My Lockdown Birthday

Another birthday, time goes in so fast, I don't really do birthdays as it reminds us that we have less time left to do all the things we want to. I remember when I had just finished my degree show and the NI Embroidery Guild asked me to talk at one of their meetings saying there were just not enough hours to my day, I'm still saying the same. You would think with this world pandemic and lockdown I would have managed to do at least some of the things I had never found time to do, but there is always something that happens. I thought my March, April, May would be filled with all the wedding work that was on my to do list but as weddings were cancelled my Dad took ill and passed. Now I have more time to reflect and more time to think about what I do to make good use of my time. Time is precious and we don't always stop and take time to think that none of us know how long we have got on this earth.

Take nature, we watch the dandelions in our garden and the grow and bloom and blossom and with one blow of wind they fly away. Flowers never last long, yet they are so beautiful and amazing how they grow.

Birds seem to chirp and dart around the sky more so during this crisis as we have time to look and listen.

This little picture I have, inspired by nature, is something I have from Mum. The flowers in the foreground are tiny stitches and knots , a representation of our gardens in full bloom. A joy to look at to remind us of summer in the long dark winter nights and be past from generation to generation.

Health and Happiness have to be our wealth.

This is the first birthday I have had since my Mum and Dad have both passed. Things that you have of theirs and memories you have have more significance. This little bag, hand sewed by my Mum is so worn and used that to someone else it might seem of little importance, makes me realise something I embroider now might be kept for years to come with real meaning.

I used toi making wedding dresses which are special for one day maybe its time I did some embroidery pieces that can be enjoyed everyday for far longer.