Autumn Walk

Today's moment of beauty is:  "We are richer and more beautiful by moments of reflection." 

A walk alone with a dog is more than just exercise or recreation, it is part of my creative process.  Today I have two sources of inspiration.  The first was a website a friend had recommended and I recently joined called the Quilting Board.  A very nice woman had shared a pattern and tutorial to make a maple leaf shaped mug rug.  It was definitely on my "want to do list." 

As we walked, I surveyed the mess about us and thought of variations on her idea.  Certainly there were enough examples scattered around us.

Ted and downed branches.

Here are some variations I thought of:

An oak leaf is good.

So is this red maple.

Ginkgo and Birch are good too.  I thought a wonderful one would be a leaf from a tulip tree but there weren't any on our walks.  Some leaves wouldn't cut it for mug rugs though, like the locust or my black elderberry bush which are just too skinny to accommodate a mug:

Locust

Black leaf elderberry

Still, there are a lot of other options, like bushes or plants:

The heart shaped leaves of the hosta and hydrangea would make fun mug rugs.  Today the possibilities seem endless.  Don't you love days like that?