This summer of 2021 is proving to be quite different for me. My husband Jeff’s death in January 2020 and then the 15 months of COVID left me with lots of time to quilt….at home. Now fully vaccinated as are my friends, it seems as though the summer has taken on a different urgency, to rejoin the living! Additionally, having decided to age in place in my husband’s and my house, alone, I decided this spring was the time for some landscape rehab. A lot of ripping out and planting smaller less time consuming shrubs and some new ornamental trees created lots of outdoor work for me. I didn’t think about how much watering time a new grass section, 7 trees and 92 shrubs were going to need! I’m about 2 months past planting and the watering needs are down to two days a week of 6 hours each so better than May and June. My time to quilt lately has been very limited.
I just finished a large mosaic colorful quilt (Colorful Mosaic 15) 31″ x 49″, shown in this post, which I had finished piecing about 3 months ago. My next projects are going to more medium in size, not large. I’m going to work on one or two ocean/beach quilts. Maybe after that some wonky birds just to mix things up. I’ve continued to receive requests for custom orders but I’m holding firm about no custom orders for the rest of 2021…at least.
I’m finding that new life patterns are facing me without Jeff and I need time to absorb these changes, try out some community involvement, 
and figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life. I turn 67 in September. I have a few vacations coming up with friends which all feel good and welcome. My dog and three cats along with wonderful friends keep me company. I know quilting will continue to be part of my life but the intensity may vary for awhile as I work my way through this transition in life. I’m always happy in my quilt studio, creating, playing with colors in fabrics, and contemplating new designs or variations on old designs. But the sunny warm weather of summer is drawing me outside to swim regularly at the community pool, bike on a local rail trail, and enjoy wine on the desk with friends…and then there is the plant watering!! Life is always about change and learning to go with the flow. I’m a work in process.