Monday 10 August 2020

When Trees Topple



After many months of avoiding it
 the pups and I walked what I used to call the 'Advanced Trail'. 
 After this latest walk I am renaming it the "Ankle Breaker".
We clambered over rock after rock
over moss covered roots
 and through muddy streams.
Every time we turned a corner we discovered a newly uprooted tree
So many trees toppled by wind and rain.


"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, 
but in having new eyes." 
 Marcel Proust

Every morning the Rusty Pups and I walk familiar trails
through meadows and woods
along an ancient railway line only identifiable because of their straightness!
through marshlands
Over streams
and over oh, so many rocks!
Every morning there is something new that shouts out to be noticed.
Through changing seasons and weather systems
there is always something new to discover.
Today it seems what we are called to notice is roots!

Mighty trees still manage to grow on ground that looks like this!
Amazing!

Root systems towered above us.

Lovely Messiness!


I hope you found something new on your walk today
or as Marcel Proust might say
 on your daily voyage of discovery!


Saturday 8 August 2020

The Evolution of a Piece


Chasing the Moon  50 1/2" w x 40" h

Part of the enjoyment of hand stitching is the time it allows for a piece to evolve and tell me it's story.


In the beginning I started making a piece about the marshlands
after the beavers have left
when sticks and chewed off trees litter the landscape.


The sky called to me but it didn't want to be too clear
and so scraps and bits and pieces of colour interrupts the flow
adding a feeling of blowing in the wind....I hope.


Then the grasses reminded me they had to be included
because they are growing back with renewed vigour
since the flooded beaver ponds have dried up.
I wove them into the running stitch sky.


The Moon asked to be included in the story
among the flotsam and jetsam in the sky
and the title Chasing the Moon popped into my head.


Then the ground demanded attention and so
 I turned to enjoying the luxury of stitching through silk velvet.
 A delicious gift from my dear friend Judy Martin.


And so it is finished
the story is complete
Do you ever feel sad when you've finished?
No more to add
No more days of stitching.

But then a new piece grabs your imagination and off you go again
a new story starts.


I received a delightful addition to Stevie's story this week.
At the age of three she is stitching clothes for her mermaid!

 
With all this distancing I'm missing so many firsts!
Well done sweetheart!