Rainy Day Stitching

North Otago has had a lot of rain in the last week. Enough to close most of the schools for two days. Many roads have been impassable and there are many detours in place. I think I prefer a drought any day! Five days of rain, and it is very, very wet.
The fire has been going every day and the warmth is great.
The two mats above are a product of fireside stitching, some imagination and lots of satisfying moments.

There is nothing 'traditional' about this!

I have been playing again! Not only with needle and thread but also with our camera! Isn't it great that we live in such a time where there are so many opportunities available. Not only creatively but also in our daily lives. If we have eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to recieve, opportunities present themselves to us daily.
I read a saying recently that goes something like this:


'Life presents many opportunities to us every day. Like strings on a musical instrument.... ready to be plucked.
All it takes is for us to pluck those strings to make the music that is uniquely ours.'


I don't know the author of the original saying. Whoever it is, I hope they will forgive me for presenting my take on it.
~ The message is good. ~

Hope, the word that never stops at all.

When life is difficult and all we can do is take one day at a time, and sometimes one step at a time. Even one moment at a time....   there is always hope.
I had such an experience a year or two ago.  My family had suffered a sad, unexpected loss. 
I was searching for some meaning and comfort through it all.

I happened to be wandering around the garden and looked up, and there it was a dove perched in the tree.  A beautiful, peaceful bird.  Never before had we been visited by such a bird.  He stayed all day.

The next day he was stilll there.  After a while he flew away for part of  the day. For increasing periods he did this until he finally left and never returned.  He was our guest for about three weeks.

Hope is the thing with feathers

that perches in the soul,

and sings the tune without words

and never stops at all.

~ Emily Dickinson ~

 

'Whispering  Hope'

Can you hear it?