Summer/early fall projects

I completed a few things for gift-giving in the summer and early fall.  I thought I'd post pictures for you while I am hard at work on Christmas projects!

I made some purses/treasure bags for Cousin's Camp, and I made each of the children a whole-cloth quilted large placemat/table topper.

I also completed a felt activity book and a little purse for E3's birthday.

 And now, back to Christmas sewing!

A poem for every day:

 

40th Anniversary Adventure

Immediately after Cousin's Camp in July, we moved to a larger condo in Brian Head, and the rest of the family joined us for a week of celebration for our 40th anniversary.  We enjoyed Cedar Breaks National monument, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Lake Panguitch, and much more beautiful territory around the area.  But mostly we enjoyed having everyone together.  Here are a few photos from our time.

A great time was had by all, no one got sick, and we are so grateful to have had this time in the middle of the Co-Vid summer!  God blessed us with this celebration, and continues to bless us with our family!

Cousins Camp VI 2020

 Well, here we are in August, with July's adventures only fond memories!  It is such a strange world in 2020, but both Cousin's Camp and a get together for our 40th anniversary actually happened.  Isn't God good?  

We picked up the four eldest grands in Tucson and Phoenix, and headed to Utah.  We held Cousins Camp (our 6th annual, amazingly!) based from a condo in Brian Head.  We enjoyed the Wildflower Festival (and the kids became flower rangers) at Cedar Breaks National Park, rode a chair lift up to 11,300 feet and hiked down the mountain, went fishing, hiked to an alpine pond, and made crafts, read, and enjoyed one another immensely!  our theme this year was Psalm 121, and we memorized it during our three days together.  Below are some photos of the festivities and the beauty (in both the people and the scenery).

A little poetry

Enjoying the sound and sense of Gerard Manley Hopkins this morning:

Carrion Comfort

Not, I'll not, carrion comfort, Despair, not feast on thee;
Not untwist — slack they may be — these last strands of man
In me ór, most weary, cry I can no more. I can;
Can something, hope, wish day come, not choose not to be.
But ah, but O thou terrible, why wouldst thou rude on me
Thy wring-world right foot rock? lay a lionlimb against me? scan
With darksome devouring eyes my bruisèd bones? and fan,
O in turns of tempest, me heaped there; me frantic to avoid thee and flee?

   Why? That my chaff might fly; my grain lie, sheer and clear.
Nay in all that toil, that coil, since (seems) I kissed the rod,
Hand rather, my heart lo! lapped strength, stole joy, would laugh, chéer.
Cheer whom though? the hero whose heaven-handling flung me, fóot tród
Me? or me that fought him? O which one? is it each one? That night, that year
Of now done darkness I wretch lay wrestling with (my God!) my God.

Spring 2020 Projects

As we move into summer, here are a few projects I completed after the Christmas rush:

For my elephant-loving daughter-in-love, there was a small elephant quilt wall hanging.

For Valentine's Day, fabric envelopes with greetings and sweets.

And masks-- I am still making them, and giving them to family, friends, and a grass-roots organization serving Northern New Mexico.  My current count of masks completed is 385.

For Grandson #2's 3rd birthday I made a felt activity book.  Here are the page spreads:

The cover...

The solar system, with buttonable planets

The Millenium Falcom and a rocket ship puzzle.

Star Wars finger puppets

Counting activities-- different shaped buttons under the flaps.

Matching activity, and a weather page

A marble maze for the back cover.

A market bag with "Paris" on the fabric

And last, but not least, a quilt for Granddaughter #3 for her birthday in a couple weeks.  Shh- don;t tell her!

And in the wings: a baby quilt for a church shower almost complete, a lap quilt pinned and ready to quilt, more masks, and Cousins Camp on the way!