, take your pick. It was glorious, that's what it was, and our departing visitors joked that it's always that way along the North Coast. I enjoyed hanging out with family this past week, days full of playtime and exploring, chats and many books read. My youngest granddaughter was keen on hearing  Amelia Bedelia while her older sister enjoyed  Horrible Histories , some Ramona books, and plentiful comics from Charles Schultz and Bill Watterson. Those sun-filled days seemed especially blessed, perfect weather to be out and about at our place or at the beach, where my better half and I took the grandgirls for a fine afternoon before high tide and a brisk wind sent us on our way. They all lef...

Our granddaughters have left for home and what a lovely weekend we all shared! Many blackberries were enjoyed fresh off vines, the frog above hopping onto a large stalk, deserving a photo. I took lots of pictures over the last few days, read heaps of books, built hordes of Lego creations, watched a little Bluey , and patched a pair of pants, lol. The girls departed with new hexie shirts from hexie flowers they helped sew while we were together during the July Midwestern vacation, about all the stitching I managed after they went to bed. The house is SO QUIET now, such a different flavor with guests, especially kids. Toys and books are drawn from the large collection in the living room, and three stuffies remain on guard along a sill, my youngest granddaughter placing them there to watch for deer, which did not make an appearance much to the girls' chagrins. We had glorious weather, which of course demanded a trip to the beach, albeit it at high tide, but sand castles were fashioned...

Amid a marvelous wave of visitors, I have steadily continued the morning edits. The stitching together of Book 2 is now viewed with discerning eyes, in that finally it is being read on the heels of Book 1. Most of the loose ends have been neatly sewn in place, but a few ragged edges remain, which I'll get to...sometime. LOL. I'm feeling like the creature above, a newt that greeted me yesterday as I headed outside, remaining along the back steps when I returned indoors. Just hanging out, slightly concealed, but not running into the foliage for protection. I meant to show this picture to my grandson, hopefully I'll remember later today. His presence is an intriguing element to our lives here, in that he's garnered some insights to how grandparents manage their days, hedged in what would an eight-year-old find interesting. His family arrives tomorrow for a few days out of the heat and they all will return home hopefully with no newts in tow, but good memories as well as so...

My eight-year-old grandson's first mug rug! Violet Craft and Kaffe Fassett feature heavily alongside the bottom left batik square. Teaching my grandson the basics of machine sewing has been one main joy of the past week, amid the general pleasures of a youngster's presence. While I had initiated the notion of stitching, he brought it up on his first full day, and by Thursday he had a coaster waiting for the quilt sandwich treatment. He also helped me design a new quilt, which awaits time under the machine when life returns to its regularly scheduled programming. In these early hours of the day I've managed a good look at recent manuscripts and so far I'm happy with the results. I've come up with the beginning of what will be Book 5 in the series, and the basics for Book 6 are pretty firm in my mind. Those stories are definitely for Future Me, like 2024 Me. Yet it's great to have a road map for this saga; I might know the eventual destination, but how to get ther...

This isn't about writing, sewing, or gardening. This post is about family, appreciation, and love. I was the blessed recipient of a plethora of relatives this past weekend; my two daughters, four grandkids, and one son-in-law arrived without prior warning, although my husband was in on the plan. Tears fell  as one group descended Friday night, then laughter rang when the second clan turned up Saturday morning. I earned over twelve thousand steps yesterday keeping up with grandchildren, their parents, and love that enveloped all of us. Yes I am thoroughly exhausted, ha ha, but the memories made are the kind that sustain for ages. One of the gifts I received is the above sign, painted by my eldest grandson; his mum chose four pics from a local craft shop, also bringing paints and brushes. The grandkids were let loose to embellish however they wished and the results were stunning, heartwarming, liberating. Children's imaginations are so unencumbered, their glee invigorating, their...

Amid the irises, a hyacinth planted last year is blooming! Even better, I'd forgotten I had put it in the ground, hehehe. The grandsons, and their folks, left this morning. A wonderful and wild week was enjoyed amid torrential rain, copious sunshine, warm-ish cloudy days and me installing a new keyboard on my computer. I managed a little writing that one morning was rudely interrupted by lowercase rrrrrrrrrr's springing up in the prose. Fortunately I had a spare keyboard and that corrected the errrrrrroneous letter, lol. Scattered among marvelous memories of my eight and four-year-old grandkids, I am grappling with a small cold, but truly wanted to update this site, in that novelistic ideas have been piling up, although very little sewing occurred; I patched a pair of trousers for each grandkid, plopping a 1.5" hexie onto knees, during which my eldest grandboy noted that my stitching made him carsick, ahem. I promised on his next visit we'd try the machine, and I'...

One quilt from 2017, not for my granddaughter but a dear friend who welcomed her first grandchild into their family that same year. Time's passage is often considered in decades and their multiples; five years ago my youngest granddaughter was about to enter this world. If I peruse what has occurred since, inevitably I consider my mom's death next, followed by the birth of my youngest grandson, the pandemic, our move north alongside my husband's retirement. Some big personal events within the space of a half-decade, many quilts sewn, quite a collection of words written as well. Back in 2017, I couldn't have fathomed where I would be today, not that I pondered much of what else has happened. Nor do I presume to imagine what 2027 will present. I'm more than happy to be right here, 7 December, 2022. But I don't mind examining pictures from 2017, sometimes it's nice to peer through a momentarily opened window, breathing in what was, exhaling what has become. Gra...