Joy in the Ordinary

While talking to Pam about that Quilt Dad blog, I expressed my surprise that he'd kept it going for so long as most people bore of blogging over time. She mentioned that some folks probably agonize over their posts, which I know to be true. As well, she thought people might feel as if they have nothing profound to say.

Well, to that I say--profound? Who cares? If I were to guess, most folks that come back to this little space on the World Wide Web aren't looking for the profound, instead, they may, or so I hope, appreciate my joy in the ordinary. After all, most of life is pretty ordinary, don't you think? Year after year, the days go by, and it is what you make of the ordinary that brings happiness. At least that's how I see it.

Continually amazed at the little things, I find something to be thrilled with every single day. Take for example this darling little tag I noticed on my tea bags from Matt. Indeed, that is my cup of tea.

If you are looking for something profound in this post, I suggest you close this window immediately because there is hardly a new thing to be found. I am absolutely thrilled that I've finished the quilt!! It all began like this:

Finishing the actual quilting, which if you don't know too much about the art of quilting, the purpose is to keep the inside from shifting around during laundering. Okay, where was I? Oh yeah, the binding goes on with the machine...in this instance, all 270 inches of it.

It looks like this once you are done with the machine stitching...

Sorry for another one of the binding--just wanting to show off the cute Paris fabric on the back.

By the way, I bought that darling fabric for a shirtwaist dress, only to discover I did not have an adequate amount. In my humble opinion, it works perfectly here. During the college football championship game I sewed, by hand, all of the binding onto the back. The game was long! Plus, Clemson lost, although they did play a hell of a game. Nonetheless, it kept me sitting still long enough to complete the hand stitching. In the morning, I washed it in the machine, and before you know it, I'd given it away, but not before taking this shot to show you how it turned out.

Here is the last, and I promise, quilt news in this post. Pam brought over her latest; she's calling it a Lily Pulitzer lap quilt. It helps that pink and green are her favorite colors! Isn't it cute?

Oops, I got a little ahead of myself with that promise. One more thing...we went to Wandering Stitches last night for the "class night" when they show off all the classes for the year. Just when you thought it was all gray haired woman quilting...

Nope, not everyone is old, and there were even a few men in the crowd. Plus, of all things, both Pam and I won something in the raffle! AND, the woman sitting next to Pam lives in Southern Oaks and was as friendly as can be. I'm thinking you'll be hearing more about Pat in the coming months.

What other ordinary things do I have for you today? How does a Great Blue Heron nest sound?

Only three doors down from us!! This morning, during my ride, I stopped to talk to Regina in front of this house. She was out walking her cute Welsh Corgi, Argyle, as she does every morning. While we were chatting I pointed out the nest, and wouldn't you know it, in the next few moments the male came flying in, presumably with food for mama on the nest! She said, "how do you spot these things?" I guess I'm always looking?

There is certainly nothing special about a hibiscus flower in Florida. You can find them everywhere, but when the light hits them just right, I find it magical.

Finally leaving the house yesterday for much needed food shopping, as well as other supplies, I pulled my camera out of my purse lickety split when I noticed this great cloud formation.

Driving home, this crazy car made me wonder what kind of person does this????

Riding my bike, our state bird perched on a palm frond says Florida to me.

How do you like this darling mini bench in front of someone's house?

After some searching for Maureen, I discovered that indeed, we have seen Mexican Flame vines in January before, but I've yet to do the same research as to sunflowers. This patch is blooming in front of a super crummy house trailer, sprucing the place up immeasurably.

The bees are having a hey day! More flowers? Why yes, I'm posting another flower because not only is it orange, but it brings a smile to my face every time I ride past it on my bicycle.

My bicycle ride? Super chilly this morning, that's for sure. I had to force myself to go, but once out and about, I was happy I did because otherwise I'd be missing all the excitement of the outdoors. You just never know what you will see. The giant wingspan of a Great Blue Heron for example....

With joy in my heart,

Gail

p.s. I learned that the handmade blankets and quilts donated to our local Project Linus chapter go mostly to the Children's Advocacy Center serving foster children. Apparently the hospitals get all the goodies while the foster children are ignored. Now you know.

The Six Month Rule

Have you, like me, read somewhere the tip about keeping your clothes closet manageable? If not, what the "experts" say, and I use that term loosely, is that if you haven't worn an article of clothing in the last six months then give it away. Barring, I presume, seasonal reasons. Of course, that also presumes that you are continuing to add to your closet, something I do on a regular basis. Because the weather has been iffy, I've spent more time indoors than is typical for me, thus the closets, drawers, and rooms are getting organized. Another loose term for those who are perfectionists, and you know who you are!

What began as a clean up in the spare bedroom has spread to other areas including this drawer, formally jam packed with cloth napkins and placemats. Salvageable ones went to Goodwill, the remainder to the trash. While emptying out the chest of drawers in the spare room, I came across a stash of pennies, left behind years ago by Bill, the last one to leave the nest.

I could not help but think how times have changed so much so that sometimes I can hardly believe what I see with my own eyes. The penny collection reminded me of the first year of Bill and Dave's life when we had NO money to spare. Somehow, we did manage to scrape together enough loose change, allowing Bruce and I to go on ONE date that year. We were all of 25/26 years old. The dresser I was cleaning out belonged to my parents, and although it has been in service for more than 30 years in our home, it is time to let it go. Definitely more than the six month rule!

Looming storm clouds:

As evidenced by the puddle at the end of the driveway, round two was on the way! As I type, looking out my office window, the sky is not quite that dramatic, but I'm pretty confidant more storms are looming. Yesterday, once again, my tent returned home wet; the market closed just after 2 in the afternoon. Surprisingly there were plenty of people roaming the market before the storm. Prints, signed by you know who, went to Britain and Brazil, on the international front, AND a large canvas to Ohio, on the domestic front. So many people had expressed interest in that canvas and FINALLY a young woman bought it, much to my delight! As well, earlier in the week a large canvas of Street Art shipped to a loft in Dallas. :)

Jonathan and Alissa had such a great time in Japan, as in, fantastic. Their only complaint, and it was minor, was the heat and humidity. Coming from two young people raised in Florida, now living in Texas, that is saying a lot. Count me as very surprised to learn that a Japanese summer is very, very hot. A wedding reception, minus the wedding, is in the planning stages for their Christmas visit to Orlando. Mark your calendars for December 28!

So, thinking about that six month rule, I began to wonder if I shouldn't apply it to the scads of recipes torn from the pages of magazines, many of which were in big stacks, or make that folded globs of paper, in my cupboards.

Although I've not completed the project, I'm working on it, throwing stuff away willy-nilly. Friday, during my bike ride I bought two black notebooks ($1 each) at a nearby estate sale to at least try and put some order to the chaos. Surely I did not need six margarita recipes when in my entire life I've made only one batch of them.....

On my way to the mall I had to pull over...

...there was just something about the light and the juxtaposition of storage containers that compelled me to do so.

In all my years of buying fabrics, seeing this at Ikea is a first for me:

It goes without saying that this, among other reasons, is why there are no jobs--much is left to the consumer.

For what seemed like weeks, I waited to see what color the blooms on this orchid I bought several years ago would be...

With the sun shining through them they look lovely, don't they? As does this busy bee on a giant sunflower:

Finally, when I wrote the post about 2007, I neglected to add a photo taken that year during a visit to the lovely grounds of Bok Tower.

A lofty goal that pretty much sums up what I'm all about. Or at least I'd like to think so.