Waiting (Im)Patiently

Still, still waiting for Lily's baby.

The midwife came to her home twice yesterday. At 3:30 pm, Lily was 6 centimeters. She continued to have contractions six to seven minutes apart, at least until *I* left at 10 pm. Here it is 6-something a.m., I have gotten some sleep, and I certainly hope that Lily has, as well.

However, now that it *is* April 3, it is the Mathematically Correct Day for baby to make his or her entrance. If the baby is born today, he will be Exactly the same age apart with his oldest brother as his Daddy is from his oldest sister Violet, to the very day. Both are the fourth children in their families. Junior Asparagus's birthday is 03/04; this one's would be 04/03. Fun stuff to think about.

What I *don't* want to think about is how a person can stay at 6 cm and "holding." I mean, what is the baby doing in there? Hesitating? Having "second thoughts" about Life? Trying to make a "grand entrance?"

Good thing *he* can't hold out forever. You know how they say the Only Sure Things are death and taxes? I'm thinking "birth" should be added to the list. And then Somebody should let this baby know.

Working to Keep Us Healthy

Since you can catch the flu virus here:
or here:

Isn't it nice to know that your toilet cleaner will kill 99.9% of the flu virus...

inside your toilet bowl?

I know I'll sleep easier tonight.

*Alvin Fernald was not actually exposed to the influenza virus during the taking of these photos.

Waiting...

Lily was due to have her baby last Friday. Now, she has been late every time (this will be four), but was hoping, of course, that This Time Would Be Different.

Her mama is in town "for the duration ," so Everything is Ready.

Maybe today? Even so, Lord, [let him/her] Come Quickly.

p.s. In other baby news, my friend Michelle had her baby two weeks early. He was (wait for it),

13 pounds. 14 ounces.

Will you join me and PRAY for her recovery? Thanks.

Good Friday

He died for me.

Wow.

You know, we can never, ever really *get* what this means. We get glimpses--we know "where we were" when He found us. Desperate situation, that. No hope for *anything.* Now we "have it all"--all that He came here to do, all that He provides, on earth and heaven, too. It is wonderful, glorious!

I've heard Good Friday meditations on what it must have meant for Jesus to be completely alone on the cross. How His Father had to turn away, He who could have no part of sin. Jesus, who had never, from eternity, been separated from His Father. Complete, beautiful fellowship broken. Something I will never experience--His promise is that He "will never leave me or forsake me." In all the deepest, darkest moments of my life, He is there to comfort. The fact that He had to go through His deepest, darkest moment (deeper, darker than any I will ever face) completely alone makes me feel Shame.

Then there is the view from the other side. How hard it must have been for the Father to sacrifice His Son. Just as difficult for Him to be separated from Jesus, to have him go through it all alone. A double whammy.

Methinks we take this thing waaay too lightly. Day to day, I confess sin and count on "He is faithful and just to forgive, and to cleanse from all unrighteousness." Day to day, I don't think about how much it Cost Him.

We always talk about the Resurrection--the Victory over sin and death. It seems that only one day out of the year do we talk about the Battle. I think that the Battle turned at Gethsemane--when Jesus came to the place where He could say, "not My will, but Thine be done."

How far I have to go, even in the paltry things my Father asks of me.

How grateful I am, that He never gives up on me. The work on the cross was worth far too much for Him to give up. His will for me is to "be conformed to the image of His Son."

Much work to do here.

Rosetta Stone Contest!

Jen is running a fantastic contest and here are all the details:

From Jen:Rosetta Stone has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while -- next week they are unleashing a brand new curriculum, and you can WIN the *all new* Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3… FOR FREE!

This is a $219 program (and believe me it's worth every penny!) and the winner gets to pick from any of these 14 languages: Spanish (Spain or Latin America), English (American or British), Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Irish, Hebrew, or Russian.This will also include a headset with microphone, and students will participate in lifelike conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program. Rosetta Stone still incorporates listening, reading and writing as well, in addition to speaking. Many homeschoolers requested grammar and vocabulary exercises, and with Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3, they're included! For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program and allow parents to easily enroll students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, and view and print reports.

To win this most excellent program -- in the language of your choice -- copy these paragraphs and post it in (or as) your next blog post -- then to enter the contest, go to the original contest page HERE and leave a comment with the link showing where you blogged about it. And please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post it. And good luck! The winner will be picked randomly on March 26, and will be notified thru the link they left to their blog pg. And if you have more than one blog, you can post them and enter those separately for more chances to win. Yay for free stuff!

Palm Sunday Tornadoes (1965)

I am reading a book called The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin. It is a book about the 1888 blizzard across the Great Plains, the worst to ever hit that region. But it reminded me (yesterday!) about the Palm Sunday tornadoes in 1965.

Wikipedia tells us about three outbreaks of tornadoes that happened on Palm Sunday. I think that's funny, as Palm Sunday is a different day each year. The 1965 batch trailed across five midwestern states, with 49 confirmed tornadoes, 17 of them of F4 severity. 137 people died in Indiana (my state).

I was nine years old. I wasn't really worried, as our city is located where three rivers meet. An old Indian proverb says that a tornado won't touch down where three rivers meet. (of course, about eight years ago, a tornado did go down the street where I grew up. So much for old proverbs....)

Our house did not have a basement. Mother told us that if there ever was a tornado, we were to get in the Guest Closet. Yeah, right. It was probably four feet wide and six feet deep. Of course, it was under the staircase, so it sloped down to nothing in the back. It also had thirteen glass gallon jars of water on the floor. This was if Ever The Electricity Went Off. The water pump wouldn't work, and if we flushed the toilet or anything, it would Lose Its Prime. Mother changed out the water a couple of times a year, so it would be Drinkable, as well as Flushable.

So, anyway, if a Tornado Ever Came, we would have to Move All The Jars before the seven of us could squeeze into the closet. Fortunately, we never had to.

On that warm day in 1965, though, Mother wasn't going to take any chances. She wanted all of us together, in case we died. We were all squished onto two twin beds in a downstairs bedroom while the thunderstorms went on. Later, after the sun came back out, I remember her making lots of phone calls to tell people we were okay.

I'm sure that our Dopplers and Radar and computers make storm prediction easier, and, certainly warnings come earlier these days. We don't think about it much, here. We have a basement (with a tv, for as long as the power would stay on.) Biggest issue here, when a Warning comes, is, Does anybody know where the cat is?

I've never personally known the aftermath of a tornado. Or a killing blizzard, like I'm reading about. Or a house fire, for that matter. I've led a very protected life. Something for me to be *consciously* grateful for today.

Snow Fun, Quilt Fun

We went outside this morning because it was snowing. HUGE, fluffy flakes. (tho' by the time I took this photo, they had become smaller, Ordinary flakes.) Alvin's first thought was to Check The Weather Channel. Instead, by looking south, we thought that, from the look of the sky, it might be snowing for Quite Awhile Yet. But wait...
...looking to the northeast, (at the very same moment!) this is what we saw:

So, no Weather Channel needed today!

*****************************

I began quilting this quilt I've had waiting. The pattern is called Texas Twister. I decided to quilt it in the Baptist fan pattern:

Here is a close-up. I really love the movement in the quilt, both from the pointy triangles, and the curvy fan pattern (click to enlarge):

"Fer sure" I'll be using the Baptist Fan quilting pattern again.

Baby Brother Gets A Name...

...and what a name (twenty letters, before you add in the last name!) Rocky's family has a two-middle-name custom, and Baby's second middle name is the maiden name of Rocky's grandma, on whose birthday Baby was born. Our baby grandson's name is very beautiful, but for blogging purposes, we're going to go with a little family joke and call him Oxford. Here he is, introducing himself to Pop-Pop:
My beautiful Forget-me-not, age 26 (I was 26 when I had her!) with her little guy:

I kept waiting for him to show off his dimples (one on his chin, and a pair on his cheeks!), but he would not cooperate:

Well, Oxford *did* cooperate as far as his birthdate was concerned, and I, for two more hours, have grandchildren ages 0,1,2,3, and 4 years old. Tomorrow is Junior Asparagus's birthday, and the Grandma focus turns to him. How quickly time passes, and it doesn't slow down for grandbabies, either!

Blueberry's Baby Brother

Forget-me-not had a bee-you-tiful baby boy this evening . He was born at 10:36 pm, and weighed 8 lbs. 7 0z.:
Lots of dark hair is a wonderful surprise (Forget-me-not is blond, and Rocky Balboa has dark red hair). Here he looks a lot like his Big Brother:

Proud Daddy:

Forget-me-not went "au naturel," and she did a Super-Duper Job. She got the job done so, so beautifully. I didn't get a photo of her tonight, but will share one tomorrow, I'm sure. Our camera will be doing Overtime Duty!

I'm off to bed, as it is 12:30 am, and *I* don't have a beautiful little one to stare at...

Ballet Sewing Kit

Blackeyed Susan needed a sewing kit to keep in her ballet bag. It holds things that are needed to sew elastics and ribbons on pointe shoes.

Although she could have used any kind of makeup-type bag, when your mother loves fabric as I do, she Has Ta Represent. So I pulled out my treasured Nancy Drew fabric I bought a couple of years ago, and cut out a very simple zippered bag:
Inside, I used a pretty pink, and, for the pockets, green fabric that has the Flowers-of-the-month on it:

We loaded it with her sewing notions, and there is room inside to store ribbons and elastics, as well.

I really loved this little diversion, in the midst of baby quilts and receiving blankets I have been doing. Forget-me-not is due in six days; Lily in twenty.

This Grandma is getting anxious!

I've Been Thinking...

Right now, since Blueberry's birthday, my grandbabies are ages 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Forget-me-not is due on March 7, and Lily on March 21.

Junior Asparagus turns 5 on March 4.

Forget-me-not needs to hurry up, so the babies will be 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Or she'll mess me all up. 0, 1, 2, 3, and 5 isn't as fun.

I like order.

So, Forget-me-not, go drive down some railroad tracks or something.

So I can stop worrying.

Fascinating

I keep telling myself *not* to stick myself with my needle while I'm quilting.

Though I *do* find it fascinating, watching that single drop appear when I squeeze my finger, and watching the Capillary Action as the kleenex absorbs it.

You realize, of course, that a cut of any kind makes a Hole in your skin, the largest organ in your body. You have Breached the Outer Boundary, and cut across a capillary. Or two or three.

What happens then? Your Vitamin K, platelets, and keratin (maybe I have the list correct, but I don't have my science book in front of me, I'm working from memory here...) go to work to make that architectural wonder, the Scab. Which I can then later remove Before Its Time, and watch the entire process again. Or, wait till it heals all-the-way.

But here is the fascinating part.

That beautiful, self-healing, clotting action of your blood. How come it only happens at the site of a cut? How come it isn't happening all over your body, all the time? (of course, *sometimes* it does, and then our heart or lungs are very. unhappy. But I'm speaking of Normally...)

Hmmm.

To me, it smacks pretty heavily of Intelligent Design, and smacks pretty heavily *against* Natural Selection.

Proofs all around us, if we care to look, eh? Psalm 139:14: "I will praise Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are Thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well."

I'm About to Bust!!

MacGuyver is home this weekend!! We haven't seen him for fourteen months, so he wanted it to be a surprise for Blackeyed Susan and Alvin Fernald. Here he is, picking up Susan after ballet class:
We drove home, and MacGuyver knocked on the door. Charming had Alvin answer the door, and that was his surprise. Picture Big. Bear. Hugs.

As the party got started, Laura Carrot, Sweet Pea, and Grandma work in some lip practice. Grandma makes a point to spread the Red Lipstick Love:

Here is Alvin, MacGuyver, and Johnny Tremain:

More handsome guys: Don Quixote, Rocky Balboa, and Joe Hardy:

Unfortunately, our "family" photo came out dark. Hope I can photoshop it to get a better quality. I'd like to make 5 x 7's for everybody:

Pretty ladies: Lily, 35 weeks along, Violet, and Forget-me-not, 37 weeks along:

These are my natural-born sons: Don, Macguyver, Alvin, Joe, and Johnny...

Add Rocky and Charming, and you have All My Men. Not a clinker in the bunch:

Here is Violet and Susan...

and Violet and Alvin, my oldest and youngest:

Here are the Out-Laws. Lily, Rocky, and MacGuyver's girlfriend, Tiny Dancer:

Now, I'm wondering...is this what I was looking forward to for so long?

Yep. My boy is back!

I loved, loved, loved my babies when they were little. Miss that time of my life terribly. But times like last night, with all my family together in one place, makes me feel Rich Beyond Measure. God is so Good!

Blueberry Turns Two

Looks like Blueberry's new quilt from his Mom-mom is a success. Happy birthday, Blueberry!

God's Valentine Greeting

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It ALWAYS protects, ALWAYS trusts, ALWAYS hopes, ALWAYS perseveres. Love never fails." ICorinthians 13: 4-8

Retro, Hip, and Tilt-y

I made my sister Janet an apron. If you can see the print, it is of a turquoise blue kitchen, with a cat in residence. My mother's kitchen in her New House in 1960 was turquoise blue, but nary a cat ever was in residence there:
Good times, good times.

For some reason, even if my photo software rotates pictures, Blogger undoes them and they are sideways again. But I really wanted to share a photo with you, showing Blackeyed Susan and Alvin Fernald in a moment where they are not only Getting Along, but Quiet to boot:

(sorry Alvin's head is cut off). Susan is not making a face at Alvin. Can't you tell that they are being Tragically Hip??

Not NEARLY so hip is my garland that I made out of my red puffy hearts (see post below.) It turned out just as I wanted, quirky and fun, and fit well on my china cabinet:

Photographer I'm not. Not only is Alvin's face cut off, but the china cabinet sits level on the floor, not tilt-y.

Tomorrow (Valentine's Day) is Blueberry's Number Two birthday. I get to watch him while his Mommy and Daddy go to the midwife for an appointment. Maybe Baby Brother or Sissy will come this week!

Hearts A'Plenty

I have wracked my brain trying to find where in blogland (and there were TWO places!) where I saw these fabric hearts for Valentine's Day. Just realize that they were not *my* idea. I made a bunch in pink fabrics. I like the fact that only one of the fabrics actually has hearts on it. I had fun looking through my button box for buttons that were left over from other sewing projects:
They were completely successful, as Blackeyed Susan told me she tried to "eat" one. She walked by them and thought they were cookies!

They were so much fun, I made a bunch in red, as well:

I think maybe I'll make a garland out of them. I'll post a photo if I do!

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.