eggs in a nest

I went to get some rhubarb when I was at my dad's house and discovered this nest.  Last week there had only been one egg, now there are four.  Later, I saw the bird sitting on the nest.  I am fairly certain the nest belongs to a chipping sparrow.  Hopefully nothing disturbs the bird and the eggs hatch.   

random posts to read

Here are three posts I recommend reading.

• This post is about gift ideas for children and teens.  The ideas steer them toward experiencing life rather than just sitting around in front of a screen.
• On a completely different note is a post my cousins' cousin wrote about longevity in marriage.  Their grandparents celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary this summer. 
• And finally, a post by psychologist Kelly Flanagan about living in community.  His perspectives are easy to read and give people something to discuss.

Knitting Nell and quilt progress

Knitting Nell by Julie Jersild Roth is a picture book I read to my students this week. Even if you are not a knitter, you would probably enjoy this story. It is not the first time that I have read it, but this week it made me wish that I could knit my own sweater. Upon further thought, maybe I just want a hand knit sweater...cause I am not sure I would have the patience to knit such a big project, and it would be foolhardy to think it would be a good project to start with if I actually want to learn how to knit. My one sister crochets various things, including bags and Christmas ornaments. My other sister does knit hats, scarves, and socks. Maybe if I ask her...

My quilt progress is going fairly well. I am over half done quilting my quilt with 242 completed blocks out of 480. Hopefully I will get some more done this evening, and though I am glad with the result so far, I do NOT plan to make hand quilting a regular habit.