Chameleon

Grandson, Dallin, redeemed a 3 1/2-year-old coupon to have me make this chameleon for his school teacher for Christmas. He loves to draw chameleons and drew a picture for me to use to make a pattern. I think it turned out really well!

Christmas Cone

The Legend of the Magic Christmas Cone

Long ago in a land far away there lived a little boy named Granther. Granther was a good boy deep down inside, but on the outside, he was not so good because he loved to hide in the bushes beside the road and throw sticks and stones at the people who passed by on their way into town. Sometimes people got angry and chased after him, but instead of making him afraid to do it anymore, he just learned how to hide better. One day, just two weeks before Christmas, a very angry man pounded on Granther’s cottage door. “This has got to stop!” he yelled at Granther’s mother, showing her a handful of rocks. He shook his fist at Granther as he stormed out the door. Granther’s mother started to cry, she had tried everything to get him to stop, all to no avail. “Give me your rocks,” she said sadly, “I know you are a good boy deep inside; one day you will understand.” Granther emptied out his pockets into his mother’s hands—all but one smooth stone the size of a robin’s egg. He slipped it into the manger of the nativity scene for safe-keeping, thinking he could come back and get it later.

That night Granther had a very unusual dream. He dreamed he was in a stable. It was Christmas night and he saw the baby Jesus in the manger, with his mother and Joseph there. He saw the shepherds and all the animals. It was a beautiful sight. Suddenly a rock fell on baby Jesus, then another and another. The baby started to cry. Mary and Joseph tried to protect the baby, but the rocks kept coming, landing harder and faster. Granther looked around in despair; where were they coming from? Who was doing this? Why, why, why? He noticed someone in the shadows and raced to stop the evil-doer. Granther knocked him down and wrestled him until a stream of moonlight fell across them and he stopped cold, for he saw that he was wrestling himself! Tears began flowing freely, tears of compassion for the baby Jesus, tears of anger at what had been done, and also tears of sorrow to realize who had done it.

He woke with a start to find his heart racing and his pillow wet with his tears. It was before dawn but he raced to the manger to retrieve his rock and throw it one last time, far into the forest. He knelt before the manger and said a prayer, “Please forgive me, I will never throw sticks and stones at people again. I will try to be kind and loving, and treat others as I would wish for the Christ child.” He searched in the tiny manger, but instead of his rock, he found a jewel.

Some say that that the miracle came from Elfin magic. But I believe that it was a miracle of love, the love for a Christ child, born of a sincere desire to replace sticks and stones with kindness.

You may try it for yourself. Two weeks before Christmas, hang a Christmas Cone on your Christmas tree. Each day until Christmas Eve, try to be kind and loving all day long. Then each night before you go to bed, place a stick or stone in the Christmas Cone as a token of your commitment to treat others as you would treat the Christ child. Perhaps your offering will turn into a treasure!

Scrap Afghan

I made several afghans last year and had
enough yarn left over to make another.

Avey's Green Quilt

Avey is turning four next week and moving into a big girl bed.
I made her this sampler quilt in her favorite color, green.
The block in the center of the top row has a secret pocket that is magic!
Special treasures will appear there occasionally.

I used fabrics leftover from the last green quilt, and greens from my stash.

so what?

“So” is a lovely word that can be used properly in many ways: I love you so much! I’ll see you at 10:00 or so. I’ll go to bed early so (that) I can get up early tomorrow. However, the word “so” has come to be used as an oral punctuation mark, an oral period at the end of a sentence: “We got back from our trip to the Bahamas last night and it was very hard to get back in our routine this morning, so…” Whatever the sentence, when it ends with “so” I want to scream “So WHAT?” Using that word at the end of the sentence implies that the speaker isn’t finished, it begs the listener not to tune out yet, there’s going to be more. It was hard to get back in the routine so that’s why you’re late today? So that’s why you want me to take over your duties this morning? So you want to tell me about your vacation? WHAT? “So” isn’t the only oral punctuation mark; the word “or” functions as a question mark at the end of a sentence: “Did you want to ride with me, or?” Or WHAT? Or ride with someone else? Or take my own car? Or stay home? If you’re giving me a choice here, then by all means tell me the choices. When these words are used as punctuation, it constitutes very sloppy English and it is becoming rampant in our society, driving me (and other English connoisseurs) crazy…so

Please don’t use those lovely words that horrid way!

(Hah! You thought I was going to do it!)

the English monster

As school starts again I am reminded of the many wonderful teachers I had over the years. Although not a favorite teacher, Mrs. Boone is one of my most appreciated. She was my English teacher my senior year of high school (now forty years ago, ouch!). The one word I choose to describe her is DELIBERATE. Everything about her was deliberate, everything she wore, every movement and gesture, every glance, every word she spoke. She demanded deliberateness in her students, as well, which at times was very frustrating, but something that I have learned to appreciate. Not only did she scrutinize our written words, but she also insisted we speak English properly. She did not allow slang phrases of the day in her class room. Teenagers are known for slang and it was a difficult thing for us to break our language habits for one hour a day. But I am so grateful she insisted, for those good habits she created in me have elevated my conversational speech, serving me well throughout my life. One drawback is that I have become somewhat neurotic about the English language and its usage, both written and spoken. My list of pet peeves about English only grows as its usage declines (thank you texting). And so I shall share those peeves over the next few weeks, possibly making you neurotic about them, too, bwahaha!

Mrs. Boone retired the year she taught my English class. She is probably gone now. But she can enjoy her heavenly reward, knowing that she made me an English monster.

Trip around the world

New quilt for "The Green Room" (our guest room)
Machine pieced and hand quilted
The design is called "trip around the world"

chalk board--the sequel

Last Sunday Isaac was asked to give a talk this Sunday on the topic "Faith." Since he forgot the last time and had to wing it at the last minute, I posted this reminder on the chalk board:

Isaac,
You are speaking in church July 10th "FAITH"

Over the last few days, these other "reminders" have appeared:

Crysaac,
Poo bar leaking bin lurch to my benth "WRAITH"

My Sack,
New Car peaking fin birch to lie fenth "SAITH"

Eye tack,
Jew far flea king sin search too high wrenth "LAITH"

Try Back,
Too far sneaking tin hurts you die menth "GAYTH"


The poor boy is so confused, I hate to imagine what will happen on Sunday...

chalk board update

buy stamps
Cry, "Champs!"
Hi, Gramps!
Bye, tramps
dry camps
my lamps
high ramps
die, scamps!
Jesse, visit Dallin

(That last thing on the list was a message from my grandson, I think he hadn't noticed we had a rhyming thing going).

And I DID get stamps today!

birthday girl

Today is my birthday. Someone once told me that life begins at forty but ends at fifty. I’ve thought about that through these last 18 years and have decided that, for me anyway, it is not necessarily true. Oh sure, I am moving a little slower, I wake a bit achy in the joints, and I know the pharmacist’s first name. But all in all I think this is the best time of my life. Years of experiences have made me skilled and wise. My children are way past those hard years of needing constant vigilance and I now can enjoy them as intelligent and capable adults; their children have become my delight. Working has widened my circle of friends as well as my circle of influence, a very rewarding thing for me. Although my body is aging, I feel better now than ever before, if only because I can take time to take care of myself and things like arthritis and diabetes give me the motivation to do so. My perspective on life has evolved over the years and I think I finally have a handle on what it all means, what works. I have a greater compassion for others, I am more accepting. I have a more relaxed attitude about things, I’ve learned how to be flexible and adapt; I am calmer. And I now know what it means to love and be loved, “the supreme happiness of life.” Most importantly, I now appreciate who I am, who I have become and I am very comfortable with myself. I like myself. I am in a position to honor my needs and respect my wants. There is a peace and joy about me, within me, that I haven’t really experienced to this degree before. The little pleasures of life seem grander and I enjoy them so much more than I used to. Life is more delicious. It has taken me a very long time to get to this place, but I love being here. For me, I’d have to say that life began at 53 and it just keeps getting better!

chocolate quilt

Queen-sized quilt designed by and for my daughter-in-law, Kira. Machine appliqued and hand-quilted by me.

take meds

The chalk board in our kitchen is a handy place to leave notes, makes lists, and, for me, reminders to myself of things I might forget to do. Recently I left myself the reminder "take meds" so I wouldn't forget as I left town for the day. When I came home, the reminder had grown into this list:
make beds
rake heads
stake sheds
break sleds
fake reds
shake dreds
bake breads
wake Neds

Then this week, I left the reminder "trash day" which by the end of the day had grown to include:
ash tray
cash pay
mash clay
sashay
splash play

I'm thinking my children have too much time on their hands. They need to find a Ned somewhere to wake up or some clay to mash...

balloon magic

This week at work while I was playing with one of our special ed. students and a balloon, I discovered a certain spot in our room where the air currents could hold the balloon in mid-air, seemingly by magic. Although the novelty of it was totally lost on my sped student, I was quite impressed and called over other sped teachers and aides to see. They were duly impressed and invited their students to come see. For the next few days, as anyone came into the room, the floating balloon was pointed out to them. It didn’t take long to realize that I had not only discovered a magical spot, but I had also discovered a test for cognitive acuteness, for lower-functioning students didn’t grasp the significance of a balloon suspended in mid-air, wanting to take the balloon itself at face value, puzzled that it didn’t have a string so they could hang onto it. Higher-functioning students, on the other hand, expressed amazement, some even wanting to know how it worked. Whodathought!