JUST BREATHING

Moving at slow-motion but at least I am seeing better each day.  Lena, sunshine, warm temperatures and listening to the birds

 was very good therapy yesterday.

I made four more dishcloths--they look distorted here but they are all 6=8' square.

We have one pool screen panel out (still on the waiting list for repairs!) so all kinds of insects are finding their way into the lanai but they can't seem to find their way out! 

 This beetle was about 1/2" long--very pretty! 

(Rainbow Scarab beetle; Phanaeus vindex)

There were four butterflies just like this one (quite dead) but 2 were still alive and Bill managed to net and release them!

  Heroes come in all sizes!

(Giant Swallowtail or King Swallowtail; Papilio Thoas)

 

Good Vibes

First thing yesterday, I pieced the pinwheels top and added the borders; 

 I even found a chunk of fabric just large enough to work for a backing!

(I'm sorry it is wavy but I didn't press it yet nor took the time to lay it neatly on the wall!)

I stood at the frame for 1/2 and hour to figure out what I was going to do 

and ended up working up lines in the small triangles 

and a stylized flower in the hexagons. 

 It is rhythmic and more importantly, repeatable! 

 I always feel relieved when I figure out a plan for the quilting lines! 

 I started to get frustrated when I couldn't keep straight lines in the triangles 

and then I went with my wiggles and just echoed lines not straight ones

--it looks good and removes the frustrations!  Phew.

The Shrimp plants are all blooming (4-5" long) 

and they are still attracting many hummingbirds and butterflies.  

Someone else was attracted-he flew so fast, 

I couldn't get a pic so I burrowed this one from Google.  

It is a Hummingbird Moth (white-lined Sphinx moth) 

and he has a loud buzz or hum when he zips by you!

But I did manage one picture of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail!

  These guys are large and beautiful!

And this little greeting card is just in time for the Fall mood we are all feeling! 

 3 x 5" watercolor card

 

Beauty All Around Me

My yard is full of Swallowtails....this is the time to spot all kinds of butterflies;  I love it!

This particular one is the Giant Swallowtail. 

 A beauty.  He spent a lot of time on this pagoda plant.

I've done a bit of knitting;  each afternoon when we get a T-storm, 

it is good to sit and knit while enjoying the storm outside!

I have a booklet of these Zen-ish drawings to color, pencil or marker with color

 and then the reverse side is a postcard.  

I like to send them to different ones in my church family. 

 I tried watercolor on this one instead of the usual colored pencils and enjoyed it a lot! 

 The paper held the water use just fine and didn't warp at all!  Nice to know.  

 And here is the daily line and wash for the flowers, this one is a rhododendron.

I am finding a lot more confidence not only in the drawing

 but in the color mixing and the layering.

Not that I doubt the advice of every artist site I've watched, 

not that they would know this themselves 

but practicing everyday will really work wonders for your art....

Front Yard

 Yesterday we put together our anniversary arbor/trellis!  

Today we will plant the bougainvillea on both sides of it!

I do like arches!

 And this was the first swallowtail I have seen this year!

He is checking out the lantana.

 The sun was shining through the magnificent magnolia tree....

 Bill brought me this beautiful bloom....how nice it is to have a bouquet next to me as ...

I knit!

Beauty

 Oh, look!  It spits!

The bird bath is attractive to both birds and little boys!

 A sulpha butterfly on a knotweed blossom.

 A hibiscus bloom.

 Camellia buds. 

A sunset on the way home, sweet home.

Small Things

 

 Half of the little stars are finished; catching up on the larger border for these two stars next.

 I matched all the pieces together and set them in here so they stay matched!

(little hands and furry paws both like to rearrange things I leave out!)

 Now each layer is within reach and ready to sew together in about 20 mins total.

And I am doing something unusual for me-

I am saving each of the 'cut off layers' of the flying geese segments 

and sewing them into little HST's;

since there are 8 matching pairs of triangles I could toss from each of the larger border stars,

I decided they are large enough to save for a little pinwheel quilt!

After all twelve blocks are completed, that yields 96  2 1/4" HST's

resulting in 24 pinwheel blocks each measuring 3 1/2" .

This is as close as you can drive the golf cart to our pond.

The pond has overflowed its banks completely, 

flooding the whole low-lying back acreage.

Many of the trees and bushes are turning yellow and dying.

 Our neighbor's back acreage adjacent to our pond lawn looks like Fall has come early.

The Maples are responding to the stress by turning color before they drop their leaves.  

A beautiful photo of death really.

As I turned to walk away, I saw this blue dragonfly right in front of me

resting in the viness!

 When I tried to get a close up, I caught him in flight instead! 

 And back home as I parked the cart, I spotted this large tiger swallowtail 

but he was determined not to let me photograph him straight on! 

 We are now entering our season of the butterfly;

August is the month we see our greatest number and you will be seeing more of these photos!

Buttonwood and Swallowtail

The buttonwood bushes are in bloom;  

another sweet smelling bloom in a lollipop shape.

Even the tiger swallowtails appreciate their scent!

Fairy Visit

 

 I needed some solace knitting yesterday

-all the energy and drive I expected totally bottomed out. 

  I sat for as much as I could and worked on this.  

 I put the final stitches on it this morning on the way to church! 

  The pattern has ears on it but I think I will leave it just the way it is.  

(this is for Hannah Grace) 

 As soon as I wove all then ends in on the baby hat, 

I worked on sock two for grandson's Tuxie Love socks.  

 I do like this way to start a pair of toe up socks and it will be fun to 'hide' other little patterns on the toe in the future! 

 On the way home, I had just about finished the other side of the toe 

and will pick up the stitches on the cast on edge and head on up the foot!

Our yard is full of butterflies!

It is like a yard full of fairies!

I hold still and they just dart all around me-very beautiful!

Round two of the cana lilies-aren't they amazing?

They are eye level to me!

Garden Guru

My Dad has a green thumb.  He loves to garden and is a great garden-tender.

I am going to give you a view of what's in bloom that are especial favorites to me.

These are about 1/4 of what is now blooming in the yard!

Roses! 

Begonias 

Dahlias 

Gladiolas 

Hydrangea 

Hydrangea 

Impatiens 

Heliopsis 

Heliopsis are about 6' tall! 

Yellow Begonias

Flights of Fancy

 Because baby toes get cold......who says a square can't be round?!

 The Shetland yarn is on the needles!  I'll admit, lace doesn't look exciting in this state but it will after blocking which is part of the magic of lace.

 You can see a little of the design in the top of the shawl, I am now transitioning to the lattice portion of my design.

 The yard is a visual delight-all the red/orange/coral flowers I love are in bloom!

 And attracting clouds of butterflies!

 I have discovered 3 kinds of Swallowtails and this orange one which I am not sure of yet.

 This is the Bromeliad in bloom.  This part of the plant is about 12" across.  Stunning.  The butterflies like the reds as much as I do.  (Do not mess me up with any 'facts' on butterflies not being attracted by color, I won't believe it!)