A sad day for the world

 Notre Dame Cathedral. An icon for the world, 850 years old and the heart of Paris. I went there in 2010 and attended mass with my friends. Nobody who experiences Notre Dame will ever forget the power and the beauty of the architecture and the soaring ceilings and spires. My heart is broken for the people of Paris, and the world tonight.

I took this from the boat that takes people around Paris by way of the Seine.

We posed, and got off to attend Sunday morning mass at the cathedral.

So beautiful.

The rose window is gone now. This is what it looked like from the inside.

The sanctuary before mass started.

We walked around the Ile de la Cite and I snapped this picture.

The copper statues were taken down before the recent renovation began. I am so thankful for that, because they were the most fascinating thing about the place. The steeple burned and fell into the sanctuary today.

On the homefront, I worked in the studio yesterday and today, quilting and sewing. I finished the blue and yellow raffle quilt for a customer, and loaded the big embroidered quilt for later. I decided to start an applique and pieced quilt from a pattern I picked up in Pigeon Forge, and made some progress on it. That felt good!

This quilt is so lovely, I'm first in line to buy some tickets to win it.

Panto: Paradise Feather

A peek at the back.

The embroidered quilt, ready for the binding. I'll do that tomorrow.

I have already forgotten the name of this panto, but I have used it before.

White backing, too.

My applique project started yesterday with the background cutting and making the bits. I got the parts for four blocks cut out last night, and assembled them today. I will be doing machine buttonhole stitch around all the elements and embellishing them after the quilt is made and quilted. I know it doesn't look like much now, but it will be fun when it's done.

Blocks in progress

Mr Bunny

Pretty flowers

Bumbly bee. His black head will show up better with yellow stitching around it

Beautiful bluebird

We got the brunt of the storm yesterday afternoon, but after all the wind and rain came the rainbow! If you look hard, you'll see the second rainbow faintly above the bright one.

Today, the sun was out and it was still breezy and cool. The gardens made it through, and I took some pictures to end my day.

Everything in the side yard is coming along well. I can't wait until the peonies open! There are loads of buds.

My chicken pot is blooming happy. She is right outside the studio door.

Flame azalea beginning to open.

The vinca exploded into bloom today, too. The dogwood took a beating in the storm, and many blooms came off.

The lily of the valley came up this year! We thought it might not make it.

In he back, everything purple blooms first.

Mr W knows what this is, but I don't.

Lobelia

A form of sedum

Creeping Jenny. I love the color!

I don't know what this shrub is, either, but it has small white plumes of flowers now.

Lamb's Ear and other ground cover coming on.