My New Friend Martha

I recently got a fancy offer in the mail for Martha Stewart Living magazine. If I sign up, I get a free tote bag and a free subscription to Everyday Food, another Martha Stewart publication.  I took the bait.

I enjoy magazines. I've been an O Magazine subscriber for years and it still delights me. I especially like the articles by Martha Beck and Lisa whats-er-name who "Tells all."  The shopping sections are always lots of fun.  The beauty sections are practical with a spark of glamour. This magazine recognizes that women are mostly thoughtful, intelligent, and spiritual people, but we like to look our best, too. 

For the longest time, when I lived in North Carolina, I studied every issue of Southern Living when it arrived, trying to learn how to be the best southerner I could. Gardening, cooking, vacations, home decor - it has the secrets to living the authentic southern life. A lot of good that does me now, since moving to the midwest. Nevertheless, I keep several great recipes clipped from the magazine that never fail to bring me rave reviews. It wasn't a total waste of time. 

I'm curious why I have been drawn to Martha Stewart, at this point in my life. In the past, I had read her magazines every now and again, and at that time, I found them a bit pretentious. Who has time or desire to hand sew baby shoes, or decorate Ukranian eggs for Easter? Now, for some reason, the magazine speaks to me. I like the crafts section. I like the pets section. The home decor they feature is a not exactly my style, but there are ideas that I can apply in my own way. I kinda enjoy reading Martha's "calendar" for the month, even if it is probably more fiction than real. (...like she turns her own compost pile....as if!). The gardening sections are good too. I really like that this magazine offers downloads from their website to support their stories and crafts. You can download designs they feature in a story, or templates for a craft design. That's nice. 

I'm in a phase where I just want to play and make things.  Dozens of ideas for quilts and craft projects are floating around in my head, waiting to be worked on and made; if I only had the time, I'd be so happy. But I don't - I have a job. And I like my job, so I want to do that, too. 

So what is it about Martha Stewart?  

I don't know, but I know what I like. 

Square Foot Garden

Square Foot Garden, a photo by ava99riley00 on Flickr.

Here is my humble garden, as it's getting started April 2011. The cabbages are hold overs from last fall! I'm not sure they're edible, though. Can you eat cabbage after the flower forms?

Here you can see my two squares of onions, a few sprouts of Red Sails lettuce (lower left) and peas starting to climb in the back. And the bastion of spring gardening: radishes! (mid-right).

Artichokes Afficionados

This morning I joined the artichoke aficionado club by Ocean Mist farm. It's an obscure club.

Aw, heck, it was an ad with the artichoke from the grocery store. They have a sweepstakes for $10,000. Personally, I want second place - a case of field fresh artichokes.

I just love 'em.  ...steamed with a little melted butter or curry mayonnaise. Good eating.

Sublime

I have the opportunity to play in the orchestra for my church's presentation of John Rutter's Requiem. That piece is just sublime in it's beauty. Not only that, it's a delight to sing and relatively easy to play (in the orchestra). I sang it back about 10 years ago and became a Rutter fan. Almost everything I have ever sung of his had been written as if he really knows what's fun to sing.  Certainly, he does...

Participating in music allows me to touch heaven, ever so slightly. I hope I can do it for a long, long time.

Getting ready for guild

Getting ready for guild, a photo by ava99riley00 on Flickr.

Here's the pile of projects going to the guild meeting this month. Most of them are quilting or binding projects. There's a few piecing projects this month, just adding borders.

I try very hard to make the projects look appealing. I believe this is important in order to get people to take the projects home. I make them looks like presents, or roll them up with the pretty pieces top facing outward. No one wants to take an ugly project home!

Hexagon Park - Inner and Middle Borders

Hexagon Park - progress, a photo by ava99riley00 on Flickr.

Looks good, doesn't it?