From 1978--Neal A. Maxwell Saw Our Day

Joy in Kenya

A Kiva worker shares what Obama's election means to Kenyans.

Thank you to Boyznberry for sharing this photograph on flickr.

October Kitchen Views

Thank you to FarmBoy for providing this beauty in our kitchen. It is such a blessing to me to be able to see such sights first thing on an October morning.

The Obama Family

Please take 15 minutes to watch this video and get an idea why I love the Obamas.

Happy Stan

Here is a little four-minute video of where our favorite trombone player is hanging out once a week.

He is probably not very homesick.

(Thanks T, for the lead.)

adiós mi músico

royal caribbean
Originally uploaded by german.

My favorite trombone player is leaving tomorrow for a six-month gig on one of these. California to Mexico for three months, then three months in the (royal) Caribbean after Christmas.

I think that I will be listening to his CDs.

A lot.

(Thank you to german for the photo.)

Is That a Cute Baby, or What?

Peacefull Stroll

Peacefull Stroll
Originally uploaded by Arnold Pouteau's

This looks like a scene from my teenage years.

I was blessed, wasn't I?

(Thanks, Mom and Dad.)

Little Deer

Originally uploaded by ~K~

One of my favorite things about living where I do now.

(Click on the picture for photo credits.)

Letting in the Morning Air

Our green way of keeping our house cool is to open up all the windows in the morning, when it is cool (and how thankful we are for cool evenings and mornings here in western Washington) and then to close everything up tight when the temperature outside begins to climb. (We also have coverings for our windows, which we move according to where the sun is shining, but that's another story.)









One benefit of this is that, while opening the downstairs windows in the morning, I get to look out onto my porch with it's flower-laden window boxes and smell the clove-scented dianthus wafting in on the morning breeze. The scent is one of the best parts, but I'm afraid I can't share that here.

I do have these pictures, though, including one of the quilt I leaned over this morning, as I opened the window behind the couch.

Just Because This Made Me Feel Good

(Thank you, Nokiomi.)

A Patchwork of Another Kind

Thank you to Kaferine for the pretty pictures.

Chive Blossoms

Spring! Time to sprinkle purple chive blossoms into the salad. Yum.

Heirloom Bedspread Update

I got the heirloom bedspread cut into squares, put them back together like a free-form jigsaw, and have begun to sew together the patchwork quilt top. I though you might like a peek.

Encouraging News Regarding Food Storage

Have your efforts at food storage looked sort of like this squirrel's?



New Findings for Longer-Term Food Storage
Link here.

"Findings of recent scientific studies conducted by a team of researchers at Brigham Young University show that properly packaged, low-moisture foods stored at room temperature or cooler (75°F/24°C or lower) remain nutritious and edible much longer than previously thought. The studies, which are the first of their kind, increase the estimated shelf life for many products to 30 years or more (see chart for new estimates of shelf life). Previous estimates of longevity were based on "best-if-used-by" recommendations and experience. Though not studied, sugar, salt, baking soda (essential for soaking beans), and vitamin C in tablet form also store well long-term. Some basic foods do need more frequent rotation, such as vegetable oil every 1 to 2 years.

"While there is a decline in nutritional quality and taste over time, depending on the original quality of food and how it was processed, packaged, and stored, the studies show that even after being stored long-term, the food will help sustain life in an emergency.

"For tips on how to best preserve longer-term food storage products, see Longer-Term Supply."

Food	New "Life Sustaining" Shelf-Life Estimates (In Years)
Wheat	30+
White rice	30+
Pinto beans	30
Apple slices	30
Macaroni	30
Rolled oats	30
Potato flakes	30

Flowers for Mother's Day

These flowers of Paris I picked just for you, Ethan's mommy and Lincoln's mom. You are the best of mothers and that makes this mother very happy!

Happy Mother's Day to you both.

Thank you to this photographer for the French market scene.

Background NOT Noise

I like to listen to uplifting things as I quilt so I was thrilled to discover this resource today. Maybe you will like it, too.

Thank you to this photographer.

The Back is Pretty, Too!

I turned the heirloom bedspread over today to begin cutting and found this beautiful work of embroidery on the back. These are the backs of the blanket stitches. Aren't they beautiful? I had to look pretty closely to see how Great Great Grandmother ended one colored thread and began another without leaving a trace of the change. You can see how she wove the thread back through existing stitches in the bottom example. The yellow thread, middle photo, is the "messiest" spot on the whole bedspread.

Our Marriage

FarmBoy grows things.
Dallan sews things.

It's a Cutter--Yikes!

I received from my mother yesterday this muslin appliquéd bedspread, below, made in 1926 by my--get ready--great great grandmother. On the left is the rod-pocket curtain which goes with it. Mom and her cousin who had possession of these agreed that I would best know what to do with these treasures. What an honor for me.

These are not quilts, but single layers of muslin with appliqués cut from floral fabric and affixed by a blanket stitch in various colors of embroidery thread. While the fabrics are in nearly perfect condition, I still think that this heirloom will best be honored by being cut up (scary, I know) and made into a new, smaller quilt suitable for hanging on a wall. In this way, the beautiful hand-stitching will be preserved and displayed.

What will result will be a quilt made by my great great grandmother and I, in a collaborative effort. What an amazing thing.





Stay tuned for updates on this project.