Renaissance Living

Accomplish....my word for 2012

2012-01-04T16:39:00.001-06:00

Here we are in a new year...and I have a new word....ACCOMPLISH

This year I want to stick to my plans and finish some of my mountain of projects. I'm not saying that I can't start anything new, I just want to temper my enthusiasm for new projects and promote the joy of completing some that have been around for awhile.

My list of things to work on includes...
exercise..I've rejoined the Y and Paige is going to help me with this
piano...Leann is going to help me with this
quilts...of which the above clover top is only one.....
and of course, playing...It's so much fun that the kids are getting a little older and we can actually "play". I love games and they are so great at imaginative play, and it's still cool for them to play with me, so I better enjoy it while I can.

Here's to a great 2012 where lots of things get accomplished throughout the year!

Busy season...So why not do more?

2011-11-10T13:13:00.001-06:00

November-December is such a busy time. All the holiday hustle and bustle, at work and at home, should tell me not to take on more projects. But no....I'm knee deep in projects right now. These are my curved rail batik blocks. Pretty, aren't they. I actually won these from Block Lotto in September. I'm still waiting on the last of my "winnings" but then I'll be able to play with setting these. They are what is up on my design wall right now. I imagine it will be awhile before I actually sew them. It's actually kind of relaxing to experiment with rearranging these gorgeous blocks.

This one, you may remember from a while ago. It is also made from Block Lotto winnings. I am finally in the process of quilting it. I'm hand quilting it, just because if feels like it should be hand quilted. I have some embellishments planned too. It's now on my quilt frame in the living room, so it's easy to do watching television, whenever I have time for that.

I also am still working on my log cabin quilt from Lyn Brown. It's fabulous, but I can only work on log cabin blocks for a little bit and then I have to go do something different.

The something different is a mystery quilt from my friend, Cindy. I'm only at the cutting stage, but it's fun to not know where it's going.

Throw in Thanksgiving plans and Christmas plans, and playing with the kids...and I love love love this season...but it can be rather exhausting. So why shouldn't I take on another quilt along? Thanks, Jennifer, at That Girl That Quilt, for coming up with a chevron design I just adore. I'll make copies of all the steps, but I imagine I won't actually start this one until after Christmas. In fact, I don't expect any of these projects to be finished by Christmas... I just plan to enjoy the process..and the diversity of them for now.

It's a sad sad day.....Goodbye Texas University....

2011-10-15T14:01:00.000-05:00

I know college football is a business.
I know college football is all about money and politics.
I understand that money and politics led Texas to its television deal.
I understand that it was difficult for Texas A&M to recruit given what Texas had to offer kids.
I understand that is one of the main reasons A&M wanted to switch to the SEC

but.....

That being said, I think college football is also about tradition and rivalries. With all the conference swapping, a lot a traditional rivalries are falling by the wayside. That's sad...but none quite as sad as Texas announcing that they do not have room in their schedule for the Texas-Texas A&M game.

What?????

Texas and Texas A&M have been playing the traditional rivalry game on or near Thanksgiving day forever. I know my family has personally followed that rivalry for close to 100 years, sometimes quite heatedly with people supported both schools. I'm sure I have relatives rolling over in their graves with this announcement. Why would that game not have already been penciled in on everyone's schedule on or near Thanksgiving day well into the future?

The timing of Texas sudden "full schedule" looks like sour grapes and political games to me. I guess the A&M fight song is just becoming more and more literal. After all, it starts out "Goodbye to Texas University...."

It's too bad college football has come to this point. What next?...no Army-Navy game?

2011-10-13T08:21:00.002-05:00

Can you believe Christmas is only 73 days away?

I saw that number and panic set in...but wait...no need to panic. I've been buying things, taking advantage of sales and what ever since last Christmas. The problem is now, I don't know what I've bought or made, and who for. I need to go dig the stuff out, sort it, and take stock. There are several gifts I want to make. I still have time, right?

Deep cleansing breaths. That's what's called for right now. The next 73 days are going to be crazy, with a major remodel at work thrown in to all the regular Holiday hustle and bustle. I love holidays, but I think the big trick now, is to make them fun, but not to overdo at the same time.

My geese are dressed for Halloween. So I'm off to a good start.

May the Spirit be with you!!!!

A Reflection On Time

2011-08-29T13:15:00.001-05:00

I read an interesting article by Anne Lamott the other day, that I haven't been able to stop thinking about. (If you don't know who Anne Lamott is, she's a writer and she teaches classes in creative writing as well.) It was all about time and how it is so hard to find the time to do things we want to do. How crazy is that? If we really want to do something, we should be able to find the time. Right?

Well, I have to admit, I have a huge "to do" list that only seems to grow longer and longer. I was on vacation last week, with a goal of accomplishing all those little things that have been on my list for way too long. I'll admit, I caught a cold in the middle of my week and it set me back. I don't know about you, but I really don't want to do much of anything when I don't feel good. I did, however, manage to get some of the things crossed off my list. Most of them didn't really take much time either. But then it dawned on me, that I had found it necessary to use my vacation to get these things done....and some of them were "wants" not "have tos". That's just plain crazy.

What has happened to us that we are so caught up in the day to day that we have trouble stopping to smell the roses? My daughter found a sign she wants for her kitchen. It says something like: 'Pardon the mess, memories are being made'. I want to go shout that message from all the rooftops.

The article that started all this thinking asked some key questions to help us find time such as: Do we really need to watch 30 minutes of news ever day? As a former news producer I first found this to be an horrendous idea. But then I thought, is it really necessary to be caught up on all the robberies and fires? Would we be okay if instead of watching the news, we worked on a creative project, or played with our kids? How about what time we get up in the morning? If we get up 10 minutes earlier, will we really notice the difference other than have10 minutes to for instance pack our lunch, instead of hitting the snack machine during our lunch break. I know many people find facebook and twitter fun, but do we really need to post and check status updates several times throughout the day?

The Flylady website starts people organizing their messy houses by using bits of 15 minutes at a time. It works. So why can't we use the same 15 minutes to be creative, do projects, or just have fun?

August is just about over. Perhaps the Dog Days of Summer add to our lack of productivity at times, or is "it's too hot" just another excuse. As for me, I'm ready to manage my time better. Wish me luck.

31 days of change

2011-08-06T20:52:00.000-05:00

It is said that to give a habit a month, and you can keep it forever. I don't know if I believe that, as I've started many things and stuck with them for a month only to have them fizzle after awhile longer. But I think it's a worthwhile endeavor, none the less.

Last year a group of bloggers got together to do 31 days of blogging. Here are some of the topics/bloggers that committed to writing for the month of October:

:: 31 Days to Stress-Free Entertaining from Sandy at The Reluctant Entertainer

:: 31 Days to a Better Photo from Darcy at Life With My 3 Boybarians

:: 31 Days to More with Less from Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

:: 31 Days of Autumn Bliss from Melissa at The Inspired Room

:: 31 Days of Living Simply from Emily at Remodeling This Life

:: 31 Days of Grace from Emily at Chatting at the Sky

:: 31 Days to an Inspired Table from Kendra at My First Kitchen

Some of the topics were of interest to me and I followed along with Jen, Melissa and Emily. The others I admit I never read. Well, the group is doing it again this October, with the overall theme being 31 days of change. There is an interesting caveat they've offered this time, and that is to allow other bloggers to link to this party.

I'm seriously considering doing this. I think a commitment of a blog a day for a month would be good for me. I've thought about topics, and in doing so, I've thought about what I personally would like to work on. Afterall, I don't have very many readers (mostly just friends and family) and I blog primarily for my own creative/emotional outlet, whatever that means. Anyway, the topic I'm considering is something that I know very well, but it is also always elusive...and that is creativity and ways to expand our creative souls. What do you think? Should I do it? I suppose you'll find out if my courage, time and patience matches by ideas and desires come October 1 when you will or won't see my first post of 31 days.

While Mom's Away.....

2011-07-30T07:34:00.000-05:00

While Mom's away...the kids will play...and play...and play.

Paige is at a conference for TOT for three days, so I get to play with the girls. We have:
Drawn with chalk all over the patio
Played dress up (Mallory especially likes the women's shoes)
The big girls and I drove to Silver Dollar City for breakfast with Tom and Jerry. That was an exceptionally big deal for Mackenzie as she is obsessed with the cartoons. The girls got lots of personal attention from the big mouse and cat and did a lot of dancing. Who knew Tom and Jerry were dancers?
While at Silver Dollar City, we weren't going to do any rides or anything, but we couldn't resist stopping to see the animals, drawing on the slate at the school, or playing with the giant building blocks. On the way out, the cloggers were starting their performance. You can't pass cloggers! Morgan got to go up on stage and dance with the cloggers too.
Today we have our cousin camp with the boys. We're painting fairy houses and going on a scavenger hunt and jumping on a trampoline....and who knows what else.

I'll have to go back to work to rest up from my vacation. I don't remember playing as being so exhausting....but it's been loads of fun and the kids have been great.

Lazy hazy summer...not!!!

2011-06-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

Summer is by far my favorite season of the year. It always has been. I'm sure not having school was a big factor in creating this feeling when I was a kid. I love the hot weather, wearing shorts and flip flops. The problem is there is soooo much to do in the summer. And that doesn't include my every-lengthening to-do list for things around the house.

But then I saw Morgan and Mackenzie after their t-ball game. To see them chatting, sitting on the grass, enjoying their juice drinks made me realize what summer is all about. It also made me see that we busy adults need to take the time to enjoy little bits of relaxation when we can. As they say "every little bit helps".

I think I'll go sit outside with my coffee and just watch the dogs play and listen to the waterfall for a few minutes.

Quilting tidbits

2011-05-06T11:44:00.001-05:00

First of all, I have to tell you, that I am incredibly lucky. I actually won the Block Lotto again this month. Two months in a row! That is amazing. In April, 50 quilters made 372 Modern Clover blocks–enough for eight winners and one of those winners was me! Aren't these little flower blocks cute? The block was designed by one of my cyber-quilting friends, Kate. She plays Block Lotto but she also is the brains behind my Stay-at-home-Robin. I will be setting these on point, and I think I'll space them with small borders. Very exciting.
.

This is the block for May. They're calling it pineapple blossom. It's scrappy but if you look closely, every block has two grey squares and two yellow or gold squares. Those are the unifying colors that every quilter will be using. They make for a subtle and warm constant that I think will be great. I'll be donating my blocks this month as I have both the disappearing 4 patch and now the modern clover quilts to finish.

Oh boy!

I won!!!!

2011-04-01T08:05:00.001-05:00

While reading through e-mails, I shout out "Oh boy, I won!!!" My husband comes around the corner quickly to see what the excitement is about. I won the Block Lotto! for March. He was not nearly as thrilled as I was. OK, it's not money, but it's almost as good.

We made disappearing four patch blocks in red and white and I love this block. It will make a gorgeous quilt. I also feel so honored to be getting blocks from so many other sewers. I could not duplicate this scrappy quilt on my own. There's no way I could accumulate that many different fabrics. I'll be getting 43 blocks, plus the 6 I made myself. Isn't that exciting?

This is the second time I've won, so I really didn't expect it. I'm so happy. Thank you all you Block Lotto quilters.

Life Thoughts

2011-03-27T16:28:00.000-05:00

We so underestimate the value of life at times. I have been reminded of how precious our time is this week.

One of my grandkids just celebrated his third birthday. It was a great time and seeing all 5 grandkids playing is pure joy. The oldest is going to be 5 soon. My own kids don't remember my parents at all. My mother was gone before either of them were born, and my father died when my oldest was only 3. I am so thankful that I have made it past those anniversaries of death. I intend to see lots more birthdays, and I want to try to appreciate every little moment I spend with any of them.

One of my friends' mother ended up in the hospital last week. She's having some problems and will require extra help from her family. She is fortunate to have her family near to help her, and they are blessed to have her still in their lives.

Then the sister of one of my friends lost her boyfriend suddenly in an accident. They were looking forward to a lifetime of memories that now will never happen. My heart goes out to her and their families. Anytime someone dies young, it seems that we are all cheated out of what could be.

Then, in between these events that I consider major in people's lives, I have stumbled upon various bits of drama over nothing. Why do we spend so much time and energy on unimportant trivia?

Look around at your family and friends. They deserve your best attention.

Warning...Political Rant....

2011-03-03T08:05:00.000-06:00

I am so disappointed at the Supreme Court ruling in favor of Fred Phelps, I could just cry.

For those of you not familiar with Mr. Phelps' clan and the Westboro Baptist Church, let me offer a brief explanation. Phelps' group belies that gays are a sin against humanity. They think the Americans being killed in the war in Afghanistan and Iraq are dying because of God's wrath against gays in America. So, they have chosen to speak out about this issue. Where do they take their protest? They picket funerals of servicemen who died in combat in these wars. The idea is preposterous.

First of all, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have nothing to do with gays. These soldiers whose graves are being picketed are not known to be gay.

The Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 that the Phelps clan has the constitutional right to freedom of speech and can picket. OK...I get free speech. But there is also the inherent right, no responsibility, to respect another person. The poor families of these servicemen are grieving. They have lost their love ones, often very young people to a horrible death. Why degrade these young people and their ultimate service to their country?

Pick some other place to protest. One's rights to protest should not infringe on another person's rights to a dignified funeral. Why can't we show a little respect, courtesy, and empathy to people in their time of sorrow?

It's all you...

2011-02-13T09:04:00.000-06:00

Whatever happened to personal responsibility? It seems the going thing is to blame somebody or something for just about everything. Are we truly just becoming cogs in a wheel that is turned by another hand? I hope not.

When my kids were little, I had a no tolerance policy (or so I thought) about lying. Lying really makes me angry. I told them that if they did something wrong, they would get in trouble for it. But if I found out they lied about it, they would get in much more trouble. So they might as well fess up from the start, as "moms always find out...and moms do...sooner or later".

I have to admit I am too often guilty of lying by omission. I don't like to hurt people's feelings so I have always tried to live by the rule "if you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all." I've come to believe that's not always a best practice even though it has good intentions. It's a difficult habit to break, however.

Many people seem to want to believe the worst in others. That's why gossip (and political commentators) are so powerful. The quickness to blame is seldom balanced with the same speed to credit.

How have people developed this fear of admitting they might not know something? I suppose they think it makes them look stupid, but the real question is why they don't know it. Have they not been exposed to it? Have they not had enough practice with it? Did their own laziness attribute to the lack of knowledge? Did they not ask? Do they think we all learn by osmosis? No, too often they are hoping to slide their ignorance under the radar of observation. I've got news for them. It doesn't work as "moms always find out...and moms do...sooner or later".

The worst to me is when one is caught in error, they seek to blame everyone but themselves. Do they really think that? Do they really not understand the concept of personal responsibility, or are they lacking the integrity to admit when they don't know something or do something wrong. Maybe they are just higher on human scale than I am, as I seem to do things wrong all the time.

Do yourself and our society a favor. Teach your children that lying won't get them anywhere. Teach them the joy of learning new things, but that sometimes it is hard to learn those new things, and that's okay. Teach them that it's okay to not know something, that that is an opportunity to learn. Teach them there are no stupid questions. Teach them that it is not necessary to put someone else down, in order to build themselves up. Teach them personal responsibilty.

Contest

2011-02-06T20:00:00.000-06:00

My Connecting Threads Quilt Design uses assorted tones of purple batiks. I get to be entered into a contest by sharing this. I do love contests and winning. Actually, it's fun to experiment with fabrics in the patterns on the kit builder on their site. The totals for the fabric calculate along the way. It's a fun idea. I can't wait for them to add more quilt patterns to the mix.

2011-02-02T09:24:00.000-06:00

Having been in the news business for more than 15 years, I feel I have the right to comment (and criticize) on the news business. And today, I just have the need to rant a bit.

When will the networks learn? Yesterday, the worst storm in practically forever, hit the central United States. It spread from Texas to Maine covering the area with ice, snow, and gale force winds. It is estimated that 100 million people were affected by this storm. Thousands of schools were closed across the area, including Chicago schools for the first time in 17 years. Major highways including portions of I-70 and I-44 in Missouri and Lake Shore Drive in Chicago were closed. Four states declared national emergencies. I could go on..... Yet what did two of the major news outfits lead with? Egypt.

Now, don't get me wrong. I know that the uprising in Egypt is a huge international story. I'm not saying don't do a good job of explaining what is happening there, and how it affects the rest of the world, and why I should care. But what I am saying is most people, stuck at home, or stranded somewhere, want to know about the storm. The storm is affecting them, personally, now. Lead with the storm. And please, don't wait to cover the storm until it gets to New York (where the network is), since most of us don't live in New York.

And as a side note about the Egypt coverage....what is this infatuation about sending your anchors to the story? Katie Couric has no business covering that story. She's an anchor. Leave her and Brian Williams in the studio.

I usually don't like ABC news coverage best. (That could be because my news life was working for a CBS, and then an NBC station), but on this one they got it right. They led with the storm. Yes. And then they sent an anchor, but a veteran international news correspondent-turned anchor, Christiane Amanpour to cover the situation in Egypt.

Now, back in the day, I remember a discussion about what is news supposed to report: What people should know, or what people want to know. ( The question came up on a nothing happening local news day when I led with Michael Jackson's hair catching on fire while he was performing in Kansas City when many of our local people had made the trip for the concert.) What people should know, or what people want to know....That sounds like a kind of arrogant question but I suppose the right answer is both. But if you don't give them what they want, they aren't going to stick around for what you think they should know.

Winter crafting

2011-01-19T08:26:00.000-06:00

I like to think of myself as an artist...not a crafter. No offense to crafters, as my work cannot compare to master craftsmen. I just feel I travel to a different beat sometimes. That's one of the reasons this is "renaissance" living. I perfect nothing, but sample everything. I also tend not to exactly follow the rules..

My current favorite "craft" is quilting. There is no way I could make one of those beautiful traditional quilts in a full size. I just don't have the patience. I can't see cutting and sewing the exact same thing over and over again. And matching up points perfectly....the people who can do that are saints. I have found a few websites and blogs, however, that inspire my creativity and crafting. I love Block Lotto. A different block is presented each month. You can try it and put it in the "lotto". If you "win" you get blocks sent to you, enough for a quilt. otherwise, your block is mailed to someone else. I'm currently working on putting together the blocks I won a couple of months ago. But with each month's block, I'm learning better quilting techniques in new ways without a big commitment. I also love the Stay At Home Robin. Each month there are new instructions to add to our quilt. It's just a small quilt, so again, no big investment. But the instructions are very open ended so it is truly a design challenge. I'm actually working on two SAHR quilts. While the instructions were the same, the quilts are vastly different. Very fun.
Another craft that is popular with me is crochet. I especially tend to pick it up in the winter. There's something about curling up on a couch with a quilt on you lap, hot coffee on the table, a dog snuggled into your side, and soft yarn being crocheted in your hands. If I had a working fireplace it would be a perfect winter picture.

To encourage and inspire my favorite crafts, I traipse around the internet checking in on blogs and websites. The thing about blogs is that one tends to lead you to another. And I love when I discover someone new to admire. Her name is Ashley Martineau and her business is Neauveau Fiber Arts. She spins and dyes her own yarn and does freeform crochet and some crazy knitting. She has given me the desire to recycle yarn. I truly want to go unravel a sweater or two. Just seeing her work makes me smile.
So how about you? Does the winter cold keep you inside? Perfect for crafting then, I'd say.

New Year, New you...not

2011-01-02T08:12:00.000-06:00

For years, January has brought out the slogan "New Year, New You" at work, but not this year. This year the signs bear the sentiment "A Fresh Start". Hmmm.....What's that supposed to mean? That sounds more like a do-over as the kids would say.

But aren't the new year's resolutions designed to make a new, better me? I like new things, not refurbished things. Although refurbished things are usually cheaper. And they usually work just as well. Some even come with good warranties. Is this a marketing ploy due to the recent economic depression? Oh, yea, there wasn't really a depression, it just felt like it

. I admit I get confused sometimes. The media and politicians often don't seem to live in the same world I live in. That must be my problem as everyone knows television reflects reality today. Yes, all those reality programs must be the way the rest of the world lives. I'm just here in the Ozark hills living like....oh ....the people in Winter's Bone. Is that my reality? Well, no....not really...not even close.

As confused as I am with how I'm "supposed" to be, no wonder I need a "fresh start". I need so much work, it would be almost impossible to create a "new" better me. So you all will have to settle for the "slightly used" version. And if that's the case, then I can save myself the trauma of having to come up with any new year's resolutions that I won't keep. I'll just be me for 2011....the same old me....take it or leave it....Now that's a Fresh Start.

P.S. Like my picture for 2011? I want to thank Robert, for that. It's his family with real sparklers on new year's eve....no photoshop tricks. Awesome, don't you think?

Celebrate...the Poinsettia

2010-12-12T09:04:00.000-06:00

December 12 is National Poinsettia Day.

The Poinsettia is indigenous to Mexico and Central America. The plant is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, who introduced the plant into the US in 1828.

It isn’t the flowering plant we think it is. Actually the bright red, orange, pale green, cream, pink, white or marbled parts are actually leaves. The “flowers” are the small yellow pieces in the center of each leaf bunch.

The plant's association with Christmas began in 16th century Mexico, where legend tells of a young girl who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday. The story is that the child was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Red "blossoms" sprouted from the weeds and became beautiful poinsettias. In the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico introduced the plants in their Christmas celebrations. They introduced the idea of the star-shaped leaf symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color representing the blood of Jesus.

There is a common misconception that the poinsettia is highly poisonous. That is because most plants of this genus are toxic. It is mildly irritating to the skin or stomach. It could cause diarrhea and vomiting if eaten. If sap got into a person’s eyes it could cause temporary blindness. An American Journal of Emergency Medicine study of 22,793 cases reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers showed no fatalities, and that most were accidental, involved children, and did not result in any type of medical treatment. POISINDEX, a major source for poison control centers, says a 50-pound child would have to eat 500 bracts to be toxic. An Ohio State University study showed no problems even with extremely large doses. So, it is not poisonous, but is still mildy toxic and probably should be kept out of reach of small children or pets or anyone sensitive to latex or other irritations.

So, go ahead, enjoy the beauty of the plant and the season.

St. Nicholas Day

2010-12-05T17:03:00.000-06:00

Tonight (December 05), we’re celebrating Saint Nicholas Eve. The tradition of Saint Nicholas Day is a festival for children related to surviving legends of the saint, and particularly his reputation as a bringer of gifts.

Sinterklaas

Sint-Nicolass

De Goedheiligman

Saint Nicolas

Sinte Klaas

Kris Kringle

Father Christmas

Santa Claus

Whatever you want to call him, his day of celebration is December 6, or St. Nicholas Day. It is a feast day for the saint who inspired the legend of Santa Claus The historical Saint Nicholas is remembered and revered among Catholic and Orthodox Christians. He is also honored by various Anglican and Lutheran churches. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, thieves, and of course children.

Although he was the patron saint of Russia, Nicholas of Myra was Greek. He was the only son of wealthy Christian parents and was very religious from an early age. His wealthy parents died in an epidemic, while Nicholas was still young, and he was raised by his uncle who was a bishop. Nicholas spent time at a monastery and led a devout life which is full of tales of his exploits. Perhaps the most famous is about a poor man who had three daughters but could not afford a proper dowry for them. This meant that they would remain unmarried and probably end up as prostitutes. Hearing of the man's situation, Nicholas decided to help him but wanted to do so anonymously. Version one of the story has Nicholas going to the man’s house at night and throwing three purses (one for each daughter) filled with gold coins through the window. Another version has him throwing one purse for three consecutive nights. A third rendition has him throw the purses over a period of three years, each time the night before one of the daughters comes "of age". Invariably, the third time the father hides, trying to discover the identity of their benefactor. In yet another version, the father confronts the saint, only to have Saint Nicholas say it is not him he should thank, but God alone. In one last story, Nicholas learns of the poor man's plan to discover his identity and drops the third bag down the chimney instead, but this variant says that the daughter had washed her stockings that evening and hung them over the embers to dry, and that the bag of gold fell into the stocking.

It’s easy to see how that story created the traditions that vary somewhat from country to country. For some, like the

Netherlands

, Saint Nicholas’ Eve is the chief occasion for gift-giving. Children open presents that night. But most countries have some form of children putting out their shoes either in front of the fireplace, or outside the front door before they go to bed and then waking up to find presents, typically small trinkets and sweets around the shoes on the morning of the 6th. The story says Sinterklaas brings presents to every child that has behaved his or herself in the past year but in practice, just like with Santa Claus, all children receive gifts without distinction.

In recent years, Christmas (along with Santa Claus) has been pushed by shopkeepers as another gift-giving festival, with some success; although, especially for young children, Saint Nicholas' Eve is still much more important than Christmas. The rise of Father Christmas is often cited as an example of globalisation and Americanisation.

As a rather sad footnote, the metamorphosis of Saint Nicholas into the more commercially lucrative Santa Claus, which took several centuries in Europe and America, has recently been re-enacted in the saint's home town: the city of Demre. This modern Turkish town is built near the ruins of ancient Myra. As St. Nicholas is a very popular Orthodox saint, the city attracts many Russian tourists. A solemn bronze statue of the Saint by the Russian sculptor Gregory Pototsky, donated by the Russian government in 2000, was given a prominent place on the square in front of the medieval church of St. Nicholas. In 2005, the city’s mayor had the statue replaced by a red-suited plastic Santa Claus statue, because he wanted the central statue to be more recognizable to visitors from all over the world. Protests from the Russian government against this action were successful only to the extent that the Russian statue was returned, without its original high pedestal, to a corner near the church.

While feasts of Saint Nicholas are not observed nationally, cities with strong German influences like Milwaukee, and St. Louis celebrate St. Nick's Day on a scale similar to the German. Gifts often include chocolate gold coins to represent the gold St. Nick gave to the poor and small trinkets. In these areas the tradition of St. Nick's Day is firmly established with parents often continuing to observe the day with their adult children.

I, for one, will be celebrating in whatever small manner, the life and memories of someone with true compassion and love of children.

Happy St. Nicholas Day to you.

Tis the season for compassion...

2010-12-03T11:14:00.000-06:00

I've been having a lot of fun with the Block Lotto the last few months. It's an online group and we make quilt blocks and then there is a drawing, and you might "win" blocks from others so you have enough for a quilt, and if not, you mail the blocks you made off to one of the winners. I started this when I stumbled upon the site and they were making these blocks that I really liked, that were a technique I had never tried. While all the blocks were following the same instructions, they were different and unique. I joined as an opportunity to push my skills, both technically and creatively.

I was so excited the month I won the blocks. Some were so incredibly perfect, way beyond my current capabilities. Others were like mine. Some were design-wise gorgeous, and others not as interesting, but true to the directions of the block. I have put off finishing my quilt as I didn't want to disrespect the effort of all the different people who made these blocks for me. I consider myself so grateful to have won a month and want to make sure the finished project is as special as it can be.

Well, in an effort to establish the plan for the Block Lotto next year, a lot of discussion has been turned to "problem" blocks. Really? I am probably naive, but I assumed that everyone was doing their very best to make these blocks. The skill level on the site ranges from beginners to people who have been quilting since the beginning of time...(well maybe less than that, but a long time anyway).

Now, I'm doubting myself and my contributions. Have my blocks not been up to the winners' standards? I wouldn't have ever thought to complain about any of the blocks I received, no matter what they were like, as I know that someone spent time to make the block, using their own fabric, and then mail it to me. I have the option of putting the blocks together anyway I want. If I really didn't like one, I could leave it out, or I could try to fix it to my satisfaction. Even the discussion of "problem" blocks has taken some of the "fun" out of the Block Lotto for me.

In this Christmas season, I truly want to be compassionate of the feelings and efforts of others. I want everyone to know that I appreciate what they do. May we all head into 2011 with a little less criticism and a little more gratitude. That would apply to all aspects of our lives....home, work...and even online.

Advent Candles

2010-11-28T08:10:00.000-06:00

It's no big surprise that I love to celebrate and I love traditions. Some "holidays" I find are rather silly and bizarre, others are more traditional and a few are down right sacred. That last category is where I put the Advent candles.

Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and counts down the days until the arrival of Christmas. The term Advent comes from the Latin “adventur”, meaning arrival. Advent wreaths are an old Protestant custom, which originated in Eastern Germany. The traditional Advent wreath is made from evergreen branches to symbolize God's ever-lasting presence. In the wreath are four candles -- three purple or royal blue candles that represent penance and one pink one to represent the hope of the coming joy. (Some call it Mary's candle) Each candle represents one of the four weeks before Christmas. (I could never understand why the pink one was the third Sunday. I always thought it should be last, but oh well, I don't make-up these traditions.)

I started having Advent wreaths when I was a kid. I was a regular church-goer in a very traditional Episcopal church. I went to church, but my mom didn't. She worked and wanted a true day off, but her religion didn't seem to waver, so she appreciated the touch of symbolism I brought home with the candles. I grew up using the purple candles that are more common in these wreaths.

When my girls were young, we went to an Episcopal church that was kind of a mix of old traditions and new thinking. It had a guitar playing priest who really tried to bring the kids into the service at every opportunity. One thing he did, however, was revert to the apparently older version of the Advent candles and use royal blue instead of purple. I don't really remember his theology behind the decision, but I do remember the hub bub it caused with some of the older members of the congregation.

Today, I don't go to church. Partly because I work a lot of Sundays and partly because I haven't found a church that suits me, and partly because while I consider myself a Christian, I'm not sold on the "organization" of churches anymore. That has a lot to do with working with a holy roller televangelist for a while, but that's another story.

Anyway, my daughter is going to church regularly and so I really wanted to carry my love of the meanings of the Advent candles to her home. So I went off in search of candles. I thought it would be easy to find a ready packaged set of Advent candles, but I was wrong. (Of course, I didn't actually try a religious store since I was shopping on Black Friday. I could have thought of this earlier, I suppose.) I actually had a hard time finding any taper style candles that were colors other than red and white. I finally found some though and she will have 3 royal blue and 1 pink candle to light starting tonight.

In all the hustle and bustle of the start of the Christmas season, we will slow down, and have a little joy with the beauty and grace of a burning candle to remind us there's more to the season than shopping and gift-giving.

May you have a wonderful, peaceful first Sunday in Advent, with candles or without.

Thanksgiving musings

2010-11-24T08:11:00.000-06:00

I do...issue this my proclamation, hereby appointing Thursday...a day of public and solemn thanksgiving and prayer to Almighty God, earnestly recommending to all the good people...to set apart the said day for those purposes. -Thomas Jefferson, 1776.

Do you really think Thanksgiving gets lost in all the Christmas stuff? I don't think so. I know it seems Christmas comes to retail earlier and earlier each year. We even had a small display up before Halloween, but we held off on most things until after that sacred of scary holidays. Other stores were a little more aggressive with their Christmas fare, but you can't really blame them. People were shopping for the stuff, and stores want to sell things, that's how they stay in business.

I do think Thanksgiving has been washed into a huge winter holiday season that starts with Halloween and extends all the way to Valentine's day. But celebrating is a way to make people smile. I would celebrate a holiday every day if I could and the dreary winter weather seems to make the need for celebrations more pressing.

The bigger question is that have the meanings of these holidays been lost in the glitz and food and gifts? What does Thanksgiving mean to you? If it's just eating turkey and pumpkin pie, you're missing out on something. If football is the all-encompassing goal of the day, you're missing out on something. Yes, it's a time of family, but if you're all stressed out about the gas prices, the lines at the airports, or holiday travel in general, you're missing out on something.

Now don't get me wrong. I plan on food, football, and family on Thanksgiving day too. Some of my family will be traveling to the "other" family and won't be with us. But it's the thought and feelings that make it a holiday. It isn't really necessary to have your family close in body, if they're close in spirit.

I wonder why we need a holiday to make us stop and appreciate what we have. It seems that we are so busy with our day to day craziness, that we don't really look at the big picture. I feel very fortunate to have kids I love, grandkids I adore, pets that give me unconditional love, great people to work with, a roof over my head complete with some special sentimental comforts, food in my refrigerator, etc etc.

I think that when we are evaluating our lives, we always seem to compare ourselves with the wrong people. We're looking at celebrities, and wealthy neighbors and people who have "stuff". We should be looking at the people around us who don't have what we have, in terms of "stuff" or family and friends. Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks....for what you do have....for whatever your circumstances, I guarantee you are better off than someone else.

Have a blessed day.

Ahh....

2010-11-05T08:16:00.000-05:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, join in over at Soule Mama

Round 5

2010-11-04T11:02:00.000-05:00

I'm always a little surprised and excited when Kate posts the next round of this Stay-At-Home Robin. I don't know why. It comes around very promptly at the first of each month. I guess it's just that I'm able to tuckk the whole project away once the round is done and completely forget about it. That's especially true this time of year because I have so many projects in the works for the holidays.

Anyway, round 5 is actually 2 pieces...a 4x6 and a 4x7 that fit across the top of what I have so far. Interesting that it is in two pieces and not just one long piece. It really made me think about where I might be going, since I don't really know what other steps will bring. Anyway.

I decided to do an adaption of the Prairie Queen traditional quilt pattern for my 4x6. Now, the first problem was adapting a square design into a rectangle. The second problem is this is really small for me. I have traditionally used the width of one of the sewing machine feet as my 1/4 inch sewing gauge. Well, guess what? It's not exactly a quarter of an inch, but a little bit wider. That small difference doesn't seem to matter when I'm making a regular size quilt, but on this tiny scale it's huge. So I've got tape down on my machine and am trying to be very careful with my seems. Not quite careful enough however as I ended up about 1/4 inch short on my 4x6 so I cheated slightly and my 4x7 is a quarter inch bigger. That's the beauty of doing your own piece, I guess. It was especially easy since my 4x7 is just one piece of material. Whew!

There you have my little wall hanging so far. It's really pushing my brain, but I love it. I still have my prairie theme going, and I still have ideas for down the road, if the directions take me to them.

More Winnings...

2010-10-25T18:35:00.002-05:00

A big thank you to Lavender Ridge. Don't you just love those bright pinks and blues? My granddaughter did. Hmmmm...I might have to make something for her with them. These winnings were part of the Fall into Fall blog hop too. It is so much fun to win!