What is it about flowers??

What is it about flowers?? What is it about flowers that resonates with my being?? What is it about flowers that feeds my soul?? What is it about this floral addiction of mine from which I have no desire to be cured??

Is it the universal language of flowers?? Is it the symbols that traditions and folk lore have alluded to for each flower; love, purity, friendship, gratitude, innocence, remembrance, affection, loveliness, celebration.........yes, yes and a resounding yes!

Is my addiction, my penchant for flowers something that manifests itself in the beautiful garden in which I wander each morning, secateurs in hand to cut a pretty flower or two? Is it the divine fragrance each flower gifts?? Is it all the pretty dresses each flower wears?? Is it the symphony of colours within the spectacle of a garden. Is it the beautiful reminiscences a flower brings to mind.....recalling those memories one hides within one's heart?? Is it the beautiful floral fabrics from huge, blousy blossoms to tiny sprigs.....which I am drawn to?? Is it the glorious floral-inspired paintings from the sublime brushstokes of Monet, Margareta Haverman, Margaret Olley, Van Gogh to name a few which I have always loved?? Is it those quilts where blossoms flourish all over that captivate me, and the cushions I have fashioned where  a concoction of ribbon flowers dance with floralicious delight?? Is it the pretty floral patterns on vintage tea cups and teapots that sit ever-so-prettily on my dressers, with an air of expectancy waiting to take part in a little tea ceremony each day?? Is it the  books which line the shelves of my burgeoning bookshelves, where page after glorious page delight me with photographs or botanical artworks of floral gorgeousness, taking me on a magical journey where flowers abound??

What can I say. The answer to all these questions where it appears I may just well  have a predilection to all things floral, a 'slight' floral addiction, is yes, yes and again I say yes. That's what it is about flowers. It is all the above and more; where it seems to me that the beautiful flowers are what pops up time and time again in my creative journey. It is the beauty of flowers in all their glorious representations; in Mother Nature, in paintings, on fabrics, on quilts, in embroideries of bygone eras, in books.......so, so many intangibles of why I love them so. Flowers touch me, inspiring me daily from deep within my being, nourishing my imagination.

Indeed, for me there are few things that are  as alluring as flowers. I do not say this lightly. Although I live in a little patch of paradise and marvel at God's wondrous creation every day, from the majestic mountains that surround me to the clouds in all shapes and forms dancing across the sky playing the game "can you guess what I am??";  it is the flowers in all their guises and colours which thrills my soul the most.

Flowers are a veritable pot pourri of magical delight. They make my heart smile. What is lovelier than a gift from a friend of a sweet smelling bouquet of beautiful blooms when one is feeling sad, or perhaps to celebrate a special occasion. A bouquet of overspilling blossoms, cinched together with a pretty ribbon is truly one of life's simple pleasures. AND....of course a home with a vase or two of blossoms in every room is one of life's beautiful delights. Indeed, it is a rare thing not to have a vase of pretty blooms somewhere in my home; even in Winter, where only a single flower might be seen to cheer my day. 

The flowers which have put a smile on my face, indeed, the flowers that have satisfied my addiction this last little while are the Irises and sweet, sweet Lilacs.......Iris - royalty, wisdom, valor..........Lilac - spirituality, purity, innocence, love and passion.... hence a little (just a little) photo shoot was required. =)

This last little while I have been deeply saddened by the news that some beautiful ladies whom I have met here in my little place find themselves travelling down difficult and torturous paths. Others too, whom of late have had loved ones pass away and have had to say their final goodbyes. Beautiful ladies whom though I have never met in person, I feel we are kindred spirits. Sometimes in life we are faced with hardships that are almost too much to bear. I have sat much in my garden this week. I have thought of you with much love and prayed to my Heavenly Father that He may wrap his arms around you, your family and loved ones and give comfort that only He can give. On my morning walks I have looked heavenward and prayed for you. As I think of you, may I gift each one of you a beautiful bouquet of flowers filled with much love. Wish oh wish I could knock on your front door, greet you with a warm smile and an engulfing hug and gift you with a bunch of flowers.....but I cannot. Please know that way down here at the bottom of the world, there is a lady who is thinking of you with much love♥

Until the next time.....................

Friendship and.....Cathedral Quilts

Hello lovelies. I hope you are all well and I hope for those of you who have been bombarded by avalanches of snow over the last little while, that Spring has decided to greet you with it's warm smile; bringing with it all the pretty flowers that herald Spring's appearance.

The weather down here at the bottom of the world has been warm, and yes, the garden is still greeting me with flowers of loveliness each morning. Though in saying this, the days are shortening and it won't be long till Autumn is in its full regalia, dressing all the trees with gorgeous frocks of layer upon layer of rustling, taffeta-like leaves of burnished golds, russet reds and burnt siennas.

But, the purpose of this post is not to chat about the weather, nor the flowers (I would've thought I have talked enough about the flower kingdom over the last little while....though I cannot say for certain that a vase or two of flowers will not appear later on....=) ), but to chat about the stitching I have been doing on my Cathedral Window quilt, oh, and about friendships. At the beginning of the year I decided I wanted to finish all those quilts that I had started over the last couple of years. With my unfinished Cathedral Window sitting in my cabinet beside my bed for a while now, I have decided I am going to do my darndest to finish it. Although these pretties, the Cathedral Window and the hexie (another incomplete pretty) look so pretty sitting in my cabinet, I would much rather see them resting atop my bed.

Every fortnight my good husband and I visit friends of ours, and spend the most enjoyable day at their home. Both my husband and I get on famously with our friends. Indeed, it feels as if we have known them forever but really it has only been a little while. My husband helps Gary in his garden, or lends a helping hand in renovating their home, or indeed, at this time of the year goes foraging for wood in the bush. It won't be too long now until both our fires are gobbling up wood faster than those old chainsaws can churn out an acceptable quota of logs. It takes a huge forest to keep my tippy toes warm in winter. =)

As for me, I enjoy the most wonderful day sitting and chatting with Anne, whilst we both stitch and sip cups of tea in pretty teacups; taking a break at lunchtime and walking to a nearby art gallery cafe for lunch. Yes indeedy, Anne is a gal after my own heart. We both share and love many of the pleasantries of life. We both adore stitching, fashioning pretty after pretty and both slip into apoplectic shock when our eyes gaze upon a pretty fabric. Though I seem to need the oxygen tank more than she. =) Indeed, both our heads seem to exist in them-arty-farty, textile clouds. We both love God and have a deep faith, and have both walked many a road with Jesus over the years; alongside Him, and more often than not in those impossible times, carried by Him. We both are of a similar age, surviving our childrens' trudging through that interminably long, foggy tunnel of pubescent insanity, finally arriving at the other end; and having flown the coop, making their way in life, making their own choices. We have both survived the travails of teenage angst......just!

When my good husband and I left the cacophonous, concrete jungle of Sydney to make our new home in a far rural outpost in Tasmania, we left behind dear friends. Dear friends whom we have known most of our adult lives; one "forever friend" I have known since I was five years old. Dear friends where we enjoyed that special friendship of like minds, beliefs and shared interests. These friends I stitched with, enjoyed many an old movie with, belly laughed until it hurt, discovering bric-a-brac shops together, holidayed together, cafe-ing together and many heart to heart conversations about our faith, our children......and a million and one other things. You know the kind of friends, where on a Saturday or Sunday arvo we would pop by each others' homes to enjoy a cuppa and conversation. Though we have kept in touch and many have packed their gear for their survival kit bag and braved the wilds and natives of Tassie to come and stay with us in our humble abode, I do miss the camaraderie of those spur-of-the-moment visits; those quick decisions of visiting each other. I love my life here in Tassie and though I would never live in Sydney again....(one should never say "never", should one) the day-to-day, easy friendships with kindred spirits are deeply missed. These easy friendships based upon much laughter and shared interests, friendships that have taken a lifetime to foster and nurture, are deeply missed. These friends whom know so, so many of my stories because they have lived them with me as they have been written. Happy stories, sad stories, hilarious stories, triumphant stories, touching stories, miraculous stories.......so, so many stories; these are the friendships that are cherished.

Anyway........on the last couple of visits to Anne's home, I have been working on my Cathedral Window quilt and Anne has been working on a lovely applique flower quilt.

Why oh why did I ever start stitching a cathedral window quilt?? Cathedral windows are not for the faint-hearted, indeed, there have been many times I have been faint of heart whilst stitching this pretty. It just seems to take forever.

When stitching a cathedral window quilt one has to spend an inordinate time ironing, in this case 12" squares of fabric into little 4" envelopes.

Then one cuts out little squares of a jumble of pretty fabric and with a backing of batting fits them into the envelope, turns the edges of the envelope over, making a frame and then machine stitch around the frame. Easy enough, but if you are a persnickety gal like me, the imperfections are a tad annoying.

The stitching of each strip seems to take such a protracted amount of time. Each strip is joined to the larger section of the quilt and then after the little windows are inserted, the stitching around each frame is completed.

Hallelujah.....another three strips joined and then stitched to the larger quilt. I can see that finishing line inching.....inching ever so much closer!

Friendships centred around shared interests and passions are a delightful thing. Friendships when one can chat about deep and personal things and know for a surety that what is  spoken of and revealed will go no further, is indeed a most gratifying thing. Indeed, this kind of friendship, this kind of rapport can be a rare and most wonderful thing.

Anne's and my friendship is one one that uplifts and warms the cockles of my li'l ole heart. I find our stitching days to be filled with laughter, tete-a-tete conversation without the need of scuttlebutt; with a  joy of  shared interests and life experiences. We are kindred spirits. It is rather a splendid thing to meet kindred souls as we walk along the yellow brick road of life, don't you think?? It is a wonderful thing to walk along the bendy path of life, to write new and fun stories with kindred friends that one meets along the way, who share the path for a little of the journey.

Already, I am looking forward to  my next stitching day with my friend; looking forward with delight to enjoy a little more stitching of my cathedral window quilt. Perhaps within the next little while, my Cathedral Window will be sitting atop my bed with a jubilant Hallelujah Chorus filtering down from the heavens. Well.......miracles do happen. 

Until the next time........may you enjoy many moments of kindred friendship over the next li'l while, and enjoy a lovely chat with your friend over a cup of tea in a pretty tea cup.

One is never closer to God than in a garden

Thank you everyone for visiting my spring-filled place a little while ago and taking the time to leave such lovely comments. You always leave a smile in my heart.

The Lilacs have finished their flush of beautiful flowers, ever so gently making way for the other blossoms.

Spring is ever so slowly (nothing ever happens quickly here in Tassie) continuing the procession of floralicious delight, with each flower profusely blooming for a little while, then when finished, handing over the blossom baton to the next beautiful display. Cultivar after cultivar each showcasing their unique exquisiteness. Although the calendar reveals to me it is now the Summer month of December, Tassie hasn't looked at it's calendar of late. But that's okay, I am revelling in gorgeous bloom after gorgeous bloom. The most wonderful thing about a slow and deliberate warming up of the seasons here in Tassie, is we experience long and extended flowering seasons.

The beautiful Dutch Irises never fail to delight. The extravagance of that deep, purpley-blue colour is always a vision splendid.

Such a pretty outlook from the family room.

Azaleas abound!

The Clematis joyfully scrambling  over a rusty arch.

Aquilegias abound in our garden. Each year they drop seed whereupon the next year there always seems to be an explosion of these pretty granny bonnets.

Aah......the pretty Foxgloves. In my mind's eye I catch glimpses of tiny fairies peeking from within the tubular, little bells. I am quite certain Miss Maisie sees them!

The Rhododendrums, the Ixias.......

But.........then there are the Roses!! Now is the time for the Roses. The fragrance in the garden as each rose petal gently unfurls from it's bud is enchanting. The delicious scents of each different rose is truly exhilarative.

I cannot tell you how divine the heady scents of these roses are. They are truly intoxicating!! Each rose jostling to reveal the most ambrosial, scent-infused bouquet.

I have spent much time strolling in the garden these last weeks....and always my feet have led me to the pond. I have sat in my swing seat for many moments, contemplating the fragility of life. You see, a very dear friend of my husband and mine passed away suddenly a couple of weeks ago. It was a shock. He kissed his wife goodbye and set off with his teenage son to chop wood, experiencing a massive heart attack, never to return home to his lovely family again.

Our friend was a funny, loyal, honourable, honest and most marvellous man. There are not enough pages in a book to pen my thoughts on the eminent character of our friend. He was a much loved and respected member of this small community; whom will be sadly missed. His dependability, his keen intellect and clever mind, his organisational skills, his naughty sense of humour.............the attributes flow on and on.........will be irreplaceable. He adored his family and they adored him. Indeed, he was their world, and they his.

The pond is a place of refuge, a place which refreshes my soul. It is a paradise where the fish glide in the murmuring water surrounded by the blessings of nature. It is a place where I talk to my Heavenly Father. It is a place where He gently bends down to hear the whispers of my heart and comforts me. It is a place to..........just be. So, so many times, there is no other place I would rather be.

It is a place where I remember our dear friend. It is a place where I think upon the happy, memorable and fun times both my husband and I spent in the company of him. It is a place where my friend is never more than a thought away. It is a place where I pray for my friend's wife, who is also a very dear and much loved friend, and his four children and grandson. Their walk upon this new path will be a difficult one, filled with much heartache, without their wonderful husband, dad and grandad walking alongside them; missing him, wishing he was there with them. It will be a path filled with many moments of sadness, but maybe in time, there will again be happy strolls as they keep their precious  memories of their loved one ever so close to their hearts.

Indeed I find I am never closer to God than sitting in my swing seat, overlooking the pond, where every flower, every creature has been painted with the majestic brushstrokes of my Heavenly Father's paintbrush. If one looks closely, the intricate detail of each flower......of each creature......is wondrously complex. Some say there is no God.......incredible!!

Thank you for strolling along my garden path with me and resting awhile by the pond. If you think of it, please spare a thought, and if you are so inclined, a prayer for our friend's family over these coming days, months............indeed, they will need many a caring thought and hug during this unimaginable time of loss in their lives.

Until the next time..........