Where to Begin...

How often I have that thought! Where to begin? From the moment I awake and thank God that I am here...once again...then my mind begins that all too familiar mantra...what now...where do I start?


I actually like mornings because I LOVE new beginnings! And every day is a new beginning...a new chance to start anew. But where and how? And then before I know it...I feel as though I'm behind before I ever get out of bed! My Mom was fond of saying, "...the hurrieder I go, the behinder I get!" I so identify with that! Hence much more anxiety than peace often accompanies my day...and I'd like to start letting go of that and be more aware of the peace.


So I've created this place to stop for a moment and reflect on where I'm going, what I'm doing, and what I think God may be speaking to me in the ordinariness of my life. So ordinary...and yet so extraordinary when I see the Almighty weave wonderful surprises into the tapestry I call my life. 


The title of this blog, though unusual and a bit odd, makes perfect sense to me. You see, I am going to chronicle my first attempts at quilt making! Even though I've barely begun, I can see so many similarities between the art of making a quilt and the art of making a life. So there will be times when it's all about the fabric, the cutting of the material, the sewing, etc. And then there will be the ah-ha's...the connections...the subtle and not so subtle ways I think the Lord is speaking to me through the processes of the quilt making...and life making. And then of course I'll take the writer's liberty just to ramble... ;-)


I'm fascinated by all that the word contemplating can mean. To reflect upon, to ponder, to muse over.
Also, to think seriously about, to plan, to design, to size up. When one is making a quilt, I've discovered there is a lot to think about, plan, design and size up...long before any fabric is even chosen, cut and sewn! So if my day (not to mention a year or a lifetime) is anything like a quilt...how much time do I give to seriously thinking about it...designing the possibilities, planning it out...before I begin? Do I even bother? Do I lose sight that there's even anything in the making? You see where I'm going with this... 


And the word counterpane...what on earth do I mean by that? As a young child I loved to read and memorize some of the poems of Robert Louis Stevenson. The Swing and The Land of Counterpane were 2 of my all time favorites. It was just recently that I discovered that counterpane is another name for a quilt! I was curious what "the land of counterpane" meant as a kid but enjoyed the poem so much that I didn't search any further to discover any further meaning. Then as I'm trying to determine a title for this blog... I wanted something to do with my fascination with quilts and my new quest to learn the art of quilt making... I looked up the word quilt in the thesaurus. I was so surprised when I saw the word counterpane! The only time I had heard or seen that word was as a child reading Stevenson's poem. A quick re-read after all these years suddenly brought a huge grin and broader understanding to that much loved poem. 


And it settled the quest for my blog title once and for all...Contemplating Counterpane.


So as the mood hits or there is a brief moment of clarity...or confusion...I plan on chronicling the making of my first quilt and the thoughts that accompany the process. I will also note things that I have learned...for example, quilt stores are a little taste of heaven! I will have to go back to the store and take a picture of what I saw when I first walked up to the door before crossing the threshold. Oooooh myyyy was all I could say. And somehow I knew that if I ever walked through those doors to purchase the fabric that I might never be the same. For better or for worse...I think that's true! I hope, of course, that it's for the better. I'm really looking forward to what I can learn from this adventure.


So I end my first ever post with this wonderful poem by Robert Louis Stevenson: 


The Land of Counterpane


When I was sick and lay a-bed,
I had two pillows at my head,
And all my toys beside me lay, 
To keep me happy all the day.


And sometimes for an hour or so
I watched my leaden soldiers go,
With different uniforms and drills,
Among the bed-clothes, through the hills;


And sometimes sent my ships in fleets
All up and down among the sheets;
Or brought my trees and houses out,
And planted cities all about.


I was the giant great and still
That sits upon the pillow-hill,
And sees before him, dale and plain,
The pleasant land of counterpane.