April Showers

It has rained quite steadily all day today, except for early this morning when I went to walk. Somehow the weather has turned the corner into spring, so the rain was more like spring rain than winter rain. Maybe you have to be an Oregonian with intimate knowledge of rain to distinguish a difference. Spring rain—warmer, gentler, but if anything, wetter. Makes everything feel damp. Indoors and out. But it is great for the flowers, especially those I planted over the weekend.

I pondered the glass float quilt and decided I need sea foam on the sand around the float to indicate that it just rolled in from the ocean, and just because I like the idea. My idea is to stitch a bubbly, foam pattern onto filmy cheesecloth, then stitch that to the quilt. In order to stitch cheesecloth I need to stiffen it. So I painted a piece with a liquid stabilizer that is like super, duper starch. I can stitch it, then wash the stabilizer out and have my soft cheesecloth back. Mind you, I've never done this before, but theoretically it is supposed to work! The problem is the high humidity. My stabilized cheesecloth is a bit limp. No surprise. That's what happens to crackers and potato chips and corn flakes when it rains like this. Maybe tomorrow I'll take the hairdryer to it. But for now I haven't made much progress. The rain makes me feel unfocused and lazy. I'd rather curl up in a chair and watch it come down outside or watch Dora the Explorer on TV with Sofia.

I just got another birthday present. See? I told you I liked to make my birthday last for most of the month. Muriel sent this utterly perfect wind chime. There was an old eye bolt already in place right where it was needed on the corner of the overhang by the front door and I hung it immediately. It is an articulated pine cone made of heavy iron and the sound is lovely when it moves. Kind of low and soft as opposed to your ordinary high, tinkly chimes. Just perfect.

 

And look who's back. Silly goose doesn't have the good sense to get out of the rain.

Oh, and one more thing. Yesterday Barbara left a comment and said, "You did inherit your mother's artistic instincts!" Barbara—who are you? Did you know my mother? I have been clicking through my mental file of all the Barbaras I've known and can't imagine which one left the comment... But, thanks Barbara. It was lovely to read that.