Don't Blink....

Home away from Home...

Four days... gone... it seems it was just Friday morning, the sun was rising over the lake and there was silence all around.  This morning it was jarring to hear the alarm go off and realize that I need to go to work. 

It's sad to realize how quickly vacation days fly.  Yesterday, zipped past.  I am sure it was the realization that it was the last day.  I remember looking at the clock and it was just six am and the sun was rising up over the ridge.  I sat down with my coffee, quilting and the last disk of my audio book.  What seemed like minutes was hours and it was almost noon when I looked up again.

Those four days were powerful.  Very powerful.  I didn't manage to make any earth shattering decisions, I didn't plan my entire future or whatever else might have seemed important.  I simply stopped.  Completely.

Storm clouds are rolling in....

I feel so refreshed.  Although it will be tough to go to work today, the quilt blocks aren't finished, but the book is.  I already miss the quiet.

Hubby has it under control, but it sure doesn't look like it.

I felt so connected to my great grandmother, she started the blocks so long ago.  For years they have been sitting in a basket waiting for me to decide it was time to start again.  I refuse to take them out of my work bag until they are finished now. 

 While I pieced the blocks this weekend, I remembered snippets of story's I have heard over the decades of how great gramma had collected her fabrics from everywhere.  I used to wonder if they were true.  As I stitched the Dresden Plates to the backings and started on the ones she never finished I realized they were right.  There were seams throughout the pinks, I think it might have been a dress at some point. The feed sack fabrics had a different feel than some of the shirting fabrics. 

As I marveled at the tiny stitches she took, I wondered if she had spent evenings working on them.  Maybe talking with my Great Aunt Lois.  She was very talented with a needle.  I have a strong desire to finish this quilt and wrap up in it.  It will feel like a hug from the past. 

My memories of my Great Gramma are limited.  She passed away a long time ago.  I was in 9th grade and lived in Germany. I remembered the visits to her house, vaguely.  By the time I was old enough to form forever memories of her on those few trips back home, she was ill and all I remember is the card table with the puzzle always beside the sofa.  Tons of salt and pepper shakers and the craft closet at the top of the stairs. I knew she was talented, and cherished all the gifts she made me.  She is the reason that I love to give homemade gifts.  They came from the heart.  They mattered to me.

Time flies past, whether we are doing something we love, or simply living life it is always moving faster than we want.  Odd it only slows down is when we are doing something we really don't want to do.  Something that is painful or dreary.  Then time crawls...

I tried not to blink this weekend.  I slept, I laughed, I stitched, I ran from rain drops and I enjoyed time with my best friend! 

Neeko waiting to go out...

Gator and Daddy catching a quick nap after working outside...

Don't blink...