A Contemplative Life

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...

For a storm, Christmas, publication, a quilt, the new year.... We received half an inch of rain last night/this morning, but thankfully the predicted winds weren't as wild as forecasters considered. The basement is full of firewood, some in the carport not because it's tremendously cold but if we lose power. Our temps are currently mild. I'm grateful for it. Preparing for Christmas includes some cooking (I made cranberry sauce today, will fix a candy cane ice cream pie tomorrow). Presents I'm responsible for are wrapped, lol. (Paper, tape, scissors, labels, and a few bows are out for my husband, hehehe.) When we lived in the UK we got a gammon (ham) from Marks & Spencers, and ham remains our tradition, alongside garlic/Gruyere cheese scalloped potatoes and peas (my husband LOVES peas). All those ingredients, save red potatoes, have been purchased. Christmas prep also includes LAUNDRY. For some weird reason, I like doing all the laundry before Christmas, so that task...

  Humboldt morning sky. My husband's sixtieth birthday is approaching and we're hosting a party. Our eldest daughter has organized much of it over the last several months, as it was unknown to my hubby until the end of last month. He was GOBSMACKED, in a very nice way, and now it's days from happening. Time really moves at its own fickle pace, in that when this party first came into being, spring was flirting with our part of the state, but in full swing in the SF Bay Area, where our daughter lives. Today I wore a turtleneck, the first of this autumn season. We ran a lot of errands, some party-related, some not. I finished reading through The Hawk Book 2 yesterday, and no editing occurred today, nor any sewing. I just spent the last hour adding To Do's from the party spreadsheet onto my phone in the form of reminders, including that of Fill in white board with day's tasks . The white board dwells in the mud room, we probably need markers for it as it came with the ...

Family is visiting this coming week, looking very much forward to that! The son of a dear friend has been diagnosed with cancer, which totally sucks. I'm pleased for how Book 3 of The Enran Chronicles survived an edit. And I came up with a great plot point for much further down that series' road. I'm trying to maintain a safe distance from my country's upcoming election, but at times find it hard to not fret. And about that, I may post a bit, just a heads-up that this blog could sport some political entries. I had pizza last night, made with a gluten-free crust, yet today I'm feeling some effects as though the crust wasn't quite gluten-free. The Eden quilt might take more time than I considered, as I'm not happy with the plethora of blocks made with gray borders. I'm digging those pictured above, and may adjust the borders on a bunch of stars still in need of perimeters. It's nearly October; where has September gone??? Not that our weather has chan...

  Stacked on many sewing projects (as well as a ruler) are these rows which I am FINALLY stitching together, whew! So today I used my machine. I had to dust it off; despite the cover, two months is long enough for particles to accumulate. It needed to be threaded, and to my slight horror and acute embarrassment, I had to look up which way the bobbin thread needed to go. I also oiled it after sewing two rows together, a strange noise that maybe is how it does sound, or perhaps I need to get it properly cleaned. I pressed open seams while the oil seeped into crevices, then still felt like the clunking remained. We'll see if I take it to a local shop for cleaning. I had started this quilt a few months back, sewing squares into rows because someone was visiting, maybe the grandsons back in March? Now it's mid-August, but I'm not going to ask where has the time gone. I've also cracked open Book 2 of The Enran Chronicles , getting through eleven chapters in the last couple of...

  Tonight's completion, a little Liberty fabric on the perimeter. A quiet few days lately. No writing or revising going on, although I'm hoping to release a new book next week! I've spent a fair amount of time hand-quilting the Cornflower quilt, but there's PLENTY left to stitch. I cut fabric for a disappearing nine-patch, but now I'm prepping for a getaway, so packing and cleaning have taken precedence. And I'm not taking a hexie box with me. No time for sewing? What kind of vacation is this! It's the kind where the sights are my focus, and a friendship celebrated with a gal I've known since junior high (middle school). My hands aren't in need of a break, or not that I know, lol. But I need a change of pace, and a weekend with a dear friend is the perfect way to spend some time. When I get home, oh wow, lots to do; a novel to publish, a quilt top to baste, perhaps some gardening.... We're expecting balmy temps in a week, so I plan to start some ...

Amid a break in yesterday's storm, I snapped the nasturtiums pictured above. The sun shone as though it was May, although today's a flat gray wet mess. Still a month of winter remains, but thankfully February is short, even with the Leap Day. I'm ready for spring, but in the meantime.... There are books to start, EPP blocks to fashion, even some gardening to consider, if no more than admiring the nasturtiums I HOPE won't succumb to a crazy late winter frost in the next few weeks. Despite all the precipitation, I haven't noticed any overt achiness, my hands and knees feeling pretty good. Daylight increases every morning and lengthens each evening, and here in Humboldt the grass is thick and green, albeit super squishy. I wear wellies (rubber boots) when walking outside, which lately hasn't happened much as it's been SO DARN WET. But again I'm grateful we haven't lost power, the basement isn't flooded, and tonight I'll build a fire, enjoying th...

My latest quilt prepped for basting. Writing science fiction isn't my usual gig, but it is beneficial for stirring within my gray matter questions I rarely ponder, the Why am I here and What does human culture mean in the grand scheme and What if there is life beyond our planet , those sorts of notions. Especially when I wake early and the house is quiet and it's dark outside and for all I know in those brief (or lengthy) minutes perhaps I am alone in this big wide universe, or all that I am is merely a curious soul wishing for answers. Not that I mean to go off on some tangent, lol, but there's life as we all see it, then there's our imaginations or ruminations or whatever one ponders when all the usual flies out the window. My current novel is set in 1971, but a main character is from a distant galaxy, and despite being human, she has little in common with those she now associates. Putting myself in her shoes, I can't help but wish to push the boundaries, as she...

Beginning this post, I don't yet have a title. Maybe it will be untitled. It's a quarter after five a few days past the solstice. A thin band of clear sky sits over the eastern horizon while the marine layer attempts a coup. One of my BFF's is visiting alongside our grandson. The days have been packed with card games, puzzles, conversations, and episodes of the Great British Baking Show from 2016. I know who wins, only because sometime last year I caught a show with the winner who I'd never seen but quickly learned was now a TV host in their own right due to having won the bake-off. That spoiler doesn't diminish my pleasure as gamey hot water crust pies and tennis cakes are presented; who else makes it to the finals is beyond my scope and I don't have to fret the actual outcome. Yesterday my BFF and I went to Agate Beach just north of Trinidad. She's here to celebrate her birthday which is just as much of a treat for us as it is for her. We sat with a festi...

Petunias and one random flower recently installed into a bucket. So pretty! I mean that merely in a fictional manner, although after a tremendously bright Sunday, clouds have overwhelmed our area as though impending summertime was a dream. I did get some pumpkin plants into the ground yesterday afternoon when the sun peeked out for a few hours. Otherwise I'm living like it's mid-February, spending my mornings with the writing, then sewing the rest of the day.  Except that it's not cold out, despite gray skies. Well, it's not warm certainly, but not as chilly as February or even March. It's typical Humboldt weather, loads of overcast skies occasionally broken up by sun, although probably not today. And that's fine, wholly freeing me up to spend much of the day with indoor tasks which might include cleaning a bathroom, ahem. Yeah, really gotta do that, but first is this post. then some quilt wall play as I finished the fabric WIP yesterday and by evening's end...

Another rainbow quilt; I'm really into ROYGBIV right now. I finished up a quilt top today, only a minor snafu in the bottom row; the first two vertical stripes should be at the end of that row, but I didn't notice the mistake until it was far too late to rip out way too much to correct it. Ah so, as my Vodali folks would say. Otherwise I am very happy with the pattern, which I saw on Cath Hall's Instagram a few weeks ago. I sewed it up as though regular patchwork, nesting seams and all. When I make this design again, I'll avoid using jelly roll cuts, only in that the pinked edges make for a little trickiness when aligned against straight cuts. And I'll mix up the fabrics, using prints for the eight and a half inch squares instead of solids. Initially I had a different title for today's post, but that was hours ago, and now it's like a different day has occurred. Not that catastrophic drama happened, although my husband had a tooth pulled this afternoon and...

A binding being applied. First off, for the next five and three-quarter months, Gracious Mysteries is free on Smashwords! The second in my That Which Can Be Remembered series, it was originally released as a pre-order, hence the need for a price. However, I'm not really about charging for my novels, so I've set it as a freebie, but only through the Smashwords store. You can check out my entire catalogue on Smashwords, or find my books at other various online retail sites. Next, my goodness it's nice to 1) have finished my recent WIP. 2) Enjoy some warm temps! 3) Send off the Rainbow quilt and a mug rug to their new home. 4) Faff around with other coasters, binding strips, and myriad quilting hoo haa littering my big table. I did that today amid sunny skies, then went outside and planted six nasturtiums, about the extent of my gardening fever this spring. I truly have nothing in the tank in regard to seedlings, plants, etc. Instead I'm all-in for noveling and sewing. ...

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...

The trampoline dismantled, waiting on our front lawn to be packed for America; March 2007. Sixteen years ago today my family flew from England to San Francisco; we had left our home in Yorkshire for.... Not exactly our California home, although three of the five of us were born in the Golden State. We came back after eleven years as ex-pats, yet we all felt (and still do to small degrees) that Britain was home. It was a complicated return to America that was for the best, however any of us would give our eyeteeth to go back for varying lengths of stays. Alterations like this could be termed as fixed points within our lives, but seeing that my WIP is definitely going in a sci-fi direction, I've borrowed the Doctor Who phrase for today's title, lol. When flying east, one gains hours, and when going from England to the West Coast of the United States, it's a LONG DAY not merely of travel but of swapping timelines, lifestyles, accents, and temperatures. We changed up SO MANY ...

Christmas lights offering an ethereal glow. With it being the twelfth day of Christmas, these lights, and the placemats on the dining table, are the last vestiges of our holiday decorations. I did very little in the way of sprucing up the house last month, our beloved's fight against cancer taking some of the wind from my sails. My lengthy sojourn away from home was another part of it; by the time I returned, it felt far too late in the season to scatter mementos. I had Christmas coasters lying about, lights on the front fence, and a few cards adorning windowsills. That felt like enough holiday decorations for me. My malaise turned out as a blessing after the earthquake hit; not only was there less to clear up, but the notion that some of my breakables could have been damaged. I try to follow the spirit in all manners of my life, and am grateful to gone with that guidance, not berating myself for being lazy or not wishing to partake of the usual festive air that December brings. An...

  Christmas Eve 2021; I would love to have that much rain in the gauge by the end of this week!   The first day of winter is still a few weeks away but throughout November we have experienced a steep decline in the amount of sunlight. While I'm very grateful for Pacific Standard Time, our treeline inhibits what light remains; by two thirty p.m. the sun has dipped below the treetops, a little filtering through breaks in the forest around three thirty and by five twenty it's dark even on a clear evening. Our few days in Reno seem to have exacerbated the lessening daylight upon our return home, and another trip for next weekend to visit our eldest will further accelerate winter's arrival when we get back. A bright and unfortunately dry October provided many warm afternoons to sit on the patio and bask in the warmth, which I did just about every chance that presented itself. I did so because I KNEW what was lurking ahead, not that we've had much rain this month, but the dar...

The Pacific at Trinidad, California, November 2021. Taking a day off from noveling; it's my beloved's birthday, hehehe. A year ago today we went to Trinidad Head, just wandering around the beach. I'd been busy writing That Which Can Be Remembered , sewing Honeycomb Stars quilts for my grandsons. Funny how twelve months later it could be said not much has changed. Yet a lot goes on behind the scenes, as in any life, what I choose to set here, what remains tucked away. Memories, tragedies, small sorrows; all intermingle despite where they fall in the timeline. I used the Moonlight collection by Wishwell for this Honeycomb Stars quilt; November 2021. Yet it's so easy to scroll through a photo app, bringing up this day last year, two years past, three, four.... What ages ago took pulling down photo albums or flipping through boxes of snapshots is no more than asking one's device for shots from this or that day. I can peruse my published novels by merely tapping on a boo...

Four of many that were mailed off yesterday; they shrunk to a good size and I hope bring copious smiles to their new owners. No rain in sight here, although a somewhat clear-ish morning has dawned. Autumn is fully upon us, afternoon sunshine at a slant, leaves falling from our black walnut tree, a few nuts on the ground too. I've spent the last couple of days mainly at my sewing machine, although yesterday afternoon demanded I take coasters outside for string cutting. I'll finish up five today, but over two dozen were mailed off to my eldest daughter yesterday; her neighbors relish the upcoming holiday and how better to use up scraps and warm many hearts in the process. What I complete today are solely for personal use; one can never have too many coasters, lol. My daughter took one home, an EPP experiment that she adored. Those I keep will go alongside my supply of autumn placemats, then I'll stash them away after Thanksgiving when my motherlode of Christmas linens are hau...

After many cloudy mornings, this was our sunrise today. We're going away for a few days, will see most if not all of our kids and grandkids. I have been so plugged in to the writing that last night I dreamed about merging what I'd been rewriting with something else I'd written, although upon waking I realized the something else was a figment of my nocturnal musings. It was about ducks of all things, and I smiled, aware I needed to unplug from my fictional wanderings. Yet I don't get far from those notions, as I'm taking a notebook connected to the real story in addition to some English paper piecing as recreation. I'm never far from the quilting/fabric/sewing life, how intriguing those two interests have woven themselves so deeply within my soul. I harvested another big tomato yesterday and some smaller ones, larger than cherry toms but not by much. Baby pumpkins are attempting to attract pollinators and I'm looking forward to when I return to examine if the...

We enjoyed a lot of sunsets. Pondered the state of our nation and the world at large. Wondered what kind of future our grandchildren will inherit. Came home to a garden in need of attention. The improbable butts up sharply against the mundane, yet I have to remain optimistic that my small contributions in all facets are not only helpful but necessary, from prayer to stories of hope. More in a few days. For now, it's good to be home.