Looking for Perfection...Not Me, the Geese!

Some are still here

working out the kinks

Messy Scratchings

Fall is here for sure now

Drove up the valley for doctor's appointment

then on to a FAB meeting already in progress.

Found the girls pounding colour paints

onto scrunched up cottons.

First Taoist Tai Chi class

I am determined to keep moving this winter.

I remembered how much I love stitching blind

for two days.

Can't get much more expressive than that.

Friday and chair yoga started again

my body was very grateful.

Brrrr

Saturday we walked crunching over the first frost.

Sunday and drawing the negative spaces.

Fly By

Following the leader

Flying South for the winter

such sensible creatures!

Perhaps not so sensible

you can hear them honking amongst themselves well before

you actually see them.

Reflecting on Herons

The sun was strong enough to create reflections

but only just.

Sometimes you can only just see the herons through the long grass.

I have been wondering what the reflection down the right side

of the water is.

Perhaps the mountaintop wind turbine.

Chasing his own reflection. 

Mirror imaging

only just

because I missed most of his reflection.

Red Sky in the Morning

Shepherd's warning.

South African Journeys

In my small collection of embroideries

are these South African pieces.
Some simply record the local animals

Some record the local folklore.

Each one heavily stitched
by the women of South Africa.
All these pieces are from a dear friend, Valerie Hearder.
Valerie leads groups on trips to South Africa
where you would meet the women who make these
What a treat that would be.

Time Passing, Time Scratching

It's been a busy week in between

Facetime sessions watching

beautiful

Ashley Rose!

The hairy woodpecker

dropped by the bird feeder.

Haven't seen him for ages.

On Tuesday the Artist's Way Group

met around a huge sheet of brown paper

on which we placed all our paintings

 outlined them

and recorded which painting would go where.

Hopefully this will help speed up

hanging our show at the end of October.

I have been gathering up fallen apples

and cooking delicious deserts.

Geese are gathering on the Basin.

Very tempting for certain Rusty Pups!

I have been cutting up and stitching greys.

Do you remember fishnet stockings?

On Sunday drawing classes started again

with Louise.

It must be Fall.

Scratching A New Arrival

A red letter week.

Just imitating the life ring stitching going on.

Ashley Rose arrived in this world on September third.

Oh the joy of being a Grandma!

I made pizzas when a friend dropped by for dinner

and we celebrated with ice cream and wine!

Busy stitching away

and watching our grand baby on Facetime!

Sunrise on the Marshlands

We walk as the sun rises

and the marsh hawk looks for breakfast

He then flies off looking for a better vantage point

as the heron wades in shallow waters.

I love this time of day.

We Have Joined the Ranks of Grandparenthood!

Yesterday baby Ashley Rose

arrived in this world at 11:32 am

twelve days early!

Do you see her little hand clinging onto Mark's finger?

Despite being so early she weighed in at 7lbs 2oz.

Mother and baby looking serene.

At last a baby girl for me to spoil!

When a very calm Mark phoned

Handy Hubby was of course on the golf course

with his phone turned off.

Harry, who owns the golf course,

happily drove over to the thirteenth hole

to get HH to phone home.

Boy, was he surprised to hear his granddaughter had arrived so suddenly.

The miracle of a new life

that has brought parenthood to a beautiful young couple

and the joy of grandparenthood to us.

Lazy Days of Summer for Rusty Pups

RP Shandy....

....never far from a tennis ball.

Whereas RP Kayla would rather lounge around

giving herself a good back rub.

The Circle of Life

I have been stitching round and round in circles

Inspired by a couple ....

....of pages in my sketchbook.

Rhythmic meditative stitching

and your mind changes the initial idea

of a tree's life rings

to my own life circles

where the rhythm of each year is always interrupted

by events

both joyful and sad

The ebb and flow of life.

Scratching Through August

August coming to an end

Summer will be changing into Fall

The RP's and I have been disturbing the Marsh Hawks

on our early morning walks

and

there seem to be herons fishing for their breakfast

at every turn in the dike.

One Rusty Pup as you know is tennis ball crazy

the other prefers to roll on the grass

giving herself a good back rub.

We walked up the mountain for a change

and chased a deer.

Luckily not for very long.

I have been stitching round and around in circles.

Another deadline nearly met.