No big house projects today, just normal stuff like wash and baking and some cooking and a little puttering.

Tonight though I’ve been working on my new quilt. Actually I started just before dinner but not with sewing. With a project like this, I need to stop once in awhile and straighten things up a bit, figure out if I need more strips of silk cut, what’s going on with the squares? And of course that burning question: how many finished squares are there and how many more are needed?

I cut more strips and organized (again) them. They are a wayward lot. Very messy.

Then I organized the squares to see what was what. And then I sat down and sorted out the finished squares, lights from darks and counted them. All good.

Sometimes I think you just have to be in touch with what’s going on, and that explains all the touching people do when they’re creating something. Don’t you just want to run your hands over things you’re making? I love that part. Fondling the fabric before hand, moving the squares around, holding up thread, feeding the bits through the sewing machine.

It’s part of the appeal of bread making to me too,. I enjoy knowing how the dough is changing under my hands – how the yeasties grow, how the gluten changes, how the dough relaxes or becomes elastic. I made two batches of ciabatta today, one from a much older poolish. There was quite a difference in the doughs and how they handled but they both seem to have come out great.

The end is in sight for the fabric squares, after this current batch. Then the fun part begins — laying them out and sewing them together.

Where Spring/Summer leaves on hiatus

The low temperature last night here in the shadow of the Berkshires was 49.5F. That’s right. June 10 and 11.

Yesterday morning it was still drizzling and spitting rain after a night of steady-sounding rain and wind. That wind was direct from the north, the main edge of a huge nor’easter. The rain finally broke around 11 AM and the wind helped dry out things a bit but the temperature required a couple layers of clothes. How un-June-like!

I was determined to work outside though. I had felled quite a pile of trees, including one oak tree with my chainsaw and then the skies had opened up. Again. So the pile of tree remains was sitting there two days later. A few plants were waiting patiently to be put into the ground somewhere, anywhere at this point.

I worked doing old wallpaper removal while waiting for the rain to stop and then headed outdoors. I lopped off all the small branches and piled up the leafy stuff for normal decay into composty stuff. Since it wasn’t raining I broke the golden gardening rule and finished turning over the garden. Luckily that soil is so good that it wasn’t a mucky mess! I turned a large enough space to put in my plants and some seeds and that was it for me and the day. The temperature was heading downward. I cleaned up all the tools and knew the remaining tree stuff would wait for another day. Hopefully one that wouldn’t require two sweaters!

Back in the house, I did finish the pile of squares I’d started the other night.

Today? Maybe indoor work and a dinner that requires the oven.

OK, I’ve seen this ad now a couple-three times and it gives me a great warm, chilled feeling… I congratulate Liberty Mutual for a strong advertising campaign.

I often imagine what the world would be like if people would be in their own space and moment, appreciative of the goodness that is in their everyday life, and aware of the goodness they can create just by choosing to be kind.

Be kind. Enjoy the sun and the birds. Feel the breeze on your face. Take someone’s hand. Give a child a smile.

Some two inch squares on the wall,
Some two inch squares
There’s not enough room for three hundred squares,
stacks and stacks of squares everywhere!