How to Make a Quilt Your Kitty Will Love

Step One: Gather a bunch of pretty fabrics featuring fishies, birdies, and mousies. Put them together in pleasing way, and call your quilt "Cat Food":

Step Two (and this is Most Important): Get Charming (Sherman's favorite person) to sleep with the quilt. This will impart the Eau de Charming scent, which is irresistible:

Step Three: Let nature take its course. Drape the quilt over Charming's guitar case, a favorite hangout...

Step Four: Be sure not to notice when Sherman deigns to snuggle down:

Step Five: Savor the sweet smell of success!

How Helen Did Polka Dots

I picked up this red polka-dot scarf at the thrift store yesterday for just 59 cents. I usually pick up anything red-polka-dotty when I see it. My love for the stuff began a lifetime ago...

My mother, tho' hopelessly un-cool by the time I was in high school, was uber-fashionable in the late 50's and early 60's. She had a fabulously tailored black suit she would wear to church with one of two different blouses. One was a light tan, and the other was White with Red Polka Dots.

Oh, that blouse was fabulous. My entire idea of what-to-wear when I grew up revolved around that as a basis for my wardrobe. But wait. There is More To Tell.

Mommy had matching white-with-red-polka-dot GLOVES.

She would put on the blouse and suit, put her red hat on her head (with a hatpin!) and then pull on those gloves. They matched her red lipstick exactly. Oh, she was beautiful!!

I used to play with her gloves. She kept them in the top left-hand drawer of her vanity. She had a few pair of white gloves, wrist-length and "shorty's," as well as elbow-length shirred ones. She also had a pair of navy blue ones (and, I presume, some black ones as well), and, well, you know about the Red Ones. She let me play with them as long as I washed my hands first.

Well, of course, not many of us have a Glove Drawer anymore, do we? A more genteel time, that by the time I grew up, had passed into hippiedom. My mother passed away two years ago last Sunday, and I'm glad I had the reminder this week of how wonderfully glamorous my Mom used to seem to me. I hope that my girls think I'm that cool.

At least *after* the teen years are over.

One More Bag

You may remember this post about two bags I made for Blackeyed Susan's friends for birthday presents. Well, Susan decided that she wanted to keep the green-apple one, so I made another one for her friend:
Verra, verra spring-y, with happy inside pockets:

Well. Susan decided she may want this one, as well, but I put the kabash (sp?) on that. I realize that I am the Queen of teen-hobo-bag fashion, but I Do have Other Things In My Life.

Like, finishing Blueberry's two-year old quilt, called J*siah's Jungle:

Don't know why the photo is sideways. I mean, I took it sideways, but I rotated it when I uploaded it. One of the mysteries of the computer universe, I guess.

But aren't the colors groovy?

I have two baby quilt tops done, and working on one for my kitty, who really needs one of his own, because he Loves all of Mine. I'll post pictures when I finish them!

Edited to add: My daughter suggested that the word was spelled Kibosh. So I looked it up in an online dictionary. That *is* the spelling, but, fascinatingly enough, it is not Yiddish slang as I had always supposed. It is ENGLISH slang, and first appears about 1836. Look here.

Blizzard of '78, and Aftermath

Well, yesterday was the 30th anniversary of the Blizzard of '78. We lived in a different town then, and I can't remember exactly how many inches of snow we got--twenty-six, I think. But being a "lake-effect" place, the drifts were plenty-big.

The next day, Charming took off down the street to a neighborhood grocery we heard was open. He walked in the path right down the middle of the street that had been broken by other neighbors. You could only see his head and shoulders above the snow. He brought back milk, a loaf of bread, and Pepsi. That felt like such a treat when I was housebound with a 2 1/2 and a 1-year old.

My favorite blizzard story was about my friend who went into labor. The police took her to the hospital on a snowmobile (think about how that would be, girls...) and when she got there, they decided that she wasn't really in labor and that she Should Be Sent Home. She said, Over My Dead Body, or somesuch, and just rested there until she went into labor again the next day.

Hello. Did anyone ever think that maybe the snowmobile ride scared the baby into retreat???

What is the "aftermath" to my story, you ask? The weatherman on the local news we watched was really, really good. These were the days before Weather Radar, and his weather map was painted on a blackboard surface. He would do sweeping arcs with his chalk, showing the Arctic Fronts and the Jet Stream and the cold fronts/low pressures/ and anything else you Needed to Know. Well.... On that day in 1978, he predicted... one to two inches of snow.

He actually kept his job for years afterwards. I mean, as Charming says, what other job can a person have that they can keep as long as they have a 5% success rate? (joking) He really was very, very popular, so his faux pas became legend, like the time Robert Goulet forgot the words to the National Anthem he sung before that football game. (ooh. I'll bet some of you not only don't know about that incident, but don't even know who Robert Goulet is. I'm feeling old, here, people...)

Now, of course, winter weather is kind of a roulette-game of Boy Crying Wolf. "Oh, no, the Front is coming! We could have twelve to fifteen inches of snow!" Then, we get a "spit." Or, even Nothing. The advent of radar gives us much more info, but weather is still a guessing game. Jesus said, "you know when the sky is red at night, the weather will be fair, and when it is red in the morning, it will storm." God has given us signs. One of my favorites is in the summer, when the earth "turns," and you can smell the dirt with its great smell, and you know that it is about to storm.

Still--gotta love Tornado Warnings. Now, there is something for which to be thankful. And, when those Big Snow forecasts come, I stock up on milk, bread, and chocolate chips.* And when the snow Doesn't Come, at least I don't have to go to the store...

*During the Blizzard of '78, tho' I was married, my two brothers were still at home. Their friends plodded up the street, and the four boys and my parents played both Bingo and Poker using chocolate chips. Nothing like eating your winnings. So, in honor of that, I always have chocolate chips on hand for a snowstorm!

Carcinogenic

(cough, cough)

Yesterday afternoon, I put chicken breasts in the oven, put potatoes on to boil, set a timer for Charming, whom I thought might snooze in his chair (after getting up at 4 am for work), and took off with Blackeyed Susan to ballet. My plan was to drop her off, get gasoline, pick up my reserved books at the library, then go home to a lovely supper. Then take Alvin Fernald to Upwards basketball practice, pick Susan up from ballet, back to pick Alvin up, then home so Susan could have the lovely, warmed-over supper.

I got home an hour and five minutes after leaving (the first time), only there was no lovely supper waiting. Poor Charming was snoozing, the burner under the potatoes was happily singing away, but...there was no water left. I snapped up the pan to put it under the faucet.

(cough, cough)

Eeuuww. You know that "never should have opened the lid" thing that happens when a couple of pieces of popcorn burn? Yuck. So I took it outside. Too late. The kitchen smelled like some three-pack-a-day smoker lived there. Somebody that sounds like Roz from Monsters, Inc.--"I'm watchin' you, Wazowski, always watchin'..."

The chicken was not burned, but definitely not too desirable. Quite dry, so Charming and Alvin and I went OUT to eat. When we got home (after practice) the house still had the smell of a lifetime smoker in it. Is that fair? You burn one thing, and ruin your happy home?

Of course, potatoes are insidious that way. Does anything smell quite like "de-comp" (yeah, we watch CSI here...) like rotten potatoes? I wonder if there is a spiritual lesson in potatoes?

(cough, cough)

So, now what? At nine degrees, it's not too easy to throw open all the windows in the house. Ooh, I have an idea. Mask The Odor. Oh, not with any of those *products.* I'm thinking that chocolate chip cookies might do the trick.

While they're baking, I'll get started on that Unit Study on the Carcinogenic Components of Smoke...

Blueberry's Quilt

Here are six of the squares for Blueberry's two-year-old quilt. It is built around a cute jungle print:

A close-up of one of the squares. Each square is made of a six-inch (finished) square, a 3 x 6-inch rectangle, and a 9 x 6-inch rectangle. I positioned the pieces in different configurations to make a more random set:

Here is half of the finished top. Notice the row of sashing rectangles between each row of squares. Aren't the colors fun?

I am going to put a border around the top of the bright blue "leaf" print. Then, for the backing:

How cool to find Thomas fabric on the clearance table?

Blueberry, who will be two years old on Valentine's Day, is getting ready to move into his "big boy" room, because his new baby brother or sister is arriving just a few weeks from now.

So, I'd better hurry!

The Problem With Amateur Models...

is that they don't take their job seriously. Now, this picture looks pretty good. These are two bags that I made for Blackeyed Susan's friends for their birthdays. Rocky Balboa was kind enough to help Susan model them for me:Then I asked them to show me the inside pockets. I don't remember saying anything about having fun:
Too bad they don't get along...

I will be sharing photos of several small projects in the next few days. The first is Blueberry's two-year-old quilt (I do them for all my grandbabies). Then a couple of baby quilts, at least one "boy" and one "girl" because I HAVE TWO GRANDS COMING IN MARCH. (tho' neither Lily nor Forget-me-not knows what she is having, so I may end up making one more...)

How great is my life?

Math in Real Life

Blackeyed Susan had scoped out two cd's she wanted at the Christian bookstore. One was $14, and one was $12. One was on sale and one not; though I don't know which one was which.

Susan had three coupons to work with. One said "25% off of one non-sale item or 10% off a sale item." One said, "$4 off a non-sale item or $2 off a sale item." The third said, "Buy one, get one 50% off." She tried three scenarios: 25% off one, with $2 off the other, $4 off the one, with 10% off the other, and, finally, full-price for one and half-off the other.

Two of the scenarios yielded a savings of $5.80, but the third would save her $6.00. So, smart girl that I have raised her to be...she used the bogo 50% coupon.

From this she learned two things: One--that, darn it, we *do* use algebra like, every day of our life, and, two, when it's HER money she is shelling out, twenty cents is enough to make "doing the math" worthwhile.

It's a good thing that the "bogo" coupon was the winner, because the $4/$2 coupon said...

2006.

Coffee--one of God's Gifts

Charming wrote a poem a couple of days ago:

Morning Coffee Prayer

Magic potion, elixir of life,
Morning offering from my wife.
Do your work on mind and head,
Drag me living from the dead.

Amen.

Now, it's funny, I like to go to Starbucks, but I only get a Mocha-with-whipped-cream when I go. Otherwise, I am what you would call a Reverse Coffee Snob. All of the regular coffee at those coffee places is too Robust, even the medium stuff. Just give me Folgers. And not the Columbian or French roast or anything. Just the meek, mild-mannered Classic stuff.

Maybe it's because I didn't drink coffee until I was forty. Then, for about seven years, I took *lots* of sugar and *lots* of half-and-half. My dear mother-in-love called it Baby Bear coffee: as in, Papa Bear, Mama Bear...or she would say, "would you like some coffee with your cream and sugar?"

Then it happened.

(when we do read-alouds as a family, we absolutely LOVE those words. Suddenly....! Then it happened....! Now they were in for it...!)

We were away for the weekend at a sort of retreat, miles from any store, and nobody (including me) brought sugar. So I have "grown up" and learned to drink mine with just cream. Lots of cream. My coffee is almost the color of my skin. Porcelain, you know...

So, maybe that explains how I am the only person in the known universe who Prefers mild to "bold!" "robust!" Give me my two cups a day. One in the morning, and one at three pm.

At least I'm a cheap date. I get the giant can of Folger's for about five bucks at Wally-world.

What's that? About *two* Starbucks?

Now, don't get jealous, but my son Joe Hardy works at Starbucks, and he gets a free pound a week. Every week. Any kind he wants. I only wish I liked it better.

I Didn't Have to Cook Dinner--Twice!

Wow.

Charming made goulash last night for dinner. These are the leftovers:
As in, After nine people ate, that is what was left over. I should have known, though, as Charming asked me if I had anything larger than the large spaghetti pot on the left:

...ordinarily the largest pan in my kitchen, unless you put it next to the Canning Pot, which Charming elected to use.

But who's complaining? Six or seven of us are going to eat the leftovers tonight!

Science Experiment--Atoms

Take two copper wires. Attach one end of each to a 9V battery. Put the other ends in a glass of water to which baking soda has been added. Immediately, you will see bubbles around the copper ends of each wire. Click on the picture to see the close-up bubbles around the wires. These are the "freed" hydrogen and oxygen atoms, which occur naturally as gases, but are liquid when combined in water molecules:
After ten minutes, the end of one of the wires is covered in green stuff. So much so, that the water turns green, as well: The green end was attached to the positive end of the battery.

Blackeyed Susan learned that the hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon (from the baking soda) atoms combined to form copper hydroxycarbonate. This is the green patina that forms on copper, as in the case of the Statue of Liberty.

Super cool. Super fast. Super scientific. This chick is happy!

Goal Accomplished!

Well, I did it!

Today I will finish the One Year Bible, a goal I set for 2007. I've tried other "read the Bible in a year" plans, and always fall off the wagon about two months into the project. I loved this way, because every day's readings had the Date in front of them.

Of course, reading the Bible this way does not accomplish any detailed study of any passages, but it did do two things: it made plain the Continuity of the scriptures, and, I *noticed* every one of the very familiar, comforting scripture verses we all know and love, "in context."

Today's readings include the second half of Malachi, the last chapter of Revelation, Psalms 150, and the very end of Proverbs 31. With this Bible, you actually go through the Psalms in their entirety twice.

For many, many years, I have read five Psalms and one chapter of Proverbs a day, finishing those books twelve times in a year. I have also read through the New Testament several times, reading a little at a time at bedtime, like a novel. Like many people (probably), the Old Testament was more neglected.

I haven't decided what to study in this next year, but it feels good to have met One of my goals for 2007!

Twenty-five Years Ago

Twenty-five years ago today, I had five children, the youngest one just one-year-and-twelve-days old. I did not know I was pregnant again, but found out when I miscarried late in the morning. Charming was with a friend, but out of reach by phone (oh, those days before cell phones--this would not be a problem today!).

I called a neighbor-church friend, who was not home, but whose husband was. He took me to the doctor's office, and stayed in the car with my five and his baby, while I was being tended to. My doctor told me I had been eight weeks along. I wondered how *that* could have happened without my knowing, as I was always uber-sick. He told me that at the point where the embryo divides into baby/placenta, the baby died, and the placenta grew until my body rejected it.

Oh, how Psalm 139 became real to me on that day:

" 15My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my days were written...when as yet there were none of them."

Whatever His reasons, my baby fulfilled [his] purpose, living the entire life-span God had ordained. I did not even know of [his] existence, but it gave God joy to know [him]. And...I get to meet him (or her) one day!

One final benefit--my son MacGuyver was born nine months and sixteen days later, and I know that I could not have had him, had my littlest one survived. God, in His wisdom, however, has made it possible for me to have them both!

If you have experienced a loss, please be encouraged that God was not taken by surprise. Your little one is Safe. And you, too, can look forward to the Someday when you are reunited!

"17How precious are Thy thoughts unto me. O God! how great is the sum of them!"

A Little Christmas Wrap-up

Three days post-Christmas. I think I'm still recovering from the Big Family Thing. It seems to be a four-day event in our family. Saturday=Cookies. Sunday=Movie Marathon at Forget-me-not's. Monday=Family Gift Exchange. Tuesday=gifts in the morning, visiting later. Time for a yummy nap in the afternoon. Simple supper.

Violet took Blackeyed Susan home with her on Wednesday, for four days. Alvin Fernald spent the day with his bud on the next street. Charming went to work, and I just played.

I got http://www.demdaco.com/detail.aspx?ID=10267 from Charming. It is a companion to the father/daughter sculpture he received for Father's Day. It reminds me of Alvin Fernald, but also of my four other men-who-used-to-be-little-boys.

This is the mug I received from Violet. As she says, "it is from your alma mater, AND it has your name on it!"
I went to Saint Mary's (the women's college "across the street" from Notre Dame). I met Charming over at ND just after Thanksgiving, freshman year. We always talk about how our children wouldn't be here "except for Notre Dame." Love the football thing with a passion. Have had lots of sweatshirts, coffee mugs, posters, etc. of The School. But, for some reason, in the thirty-four years since that freshman year, I haven't had anything SMC. This little thing brought tears to my eyes. And I have used it every cup-of-coffee since.

I have a friend who is moving this week, that offered to sell her three-year-old washer and dryer for $100. Johnny Tremain and Rocky Balboa fetched it for me, and put it down in the basement here. Later, my friend called and left a message for me: thank you for being a great friend, and... I tore up your check!

Wow. Do I have a great life or what?

Blessed Christmas. Blessed Father who gave the "unspeakable gift." Father, help me to live the life You desire in the coming year.

The Apron Project (with Refreshments!)

I did a Secret Apron Project for my girls and my grands for Christmas. I planned the Great Unveiling for Cookie Baking Day on the 23rd. Here are some pix (you can click on them for more detail):

The first one was for ME, a cute scenic print. I did a binding of green/white dots. Blackeyed Susan is modeling it for me (as she did for all the adult aprons):
I did Kittens in Santa Mittens for Forget-me-not. It has a fabulous red-and-white stripe for ruffle and waistband. The red fabric on the pockets was leftover from a Christmas dress I made for her when she was six years old:

This one is for MacGuyver's girlfriend, Tiny Dancer. It was a cool Gifts fabric, and I put it with red/ white polka dot. Since the gifts had silver sparkly accents, I used some Silver rick-rack I've had for years:

Now, Lily is my Snowflake Lover. Hers is snowflakes, trimmed with a great Snowmen Sledding print:

Violet's is a traditional print of candy canes and ribbons. I used the red-and-white stripe again :

Blackeyed Susan wanted a full apron, and since she was the only one in on the secret, she got to pick what she wanted. The apron has a "ho ho ho" print on the skirt. The bodice and pockets are a snowmen print that I had made a doll dress out of a few years ago. The candy-cane stripe here is red/green/white:

I also made smock aprons for the grandkids. Here Junior Asparagus models his snowman apron while showing off a custom cookie:

Laura Carrot's apron had a Toy theme. She really got into the flour-on-the-nose thing last year, and thinks it's part of the process of making cookies:

Sweet Pea's fabric featured Candy:

Grandma, Lily, and Laura decided that Red Lipstick was the order of the day:

Here are Junior and Laura, with Auntie Violet, the Grande Dame of cookie expertise:

Laura knows that a cook must "taste test" before putting her wares out for public consumption:

It was a great morning! Forget-me-not and Blueberry could not be with us, due to a Christmas Doin's on Rocky Balboa's side of the family. Blueberry's smock was made of a Christmas Train fabric, but I didn't get a photo.

Tomorrow I'll do the Christmas wrap-up!

Slow Snow Day

I'm not even venturing outside to take a photo of our beautiful snow. (well, I might later...)
Public schools are closed, and we are just home from a weekend in Michigan for a family Christmas gathering. It's 9:30 am, and I feel like a sLow sNow day.

Blackeyed Susan and Alvin Fernald are still in bed. When they get up, I think I'll tell them that the only chores they have today are to free Charming's car (he took mine to work) and do dishes (we were REALLY lazy after returning home yesterday afternoon...). Maybe we can watch a Christmas movie or two. Maybe throw in a load or two of laundry. An easy supper of beef-and-noodles.

I've been trying to Slow Down this holiday. Maybe, just maybe, the Lord sent a snow day so we can get quiet, stay home, and just enjoy ourselves...

Maybe. But I sure am glad there are still a few days before Christmas to get-all-of-that-other-stuff-done. OR...maybe I'll learn a lesson today. All-that-other-stuff-doesn't-need-to-get-done. Maybe the world won't fall apart if it doesn't.

Is this my year to finally learn that? Gee, I hope so.

Reaching a Goal

As of 11 am today, MacGuyver has paid his school loans back IN FULL.

Congratulations, son, for a job well done!

A Secret Revealed

"They were not a handsome family; they were not well-dressed; their shoes were far from being water-proof; their clothes were scanty; and Peter might have known, and probably did, the inside of a pawnbroker's. But they were happy, grateful, pleased with one another, and contented with the time; and when they faded, looked happier yet in the bright sprinklings of the Spirit's torch at parting, Scrooge had his eye upon them, and especially on Tiny Tim, until the last."

from A Christmas Carol, Scrooge and the Spirit of Christmas Present looking in at the Cratchit's Christmas.

Look at the words Grateful, Pleased with one another, and Contented.

Looks like they knew the Secret to a blessed Christmas.

Christmas Meme

I received this fun thing from my darling son-in-love, Rocky Balboa:

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends.

'Tis the Season to be NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper, definitely

2. Real tree or artificial? Real

3. When do you put up the tree & decorate? Every year it's different!

4. Favorite gift received as a child? Hmmm. Lots of favorites--maybe Easy Bake Oven

5. Do you like eggnog? Homemade, not the carton from the store

6. Do you like Hot Buttered Rum? never had it

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Three, I think

8. Hardest person to buy for? This changes every year!

WHERE IS QUESTION 9???

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I don't even understand this question?

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? The Homecoming (Waltons)

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? When I have the money in hand!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so

15. Favorite Christmas “Treat”? Russian teacakes

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Colored on the main tree, whites in the mantel garland

17. Favorite Christmas song? What Child is This? Really, so cool to sing a melody 100's of years old
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Always home for Christmas Day

19. Favorite Christmas “Family Tradition”? Family Christmas Eve

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We've had both

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Christmas morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year. Advertising

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Green/silver

24. Favorite full Christmas dinner? Never did full dinner growing up, so I don't know. Now I cook meat, potatoes, veggie, and of course, Cookies!

25. When do you take the tree/decorations down? First week of January

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Babies in the Snow

We had a few inches of snow, so it was a great day for Lily to bring the children over for some Snow Time.
Here's Blackeyed Susan with Laura Carrot. Laura is smiling because she isn't bundled into her snow gear yet, and can still move enough to smile...
Alvin Fernald never needs a reason to goof off. Any of you with a 13-year old boy knows this:

The Big Guys, ready to go: Junior Asparagus, Laura Carrot, and our friend Jackson, over for the morning to share our fun:

The big Planning Session. The Yalta Summit was no more important:

Here is Sweet Pea. I would have showed her standing up, but she was unable due to her snow gear. Every time she tried, she fell over. I think she couldn't find her feet:

Junior has that snow-angel maneuver down pat:

jackson, Laura, and Junior ready for the run down the Big Hill:

As soon as it began, it was over. You can see the incline of the "hill" behind them:

Susan took Sweet Pea down The Big One:

The fun was Over for Sweet Pea as soon as her mittens fell off, and she actually felt the snow. She was Not Having Fun anymore, so Grandma took her inside.

I love how very little children can show us how simple Fun can be. Seeing it through their eyes is Magic.

A More Joyful Christmas

I wanted to share this great blog entry by my dear daughter-in-love, Lily:

***************************
My mother-in-law let me borrow this book she got from the library. Hundred Dollar Christmas: The Case for a More Joyful Christmas is what the title proclaimed. I'm thinking, can ANYONE accomplish this in the world of commercialism and materialism? Wow, a great thought, but not possible.

But, then it hit me.

That IS what we are doing this year. Not by choice, but due to financial circumstances. Being content in this has come slowly, as you look to the gift-giving idea of Christmas and think of all the people you are "letting down" due to your uninvolvement. How can Christmas be the same without showering everyone you know with fancy Christmas photos of your children, long-winded letters of the years happenings, and expensive gifts from the heart? Isn't THAT what Christmas is about?

Well, we all know better. No, it's not. But, isn't that what Christmas has become? Bill McKibben says in his book, "..the story of the birth of this small baby who would become our Savior, a story that should be full of giddy joy, [can] hardly break through to our hearts amid all the rush and fuss of the season." How sad! The TRUE meaning of Christmas is hidden behind filled stockings, under wrapped presents, and in print too small to read on our Christmas cards. And, we still keep telling ourselves we are celebrating Christ's birth. Are we?

McKibben talks about how 70% of Americans who make more than $30,000 year would give up a day's pay each week for a day off work. That 69% of Americans would like to "slow down and live a more relaxed life." He then says, "What that means to me is simple: time is in many ways our most valued commodity. If we could buy more of it from some store, the line outside its door would stretch to the horizon. Our strategy with Christmas, then, has gone slightly awry. We've gotten used to spending more money to make it special. But if money's no longer as valuable as time, we are offering each other a devalued currency." Wow, harsh!

So, in the spirit of celebrating the gift of a Savior from our Lord, we are giving each other our drained pocketbooks. Doesn't sound like it really fits "the reason for the season" to me. So, how do you really celebrate the birth of Christ when the world tells us to focus on the cards, decorations, and gifts?

I don't know. But, I'm learning. And I'm sure this year of circumstance will help me better understand. For us, we are celebrating by making hand-made gifts, shopping for thrift-store quirks that will make our siblings smile, and opening our home for family gatherings. You can't forget the meaning of Christmas as you sit with your family and knit a scarf, shop with your friend laughing among the fifty-cent isle, or playing games with the people you love most.

So, maybe this will be the year we change. Change for the better, not for the worse. Change for truth, not for the world. Maybe we can accomplish the Hundred Dollar Holiday, not just this year, but all the years following. Maybe if we keep having childen, this will never be accomplished again. *smile* But, this will be a year I remember. I am looking forward to a Christmas like one we have never had before. I'm looking forward to a Christmas spending ample time with my family and with my Savior. No hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping here. It's Nov 30th and I won't be at the stores again! I will thank my family for their love and thank my Savior for my family, and His everlasting love.

I hope all of you can find Christ amidst the holiday chaos, too.

***************************
I added some thoughts at my other blog , as well.

Beowulf: A Double Take

How much do I love this:

Look here:

First of all, I love that it is a Bilingual edition. As in, English and ....er....English. Of course, I mean Old and Modern. But click on Inside this Book, and look closer at the cover. There's a little sticker that says, Winner of the Whitbread Award. The first time I saw it, I thought it said...

Winner of the White-bread Award.

Yet, how fitting for the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (or Pagans) they were. (anybody remember the '70's term WASP's?)

To read about the Whitbread Awards, see here.

A Fun Time Was Had By All

"The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there, than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and, unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, they were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting himself like forty."

--from A Christmas Carol, where Scrooge, in the company of the Ghost of Christmas Present, is looking in at Fezziwig's Christmas party.

Sounds like my house at Christmas!

Holiday Wrap-Up

Actually, I when I speak of "holiday wrap-up," you need to understand that our Thanksgiving was a week early, because Charming works in food service, and had to work on The Day.

I finished my wool quilt on Monday last week:
Boy, is it heavy! Violet has already claimed it for herself. She is almost never "warm," and uses tons of blankets all winter to wrap up in. Too bad she lives 100 miles away! Oh, well, it is here when she visits!

Tuesday I dropped by a Goodwill between errands. I was so glad to get one of these Party-Lite candleholders:
I bought a pair (on clearance) from a friend of Violet's years ago, along with a candle snuffer to match. I think they were $18.00 apiece, retail. I broke one a couple of years ago. This second one was at Goodwill for Two Dollars!

I also got a copy of Angelina Ballerina in great shape, as well as two other books. Usually this Goodwill prices books individually for higher than the posted $1 hardbacks, but these weren't marked, so I got them for $1.

This weekend I'm meeting Violet in the town halfway between us, and they have a very large, good, Goodwill. More hunting to be done then!

Today was supposed to be back to the ballet schedule for Blackeyed Susan, but she has injured a rib by coughing. I suspect we'll be taking a trip to the chiropractor; I've thrown out ribs by coughing before, and it is painful.

Isn't it true ? Always something new to put a wrench in your carefully made plans for the day, when you have a family? I love what Mrs. Copper's Wife says: always hold your plans with an open hand, because the Lord will often change them!

Happy Birthday, Alvin Fernald!

Wow.

My "baby" is thirteen years old today.

What am I supposed to do with that information?

Almost ten years after my sixth child, Blackeyed Susan arrived. We prayed for Alvin, so Susan wouldn't be spoiled. The Lord was gracious, and Alvin arrived 19 months later.

The ultrasound said that Alvin would be 7 1/2 pounds. I knew better--he was sitting 'way up under my ribcage, and ended somewhere around my knees. He came out ten pounds, five-and-a-half ounces. Charming told me I didn't have to add the half-ounce. All of you women know that that is my Battle Citation, my Bronze Star, if you will. You will also understand why I bopped Charming in the nose for even suggesting it.

We called Alvin our Magnum Opus--our "great work." He also ended up being our Final Work in that department...

But what a finish! He is so handsome (looked like Charming from the beginning), loves sports, loves the History Channel, and the one that does programs on bridges and other huge things (natch!), and a boy to make his Mommy proud.

Even if he almost blew it the very first night.

Charming had gone home to the other kiddies. The lights were out. I was drifting off to sleep when I heard a strange noise coming from right beside me. It surely couldn't be; but it was:

Alvin. Snoring.

I prayed right then for his future wife.

This is So Completely Not Fair...

Joe Hardy (St*rbucks at The Mall) and Charming (Cr*cker B*rrel) had to be at work at 5 am this morning. They were buzzin' around getting ready at 4 am.

Five thirty-four. I can't get back to sleep.

Mid-morning nap, anyone?

Now, many, MANY'S the year I've been out for the early sales at Jo-Ann's and Target. In fact, when I was younger, I considered it an Adventure. Most times it was my Good Neighbor Linda and me, coffee in hand. Parking way out on Neptune, getting in line early. Ninety-nine cent flannel for pjs. Digital camera/winter jacket/whatever on Super-Special "till 10 am only."

I don't know. Maybe it's the crowds? Maybe it's my age? I just don't feel the need anymore. I still manage the after-Christmas sale, but after 9am. And today, the Day After Thanksgiving? Here's my list:

1. Go to bank for money for bowling and pizza. Alvin Fernald turns 13 on Sunday, and is having four friends over. (Five! Boys! All at once!) 99 cent bowling all day.
2. Grocery. Couple of ingredients for Choco-Nutty Pizza Cake. Cereal for tomorrow am.
3. Library for dvds.
4. Lil C*esars for pizza. Three large, $5 apiece.

That's a pretty Pitiful Adventure.

Oh, yeah. Gotta throw a Nap in there somewhere...

Part Deux--Balance

This is how I finished my talk to the Homeschool Mom's group (see post below). I have customized this list for myself, naturally you'd put in your own things:

So, how to begin to get Balance in this hectic season?

Of course, Number One is to spend time with the Lord, where we learn to hear Him.

(imaginary scene...)

Okay, God, here I am, waiting for You to tell me what to do. Could You hurry, please? It's almost time for Martha , and today she is showing us how to make cranberry/orange/cinnamon/pumpkin/spice/nut bread using fresh-ground organic wheat berries...

Don't think so. I think the answer is to Live. Deliberately.

For this season, if you don't make a Plan, then you are Planning to Fail.

--Plan gifts. For our children, we always made sure we had something to wear, something to read, and something to do.

--Plan shopping. Can you go at less hectic times?

--Plan meals. This Saves Money. Pull out your Fix-it-and-Forget-it Crockpot book.

--Plan decorating and crafting, then prioritize. I learned to flock a tree from my mother, who did it every year. (this is where you make the tree look like it is outside in the snow. I'll post a tutorial when we put up our tree.) But there has been more than one instance of a tree one-quarter flocked on Christmas morning b/c I ran out of time. Didn't prioritize, and it showed.

--Plan school and adjust. Some homeschoolers take two weeks off before Christmas, others the entire month. It's a good time to do a concentration in Home Ec (baking, cleaning) with some Music Appreciation (cds of Nutcracker and the Messiah), and Ministry (Christmas shoeboxes, gifts for prison moms and dads to give their children , visiting nursing homes and neighbors).

--Make lists: Do the Christmas letter, go to the Nutcracker, make daughter Christmas dress , bake two thousand dozen cookies. Then prioritize, pare down, and accept the fact that doing less will not mean a lesser experience.

Ooh. Let me say that again: Doing Less will not mean a Lesser Experience.

I have a personal problem, that I still have after thirty-two years of marriage (that's thirty-three Christmases that I've been in charge of). I grew up in a great family with great holiday traditions. Ditto for Charming. Then there are the great traditions we kinda made up ourselves. Add to them the fab ideas from Mrs. Sharp's Traditions and Martha Stewart, and I'm trying to do Way Too Much to give my family a fabulous Christmas.

I wonder what it would be like to have a Gentle Christmas?

I had one once, the second Christmas of our marriage. Charming had to work until early evening, and brought a tree home that was left-over for 99 cents, that we decorated sparsely. I made a little plate of cheese and crackers, and had Christmas music playing. I was pregnant again, and Charming and I talked about Mary and Joseph and the night their baby was born. Gollee, that is an evening that I'd like to repeat. (except I like to enjoy my tree for longer...)

Well, that evening may never come again, with eight children and four grand-children (in 2008 we'll have six!) I'll settle for being Satisfied with what I accomplish, and not boo-hooing over what Didn't Get Done. Sigh. Difficult for this Eeyore to do that.

This brings me to a final comment. We moms love to give gifts to our children. We love to give them memorable experiences. But we can burn out before we see it coming. This is where Mother Culture comes in, and it is a word for year-round, not just for Christmas.

Here is a quote from Karen Andreola on Mother Culture:

"To partake in Mother Culture is to feed herself with the Word of God, with ideas from books, nature, art, music, etc. thus taking care to keep growing spiritually and mentally. If there is such a thing as the joy of childhood, then there is also such a thing as the joy of motherhood, and Karen admonishes mothers to recognize and live within such a blessing."

May God bless you as you plan your holiday season!

Finding Balance

Well, it wasn't so bad last night, speaking on "Balance." At holiday time, especially, I feel that The World Carries Me Along "whithersoever it will." But I found out that none of the moms at my meeting last evening have got this one Conquered. Some are battling those in-laws that do the Command Performance thing--"you will be here for Christmas dinner," etc. I don't have that to deal with, and I'm grateful.

So, here are a few highlights; hope they are helpful to you:

First of all, achieving Balance is not a do-it-once-and-cross-it-off-your-list thing. Just like a gymnast on a balance beam, it's a matter of constantly re-assessing, re-doing, re-distributing. Gymnasts do it without thinking and make it look easy; maybe if we worked on it eight hours a day for ten years, it'd be "easy" for us, too.

I never read the book "Margins," but I heard the author on Dr. Dobson once, and took this away: book pages have margins, otherwise the words would run from the very top to the very bottom, and completely side to side. Imagine how tired you would be, reading a book this way. Margins give you a place to Rest Your Eyes. Breathing room, so to speak. If you only schedule 80 % of your day, there is room left over if the dentist appointment takes 45 minutes longer than you thought, without Freaking Out about it. I made a schedule using Managers of Their Homes once, but I had to put in lots of little stickies called Free Time. Some of the sample schedules had every minute attributed to some activity. Possibly they scheduled extra time built-in for these activities, but it still looked tiring to me.

So, I think we all agreed that the key to balancing life is to Simplify. When our children's lives are out of balance, they become over-tired, over-stimulated, and over-whelmed. Does that describe YOU? Do we just hide it better? Putting on a smiling face doesn't make it go away.

When we homeschool, we add another 20-30 hours a week to an already full-time job (homemaking), so we are already working from a situation where we have more to put in a day than there are hours for.

The Lord spoke to me one day when I was feeling torn between my kids' needs, the house, and my father, who lives in a nursing home. He said, "Please Me and please Charming." If I do, then everything is prioritized correctly. My husband trusts me with the children, and desires to honor my father. Those needs will still get done, but with the Attitude of pleasing God and my dear husband. (capitals here don't mean I'm angry, just for emphasis): YOU DON'T HAVE TO IMPRESS ANYBODY, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO MEET ANYONE ELSE'S STANDARDS FOR YOU. And I include those Unrealistic Standards we put on ourselves, as well.

Think about that again.

And then get out your cross-stitch stuff, and make this to put on your wall: We Have Enough Time In Our Day To Accomplish Everything God Asks Us To Do.

How do we achieve this Balanced Life? You'll have to Tune In Tomorrow...

Falling off the Balance Beam

I've been asked to speak this evening at our Homeschool Mom's meeting on:

Balance.

Ha.

I told our president that I would agree only if I could speak as if I had been asked to speak on Holiness: "not that I have achieved," etc.

I thing Jodie (our president) has hit the nail on the head with her email to our group, inviting us to the meeting:

"It's that time again...I hear its menace, the threats have already begun. In-laws are looking at each other with narrowed eyes, I look at my financial statements and cringe, and I have only just begun to wish for more evenings at home, sitting quietly on the couch with my chilren. It 's the HOLIDAYS!

"I swear, how is it possible that the birth of Christ can make my life such a disaster? (not really, I DO know that, I just can't figure out what toy to get my 6yo) How am I going to keep all the in-laws and out-laws happy? How to keep my checkbook from running on E? Have enough energy to do and go and shop and still homeschool? In other words, HOW am I going to keep my BALANCE?"

Then she said, "come Thursday and Barb will tell us."

Hang on, folks. It's going to be a bumpy ride.....

Attitude

If you leave one letter out when you are typing the word Boyfriend, it becomes...

BoyFiend.

This is gonna change all my little talks with Blackeyed Susan.

Another FWYH On Its Way!

This year I have been concentrating on Finishing What I Have--projects that have been "waiting" for...ahem....years.

My two-year, five-quilt project (with fabrics being gathered for the last five years or so) has been a stunning success, ten months into the project. Two of the five finished, and the other three "sandwiched," basted and ready for the quilting. Fourteen pieces of flannel made into baby receiving blankets. A carrying case for my autoharp. Et cetera, et cetera.

Here is the latest--"being" finished. I wanted a wool throw for the back of the couch. I saved fabrics for, well, a long time. I think I started gathering them about fifteen years ago:
Notice the two red plaids below. The red/gray is from a jumper I made and wore when I was dating Charming, 1974. The red/green is even older--from a skirt-suit (Pendleton) I got from my cousin c. 1967. It was a size five, and I wore it in eighth grade. Violet and Forget-me-not got to wear it, as well. Blackeyed Susan missed the opportunity --she was too thick through the middle, and when she thinned out (read: shot up six inches in one year), it was too short. Now it lives on:

The tan/grey plaid was from a garage-sale poncho, 25 cents. My friend gave me the rust solid in 1982, the hunter green I bought about 1990. The lighter gray is another garage-sale find; I actually bought, outright, bright red solid wool, because I needed more RED (never too much red, people!) Two pairs of charcoal grey pants contributed the remainder of the fabric:

The letters are from middle schools for Johnny Tremain and Forget-me-not. The SS letter, tho' from their high school, I found in a thrift store--they wouldn't give theirs to me! Joining them later will be my mother's Girls' Athletic Association (G.A.A.) letter from 1939, and maybe my Troop Numbers from my Girl Scout troop (go 295!!)

I don't know if you can see the border. I got a yummy grey/black checked flannel. I thought it would be softer against chins snuggled up watching It's A Wonderful Life:

For the backing, I got the cutest-EVER flannel from Jo-Ann's--squirrels and acorns, with a few leaves for good measure:

I'm going to tie it with the same red wool I made this shawl out of. I hope to finish it this week, and check another thing off my list of Things To Actually Do Instead Of Just Storing The Ingredients....

Presents for Laura Carrot

Laura Carrot's third birthday was last Sunday! Lily planned her birthday party for today. Her big present is an 18-inch doll, resembling the American Girl dolls. I have gotten a doll for each of my three daughters, my daughter-in-law Lily, and one for myself. When I give them, they always come with a quilt. Here is Laura's:
It was fun, using a drinking glass for the quilting pattern. I also make a vintage-patterned dress, and a simple sweater. The dress has Laura's name on it:

For Christmas, I will make her dolly a Christmas dress, and pajamas to match the ones I'm making for Laura.

Here's a close-up of the quilt's corner square, using Valentine's Day fabric:

So, my part's done. Lily, however, has a challenge today--everyone she invited to Laura's party seems to be coming...twenty-five adults and thirty-five children! (she usually gets about 12/16 or so...) How many pounds of hamburger for that many sloppy joes????

I'll let you know if the drama unfolds tomorrow....

Stop the World, I Want to Get Off

I realize that it's well over a week since I've posted.

I wanted to post some photos of little things I'm working on; need new batteries in the camera.

I wanted to tell you about things going on in my family; can't get my thoughts together.

I wanted to share some cool thoughts I've been thinking; see above.

And now it is the week before our new church dedication on Sunday, and we were at church last evening until 9:30 pm, Charming at music practice, Susan at dance practice, Alvin at youth prayer service, and I running from girls' costumes to banners to watching the Big Practice to Waiting for People. When we got home last night, Alvin and Susan asked me to rub their feet before bedtime. Charming got in line for that!

Did I tell you I volunteered to make four girls' dance pants? There was NO ONE ELSE, and I know I can sew them in 45 minutes each. (not counting cut-out time, but that is manageable, too. If you've ever sewn flannel pj pants, you know they are easy to assemble. And I have until Saturday morning to finish them. Can you tell I'm trying to convince myself that I was not insane to volunteer?

Yesterday, Alvin did math and history; Susan did math and science. That's all, and for once in my life I wasn't fretting about what didn't get done. We did a thorough job on those two subjects, and others will follow today and tomorrow.

I thank God that every week is not like this one. This is one of those weeks like when you are moving into a new house--eventually it will be over, and what is left at the end is a beautiful thing. Sunday night is our dedication ceremony. Fifteen churches are cancelling their evening service so that their pastors can celebrate with us. Several dignitaries, including our Congressman, will be attending. Reception following, and I'm not involved with that, so no cleanup for me!

WHEN I get batteries in the camera, you can see my cute things! Maybe tomorrow...

Thanks for listening. Love you guys.

Major and Minor Irritants

We are having our first Sunday morning service in our new church building tomorrow morning!

You need to know that this building was the former home of a large church that had a devastating split, in disgrace, that made Big News locally. Months later, the pastor died, and it was All To Be Hashed Over Again. Our church received dozens of grieving families in the months following, who, incidentally, will be returning to their former church "home," home now to our part of the Body.

We have an Enemy who is not happy about all this. The Lord has told our leadership that this is the beginning of a great move of ministry, and that forgiveness and healing will be one of the results.

Blackeyed Susan is part of the program for Dedication Sunday, October 21st. The enemy has been hard at work in ways big and small, trying to hamper God's work. Of the two dance leaders/choreographers, one's husband has had a heart attack, and the other has had physical injury. Rehearsals have been plagued by "mysterious" fire alarms (no fire, no one pulled the box, etc.)

Blackeyed Susan was the target the other day. Charming took us, Joe Hardy, Forget-me-not, Blueberry, and nephew Derek to Pizza Hut the other day. We came home to a severed bicycle lock:

This happened about one p.m. Susan and Alvin Fernald's bicycles were locked together on the front porch. Someone cut the cable, moved Alvin's bike out of the way, took Susan's, and left Alvin's (whose bike was on the "outside," if someone wanted to be in a hurry). This was done in full view of a crew of three housepainters directly across the street, and with Charming's car in the driveway. All of those things which would tell you that nobody would be Stupid Enough to try such a stunt. And yet they did.

Susan and I talked about Job, and how Satan had to come before God and request to mess with him. First the Lord said, yes, but don't touch his body: later, He allowed that, but not to the point of death. We talked about how the enemy can't hurt us without our Father's knowledge; that everything must come through His hand.

This was a Minor Irritation in the big scheme of things. There were others (my dryer "stopped working" for three days, but is back again); there may be others still. Tuesday night at worship practice, another "fire alarm blip" caused a tiny interruption in power, and wiped out the entire sound board pre-sets (twenty-plus man-hours of work). Things were righted after a few minutes (and prayer, of course!)--Charming mentioned how if this had happened in a worldly setting, the profanity would have been flying...

How grateful I am that we are in the Father's hand, and that the Word promises us that nothing can remove us. We walk in His protection, so that if and when we fall prey to the enemy's works, we can call on our Father's name, and He will be there, to walk through them with us.

In other news, Sweet Pea had to go to the doctor this week to get her head super-glued after catching the corner of the coffee table:

What a wonderful thing--super-skin-glue!

Well, I am off to the Open House Tour at church--I got lost three times Wednesday, getting back up front from the back of the building. I am pathetic with navigation...

Straightening Out My Head

A busy week this week (now, really, people, when is a week NOT busy?). Charming has been working "opens," which means he needs to be at work at 5 a.m. Sunday night, I set the alarm for 4 a.m. Unbeknownst to me, while I was setting "alarm," my finger slipped to the "time" button, and I added an hour to the time, as well. Charming dutifully sat up when the alarm went off, and set off to the shower. He came right back, saying, "hon, it's only three o'clock." I checked my wristwatch, and, sure 'nuff, I had messed up the alarm. Charming noticed, because he had glanced at the clock in my sewing room. This was a clock left over from when Forget-me-not used that room. It is an LED clock with three-inch high numbers, glowing brightly. I was pretty grateful that we have that clock, because I don't think Charming would have been too happy to arrive at work at 4 a.m!

Working "opens" means he needs to get to bed early (tho' that seldom happens), and there is really no time to have Quality time with him. Monday night, I took Blackeyed Susan to a dance rehearsal at church for our Dedication Ceremony in two weeks. She also has regular ballet on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, as well as regular Wednesday night church. Last evening, I walked in the door as Charming went out, going to music practice at church (he plays this Sunday). He got home late (10 p.m.) and I was feeling really sorry for myself at the lack of "us"-time, when he told me that today (Wed) he works the closing shift! He will go to work at 2 p.m. and we will have an extended Coffee Time on the porch, while the children do schoolwork.

We have our first service in our new facility this Sunday. We moved into a larger church that had experienced a tragic church split. Another church (located across from a Christian university) bought our former church, and the university bought their church. I think it must truly be a miracle to have a three-way real-estate deal where everyone comes away satisfied!

The enemy is doing everything he can to frustrate the plans the Lord has for us. At music practice last evening, the fire alarm went off (by mistake?), causing a power "bleep," that wiped out the pre-sets on the sound system. This meant twenty man-hours of work Gone. Everyone prayed, and after twenty minutes or so, Charming heard the sound engineer say, "there it is."

Charming mentioned to the others present that, had this happened in a worldly setting, how the cursing would fly. Frankly, when I am that frustrated, those words sometimes come to my mind. But it is a testimony to God's faithfulness, and the maturity of these men, that they would deal with whatever had to be done, even if it all had to be done over.

My dryer went out over the weekend, and Charming won't be able to look at it until Thursday, so Lily let me bring over three loads of wet laundry. I love the way she blessed me by folding the clothes, but (since she is a pg mom of three -under-five) left the towels unfolded . I am such an all-or-nothing girl, I would have folded all or none, either leaving a wrinkled mess of the clothes, or done unnecessary work (because we all know that Alvin Fernald and Blackeyed Susan need something to do while I read aloud!)

Tonight the new church is only holding the Youth Service, no men's, women's, or children's classes. I will be there to work on the four new banners for the Dedication Ceremony. Our banner-leader says that the work will be completed on time, I'm just a-beadin' and a-trimmin' whatever she says. I love it because I am working with women who I didn't know very well before, and gleaning wisdom from them as we work.

Well, this post has been rambling, if nothing else. Maybe I just needed to straighten my thoughts out before my day begins. Now, off to schoolwork, then COFFEE with my honey!