I found a couple of keepers and a couple of losers. Chicken en papilotte was a loser, at least the way I made it. However, I have two new super-fast, easy recipes that I want to recommend, and my every day oatmeal recipe to share. First is the Spicy Cioppino, which I made with frozen haddock and no scallops--so I added the frozen chunks of fish to the pan right after starting the onions and just kept adding the rest of the ingredients. Gnocchi with Zucchini and Parsley Brown Butter was also really good--cut everything up first, because the rest goes so fast! I also added a splash of balsamic vinegar and probably doubled the parsley, after halving everything first down to one serving, of course, as my son won't touch any vegetables.
Every Day Oatmeal
I call it that because I eat it every day. Well, except weekends, I suppose. I can even eat it on days when my stomach is somehow angry with me. This is for one serving. I make it up before I leave for work, then after I get settled there, it has been soaking for about 45 minutes. I prefer my oatmeal to be a little chewy, so if you're someone who likes the creamy wall-paper-paste-like consistency of instant oatmeal, this is not for you! I make this with a multi-grain mix from Trader Joe's. I also use plain Activia because I don't want this too sweet. You could use juice instead of water, and flavored yogurt instead of plain, but this is what works for me, and doesn't leave me with a brown-out an hour later.
1/3 cup multi grain mix (old fashioned oats)
2-3 T dried cranberries
7 dried cherries
just barely enough tap water to soak these
1/4-1/2 granny smith, diced
3-4 T plain Activia
I layer this into a small lidded cup (the yogurt on top helps keep the apple from browning) and stir it just before I eat it. Chewy and a little sweet and oh-so-good for me!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Deuteronomy 2
Do what God tells you to do and all will be well. Chapter 2 is a tale of people who did what God told them, and things worked out like He said they would.
Where is my Moses? I feel un-directed. I know I probably am not, I have probably missed some road signs from God telling me what I should be doing. I haven't been reading/studying the Bible like I should. But I still FEEL at loose ends. I haven't been able to find that niche where I can really get going and do work for the glory of God. Or am I searching for work that glorifies me, not God? Again I say - Where is my Moses? My own personal Moses to tell me, in no uncertain terms, what God wants me to do. Because I would just drop everything and do it (HA!). I'd like to think I would, but I give up control so badly, I would probably over-think the message until it was the way I liked it, instead of how God said it.
Lord, please make me into someone You can be proud of! Make me the parent my son needs. Don't let me miss any of Your road signs. Help me surrender to Your Spirit.
Where is my Moses? I feel un-directed. I know I probably am not, I have probably missed some road signs from God telling me what I should be doing. I haven't been reading/studying the Bible like I should. But I still FEEL at loose ends. I haven't been able to find that niche where I can really get going and do work for the glory of God. Or am I searching for work that glorifies me, not God? Again I say - Where is my Moses? My own personal Moses to tell me, in no uncertain terms, what God wants me to do. Because I would just drop everything and do it (HA!). I'd like to think I would, but I give up control so badly, I would probably over-think the message until it was the way I liked it, instead of how God said it.
Lord, please make me into someone You can be proud of! Make me the parent my son needs. Don't let me miss any of Your road signs. Help me surrender to Your Spirit.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Deuteronomy 1
Let's see, what is Chapter One about? Moses is recounting all that had happened to the Israelites. They have been following God around the desert for forty years and now Moses has stopped the group and is reminding them of what had happened up to that point, and what God had done for them. There's nothing like looking back at the facts to help clarify a situation, I think. It's one thing to re-hash your own version of history - you know the one, where you usually look good and were completely clear and almost everything that went wrong was someone else's fault? However, as the voice of God, they (and we) can be certain that what Moses says is what God means. (I'll never understand how some people can acknowledge God as, well, GOD, but still somehow think He isn't powerful enough to get the right words into His own Book!?! If we can't trust the Bible, then there is no truth in the world at all.) So this is not some personal recap, fish stories tweaked to slant things one way or another. When it says "In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God" this is not simply Moses' opinion of what happened, God knew it to be the truth.
What does this passage mean today, to me? It is reassuring to see that despite all they did, God was still with them. Even when they were told not to do something, He stayed with them. Even though they "rebelled against the Lord's command" He stuck with them, as He had promised. Does that mean that we can never "shake" God, no matter what we do? I think it depends on our heart or our intentions. I think that as long as you are trying to follow God, even if you are terribly wrong, He will continue to pursue you. He'll probably even step up the assault on your rebellion for you, just to help you learn your lesson well. SO if things seem to be getting worse and worse, it is time to pray and take a good, hard look at what you are doing (in the light of the Word) and what your intentions honestly are. On the other hand, if you intentionally chose to rebel, and do it out of spite, or with a "Take That, YOU!" kind of attitude, I think you might very well get what you ask for. Free will is a big thing with God, and if you really, truly want Him to leave you alone with your sin, He will oblige. Are you then still saved? Were you ever really saved? I leave that to the theologians to debate, because I don't want to go there, dancing on the head of a pin. I'm going to stay safely on the side of trying to follow God, and asking His forgiveness when I stray, and praying all the time for His wisdom to see where I should be heading.
What does this passage mean today, to me? It is reassuring to see that despite all they did, God was still with them. Even when they were told not to do something, He stayed with them. Even though they "rebelled against the Lord's command" He stuck with them, as He had promised. Does that mean that we can never "shake" God, no matter what we do? I think it depends on our heart or our intentions. I think that as long as you are trying to follow God, even if you are terribly wrong, He will continue to pursue you. He'll probably even step up the assault on your rebellion for you, just to help you learn your lesson well. SO if things seem to be getting worse and worse, it is time to pray and take a good, hard look at what you are doing (in the light of the Word) and what your intentions honestly are. On the other hand, if you intentionally chose to rebel, and do it out of spite, or with a "Take That, YOU!" kind of attitude, I think you might very well get what you ask for. Free will is a big thing with God, and if you really, truly want Him to leave you alone with your sin, He will oblige. Are you then still saved? Were you ever really saved? I leave that to the theologians to debate, because I don't want to go there, dancing on the head of a pin. I'm going to stay safely on the side of trying to follow God, and asking His forgiveness when I stray, and praying all the time for His wisdom to see where I should be heading.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Day three - school and...
Start my day off right - a bowl of oatmeal and the Word of God. Deuteronomy.
The people of Israel still in the desert, after many years. Moses proclaimed again all that God had commanded to Moses about the people. God had helped them defeat two kings.
They were probably pretty tired of the desert, but had gotten quite used to it by then. Forty years is a long time for anything, and they had grown accustomed to that nomadic lifestyle, I imagine. God sent them out there for that period of time because they had something to learn. They didn't know it, I think, but that time was nearly up. What may have felt like giving in, or even defeat to them, in giving in to accept the Will of God for all those years, must have been exactly what God had done it for. Forty years of following God's orders, dropping everything anytime He said "Move" must have been excruciating for those people in the group who were like me. I have my own plans, my own ideas about what to do, where to go. I KNOW I need to trust God and submit, BUT But but... It is difficult for me. I am how God made me, however, but I need to really work to let Him have control most of the time. Those Israelites must have been just bone-weary of the whole thing. How many times are they called stiff necked? I can totally identify with that description! So there they are, after defeating to nearby kings, and Moses is going to summarize what God has done for them. Did they finally "get" it? Did they feel special (Hey, these sandals have lasted FORTY years!)? Or had the specialness worn off already? Did they have some idea that things were about to change? Was this enough of a break in the routine that they could feel something in the air?
The people of Israel still in the desert, after many years. Moses proclaimed again all that God had commanded to Moses about the people. God had helped them defeat two kings.
They were probably pretty tired of the desert, but had gotten quite used to it by then. Forty years is a long time for anything, and they had grown accustomed to that nomadic lifestyle, I imagine. God sent them out there for that period of time because they had something to learn. They didn't know it, I think, but that time was nearly up. What may have felt like giving in, or even defeat to them, in giving in to accept the Will of God for all those years, must have been exactly what God had done it for. Forty years of following God's orders, dropping everything anytime He said "Move" must have been excruciating for those people in the group who were like me. I have my own plans, my own ideas about what to do, where to go. I KNOW I need to trust God and submit, BUT But but... It is difficult for me. I am how God made me, however, but I need to really work to let Him have control most of the time. Those Israelites must have been just bone-weary of the whole thing. How many times are they called stiff necked? I can totally identify with that description! So there they are, after defeating to nearby kings, and Moses is going to summarize what God has done for them. Did they finally "get" it? Did they feel special (Hey, these sandals have lasted FORTY years!)? Or had the specialness worn off already? Did they have some idea that things were about to change? Was this enough of a break in the routine that they could feel something in the air?
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Lunch (at my desk)
I have my new old-lady glasses on. They make my keyboard look strangely un-square. For me, wearing new glasses is always icky, because I like "the same old thing" and glasses are so close to my brain...These were so snug I was getting that pain in the back where they held on, and now that I've bent them the TINIEST bit, they keep sliding down my nose. My old ones were broken and kept sliding down my nose too, but they were the ones I was used to, you know? I'm like that with practically everything. I've learned to challenge myself at work, to practically never do anything just because "we've always done it that way" but in my real life, I always park in the same general area at the same stores, buying (hopefully) the same stuff that has always worked for me in the past. It makes me nutty when they change things - for example, I am allergic to nuts. No anaphylaxis (at least not yet) but I get hives and asthma, etc. I used to buy Brownberry 12-Grain bread every week. My kid used to eat it, and it made decent sandwiches. I made sure it didn't have nuts, unlike their Health Nut bread, or whatever. We ate it for months (maybe even years). Then suddenly, I was having mild allergic reactions and I finally figured out that is was the stupid bread. The company started adding nuts to the 12-Grain without any particular warning. I realize that nuts are listed in bold on the ingredients list, but if I'd been buying the bread for many, many months, did they really expect me to read the ingredients list every single time??? Does my shampoo really need to be "new and improved" that often? When did I decide to start ranting again! (I apologize)
I'm going to go back to making up new reports for my co-workers, because that makes me happy. Hopefully I can avoid getting dragged into The Plan discussion that is going on behind me, because that would make me sad and grumpy. And if I get much more grumpy, they'll have to change the name on my nametag.
I'm going to go back to making up new reports for my co-workers, because that makes me happy. Hopefully I can avoid getting dragged into The Plan discussion that is going on behind me, because that would make me sad and grumpy. And if I get much more grumpy, they'll have to change the name on my nametag.
Not quite ready for prime time
Well, wouldn't you know that despite my plans and planning, we go off to a late start this morning and now I have to decide between a big study or having a decent breakfast. I'm hoping to start a Kay Arthur study of the Pentateuch, but I hadn't remembered all the accouterments she suggests - colored pencils and a Bible to mark up being the two things I don't have with me.
Today Oswald urges us to reflect on the peace of God. We should, even in times of trying and trouble, look to Him for reassuring peace. "But if you try to worry it out, you obliterate Him and deserve all you get." Jesus as comforter. I've gotten better at thinking this way, not as well or often as I should, but leaving things in His hands has gotten easier over the years for me. Usually after a period of concern, not quite worry, I'll suddenly recall His assurance and can let the matter go. Except when it comes to my son, I think. That subject is just so hard for me to let go. I constantly pore over the way we interact, second-guessing myself and my reactions... I recently read a line that said something like Raising a teen is like trying to nail jelly to a tree. Why someone might want to do that is beyond me, but I agree with the sentiment. The stakes are just so high! I know what he's up against out in the world, and I hate to see him go out there looking so unprepared and naive. I just pray that in the time we have left together, that I will continue to be the mother that he needs, according to His will.
Today Oswald urges us to reflect on the peace of God. We should, even in times of trying and trouble, look to Him for reassuring peace. "But if you try to worry it out, you obliterate Him and deserve all you get." Jesus as comforter. I've gotten better at thinking this way, not as well or often as I should, but leaving things in His hands has gotten easier over the years for me. Usually after a period of concern, not quite worry, I'll suddenly recall His assurance and can let the matter go. Except when it comes to my son, I think. That subject is just so hard for me to let go. I constantly pore over the way we interact, second-guessing myself and my reactions... I recently read a line that said something like Raising a teen is like trying to nail jelly to a tree. Why someone might want to do that is beyond me, but I agree with the sentiment. The stakes are just so high! I know what he's up against out in the world, and I hate to see him go out there looking so unprepared and naive. I just pray that in the time we have left together, that I will continue to be the mother that he needs, according to His will.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
First day of school
Last night I remembered that while my son is in school, I take him there nearly an hour before I need to be at work. Last year I was using that time to read the Bible and devotionals in the car, at the park between school and work. So, this morning I took the practice back up, but then had a brainstorm in the middle and wondered if I shouldn't be blogging instead of journaling? I have this blog in part so that I can help spread the Good News. So here we are.
Oswald Chambers (His Utmost For My Highest) was discussing a passage, but unfortunately he used the phrase "shut up" over and over. He, of course, meant something entirely different; something along the lines of "to be closed up" but I just couldn't get past that other, more contemporary meaning. I could actually hear a girl with a valley accent saying it, and that didn't go with the point Oswald was making. Similarly, I can't really read To Kill A Mockingbird because I only hear the movie narrator's voice and she speaks so much slower than I normally read that it drives me nutty.
At a Bible study today (Phillipians 2) someone was pointing out that even in VERY trying times, God is there, and in fact uses the challenges to help us rely on Him more completely. He promises that He will always be with us, and will never give us more than we can handle, but on the other hand, He knows how much we can handle and it is sometimes more than we think we can take. But trusting Him is the ultimate. I think He might even kick at the foundation we've chosen to stand on if He sees things there that don't belong or that He knows we should get rid of. It can be so hard to trust that way, maybe the hardest part of faith for me? I have such a hard time surrendering - not specifically to God, but just letting go of the tight control I feel I must have over... everything!
I also got my new progressive glasses this evening. My son says they "don't look too bad" (how encouraging!!!) and they are giving me some head pains and a head ache. She said it might take up to two weeks to get used to them and suggested I start fresh with them after a good night's sleep. Being the control nut I am, as soon as I got to the car, I switched back into the new ones and won't take them off - it's either them or me! Well, I'm off to try them while hand stitching some more buttons on.
Oswald Chambers (His Utmost For My Highest) was discussing a passage, but unfortunately he used the phrase "shut up" over and over. He, of course, meant something entirely different; something along the lines of "to be closed up" but I just couldn't get past that other, more contemporary meaning. I could actually hear a girl with a valley accent saying it, and that didn't go with the point Oswald was making. Similarly, I can't really read To Kill A Mockingbird because I only hear the movie narrator's voice and she speaks so much slower than I normally read that it drives me nutty.
At a Bible study today (Phillipians 2) someone was pointing out that even in VERY trying times, God is there, and in fact uses the challenges to help us rely on Him more completely. He promises that He will always be with us, and will never give us more than we can handle, but on the other hand, He knows how much we can handle and it is sometimes more than we think we can take. But trusting Him is the ultimate. I think He might even kick at the foundation we've chosen to stand on if He sees things there that don't belong or that He knows we should get rid of. It can be so hard to trust that way, maybe the hardest part of faith for me? I have such a hard time surrendering - not specifically to God, but just letting go of the tight control I feel I must have over... everything!
I also got my new progressive glasses this evening. My son says they "don't look too bad" (how encouraging!!!) and they are giving me some head pains and a head ache. She said it might take up to two weeks to get used to them and suggested I start fresh with them after a good night's sleep. Being the control nut I am, as soon as I got to the car, I switched back into the new ones and won't take them off - it's either them or me! Well, I'm off to try them while hand stitching some more buttons on.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Quilting and button-holing
I LOVE my new machine! I had five shirts that I've been putting off sewing button holes into and not only are they all done, I've had time to do some more quilting too! All after work. I love this new machine. It might be worth buying just for the button-holer and the walking foot. And I've been making real headway on the Cross and Crown.
Sewing machine #4
I've caved in to temptation and bought myself a new sewing machine. Very reasonably priced, from Walmart, a Brother SQ9000.
I LOVE IT. (except the placement of the presser foot lever) It is meant for quilters, and so came with a walking foot, and other handy feet, as well as an additional large work table (well, table is too strong a word, IMHO). It is computerized and has tons of built-in stitches. Most of all, the wiring is new and the feet don't melt into my carpeting like my other machine! I've been working on that Cross and Crown quilt like crazy. While it is not magically finishing all the quilting for me, I am amazed at how much easier everything is. I didn't have a walking foot before-I'd priced them out but was concerned that they would fit my old Montgomery Wards machine. WOW, it really works. It's a little subtle, but I don't have to work as hard to keep the fabric sandwiched right and there's a lot less puckering on the straight lines. Even my free motion work is better with the right equipment. It came with the clear foot, and the feed dog lever works, and I don't have to have a third hand to keep the machine from going too fast, like the Montgomery Ward machine with the bad wiring and faulty foot pedal. I should be able to get those quilts finished up right quick. (Hmm, guess that means I need to get my Etsy account set up, huh?)
I LOVE IT. (except the placement of the presser foot lever) It is meant for quilters, and so came with a walking foot, and other handy feet, as well as an additional large work table (well, table is too strong a word, IMHO). It is computerized and has tons of built-in stitches. Most of all, the wiring is new and the feet don't melt into my carpeting like my other machine! I've been working on that Cross and Crown quilt like crazy. While it is not magically finishing all the quilting for me, I am amazed at how much easier everything is. I didn't have a walking foot before-I'd priced them out but was concerned that they would fit my old Montgomery Wards machine. WOW, it really works. It's a little subtle, but I don't have to work as hard to keep the fabric sandwiched right and there's a lot less puckering on the straight lines. Even my free motion work is better with the right equipment. It came with the clear foot, and the feed dog lever works, and I don't have to have a third hand to keep the machine from going too fast, like the Montgomery Ward machine with the bad wiring and faulty foot pedal. I should be able to get those quilts finished up right quick. (Hmm, guess that means I need to get my Etsy account set up, huh?)
Friday, August 20, 2010
Menu 8/21 to 8/26
Thanks mostly to Eating Well's Hearth Healthy Menu planner:
Sat (dinner) Jerk Chicken and Nectarine Salad
Sun (brunch) Spinach and Tomato Omelet
Sun (dinner) Chicken en Papillote with Sweet Potato "Fries"
Mon (dinner) Romaine Orange Feta Bean Salad
Tue (dinner) Moroccan Chicken Salad
Wed (dinner) Tortellini Salad
Thur (dinner) Tuna Melt-lighter
Sat (dinner) Jerk Chicken and Nectarine Salad
Sun (brunch) Spinach and Tomato Omelet
Sun (dinner) Chicken en Papillote with Sweet Potato "Fries"
Mon (dinner) Romaine Orange Feta Bean Salad
Tue (dinner) Moroccan Chicken Salad
Wed (dinner) Tortellini Salad
Thur (dinner) Tuna Melt-lighter
Not quilting
So, I'm planning out some menus and watching Gary Sinise. I need to start quilting that Cross and Crown, but I keep finding other things to do instead. Or finding excuses like - it's really too hot to quilt such a large quilt on a regular sewing machine. I'm tired and it's been a long week. I really need to get the menu thing under control, since my digestion is acting funny and I'm up too many pounds. Excuse, excuse excuse! And now I'm blogging instead...
Yesterday I ordered my new glasses. PROGRESSIVE lenses. Boo hoo hoo. I'm getting OLD! And a few pounds overweight. And my hair is frizzy and and and But my mammogram was clear (Yay!) but now I'm of the age where a yearly mammogram is recommended, especially now that my mom has breast cancer.
And if I don't get that quilt started, the sewing marks are going to fade completely away in this humidity. I think I'm just going to go to bed, even though it's only 8:30, because they say things always look better in the morning!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Galesburg, IL Quilt Show
I can't tell you know much I enjoyed this quilt show. There were quilts by National Award Winner Jean Lohmar. They were so beautiful. And, I must admit, not perfect, which was such a salve to my tortured quilter's eyes. I've been plagued by the notion that my quilting is just awful, and after looking all through this show, I felt a little better. It seems that most quiltmakers are plagued by the same fears, because the vast majority of the quilts were quilted by someone else. And those "professional" quilters did not do perfect work either, so I was much reassured! There were more than 200 quilts, some part of the Hoffman Challenge. It was such a beautiful sight after three hours of this...
This first quilt was done my a nine-year-old boy - I was very impressed.
This next quilt may have been my favorite, made by Mary McCormick, hand appliqued
This one has panels of singing children's faces (so cute!) with sashing and borders made from overall musical note patterns. Made by Melissa Ruehmer.
This was made to look like a medieval banner. The photo doesn't do justice to its beauty. Made by Peggy Magnuson.
This beautiful woman was created by Bonnie Jennings, who showed a number of pieces of hand coloring work. This quilt looks as great up close as it does far away. I'm not usually a fan of portrait quilts, but this one was truly outstanding.
This is the first of a pair of photos. This shows the overall quilt, the next is the reveal of the original fabric, used as backing. This is really a pattern or color study, as each square is just a different cut/layout/placement from the same original fabric. Penny Gold did a fabulous job!
As always, I am most drawn to the appliqued quilts. One of these days I will break down and make one, but until then... This sampler was made by Dee Starr.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Machinery
I remember now why I usually tie my quilts instead of quilting them. Or stitch-in-the-ditch. Anything but free-motion on my little sewing machines. Yes, machines, plural. I have an old Brother serger that started making clunking sounds a few months ago. At first I panicked, wondering how I could possible get along without it, but then I remembered that there is a reason patterns come with 5/8 inch seam allowances. I've adjusted.
My main machine is a Montgomery Ward Signature. I believe my mother got it as a present for graduating high school, circa 1955. It is a serious workhorse. I rely on it for almost everything. Unfortunately, the wiring is getting too old, and it really doesn't run slowly. And if I sew too long, the pedal sort-of melts into the carpet just little, so I have to remember to set it on top of something. The posts are not the same as other machines, so I can't use any of the old sewing cabinets I've seen. But still, I love this machine! I need to find someone who can bring it back to its old glory.
Some years ago, I bought myself a Penny's machine with bells and whistles. I lent it to my sister for a few years and when I got it back it didn't seem to work quite right. Since it was a spare, I didn't worry about it too much. The wiring is good in this newer machine, however, so I disconnected the feed dogs and now it's my quilting machine. Since I didn't like the machine anyway, it's feeling won't get any more hurt when I hold my distaste of quilting against it.
I even took pictures of the insides to help me put it back together again after I finally shake this whole quilt-making insanity I seem to have succumbed to!
My main machine is a Montgomery Ward Signature. I believe my mother got it as a present for graduating high school, circa 1955. It is a serious workhorse. I rely on it for almost everything. Unfortunately, the wiring is getting too old, and it really doesn't run slowly. And if I sew too long, the pedal sort-of melts into the carpet just little, so I have to remember to set it on top of something. The posts are not the same as other machines, so I can't use any of the old sewing cabinets I've seen. But still, I love this machine! I need to find someone who can bring it back to its old glory.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
WI State Fair 2010
As long as I am catching up, I thought I would post a couple of photos I took of quilts at the WI State Fair. We go most years, although my son is not likely to go with me after this. Too many shrugs-he clearly finds me and my interests boring. Ah well, time marches on. There seemed to be fewer quilts. I did some research and it seems that if you win a quilt category, you'll win $12.00 They have additional prizes from local shops and guilds which will net you $25 or if you're really lucky, $50. I know, I know. I'm certainly not making quilts for fame or money, but it still seemed a bit... you know.
I'm afraid the photos don't do the quilts justice - they hang most of them from the ceiling, so the quilts are sort of queerly lit and kinda far away.
I'm afraid the photos don't do the quilts justice - they hang most of them from the ceiling, so the quilts are sort of queerly lit and kinda far away.
Ironing Board Cover
While I wasn't posting very much, I have been pretty busy. My old ironing board cover was so...icky and thin, I finally decided to make my own. Since the highest setting on my iron is cotton, I decided to make the whole thing out of cotton. 2 yards of a pretty purple fabric (that I liked but couldn't imagine putting in a quilt) at $3.99/yard. Plus a craft-sized cotton batting and some cotton yarn I had lying around and I was in business. I never even unfolded the batting, as the packaging had it folded just where I would have folded it anyway! Plus a little leftover for combating my fear of quilting (to make a test sandwich). Ain't it purty?
Here's to Lula
I've been thinking about my grandmother today. Not the one who died last month, but the one who died in 1985. My father's mother. I always thought of her as kind of namby-pamby. She was older than my other grandmother, and not nearly as much fun. Also not really into the grandkids. There are pictures of her from high school and she looked old even then, with the finger-waves and calico dresses. I only recently understood about her, though. She was born just after the turn of the (last) century and lived in a little town with a bunch of relatives in Wisconsin. She was one of like seven girls. The only other names I can remember are Veda (who later married Pink) and Blanche, pictured below on the right. In this photo Lula (on the left) was only about 50!
Anyway, she had it pretty tough. She got married and had a little girl named Ruby. Several years went by and they had a son (my dad). Ruby was at least ten years older, I think. My "grandfather" ran off when dad was just an infant (with the secretary from the garage where he was working, if my childhood memories are correct. He landed in eastern Iowa.) So Lula was left with two kids; my dad was born in 1936, so it was the throes of the Great Depression and she did the best she could. I'm sure she probably had a high school education, but nothing more. She worked at the big dairy in town for a long time. My dad had all kinds of little jobs to help make ends meet. There were aunts and uncles around (especially Uncle Paul, who was like a father to my dad) but it still must have been incredibly hard. She never got divorced and thought of herself as still married, so of course she never dated anyone else. Eventually my dad did a stint in the Army, and afterwards they both moved to Lyons Township in Illinois. She moved to Mount Prospect at some point, but when I was pretty little, she moved to Kokomo to be near Ruby and her family, where she lived until she died.
I was thinking about those visits to Kokomo, mostly. Trying to learn stick shift; at some stop sign in Indiana somewhere, with a big truck downhill behind me (probably laughing his ears off) while I popped that clutch over and over. She lived in public housing, on the second floor. There was, of course, a huge flight of stairs that she fell down at least once and broke her hip. I remember sitting at the top of those stairs, eating, listening to the grownups talk (mostly about other relatives). I'm sure she looked forward to those visits (even though my mother didn't like going) and she probably really splurged on all that meat and stuff. I can't imagine how much harder it must have been for her as a single mother than it was for me. I at least had Murphy Brown as a role model! {insert eye-roll here}
So in her honor, this weekend's menu will include:
I was thinking about those visits to Kokomo, mostly. Trying to learn stick shift; at some stop sign in Indiana somewhere, with a big truck downhill behind me (probably laughing his ears off) while I popped that clutch over and over. She lived in public housing, on the second floor. There was, of course, a huge flight of stairs that she fell down at least once and broke her hip. I remember sitting at the top of those stairs, eating, listening to the grownups talk (mostly about other relatives). I'm sure she looked forward to those visits (even though my mother didn't like going) and she probably really splurged on all that meat and stuff. I can't imagine how much harder it must have been for her as a single mother than it was for me. I at least had Murphy Brown as a role model! {insert eye-roll here}
So in her honor, this weekend's menu will include:
- Pot Roast with potatoes, carrots and onions (overcooked)
- Puffed Cheetos
- Cream Soda
- Brach's Pick-A-Mix (if I can find it anywhere!)
Monday, August 9, 2010
Old Maid's Puzzle
So instead of making pickles, I started another quilt. And again, I fell in love with the name of the pattern and just had to do it. I really prefer to make quilts all on the machine (straight lines) and repetitive patterns because I right now I don't want to do a lot of thinking while sewing (too much thinking elsewhere in my life!) I have this old pattern book, a reproduction form the mid Sixties of a McKim pattern book from 1931. I only recently started looking into the history of quiltmaking and found out she had quite the influence here in the U.S. Anyway, her suggestions for the colors were not to my liking (I have a hard time with pink) so I went to the store with only some vague ideas in mind. I found a very nice patterned dark brown that reads lighter because of the fun little flowers all over it. I matched a blue and almost tried a russet, but settled on a pale green instead. I can imagine myself in a couple of weeks reprimanding myself after staring at the russet for too long, you know? As much trouble as I have with pink, I have even less use for red. So I got to work after washing and drying the fabric. I apparently wanted to take the name to heart, because I made a calculation error (thought I was done piecing, but discovered I had only made half what I needed) and while making the second batch of pieces, I thoughtlessly sewed white to white instead of white to blue. Not a total loss because I can use it for the border, but I am certainly puzzled by what I was thinking!?! So a little more cutting and it got too late and I had to get to work this morning, so hopefully I can get it done over the next couple of days.
The next thing I will have to tackle is my apparent fear of actually quilting my quilts...
The next thing I will have to tackle is my apparent fear of actually quilting my quilts...
Added 8/12/10:
Getting closer!
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