Showing posts with label Critters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Critters. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Morning meditations

 



As I was sitting in my stitching chair, reading and commenting on the Kindred Spirit blogs (see the sidebar to the right), a comment popped in from Beverly. And this is why I do what I do … this sense of community from people I may never meet irl (in real life), but who are nonetheless friends, truly kindred spirits.

Winter, such as it ever is in Texas, has left its mark, graying the vibrant colors of spring, summer, and fall. Happily Don has upscaled the bird bath to make it more visible over his wildly successful garden …




And when there are no true feathered friends about, we have some others that keep the beds company …




The first, a hen from Williamsburg days beneath the prayer wheel for peace, created three … no, four long years ago at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The second, a Williamsburg rooster perched atop a leaning peace pole created by Don. And yes, the dwarf pomegranate was quite fruity this past year.

Last, the pelican painted by our grandkiddos, below which the latest addition to the garden: firefly lights, which gather in the sun and then shine through the night …



May peace abide.

Monday, March 10, 2025

Happy Birthdays

Happy 21st Birthday Logan! 




But how is this even possible?




And there is more happiness to report … at the Wildflower Center …



and in St Louis …




Spring is sprung for sure … but where the heck did the time go? 😉

Addendum (thanks to social media) 




Saturday, May 18, 2019

Spiral-ing

It's a cloudy gray day, dark enough to need lamp light at noon. Not ideal for photography, but it helps with stitching ...

I've got spirals on my mind, courtesy of this little being ...

Deb's threads add to the fun I'm having, just randomly split-backstitching on a store-bought towel ...

And as so often happens, the back is as good or better ...

Here's to rainy days and B-sides ...

 

17 thoughts on “Spiral-ing”


B side reminds me of the saying “back door guests are the best.” I’ve purchased cloths and towels to do the same thing. Thanks for reminding me. Blessings.

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i smile…looked at latest B sides and oh, Lordy. I love them but they are just wild
Deb’s thread is a never ending pleasure

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  1. this has been such a sweet short project … I’m only doing a handful of cups in hopes that the recipient might continue stitching it in the future

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Monday, September 18, 2017

Looking in the rear view mirror

We just parted company with two wonderful house guests from Virginia who are family of family ... what my dad used to call out-laws. It was our first opportunity to really get to know each other and we found much in common.

It was also their first trip to the Texas Hill Country, so we took them on a glass bottom boat to see the springs that form the San Marcos River ...


Texas-style brisket was a must ...


and while we did the obligatory tour of the Alamo and the San Antonio Riverwalk, I most enjoy introducing folks to the Missions National Park with its excellent introductory film about the land and people of central Texas ...


And of course, you can't leave without hearing some live music, preferably at Gruene Hall ...


We also walked the land, naming the critters and trees and wildflowers that are now so familiar to us. The cochineal (scale insects) that live on our prickly pear cactus came up repeatedly, as did some of the other dyestuffs I've experimented with. 

You can scroll down to the index and click on any of the dye links to see more, but for now here's a peace patch hand-dyed with commercially sourced cochineal. The words are used with permission from Gill in the UK and the accompanying book about cochineal was a gift from Anne in California ...


As with all the others, this patch will ultimately be seen from the back ...


Because I like being a little different ...

Addendum

I almost forgot ... here's my take on Caesar salad that N and ML enjoyed while they were here. This is the amount I usually make to serve two of us.

1/2 lemon, squeezed
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1+ tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 to 1/2 clove of garlic, microplaned
3 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs mayo
pinch of salt

Whisk and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve on chopped Romaine with grated Parmesan Regianno and croutons.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Joy-full

I went to a dyeing workshop a couple of years ago and brought home sample pieces that then sat unused because they felt too precious. My recent reorganization brought them together with other dye, rust and discharge trials ...



Then the peace pin project opened my hands to start letting them go. The truth is I find so much more satisfaction now seeing them out in the world rather than hidden away.

In fact, I'll be choosing from this lot in order to make a pin for a long-time friend from Virginia ...


who has since moved to California and started (yet another) design business ...

There has been a new peace pin sighting in New York, from Jude who is most responsible for my journey into slow cloth:

Which triggered an email requesting a peace pin from Laura in New Hampshire. Laura also sent a picture of a beautiful saori weaving she made for Earth Day, which I'm posting here with her permission ...


There was also this post about a peace pin landing on Hazel's Word cloth ...

that inspired my Remember 2016 cloth

That in turn generated a comment from Shelly requesting a lavender pin ... but with no contact info, so I'm hoping she'll read this and send her mailing address to lizackert@gmail.com.

While I've been busy making pins, Don has kept busy, too. He found a funky duck in a Johnson City Gallery ...


which he has since stained and painted ...


He also scored a couple of pieces while we were antiquing with Williamsburg friends who stopped by for a couple of days ...


Love the business card, which reads in part, "raw materials for creative living" ...


I spotted some indigo Ikat while we were there, but it was a tad pricey. If it's still there next time, I might try to dicker them down. 

Lastly, we found a cool mixed media roadrunner painting at a Wimberley art show last weekend ...


which displaced the clock up and to the right in order to make room for it on this wall ...


So I'm thinking it was no coincidence that this fellow showed up when I drove into town today ...





No doubt about it ... roadrunners are aptly named!

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Reverie

Family first. Showing up. These things matter.

And so this, taken at Christopher House hospice ...


a butterfly with a broken wing climbed into G's hands and up his arm ...


Nature's lesson that some things can't be fixed, but that gentleness can suffice for a golden moment.

We grieve the loss of a gentle man, my son-in-law's dad.

Cloth is a consolation. 

Simple repairs to protect four-year old knees ...


A gossamer crib quilt ...


in the process of becoming ...


for a grandchild soon to be born.

This is how life goes.