I can do crafts if I have to.......it's not my first love
and the last little while, I've been learning to crochet. I had long distance help from two friends that live in Minnesota and in Ohio. One told me about this great website that takes you step by step through each stitch and I've been practicing a new one about every three days. I am enjoying it and knitting has been sitting on the back burner. Yes, I know my tension isn't great but my knitting started out that way too and over the years it corrected itself.
M.a.n.y years ago when we were in Denmark I saw something that caught my eye. We were shopping in Karl's cousin's store, so I picked it up thinking "I can do this." Well, my dear sister-in-law was great to criticize but not helpful teaching, so it was packed away and brought home. I gave it to a friend to finish but after a year and nothing being done on it, I took it back. I learned from a book (no computers in those days) and finished it. I found the North Sea fisherman's wife in a local store so did that too. Karl framed them both and they are in the computer room. In total I did about 6 of them. I haven't done any in years but maybe one day.
Even before quilting my first love was photography. I've had a camera for as long as I can remember and how many I've worn out I do not know. There have been a lot. I've taken courses for 35mm cameras but right now I'm using a Canon Powershot. I was out in the yard looking for something for my "every day of spring" photo shoot and took these.
This is our birch tree.
The scratch marks on the bark are from the squirrels. They scamper up and down this tree and jump from this one to the black ash and walk on the wires across the road to our neighbours. They may be destructive on occasion but they do give us hours of enjoyment.
These are the "catkins" that come out on the birch tree in the spring. Tiny little "flower" clusters that come out first and they are followed by the leaves. There always seems to be a tiny little white flower where the growth starts. The farmer tells me it's not a flower, but it looks like one to me.
The leaves of the birch trees are a rich, beautiful green.
One of those spring greens that are absolutely
welcome after a harsh winter. See that tiny little "flower" on that cluster of leaves???? I must show that to the gardener, nurseryman, farmer.
I bought an iPad recently and for those of you unfamiliar with them, you can take photos with them too. I was really impressed with how good the photos are. If I want to take a picture that includes a wide area I use this. I recently took these photos of pillowcases hanging on the clothesline
and then there was the moon one day............way up there.........just waiting to have it's picture taken.
My camera is never ever far away. If we are travelling it sits on the front seat, ready to take shots through the windows.....we call it "drive by shooting", cause I'll be darned if the driver will stop so I can get a good picture.
These two photos were taken along the shores of the St. Lawrence River on our way home from Prince Edward Island 2 years ago. The first one is just a farmer's field that caught my eye as we zoomed by and the second is of the river looking across to the north shore. This is one of the most scenic parts of the drive home. This particular day we were really lucky with lots of sunshine.
By the end of the month we'll be looking at this again. I'll be taking a long sabbatical this summer. Two months of nothing to say. July and August I'm going to recharge my juices and look for more things to make and get a good start on my Christmas gifts. I also have a couple of quilts that I really must get back to. I need to take all the papers out of my Sylvia's quilt (I said that last summer) and I have two backings to make for quilts that are going to be Christmas gifts. Lots to do and I have time to do it.