There are rare nights when I wake up and my brain is worrying about something. It never fails that by morning I'm over it. Maybe the intense worrying is my way of working through whatever problem is at hand. The cartoon below (found on Sarah Fielke's blog) captures this experience very well. I had never seen any of Michael Leunig's cartoons but I'm going to be on the watch for them.

My husband, Steve, never wakes up to worry. It used to irritate me that I was the
one carrying the worry load but over time I realized that this division
of labor works well for us. He deals with stuff in a different way than
I do. Thankfully, I worry a whole lot less now than I used to.

I am just back from Montgomery, AL, where I taught a 2-day class to the Kudzu Quilt Guild (isn't that great guild name!). There was a bit of time to visit the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. Patrick Dougherty, with the help of volunteers, built this stick installation on the grounds of the museum of  March, 2009. 

The structures, built from saplings, were so alive that you half expect them to move around.

You can walk into them and touch them. They are surprisingly sturdy.

The museum is located in a large park. There is a permanent Shakespearean Theatre on the grounds as well. It would be a lovely place for a picnic.

There was an exhibit of wonderful contmeporary African American quilts inside the museum but photos were not permitted. If you find yourself in Montgomery, take the time to visit this lovely place.

I spied this massive pinecone in a bookstore window in Longmont, CO. The owner of the shop had no idea where it came from but thought that her mother had probably collected it. Her mother is deceased so we couldn't ask her for details.

It was not only big, it was heavy. If any of you know where this could have come from, please share the info. I love a good pinecone!

…flowers are not the norm in Texas either. I have a hydrangea whose flowers start out white and then they turn green. Most of the summer this bush is adorned with green flowers. It's odd, but pretty.

The next photo in one that I found on Sweet Juniper a while back. The post was entitled "Feral Houses".

Mother Nature does not sit still.

…flowers are not very common in Texas which makes these morning glories even more "glorious"! That hint of purple is pretty nice too.

We've used cloth napkins for many years. They feel nice and look pretty on the table. When I was in Boulder to film my segment of The Quilt Show I got to go to dinner with with friends. We went to The Kitchen – a trendy place with good food and a nice ambiance… and cloth napkins that looked a little bit different.

Upon closer inspection I realized that they use light-weight cotton dish towels for napkins. Isn't that a good idea!