In Stitches (Sorry)

I have so enjoyed stitching these two little embroideries the last couple of days. I've been inspired by http://tinyhappy.typepad.com/tiny_happy/ and the Japanese embroidery book I picked up in Sydney (sorry - title is in Japanese! I have no idea what it says).

I have also been knitting. I have finally managed to teach myself the purl stitch thanks to the wonderful Harmony Guide to Knitting Stitches but Moss Stitch, which I have also attempted, continues to elude me. Does anyone know how to moss stitch?

As my husband said, "It's lovely to make something yourself, isn't it?"

Raindrops

We are having a lot of rain at the moment - on Monday night, all of April's average rain fall fell in one night. But I am enjoying it. It coats everything in a lovely moist freshness.

And I am getting quite a kick watching the daily antics of a band of magpies who have populated our yard of late. There was thirty of them late yesterday afternoon! I'm learning lots about them too from a beautiful old copy of the bird bible in Australia, What Bird Is That?, which I picked up for...dare I say it...a song at the local op-shop. Along with the Gould League's Birds of Victoria: Urban Areas and Frances Pitt's lovely Meet us in the Garden, I am heartened after having read awful stories like this one in the newspaper -

http://www.theage.com.au/environment/animals/zoo-to-help-grieving-swan-care-for-egg-20110408-1d7gp.html

When are we going to get over this idea that animals are somehow lesser than us? That they are more acceptable as a target for pointless violence?

Quiet Times

Quiet times here in the Woods, as I try to stop and listen to the birdsong as often as I can.

Just the two (or three, or four) of us

Why is this woman following me with a camera?

When your mail is here, lady, I'll let you know. Until then...

Have you ever thought about how closely we live with insects? Sometimes I can handle this thought - like today - and other times, when I see 2 gazillion ants marching purposefully towards the house at the height of summer, it kind of gives me the wiggins.

Today, though, when there's just one of something (that I can see, at any rate), it's kind of nice. Like we're all trotting along on this journey called life together. Some of us big, some of us small. Me and the little spider that lives near the soap dish in the bathroom. Me and the fairly sizable Huntsman spider in our mailbox. It heartens me that (as I like to think) they regard our house and its environs as a safe haven where they can set up camp with some confidence. My rule of thumb with insects is that if they don't invade my space (such as a dangling by their web over my bed when I'm in it), I won't invade theirs. Yes, I know there are some fairly significant holes in that argument.

But for me, today, enjoying the Autumn sunshine while I watch bees struggling to fly their legs so laden with pollen, magpies stalking happily around the front yard in search of a worm and spiders waiting for the mail delivery, that line of (il)logic works just fine for me.

It's all a matter of perspective

I received a wonderful package from Beanie Mouse and Andrea last week. While travelling around together, Beanie and Andrea collect all sorts of bits and pieces - things that other people might discard - and then Beanie looks at them anew and turns them into really interesting and striking works of art - 'found art'. Check them out at - http://beaniemouse.blogspot.com/ and http://found-art.blogspot.com/ And thank you Beanie and Andrea!

---------

Helena's post over at http://sketchandcolour.blogspot.com/ has got me thinking. Do I look old? But more to the point, do I feel old? Having recently had a birthday, it is something that has been on my mind a bit. Especially when I see more and more grey hair every time I look in the mirror! In my mind, I still think of myself as being in my 20s - at the most. Especially since I feel I am still 'finding my way' with a lot of things in life. I always thought of people at the age I am now (ahem...note: actual age not disclosed) as being adults, people who have their lives together. But lately it has also occurred to me that life really is a process. You keep learning stuff. Re-adjusting your priorities. Looking at things differently. There is no one age where you stop and say 'Well, I'm done. I'm all sorted. I am complete.' For me at least I think that that process will go on and on until I am a little old lady still with some new enthusiasm or idea about something. And that, I suspect, is how you might be able to side-step 'growing old'. My mother has often said, 'You're only old if you feel old.' And I think she might be right. Providing I keep looking at life as freshly as I can muster, I might just stay young forever!