fresh air and sunshine

 We've had such beautiful weather this week - so welcome, after the Previous Awful. And the nights are in the fifties lately! Very unusual for July. In this morning's prayers: from Psalm 65 - "the hills are girded with joy". I underlined it. This sort of poetic description just takes you away, doesn't it?

I'm reading The Brothers Karamazov - wish me luck. I expect it'll take me at least a month.

I sat on the front step this evening before sunset and saw two young rabbits frolicking across the street. After a while, they ran back across the road to our back area, I think. But then I noticed two more still across the street, so life continues. 

I bought a dress - new - and it came with a scent that I didn't want. It smelled like a fake fragrance you get from some detergents - not appealing. Why? A new dress! Anyway, I knew what to do. I hung it on the clothesline. This was last Saturday. Then we had heavy rain on and off. I left it out. A new dress. It wasn't on sale, by the way, but what are you going to do? I had washed it, but it has only happened once that a smell came out in the wash - not usually. Anyway, I was determined to give the fresh air a chance. 

soaking wet in the rain

I turned it over every day - I was concerned about fading, but the coloring has a faded effect anyway, so I hoped it wouldn't be anything obviously awful. On Thursday I sniffed it, and - it was ninety nine percent gone, and that was good enough for me. 

I wanted to share this, because I have washed stinky items over and over, I have soaked them with vinegar and water, with baking soda and water - these things don't work. Only the air, and the breeze. Maybe the sun? I don't know that. I once bought a used handbag on Etsy which smelled of fragrance and I couldn't wash the lining of a leather bag so I hung it out in desperation. For a month! It took a month of hanging it out every non-rainy day, and I didn't give up. That's when I learned this method. So I wore the dress to work and a friend came in, admiring the print and fabric, and it turned out she is also familiar with this method. So, if you have bought clothing or a blanket or other linens that smells and you're afraid you're going to have to get rid of it - DON'T. Try this! 

In late spring, somebody left two daisy plants at the library's plant swap table, and I took them. Now there are more daisies at our house than before. 

But the daisies outside are predictable in their behavior. Of course I had to re-wash this pot. 

darkness and light

 Well, the split in my thumb is healed, and I stitched up the opening on the chair cushion. It was awkward using the curved needle, but not painful! It was not digging into my finger!

As I said, I had barely enough to cover it, but it's attached now, and I will figure out a patch to go over that area. This is on the back part of the cushion, so it won't be glaringly obvious.

It was so dark and dreary today, the cats slept most of it - it actually snowed, which would normally mean nothing in mid-March after the winter we've had, except that two days ago it was up near eighty; it was sunny, and everyone's spirits were lifted by it. Yesterday was also nice, but here we are back again. However, there is greening going on outside -

Yes, it's coming. 

in morning sun, from a different day

"Saint John of the Cross says our souls are like windows. Divine light is always there, beating on the panes, but often the panes are dirty so that the light cannot penetrate. Our task is very simple - not always easy, mind you, but basically simple! We do not have to make the sun shine. We do not have to create our own suns. All we have to do is let the sun in, and we do this by cleaning our windows. When they are free from every stain, the pure light pours in. We become like the Mother of God, who 'has this one work to do / Let all God's glory through' (Gerard Manley Hopkins).

Then the window - which is still there - is all one with the light, and in its own way has become light and light-giving. What is needed is great generosity, selflessness, trust, and patience.

True holiness - and remind yourself of this over and over again - has to do with very ordinary things: courage, self-denial, love for others, truthfulness, kindness, contentment with what God sends, dutifulness.... In short, all that matters, anytime, anywhere, is a strong, resolute cleaving to God."

                                                              -  Sister Mary David Totah, O.S.B.

looking ahead

 We're in for some very springlike temperatures this week. The snow has greatly receded, the grass is showing itself, along with puddly places and mud. I can see my raised beds. But there are still high snow mounds here and there.

I've been working on re-covering a chair pad which sits on the rocking chair. Annie slashed it when she was little, and ever since I've kept things in the chair to discourage them from even thinking about it. But I had some corduroy - barely enough - to try and make it nice again. 

See the pins? That is where it doesn't quite reach enough to enclose the pad. I knew it would happen; I am hand-stitching it to the pad (and the previous cover, which is not removeable), and then I hope to take a long scrap to attach it like an applique over that section to cover it. Unless I decide to make a more obvious patch from another fabric scrap that grabs my fancy - we'll see. But stitching the edge the other day to the pad was very difficult, because the needle is straight and the pad is curved and stiff: it's comfortable to sit on, but not squishy, if you know what I mean. I actually have some curved needles, but they're very thick and more suitable for leather or whatever. I found some quilting ones on Amazon, though. That will make it much easier. (When my sore thumb gets over pushing that needle through two days ago!)

The "quilted" places didn't have buttons, they were just sewn, so I just sewed them, but then I had the thought to use embroidery floss to "tie" them as you sometimes do in quilting. I think that will look cute, and I can just go over those areas.

 And then I'll still have to keep the cats off it. 

expect the unexpected

 I am almost finished with the navy shift with purple flowers. It is the second of three summery dresses I thought it would be good to have for the hot days. But I thought of it a little late and it got cold before I could make them. Still, I could wear this with a navy pullover, which I plan to do. I wore my sunflower dress for the last time yesterday with a rust pullover sweater over it. This dress looks rather gaudy to me, and without the sweater I wouldn't have worn it to church, but, wouldn't you know - I got too warm and had to take it off. So there I was in a sleeveless dress in October. Well, we had doughnuts and coffee afterward, and as I stood in line for a doughnut, a young woman nearby said she really like the dress! (At that point, I looked down and saw a long thread hanging!)

She said she didn't think it was gaudy, just pretty. Isn't life funny. I had cut the dress too short, and had to make a ruffle to lengthen it. It gapes at the neck, and I cinch it together with a little pewter rabbit pin from an Etsy shop in the UK. I didn't bother to hem it, just zigzagging there at the bottom, and the threads loosen from time to time. But this girl liked it. Nothing is ever what we expect.

a happy accident

 There were some cranberries in the freezer which I decided to use up, and looking through my pinterest recipes, I found a cranberry bread with orange juice in it - sounded good. I mixed it up, but then noticed it looked funny in the oven; it didn't rise up the way it was supposed to, and I knew I hadn't forgotten the baking powder. Well, it turns out I'd put in one cup of flour instead of two. What a waste! I picked at it, thinking I'd have to chuck it when it cooled, and I was suddenly reminded of what my mother used to refer to as cottage pudding. But it was getting late, so I stuck it in the fridge. That was days ago.

Today I pulled it out, and while I pondered the situation, I had another bite - it really was pretty good. More dense and moist than regular cake, but nice and tart from the cranberries and OJ. I cut it into thick pieces and put it in the freezer. And, just like that, I know what's for Easter dessert! All it needs is a sauce of some sort - maybe I'll splurge on lemon curd.

the third time will be the charm

 I wore my blue skirt again yesterday, and it caught on my sandal's buckle again, even after machine-stitching the hem. So, today I cut it off just above the hem and it's pinned up and ready to be hemmed again. I'll do it by hand; it will be shorter and won't catch on my buckles anymore.