Show and Tell Friday / Farewell

It's surprising how much memory is built around
things unnoticed at the time. ~ Barbara Kingsolver

Today is Show and Tell Friday, hosted by Kelli at There is No Place Like Home. She's a talented crafter and fabulous cook, and her blog always brings me joy when I visit. Check her out when you have a moment.

My Show and Tell Friday is for the birds! I've posted before about how much I enjoy bird watching and bird listening (is there such a term??) I also bring birds into my home.

Well, not real birds... at least, not while I have two cats!

I want to share with you a few things sitting on top of a cabinet in my dining room:

Everything here has special meaning to me. The metal apple planter was a gift from my best friend Jeanne. The little birds tucked into the ivy came from a plant given to me by coworkers when my Mom passed away ten years ago. The wooden cardinal came from a brief time I lived in Ohio, and had those beautiful birds outside my window every day. Even the cat, hidden in the ivy and watching the birds closely, was a gift from a former coworker at the Humane Society of Utah.

Let me show you a few of my favorite pieces...

This goose is designed by Jim Shore. Isn’t the detail exquisite? I discovered Shore's work long before I became a quilter, then had to laugh when I started into the craft. No wonder I was drawn to his work, since he incorporates quilt designs in many of his pieces! I have a large collection of his Santas and holiday angels, which I'll share in a future Show and Tell.

This little guy is pretty special. I love quail, for one thing. I don’t see them much in our yard here in southern CA (although I can hear them) but back home in Utah, they came every day. We had a covey we called Dan Quail and all the little quails! But this little carving is doubly special because of the letter Q. Many years ago, my dear friend Scott nicknamed me (now don’t laugh!) Queen Dottie, but in our email exchanges, I usually just go by Q. So this little quail has a double meaning.

This charming little birdhouse and nest was a gift from my middle stepdaughter Lizzie. Marjolein Bastin, who creates so many cute things for Hallmark, designed it. When you lift the lid of the bird house, the inscription inside reads: Like sweet moments in nature, Friendship fills life with special delights

Amen to that!

Finally, I had to show a cute wall hanging from my youngest stepdaughter. The kids all know how much I love birds, and Megan felt this little metal angel was perfect for me - and she's right: my heart IS for the birds!

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This will be my last post for a few weeks. We fly to Alaska on Sunday and won't be back until mid-September. Yes, my fondest wish is to see lots of birds, especially puffins! Be safe and have fun this Labor Day holiday.

Until next time...