The Quilter's Husband's Lament

I was just talking to Ashley the other day about people I know who have a maid come in to clean their homes....and how really wonderful that would be.  (Actually, it would be a toss up which I would like more, a maid or a cook -- okay, I'll take both!)


ADDICTED TO QUILTING

She learned to quilt on MONDAY;
Her stitches all were fine.
She forgot to make us dinner,
So we all went out to dine.

She quilted miniatures on TUESDAY;
She says they are a must.
They really were quite lovely,
But she forgot to dust.

On WEDNESDAY, it was a sampler.
She says stippling's fun.
What highlights! What shadows!
But the laundry wasn't done.

Nine Patches were on THURSDAY -
Green, yellow, blue, and red.
I guess she really was engrossed;
She never made the bed.

It was wall hangings on FRIDAY,
In colors she adores.
It never bothered her at all
That crumbs were on the floor.

I found a maid on SATURDAY;
My week is now complete.
My wife can quilt the hours away;
The house will still be neat.

Well, now it's only SUNDAY.
I think I'm about to wilt.
I yelled, I raved, I ranted
'Cuz the maid has learned to QUILT!

Someone send me a maid!!!

Talk from Dad's funeral

Trying again, maybe you actually have to download a video under the video link instead of the photo link??  We'll see if this works better. 

Dad's final days and funeral

We lost our dad last week.  We knew it would be coming before very long, but when it arrived it was too soon. 

He was able to stay at home, which was a blessing.  Some family members were able to make it and see him before he passed.  He wasn't in pain, and slept most of the time, and eventually slipped into a coma and wasn't aware.  Though it was some what difficult to watch the daily decline, it was a relatively easy passing - for which we are so grateful.

I have so many memories of my father's hands.  I took several pictures of them.  Here is my brother showing Dad's wedding ring we were finally able to remove,  Mom said she didn't think he had ever taken it off.

A small smattering of memories displayed at the funeral to sum up a long and full life. 

The sign-in table, programs, and an oil painting of the Logan temple where our parents were married.

The earthly tabernacle that housed my father while he was here.  It didn't really look like him, as is pretty common.  I found it helpful that it didn't.  I didn't feel sad looking at his remains, I worried that I would - thus making it more difficult when I needed to speak at the funeral, but I felt little connection here.  Dad had left this shell - I was relieved that it was so clear to me. 

 Me, Carole, Mom, Jeff

The funeral was lovely.  It was completely done by family members.  Many memories, lots of laughter, a few tears,  Carole, Jeff & I  spoke.  Crawford (grandson) played a piano solo, a nephew played the organ and Chelsea (granddaughter) lead the music.  My husband gave the opening prayer, and Dad's only surviving brother, Ab, gave the closing prayer. 

The burial was the next day since we had to drive to Logan.  It was a lovely, beautiful day.  We had a large turn out of family members from both sides of the family.  People who made the effort to come long distances will always be loved for their effort. 

My father was a war hero...saved the lives of 10 men in WWII.  (A story only my brother knew until this week when he shared it with us.  My Dad never mentioned it to the rest of us, even my mother.)  As the military honors were performed, I found myself feeling proud that he was being recognized for that service, in front of his family, for the first time.

The "Grandpa" spray.  A floral tribute to the circle of life.

You will be missed, but we know you are near......and keeping watch over us.

We love you, Dad.

French Kids Eat Everything

 "French Kids Eat Everything" by Karen LeBillon

My sister brought this book to my attention a week or so ago when we were there visiting.  I haven't read it yet (but plan to when I can manage to get my hands on a free copy....aka library....IF our library even carries it.)  But Carole has read it...or is reading it.  I love the subject.  From what I've been told it's a Canadian woman who went to France with her husband and two little kids for a year.  Her children were typical western style kids, picky eaters, needed snacks right now when they were hungry, wouldn't eat anything new or weird, fast foods & macaroni and cheese were staples.  Not only did the children learn and grow from their french experience, but this mother as well.  It tells a story of her participating in a farmers market type event.  She went prepared with some fresh strawberries and a few other things...finger type foods that people could snack on while enjoying the festivities.  Only 2 people bought anything, and whenever a child tried to take something his mother would get after him and put it back.  She was horribly hurt and later that night when speaking to her husband about it (who is french himself) he explained to her that french people don't snack and eat walking around.  They sit and eat at meals.  Those mothers did not want their children to learn that ugly American habit.  One of the phrases that really stuck with me from the book was that  Americans eat like children.  If you think about it, we really do.  We eat and snack at all and any hours we can get away with it, and eat things our taste buds crave rather than what would nourish and keep us healthy and strong.  Another thing the French do is only have a sugar dessert once a week, and then it's just one piece.  They eat fruit for sweet treats the rest of the week, wouldn't we all be better off adopting this habit?  This is a book that shows how to get your children to eat better and healthier and behave more reasonably in regards to foods.  We adults, who eat as children, would do well to take a few lessons ourselves.

Fushia = Grandma

I saw this picture of a lovely fushia plant on one of the quilting blogs I visit occasionally.  This is hanging outside of her studio.  It makes me think of my maternal grandmother.  She had a large picture window in her living room where there sat a big pot with a tall white trellis coming out of it and in this pot was the largest fushia plant I've ever seen.  I was small, so who knows how tall it actually was, I have memories of it being very tall.  And it always seemed to be in bloom...we must have always visited when it was in it's growing season.  I always think of Grandma when I see one of these.

Has the plant based diet been worth it?

Today my husband had his doctor's appointment.  We were both commenting that if his numbers didn't show an improvement we were going to be really ripped!  It isn't easy to eat the way we've been trying, though it is getting better - we are slowly finding things that we like, and know better how to do this, but it still would be a major kick in the pants if it wasn't making any improvement in measurable health numbers.  I won't pretend to know what the numbers mean....I just haven't taken the time to study it out.  But I do know that numbers going up is bad and going down is good.  Dave's weight is down almost 20 lbs, his blood pressure went down 20 points on the top number and down 10 points on the bottom number.  His diabetes number dropped 1 full point, and his cholesterol dropped 50 points. The doctor said he'd never seen numbers drop that much in 3 months, which is how long it's been since his previous appointment.  We've been following this diet for 2 months.  Jury is in....we'll keep doing this.

YouTube, what a wonder!

I am currently in love with YouTube.  In the past 24 hours I've googled "How to sew curved seams without pins" and "performances of Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody Theme of Paganini" and I had links to YouTube videos where I was able to watch and learn in 4 minutes, free of charge, how to do those tricky curved seams without a single pin - easy peasy.  And played for one of my piano students the Rhapsody piano & orchestra performance so she could hear the emotion that needs to be put into that piece of music (I've got to remember to do this more...what a great tool so they can really HEAR a new piece they aren't familiar with and know what we are shooting toward.)  I've gone to YouTube a handful of times for something, but usually forget about it.  Seriously, it is so cool!