Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement Lump in the Throat The atmosphere was electric with pleased anticipation as we waited for the graduation procession to begin. We eagerly scanned the line for our granddaughter as the graduates marched in. Graduations bring happy emotions—pride, hope for the future, gratitude for the milestone attained. Brief explosions of

Monday’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement Brrrr! Winter arrived last week. Our ten degrees in Eastern Virginia was nothing compared to the sub zero temperatures elsewhere, but it was cold enough to make us drip the faucets and pile an extra blanket on the bed. We were so thankful we didn’t lose power during the

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement   Look Around   A recent visit to Yosemite National Park kept us craning our necks to look up at the magnificent granite mountains that surrounded us. Regardless of which direction we faced, immense pillars of stone reached into the sky, dwarfing even the tall pines and occasional sequoia.

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement Birds in Snow A lot of snow is unusual in Eastern Virginia. Blizzards are something we read about more than experience. Unwilling to subject our car to slipping around in the deep-for-us snow, and thankful for weather people who gave us ample warning to prepare, we settled down to

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement A Heavenly Rocking Chair A day with two infants plus a 2, 3, 4, and 5 year old demonstrated how much comforting goes into a day of raising children. A very old memory flashed through my being. For a moment, I remembered curling up on my mother’s lap in

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement All is Bright   “Silent night, Holy night, all is calm, all is bright.” In November, a super moon hung in the sky and gave a hint of the unusual bright star that shone two thousand years ago. Our super moon may not have had the brilliance of the

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement Wrapping Paper Rolls of gift-wrapping paper in bright reds and greens beckon to us from store displays, alerting us to prepare for the impending holiday. Next the festive paper rests under our Christmas trees concealing the contents of presents for the anticipated holiday. I wonder how many miles of 

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement Decorations             Stores sporting big red balls hung from wide red ribbons, trees sparkling with colored lights and hung with gold bells, and front yards exhibiting everything from Santas, candy canes, to Disney characters provide entertainment everywhere we go. Christmas decorations provide delight in December. I love seeing all

  Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement Thunderous Waves   The waves stood tall just like the pictures of West Coast waves in magazines. A thunderous roar accompanied their  crash upon the land. The air was damp with the moisture which sprayed up from the rocks with each wave. How amazing that, long ago, people

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement Pleasant People The lady in the restaurant across the way dined alone. Pretty in pink, the woman’s appearance was striking because of the pleasant expression on her face. Between bites, she wore a smile, and her eyes twinkled as she glanced around the eatery. Her wait person stopped by