View of Who is a Super Mom

DECADES IN THE KITCHEN

This past week I finished up a project that had been in the making for several months, a heritage cookbook where I took a look at how our ancestors had gathered, preserved and prepared their food for the last 100 years. I have learned many things about wood burning stoves, refrigeration before electricity, canning and preserving food and the general dedication it took to run an organized kitchen and get food on the table in a time when food wasn’t as plentiful as it is today. Gratitude is what I feel for the women in my family line that have paved the way for me in the kitchen. Everyone of them were a Super Mom doing incredible things on a daily basis, like stoking the stove for 1 ½ hours so that they could bake their bread, using a bucket to carry all the water the family would need into their house and then carrying the dirty water back out, sweeping dirt floors clean (interesting thought, isn’t it), stretching the food budget when it was already stretched, and overall just doing the same work over and over and over each day.

On this Mother’s Day I honor them and wish to have stamped on my forehead to be grateful for my wonderful full and easy life with simple ease in the kitchen.

Who is that cry baby any way?

Michigan Lansing Mission- New President, Catch a Glimpse of Steve Hess

Quality verses Quantity

Clean and pitch, clean and pitch. I’ve been trying to wade through cupboards, boxes and drawers with a few target ideas in mind.

· Know what you have (sounds simple, but after 50 years of life . . .)

· Save only what you use or have a strong sentimentality towards

· Organize so that if someone else were to find it they would know what it is and why you saved it

One of the stacks was a pile of pillowcases. My grandmothers each made me a couple of beautiful sets, they were labor intensive and I wondered if I should even use them when I first received them. I think it was the right decision to wear them out with use. The rest of the pillowcases are simple pieces of fabric sewn together and given to my kids mostly for Valentines Day over the years. They were enjoyed for a brief period of time and discarded, as they should have been.

The lesson learned from the pillowcases can be transferred to many things. Value often comes with quality not quantity. No surprise here, right? There is a time and place for a quick fix but I know my behavior reflects that the corners were cut too often. Quality does matter.

Cleaning and organizing is good for more than the obvious organization. It's good for sorting out why you do or do not do things in life. I'm happy for the reflective moments to sweep cobwebs from inside my head.

The Foundling Hospital, Women, Babies and Fabric

Without question I have a few themes weaved into to my soul that I think are a part of me from the beginning of time : Women and textiles. Sounds strange, but I love them both and somehow they come together at so many crossroads, many out of complete necessity and need and the other for beauty. I was directed to this story from Janet Gleave, my dear friend. I'm so grateful she thought I would be interested.

In 1741 Thomas Coram a philanthropic childless sea captain opened a “Foundling Hospital” in London for babies up to one year old. The requirement for entrance was simple, that the mother was single and unable to take care of the child. The mother’s hope was that she would come back for the child when her circumstances improved, something that rarely happened.

What does this have to do with fabric? When the mother left their wee one at the hospital in order to identify their child on their return they would leave a swatch of fabric that they would match up later (most could not write, but fabric was something everyone had access to). This collection of swatches has become the largest textile collection the world has to offer. The Foundling Hospital was open for 213 years.

You can view a few of these precious pieces by going to the online exhibit called Threads of Feeling. Look to see that each piece of cloth are all different depending on the station in life where the mother came from- rough, thick cloth to delicate embrodiary. Notice the music in the background, it wasn’t lost on me- it is a song that was sung in the 1780’s. I needed a tissue . . .

We Do Hard Things

Today in sacrament meeting one of the speakers talked about the statement “We Do Hard Things”. I loved the visual he gave of a sign in a home where every time a family member said the task was too hard (homework, taking the garbage out, reading the scriptures, etc) all anyone would have to do is point to the sign --- WE DO HARD THINGS.

In our family we do really do hard things and will continue to do hard things. Life is a journey that is about-facing each day with what it brings you with courage and an attitude of strength and resiliency. I have been amazed at the letters we’ve gotten from Thomas week after week these last 10 months. Somewhere he learned how to do hard things. I could give examples for each of my children, rather I want to express the gratitude that they did learn, somehow, some way (even without a sign hanging up) when things get hard they keep going and I’m so grateful because life is always going to throw you a curve ball and it’s all about how you play the game.

The Leaf Quilt, Warming Generations

This week at quilt group I was asked to bring an “antique” quilt to show the group. I asked my Mother if I could borrow one of my favorite quilts that she has on display year round. It was a wedding gift, made by my father’s mother, Rosella Calder Smith. My parents were married late in the summer of 1956. The choice of the leaf pattern was perfect for the occasion in many respects. Grandma had someone do the machine appliqué (sadly we don’t have her name), but we have every confidence that she did the piecing, layout and hand quilting herself.

This quilt has been used from the very beginning of my parent’s marriage and right on through raising five children. My Dad remembers using it to stay warm in basement apartments while going to school at Utah State and my Mother said she would use it for just about every possible need where a warm quilt would come in handy. For me, I can’t remember ever not having the “leaf quilt” in my life. If we were sick, in body or soul this quilt was always around to warm us up.

When I took the quilt to QQQ’s our very own Quilt Historian, Jeanne Fetzer was there and looked it over. Here is her report-

· The fabrics are from the 1920’s and 30’s and likely purchased from the Montgomery & Ward Catalog, possibly in bundles

· The primary color used was “Nile Green”, common to the period

· It was quilted with a wool bat, easier for needling

· Hand quilted, machine appliquéd

· Gave instructions for how to care for it (her recommendation was to just leave it be and not worry about the red stains, treat it extra special and not to fold it on top of its self)

I hadn’t realized how much I loved this quilt until I took the time to write about it. I think it might be one of my favorite objects in the world. Thank you Mom for letting me borrow it, more than that, thanks for letting us use your treasure while we were growing up.

Looking Forward to 2011

Two First Additions, The King James Bible & The Book of Mormon

It’s not everyday that one get’s to see a true relic, a relic that has changed the world. Today in a corner room of the Church History Library together with a few of my associate docents (which included my Dad) we got to see an original, 1611 King James Bible, first edition. It was incredible. The cover had been taken off leaving the beautiful rag paper pages displayed for easy viewing. We could see how the archivists are repairing some warn pages with Japanese paper, a fibrous material that to me resembled interfacing used in garment making. I was surprised at how big the book was, this was no small item that someone would have carried around with them. It would have been cumbersome for a large man to move about. It was very large and thick, easily thicker and wider than the span of my hand. The beauty of the lettering stunned me, and the artwork that cradled the beginning letter of each chapter, surely it was something to behold in any age. It was a masterpiece of art not to mention the immeasurable gift of the written word that it brought to the world!

We also had the privilege of seeing a copy of the 1830 first printing of the Book of Mormon. On the inside of the cover in a bold cursive hand writing with dark wide ink strokes the book had been given to Vienna Jaques, and dated with the month and year 1833. Just below that in a different hand with petite, dainty penmanship small thin lines it described that Joseph Smith had given this book to her. What a wonderful gift, to be given a book that is signed by the man that translated it!

Seeing these two books in the same setting was not lost on me today. Both books were brought to the world only after great trials to the translators. William Tyndale died as a martyr after dedicating most of his life to translating the bible so that the simple and common folk could read the bible in their common tongue, English. He died with the great hope that his work would make a difference, and it did! The King James Bible was produced and the world was changed forever. Michael Wilcox said in his book Fire in the Bones,

“In 1523 Tyndale made this comment to a cleric:” If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough, shall know more of the scripture than thou dost” Tyndale’s words proved to be precisely prophetic. Because of his work, in 1820, the young Joseph Smith, a boy who “drove the plough,” read captivating words about prayer and faith from Tyndale’s translation of the New Testament.”

Joseph Smith did became a prophet and translated The Book of Mormon from an ancient record that is a second witness of Jesus Christ. He also was martyred after a life of trials. Both William Tyndale and Joseph Smith are mighty men in the eyes of the Lord and I'm so grateful to know about each of them.

It was a great gift for me to see these two books together in their first printings. Oh, what a day. God is good to me.

"I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High. " Psalms 9:1&2

History is Beautiful

Two weeks ago I went to a meeting at the History Museum to listen to the new director. He was bold, brave talking of the changes he plans on making in the next several years. Making several statements that made some of the veteran docents squirm in their chairs, and me take out a notebook. Change is hard for many people, even when it is needed- this is a perfect example of that. I love change.

He ended his talk with this quote that I’ve heard before, but never in such a perfect setting: "The past is like a foreign country; they do things different there.” (by Leslie Poles Hartley, from the first line of The Go-Betweens)

It’s been such a pleasure to learn about the past over the last several months and I so agree with Mr. Hartley, at times it does seem very foreign and even exciting. John and I went on a little trek up to Heber City twice in the space of four days in the last week of July. We came home with many things to think about, one of which was a story about a rose bush that was hand carried from Scotland all the way across the plains and cared for ever since by someone in the family line. I brought the last bud of the summer home with me.

I think history is beautiful.

Grand Fundament Principle

Currently I'm serving as the nursery leader taking care of the little tikes in our ward and relearning the lessons I learned so many times before. How to be kind to others, taking turns, trusting that your parents will pick you up, remembering to have joy in simple things. I love who I'm serving with, she is a gem. Jeanne and I are well matched and I'm grateful for the two hours a week we spend together. I do miss the two hours of instruction I had been getting however and so appreciate any feedback I get from family and friends from the meetings they attend. I received an email from one such friend this week- it is priceless because I relate to it so well.

In Gospel Doctrine class a couple of weeks ago, Bruce Stewart apprised us of this most interesting little gem: in sermons given in the summer of 1843, Joseph Smith said that "Friendship is the grand fundamental principle of Mormonism." Isn't that great?? The "grand fundamental principle" is not some black and white checklist of stuff, but rather, it is, simply, friendship. Additionally, he said that "Fuller fellowship among humans beings leads us to fuller fellowship with Deity..."

Heirlooms or Rubbish

I recently went to hear one of my hero's, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich speak at an "Evening at the Museum". She is one of my favorite authors ever since I read her book, "The Midwife's Tale". Mrs. Ulrich is a champion of women and what they do with their time, in todays and yesterdays world. She has studied history in the most intersting detailed way- through artifacts and diaries.

Laurel Ulrich suggests that each individual makes history by what they save- yes, by what objects or "stuff" you keep-that will be the history you will leave behind. They will be the sources, artifacts others will find after you are gone to represent YOU. "By caring for your things and the things of your ancestors, you contribute to a larger historic picture." To read an article about this go here.

This wonderful quilt was made by Rosella Calder Smith for me when I was a young child. I'm not exactly certian of when it was given to me but I do remember that my mother put it on my twin bed and one exactly like it was on my sister Kathy's bed that was right beside mine. Grandma Smith embrodried the darling animals, sashed the quilt in a bright yellow and quilted it with a wonderful backing fabric that is very typical from the 40's. It is self bound. I loved my "blankie". Kathy loved hers as well. She has a story about what happend to hers that she may want to tell on her own.

I want my childhood quilt from Grandma Smith to last long after I'm gone and be remembered as an heirloom, so I have labeled it and it will stay in a special place in my home. It is not rubbish even though the edges are mostly gone and it is worn out in several places, it is an heirloom. It reminds me that Grandma Smith had a boyant personality- as bright as the yellow in the quilt she made me, she worked all the time, even when she was sitting down her hands were busy, she loved me. She made me a hand made quilt for my bed. My Mom loved me because she let me keep the quilt on my bed and I wore it out holding it.

As Laurel Thather Ulrich said "Keep it, preserve it, cherish it, learn from it-- and keep the stories that go with it. As we walk the earth, we connect to one another, to the past and to the future through objects."

Rememb'ring My Good Friends

"I count myselt in nothing else so happy

As in a soul rememb'ring my good friends."

- William Shakespeare

Yesterday I went to lunch with some of my dear friends from High School. We try to get together a couple of times a year to catch up on each others lives and find out what our children and husbands are doing. We always have a great time and for the most part we don't relive the past but enjoy the present and our true friendships. And we always run out of time and promise to schedule a lunch sooner next time. I'm ever so glad I didn't sever my relationships with these strong, sensitive women who lend me a listening ear at times when only someone outside my immediate ring would do and who I love being with because I feel young every time I see them and learn from their great wisdom. Their lives haven't always been easy, but they have held firm and planted to what they know to be true and I love them for it. Hurrah for good women and unbreakable friendships.

Just a few pictures of some of my very best friends. I love you all!

" A friend is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of one's heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away."

- Arabian Proverb

And of course my family who not only are related, but are my friends as well and I love it!!

Sharon Aposhian Wright

Today the QQQ's had the fabulous opportunity of having a trunk show by Sharon Aposhian Wright, an award winning quilter from Payson, Utah. Not only were her quilts dazzling, but she was as well! As she showed each quilt she allowed us to get to know more and more about her family, life and beliefs. Everyone in the Holliday Library today was overwhelmed at the beautiful quilts that she has artistically put together, from her "quilts with a purpose" to her "banishing Santa" varieties and beyond. It was almost too much to take in all at once. I'm so grateful that I had my camera with me so that I could come home and take a second look at some of the quilts at my own pace. Here are a few of my favorites-- it was so hard to choose!

The one at the very top is called Allegro and Sharon made three quilts from this pattern and they all looked very different- it was amazing. The quilt below is a yo-yo quilt- love it!

The bottom two quilts have both won awards, no surprise.

Can you see the face of Christ in this quilt?

The words printed on the quilt are" If thou seek Him, He will be found"

The name of this quilt is "Light of the World"

For Kathy and I it was an extra special treat because we grew up with the Aposhian's. They lived just off of Aposhian Circle. Sharon was older than we were, Laurel and her other sister was there and said to say hello to Cyndi and Becky and both of her parents were there today. It was lovely to have our Mother there with us.

You know, quilting is a pretty great way to subtly leave your values and beliefs behind for someone else to find. Cool. Way Cool.

Dreams Really Do Come True

Two nights ago while watching the evening news, John saw this clip and then shared it with the family.  Before Susan Boyle sang she was a simple women from a tiny village in Scotland, 48 years old and unemployed and now has taken the world by storm because of her voice!  Her life will never be the same.  I have fallen in love with Susan Boyle and the entire idea of what has happened to her.  

Imagine that, me loving to see an almost 50 year old woman making her dream come true . . . While most of us can't sing or dance, we all have dreams and regardless of  of the timetable of when we realize them, it's about having an aspiration or goal and making it happen.  Go Susan!  

The Ball

While attending the Realms of Inquiry Auction that Stewart and Corie invited us to, John supported the school by purchasing a unique collectable that has made some noise in the neighborhood and put more than a few smiles on many faces.  No doubt about it.  John has made his place in history as a true Ute fan (disclaimer: an individual can be a fan of more than one school at the same time, especially during a great football season).  Everyone in the picture above was at one time a student at the U or is currently a student.  The photographer only worked at the U.  Go U of U.

Our two serious Ute Fans on the afternoon after the acquisition of the ball, note the over exuberance on both of their faces!  Such Joy!  If Maren had been here she no doubt would have been apart of this same group.

Canyonlands Half Marathon and the 5 Miler

The goal as I left last year's Canyonlands Half Marathon was to come back in 2009 and walk the 5 miler.  I  had a great time watching Ben and Maren run last year and I thought that it would be even better to be a participant.

Due to some unexpected complications, my walking partner could not make it to Moab.  I thought all was lost until one of my super hero's flew into rescue me from walking alone.  We took it at a nice even pace and enjoyed the details that most of the racers flew by--  

I loved the mandolin player, the drums (who knew they were all women?), the lady that took her baby on her back, the older gentleman that talked to any and everyone that would talk to him along the way, the volunteers, the young kids that circled their grandparents, and all the finishers.

I learned a few things as well.  You can take water to the top of the hill, there is plenty of time to wait before the race begins.  It really does get hot before the race is over, stuff your jacket in the bag.  Remember gum.  Run the last 50 yards at the very least or the announcers make way too much of your crossing.   Have fun, because it will all be over way too fast!

The Changing of the Guard

This Sunday our Stake Presidency will be released and and a new one will be called.  It has been quite a remarkable experience for John to be a part of President Clark Hinckley's presidency. Not only has it been wonderful for John, but it has been a great experience for each of us as family members as the past 6 and a half years John would come home with stories of the Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley as well as all the great news of our own stake.  We will miss not rubbing shoulders with all of those great men . . . but that's the way the church works.  As my good friend Alice used to say "Happy for the call, happy for the release".

OPPS! 7 RANDOM THINGS and Who to Tag?

I was so anxious to post I forgot to do the most important thing- play the game and tag someone else!  I think Gretchen and Christy would be great candidates!  Remember it took me from November to January to actually make good on this . . . and there is no pressure any way.

7 RANDOM THINGS

Several months ago I got "tagged" to do this post and it's been sitting on the back burner just waiting for the right moment to be served up.   Well, today I have the time and inclination thanks to motivation derived from a variety of sources, all of whom I'm grateful to and who will remain anonymous.   However, let it be known that blogs are a form of history as well as an outlet of expression and I am happy to be fulfilling both within one post.

1. The Christmas of my eighth year all I asked from Santa was an Easy Bake Oven, and to my joyful delight my wish was granted.  My maternal Grandparents came to see us early on Christmas Day and I will never forget being able to cook my first teeny, tiny muffins for my cute Grandpa.  He made such a fuss you would have thought they were something special, but you see, the muffins weren't what was special to him, I was- and he treated me like I was Julia Child.  I was the luckiest girl on earth to have that Santa and that Grandpa.

2.  Hands and art.  Have you ever really looked at hands and thought about what a wonderful tool they are?  When I was growing up both my grandma's had busy hands.  Hardly ever did I see either of their hands sitting still but they had a basket close to them with some kind of art

that they were working on.  I have this thing about people calling quilting, embroidery, crocheting, knitting, or other handwork---CRAFTS.  It isn't a craft.  It's handiwork.  Take it from me, I learned it from my grandmothers, and they from their's and it takes skilled hands and it's an art.

3.  This past Christmas morning my eighteen year old son joined me in my favorite drink, well next to water.  Most people think it's nasty and he ended up thinking the same, but I loved that he would try it.  If you make it with milk and add just a bit of sugar and froth it up, it is the best thing in the world. It is somewhat hard to find in most of my local grocery stores, but I had a daughter point out that I could purchase an entire case online.  Pero

4.PESTS. I grew up being very confident about killing any size of spider.  Having a bedroom in an unfinished basement will do that for a girl.  However, I never did get used to rodents, of any

size or shape, pet or pest.  In fact I fear them and get a little faint when I think about them. Last summer we had some rather unpleasantness in regard to rats, (yes, rats- the kind that live in the ground and bushes and feed off of neighbors bird feeders, those kind of rats).  They were dancing in our driveway at random times of the day and making me crazy.   Thanks to a darling, daring husband  who isn't spooked by rodents,  the problem was tackled and we hope solved (all fingers and toes crossed).  

5. The first car that my sister and I got to drive was a green Maverick.  We lovingly referred to him as "Kermit" or  "the Mav".  It was more than great transportation, it was our very identy. We spent tons of time listening to the radio and dropping by the local Taco Time to pick up a Doctor Pepper and get the special cup of the week with the cartoon character on it.  We "cruised" by more boys houses than can be imagined, honked the horn to the rhythm of the school honk and everyone knew we were coming when they saw that green car comin.  

6. Bargains.  You know how some people get a surge of energy when they climb a mountain, or others when then write a great poem?  Well I get pumped when I find a fabulous bargain. I have to admit that the really big bargain days are mostly in the past-- but nothing beats finding a cut of meat that is quality, when the price is in the basement.  I love it.  It makes me feel, well, like I've beaten the odds.  And I guess I have. 

7.  This past summer we had big decisions to make at our house.  We had to choose the varieties of ten new trees going into our yard.  For many that wouldn't be a big deal, but for city

dwellers- 10 trees is enormous!  After doing some research we decided that we would love to have a couple of Ginkgo trees.  They are one of the oldest varieties around, fight disease, have a very unique leaf, roots run deep and we just fell in love with them . . . over the internet.  To be responsible we decided that we should speak with someone at a nursery and go and look at a mature tree and see if we really liked the tree in person as much as we did on the screen.  After much driving and searching we were unable to come up with any full grown Ginkgo trees locally.  We were so disappointed.  I believe that very day we were outside our house and started talking with a neighbor from across the street about Ginkgo trees at which time he pointed out two beautiful specimans three doors down from our home.  Surprise!

Veteran's Day with Mr. Morris

This past Veterans' Day has been very unique and memorable. My quilt group made a quilt to give to a local veteran through the national organization called Quilts of Valor. The quilt was made out of Civil War fabrics, with embroidered words of virtues inside every other block and was beautiful on it's own, but what was most remarkable was giving it away. Each member of our group wrote about what it had meant to them to be involved in making this quilt and giving it to a soldier. The Quintessential Quixotic Quilters or Trippe Q's learned more about themselves and each other while serving a very deserving man-not unlike life, we always get more from giving, than from receiving.

The national organization, QOFV asked us to try and have publicity for our event (to help spread the word "to cover ALL war wounded and injured service members and veterans with a handmade quilt") , and thanks to my amazing daughter, Candace, we had extreme coverage including multiple TV stations, newspaper articles and an online magazine article written on this event. The event on it's own
was amazing. There
was hardly a dry eye in the room but especially on any veteran's as another amazing daughter, Marianne sang a'cappella "God Bless America". A General and Colonel presented the quilt to our recipient, World War II Veteran, Richard V. Morris, who not only served as a radio gunner from 1941 to 1945, but has been working as a volunteer at a local VA hospital for 21 years visiting veterans like himself "because they need someone to talk and listen to them who understands them".

It was my pleasure to get to know Mr. Morris and feel of his goodness. When I dropped him off at his house on Veterans Day I asked him to tell me about his flag pole. He flys flags everyday because flags represent freedom. That day he had chosen the American Flag, the Navy Flag and his two squadron flags. Richard V. Morris is a hero. He served his country in time of war and continues serving others now even though he is 89 years old, and he does it with a smile on his face.

I want to grow up to be like him.

God bless America.

Anyone interested in making a quilt for a veteran or serviceman visit www.qovf.org for more information