Lighten Up For Spring

The anticipation of spring brings thoughts of fresh air, blooming flowers, and new beginnings. It's one of my favorite times of the year. I want to clean house, toss clutter, and reset my sluggish winter habits. Even though my to do list gets longer, the activities on it are positively invigorating. 

• It's time to put away dark colors, in clothing and decor. Take cues from nature: use light, airy pastels or clear bright hues.
  
• Find ways to get outdoors to soak up sunshine or splash in rain puddles. Forget the treadmill, walk your own back yard or neighborhood.
  
• Open your mind to new experiences. Try looking at life from a fresh perspective. Release negative people and thoughts to lighten your load.
  
• Replace heavy meals with lighter choices. Bring on the chicken salad, fresh veggies, lemonade, salads, and sweet iced tea!

Spring adds new life and 

new beauty to all that is.

~Jessica Harrelson

A Big Ole Dose Of Crazy

There are some people who just ooze crazy.  You know them...they're co-workers, neighbors, even family. They don't live normal lives. It's difficult to be around them. They don't make good decisions; weird things happen to them. They don't conform to accepted social behavior or contribute anything positive to life. They can drag you down if you let their drama get to you.

Sometimes you have to deal with a big ole dose of crazy. Can't avoid it, have to step right in the middle of it.  You can't fix or figure out crazy, therefore you should ignore it or wait for it to pass you by.  And when crazy joins up with stupid, well, it's best to get out of the way of the impending train wreck. 

 

Some people aren't just missing the odd screw, 

their whole dang toolbox is gone. 

 

An Irish Toast for ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

 

There are many good reasons for drinking,

One has just entered my head.

If a woman doesn't drink when she's living,

How the hell can she drink when she's dead?

Lydia's Cross Revealed

Lydia's Cross by KSD, 2014

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I recreated a quilt block from a quilt made by my husband's grandmother, Lydia Fort Rose. Her design variation of Grandmother's Cross and Nine Patch Star was probably made in the early 1950's. Her full size quilt featured eleven inch blocks set with two inch sashing, and was hand pieced and hand quilted from whatever fabric she had around the house. 

 

My lap quilt version of Lydia's Cross blocks contains a piece or two of her old feed sack fabric, other clothing fabric from my late in-laws (her daughter and son-in-law), scraps of mine, and a few new batik blenders. I wanted a more modern look so I didn't exactly copy her work, but I did use eleven inch blocks.  The back is 5” square blocks in the same color scheme. Mine is machine pieced and machine quilted with a simple scallop stitch using my trusty Singer XL 1000, and I love the final result! It's on the back of my couch right now. 

 

I measured and sketched out the basic block first, then drew the design in Electric Quilt 7 for final layout, pattern pieces, and color design. As I worked, I thought about how long it took her to cut out and sew together these pieces by hand. She must have had a lot more patience than I do for handwork. I am grateful that she sewed and gave her cherished quilts to her daughter.  I dedicate my inspiring useful remnant to Lydia and to her grandson...Happy Birthday, Jerold!  Here's her original quilt.  Her sense of color and blending resulted in a beautiful quilt with character and depth. 

Lydia's Cross, circa 1950's by Lydia Fort Rose

"Everything you need will come to you at the perfect time.  You just have to be patient and wait for it."  Author Unknown

Patience

pa•tience

• the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain without complaint, loss of temper, or anger
  
  
• an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay
  
  
• quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence

I am willing to be patient. Really I am. Somehow it doesn't always turn out that way. I have the ability to tolerate petty annoyances, pain, delays and bumps in the road. I've always been able to calmly take what comes and move forward. I've got perseverance and diligence covered.  It's just that occasionally I get hung up on the without complaint and loss of temper part. That must be genetic...my red-headed German-Irish roots are showing. 

 

Patience is a wonderful quality to have, but it isn't always easy. I guess that's why it must be practiced.  

“My patience comes in limited allowance, and you used it all.” Anonymous

“Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!” Dieter F. Uchtdorf