- The makings of a nine patch

- Counting the days

To the beach ...

- Still life

My niece and nephew just announced their respective engagements (good luck to my brother and sister-in-law juggling two weddings ... been there, done that). Contemplating potential gifts, I realized I can count on one hand our wedding/shower gifts that are still in active use after 39 years ...

A set of Pyrex bowls (two of which are in the dishwasher), a Corning Ware tea pot (complete with tea stains from this morning's batch of tea), a hand-thrown pot that usually holds onions (the lid long gone), a pancake turner (which was old and broken when I got it ... more about that here: http://imgoingtotexas.blogspot.com/2009/09/friday-night-supper.html), and an ironing board with six layers of covers on it (we've probably gone through that many irons as well).

Other things got used until they wore out, broke, went out of style or out of warranty. A few still linger in cabinets where they serve as memory holders for folks who are no longer with us.

Less is better: a smaller home with a bigger view, a simpler life with time better spent. Finding happiness in a few good things, well worn.

- Context is everything

Things can take on new meaning when you put them in context. Like the little land snail I photographed yesterday, only this time on my thumbnail ...

And yes, someone's still home ...

Or these mint plants and lace cacti, happily growing on the compost heap where they had been given up for lost ...

Or these beautiful persimmons ...

growing out on the floodplain that has, in the past, looked more like a moon-scape than someplace where a plant might grow ...

Last but not least, the milkweeds ...

bravely scattering their seeds on rocky ground ...

figurative arms opened wide to possibility.

P.S. For a wonderful read on the world of plants, I highly recommend Lab Girl by Hope Jahren.

- In the moment

While working on this ...

I saw ...

- Should-ness

I am stitching, which is to say doing what I love. So why am I thinking about what else I could ... or "should" ... be doing?

Like cleaning or straightening something up, paying a bill, making an appointment, organizing anything and everything, reading, writing, gardening, cooking ... doing stuff I love and/or hate by turns. 

Should-ness.

I used to bite my nails, mostly when I was reading (which I loved) while thinking of all the things that were going undone (which I hated).

Is should-ness the opposite of mindfulness?

I would like to be mindful as I stitch, be peacefully in the moment. But all too often I find myself running an endless mix-tape of should-have-dones. More should-ness. It would be nice to let that go.

So I'm writing this while thinking I'd rather be stitching and letting cloth blow in the wind ...

as time goes by ...

- Back pedaling

I've been going back to do some retrospective patches for those days when there wasn't enough time to get them done.

Most are recent and can be seen by looking back over the past couple of days (the new material is always on top to make it easy).

However, I'm particularly happy with this little guy, who's going to be placed in the May 5th post ...

which was about the lack of Monarch caterpillars. Fortunately, I finally found a mangy milkweed ...

Chewed leaves are a good sign that the Monarchs are at work!

And then there was dinner. Not much to look at ... 

but it tasted good enough that I'm pretty sure I'll be saying, "How did I do that?" someday. So here goes.  

Chicken Lasagna (better than tetrazzini)

Leftover rotisserie chicken cut bite size

Bechamel sauce with fresh basil (3 Tbs butter, 1/4 cup flour, 3 cups of milk and cream as needed)

Cheeses (Bella Vitano, Parm Reggiano, mozzarella, whatever)

Prosciutto if you have some, bite size

Sautéed onion, garlic and veg (I used frozen artichoke hearts, but zucchini, asparagus, or whatever will do)

Fresh pasta sheets, boiled one minute (yes)

Panko or standard issue Italian bread crumbs

Butter a casserole dish and place first layer of lasagna noodles, followed by 1/2 of veggies, meats, and cheeses. Cover with not quite half of the bechamel sauce. Repeat noodles, veggies, meat, cheese, sauce. Top with final layer of noodles and whatever is left of the bechamel, sprinkle with bread crumbs and parm. Don't worry about the top being dry ... it will create a crisp layer to die for.

Bake 350 for 25 minutes (ish)

- Playtime

This is the last shirt my mom gave me and I've worn and washed it hundreds of times over the past ten years. It's been patched before, but the fabric is starting to shred ...

I figure the only way to save it is by reinforcing all the single thickness areas with lightweight cloth and lots of stitch ...

It will take a while, but I'm learning (and having fun) as I go ...

- June

Patch #153 June

School ends in June ('though I am no longer captive to that drumbeat) and with the beginning of summer comes Beach Week.

For our family, for thirty years, the third full week in June has been when we go to Avon, North Carolina. This year will be no different.

Half my life. The best half.

- May days

The end of May marks a G day, so orange it is for Patch #152 ...