"I started photographing my domestic world and writing not just about what I had made,
but why I made it, examining the thoughts that accompany creativity and the act of making."
Jane Brocket from The Gentle Art of Domesticity p. 189 UK edition

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Stitching Along the Way













While riding down to my oldest sister's home in California recently I knit a dishcloth for her, then once I arrived at her house I sewed a button back on the hood of my jacket,  and I enjoyed following Sue Perez's Rampant Arch headband pattern that was published in the Interweave Crochet magazine I purchased several months ago.  I love the pattern and am having fun experimenting with different yarns and colors for each headband I make.

It rained on the day my youngest son Tim drove us to California in his car, and it rained on the day he drove us home, but I managed to get a photo of Mt. Shasta, peeking out of the clouds on our way home.  My son, son-in-law, and a family friend spent some time working on repair projects at my sister's house, and we had good visits with family members and friends while we were there.  I also got to hear my niece sing in the Santa Rosa Symphonic Chorus, Bach's Mass in b Minor.  Glorious music ~ ~ ~

The yellow wild iris are in bloom in the front pond at home.  Our red rhododendron bush is in full bloom and other plants that we planted in the last month are growing, including the fuschias in the hanging baskets.  The first of our Joseph's Coat roses is blooming as well...I love the warm sunny colors of the petals!

When looking at the caption of May's photo on our home calendar I realized that the field of red flowers growing near us [pictured above] is clover...I thought clover just produced white flowers.  Do you have clover fields that bloom near you?  If so, what are the color of the clover flowers?

My youngest daughter, son-in-law and I visited the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon on Sunday, remembering with gratitude those who died for our freedom. My daughter brought some burgundy sweet pea flowers to leave there and some lavender ones we brought home and put in a vase on the table in my room.

I plan to be home for a few months, but travel to Burbank, California, during the first part of August to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of my older sister, and my brother-in-law.  Until then I hope to get some significant stitching done, and finish Rosie's album...I gave it to her for her first birthday and took it back to finish it and she is now one and a half!  Mercy!

Wishing you happy days as Summer fast approaches!

xx
Gracie

21 comments:

  1. It is so hot here today, just looking at that snowy mountain top and reading about your rain is a little blessing.
    Amalia
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  2. My, my you have been busy sweet Gracie! Your pictures are beautiful and just full of your happy life with your kids. How blessed you are my friend. I'm home for the day, trying to get it "all" done so I can have a few more days at the lake.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  3. I do so love following along on your trips up & down the country, and your pics are just lovely. That's quite a family gathering you have there - creating memories as you go along. Enjoy your upcoming time at home and good luck working your way through your to do list :-)
    Have a happy week, hugs xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. The clover they grow commercially is a gorgeous red and makes for fantastic red fields of flowers. The bees love them too! It was fun to see your photos of your nice big family and your headbands you're making for your girls. You should wear one! Thanks for treating me to such a delicious birthday lunch today! I enjoyed catching up with your exploits with you. I will see you at the pool tomorrow! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love red clover fields, and yes, I've seen many of them in NW Oregon! They're really quite pretty. And, speaking of pretty, LOVED seeing Mt. Shasta in your post today! It's been SO long since I saw it in person...we used to pass that way a lot when I was younger and we were headed to southern California. Happy to see you had a good family time down south and made it home safely.
    Blessings, Aimee
    PS: Agree with Teresa, you should make a headband for yourself too--they're quite nice!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have never come across a red clover field before, I imagine it is quite pretty. Love the fuschias in the hanging basket, I too have just planted some in baskets for the front of the house. Sounds like a great trip.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Looks like you've been a very busy lady. Love seeing all the happy smiling faces of your family. The flowers are lovely...and of course, I look forward to more updates on your projects, too. Wishing you a day filled with many blessings. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lovely photos !! The group photo is great!! And those flowers look wonderful:)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love seeing what you've been up to lately, Gracie. Your family looks like they had a nice time together. It sounds like you've been busy with knitting and crochet, good for you. Take care and enjoy the rest of the week!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ah, Mount Shasta. I always loved stopping in Dunsmuir and Weed. My mother told me that Weed was devastated by a fire not long ago. My grandparents lived in Shasta County, so it was a presence in my life. That Joseph's Coat rose is lovely. It's not one I think is common in Britain. Karen of "Beatrice Euphemie Vintage Cottage" has one as well. As for clover, yes there is red and white. The wildflowers-for-lawns that I planted over a year ago included both red and white clover. The white seems to have smaller leaves and more flowers, and the red clover seems to have larger shamrocks and fewer flowers - if I am telling them apart correctly. No blooms yet here.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Gracie, I loved seeing your beautiful photos. And, the headband is so pretty with it's design. I hope you are having a great spring. All is well down here in southern California. We received a little rain but we need a lot more. My best wishes to you.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Greetings Gracie, love all the pictures and what a fun time you must of had.

    Hugs Diane

    ReplyDelete
  13. Looks like you had such a fun time!

    Helenxx

    ReplyDelete
  14. That's a nice family gathering. Everything is blooming and growing beautifully there at this time of year. Hot, hot, hot here. And our weekends always seem to be blah and dusty. It's nice to have small projects to keep us busy as we journey along. Have a great day. Tammy

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wonderful you are having such a good family time Gracie and have enjoyed your photos xoxoxo

    ReplyDelete
  16. Finally catching up with you dear Gracie. Lovely family gathering photo :)

    There's lots of red clover here, it's native to Europe (and I think parts of Africa).

    ReplyDelete
  17. And I will be driving north later this month, first to Stanford for my son's graduation, then on to Oregon to visit my brother! Of course, I'll be stitching along the way, too.

    ReplyDelete
  18. It sounds like a lovely visit with your family, Gracie. How wonderful that you heard the choral music, with your niece taking part, that must have been so lovely. Yes, we do have red clover here, and pink and white too.....it grows wild in the hedgerows and the fields and looks very pretty. Enjoy your time at home, and your stitching too.
    Helen xox

    ReplyDelete
  19. There is red clover in our area. The photos are nice and so glad you shared your trip with us. Stitch away at your leasure. I never seem to have enough time to do it. I have been designing a smart phone cover pattern in my head and think it might work for mine. I hate to buy one and then get a different sized one a few years from now. Will see what comes of it. Or I may have just what I need that I just bought a few months ago. Have a good summer!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I seem to have missed some of your posts Gracie! It sounds as though you had a wonderful time visiting with your family. How lovely to hear your niece sing. Looking back I think weatherwise Spring was much better here. Hugs Anne x

    ReplyDelete
  21. Lovely photo of Mt. Shasta! I like your shots of the flowers as well. In our yard we generally have white clover, but red clover is grown for cattle when clover is intentionally grown in our area. The cemetery looks very nicely decorated. We just went to Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis to see the grave of one of our relatives who died of typhoid while serving in the Civil War. It was something else to see all the perfect rows of stones and to think of those who served and died. Have a good trip to California, and happy anniversary to your sister and brother-in-law!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting me today! I welcome your comments!