Faith, Folklore, and Friends

One of my latest quilt projects is this one, which I named Out of Africa . Remember, I told you that I wasn't a beige kind of girl.  The quilt is already hanging on the wall; that's why the middle elephant is not exactly flat. I can't remember where I bought the background fabric, but I love it.  I used it in another quilt to represent fire.  I have a stack of small quilts for my as-yet-unborn-great- grandchildren, and I had planned to add this one to the stack.  I loved it so much when it was done, I hung it on the wall. It is one of the first things you see when you come in our front door.  It makes me and others happy when we see it, and that is why I make quilts.

The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in  God  protects you from that. Proverbs 29:25   MSG

 Anne reveled in the world of color about her. "Oh, Marilla," she exclaimed one Saturday morning, coming dancing in with her arms full of gorgeous boughs, "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it? Look at these maple branches. Don't they give you a thrill--several thrills?”   ―     L.M. Montgomery,    Anne of Green Gables      First of all, it was October, a rare month for boys.   ―     Ray Bradbury,     Something Wicked This Way Comes There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October.   ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne After the keen still days of September, the October sun filled the world with mellow warmth...The maple tree in front of the doorstep burned like a gigantic...

I have written before about my love/hate relationship with our shag-bark hickory tree, here  and  here. The tree provides a home for squirrels and birds and countless insects and smaller organisms. It is the only tree we have that is tall enough to shade the house from the afternoon sun.  It is so pretty, and there is no way we would ever cut it. Every other year, it has a bumper crop of nuts, many of which fall on the deck.  Usually, when they fall, the hull breaks into four pieces, expelling the nut.  We try to keep them off the deck (stepping on them could cause a fall) and have already picked up bags and bags of them. It has become a daily ritual, picking up the hickory nuts. There is still about a million of them on the tree. Our dog, Sherlock, gets excited when we start picking them up, and he eats them.  Yes, that's what I said, he eats them.  He breaks the hickory nut in his jaw, spits it out, and eats the good part. Hub is am...

Last week, we drove to Ethridge, Tennessee, to the Amish community there.  They sell fruits and vegetables that are fresh, and Hub had a hankering for some raw peanuts. I have heard people who are fed up with our fast-paced society wish that they could live this kind of life.  Coincidentally, they are the same people who panic and can't function if the power goes off for more than fifteen minutes.  I love their work ethic and the fact they believe in strong families.  I have no desire to join their way of life. The peanuts are mighty tasty.

Thou hast also given me  the  shield of thy salvation:  and thy right hand hath  holden me up, and thy  gentleness hath made me  great. ~Psalm 18:35 ~

We keep hummingbird feeders up from early April until late October.  We have seen hummingbirds all summer, but nothing like the crowds we have had in the last few days.  I know they are migrating, and that we better enjoy them now before they are all gone. Hub fills our three feeders everyday, and the hummingbirds empty them. Could it be that this fat fellow is just showing off his beautiful neck? I have learned to keep my distance from the feeders, as these ultra-aggressive little birds defend their nectar.  It is amazing to watch. The average hummingbird weighs about the same as three pennies.  Can you imagine how small their brain is? And yet, they are smart enough to fly safely over the Gulf to winter in Mexico, then find their way back to the same feeders next year.  How awesome is that?  Five sparrows are sold for two pennies, aren’t they? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.   Why, even all ...