Fabulous February

So far, February's highlight was getting to hear the amazing USM Symphony concert celebrating three winners of the annual William T Gower competition. 

Dr Gregory Wolynec, music director

With Daniel Margueles

A friend harvested her cumquats before a freeze and shared them with me. They were delicious and lasted several weeks. 

Do you WORDLE? I use this NYT game for a little thinking exercise. I surprised myself when my win streak kept moving up. Here's when it reached 100. 

After a large, difficult (for me) 1000 piece puzzle, it was time for a change--a 23-inch diameter 500 piece puzzle with a round edge. Maybe puzzling is good for the brain, too.

Lacey, my outdoor cat gets up on the kitchen window to remind me her food bowl needs attention. I try to stay with her while she eats, because Blackie (a neighborhood visitor) and Mr Possum will finish it. 

Lacey peeking in

January 2026

Large areas of the US are suffering with ice storms, snow-covered roads, and power outages.  South Mississippi is sunny and windy some days, 20s a few days at a time, meaning protecting a few potted plants is necessary. I have tried to get my outdoor cat Lacey to sleep in the box where I have put a blanket I've warmed in the dryer. Of course, it doesn't stay warm very long, and she doesn't stay.

Lacey on warm blanket, briefly

A happy surprise recently was a visit by a violinist friend Alejandro Lopez. He graduated from USM and now lives and teaches in Mobile. His talented wife Magarita Minta grows succulents (along with caring for baby Matias). She sent me this beauty she had recently repotted. I hope I can keep it happy in its sunny spot in my living room.

With Alejandro Lopez

Echeveria

I spent quite a bit of time reading this month. I borrowed several children's and youth novels from Linda. These are enjoyable and quick to intersperse among longer recommended books. I also read The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman. I had read it several years ago and was moved by the bravery of this family in Poland during WWII. Next were two recommended by NPR--The Correspondent, a novel by Virginia Evans, and Theo of Golden, a novel by Allen Levi. I just finished one that has been on my Kindle for months--The Storied Life of A J Fikry by Gabrielle Levin. 

I didn't sew much--completed a stole for our pastor in green for use during the longest period on the liturgical calendar--Ordinary Time. It has vine/leafy quilt stitches in a lime green thread (pictured on left); dark green thread in the bobbin (on right).

Front (on left) Back (on right)

I was glad I had not sewn any more after I managed to trap two paper CD covers on the back of a small quilt I was working on. This necessitated unpicking all the stitches from the areas with the heavy paper and repairing all the loose stitches this created. It was good practice for burying ends of threads.

Trapped CD cover in quilting stitches (back)

I'm not a very fast puzzler, but I do enjoy them. One of my granddaughters, Kaley Jordan, sent me this beautiful 1000-piece bird puzzle. I started it on January 1 and finished it today, January 31. I gave up several times but would come back in a day or so and make a little progress. My friend Daniel Magalhaes brought me a latte and helped one day. My granddaughters in Texas often do a puzzle in a day, but I'm hoping even at my snail's pace this helps my brain keep working.

Finished puzzle

Detail 

End of 2025

 At the end of last month I had already begun dealing with the reality of turning 90, and since it has happened, it still seems unreal. I wish I had some words of wisdom or memorable sayings to pass along, but 90 is another unremarkable day. There is so much to enjoy and cherish, and I celebrate each new day. It's still fun to hear "I love your hair," when a stranger admires the blue and purple mixed in with the white. Speaking of color, my sasanqua bush put on its annual show, leaving a pink carpet beneath. After a couple of freezing nights, it bloomed even more heavily. 

Sasanqua bush

Puzzle featuring a cat's choice of books

A friend surprised me with this beautiful white bouquet. It has served as my Christmas decoration. 

Rahrah is looking suspicious, sensing she's about to be taken to the vet to deal with her sneezing. Elizabeth is enjoying lap time.

Rahrah

Elizabeth enjoying lap time

Fall 2025 CatchUp

How could 2025 be almost over? I knew this was the year I would turn 90 (on December 26), and this fact seemed more unreal every day. I admit it has been sobering to ponder, especially when three very close friends passed away recently. My church (University Baptist Hattiesburg) had a celebration today of fourteen of us who had reached 90, some 90+. Ten were able to attend the breakfast and recognition. 

Back row (L-R) Obra Quave, Linda and Larry Smith, Nell Nation,
Martha Ginn, Barbara Ann Ross, Jimmie Mason, Bettye King
Front row (in chairs) Graham Hales, Nancy Ratliff

Thinking back over October, getting to attend two USM Symphony concerts was very special. 

With my favorite double-bass player Daniel Magalhaes

Participating in Nuestro Arte Gallery's celebration of Dia de los Muertos was an honor. My work was on display in the Artist Way exhibit on October 31, and I decorated a skull for the sugar skull auction. Proceeds from this auction go to benefit Latinx artists in our area. A Mariachi band added to the festivities. The purchaser named her Gladys. 

My fiber art displayed in the Artists Way exhibit on 4th and Main Street

My sugar skull (a.k.a.Gladys) covered in buttons

Amazingly creative sugar skulls on auction

To celebrate our country's 250 anniversary, the US Postal Service has printed this special stamp design. There are 20 stamps to the page, four columns deep with five stamps across. A description is printed on the back of the page. So clever!

Page of 250 anniversary stamps

Description of the page of stamps

Even though fall temperatures have arrived, a few favorite plants are worth protecting. This cane begonia has lived in this heavy concrete pot since I brought it from Texas in 1971 from my mother's house. 

I took care of this little bed of chrysanthemums for about a year, and it surprised me with reblooming. Being planted near the water faucet is probably the reason.

A friend gave me this fern to take care of over last winter because she didn't have room. It lived in my garage and has thrived and is ready for a second winter in my garage.

The sasanqua bush has started blooming. The flowers begin to drop and make a beautiful pink carpet to enjoy.

Thanksgiving holds many memories of gatherings in our early home with some invited guests, in my parents' home in Lufkin, and in my brother's home on Lake Austin. We used to drive from Mississippi through East Texas to pick up my parents and go on to Austin. Although we can't gather like we used to, there is so much to be thankful for and the location doesn't keep us from reminiscing. We have friends who are as dear as family, and they have made our lives richer by their friendship.

My cats, Elizabeth and Rahrah, turned 12 this month. They are quite happy and healthy after serious illnesses a couple of years ago. Outdoor/garage cat Lacey knows she isn't allowed inside, nor does she want to be. She enjoys the sunshine in her back yard. 

Elizabeth

Rahrah

Outdoor/garage cat Lacey

Quiltfolk Cats in September

A happy event happened this month. Quiltfolk, the community-supported print-only quarterly magazine focused on quilt history and quilt culture in America, published a special edition devoted to CATS.  Cat quilts, real cats on quilts, and stories about quilts and cats. What could be more interesting?!

Quiltfolk Issue #26 featured quilts in Mississippi and my Elizabeth was lucky to appear there. My quilt "The Window Watchers" is on page 104 of the Cats issue. I took a photo of all three cats on a table looking out the window and made a collage quilt with it as inspiration. The quilt was started in a week-long class with Susan Carlson in Portland, Maine, in 2017 where I learned her method of quilt collage. This began my love of Susan's techniques, followed by several more collage quilts. Pictured below is the next cat quilt, "The Conversation."

Quiltfolk will honor a 20% discount on this CAT issue through December 31, 2025, if you use the code QFCats2025. Treat yourself! You will enjoy 124 pages of  pure cattitude featuring stories from quilters whose lives--and creative practices--are entangled with cats.

Cover of Quiltfolk CATS

"The Window Watchers" on page 104
Rahrah, Tarbaby, Elizabeth

"The Conversation," another collage quilt
Tarbaby, Rahrah, Elizabeth

We finished and gave to Forrest General several more covers for their Giraffe isolette beds in the NICU. 

August Exhibit and NICU covers

If I thought July zoomed by, that's even more true with August. It's nearly midnight on the 31st, and here goes.

It was such a pleasure having the Southern Fiber Artists' exhibit of Quilts Across Mississippi in the Downey Gallery at University Baptist Church for the whole month. The exhibit was unbelievable impressive and well-received.

I discovered an interesting new chocolate and coffee shop through an OLLI class. The owners are from Nicaragua and come from a long line of farmers. It's called Mulukakao. 

I finished a puzzle on my table--music theme with only 500 pieces, but strange and unusual shapes. 

Pine Belt Quilters have been working on Giraffe isolette covers for Forrest General's NICU. We keep altering the home made pattern hoping for a better fit (to keep the light out). The 3-yards required were layered, long-arm quilted, washed and dried (for shrinkage) before cutting out the pattern pieces. It seemed easier to cut out from the gray (lining) side than the colorful side. Each of the six pieces was serged and then assembled.