Springtime yard

I've got tulips, daffodils, and grape hyacinths blooming all around the yard, but what amazes me are the wildflowers in the yard. Amongst the usual suspects (dandelions and hens and chicks) these violets are really putting on a show. I get the purple ones every year, but the white with purple flecks are new to me. They showed up in a side yard a few days ago, and they make a nice display on the kitchen windowsill.

Color Amongst the Brown

On my daily walk I found this piece of birch bark. The photo doesn't do it justice---soft pinks and greens with a little yellow. Lovely to see in a world of brown and grey. This is the unsnowiest winter in my 5 years here in Chicagoland. (I love making up words).

The Sketchbook Project

I have joined The Sketchbook Challenge this year. January's theme is doodling. Here are two of my recent doodles.

Mom, Mandalas and Mid-life Crisis

Soon after I wrote that last post I learned my mom's lymphoma had come back. The ground beneath me shifted and time became slanted. The Big C has a way of interfering with life as anyone who's had it or had a loved one with it can attest to. All was altered. No routine, no art, no reading, certainly no writing. Just trips to Virginia and mandalas, lots of mandalas. I had never drawn mandalas before, but one day I just got out my pen and drew. And drew and drew and drew. Two sketchbooks full of mandalas. Obsession would be a good description. That and prayer helped me through a rough time. Mom has now been clear for over a year(praise God), but, meantime, I had to have a crisis about what to do with my life. After homeschooling for years, both of my children are in school. So lots of time to write, paint, and sew. But, no, I had to angst over everything a billion times. I think I've got it figured out, at least for the time being. Glad to be back to this blog.

Pheasant's Eye

Probably one of the most exciting aspects of gardening for me is to plant a brown, roundish, hard clump in the ground in the Fall and several months later---after freezing temps and lots of snow---this appears. Absolutely amazing. Thank-you God.

Counting My Blessings

A while ago I came across a "stitchalong" hosted by Amy at Inspire co. She was working on an embroidery sampler she called 39 Squares to celebrate her 39th birthday. I just had to make one also, so I rushed out and bought the supplies and started outlining my one inch squares. Amy is now working on a sampler called Counting My Blessings , over here, that is composed of 100 squares! I'm not sure if I'll get that many squares, but I know I have that many blessings (and more) in my life. I love the look of these squares just waiting to be filled in!

Everyday Adventures Class

I haven't scrapbooked since my children were little, but I saw this class over at Big Picture Scrapbooking and I just had to take it. It's called Everyday Adventures and is following Keri Smith's book How To Be an Explorer of the World.

Like all her books this one is a lot of fun. These are some of my "field notes."

I've enjoyed incorporating photos into my journaling---not something I usually do.