You have got to admire a woodland flower that found its way through the rock wall.
The starflowers are joined each spring by Canadian Mayflower and the sasparilla which is just starting to open. I think they look like little firecrackers and are hard to photograph.
Last Sunday I shared a stained glass quilt that Aubrey made. After a couple email exchanges Aubrey corrected me that he is a man....not the woman I wrote about. I apologized profusely for making assumptions...corrected the blog post and was going to leave it at that. But I heard from him again...and I love his story about how he got into quilting so wanted to share it. And on a cold and blustery day...a good story seems just right. I heard that parts of Maine might actually get snow! Oy!
Aubrey was a school teacher for nine years and a school principal for 25 years after that. About six years ago he wandered into the library/Maker Space in his school and literally stopped in his tracks saw a 4th grade boy making a quilt. The students were making a quilt for a local shelter called The Gathering Place. He thought to himself....if he can do that I can do that too! He immediately bought a sewing machine...got some tips from a friend and hit the ground running. His first quilt was king size!
I don't know what I love more....how Aubrey found his way to quilting...or the fact that his school has a Maker Space!
GO, Aubrey! GO, all makers! This story and your woodland flowers' story of finding their way through ROCK are SUCH an uplift this evening. Sorely needed : )
ReplyDeleteSo glad this post was uplifting for you Dotty! It was for me too!
DeleteLOVE this! Find your passion, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t, and go for it! I would love to see this maker space. I sometimes get concerned that the long time crafts/art/skills will be lost. Have a fourth grade make a quilt- YES! Start in middle age- YES! I once taught two classrooms of fourth graders to knit. Boy, that was crazy! But some of them took a shine to it and are still knitting today, fifteen years later. Extra thanks for this post today!
ReplyDeleteKathy
Thank you for your enthusiasm about this post Kathy! I agree with you about worrying that maker skills will get lost in schools. The home economics room was my sanctuary in high school. I wasn't a great student anywhere else...but felt so at home in art and home ec.
DeleteI'll be visualizing you teaching 4 graders to knit all day long! Way to go!!!
Love Aubrey’s “origin” quilting story - there is a documentary on Netflix right now I’d love to see called The Quilters - it’s about prisoners in Missouri maximum security prison for men who make quilts for foster kids - looks like both an amazingly interesting & heartwarming story.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing the unusual flowers you have photographed on your walks, MaryAnn. And a Maker Space! How wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThanks Judy! These woodland flowers are right in my backyard! And don't you think every school needs a Maker's Space? Wonderful indeed!
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