Sewing Disaster and Recovery

 It has been quite the two weeks. We have been down to one car during this time. First my car was in the shop. Now Arthur's car is in having the transmission rebuilt. Meanwhile I have been stuck at home. It has been a good time to get caught up on projects. But oh, so frustrating.

First, as I wrote in my last post, I printed an embroidery transfer upside down. The embroidery is half finished. I am really pleased with how it looks. But I will need to rip the towel holder off and re-attach it to the opposite corner of the towel so that it hangs right-side up. Then I will add another small design to the bottom of the towel to balance it out. Extra work, but it will fix the problem. Transfer ink never washes out for me, so I dared not just throw it in the wash. I do not have room in my house for another goof. 

Next, I finished the top of a table runner which I have been working on for a friend. I made my sandwich and basted it all together. But it was too puckered to stitch. I took it apart and re-sewed a few seams. It worked better the second time around. I decided that the design would work best with stitch in the ditch instead of an meander or other free motion design after spending hours practicing stars. Okay. Got that together and it looked much  better. The binding is attached and ready for hand stitching. 

Finally, the last project is an apron that I started quite some time ago. I used a See & Sew pattern, but I have to say that it has been anything but. I cut two aprons out at the same time, and had planned on completing them side by side. But they were both planned as gifts, and I needed to finish one much earlier. I was so frustrated after finishing the first one that I did not want to face the second. The second has not been any better. It is done, but I had to leave the basement  because I was close to tears. I told my husband last night that this is the reason I no longer sew garments. It just is not fun. 

Sometimes even the simplest sewing project can get de-railed. Not long ago I had to sew rick-rack on a towel. It should have been a five minute project, but the turned over edge of the rick-rack and the hem on the towel were too thick for my machine. It jammed a few times. Ended up not so perfect, but I had to leave it. Not such a great thing for a perfectionist. 

These are the things that make for humility. 

And I can say on a few things, "Done is better than perfect."

But once again I am bemoaning all of the projects sitting in my basement. Hope I don't die before I make a bigger dent in them. What a mess for my poor husband to have to clean up.  

More Books

 My latest children's read was Astrid Lindgren's The Children of Noisy Village. I found a copy at Saver's about three weeks ago. I have found almost every children's book that I have wanted at Saver's sooner or later. At any rate, it was such a fun read. I got a kick out of the blunt telling of the lives of the neighborhood children through the eyes of nine year old Lisa. It left me feeling happy and refreshed. 

After that I discovered Ralph McInerny's autobiography,  I Alone Have Escaped to Tell You on the shelf. I wondered how it had gotten there. I did not remember buying it, although it would have been something I may have purchased somewhere. Turns out my husband was the culprit. He had read a review of the book somewhere, ordered it and read it, all without my knowing, or remembering. Stinkerpants! At any rate, I picked it up for a read. It appealed to me on a few different fronts than perhaps it did for Arthur. First, because I was a philosophy major, and I remember McInerny from my time in college. Second, because I have read Fr. Dowling and a few more of his mystery stories and other fictional works. Third, because we have his book, A First Glance at St. Thomas Aquinas: A Handbook for Peeping Thomists. I had no idea that Ralph was a Minnesota native, so it was interesting to read about his childhood in Minneapolis and his time at Nazareth Hall. I was quite young when my brother Gerard was at Nazareth Hall, and I remember only negative comments that my mom made of it. Ralph painted a different picture of a place with a very classical curriculum where it was expected that not all who attended would continue on to the priesthood. Of course, my brother was there after Vatican II, so it may have been quite different by that time. I only recognized the names of two of the priests who were there when Ralph was there. I was unaware that Ralph had written under several pseudonyms, and I did not know he had a series of mysteries based on Notre Dame University. They are now on my Saver's/used book store list! A quick search on Amazon shows that most are out of print and not available. When I was in college we used texts from Jacques Maritain and Etienne Gilson, both mentioned in Ralph's book. I did not know of the Maritain Center which Ralph headed at Notre Dame. The book gave me insight on the solidity of Thomistic philosophy compared to other modern philosophies. I wish that I had had that insight while I was in college. It might have saved me some confusion. For that reason alone the book was profitable for me. He gave a  negative assessment of symbolic logic. I had symbolic logic at CSB/SJU, and my feeling at the time was that it was like learning chemical formulas. High school chemistry boggled my mind, so it is not surprising that symbolic logic did the same. Nice to know he did not think symbolic logic is what it is cracked up to be. His writing on what it means to be a Catholic university or college as opposed to "Meatball Tech" was helpful since my time in college was fraught with professors who dissented on church teaching. I am afraid my alma mater has continued down that path to absurdity. Just this past year they were unable to condemn an alleged sex competition in any other way than to cry rape, because the only sex they claim to be immoral these days is non-consensual sex. His writing on Vatican II was also helpful. He pointed out the expectation that Pope Paul's commission on birth control would overturn the ban on the Pill. When this did not happen, there was open dissent. (I knew that Bishop Shannon of the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis had left the priesthood to get married, but I did not know that it was because he objected to Humanae Vitae.) We are still dealing with that dissent today. Some would perhaps say that Ralph was naïve in not noting the deliberate masterminds behind liturgical changes, he did rightly point out that the "spirit" of Vatican II is very different than the letter of Vatican II, and that most Catholics have not the slightest knowledge of what the documents actually say.  I experienced that myself at CSB/SJU. I believe that it is also fair to say that those who dissent from moral law have also not cared if they dissented from liturgical law. The two seem to go hand in hand. I do not think this book will go into the give-away pile. I may have to re-read parts of it from time to time. 

On the craft side, I have been doing loads of embroidery. I am also trying to redeem a table runner that I put together for a gift for someone. Better had I trimmed each unit before sewing together. It is waiting for quilting. The first time I basted my sandwich I had lots of puckers. I had to take it apart and re-sew a few seams. It seems to have helped a bit. This time around I put in loads more pins. I am also hand-basting to ease in what is left of the fulness.   

Saint Cloud of Gaul: The Prince Who Traded Kingdoms

I have to write about my latest read, Saint Cloud of Gaul: The Prince Who Traded Kingdoms (Susan Peek, Seven Swords Publications, 2022). I can't help but think that if everyone in our diocese read this book we would see a renewed local church. 

I passed this book up about three times before I finally bought it. I did not recognize the author's name, and I did not like the cover. But it was about our diocesan patron, so I kept thinking. Finally I looked inside the cover to see what other books Susan Peek had written. I recognized a few from my homeschool days. That clinched the deal. I started it the night I brought it home, and finished it the next. And I am a slow reader. 

The  book starts out with Cloud's witnessing the murder of his two brothers at the hands of his uncles. Cloud manages to escape. But right there I was imagining what it would be like for my granddaughter of almost the same age to witness such evil acts. Cloud's nightmare did not stop there since he knew he would be hunted down for perhaps his entire life. Talk about stress! And he could not exactly pop a Prozac or a Shaklee Stress Relief Complex, or B Complex. In our day and age he would have spent the rest of his life in counseling to overcome the trauma. 

The book revealed two aspects of early French history that I thought were interesting. First, Cloud hid for a night in the ruin of a Roman staircase. That painted a strong picture of the time period and the landscape for me. We do not have Roman ruins in our back yards! Second, I learned that Frankish royalty did not cut their hair. That made them readily identifiable. It also made me think of the long hair given to Christ Our King in many works of art.  

In Schoenstatt we have our "team" to call on when we need help: our patron saints, guardian angels, the Blessed Mother, and the Trinity. In the book Cloud referred to the saints in both the Church Triumphant and the Church Militant as "the gang". He was influenced by his holy contemporaries, notably his grandmother Clotilde, Bishop Remigius, and the hermit Severin. 

The book was written as a novel for teens. Susan Peek did an excellent job in presenting many of the emotions and temptations which teens, and really all of us, may experience: loneliness, social isolation, fear, the desire for vengeance, the attraction of marriage and the struggle to discern a vocation.  

 My one disappointment is that Susan Peek did not include a summary about which of the events in the book were real, and which were literary. My guess is that all of them happened more or less as described. I also would have loved a recommendation list for further reading. But I have a start. I dragged my Ignatius Press copy of  Saint Clotilde out of the back bedroom and started  reading that last night.

A Garden Catechism

 I stopped at the St. Cloud Bookshop on Monday to pick up a Bible for my brother. I came home with a few other items besides. It is a dangerous store for me to walk into. 

The first of the items I picked up was A Garden Catechism by  Margaret Rose Realy, Obl OSB (Our Sunday Visitor, 2022) I had seen this book advertised early last year, and had it on my Amazon wish list. I did the Amazon sneak peek, but still could not decide if it was worth the money. But buying it from the Bookshop gave me just one more incentive to purchase: I would be supporting a local business! So I took a look at the illustrations and sprang for it. I am glad I did. It fills in cracks left by the other books I have in my collection on Mary Gardens and flower names. As an example, Realy's book goes into detail about how the columbine, one of my favorite flowers, is named after the dove. The illustration shows an early cultivar which clearly resembles a dove in the way the blossoms are clustered with one petal like a wing gathering the others into itself. So beautiful. That is quite different than just reading on a list that columbine are "Jesus' shoes". I do not see them as shoes, unless one is talking about a very medieval style. I paged through most of the book late at night because it was so interesting. I am hoping to use the book in combination with my other sources to write little snippets for the bulletin when spring and summer come once again. I am not sure it will change the plants I use in my gardens at home and at church because there is no disputing taste. Red will never become a favorite color. Nor will cyclamen become a favorite flower. But I may tweak things here and there and use some of  her design tips.   

Another purchase was a book about St. Cloud by Susan Peek. The author's name did not ring a bell. Nor did the cover design. However, when I looked at other titles by the author I recognized one on Count Baldwin and the crusades from my homeschooling days. St. Cloud will be my Christmas break reading.  

Yet another purchase (Told ya it is a dangerous place for me!) was Fr. Daniel Lord's book on St. Nicholas, The Man Who Was Really Santa Claus, reprinted by Refuge of Sinners Press. I finished that last night, and will mail it off to my brother tomorrow. I can't say I was really impressed, or that it left me with a feeling of devotion to St. Nicholas. Too much of the book was editorial comment on how people liked moral mystery plays and debate about whether we should tell children about Santa Claus or not. I did like his brief history of the celebration of Christmas in Europe as opposed to how it is celebrated in the United States, and the differences in celebrating between Catholics and Protestants. That knowledge is important.

I finished up most of my Christmas shopping yesterday. I am so glad that I was able to do it at Fleet Farm instead of at Walmart. That way I did not have to support Walmart's satanic merchandise or liberal politics. They score very poorly on 2nd Vote, which is quite too bad since they should be a store for the poor and families.  

WINE (Women in the New Evangelization)

 Arthur and I attended the Catholic United Financial Regional Gathering at Queen of Peace in Rogers last Saturday. The keynote speaker was Kelly Wahlquist, founder of WINE, Women of the New Evangelization. Kelly's talk was inspiring. AND, she was selling books. Sucker that I am, I had to buy three of them. I'm always looking for things that may appeal to my granddaughters, or things that may help me in my own spiritual life. The three which I purchased were The Mother of Jesus is Wonderfully Real by Paul Murray, OP, Gaze Upon Jesus; Experiencing Christ's Childhood through the Eyes of Women, and Walk in Her Sandals. I could hardly wait to dig into them.

I read through Fr. Paul's book almost immediately. I have to say that I was disappointed. Was it bad? No. But I  was not thrilled, either. Some of the water colors in the book were absolutely gorgeous. Particularly the first picture of Fr. Paul mailing a letter. But wait! He was living in Italy when he wrote the letter, and the mail box clearly had the USPS eagle logo and the blue mail box color. Husband had to point that out right away, too. I guess I can overlook it, but it was a detail that could have coordinated with the story better. Other wonderful pictures were of Isabelle surrounded by photographs, and a young Fr. Paul with his father, and with his teacher and classmates. The picture of the Blessed Mother on page 12 was also beautiful. The pie on page 14 looked delicious, and I liked the flamingo. But I did not care at all for the other pictures of the Blessed Mother. She just did not look beautiful. Her smiles on page 25 and on the medal, and perhaps the large nose did not become her. The text fell a little flat as well. I wish that Fr. Paul had talked more about ideas of things that we cannot see, such as truth, goodness and beauty. The book did end with another fabulous picture of Fr. Paul. Kelly Wahlquist recommended the book as a baptism or First Communion gift, but I think I would pass on it in the future. I am not even sure that the book will be liked if I pass it on.

I had been reading Marian Consecration with Aquinas (Matt Fradd and Fr. Gergory Pine, OP, Tan Books) in preparation for my covenant renewal. I finished it late last night, along with reading the Schoenstatt founding documents. I treated myself to a sneak peak into Gaze Upon Jesus. I read through all of the commendations again, and then the forward and half of the introduction. Then I skimmed through parts of the first meditation by Stephanie Landsem. Did no one else catch it? Mary is described not as a woman immaculately conceived, free from all sin, but as a woman who prefers working in her  flower beds so much that her vegetable garden is neglected. Her mother teases her that St. Joseph will starve to death because of it. Mary is unmarried in the story, again, a false narrative, since she was already betrothed to Joseph, though they were mot yet living together. In fact, the text indicates that  she has not even met Joseph yet. Mary also ponders the future children which she and Joseph may or may not have together because of his old age, contradicting the tradition that Mary and Joseph both had made the Nazarite vow, and would not be engaging in sexual intercourse. Scripture itself affirms this, since Mary expressed surprise that she was to bear a child. Had she and Joseph planned on living as husband and wife in that aspect, pregnancy would have been no surprise. She would have just assumed that this would take place after they came to live together. There would have been no need to question the angel. Then, of course, the idea that Joseph was an old man who was widowed with other children fits nicely the Protestant interpretation of passages of the Bible which refer to Jesus' brothers. But we really do not know whether he was married prior to that or not. And we do know that there is no word for cousin in Aramaic, so Jesus' "brothers" were not his brothers as we understand the term. As colorful as Stephanie Landsem''s story might be, I am thinking that if the other mediations are that inaccurate, the books may not be that helpful. Time will tell as I read through them. 

Crosstown Appliance was here for the second time in a week this morning. Last week it was the stove. A minor clog in the whatchamajigi that kept a burner from always lighting, and the flame from increasing and decreasing. The technician fixed it with a toothpick. Our toothpick, even. A cheap repair. This morning he was back to fix the coils in the dryer. Another relatively cheap repair, particularly given that our dryer is over thirty years old. This is the first time we have had to have it repaired. No matter how good the deal, I am so glad that we have never bought into offers of discounts if we replace more than one appliance at a time. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Why clog up the landfills with appliances which are not dead yet?

I am up to my ears in alterations and repairs. Had to sew part of the zipper in Husband's new pair of pants because the zipper kept coming off of the track. I took in the shoulders on a new dress. Now I have to do the shoulders on a blazer. I am hemming the sleeves on my new winter coat, and re-hemming the sleeves on the lining of the rain coat I got last year. I have the sewing skills (YouTube helps.). But I am short on patience. Something to offer up to the Capital of Grace.

A Tale with Two Morals

 We got rid of all of the carpet in our house a couple of years ago. Now it is time to get rid of our Kirby Gen 4 vacuum cleaner. Yes, I could use the Kirby on our laminate flooring, but it is getting too heavy to haul up and down the steps every time I want to use it. We decided to donate it to our parish when we found out they needed a vacuum cleaner. 

A couple of months ago I had already wiped the Kirby down and packed all of the accessories in a box. Still, I wanted to make sure that I had covered all of my bases before I gave it away. Did I clean the roller? Yes. Better check the em-tor to make sure that there are no diamonds that got sucked up in there. Good thing I looked.

When I removed the em-tor I gave it a little shake. A couple of rocks fell out, and then a dust bunny caught my eye. Good thing I saw it. I pulled on it, and more came out. Then more, and more. The thing was loaded. I shook it, and dared to put my fingers in, and then finally grabbed the double-pointed knitting needle which I keep by my sewing machine to reach in and get the remains. By the time I was done I had about three cups of sand, cement, pins, screws, dirt, hair and change in a large pile on the floor. Really gross. I fished out all of the coins before I swept up the pile. I know they came from the time we cleaned out our daughter's car, and I knew they would be really dirty. When we did the car we had cleaned out everything imaginable that a kid could spill in a car - chocolate and white milk. pop, milk shakes, ice cream, melted candy, chips. I soaked the money in dish soap. Then I dumped it in Basic H and water and let it sit overnight. This morning I rubbed it with baking soda, and then finally added vinegar to the baking soda. Still, I can see lots of stuff still sticking to the coins.

The morals of the story are, 

1. Your mom was right when she told you not to put money in your mouth because you do not know where it has been. 

and,

2. If you have a Kirby, give that em-tor a good shake when you check it, and turn it over to see the inside. 

I thought I had been doing that, but obviously, I had not been doing that well enough.  

Books, Books and More Books

 My car is in the shop today, so it is a good time to blog. 

As usual, I pursue my quest to find more books which my granddaughters just might like to pick up and read. When I saw that Tan had The Chestertons and the Golden Key (Nancy Carpentier Brown, 2016) on their $5 book list, I had to get it. The story begins with an eleven year old girl's invitation to the Chestertons after her siblings see them at a hotel in their town. Woven into the story are a pair of roller skates and a missing piano key. I did not like the book at first because I thought it a bit far fetched, first, that such a young girl would recognize Chesterton, and second, that she would venture to write him a fan letter and invite him to lunch. But at the end of the book I found that the story was based on real events. Oh, how mature and well educated that young lady was at a time that we think was so repressive to women! Compare that to now, when kids of the same age cannot drag their eyes off of their computer screens. The truth behind the fiction put an entire new light on the story. The book does have a very attractive, colorful cover. The black and white drawings throughout the book are also very well done with beautiful details. Leaded window pains reminded me of my grandparent's house in Montana, and on one of the pages I saw a drawing of my beloved "teddy bear" bed frame. I got a laugh out of  GK's demonstration on handling writer's block through the use of a  sword and throw pillows. Can't say I'll try it, but it was funny.

After I finished that book I decided that I would order another of Brown's books, The Woman Who was Chesterton (American Chesterton Society, 2015).  Frances Chesterton sounded like a virtuous, kind, faithful Christian woman. Also interesting to see references to my old homeschool friend Charlotte Mason in the book in connection with the Parents National Education Union, of which Frances Chesterton was a member. That is such a cool historical connection. At a time when I can barely stand reading or listening to the news, the mainstream media because of all of it's propaganda, and LifeSiteNews because it is too depressing, this book was a refreshing read. I needed that. 

Now I am into something far more serious, but also riveting: The Sexual State by Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse (Tan Books, 2018). This was also a Tan $5 book purchase. But I know Dr. J. from the Ruth Institute, and it seemed a good follow-up to Leila Miller's Primal Loss. I felt the need to hear something of the harm that has come through the Sexual Revolution to counteract all of the societal messages promoting divorce, abortion and contraception. Even the Church seems to turn a blind eye to the harm that comes to children through divorce. The focus has been on the need for annulments before re-marriage, which is fine and good. But in the process no one is talking about whether it is really such a good idea for a second marriage even if it can be a sacramental one. I see these books as sort of reparational reading after my own daughter's first divorce. I can't help but think that had I read these books first, I would have given her different advice and acted differently myself. It will be hard for me when my granddaughter is old enough to start asking questions.

Now, for something lighter. I have dome some card stamping recently. My biggest need is sympathy cards, always. I did two designs which I really liked, based on a card which I saw on Split Coast Stampers. I also made a few graduation cards which I really liked. I have enough stamping stuff to last for ages, but I want to try using an ink blending tool when I can get my hands on one. Stampin' Up has a new Sale-a-bration coming up in August, so I will wait until then. 

My flower beds are looking good. It is time to pull out all of the johnny jump-ups which have gone to seed and I have just a few more iris to cut back. But the day lilies are just starting to bloom, and the lamb's ears and mallow are both blooming, and the light green foliage and white blossoms are beautiful. I am hankering after more dwarf iris for next year. I got some free mint seed at The Plant Place in St. Cloud, and that should be close to sprouting. But I also discovered that some of the mint I had put in a couple of years ago is still growing. It is not abundant by any means, but it is still alive. The mint which we had at Bald Eagle was very aggressive, so I wonder why I am having such a hard time getting it to thrive here. The zinnias which I started from seed from gift seed are blooming already in the Mary Garden at St. John Cantius. Once they were planted in the garden they really took off. 

I believe the gophers are gone, but we continue the battle with chipmunks. Cute as they are, they are becoming a nuisance. They ripped some insulation out of the walls in the garage, and dug a hole in my bag of potting soil. I am sure that we have one running around inside the walls of our house, since I have heard it at night. The drywall in our garage has a few access holes in it, and we have found holes in the slat wall and in the concrete near the garage door. 

Another Quilter in the Making

 The girls were here this week-end. We were working on Christmas gifts, since the time is fast approaching. I was in the basement helping Ari sew when Missy Maja decided that she wanted to sew, too. I was pleasantly surprised. I got her started right away on a practice strip. After all, I only have a million scraps of fabric sitting around. Then she picked a few pieces out of my scrap bin to start a little patch work. Now I have to get a few more pieces cut before she comes over again. As usual Grandma was busy running back and forth trying to keep both girls going on their different projects, which was hectic. But how cool to have another seamstress in the family!

I managed to get part of a pillow case sewn while Ari was pinning, and before Maja came downstairs. We have so many left-overs in the fridge that I will not have to cook tomorrow, so I should be able to get back to it tonight or tomorrow afternoon. 

I have been reading Outlaws of Ravenhurst from my homeschool book collection. It is a refreshing read. I would call it an adventure story of faith and martyrdom. It is set in the reign of the Stuarts of Scotland Henry VIII of England. It makes me pause to think of what I would do were I one of the last Catholics in a country where Catholicism was outlaw. That is really not such a far flung possibility in our country today. I can see the appeal of the story for young people who are willing to work their way through the Scottish dialect. Would that we all had the faith and reverence for Jesus in the Eucharist which the children in the novel portray. 

Ari, Maja and I hosted a tea party for the mothers and daughters in our neighborhood a couple of months ago. The girls did a wonderful job with our guests. Yesterday Ari asked when we would be having another one. I am glad that she wants to. It says to me that the first party meant something to her. We have started discussing possibilities.

Fall Garden Clean-up

 I was working outside this afternoon cutting back perennials. My nose was running, so as I usually do when outside, I went to the car to look for facial tissue. No such luck. But I did find our good full sized stapler. Grandchildren! I am sure they brought it along for a project during our twenty minute ride to mass last time they visited. Although I got distracted cutting things back and pulling weeds, my objective today is to finish planting daffodil bulbs. My sister gave me about a hundred bulbs from her flower beds. Many of them went in at St. John Cantius, but the rest will get planted here at home. I also took the geraniums out of their pots so that they can overwinter in the basement. Last but not least, I will take the clothes off of our scarecrows and wash them for next spring. Hopefully I can get all of that done before it starts raining. I have been comfortable working in shirt sleeves. 

A little perk to my clean-up has been seeing all of the new johnny jump-ups which are blooming away. I just love the purple and yellow flowers. I am also enjoying the rich green of the lamb's ears after I cut them back about a month ago. I am sure the fall rain helped them very much. And then there are the weeds which have grown since the rain. 

We are two weeks away from our mission group craft sale. I still have about six pillow cases cut and ready to sew. Besides that, a few more pieces in my fabric stash that I would also like to use for pillow cases, just to be done with them. I have the coordinating prints necessary, so it is simply a matter of getting down there and getting it done. It is so good to have much of my old fabric made into something useful and out of the way. I still have a number of projects in the finishing stages - an apron, a dress, a quilt top, and about three quilts ready for machine quilting. But it feels much more under control. I can't wait to get it all done so that I can dig into some more of the gorgeous new fabrics my sister Janice gave me.    

 

Cookies in a Jar

 I hope to have a little meet and greet  tea party for our girls and a few of the neighbor girls. I decided to look at an old booklet by Jackie Gannaway to see if there was anything special in there that I wanted to serve. That got me looking through a couple other booklets of hers that I have. Yesterday I tried the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Mix from her Cookies in a Jar (Cookbook Cupboard, Austin, TX, 1997). They were the worst cookies I have ever eaten. They looked perfect on the outside, but the recipe called for a combination of powdered sugar and brown sugar. The brown sugar was granular, and overpowering. The chocolate was from cocoa powder, which was fine, although I prefer the more chocolate flavor of chips, chunks or unsweetened chocolate bars. Neither my husband nor I could taste any peanut butter flavor. I scratched that recipe off of my list! It will be a penance to finish them, although we can use them for the caffeine.

I also took out my scrap totes last night to try my hand at crumb quilting. I discovered that my scrap totes are loaded with mostly larger pieces, nothing very crumb worthy. However, I did get about three 5.5" blocks finished. Very scrappy looking. I have lots of fabric strips, so I will probably make a few table runners. Then from those snippets I will have genuine crumbs. Of course, now I am in a quandary because all of my old scraps are washed. It almost forces me to keep pre-shrinking all of my fabrics.

Paul Bunyon Land

 Last week we took the girls to Brainerd for a little get-away. 

Our first stop after picking them up was Safari North, since we could not check into our hotel until after 4:00 PM. We saw lots of animals, including alligators. We enjoyed it, but I did not like having to pay for every extra - feeding the animals, riding the train, and using the amusement park. By the time we were done we had spent a considerable amount beyond the admission price. There were no hand stamps, so we could not come and go as we pleased. We were forced to eat there, and the menu was extremely limited. The girls had Uncrustables, hardly a hearty, filling meal. Our only other option would have been pizza.   

The next day we stopped at Paul Bunyon Land. We liked that much better. We had the place almost to ourselves. We were not sure if that was because of the weather, or because it was a week-day. The girls went on ride after ride without having to wait. Ari is an old hand at amusement park rides, but it was new to Maja. She was scared the first time she went on the Frog Hopper. We were surprised that they wanted to go on it a couple of times more. We really appreciated the man voicing Paul Bunyon. Arthur described him as a Santa Claus personality. I would say he was grandfatherly. Not only did he remember the girls' names as we went back and forth during the day, but he also sang a few songs for us. We were thrilled that the animals in the petting zoo came up to visit us without our even having food in our hands. They had to parade from one side of the enclosure to the other so that we could see them. Bella Rose the calf was especially sweet and gentle and ready to nuzzle. 

We stayed at the Holiday Inn because the water park was open, unlike at the Arrowwood. The girls had a blast in the water. The hotel had very few guests, so we also had quiet nights. That was a Godsend. The breakfasts were not so great. We had to eat bagged foods in our room because people are still afraid of COVID.  We had only one desk and chair for the four of us so it was not very comfortable. Mixing beds and food is disgusting. The girls had oranges the first morning. That was a sticky mess, with no paper towels or dish rags to clean things up afterwards. I felt bad for the housekeeping crew which had to empty garbage with all of the breakfast food waste in it. I just cannot believe that eating in our rooms was healthier than exposing ourselves to the possibility of contracting COVID in the breakfast room. 

On the way home we stopped at the Northland Arboretum. We did not spend much time there, but we did see some beautiful peonies and other spring bloomers. The Arboretum was suffering from drought as well as we are at our house. I was thrilled at the help the Arb staff gave me in looking up Ak-Sar-Ben (That's Nebraska spelled backwards.) Gardens, a place my family visited in the late 1960's during our stay at The Gingerbread Cabins on Serpent Lake near Crosby. It sounds like the gardens still exist, but as a private event venue. 

I gave in and spot watered a few of my perennials last night, just to keep them alive. I lost an echinacea on the side of the house already for lack of moisture. Also one in the Mary Garden at church. I thought echinacea were supposed to be drought hardy. The lilies look great in the heat. The asters, heliopsis and echinacea are the ones that get droopy with no rain. 

Rosary Making

I have been making rosaries from supplies purchased through Our Lady's Rosary Makers for years. Here is a little video on them published by Catholic News Report. Enjoy. 

We interrupt this program....

 I have been taking a pause in sewing quilt tops to make some of these cuties. This Easy Squeeze Gift Bag pattern is from Gruber's. I had some squares of fabric already cut which I thought would work perfectly for this bag. I also thought it would be a great pattern for my ten year old granddaughter to sew. I like them. Grandpa likes them, too. The small bags made from 12" squares will be perfect for wrapping soap, jars of jelly, gift cards, muffins, cookies or candles.

                                        

        

                     

On Another (Jelly) Roll

 

I'm on another quilting roll. Last night I finished this top made from a batik Bally Pop Pack which I had won at the St. Cloud Heritage Quilters Show from Just Sew Studios several years ago. It was a quick finish, and I like the colors. It will work in a few different rooms in my house. I have to admit that I did not do it completely randomly, as is typically done with a jelly roll. Some of the colors just begged to be put together, so when I did the end to end sewing, I coupled them. From here I will sew another top, and then do machine quilting all at one time. 

I finished reading Theology of Home by Carrie Gress and Noelle Mering (Tan Books, 2019). I purchased it for a few reasons. First, to see what all of the hype was about, since I have seen their blog and merchandise. Second, to see if it would be a suitable bridal shower gift. Third, to glean from it anything helpful in honing in on my personal mission. The book contains lots of photos of the authors' and others homes and children. My first response in looking at the cover was, this home is definitely not my taste. It was a mix of way too many different styles of furniture and and picture frames. I had similar reactions to many of the photos in the book. Too many white walls and cold interiors. Arthur agreed. But it did contain pictures of some very cute kids! I had hoped that it would be a good "bridge" book that might draw a new bride back into the faith, but I do not think it would work for that. There are many quotes from Scripture and from the saints, and many sacred images and statues that would probably turn off a person who was not going to church. As for my personal mission, I did find a quote from St. Thomas Aquinas on beauty which I will add to my notebook for meditation. 

At present I am reading Ryann Topping's Rebuilding a Catholic Culture: How the Catechism Can Shape Our Common Life (Sophia Institute Press, 2012). I found a line that expresses the present understanding of active participation in the liturgy to a tee: "Where the older Liturgical Movement had sought to increase the participation of the faithful by a deepened understanding of the prayer of he Mass, the more recent trend simply encouraged people to become busy...." Perfect.

Quilting

 I have been on a roll. I finished four aprons since the beginning of the year. From then on I have been quilting and quilting. Clarence received the completed quilt which I had started for him when he was about 3,4 or 5. He is now 14. The Pinky Pie quilt which had been intended for Ari and was a free motion quilting class project, is now also finished. Three or four years ago Sister Jessica had given me a suitcase full of quilt tops which she had gotten from someone else. I gave most of the tops to the St. Joseph's quilters in Waite Park, but had held three back to finish myself. Last night I started the binding on the first of those, and pressed the backing for the next one. I am planning ahead for the next projects after the last two tops are finished. At the same time I dug into the yarn bin and started an afghan from some cotton yarn which I had purchased for a blanket for Ari when she was a baby. As I knit I am also thinking ahead to the next afghan. It feels very good to be digging into my stash and using things up. It is energizing. It is also a great pleasure to see what I can do with my free motion skills. My free motion is by no means perfect, but I am getting lots of practice.

I put onions in my Super Bowl guacamole yesterday. Never again. Besides giving me dragon breath, the onions detract from the jalapeno, which I normally savor. Twenty years ago I would have never guessed that I would have a liking for guacamole and hummus. I now nutritionists frown on the fat content of avocados, but I look at guacamole as healthier than dips made from sour cream and mayonnaise, and as a way to get an extra serving of fruits and vegetables.

Now off to tea and breakfast.

Christmas Cookies

 It seems that every family has its own list of Christmas cookies. In our family it was Toffee Bars, Cocoanut Toffee Bars, Peanut Brittle, Sugar Cookies, Scotch Short Bread, and in later years, Date Krispie Balls, Peanut Butter Blossoms, M&M Cookies and Russian Tea Cakes. Arthur's favorite from his family was his Grandma Donnay's White Cookies. When the neighbors blessed us with a huge platter of cookies this year, they had Peanut Butter Blossoms, Spritz Cookies, Pretzel Wreaths, Pretzel Rods, Date Sandwich Cookies and a few others. In another friend's package were Macadamia Nut Cookies, M&M Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Molasses Cookies, Snickerdoodles, and Chocolate Chip Cookies. When people ask me what I am baking, I usually say, nothing, since there is no need. Our Christmases are usually split between our two families, and everyone else makes enough that anything I would bring would be superfluous. We can only eat so much at our house, besides. But this year because of COVID, things were different.We were not going anywhere. Maja wanted cookies to take to her dad's house. Grandpa wanted his White Cookies. And Grandma kept reading Verily posts of cookie recipes. The result was a slew of new favorites, and a lot of fun.

On Christmas Eve I started to bake. I made Ande's Creme de Menthe Cookies, a definite keeper. Then I made Grandpa's White Cookies. Then M&M Cookies with the red and green M&M's of course. Then Date Krispie Balls, a recipe which I got when I babysat for Ransoms in high school. Then Pecan Dreams, very similar to Russian Tea Cakes, but another keeper. Most of them are now in the freezer. Maja packed a tin for her dad, and then forgot it. Those are also in the freezer. So are the remains of the cake I made for Ari and my birthday celebration. We have enough sweets to last us through the Sundays of lent, and then some. And the rest of the recipes are in my file waiting for my next baking day. 

Blessed be God.   

Should You Have Your Cremated Remains Made into Jewelry When You Die?

 I thought it worthwhile to share the sentiments which I wrote for my daughter on this subject.

Mom's Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Not Have Your Cremains Put Into Jewelry

1. Your kids might think it is morbid and gross to wear your ashes.

2. Jewelry gets lost. Bye bye, Mom's remains!

3. Jewelry goes out of style, and the recipient may want to stop wearing it.

4. Jewelry gets broken and thrown into a drawer, or into the garbage. Bye bye, Mom!

5. The jewelry bearing your cremains will probably be tossed aside at some point for something which has new sentimental meaning, like a wedding or engagement ring, or a gift from someone living. Or another person who has died and had their cremains put into jewelry!

6. You may die before your grandchildren are born. They may not want to wear you if they never knew you. Same with your great grandchildren and whoever after that would inherit the jewelry.

7. You may die before Dad and I die. We want a grave to visit. Dad will not wear jewelry other than his wedding ring. I will not wear you, either.

8. Your loved ones can be buried next to you if you are buried in a grave or your ashes are inured in a columbarium.

9. If you have a grave stone, long after you are dead and those who knew you are dead, others can look at your grave and pray for you.

10. You have been baptized. You are a temple of the Holy Spirit, and your body deserves to be buried in consecrated ground.

More Stamping Fun

 I have been on a stamping stampede. Our mission group recently had a craft sale and I wanted to contribute my share of cards. But I also recently ordered a new Blessed Mother symbol stamp on Zazzle, and I wanted to try it out.  Here are some of my favorites from my foray. It has been great fun. Have I used up all of my paper? No. But I have found a few new favorite designs, and I really enjoyed using some of my oldest stamp sets.

Turkeys

 The neighbors brought cookies for us. I had to take a picture in case I want to copy them with the girls. I have seen them before with Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, but the gummies and candy corn look very sweet, too. Cute, cute, cute.

Fruit Basket Upset

 It has been so long since I have blogged (So much for web log!) that I never knew that Blogger changed it's screen designs.

The morning started dark and grey, but now the sun is shining through patches of blue sky. I had thought that our snow was here to stay, but perhaps I was wrong. 

I just finished eating two mandarin oranges. So sweet. I am not sure if it is because they are a different brand than usual, Sunrays, or if it is because they are the first fruits of a new season, but they are so juicy and delicious. The Honey Crisp apples which I purchased a couple of weeks ago are also exceptionally large, juicy and tasty. Once I buy fruit I have to finish the bag, so I have been eating a lot of both this past week. 

Arthur and I took a short trip to Ottertail County at the end of September. While we were there we took a tour of The Prospect House Museum in Battle Lake. What an interesting place! It is dubbed a Civil War museum, so one expects when walking in the door to see Civil War artifacts. In reality, the first part of the tour, probably an hour's worth of time, was walking through the home which once served as the first resort in Battle Lake. If you like antiques and art, it is the place to go. The house is still furnished as it was in 1929 before the stock market crash, with items purchased from Dayton's in Minneapolis.The family did not throw anything out, so many things are much older. We saw a very fancy lace Valentine from the Civil War era, and a dead, painted baby turtle which had been mailed home from the Chicago World Fair. There were loads of antique toys which were fantastic replicas of the full versions - a cast iron stove, a cast iron "iron", and aluminum cookie cutters: I would be delighted to own them, and play with them. I have never seen so many varieties of paper dolls. The present owner's mother, Kay Wilkins Johnson, was an artist trained at the Minneapolis Art Institute. Several of her paintings are on display throughout the house. I enjoyed seeing them very much. Particularly spectacular was a portrait she painted of her son, Jay Johnson, who currently owns the home. After we toured the whole house, we moved to the basement where the Civil War mementos were located. There was a bayonet, a bloody letter from the battlefield, and a uniform coat with bullet holes. One could have spent hours in that part of the museum alone, reading all of the materials which were on display. If you ever go to Battle Lake, I highly recommend that you stop in and see it. Our trip also included hikes in Maplewood and Glendalough State Parks, and visits with friends.

I continue with Vision Therapy, though with very spread-out sessions. I have had double vision for quite some time since my right eye is now turned on. I can tell that as well as being cross-eyed, my eyes are also out of alignment with each other. It has been a long haul.