Saturday, September 17, 2016

Change

I don't do well with change; I'm a creature of habit.  I like stability.  Change usually means a challenge of some kind is involved, and I do understand how "without challenge there can be no change" (that was an inspirational quote that came my way recently).  With change comes growth.

On my walk one recent morning I noticed a huge area roped off in the 'bowl' area of Lakeside Park. My first thought was, 'What event is going on that I did not know of?' And then I realized it's the tree service crew, and with an area that size roped off, they must be taking down a huge tree... Oh no!!  So I talked to one of the guys who was waiting by a backhoe in the parking lot that I was at that very moment passing.  I saw the ropes around one of the two massive cottonwood trees as I got up to him.  Sure enough, my worst fears were realized: they were taking it down because it was all rotted around the bottom.  I said, "So sad; it must be 100 years old."
"More like 140-150," he responded. "We just do what the town tells us."  He must've noticed my distress.  I turned away and took a few steps, tears welling up, feeling a bit silly for getting upset about a tree, but all that tree has witnessed since around 1860--that's around when Laura Ingalls was in the Big Woods, no?!  (I just happen to be reading a chapter each night to a certain darling grandson who is 'in the house!')  Well I stopped, turned around, and took a picture of the park as it was that day.

Seems fitting that the early morning sun was shining full on that tree.  When next I see the gap, I will know that it was once filled by this majestic beauty, who, you may notice if you zoom in, has already had some limb surgeries.  A few days later...
There are still a good-sized pile of humongous logs to dispose of

Likewise, I had a similar challenge in the RSC colour for August: a grey-purple or simply greys with acid green accents.  I'd already done purple, so I didn't want to repeat it, and I couldn't see a place for greys within a rainbow quilt.  So I didn't do the August colours, feeling a little rebellious and annoyed.  I did visit several of the other bloggers during the August linky parties to look at what they'd done, and I started to see that maybe I could do my Whirling Star block in greys.

I dug in my rather limited grey stash and even more limited grey scraps, and made a couple of blocks.  While I was at it, I cut and sewed two in the September colours, reds with a pop of gold.
I must say I am pretty happy with how they each turned out!  I also learned what colour acid green is. So through this challenge there was a change...I am going to include my grey blocks in my quilt.  Thus I believe I've grown a little through working through the August colours.

I know there will be change in my favourite park with the loss of that tree, but I know they will plant a new one, and in maybe only 50 years from now some other nature lover will walk by and smile when she sees it.
Linking up with
Scrap Happy Saturday at soscrappy

24 comments:

  1. My heart aches for that tree too! I bet you're gearing up to make a little house quilt for your grandson.

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  2. Maybe it was like our own horse chestnut tree, where the roots had entered the sewerage line, and it absolutely had to be felled. But it is always sad to see a tree as beautiful as that lose its life. Maybe someone has saved some of the wood to make something special, as we did. Lovely block colours, going perfectly together.

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  3. We had the same thing going on in a park near us! It is sad to see beautiful, old trees having to come down. In our case they left the stump and it is HUGE! I think your stars turned out beautifully! I wasn't sure about the purple and gray either, but I ended up liking what I did. Now I'm thinking I might make more gray blocks for one of my projects! Go figure!

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  4. I hate to see that the tree had to be cut down. Maybe the wood will keep somebody warm this winter. Great looking blocks!

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  5. So sad when that happens!! If those trees could talk!

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  6. I feel sad and it's not even my tree. I love trees, they hold important energy. I guess like all loved ones, they die too. OY! My stupid neighbors take down trees like they don't breathe oxygen. Shortsighted.
    LeeAnna

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  7. I love your gray blocks! They are gorgeous.

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  8. I'm SEW sorry that you lost that big, old tree, but happy that you decided to use some of your GRAY (and RED) scraps for your blocks!!

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  9. They tore out about a half mile of huge old trees here to widen the main road, so sad. However they now have replanted with a good variety of new trees to keep disease from spreading to so many of a kind. That is a step forward, I guess. And they preserve prairie growth wherever they can here in WI, even along freeways the flowers bloom. I think we were all stretched a bit with the grays, a learning step. Nice job with the acid green stripes.

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  10. I hate to see old trees cut down :( Your blocks are beautiful though.

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  11. I love your grey blocks! It is always sad to see an old tree brought down.

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  12. It's always sad to lose trees but the worst, to my mind, is when they are mindlessly taken down to put up a parking lot. I find it particularly upsetting in spring and early summer when I know those trees are full of baby birds and squirrels. At least your tree lived life to the fullest extent possible.
    Your block are great. I really like the gray ones. I have a friend who always accuses me of doing everything in gray ... but it isn't true. :D

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  13. Well you aren't the only one, I have not done the grey or red, still contemplating on it. I don't do well with change unless I am the one planning on it!

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  14. While it is sad that the tree was cut down, if it posed any hazard, it was for the best. We had an old oak that was not looking well and it was on the edge of the bus stop for the kids in our neighborhood. When Julia used to use that bus stop he always told her to never stand near, or next to, or under that tree. About three weeks ago, it came crashing down about 9pm and completely obliterated the enormous stand of mailboxes that were below it - it crushed them. It would have killed a kid if it were during bus hours. Always better to be cautious. When a tree is rotting its behavior becomes quite unpredictable.

    Loved seeing your grey and red blocks. I haven't done my red with bits of gold but yours are so pretty - makes me want to pull out my red scrap bin. I think I have bits of holiday fabric that I can use for the gold.

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  15. CBS news did a story last Friday about a huge OLD oak being cut down. It was in a church yard surrounded by a cemetery. I cried at the end of the story, so I can only imagine your heartbreak about a tree that you are used to seeing being cut down. Such is the circle of life.
    On a much brighter note, I love your stars! Great RSC block!

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  16. I've cried over more than one tree! Your blocks look awesome! XO

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  17. Your grey and red blocks are beautiful. So sad to see old trees come down but better taken down than blown over in a storm and falling on someone.

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  18. I used to not like gray, but I think the color is really growing on me. I want to do a valentine quilt which has black and white and gray included. I think it looks great in these blocks.

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  19. I think I've missed out on quite a bit of things in life just because I feared change and the challenges it presents. This was a post I needed to read, my friend. Your RSC blocks look awesome :) I'm not sure I would have known what color acid green would be myself??

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  20. The blocks look great together. I am so sorry to hear that about the tree. I get very emotional about trees and plants too. I am glad you got to take a picture of the beautiful tree.

    -Soma

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  21. Both your red and grey blocks look stunning.

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  22. There have been a few times I wanted to beg on bended knees for crews not to willy-nilly cut down old trees. This one lived a very long life for a cottonwood Sandra. I so love the way their leaves flicker in the wind.
    The blocks are so terrific - the colors look great together and the scrappiness is soo appealing!

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  23. Oh, how I love Laura Ingalls! My first grade teacher, Mrs. Kelly, read Little House in the Big Woods to us. I loved Laura and Pa and Mary and all of the Ingalls. I wanted to be like her. I wanted to BE her! When I was a very little girl, I learned that Laura kept journals. Then she used those journals to write her books. I believe that Laura is why I began keeping a daily journal. I thought maybe my life would be interesting enough to write about one day. (ha ha ha) I believe Laura is why I think of myself as a writer. :) You know Laura didn't begin writing those books until after she was 60! Hmmm...

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