Embrace life

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This year has started off with a bang, my eldest daughter was very ill and in hospital, she is better now but we were all really worried for her. So much has happened already and January has not yet ended. I wonder what the rest of the year will bring, I hope many good things. I strive for contentment, peace, good health, continued happiness and success in all I do.

I must mention that I received a wonderful book from someone I admire greatly Kyra Hicks http://www.black-threads.com/aboutkyra.html. I am so pleased with it that I have been reading and re-reading it since I got it and of course telling everyone close to me about Harriet Powers. The book is called The Lord's Supper Pattern Book: Imagining Harriet Powers' lost Bible Story Quilt. It gives factual historical information about Harriet an ex-slave whose quilts are now owned by The Smithsonian's American History Museum http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object.cfm?key=35&objkey=7233 and The Museum of Fine Arts Boston http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/pictorial-quilt-116166.

What is really wonderful about this book is that Kyra has created a quilt based on information she researched and on symbols used from the other two quilts. The book also consists of twelve quilt blocks which can be used to create your own version of this quilt.

I look at the photo of Harriet Powers and wonder if any of my ancestors were as creative as she was, it does also make me feel some bond with her and it also makes me realise that there is  still an awful lot I have to learn. I would describe myself as someone who spends a lot of time reflecting on things I say or do, experiences, friendships and my purpose in life, for various reasons I have been in an even more reflective place this month. Life and all that it brings can often either be destructive or it can make us stronger, it is reassuring to know that good friendships can give us strength as well. I am blessed to have really great friends in my life.