Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Quake + 4 weeks and whooooo's counting?

Tomorrow it is my turn to be hostess to my quilting circle.
That means a lot of serious cleaning ... the yellow dust that blew in from China this week and mega-tons of fall-out from the dog.
So I begin in one area of the house, the front door "genkan" where guests leave their shoes, the slipper rack, the mirror on the coat closet, the wooden stairs that show every particle of dust, and next to that, the lavatory.

This is what took the biggest hit during the first few quakes. What is amazing is that so few of these owls that flew off the shelves were broken. Luckily they fly better than cats.




Last Saturday I counselled eight Boy Scouts in the "Collections" Merit Badge. That is one of my happiest Scouting jobs. I love to see and hear about what teenage boys collect and when it comes to collecting, I am an EXPERT!


I mentioned eight weeks ago my cat collection, how these things tend to multiply when people start to see them in shops and think you need one more... well, that collection is up on the third floor and so has stopped growing rapidly.


On the other hand, one well-placed owl in the powder room is just asking for trouble.
Every guest comes out of there saying, "I see you collect owls."

So, today the owls must all come down to be dusted. There are pottery owls. There are owls that are containers. There are carved wooden owls, Basketry owls, lacquer owls, seed decorated owls, horn owls, cloisonne owls, time-keeping owls, and piggy bank owls.



These owls are bells and whistles. Two of their number didn't survive a fall into the sink.




A printer friend gave me some type cases made to hold lead print. The little owls thought they made fine roosts.





















In fact, these owls
are quite happy roosting anywhere or just hanging out on the door or the walls as decorations, pictures, kites, towel holders, and even the TP holder I made last year.


I used to have a seat cover that I quilted but when we moved here, the shape of the seat lid was too wide. That one I gave to my daughter who happily put it on her toilet lid. I wonder if owls will begin to multiply at her house as well.


Lest you think you have seen all of my owls, remember, this is only one room and there is hardly anywhere in this rabbit hutch that you would be un-watched by at least one owl. From the time I was a little kid camping out in our woods in the summer, I have had a special relationship with owls. They are my guardians, messengers, and spirit helpers.





This quilted owl used to hang in our entryway to greet guests. Now I have a carved wooden owl there and this one hangs on the slanted ceiling under the roof where I sleep.


Now, I'd better get back to dusting and cleaning and make a pie for tomorrow's meeting.












13 comments:

  1. What a hoot! I am amazed at your collection. You really do have a relationship with owls. I suppose you also have lots of indigo and owl fabric too.

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  2. Your collection reminded me of a little screech owl I raised many years ago. I think he was knocked out of his nest because he had an eye infection. Got some eye drops from my vet. After his release, he would do an occasional fly-by. Heartwarming!

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  3. I have a macrame owl very similar to yours. It is one of the truckloads of stuff I saved when we cleaned out my parents' house when they died. I've had it for 21 years. I really should find a place to hang it. :-)

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  4. Wondering who will show up for quilting tomorrow? Hope all goes well and everyone can work and share in a positive spirit...and enjoy your pie! With everything else going on in my world, I hadn't registered the yellow dust, but now I think about it, there was some on my bike one day.

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  5. Great owls. Seems I've been seeing lots of owls lately. My sons collect books (one Star Wars, the other, fantasy, King Arthur type). The younger one also collects nutcrackers. He already has well over 40, and added many more over Christmas.

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  6. Hi Julie! What a wonderful collection! When you finish dusting there, I could still use a helping hand here. ;-D

    And MOST important... what kind of pie are you making? Have a great circle meeting! Karen

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  7. Wow what a fabulous collection! I have a stuffed great horned owl. DH found it when out in the bush one day. I had doved (doven? dived?) under a stump, probably after a mouse or vole, and broke its neck. It is a lovely bird and he has taken it to the school numerous times to show to the kids. Our only owl though. I have a small collection of cats, from a friend who was a big collector. When she died her son passed out the cats at her wake. I have four of them, all totally different and I love them.

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  8. Wow.. you have a great collection of owls. Many of them are cute and others looks so strong and brave. Love to see your collection. :)

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  9. I love your owls, Julie!! I think that at 55 it's time for me to start collecting something besides Santas...so owls it will be. :D

    I'm so glad I'm not hostessing anything right now. My house is just overwhelmingly full and dirty, and I lack the necessary energy to change things right now. So be sure to share how your gathering went so I can visit by cyberspace. :) Hugs, my friend!

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  10. Hello Julie, I just came over from Feather Duster. I have enjoyed my visit here, finding our about where you live, your darling little garden, your amazing quilts and your beauitful dog, not forgetting little Leia, she is adorable.
    Like you, I am a hand stitcher and very slow!
    SO nice to meet you, best wishes from England.

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  11. nice collection of owls, I always find it funny how we buy one or two cute little things and then all of a sudden people start buying them for you or you just keep buying more of them

    do do you have a collection of owl fabric too?
    kathie

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  12. Love your owls!! They are adorable!! How fun to collect!

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  13. When I first got married I wanted to collect owls! I found that in all the moves we made not only did several get broken but that they were one more (or twenty more!) things to pack and decided that collections weren't for me. But I do love owls very much. And I really love the toilet paper holder you made - I'd love to know how you did that. It looks as if there's a shelf over your toilet paper but I can't tell if that's true or how it works! blessings, marlene

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