March ~ so Far

 

Happy Saturday everyone! Mo and I are staying in on this wintery afternoon, unheard of! Mo had a good walk [well, sort of] with his new alternate walker and with the winds now up in the almost 40 MPH range, I have to admit Old Man Winter has won this round and we are staying indoors. 

I hate rain mommy!

Before grandiose internet weather reporting, this would be just a cold rainy/ sleety day...but No! We're having a bomb cyclone. You know how I feel about that designation, lots of ooooh, scary, not much meaning in real life. (Though now the snow has started, little mean ice pellets! Yep a day to stay in.)

The low pressure and and cold make my joints painful and create migraine headaches. I won't dwell but this has not been my most productive week, I admit. New glasses again, so many trips to the eye surgeon, blah blah blah. Will I ever see clearly again, I wonder late at night when I can't sleep.

Anyway! Moving on, I did make some Hourglass Blocks for my antique block challenge project

I am calling this little quilt Lucky in Love, or LiL, but you won't see why anytime soon. 

                                   

Some Instagram quilters present WIP blocks that are absolutely perfect and immaculate. I tried. It's good to take a photo and post it online though to evaluate one's progress, imperfections and all. And lookit my good matched points. But  I do see that I need more browns, and reds, maybe cream, black? 

Off topic---what is your opinion: When I am given  precious prized, saved fabrics, shared by a friend, I love to use them in a quilt. But I wonder if that is right? Should I instead collect and cherish these fabrics, unused but much loved, in my little Fav Fabrics basket?

                                            

Last week I said I'd post a better pic of Candy Cane Lane, inspired by Barb Vedder's Tiny Trees, on her blog.

The blue is the quilt on my bed.

Here it is with the adorable matching tags I saved from a friend's Christmas gift to me. Stripes would be so cute.

Backing.

And below, new labels I am trying out. I like the idea and they are well made, but too dense to hand sew through. The idea may need some evaluating.

*****

Winter reading: I'm so enjoying this nature guide, written about England's shores and rivers, but apropos for my beach too. IG: @london-mudlark  daily finds, great history included https://www.instagram.com/london.mudlark/

It's very well written. Most field guides, one leafs through for pertinent info, but this one is very readable, cover to cover. I read a few pages when I have my late morning tea, waiting for Mo to return from his exercise walks with the professional walkers, or later another few pages as again I have my tea after he and I have our afternoon ramble. Highly recommend to beach lovers, 5 stars.

My beach has very little plastic, but it is an interesting idea to look for.

*****

And here: seaglass bottles on a dolly dish, I've been adding twigs and other spring finds to them, just for fun. 

The faux blue hyacinth is plastic and probably ghastly, but my favorite color, so it came home in my pocket the other day.

The square bottle is a hand blown into the mold ink bottle, I think dump dug by my dad, not a beach bottle. I found it again when spring cleaning the other day.

Speaking of cleaning, my $$$ professional cleaners have yet to return for part two : the bedrooms. I did like what they did so far, but oddly many things were out of place. 

This wire chicken basket was given to me by an elderly lady whom I befriended and took shopping, to appointments years ago. She was also my beachcombing inspiration, her walls of books and paintings all interspersed with Mason jars of found coins and seashells. [not seaglass, though.]. Anyway the wire egg basket has lived with other folky animals on the heart plates rack for years, but the cleaners couldn't fit it back up there after cleaning. I see it is becoming a bit rusty. Any ideas how to oil it or preserve iit? Please let me know.

****

This week the grocery store personal shopper texted me about which chew treats I wanted for Mo and informed me there is again a Charmin shortage, as well as jerky twist treats shortage. Huh. Anyway I texted back No to pig ears [!] and Cottonelle [yuck!] but asked her to add a spring bulb potted flower, 2.99 in their flyer but not available online.

This is what she sent me! I love it, such a pretty and dainty white hyacinth for my table this week.

And! I saved the best til last. Week eight of the indoor bulb project. The replanted paperwhite narcissus have grown and bloomed.

I am so proud of them and me both.

One of my mantras , all my life, is Never give up. I am so glad I redid the bulbs and gave them a chance.

                                                        

Only one bulb is not growing yet. It looks pretty dead but I do see roots forming, so I will give it its turn, whispering kindly, "Strike three here, baby, last chance."

This is surely a long post for someone who had nothing to say. See you soon, who knows, by next week maybe the latest glasses will make me actually able to, well---see ya!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...