This blog post needs to be short. I am in a bit of hurry this morning. My seeds are soaking. And when my morning studio work is done, I am going to plant them. Lupines. Lupines for my Miss Rumphuis Garden.

Miss Alice Rumphuis, the Miss Rumphuis Barbara Cooney created for us, spread lupine seeds as she walked about. But that was in Maine. And many years ago. My lupine packets strongly advise soaking the seeds in tempid water for 24 hours before planting. And who am I to disagree?

If you haven't met Miss Rumphuis, or even if you are old pal, you will enjoy this lovely Verbatim Studios telling of her story-- narrated by Tara Rose Stromberg, produced by The End Audio Productions, mixed by Roman Chimienti, and edited by Jessica Rondash.  click here to visit their Youtube site

They appeared on Mother's Day in Hickory Hill Park. We noticed them on our walk, alerted by an unexpected glint in the trees. Fairies. What were they doing in Iowa City?

The answer came later in the week. That's when I discovered their houses scattered here and there. Tiny little places, decorated with bits and pieces of nature. Some brazen, visible, in plain sight. Others, as would be expected, off the path,  shaded by bush and bramble.

Have they moved here? Will they stay?

I hope so!

Mother's Day has me and others digging through family pictures and remembering. There was a time when Mother's Day was about my mother, Lillian Edwards. And here's a snapshot from back then, from left to right --me, my brother, Miles, and my sister Lauren.

Happy Mother's Day! Enjoy your memories. Have fun creating new ones.

A bow. A hair clip. Found in the park, and later, transplanted to a slender branch about a half mile away. There it waits for the next step in its journey. The branch is broken now. The leaves brown, sway with the wind. Soon it all may blow away. Taking the bow to Kansas, perhaps.

Notes:

What to make some leaves? They are quick, easy, and fun. Guaranteed not to brown.

Small Leaf Pattern (my favorite leaf pattern) Knit

Felted Leaf Pattern - crochet

Felted Leaf Wreath- crochet

This has been a week of filing stray ideas, hastily noted quotes, and telephone conversation sketches. Sometimes it's hard for me to let go of even the smallest fragments of my working life. Could they someday be a clue, a sign post needed when I am lost in a story? Who knows. So with hope and confidence, I trim them to size, tack them down on homemade index cards, and accord them a place in my studio.

The map was never far away. The road atlas was always within reach.  On the way home, the bag of spicy peanuts, purchased at a convenience store, rested between between us. The driver and the junior navigator.

We left early Saturday morning, and by late Sunday afternoon, we arrived at the Old Order Mennonite community in Delano, Tennessee. The fields were green and lush.  When we asked for directions to the family we were visiting, a teenage boy, riding his colt for the first time, led us there. Our visit was a short one, but the days seemed longer somehow. No electricity, no electronic interruptions to conversations or meals. We sat through an end of the school year celebration. We took a buggy ride. Neighbors brought by a meal to share. After supper the men stayed inside to talk, the women gathered outside. The children playing were outside, too. The boys running about. The girls milling around in twos and threes. Many of them, mothers in waiting, lovingly cradled the available babies.

We left before lunch on Tuesday, ready for hot showers, ready to plug back into our phones and the Internet. Ready to move freely without a prayerful eye watching over us. And most of all, ready to rejoin the world where a woman's voice can be heard.

The Hawkeye Healing Shawl , my new essay for Lion Brand, marks a beginning. Now I understand a little more about the black and gold, the Hawkeye team colors. Last week, I discussed this with my neighbor and friend Ed ( Ed’s Hat). He told me how he became a Hawkeye fan. And then, he invited me to be his guest at a game in the fall. I'm looking forward to that. I hope I can bring my knitting.

I am also waiting with eagerness and excitement for this fall to read my pal, Anne Ylvisaker’s newest book, Button Down. The second of three books about Iowa's Button family.  Button Down, will be out just in time for football fever. Button Down follows Ned Button, a character inspired by Grant Wood's Plaid Sweater (above), in his quest to see the 1929 Hawkeyes play the opening game in their new football stadium.

Stay tuned. There will be more about news about Button Down. And even a contest.  You’ll have a chance to win a autographed copy. In the meantime, check out the book that started the Button series, Luck of The Buttons.

Happy reading.

Back in September, I wrote about my lilac bushes. How they didn't bloom last spring. A kind reader (thank you, Rach!) suggested they might be sulking. Perhaps they were. But they are over it now. They have forgiven me for the very short haircut I gave them. The most severe of trims. An unintentional violation.They are budding and fragrant. Abundant. Hurray! Hurray!

Last night was the reception for my middle daughter Flory's BFA show at the University of Iowa.

It was a great evening.  I am so proud of Flory and her work. Here are a few shots from the show.

Check out Flory's Tumblr --little angst on the prairie