Mid-January Ruminations & Cogitations

Gosh, I didn’t mean to take a short blogging break, but it appears that I did just that. The usual trio of suspects have thwarted my posting endeavors: this, that, and the other. But I have a few stolen minutes for sharing a little update. Below are some of the things shaking in my world at the cottage.

We’ve been splurging lately on a few pots of springtime flowers. The tulips, hyacinths, and crocus are now history. They were glorious while they lasted! A healthy pot of colorful primroses now resides on the dining room table.

I hope you enjoy these macro images of a red and white tulip bloom. The photos were taken next to my office window. The sunlight was diffused (not direct), and I placed a reflector on the opposite side. The reflector bounced light back in to softly illuminate the shadow area. (Please remember to click the images to see them in a bigger size.)

We saw the Lincoln movie the other day. It was very good. Photography and acting were excellent. We both expected it to be more about the life of Lincoln. But the movie plot centers primarily on the efforts for passing the 13th Amendment. If you have been thinking about seeing it, please go! It is informative and a visual treat.

My trusty Bernina sewing machine received a professional cleaning and tune-up a few weeks ago. So I have been sewing and making messes lately in my studio room. In addition to some mending/alterations, I attempted to create a Kindle accessory based on sketchy Internet information. The prototype needs tweaking, so I will make a second attempt. I might share it here if it finally turns out to my fussy satisfaction. I also got a wild hair and created a half-dozen fabric hearts for a little Valentine’s Day decoration. These hearts now fill a cut crystal bowl on the entryway table. I plan to take a photo of them later this week and show you how they look!

We learned that a new model home will be built across the street from us this year. Construction will commence in a couple of months and be finished for the annual parade of homes in late September/early October. Though it will be a temporary nuisance during the building phase, we’re excited that the bare lot eyesore will be transformed!

I have to admit that I have waffled back and forth on developing a routine photo challenge for your participation. My biggest concern is whether I truly want to devote the time and effort for the undertaking. Right now, I think I will proceed. But if it gets to be too much work, I reserve the right to give it up! After much thought, I have reserved a separate blog for the photo challenge project. But I haven’t gotten very far in setting it up. I readily admit that procrastination has been hampering my progress!

We got a new grocery store in our area, a Publix. We really like it! It’s been fun to walk up and down the aisles, comparing their inventory to our usual grocery haunts, Krogers and Food City. It doesn’t take much to amuse us, LOL!

I need to wrap this up and pick out a photo for Wordless Wednesday. Yikes, the time does fly by!