"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......

More Musings, More Stitching

 

Hello lovelies♡ How are you?? Did you stitch up a storm this week to keep your mind and fingers distracted?? Oh my..................

I'm sitting here beside the pond writing this post. It's early Saturday morning. Just me and my thoughts. Maisie, my faithful shadow is here, too. The fish are darting in and out of the lily pads causing ripples to shatter the mirror-like surface. There's sweet birdsong softly filtering through the early morning quietude. It's a peaceful place. It's calm. There's no angry people. No angry conservative Christians pointing their finger in my face in admonishment; to penetrate the silence. It's a haven; balm to my soul. Sitting here by the still waters nature is at its very best. God's paintbrush has artfully dabbed beautiful brushstrokes here, there, everywhere; like no human can or indeed, could. 

Sitting here the sense of sadness which at times sits with me is mitigated by the beauty before me. The every day delights of my little world cannot but cause me to smile.  Here at my little place in blog land, I have found solace and cheer in like-minded ladies, feeling somewhat in unity with our thoughts.....reflections......in how we perceive this world. May I say, thank you, because you do add beauty to my day♡

This week I picked a few Peace Roses. Actually, I picked quite a few flowers.....but I digress. =) I bought a Peace Rose a while ago, to plant in the garden, as it was my darling mum's favourite rose. I miss my mum. I wish she was sitting here beside me as she would make me laugh out loud about the absurdity of these days that we live in. She was the funniest of ladies who could add levity to the darkest of days. A droll and wicked sense of humour who could make a  room filled with people laugh, both with, and at her. Laughter sometimes, truly is the best medicine. Let us raise a teacup to our mums. =)

And what have I been stitching this week?? I've been delighting in filling baskets with more pretty floral fabrics. There are pansies, violets, ruffled peony roses, wisteria, lupins........all wonderfully floralicious. And, I stitched a few more Liberty stars. No hurrying, no stressing; just stitching through my lazy, summer days.

Did you know that there have been over 45,000 Liberty designs created since the 1880's?? I didn't. Apparently, 'the Liberty Fabrics archive, is bursting to the brim with Liberty prints and sketches – all hidden away in oversized books, piles of labelled boxes and perfectly preserved paintings'. Liberty heaven, if you were to ask me. Unfortunately, the archives aren't open to the public. Oh, how I would love to sneak into the building where the Liberty archives are stored and pore over the plethora of exquisite patterns. I'd be as quiet as a mouse. Nobody would know I was there.  Just me and the  whispers of the Liberty designers of ages past.

I will continue stitching my pretty baskets later tomorrow evening for Slow Sunday Stitching. Here, at my little place we won't have much internet for the next week, so linking up and visiting the other lovely slow stitching ladies might be a tad difficult. I can but try. =)

Yes indeed, I have a book filled with Liberty print gift wrap papers. =) A Christmas gift♡

This week I watched Episcopalian Bishop Mariann Budde speak to Donald Trump and politicians in a prayer service. Her gentle message brought tears to my eyes; and to my heart. If you haven't seen it, please do. Her words are worthy of ponderation. Her words have caused a great deal of robust discussion among those of a conservative Republican persuasion; to put it mildly. Indeed, it has raised their ire.......they 'protesteth' rather loudly.  They expostulate how dare she have the gall, the effrontery, to ask the President; indeed all of us, to consider the weak, the frightened.....those in the minority, those with no voice; and show them kindness, compassion, humility,  love; and mercy. I for one admire her courage and grace.  It's going to take courage, grace, and hope; to walk the walk, and talk the talk in these times, me thinks. Let your little light shine, lovely ladies♡  I'm off to light my candle♡

Until the next time......