Spring will be coming soon if last night’s deluge of rain is anything to go by. If you remember, a few months back I did three squares for Gracious Parcels, a charity knitting project headed up by a blogger friend of mine, Firefly. [See her link under Lynne’s Favorites in my sidebar.] Knitters from all over the world have contributed squares for her blankets that are distributed to families in need through a local Habit for Humanity. [If you follow the Gracious Parcels link above you will see a finished blanket.]

The colors and yarns I chose this time were inspired by spring and summer. The nubby lilac colored square is supposed to represent bunches of lilac flowers. The blue square is variegated like water, and I chose a chevron pattern to form ‘Vs’ like ripples in a lake or stream; and the square in progress is a strawberry-raspberry color done in a checkerboard which I hope will look like pints of those luscious berries when completed. This is all in my mind’s eye of course, and other people may see them as representing something else entirely.

I have fun choosing yarn and then a pattern to best represent what I want to portray. And, I’m constantly teaching myself new stitch patterns. So, it’s a win-win situation. It gives me a creative outlet, and at the same time I am donating my time and efforts to a very good cause. I like the thought of my stitches warming someone’s heart and lap. It’s a good thing.

I have a thing for trees, Okay, so I’m admitting it. Walking around the French Quarter, it was impossible to miss these stately trees. I didn’t know what they were, and finally one day my walking partner asked someone and they told us they were magnolias. I had no idea magnolias grew that large.

I had never seen such trees where a single, huge limb spread ever outward, unsupported for such great lengths. Such shiny, smooth bark. They called out to me from their protective fenced-in gardens. I wanted to reach out my hand and touch their smooth surface, to tap into their strength and feel the power of the Earth surging through them.

I found this poem below which seems to sum it up for me.

Can you imagine them in bloom?

Doris, cleaning up after the birds. We just realized yesterday after I took this photo, that it appears she’s pregnant. Oh boy. More bears to visit.

And here is a link to what we had for dinner: Osso Buco

Okay, take a good look at the photo above. I want you to tell me what you see. This was taken late yesterday afternoon, looking through the leaded window of our front door. Take a very close look through the unfrosted pane and you might just see the visitors that came calling, all the way up the five steps on my front porch.