Running with Scissors

     Yesterday I attended the St. Cloud Heritage Quilters Show, Running with Scissors, at the College of St. Benedict. The quilters hold the show once every two years. I'm not a member, and not even really much of a quilter, but I like to attend. Once again I went by my lonesome, since none of the quilters at St. Anthony's were able to go with me. Had to give my husband a full report when I got home just to relate my adventure. Good thing he did not ask how much money I spent, although I did not hide my bags of vendor purchases. More on that later.

     The time for submitting Viewer's Choice Awards entries was over by the time I arrived, but I would surely have nominated the Grandma's Fower Garden hexagon quilt and bed runner (Bed runner! Great idea for people with cold feet, or people with white bedspreads who need a splash of color in the room, or who have smaller amounts of fabric to use up, or less time or patience!). I think the quilter had actually named this her "Forever" quilt, since it took forever to make. She had taken up the project when her youngest child went off to college, so that she would have something to worry about. It was completely hand-pieced and hand-quilted in gorgeous pastels. The green used was very spring-ish, fresh and restful.  The hand quilting was a nice 1/4" away from the seams in all of the hexagons.  I also drooled over Barb Kuklok's machine embroidered and embellished quilts. I have been to Just Sew! Studio (formerly Associated Sewing) where Barb works, for a few classes and trunk shows, and I always enjoy the beautiful machine embroidery. It has such a polished, finished look, besides being well executed. I was thinking that Barb's quilts would hold together for a very long time.

     I had planned at least three hours for viewing, so I was able to read many of the stories accompanying the quilts.

     One woman submitted several quilts made from her mother's fabric stash, quilts which would be shared amongst 11 siblings. Two of her commnents brought tears, her saying that her mother was afraid that all of her fabrics would end up in a dumpster, and also that the daughters making the quilts wanted them to become lumpy and fuzzy like the well-loved quilts that their mom had made for them.

     I marveled at the frequency of comments on the stories such as, I got frustrated and had to put this project aside for a few years, or, I did not know what to do with this fabric so I set it aside, or, I decided I needed to finish old projects before starting something new, or, I found this while  cleaning out my closet. These sentiments are sure familiar to me, and I am sure to many other crafters. Two weeks ago when I got to St. Anthony's for quilting, I looked at the new quilt on the frame and asked where it had come from. One of the quilters had found it in her closet about twenty years after she had put it there. The other comments which struck me were the candid confessions of difficulties and mistakes, even from the experienced quilters of the guild.

     I purchased a new pattern book from Barb at the Quilts on Broadway table. I told her I had to, since she made me laught twice that day! I also bought a Bittersweet wool felt pattern which I can use for projects with my mom, and another bag of walnut shells for stuffing, because they are hard to find without having to stop at the Crow River Mercantile in St. Michael.

     For inspiration I also have to check out the book, One Block Wonder, which some of the quilters used. I am tucking into my memory the vintage sheet quilt made simply of squares, much prettier than those which I have seen on Pinterest. I also saw a quilt with large design motifs cut apart and appliqued onto the fabrics. Good idea. I also have to look up the terms "prairie style", and prairie architecture.

     Oh! Two of the quilts used Downton Abbey fabrics from Andover Fabrics. I had to laugh when I saw those.

     Last but not least, I won a quilt in the small raffle drawing.

Mary Garden at St. John Cantius Church, St. Cloud, Minnesota

Mary Garden, St. John Cantius Church

Looking at the garden from the sidewalk on Third Street

The cornerstone from the former school

The Mary Garden at St. John Cantius Church, St. Cloud, sits on the site of the former grade school. The church is located to the west.

Flowers in the Mary Garden are:

Alysum - Mary's flower, or cross flower
Aqilegia - Mary's shoes
Cat Nip - Mary's nettle
Daisy - Mary loves
Gailardia - Mary's face
Iris - Mary's sword of sorrow
Liatris - Mary's drops
Lilac - Ascension flower
Marigold - Mary's gold
Petunia - Our Lady's praises
Peony - Mary's rose
Potentilla - Jesus' footprints
Rose - Mary's Emblem
Rudbeckia - Golden Jerusalem
Russian Sage - Mary's shawl
Snapdragon - Infant Jesus' shoes
Spirea - St. Peter's wreath
Tulip - The Woman, or Mary's prayers
Yarrow - Our Lord's back
Zinnia - The Virgin

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chips Cookies

As I mentioned in my last blog, I brought a few recipes from Mary, the cook at Captain Wohlt's Inn, when we came back from Missouri. One was from the back of the Hershey's Cinnamon Chips package. I made a batch yesterday, substituting dried, sweetened cranberries for the raisins, as Mary did. These cookies are very sweet. Here is the recipe.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chips Cookies


https://www.hersheys.com/celebrate/halloween/recipedetail.aspx?id=6197

Enjoy!

Missouri Musings

Our two weeks of vacation is coming to a close.

We started with our annual, four-day silent  retreat with the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross and Opus Sanctorum Angelorum. Besides the annual retreat resolutions, the talk which will stick with me the most is Fr. Matthew's talk on the power of the rosary. He said that while it sounds overly simplistic, the rosary is the solution to the ills which beset our country ~ the threat to religious freedom, abortion, same-sex marriage and military involvement with Syria. He  gave a number of instances in which other countries have had miraculous intervention and resolution after Catholics had launched rosary crusades. It left me feeling very hopeful.

After a stop at home to do laundry and check on the cats, we headed south. Our first stop was in Decorah, Iowa. Decorah has both a quilt shop and a yarn shop, but we left bright and early in the morning, and so I was spared the temptation to violate my "one project at a time", and "No more yarn/fabric until I reduce my stash!" rules. Next stop was Gutenburg, where we stopped to look at their facsimile of the Gutenburg Bible. No chapter and verse marked in that baby. It is Latin, of course, and printed in script. Gutenburg has wonderful limestone architecture in the town. It also has a cat which apparently hangs around the post office waiting for customers to come by and pet him! We knew he was no stray by the collar and tag, so I had to do just that. After all, my two kitties were sitting at home alone. As we walked away the cat had to follow us for a couple of blocks.

On the way through Iowa we discovered the shrine at St. Donatus. We saw a sign on the road which simply said, "outdoor way of the cross", and decided to stop. The stenciling in the church reminded us of St. Mary, Help of Christians in St. Augusta. It had the traditional carved altars and statues as well. The stations were on a trail above the cemetary. I was not ready to climb the hill, but I went for it anyway, since Arthur was walking it. The stations lead to a small chapel with the Pieta. The setting was very European, with the shrine looking down over the church, the cemetary and the valley. Sheep graze the hill, so we had to watch where we walked to avoid the droppings. Because the stations were outdoors and up such a steep hill with the shrine at the top, it was a pilgrimage walk. I would highly recommend it to everyone.

Our ultimate destination was Hermann, Missouri. We entered the city via the Christopher Bond Memorial Bridge, paid for in large part by your federal tax dollars. The  bridge was beautiful, but it could have been scaled  back a  bit given the size and condition of the city which we were entering. Herman had wonderful red brick 19th century German influence architecture, but we saw many for sale signs, and weedy sidewalk gardens which made it appear as if the town no longer cares whether or not the tourists come. No quilt or yarn shops in town, nor a shop with German imports, like the former Domeier's in New Ulm. Many antique and second-hand stores, but we bought only a few small foodstuff items. We attended a fish and chicken fry at St. George's Cathholic Church on Friday evening, and were a bit surprised to see how the stewed tomatoes and bread which they served was relished  by diners! I came home with some recipes from Mary, the cook at Captain Wohlt's Bed and Breakfast. I did not get her recipe for the orange cranberry scones, or the wine-poached pears, so will have to do some research and testing on the internet for those. Brant Wilkins, the inn owner, hinted that they may have to do a cook book. I'm all for it!

We did only two winery tours while in Hermann. We came home with no wine. However, we found another pilgrimage sight where we spent an afternoon, Our Lady of Sorrows Shrine and St. Martin's Church and Museum at Starkenburg out of Rhineland, Missouri. St. Martin's Church is a now closed Catholic parish. The building is on the National Register of Historic Buildings, and is intact, with paintings, altar and side altars, and statues. The shrine has the first built, tiny wooden chapel with a statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, and a much larger stone church above it. Outside it has a shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes, a statue of Jesus and the Angel with the chalice in the Garden of Gethsemane, a way of the cross, and a crypt with a statue of Christ lying in the tomb. We were able to make our Passio at the shrine.

I think we also discovered the cat lady of Hermann. On our walk home from church one day we saw six cats and their beds and carriers out on a porch. I still wonder why my cats cannot get along so well!

We spent our last night on the road in Galena, another town with great architeture, but way too many night time carousers. The town was packed as we went to find a place to eat on Saturday night.

New Rule

This week I implemented a new rule: Only one project at a time. This applies to one project in a category, that is. Only one quilt at a time, one knitting project at a time, one embroidery project at a time. Yes, I am still hell-bent on  busting my stashes. And yes, I still think smaller projects are better for me. And yes, one thing done is one thing less to do.

The last of my Smart Bags is almost done. I had purchased 30 of the interfacng patterns at one time. Most I gave away as gifts. I just might have to buy more in the future, since I enjoy picking out coordinating fat quarters and buttons for them. Many of the recipients of the bags have used them for church because they are the perfect size for missals.

Vandeberg Family History

I found this on my computer this morning, and thought I would share it. I originally wrote it for my mom's birthday a couple of years ago.


Snipppets from My Childhood
February, 2011

Mother's work schedule:

Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays were wash days. Tuesdays were changing beds and washing sheets and towels days.. In the early years she changed only one sheet on each bed every week. The top sheet was thrown into the wash, the bottom sheet was moved to the top, and we got a clean bottom sheet. Wednesdays were bathroom cleaning and floor scrubbing days. Fridays must have been for ironing.

Food:

Fridays were always meatless, of course. On Friday evenings we got popcorn, served in the big dish pan. On Saturdays we had broiled hamburgers, baked beans and potato chips. We never had dip to go with the chips, but sometimes I used cottage cheese as a dip, and sometimes even the beans! I hated washing dishes on Saturday nights because I hated scrubbing the broiler pan. On Sundays after the 9:45 mass we always had bacon and eggs. I still cannot make a decent fried egg, not like Mother could make. We went to mass in shifts, with my dad taking the boys who were serving to the earlier mass. We had beef roast almost every Sunday, as well as a homemade cake. We had dessert every day after supper, ususally cake, bars, or ice cream. In the summer sometimes we had popsickles. We got a sandwhich, two cookies and an apple every day in our school lunch bags. Some meal combinations which I remember were salmon loaf, creamed peas, potatoes, and German chocolate cake ( I just about died when we had the same exact combination at St. Ben's a time or two. Coincidence, or a German tradition?); homemade baked beans and carrot/pineapple/jello salad and johnny cake; meatloaf made with oatmeal instead of bread crumbs, and baked potatoes; and toasted cheese sandwhiches, tomato soup and cocoa. I have several of Mother's cake recipies in my collection, crumb cake, starlight cake, black devil's food cake, fruit cocktail cake, spice cake, and oatmeal cake. The two recipes for which she is probably most known are chow mein hot dish, and Tollhouse oatmeal cookies. I think I was probably out of high school before I ever tasted a chocolate chip cookie made without oatmeal. We always got a layer cake for our birthday.

Nicnames:

Mother had nicnames for some of the younger kids. I was Patwissa. Robert was Bobby Boy. Ed was Eddykins, and Peter was Peterkins, or Mamma's Little Lover Boy.

Stories:

As one of the younger kids, I always heard tales from Mother about some of the older kids. Her favorites seemed to be when Tim got stuck in a snowbank when he was little, and when he threw the cat in the toilet, and how that cat became Mother's best friend when she rescued him. Then there is the story about how Gerard thought Janice was just the most wonderful baby in the world, until Mother asked him if he would go get a diaper for her. Gerard's response was, "That baby is getting to be too much work around here!" Then there was the time that Janice got sick, and Mother had to give her a bath, wash her hair, and change the bed. Then Gerard got sick, and she repeated the process. Then Gerard looked at Janice and said, "We're both sick", and they started laughing. Then there was a naughty brother who cut up some beautiful fabric which Mother had bought for Janice for an apron for 4-H. Everyone knows about the pot Bob got stuck on his head, and that Joe was always crawling on top of the table while she was trying to feed Bob, that Bob was a fussy baby, and that he kept his blanket until it disintigrated, and that he would take that blanket and go crawl behind the couch and sleep for hours. I was always reminded that I took hours to feed as a baby because I was a preemie.

Shaklee Expo

Yesterday Goddaughter Maria was here for a sewing day. She finally finished the ribbon bag from Made  by Me (See previous blogs for bibliographical info.) She was thrilled to have her own purse, "not Grace's", and something which was homemade. We adapted the pattern to add a flap with a button so she is less likely to loose things. She could not find her cross stitch project, known as "MPO" for her initials, or, as Godfather thought, "Main Post Office".  She had two yards of a beautiful blue and purple floral print challis fabric with her, however, so we rummaged through my patterns and cut out a skirt. I even had an appropriately colored zipper in the right length in my stash, so we are ready to sew next time she comes over.

Last evening we also had a Shaklee Expo. It was the first time I tried the Enfuselle Calming Complex, and I have to say that I looked like a different person this morning. My skin looked so young and fresh. I am so tempted to keep a bottle on hand for special ocassions. I also won two bags of the new Cinch Crisps. I had one today as my lunch. The crisps are about the thickness of Fritos, and I have to say they have kept me well satisfied. I am now keeping a box of Cinch Meal Bars in my car for meals on the run. I heard several interesting testimonies. One of our "users" has improved so much in the heart health department that she no longer needs her pacemaker! Another woman from the Cities was able to reverse her macular degeneration, which had gone from dry to wet, by using Vivix and Omegas. I also heard of a couple more two year olds who swallow their vitamins and supplements as Ariana does. Another wonderful story told about MRSA reversal with high doses of the Shaklee Garlic. I do not think I knew Heidi when she was at her heaviest weight,  but she said last evening that she has lost 110 pounds on Cinch. It must be over the course of three or four years, which is incredible, since most people will have been on several diets in that amount of time, and will have experienced the yo-yo diet effect, lose, gain back even more, lose, gain  back even more.  Impressive. She still has a few pounds to go to get to her wedding weight. I have work to do to improve my health with more exercise and less food, but I know I am on the right track with the right nutritional supplements, and the right company.

Human Trafficking in Central Minnesota

     I often pick up copies of the complimentary magazine, Central Minnesota Women to see what is new in our area. The October/November 2012 raised my eyebrows a bit. I would like to share a few statistics from the cover story, "Trendsetters Boutique: Battling the Oldest Oppression". First note the title words: "oppression", not,"profession", indicating that prostitution is not really a profession of choice. That is certainly a change from the attitude most of us have held about prostitution in the past. Then look at the statistic on the following page that says 95% of prostitutes use drugs or alcohol, because they are more easily controlled by their pimps if they are addicted. Hardly a matter of choice. Further down you see the estimate that a girl entering into prostitution at the age of 13 will probably only live five to seven more years. According to the article, the FBI says Minnesota sells about 10,000 women and girls into sex slavery every year, with the metropolitan area accounting for the 13th largest center for child prostitution in the country. Further yet, a 16 year old woman had been prostituting out of an unnamed St. Cloud hotel 80 times in one year. That's St. Cloud, folks.

     The article hit home with me as the mother of a foster child who attempted to run away. Said child had been sexually abused in her birth home. Her counselor revealed that she had undergone "grooming" with one of birth mom's boyfriends. At the time that she reappeared at our door after running (Looked like she had made a path in the snow out to the road, then retreated to hide in a car in the garage) the police officer at our home warned her of the dangers that await girls out on the street. After three disrupted adoptions, at the age of 18 this young woman moved into her own apartment. Within days she had moved out of the apartment and in with a young man. When she broke up with him she immediately moved in with another man who had a prison record and a pornographic photography business.  She is a mother now, but sees pornography  and exotic dancing as perfectly acceptable occupations. Last we heard her three youngest children had all been removed from her home. She had already surrendered her first child. How does one begin to penetrate the years of abuse to re-educate her on what a real relationship, and a real family, look like?

      Stop the johns, and prostitution necessarily stops. But how does a person convince men that prostitution is immoral? The  same can be said for pornography. If no one bought it, no one would produce it.

     The sexual revolution and the Pill have done nothing to diminish the problems of sexual abuse and prostitution,  not even replacing them with masterbation, homosexuality (We'll not even address homosexual prostitution here!), adultery, or fornication, which one might assume would happen now that anything goes. Why not? Could it be that feeding the appetite really makes it stronger and more difficult to control, rather than easier to manage?

     Dear Lord, help us to know You, love You, and serve You. St. Michael, pray for us.

Sew Simple

     My latest project book purchase was Sew Simple (Gooseberry Patch, Delaware, OH, 2008). I found it at Jo Ann's, and went back and purchased a second copy, their last, for my Goddaughter. I was captivated by the cute pictures, simple projects, and recipes. So far I have tried two of the recipes, and four of the projects.

      I loved the Tickled Pink Drink made from strawberries and yogurt.   It is a great way to use the frozen strawberries we have from our spring garden,  much more appealing and appetizing than our usual frozen strawberries and ice cream. I throw in whatever amount of strawberries we have in one bag, so I usually get about six cups in a batch. I am the only one drinking it unless we have company, so I freeze the leftovers in glasses and pull them out for breakfast or breaks as desired.

     The Chewy Chocolate-Caramel Bars were entirely too sweet for me. If I use that recipe again I will make changes. I am thinking of trying it first in a 9"x13"  pan. Other options are cutting the chips down by half, and using only white sugar for the crumb mixture. 

     The Sling Bag was the first project I tried. I decided to add a lightweight interfacing for extra body, and this might have been the cause of my difficulties. I found it very awkward getting to the seam at the bottom of the bag. I had rumples in the seam when I was finished. I had planned and purchased supplies for two bags before I even started, so to be fair, I will do the next one without the interfacing. If that does not go well, I will give up on that pattern.

    The Drawstring Bag from the tea towel turned out well. I skipped the felt flowers on the handle, and instead added the fabric flower from the Gift Bags onto the front of the bag. I made a second bag with an old cloth napkin using fancy buttons on the tie. I added rick rack to the top of that bag, but I thought it looked a bit odd. I left both my tea towel and napkin whole, instead of cutting them, as the book recommended. The bags could be used as gift bags, panty hose bags, rag bags, knitting bags, anything that needs containing.

     I made several of the potholders, using leftover heat reistant fabric and quilt batting for the insides and backs. I added expensive buttons, but the buttons and ties gave the potholders added cuteness.  For a practical person they could be omitted.

     I have fabric, trims and twill tape to complete the Knitting Needle Roll and Tote Bag, so I will do those projects next.

Made by Me, Take 2

I wrote about the book, Made by Me (Jane Bull, Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2009) when I first purchased copies for myself and my Goddaughter. Maria's assignment for our next sewing date is to complete sewing the ribbons on her purse (Bags of Ribbon, p. 34 ff.) She is having a bit of difficulty sewing the ribbons on evenly, my guess is because some of them have a suede nap. She has been using a combination of machine and hand sewing. She also started a cross stitch design (pp. 20 ff.), but I was unable to find a fabric larger than 16 point, so that also is a challenge. I, on the other hand, am going to town on the Hanging Softies ( pp. 30 ff.)! These are so cute that I had to try one, and one has turned into several now that I have purchased felt in many colors. I have been letting my 91 year old mother help with cutting pieces and picking colors as she is able, so that she has some sort of diversion. I am using acrylic felt to economize, but if I were to do a large gift item, I would love to try wool felt. The felt is easy to sew, and I am  getting the hang of starting and ending blanket stitch once again. I have done the hearts with flowers, the chick ornament in a couple of different colors, and hearts with buttons. I had circles cut,  but decided I wanted more traditional designs, rather than mod. A couple small bags come next. Oh, Maria, you've got to try these!

My stash busting continues in the basement. That blue latticed quilt meant for Catholic Charities will now be enlarged to go to Quilt Bingo at St. Anthony's. A few hotpads to go, and I will be finished with as much as I can get done for the Prolife Kids Club bake sale this Sunday. The hotpads have used very little fabric, but I got to try the coordinating pieces I got from a stash someone gave to St. Anthony's, and colors from my stash that will not be usable for anything else that I can imagine.

Alfalfa

     My daughter and granddaughter were here for an hour this morning. My granddaughter, who is 21 months, spotted my bottle of Shaklee Alfalfa on the table again. She HAD to have some! Once in awhile she spits it out, but most of the time she eats several tablets. Her mom thinks it the weirdest thing. Grandma is pleased, since I know it is good for her allergies. Only thing is, she is using up my supply. After skimping for several weeks, I know I have to maintain my regular usage of about 30 a day for my own sinuses. Otherwise I feel pain. Alfalfa has been my Sudafed replacement for the past three years. 
    
     I am on a roll with my blue scrappy quilt. This top will be given away, but I am very pleased with how well my lattice stripping is turning out. I ripped out the first few rows and trimmed my squares, and am very happy that I did. The seams match perfectly now. After this I get to finish the four patch to practice corner triangles. I must confess that I did add three yards of Mills End fabrics to my stash last Friday, but three yards for $5 is a great bargain, and two of the fabrics were solids. Otherwise I progress towards my one project policy. The excesses have got to be used up so that when I die, I will not leave boxes and  boxes of fabric behind for my poor husband to have to distribute. I am learning.

Shaklee Independent Distributor

Shaklee Independent Distributor

Flowers

I remember one of the things I was so anxious to comment about the other day. First, my St. Pauli African violet has another bud on it. It has been about six months since it last bloomed. Second, my brother Bob gave me a slip from Mother's Christmas cactus plant which he had rooted last fall. Mother's new cactus planting at home had an impatiens growing in it from seed from the flowers growing nearby the cactus, and as my cactus grew, so did an impatiens sprout up. The cactus bloomed last month. It is finished, but I now have a few flowers on the impatiens. What a way to add splash to winter!

I purchased some close-to-sell-by-date thistle seed, and will put some out today to see if I can attract any finches.I still see the blue jays and northern flickers at the sunflower feeder.

After all of my fuss over the two knitting books I could not find, and discovered that I had indeed loaned them to Anne, and then forgot to pick up  when I was at her house, I have found a new pattern to use for my second purple gift scarf. I am moving out of my comfort zone little by little. One stitch at a time is bringing me to new levels of ability.

Grandmother

Going over to see my little granddaughter again today. Nothing more snuggly than having a baby sleeping on my shoulder with her head next to mine. Kitties are very warm, but babies fit better. On Wednesday I could hardly bear to leave Anne's house because Little Girl was content to be in Grandma's arms. 

We are having snow, snow, and more snow. This must be closer to what Laura Ingalls Wilder's family had in The Long Winter. It is closer to the winters that I remember as a child, absent the cold temperatures. I can remember one year that the St. Paul Pioneer Press gave Mother Nature the cold shoulder award for so many days with temperatures below zero. That was the year steering wheels were breaking off in Alaska because of the extreme cold.

Off to work. I cannot remember the things I was so anxious to blog about yesterday! Senility is upon us.  I need to pick up some provisions for Anne, and get a Shaklee package out in the mail.

Grandma and Grandpa!

We are now Grandma and Grandpa Becker. Anne had her baby on my birthday. Baby Girl has silky-soft dark blonde hair, a double chin, and itty-bitty fingers and toes. Can you hear Grandma cooing? Today we sang songs together, played pat-a-cake, played This Little Piggy Went to Market, counted to five on her toes, and took a walking tour of the apartment. I also got to change my first diaper in many years.

I stopped at Michael's to use my Christmas gift card today, but I did not have any knitting patterns with me and could not find a particular yarn, so I will hold off until I have more time to look.

I saw a bald eagle flying near our house as I headed into town, and a male ring-neck pheasant as I drove home.

Happy Thanksgiving

Only Rush Limbaugh can turn the first Thanksgiving feast into a meal of free-range turkey and organic vegetables. Thanks, Rush! I needed the laughs this morning.

We had a couple short periods of freezing drizzle before the snow started. I hope my husband makes it home safely from work. We will decide tomorrow whether it is safe to drive to my sister's house in the Cities for Thanksgiving dinner. I will wait until tomorrow to prepare my bring-along food.

I have fallen off of the band wagon on my retreat resolutions, and have even taken a step backwards from the progress I had made earlier. Blessed Mother, help me out of this slump. I am persevering in my reading of The Glories of Mary by St. Alphonsus Liguori, in spite of its length. In another month I will need to start my annual review for my consecration to Mary. But I am so lazy....

I started some breads today. I need to take something to the Becker Thanksgiving on Sunday, and also need some extra loaves in the freezer. The house is cold, and bread baking is a good way to warm it up. I hope to  get some knitting and sewing done in between kneading and rising.

Wouldn't ya know, Janet Nepolitano has announced the possibility of using the new high-radiation full body airport scanners in bus terminals and railroad depots. The new American Police State is now in full swing. No thought of strengthening our borders because the  real goal is subverting the American people, not preventing terrorism.  Why else subject them to the degradation of the TSA pat-downs and body scans? Don't believe it? Experts say the new scanners probably would not have caught the underwear  bomber.

Six of One

I am embroidering simple cross stitch quilt squares. As I work to untangle my floss for the first five crosses, I think of all of those who scold the long string users. The theory is that quilt thread, embroidery floss, and hand-sewing thread should never be longer than 18 inches, so that it does not tangle as it worked. Us long threaders prefer them long even if we have to deal with tangles, so that we do not have to make so many knots. We are just as correct.

I can think of countless examples where there are not the absolutes sometimes attributed. Women can make beautiful quilts out of cut up clothing and cardboard templates as well as out of pricey quilt shop fabric and the latest cutting tools. Eggs can be eaten runny or hard. Toilet paper can roll from the front or from the back. Cats can live in the house, or in the barn. A person can be comfortable reading from a book, or off of a Kindle. There is no disputing taste.

It looks as if I will have to head to the veterinarian with Gracie, if not for her shots, at least for a look-see at her eye. There is no pus, but I do wipe blood away daily from her tear duct, and her eye is quite red. The fur around the eye is now darkening, as if bruised underneath.  I do not like the thought of spending money on the cat just now.

I am making headway on several different quilt projects. Can' have just one going at a time. No Sirree! Last night I did restrain myself to window shopping at JoAnn's for fabric that will match some of my future quilt pieces. If I get too much piled up my stress level increases.

Garden of Weedin'

I spent the afternoon working in the Mary Garden at St. John Cantius. Yes, Gerard, I realize now that I did not take any pictures of the garden when it was in full bloom. I cut down some perennials, pulled out the annuals, and worked on edging the patio blocks. Tomorrow I may not be able to move. I am looking forward to a cozy evening embroidering.

I finished the book, Looking for the King (Downing, Ignatius Press). It kept me interested enough to have to finish it. I would not, however, rate it as one of the best mysteries of all time. I had planned on moving right on to Rachel's Contrition, but I side-tracked into Pearce's Tolkien: Man and Myth. The later appears to be an easy read, and suitably follows Downing's book with guest appearances by the Inklings. I am on my second chapter just reading on my lunch breaks at work. Arthur has expressed interest in this book, too, since he has watched all of the Lord of the Rings movies with me. I read those books down at the lake in my youth. I am paying for those  bad sunburns now with skin discoloration and moles.

Time to prepare supper. Fried potatoes and fish. It's Friday.

Time

I got a hair cut today. As I looked into the barber's mirror, I noticed a very prominent silver hair near my cheek. One of these years there will be too many to count.

Gracie still has a scab on her tear duct. I hesitate to  wipe it off as I usually do. It looks as though she had a claw catch her there. Not my fault if she fights. It was probably with Blackie. In the picture below Gracie is displaying the quilt which I won at St. Anthony's last week.  







Gracie Girl



Blackie



Long Time No Write

Anne started her own blog, so I guess that means I need to get back into the swing on mine!

My latest news is that I won a quilt at St. Anthony's (St. Cloud) Quilt Bingo. This is about the fifth year that I have gone, so it was mine time. I am proud to be one of their new quilters, as well. The quilt which I won, as are all of their quilts, queen size. It has embroidered patches alternating with maroon patches, sashing and backing. The amount of work put into the emroidery alone is incredible.

My quilting is improving in speed, if not in stitch length. At one time at a quilting afternoon at Gone to Pieces, I was advised by another quilter to use a smaller needle and shorter thread.  So far that has not given me smaller stitches. Mary B. has impressed upon me the need to use a thimble. I laugh with the other ladies at St. Anthony's about using longer thread so that I tie fewer knots, even if it means running the risk of tangles. Half of them do the same.Helping the quilters has energized me in the completion of the quilt top I started for them two years ago. It was supposed to be done in summer months while work was slow. Never happened. Now, however, I am on a roll.

Baby Mark's afghan is still unfinished.

Today I am baking cracked wheat bread with millet and flax seed thrown in. I also started some oatmeal apple bread, a good bread for breakfasts. Dinner tonight is pork chops and potatoes.

Now off to do laundry.