Pictures. Spring Symbolism Galore!

 Last week I had the honor and blessing of being invited to the birth of a very special girl named Stella. Words cannot express how much her arrival meant to me, and that her amazing family invited me to be with them. As you might know, I only recently tried my hand at sewing via quilting. The above is a small baby quilt for Stella. The middle bit is an abstract rose of sorts, surrounded by spring time earth tones. There is a lot of symbolism around this wee girl. The rose (for her sister), gestating during Lent/dark meditative times, a due date on Easter and very beautiful birth just days before. This quilt is my favorite so far. Thanks to my kind and supportive pal Amy for helping me through the process.

 We don't celebrate Easter here with a big family dinner (although I did make bread and a yummy ground lamb/veggie soup). We spent the day playing outside and getting dirty. I did take the kids to church. The music was incredible and they were able to wear their fancy duds sent from my dad in Florida. Even though there's not a huge meal to celebrate the day, my mother bought me a butter lamb. It's just not Easter without a butter lamb. My mom also told me a nice memory of being a young girl growing up in Detroit. On Good Friday, all the moms and kids would bring their Easter baskets to church to be blessed. She said the church smelled incredible because inside the baskets would be kielbasas, ham, brown bread, pastries, cheeses and so on (lots of Polish food! Our family and all their old neighborhood were mostly Catholic Poles). The women would wrap their Easter food in their prettiest hand-embroidered linens, put it in their basket and take it to the priest. It was clear by her telling it, that the memory was a very sweet one.

 With all the warm weather (not quite warm, but um, not precipitating?) over the weekend, G was able, with the help of our neighbor, to complete the driveway gate/fence. G is known for making insanely over-the-top secure structures/projects. I'm more of a "good enough" sorta gal when making things. The posts that support the gate are 6x6s! Our neighbor dubbed the project "Gatehenge". Too true!

 Here's the front side in all of it's icky, chemically treated glory. We'll end up weather sealing it too. The natural color will best suit our house, I think. (That ugly green will fade.) I'm so happy it's up! There is so much room for the kids to play safely in the driveway, free of cars. I won't have to worry of baby M making a beeline for the street or about various shady characters eye balling our stuff. Love my husband for so many reasons, but planning and actually doing  so much for our family ranks super high (as opposed to my more lofty, rarely done ideas) ! Next project: kid's playhouse to be followed by a greenhouse at the end of summer.

 Today I met with an old client who wanted me to see how much her son has grown and also to give me a present. I've not seen them since he was two months or so. He's grown to be a sweet, gorgeous baby- a year old soon! Both of his parents are artists. His sweet mama made a pysanka for me. On it are a pair of hands (midwife's hands!) with hearts painted on each. A spiral design with a heart in the middle...

 A very beautiful tree...tree of life...Just below the tree is the baby's birth date!

 the top...

the bottom.

Besides being so beautiful and sentimental, the Mama told me she made these eggs from the dozen eggs from my chickens that I brought her at one of our very early postpartum visits when her boy was just a few days old! (I think I gift eggs fairly often during the warmer months because I hardly remembered that part!) She saved a few eggs and only got around to painting them a few weeks ago! How amazing! I am so touched at her sweetness and thoughtfulness. 

This little boy had the sweetest, most peaceful birth: born about a week after his due date on a lovely summer's evening. Not only born in the water, but he himself was born in the caul. A very auspicious sign in many cultures.

All these gifts reminded me what lovely people are in my life... I'm feeling very grateful.