Snapped this from our campsite at KOA Journey in Corpus Christi, Texas. Two fish just jumped behind him. Talk about serendipity and timing. I think it’s hilarious.
Spontaneous (Five Minute Friday)
I prefer routines and plans. I am not fond of change either. Not many folks think of me as spontaneous. But, I can be impulsive at times.
I disrupted my routine this morning to grab my camera. Snout Nose butterflies were flittering all over our Crepe Myrtle trees and bushes. They have been swarming by the thousands here for several days. I stood out there in the muggy heat and snapped away.
Another spontaneous event was yesterday upon receiving notice that Jeeps were in a parking lot at a new business called The Trailer Park. We took off to check out the new place and viewed about two dozen jeeps. I was thrilled to discover that a small bakery exists offering gluten-free products. We shall return to have some snacks and drinks when the weather is cooler.
I can be spontaneous if it’s something I enjoy. It can be photography, nature, attending spur-of-the-moment events, road trips, etc. Road trips require me to throw food in a cooler or seek out restaurants along the way due to dietary restrictions. It’s not as simple as jumping into a car and hitting the open road. But still…
Spontaneity may not be natural for me, but I have learned to bend, flow, and enjoy the ever-changing winds of life.
WIPs Saturday + Crafts
WIPs = Work In Progress.
I assume it’s pronounced as whips as this comes up in the text of CC (Closed Captioning).
I didn’t get much stitching done while on vacation (August 26 – 29) and over the Labor Day holiday weekend (September 3 – 5). I took the “You are the Boss” (YAB) project with me camping but I was too afraid I’d get it dirty. I had to do a little catch-up with the YAB project which meant I didn’t get as much done to Wreath of All Seasons. I do not mind. Stitching is Stitching.
All pictures were taken on the fly on [date], in front of a poor window light (very cloudy).
Wreath of All Seasons
Not much has changed as I haven’t worked on it much. I’m still stitching the upper left quadrant (Chart A).
You Are the Boss SAL (Stitch a Long)
I was behind due to the vacations and holidays. It’s a personal preference to not stitch on holidays and spend time with Dan. Anyway, I did some catching up by neglecting my Wreath of all Seasons project. As a result, I am on track with this SAL. I’m hoping to be done stitching this soon. By the way, I noticed a mistake in the leftmost center block. Can you see it? It’s no big deal as it only needs three more stitches. Fortunately, no Frogging (ripping out stitches) here.
As a reminder, below is the SAL schedule.
Picture Credit: The Jolly Jabber blog by Fat Quarter Shop
(Information about the SAL is at the link provided)
This begs the question, Will I ever participate in a SAL again? My answer is, “it depends”. It has to be a project I’d love to stitch. This one was fun and I enjoyed every bit of it. There was another SAL I would have loved to do; but, it overlapped with the one I am doing. I could barely handle this one along with my Wreath of all Season project, especially with the vacation and holidays.
I’m not a fan of the deadlines or start dates; but, it does help to get the stitchery finished in a timely manner. I may implement something along these lines to help me stay on track if I want to finish a project by a certain date.
I’ll do at least one more update on this stitchery: the finish.
Crafts: Needle Minders
I took time last Friday to make some needle minders. They’re decorative magnetic devices to hold your needles while not working on a stitchery project. These were a lot of fun and fairly quick to make. All you need are pliers, magnets, and glue.
You can find many instructions over the interweb including on youtube. Just search for “needle minders”. My only advice would be to keep the magnets away from one another. At one point, two magnets I glued (which hadn’t set yet) were sliding off their base toward one another. They’re very powerful magnets.
Framers Friday: Golden Hour
Hiding in Plain Sight
Here is what I wrote:
I decided to go out front and see what I can find. (I usually shoot out back or into the space we let wild sunflowers go amuck.) I loved the coloring of the light falling on the leaves of this vine. So, I shot a few with a flower or two. Much to my surprise, my favorite shot also has a Lynx Spider hiding in plain sight. Lynx spiders are ghost hunters of nature blending into foliages. But beware, they’re fast and scary as heck. Thankfully, they are not dangerous to humans. This one appears to be a survivor as it seems to have old wounds (scars on the abdomen). It’s probably lying in wait for a bee or some other insect to come along.
Abby Gail
This is a view of Abby Gail through our camper’s screen door. I was playing around with our new Long lens and decided to give this a try. Not bad. By the way, she did great this time around as the place wasn’t as crowded or busy as our previous visit to this spot. She came outside often.
Spent Sunflower II
July 26, 2022
The drought is rough on all living things this year.
Five Minute Friday: Generous
Foreword: What flowed out of my fingers was unexpected and more of a therapeutic rambling. As a result, this is a darker tone. It’s not even on topic. I wish I had more time to clarify things. Five minutes is not enough. There is so much more to what I wrote. But, it is what it is.
Once upon a time, I loved shopping for gifts for others at Christmastime. I relished the challenge of finding the one gift another may enjoy. I tried to keep in mind their likes and dislikes.
But then, there came a time selfishness became the rule. Cash in the form of gift cards became the norm. I had a difficult time with this change. I questioned why give “cash” in exchange for “cash”? It was silly in my mind1.
(At this time, other things were occurring including the accusation that I was burying myself in books instead of participating in family events.)
I noticed subtle changes in other things and events and suddenly became aware that I was an outcast. I wished we could drop everything except the gathering together and having good eats. Instead, I was often lost in just observation as no one had the desire to engage with me. I slowly became angry because the expectations (by some) of me were unrealistic since they had no desire to make an effort to include me.
As a result, I gradually lost all joy in the holidays. The only thing I still loved was the gathering together and having good eats. But even that was lost over time.
- I was wanting to drop the gift exchange altogether. This did happen eventually.
The approaching end of the year, which includes October, often causes me to go melancholic. I had resolved at the beginning of the year (2022) to just forget about the holidays and even our birthdays because it was “bad” last year. Actually, it’s not genuinely forgetting, but changing. It’s just another day in our lives. Nothing spectacular even food-wise. Instead, we will just live our lives and go places. We have done this so far. We’ll be taking a camping trip in late October and going camping again somewhere at the end of the year. The rest of Dan’s time off (holidays and vacation) will be spent here at home.
Framers Friday: Edited by someone else
Bee on Wild Sunflower
Here is what I wrote:
I went out Thursday and shot more insects of flowers. I think I should just focus on that (series) because it’s what I do when I need to get out for a few. I gave Dan Kolesar (my husband) several SOOC images. This is his favorite (pick).
Note: I did not take my time taking pictures as this is NOT my favorite theme. In fact, I dislike this theme the most though I love taking macro shots of nature. Anyway, here is the original SOOC (straight out of the camera):
Feather
I spied this feather in a wild sunflower plant and sought to capture its beauty without touching or moving it. It wasn’t out there when I went back out as the sun was setting. So, I’m glad I gave it a try.
Root {Five Minute Fridays}
Today is Labor Day in the states. My husband is on holiday and yet, he is not. He has to do some work the first four days beginning every month regardless of whether a holiday exists. He’s been some doing work in the evening after I go to bed. That’s the plus of him being a night owl. (I’m more of a morning person.) Anyway, this will probably end up short and sweet. We shall see. Please keep in mind that this is free writing — thoughts flowing through my fingers. Thus, holes may exist.
I can’t change my leaves without first tending to my roots. In other words, for me to change, I must first return and tend to my roots. What are my roots?
My answer in the past would have been family, friends, husband, etc. Mother always stated, “family is everything”. That’s been disproven with time. My only question now is why did I take her words at face value?
My heart was broken when one of my brothers broke off from the family over 25 years ago. It was devastating for me and a few others. I did not understand why and no one would explain what happened. I disliked being left in the dark.
Everything fell apart when my dad passed away. I never dreamed the family would not get together again as Mother was still around (and living at home). This not only broke my heart, but it also broke my mother’s heart and a few others.
Anyway, I now know better – I know my answer and what it should have been.
My roots are in Christ and God’s word. I may bend and sway in the wind and change with the seasons (life); but, as long as I’m rooted in His Word, I will remain strong. Families, friends, etc, may come and go, My God is always with me. I take to heart His promise that He will never leave or forsake me.1
It’s never too late to learn this.
- Deuteronomy 31:6-8, Hebrews 13:5-6
Change your opinions, keep to your principles;
Change your leaves, keep intact your roots.
~ Victor Hugo ~
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