Context But No Roadmap

 

Hi everyone. Mid April, ups and downs, we had a frost we had torrential rain, we had sunshine and one--!--no-wind/ warmish day.  [golf course driving range]

The sunshine makes me want to fill my deck pots with red geraniums or at least pansies. I do know better.

I've worked on Boardwalk most afternoons,---it is far more time consuming than I imagined; must stop after an hour or so or risk severe back and hip pain. Reminder pic of the inspiration quilt, maker unknown.

Context: on my walks I 've been noticing the inspiration boardwalks that we have here.

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Mel asked why do the different angles though, so I found this picture online of our big town boardwalk. It has always charmed me with the careful placement of the now weathered grey wood boards. [rebuilt after H Sandy, 2012]

This is a simple town boardwalk, as of course are the smaller ones. It's not Coney Island below or the Jersey Shore kind of boardwalk, we have no arcade games or carnival rides. 

There's an ice cream stand, a hot dog stand, that's it. But it is big, long, 2.5 miles? and much prized.  These are some older shots I took on an icy January day in 2019. A rare chance to find the walk empty.

These are all inspiration for a quilt, I hope this quilt. 

If not here's a delightful Boardwalk quilt. I'd love to make it too someday, so fun. HERE

Meanwhile, back to my own improv journey. The other day I had the sense to lay the made blocks on my actual bed. Oh no. Too big, too dull.

The original, by eye stripes looked better than the low contrast low volume look I was working towards. So dull. Too wide, too long. Clumky. 

I dithered, I measured I trimmed. The segments for now are raw edge 7.5"/ 6.5". 5.5". Today, all organized.

Omigosh the amount of threads to trim, I must do it as I go, a hated task.

Note: my floor is NOT dirty. It is bleached and weathered and worn, but not dirty.

So far, though I get attached, I get engrossed--this is hard work. Tiresome. Tiring.

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Here's another project I pulled out,  A Covid lockdown eBay find. Chocolate Milk At Poolside. 

When my kids were small, the plan was morning camp then poolside lunch: tomato and American cheese with peanut butter or mayo on Wonder Bread. One summer it was all the littles ate besides pizza. Lunch, rest/ read, was of course followed by an afternoon at the beach. Best times.

This eBay top w its odd colors is, I think, delightful. It needs only borders. I think it will make an awesome finish!

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On Instagram I've been following an account called...@until.found  until.found

The person sidewalk searches daily ''for the real diamond"--but instead finds tiny chamring treasures. Sometimes he recasts them in silver to sell on Etsy.here I so want the Balloon Dog charm. 

The artist is in the Netherlands, do we still have Trump tariffs, or we can buy from Europe again? His prices are in EU currency.

The guy finds a lot, a LOT of beads and actually just a lot of stuff. At day 55-ish, I am dubious--are the finds, well, planted?

I've been looking again at my lanes and sidewalks since these  posts began. [always, really]This is all I've found this year January to April, plus another penny and a nickel.

But maybe sidewalks in Netherlands have more to find? Here pavements are constantly swept and cleaned; the beach is mechanically raked/ sifted twice a day. So I put aside my suspicions and looked at this a different way...How wonderful it must be, would be, to set out every day, looking for that real diamond! But finding joy instead in tiny trashies. Or in symbolic life diamonds--love, peace, health, optimism, happiness. A smile, a kind gesture. Life diamonds. It's a lesson to be learned.

Bench celebrating spring even if Easter is long gone.

Have a good week. Look for a diamond every day!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach......