Are you familiar with beavers? Humans often compare themselves to them. Beavers are dedicated to their cause of building dams to make homes to raise their young and to provide safe haven. Beavers are busy, gnawing down saplings with their sharp teeth and dragging the branches into the water, to do their work.
Only once have I personally laid eyes on a beaver. In fact, the animal was walking across my backyard, and at first, I mistook it for a large woodchuck, that is, until I saw its broad tail. I suppose that the flat, hairless, appendage is good for slapping mud between pieces of wood to help hold them together. Correct me if that guess if wrong. I’m no expert in wildlife, although wild animals have held a fascination for me, since childhood.
Yes, busy as beavers we all seem to be, torn between work and more work, things to do, things that can wait a little while longer, and things that are pressing. Use of time is always a trade-off. If we do “this,” then often, we don’t have the time, or the money, to do “that.”
Well, this week we have some new and unexpected delights at Quilter’s Muse. Bob Rotruck, a retired Navy man, has sent us some very lovely poetry that he wrote. One of the three poems, “The Quilt,” is located on the main Poetry page, and the other two are located on “Poetry page 2.” I hope that you take the time to enjoy them.
In other news, I have set up the rudimentary beginnings of a yahoo list for people who are interested in Outline Stitch Embroidery, in all of its manifestations. Please consider joining us.
In addition, I have posted a new (antique) Bluework pattern to the Free Patterns page, and a new (antique) line drawing for Outline Stitch Embroidery to the front page of the website.
Today, I will be washing some fabrics and pressing them so that I can begin to re-create the “Scenes of Childhood” quilt that is presently in the collection of the Shelburne Museum. I’ll be working from a pattern prepared by Froncie Quinn.
Wherever you are today, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you will count your blessings, and whether you choose to do “this” or “that,” I hope that you will stay as “busy as a beaver.” As the Shakers says, “Hands to Work, Hearts to God.”
As always,
Pat
