Quilting Along the Ley Lines

We are coming to the end of nearly two weeks with Husband mainly out of town which has left the house quiet, to say the least. During this time, we've had quite a few thunderstorms and fireworks for Independence Day which freak out Pearl. The neighbors shot them off for several nights running. Because of that, I have been fairly tied to the house since I don't dare leave Pearl alone long enough to get destructive and frantic. Bottom line, I'm a bit stir crazy. You'd think I would be posting more but I haven't been able to peel her out of my lap if she sees me sitting down.

She completely makes herself at home - all 60 pounds of her - in my lap. And she stays there.

Oh, what a teddy bear she is:

Evelyn has been positively cranky because Pearl is taking up so much of my attention.

On top of that, Pearl has decided that if it is over 80 degrees, she ain't going out!

She loves the air conditioning and runs to hide in the bathroom if I open the backdoor.

And the bathroom, btw, is no sanctuary for me because, like a toddler, she wants to be right there. Even when I take a shower I look down and see her sticking her tongue under the glass, drinking soapy water and waiting for me to get out, towel off and fawn over her.

At a year and a half, she is growing up and looking for a job. She seems to take a great deal of pleasure and pride in herding me from one room to the other. Apparently, she doesn't think I can manage to maneuver around the furniture on my own. She clearly takes after Husband's side of the family.

I tried to paint the room in the barn but the girls have been getting so frantic when I leave them in the house that I am just going to wait until Husband is back home so they'll have someone to soothe them. When he gets home, he'll be in the mood to hunker down and nest, and I will be happy to give him some peace and quiet while I go engage in some retail therapy. The fact that I am letting these girls control my life makes me wonder if I need a different kind of therapy. And the fact that these girls are running my life suggests that Pearl may be onto something about my lack of sufficient skill to be in the proper room at the proper time.

Yesterday morning, happily, Pearl was willing to race outside since the temperature hadn't exploded, yet. After a few minutes, Evelyn returned and I wiped off her feet. No Pearl. I called her and she didn't show up for another minute or so. The way she has been glued to me, this should have tipped me off but I didn't notice any mud on her feet so wasn't concerned. I proceeded to wipe off her paws, her face about an inch from mine when Evelyn reached over to sniff her snout. I glanced up and Pearl had "something" in her mouth. I recoiled - not knowing what in the world she dragged in. Could have been a skunk or a dead gopher. I confess, I shrieked. But no, happily upon closer inspection, it was just a small tortoise, about 3.5 inches in diameter. She was giddy with pride.

I rescued the thing and took it out front where it would be safe. I thought about how Pearl reminded me of Jezebel when she caught a turtle the first day we arrived at the place. I came back indoors to check on the girls but then returned to snap some photos of Pearl's friend.

While I was out there, lo and behold, who should turn up but Jezebel's turtle! I can still see the bite mark where she mangled the poor thing. I blogged about it in July 2008 - coincidentally, the same day I blogged about first finding the tumor. Sigh. Still breaks my heart that she is gone but there is no sweeter or loving dog than Pearl to step into Jezebel's pawprints. Here are a few shots of Mr. Yaller:

I have been working on my art quilt (can't show you but it is to the point of being embellished) and a simple 9 patch. I am using up some Moda jelly rolls that I've had for quite some time.

This morning, I waded out, barefoot, into the morning dew with my camera for some golden hour shots out in the pasture.

I think dew on the grass is so pretty:

The girls played in the backyard and as long as they could see me, they didn't mind letting me wander off leash.

Bugs, everywhere:

I love the next one:

The blackberries are ripening:

They are unbelievably good, right off the bush.

Check out those thorns:

It occurred to me while I was flat on my belly in the wet grass, still in my PJ's, delirious at getting a shot of a bug, that I am so fortunate that these simple things make me happy.

Seriously, who wouldn't be giddy about this bug??

With the economy in our country so dismal; with so many families frightened about how they are going to pay their bills; with teenagers and young people struggling to adjust to less money in the budget at a time in their lives where they naturally crave excitement and new experiences; how blessed I am to be at a stage in my life where a soft sunset is just as thrilling, and more desired, than an expensive night on the town or an exotic vacation. Luck of the draw, I'd say. I could just as easily have been an ambitious twenty-five year old watching my dreams of a fast track career going up in smoke.

I suppose the good news is that the youngsters are all pretty much in the same boat, so with the versatility of youth, most of them will find new, less expensive and hopefully, more rewarding ways to entertain themselves, build their lives and otherwise get by. Heaven knows, the last thirty years of prosperity is not the norm for the human condition and we have always managed as a species to adjust to the reality du jour. I worry more about the elders who have not quite reached retirement age but lost their work through no fault of their own and have fewer options. Let us hope that they find their happiness in the simple things you notice when you are quiet and are paying close attention. I keep them in my prayers. I suspect many would just smile and tell me that they are are going to be fine. I also expect to see the generations helping each other out during these tough times, forced to by the circumstances but likely to all gain by the experience.

There is nothing new under the sun.

Happy Quilting, Penny, Evelyn and Pearl