Winter Calm

While the mad scientist is at work in the kitchen at home, I have been spending a cozy happy weekend with my beloved LM and Ms Graysea.  She is right by my side at this very moment, cuddled in her favorite fleece throw. 

 

We are slowly moving toward taking down the Christmas tree this afternoon, and might watch a movie. I do know a certain someone who will be watching more play-off football later today (he barely survived the agony of watching the Patriots' Game yesterday), and I may or may not cook a meal at some point.  Meanwhile, I am enjoying the quiet before football din takes over later.  At that point I can retreat to the comfy wing chair in the kitchen to continue reading my current book, Orphan Train, by Christine Baker Kline. It is a compelling book, if not exactly upbeat, but I am learning about a time in this country of which I had no prior knowledge.  In the 1920's when the children of immigrants(in this case Irish) were sometimes taken away and placed on "Orphan Trains" that traveled to the west and middle west and left these children with other very poor settlers. The book came highly recommended to me by my  brother, and I always trust his judgement on books!  Hoping to finish the book today, as I am anxious to start another of his faves, "The Nightingale." 

My project of organizing and discarding some my quilting fabrics, went very well last Thursday.  I managed to find everything I was looking for, and to pare down my collection of fabric.  The process got me all lined up to finish a quilt I began the day my father died in 2009.  Intentionally it is a fun quilt, and I hope will go to Teddy in a few years.  This quilt contains cats from my extensive collection of cat fabric, and a few donkeys, too. A lot of my favorite things! I madly sewed 25 log cabin blocks in a very short time, and needed 3 blocks to make the size right. I couldn't even look at the blocks without feeling deep grief.....now that has eased.  Fast forward 7 years.. I've been having a terrible time choosing border fabric.  I kept wanting to use a dark fabric, but in the past few weeks I realize that the busyness of the blocks really needs a white border to allow them to expand and float. The plan is to use a white fabric with  tiny and faint black pin dots.  The binding will be a very thin strip of orange.  I am hoping to have this quilt ready to enter in a show this summer.

 With everything else going on, I do struggle with focus, so it helps that I now have the remaining work  all set to begin.

In the meantime, I think I wrote somewhere about becoming a member of the board of directors for a new art center that is opening in our neighborhood (literally a less than 5 minute walk from my house).  The wheels are turning fast on the project, and I am very excited for the opportunity to play a small role in bringing  new vibrancy to a much loved old school.  Here is a link to some photos taken last week when a group of local and state government officials came for a tour. The building has the most wonderful light and huge windows.  There are many classrooms, a gym/auditorium, a cafeteria, etc, and a lot of land on which to expand.
http://www.capecodtimes.com/article/20160114/NEWS/160119687

I do believe, I titled this post Winter Calm, even though it does seem like a pretty hectic pace, but it is all things I love, and reflects calmness in my spirit to be creating.

Tomorrow, LM and I are taking Teddy and Samantha to Rhode Island for the day to visit Kristi. We haven't seen her for awhile, but she is doing so well in her foster home.  I will get some photos.  Now if the snow storm being talked about moves a bit north to give us safe travel.....we shall see.

Alas, Ms G's peace has been disturbed. LM is now taking down the tree and he placed one of my vintage cat glass ornaments next to her face, and her peace has been invaded by another "cat."

Peace and love......