Hello Gentle Readers. The dog days of August have arrived. The tomato vines are withering and the cherry tomatoes, although prolific, get smaller each time I harvest. Early Monday morning we had a shower. Since I was out fairly early, I walked a longer distance to pass by a yard that is mostly a rose garden. Rose bushes of all varieties surround the sidewalk around the corner lot. Hostas grow in the shady parkway and there are a few hibiscus plants here and there. There are some kitschy garden ornaments that don't appeal to me but the roses are the story. When I stopped to take a photo, the scent wafted from the blossoms. Raindrops on roses are a nice consolation on a warm morning. I said a silent thank you to those who foster gardens.
This Wednesday I join Kat and the Unravelers for updates on making and reading. Earlier this month, I finished spinning the second of two braids of Targhee wool from Greenwood Fiberworks. I spun 900 yards into a two-ply sport weight yarn. Honestly, this summer I planned to find a spinning class to learn some new techniques but that was before summer had other plans for me.
In July, I read The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer. We have a small Serviceberry in our backyard. The fruit on our tree is hard and I don't think it is the same variety Kimmerer describes but the birds do love it. The berries are always gone by the first of July. I traced a leaf from the tree to create this little piece.
The second piece is the traditional beginning of Grandmother's Flower Garden sewed with the English Paper Piecing method. I am pleased with this little flower but I found it fiddly and didn't enjoy making it. Now I have tried it and can admire the work done by others but it's not for me. The little piece of selvedge on the print in the corner says "Garden Party." It has been in my sewing basket for quite some time and I think it belongs here.
I am so glad Mary suggested A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr. The main character, an Englishman, is looking back at the summer of 1920 when he worked to uncover and restore a large medieval painting/mural on the wall of a small village church. The solitary work and the summer helped him heal from his experiences as a soldier in the trenches. The reader gets to know a small cast of characters who are quirky but mostly kind to each other. The book is short but full of lyrical the prose. I found the reading quiet and peaceful, reminiscent of the writing of Claire Keegan.
I hope your stitching and reading is treating you well, perhaps bringing some peaceful moments to your days.
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Serviceberry Leaves and Fruit |