Quilts for Kids

I'm about finished with a queen-sized quilt that I began years ago and because it took so long, I decided that I'm probably finished with the big, difficult projects. I like to piece and quilt, but get so discouraged with the larger projects that for now, I'm just working on smaller quilts (crib-, lap-, wall-sized). I found a program called "Quilts for Kids" which encourages people to take fabric remnants or fabric that might be thrown away and use it to make quilts for children in need.

I finished piecing a quilt top for such a project, (see above) using fabric I had used for a bulletin board at last year's Vacation Bible School...western theme. I'm having fun with this and it is now ready to quilt. I am using simple patterns for easy piecing. It keeps me busy while watching TV (and away from snacking!)

Summer is here!

Today promises to be a typical hot day in late June. The forecast predicts little wind, though!
I'm reading an interesting book by Parker Palmer (Quaker teacher, activist, writer.) His writing is thought-provoking and spiritual. Let Your Life Speak is about finding one's vocation. Yes! I'm middle-aged and "retired" and I'm still wondering what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. I guess I'm in the same boat as everyone else and when we stop wondering, we're either dead or dying!

I continue to write or re-write poems nearly every day. Here's one I first wrote in April. I know that whatever my "vocation", I hope that compassion is a large part of it. May it also be a large part of yours, dear reader.

How to gain compassion

There is no compassion
in the busy frenetic life.
One must sit still long enough
to feel the pain of another.
And soak in solid silence
so to hear the crushing whisper
of another’s sorrow.

Then with resolve, do
what is required
but not without first
taking time to pray.

Spring is nearly over!

I haven't been doing a very good job of keeping my posts up-to-date. Maybe that's an indication that things go fairly slowly at this household! Our lifestyle has become pretty laid-back, much like our friend, Maggie! Whenever she lays in the grass like this, I think of Snoopy hiding in the grass and his oft-quoted line: "Beagles in the grass, alas." Charles Schulz probably got that line from some famous poem but I wouldn't know.

I've been experimenting with different poem form types. This one is a silly one about our Maggie. It was fun, but doesn't have much literary value, I suppose.

Security

The lazy Bassett
lay curled upon
her pillow bed,

one eye shut
the other
watching

her mistress pour
herself a cup
of coffee,

then went back
to napping.

It's Snowing Cotton!

This is one of the highlights of the year...the week it snows cotton in our backyard! Just kidding!

It's a mess...but one we can live with since we greatly appreciate the shade this big old tree gives us. I tried to take pictures, but it was difficult...anyway I included some of them here.

I wrote a poem about our Cottonwood tree a couple of years ago. You can find it on the Kansas Poems website at this link: http://www.kansaspoets.com/kansas_poems.htm

The tree means a lot to me, with all its imperfections.