Loving this May Weather

 I think going through COVID and being deprived of ordinary social events makes me especially aware of this beautiful May weather and the ever-growing beauty springing (pun intended) up. The hydrangeas are beginning to bloom, turning more blue every day. One of my hostas is huge and overshadows the other ones nearby. 

My Mountain Snow Melt is complete except for the hand-stitching the facing to the back. The technique is Katie Pasquini Masopust's Artful Log Cabin, where the piece is constructed of Log Cabin blocks using a photo reference for choosing color placement. Katie taught a workshop in Hattiesburg in October 2019.

Mountain Snow Melt, 32" x 24"

Detail 

Inspiration photo with superimposed grid lines

It was a treat yesterday to get to hear and be present for a concert by three graduating USM orchestra friends, the Amaná Trio, composed of Rodrigo Quintana (violin), Patricia Vanuci (cello) and Luciana Simóes (piano).

     At our Pine Belt Quilters Zoom meeting this week I gave a talk entitled Making Art During the Pandemic. It was satisfying to look back over the year and realize how much enjoyment I got from my art in spite of sadness and anxiety over the news. Sometimes it seemed that the days flew by in a kind of time warp, but I located pictures of leaf projects, online classes and webinars, fabric postcards, and even breadmaking experiments that reminded me of many days well spent.

     Our OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) group has a Friday afternoon Zoom social, and last week several friends joined me in playing Word Games, my home-grown take-off on Password and 25 Words of Less. We gave clues to each other, trying to get participants to guess the word being portrayed. It was a fun afternoon, and we will do it again on May 28. 

     One of the best things that has happened beginning May 2 is getting to meet in person for worship again at University Baptist Church. Our sanctuary is getting some repairs and a new roof, so we are in Kelley Fellowship Hall. We had met on the front sidewalk and lawn for several months but have moved inside for Sunday morning services and the monthly Celtic service.