Opening the Windows!!

 Not all of them -- but enough to smell the air and hear the birdsong.  We are having a short spurt of 50+ degree days here in Northeast Ohio and I'm loving it.  It's too early to do any serious garden work beyond picking up sticks from the lawn and gravel out of the gardens along the driveway.  With a primarily clay soil, messing in the dirt too early is never a good idea.  But it's not too early for a more leisurely walk or to sit on the front porch and stitch. 

A few snow crocus and aconite are blooming and lots of snowdrops. 

And it's nice enough to hang the bedding outside to dry!!

As we are all well aware, we are right on the edge of the first anniversary (and hopefully the last we feel compelled to recognize) of worldwide recognition of Covid-19.  Personally I don't want to remember the fear I felt one year ago.  But at least we are no longer facing the "unknown" -- we now know it!!  

Is that a relief?  To know it?

Are you coming out of it knowing yourself a bit better, too?

I've been contemplating that for the past week and I recognized that my upbringing (which was good) has set me up to be unhappy when I'm not "accomplishing".

I've also concluded that's not really healthy at this point in my life as my energy seems to be waning.

So working to re-do that deeply ingrained attitude -- just being happy is good!

Much of this "pondering" was motivated by feeling guilty about not "accomplishing" tasks on my to-do list over the past week.  I didn't want to tidy up the kitchen even though it needed doing but I did want to layer up a quilt top.    So I did and pointed out all the reasons to myself why doing that was equally  important to me!

(Does "it will be easier for my kids to deal with finished quilts" work cause that's what I'm going with.)

Then I got stuck   )-:      )-:      )-:      )-:

As often happens, I am having doubts about how I thought I wanted to quilt it so (keep the happy state of mind going -- not making much progress am I?),  I layered up another quilt top and in the process, quilting ideas flowed into my head!

But not for the temperature quilt?!?

It's draped helplessly over the back of the chair and watching another top crash the line.

I'm keeping it quite simple (and now I'm fussing about whether it's too simple?!?) and hope to finish it by the weekend!

If I still think it's too simple, I can always add more quilting . . . . right?

I woke up this morning thinking I should have added a label to the backing before I started quilting so I'm pausing today to do that.  This one will be for my oldest granddaughter and uses one of the colorways of the fabric I did for Kings Road Imports in the mid-1990's and I want her to remember her grandmother made a brief foray into fabric design.

I'm still hesitant to start quilting my birth year temperature quilt so I might layer another small piece tomorrow just in case I can't start again when this one is finished.  

Have to keep this ball rolling if I'm going to #quilt21in2021 -- my new hashtag for Instagram.

The photo sorting continues.  

Argghhh?!?

My paternal grandparents were photographers who developed their own pictures and so every time they got a cute one of me, they printed it 47 times?!?!?  And my parents gave all of them to me. . . . thankfully, this fascination only lasted until my sister arrived and the volume decreased.  

So do each of my kids want six prints of 89 pictures of darling one year old me??

Just when I thought I had answered that question, it occurred to me that my grandchildren might want their own set of Grandma Mary's adorable self?

I have perhaps gotten "too comfortable" with the sorting mess and can currently sit in the livingroom and quilt or knit for several hours without a twinge of guilt.  

Still I'm not quitting, just delaying.

Actually, all my birding buddies will be vaccinated by the end of March and a dinner party would be the perfect reason to finish the photo sorting?!?

I brought a little spring inside yesterday -- this clump of snowdrops will brighten the dining room table for a week or so and then I'll scatter the bulbs around the gardens to start new little colonies.

Seasons are changing everywhere -- winter to spring and summer to autumn.

I look forward to stepping through the curtain of Covid-19 with this season of change and hope you find you are able to do the same.  We've learned a lot about ourselves and the people around us -- more good than not, I hope.   Wishing you a week of happy feelings.

Mary 

PS -- I did tidy up the kitchen later.