The River

Apparently, my first visit to the Mississippi River was not when we moved to Louisiana in 1987. I was discussing this with my mom at the beginning of the month, and she said something about us visiting the river when we lived in Sparta, WI. Who knew?!? I had to look it up; Sparta is about 40 minutes away from the Mississippi. I have zero recollection of going there, but my mom said we went a few times because my dad wanted us to see it and understand the river's importance. I also learned to fish at some point when we lived in Sparta. I vaguely remember that, and I still have my Woodstock tackle box (I use it as a sewing kit now). The river is divided into three divisions, and I've seen it from all three. When we moved to Louisiana, the Mississippi became part of the backdrop of life. I don't personally have a lot of memories associated with the river, but it was always there. Important to the region, to so many people. 

I can't believe I only recently found out about seeing it in Sparta. That's why I did today's piece - who knew? If you haven't watched the Foo Fighters documentary, Sonic Highways, I highly recommend you do, particularly the episode in New Orleans. The song from this episode, "In the Clear," is one of my favorite from the series and the album. 

I love these lyrics, and they remind of the river and what life is like in New Orleans:

There are times I feel like givin' in
There are times I begin to begin again
Look outside the world keeps spinning like a paddle wheel
Rolling for the broken-hearted waiting on the heal

Details:
Stitches: back and satin stitches
Thread palette: DMC 310 (2 strands), 312 (3 strands)