Monday, May 8, 2023

Magnolias on Monday

 

Happy Monday, Happy May.
The Magnolias are finally blooming.
They are such odd little things to me - putting out their beautiful blooms long before their leaves.

There is not much new here.  The days have been gray and gloomy.

{Rajah Roo}

I fear that soon that everyone here will soon melt into a morass of grayness.

I finally finished (?) hooking Early Bird (design by Lori Brechlin of Notforgotten Farm).


The question mark is there because I am not thrilled with my background hooking and the longer it sits about unbound, the more the urge to do some reverse hooking takes hold.
We'll see.  For now, it is keeping the other unbound rugs company on my table. 

I have also made progress on "Sepia Sampler," another design by Lori from Notforgotten Farm. 


For some reason, this has been a really soothing stitch - except that border.  Believe it or not, the stems are a different color than the leaves on the "clover" (at least they look like clovers to me) so there is a great deal of starts and stops.  I probably should have changed out one of the colors so the difference was more noticeable, but it's too late now.
And I'm not certain why I'm bothering to tell you this since the colors are not showing properly on the photo.

Have I mentioned it's gray and gloomy here?

*************

In the reading department, this is one I finished a few months back already.


I had enjoyed another book by this author, Anxious People, which I mentioned in this post so, of course, I had to read another by him.
Like Anxious People, this book does not fall within the genre to which I generally gravitate.  It is quirky and different and, again, I find the author's wry humor irresistible.
It is the story of young Elsa, whose grandmother is, well, nuts.
When Elsa's grandmother dies, Elsa is charged with tracking down people her grandmother has wronged in her life and apologizing to them.
It turns into an adventure of fairy tales and imaginary kingdoms and all-too-real heartbreak.
And like any good fairy tale, there is a lot of wisdom packed inside if you're open to finding it.
It's about grief, forgiveness and, most of all, embracing being different - something some of us can relate to too well.

*************
Well, I'm off to get some bread in the oven.  After a week of thinking I need to break my hermitage and get some groceries, I decided it's easier to bake.

Here's hoping your Monday has some Magnolias and fairy tales in it.

15 comments:

jabblog said...

I love Early Bird and Sepia Sampler. The colours, I'm sure, are just right. Sometimes I want to change colours but the ones I choose don't look quite right, so I tend to go with the designer's choices.
The book looks interesting - what a task for a granddaughter.

Saundra said...

I don't know anything about Magnolias so was surprised to read it flowers before the leaves arrive. But also does the forsythia bush which doesn't have the beauty of the Magnolia.
Your Early Bird loops look perfectly fine to me. I say just steam it and everything will look great in your eyes too.

NMK said...

Love your pretty hooked early Bird & your sampler is pretty too !!!
A neighbor has a magnolia tree , it is gorgeous when it is in bloom , just too bad the flowers don't last long enough . A slight wind and they are gone .
Hope it warms up and gets sunny for you !!!

Prims By The Water said...

I also stitched Sepia Sampler and added it to a white frame, which I may now paint black. Loving early bird too! Hope the weather gets better for you. a marvelous plant that magnolia is. Janice

Hill Top Post said...

Your stitcheries are lovely as always. Once your gloomy days are over, your beautiful colors in the outside world will happen quickly.

Julia said...

Yay! Your Magnolia is blooming. I don't have a Magnolia but I have a Crabapple tree but it's not blooming yet although the daffodils are in bloom and a few other small bulbs.

I love both, your Early Bird mat and the Sepia sampler. There's nothing wrong with your Early Bird background and I agree with Saundra.

It was sunny today but the north wind was cold. I managed to do a bit of cleaning up in one flower bed and I pulled some dandelions before they go to seed.

It's been a while since I baked some fresh bread. I want to make some Ciabatta, it's quick and easy but I've been so busy lately.

Take care. Looking for an update on little Mia.

Hugs,
Julia

Rugs and Pugs said...

I am surprised you have something blooming. Your magnolia is beeyoutiful!
You don't need to change a thing on Early Bird. And your lettering is perfection. Sample is pretty wonderful, too.
I hope Rajah's health problems are a thing of the past.
xoxo

Heritage Hall said...

Sounds as though your Springtime has finally emerged. Love
the Early Bird which looks perfect to me. The sampler is
also quite lovely. Hope Mia continues to delight you.

acorn hollow said...

I like your background what do you not like about it? It is a sweet rug too.
Your stitching my poor eyes just could not do it but I do remember doing simpler designs in my younger years.
Baking bread is on my list soon it seems a very long time since I have smelled bread baking in this house.
Cathy
PS sorry things are so gray we have had the sun for 3 days now it does lift the spirits

Primitive Stars said...

Morning Robin, oh the Magnolia is so pretty, I wish something was blooming here. I’m in need of flowers as I miss my Spring blooms terribly in the old gardens.. Weather has finally warmed up so I shall take a stroll through the nursery to cheer myself up…. Love the Early Bird but then again I love all your work, you are so talented my friend… I can almost smell your baked bread, yum, I would sit and eat the whole loaf…. Take care, hope the sun shines for you soon, all my love Francine.

oldgreymareprimitives said...

You're making the best of the cold and gloom. Better than what I'm doing...

as always your work is so lovely

Edgar said...

The hooked piece is just super!! Love the piece you're stitching!!

marly said...

1. I had to look up morass. More-ass. I am that, although that's not the correct definition.
2. I love the Early Bird. Can't see a thing objectionable but I'm not the creator.
3. This is what bugs me about all borders. A few stitches of color here and there. Sometimes I would like to do it all monotone and then color with a marker.
4. Sounds like a great book. Seriously thinking about naming some putz to do this for me after they plant my ashes, just to have the last jab.

yaya said...

Welcome Spring to Nod! I have a magnolia tree...pink.. and it's almost done with it's blooms. I hope more nice weather is coming your way and gets the gray out. I think all your needlework looks great because I can't do anything crafty. When I do it usually falls into the "arts and crap" category! The book looks like one I'd like so I'll keep my eyes open for it. Have a good weekend and enjoy that bread. I could live on bread alone!

Dicky Bird said...

Oh, I love the rug!
Yes, grey and gloomy, but past few days been nice!
"easier to just bake" - you crack me up!