When I woke up this morning........♪♪♬♫

 

Hello, lovely lovelies♡ I woke up this morning......and you were on my mind  ♪♪♬♪♬♫  Just channelling Crispian St Peters. =) Though, I really have been waking up in the mornings and thinking of some of you, of late♡ I hope you are travelling okay,  all things considered; living in this alternate universe we find ourselves♡

Here in my little universe, within the safe cocoon of my humble home, sheltered from the ails of this sorry world; and where the summery garden embraces me every day, I've been fashioning more flower baskets. I was a wee bit excited on Friday as I thought there were enough flower baskets for the quilt and the piecing of rows could begin. But. Alas. No. It seems more are needed. Now, if this girl's muddly head wasn't more often than not, lost in dem arty farty textile clouds, twirling and whirling around all things fabric, ribbons, flowers and baskets, she would've realised the layout she imagined was just not  going to work. So, with both feet once again on terra firma, and with a new layout decided upon, the appliqueing of new baskets is under way. Though I'm loving all these pretty baskets, the appliqueing of the baskets is wearing a bit thin....just a tad. So, perhaps next week there may be a Flower Baskets flimsy to ooh and ahh....and wax lyrical about. 

One of these things is not like the other...

One of  these things just doesn't belong......

Ahh.....Sesame Street. I used to sing 'One of these Things' with my girls when they were little. Precious memories of watching Sesame Street with my girls, with each day following the fun and educational antics of Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, The Cookie Monster......Maria.......Bob.....and all the gang. Those were the days♡

This week I started knitting a wee baby cardie. A cable pretty in Patons Merino 4ply baby wool. The colour is a soft grey, and 'tis lovely and soft.

As it's Sunday I will enjoy a little knitting. Clickety clack, clickety clack of the needles, rhythmically knitting back and forth in a relaxed fashion; sipping a cup of Melbourne Breakfast tea, in a pretty teacup; of course. Perhaps, I will hand stitch a few more baskets, too. 

Sending you, lovely lovelies, sprinkles of heavenly scented sweet peas and rose petals; with a little Tassie sunshine to kiss you on the cheek♡ Take care, lovely lovelies♡

 

Until the next time......

"Freedom, Books, Flowers, And The Moon, Who Could Not Be Happy?" Oscar Wilde

Hello lovely lovelies♡ A lovely Sunday morning welcome to you♡ It's a peaceful morning here. Far, far from the madness....and madding crowd. I've just come in from the garden for my early morning stroll snippety snipping pretty blooms here and there. I'm ready for the first of many a cup of tea;  and later, a little slow stitching of my flowery baskets.

I acquired a couple of fabrics this week, with lush flowers flourishing all over. A pretty floral fabric will always find a home in my fabric stash. Two fabrics are designed by Anne Maria Horner 'Good Gracious', and the other, a lawn from Moda, Chelsea Garden.

There's a fabulous quote on the selvedge of the Chelsea Garden fabric. A quote by Oscar Wilde.  Gotta love an Oscar Wilde quote. There are many memorable ones.  He was a man of incisive wit.     The quote?? 'I can be perfectly happy by myself. With freedom, flowers, books, and the moon, who could not be perfectly happy?' Oscar Wilde

And that, got me thinking............=)

I love this quote. I am that girl who is perfectly content with my own company. And, if there's a  tower of books waiting to be read, encouraging me to journey along the yellow brick road in search of new adventures, exciting mysteries, knowledge, and truth......well so much the better. And, if I can walk in a garden where beautiful blooms brush me as I pass by; and there's many a room in my humble abode where many a vase of flowers intoxicate the air with a potpourri of redolent fragrances; even better.

As for the moon.  That brilliant globe bathing the earth with a silvery, ethereal glow;  cannot but cause a little happiness, can it?? Though a full moon hanging low in the night sky is magical, full of wonder; I rhapsodise a little more when the moon is indistinguishable in an inky black sky and a host of scintillating stars are twinkling above. I have been known to slip out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to indulge in a little star gazing. Just me, a mere mortal, diminutive, insignificant, humbled, looking at the cosmos above; in awe at the sight of the glimmering constellations vastly stretching above and across. It is theatre at its very best.

I am moved, in the innermost depths of me every time I look at a star-lit night sky. I send thoughts and prayers travelling through the galaxies to the Creator. In these times, I send many a prayer heavenwards for some of you, lovely lovelies. Prayers of strength. Prayers to be able to cope with each day and the continual barrage of idiocy of late.

Then the quote states freedom can but make a person happy?? Freedom?? What a can of worms, freedom, is. I've been thinking about the fragility of freedom of late. A free society?? A respectful society. A society tolerant of diversity. Citizens of different skin colours, faiths, backgrounds, social classes and family structures; having the same freedoms to live, dress, worship and believe as they wish. Unfortunately, there are some who would have us all live by their rules, their confined and bigoted ideals. One must never become complacent when governments across the world assume sweeping powers and impose significant restrictions on their citizens. Generations past, fought and died to uphold freedom.  But hey........what do I know......right?? 

Now......if I was penning this quote I would have to include fabric into my happiness gauge. I never walk out of a shop with a pretty fabric or two in my bag, unhappy. Though, when I arrive home there might be some misgivings, a smidgen of guilt  with the acquisition of yet more fabric....but that is easily pushed down, down, down...... into the depths of my consciousness.

I wonder if sumptuous fabrics caused Oscar Wilde to feel a little happiness?? After all, he was a fellow who tended to dress flamboyantly. His choice of fabrics were richly coloured velvets, silks.........dressed in a manner, thumbing his nose up at the strictures of Victorian fashion. Indeed his clothing choices were a form of self expression. I read he  considered life should be as beautiful and full of style as art.  Why, I'm going to don a pair of black patent leather shoes, complete with silver bows, just as Oscar would've worn back in the day, and do a happy dance in concurrence. Yep, Oscar Wilde is my kinda guy. 

Of course my happiness barometer would include, family, sweet sweet grandbabies, friends, stitching, oodles of quilts, chocolate cake, sweet puppy dogs, tea in pretty fine bone china tea cups...........a myriad blessings which cause me to smile. I wonder what causes the mercury in your happiness barometer to rise?? =) 

When I wasn't having fun falling down the rabbit hole reading about all things Oscar Wilde this week, more pretty baskets filled with pretty blooms were hand stitched. And yes, some of the new fabrics were stitched into the baskets.

Who would've thunk it......that a whole lot of musings could've emanated from one quote. But, that's my muddly mind for you. I'll blame it on the oasis that is my pond. I sit there with a cup of tea in hand and think upon the madness and chaos of another week that has slipped into the annals of history. My little light is shining a little brighter today because this week, the world just became a little darker. Sending many hugs wrapped in many prayers to you♡ Why, on the next star-filled, inky black night I will slip out, look up into the theatre of the night sky and whisper a prayer for you♡ Take, care, lovely lovelies♡

Sending you, lovely lovelies, a little flowery love♡ Until the next time......

Summer Is Summering Along♡

 

Hello, lovely lovelies♡ February. The last month of summer, here at the bottom of the world. But, I won't think about that now. For there is another month to enjoy summer sunshine, warm days and a continuation of a profusion of colourful blooms sashaying in the garden. Roses, dahlias, sweet peas, cosmos, anemones, nigellas, cosmos........ and my favourite, the beautiful hydrangeas. 

Though, the hydrangeas haven't been as bountiful as in other years. At the end of last winter Pete was rather macabre with the pruning shears. He bandied the shears with no fear of the murderous looks coming from his wife's direction. Nor did he appear to have any concern of the disdain that his wife might regard him.  He was savage. He was ferocious. Normally, divorce papers would be served, but, his wife had to suck it up knowing 'the gardener' knew best. She, who normally gives the hydrangeas a light clip each year, had to admit, as devastating as it was, a brutal pruning had to occur as the hydrangeas had become much too leggy. Deep down she knew severe pruning revitalises old woody plants and, even though flowers would be scarce in summer, ultimately the hydrangeas would bloom profusely in the coming years. So me thinks my marriage to, he who is a little heavy handed with the machete-like pruning implements, might just last a little while longer. I can wait till next summer when the hydrangeas will be back to their magnificence. For, they are indeed the queens of this garden.

The garden was decimated in wild storms last winter, but not to worry, the gardener is slowly working  in it,  restoring each little section at a time. Slow and steady seems to be the adage we live by  these days.

There is a finish, here at my little place. The crochet baby blanket is done. Granny square after granny square dancing in muted colours of blue, green, beige, brown; with a dash of peachy salmon thrown in for good measure. I hope the mother to be likes it. It was hard not to throw in smidgens of pink and purple into the mix, but, I resisted the temptation.=)

Mmm......me thinks Bluey and his friends would much prefer the crochet pretty to stay here. =) How do I know?? Why, Bluey told me so.

So starts another week. I've enjoyed crocheting this week.  Me thinks my next woolly on the needles will be a baby cardie. A cable pretty, perhaps. I love knitting baby pretties as they knit up quickly. But, today, for Slow Sunday Stitching, I will enjoy stitching some more flower baskets.

Take care lovely lovelies, and don't forget, in these disturbingly bizarre times, where despicableness, vileness, hideousness................seems to be the norm in some parts of the world, keep shining your little light in your little corner of the world♡ This week, let us, you and me, shine our little light brightly, showing kindness and grace to those who happen across our path. May our little light illuminate; despite the presence of overwhelming darkness.  Sending you a little sweet pea and hydrangea love, from all the way down here♡

Until the next time......