Technology vs. books

My sister Anita shared a book with me a while back, an actual book. Not on Kindle or Nook, but an actual book with pages you turn and a spine. It had been quite awhile since I'd read an actual book. Most of my books are downloaded onto my kindle. 

This is the world we live in today, to save trees from having to be used in making paper, we have resorted to reading books on our technological devices.

It has it's perks, believe me. When Roger and I received our kindles years ago, the virtues of electronic reading devices were explained to us, and we like them so much that at Christmas this year I even bought Roger and upgraded version of the Kindle. I wrote about it here.

However, holding a book and reading it the other evening made me miss books; page turning, laying them down in an open position to come back too. The smell, the touch. Made me want to run right out and buy actual copies of many of the books I have on my shelves.

I have to admit that if I am in a used bookstore and find a book that I have on the Kindle that I especially liked, I buy it.

I've read enough doomsday material to know that when and if the end comes in my lifetime, an EMP will take out all of our technology and we will be thrust back into "the dark ages" (hardly), or as some consider them, where we will have to go back to living lives without cell phones, computers, and any and most technology. Yes, like when we were growing up if you're over a certain age. 

How in the world will we read books? That's right, the old-fashioned way.

I like my kindle app on my IPad, and I love having at my fingertips, thousands of books that I can carry with me anywhere I can take my IPad. I love being able to read at night when the only light in the room is the faint glow of my IPad. I think the Kindle and Nook, and other such devices are a blessing. But I do miss being able to share my books with folks who might not have Kindle, or Nook or whatever. In the past few months, I have read several books that I would have loved to share with others, by handing them my copy, but alas, I have no actual copy to share. 

The dilemma in that is sometimes my books don't get returned, even though there is a sticker or return address label in the front reminding the borrower just who's book it is. But when I loan a book, I know that it is a possibility that it might not get returned. Thus, it is nice to have the backup copy on my Kindle. 

For when you can take a book and place it in someone's hand, the possibility of them actually reading it increases over them just being told to look it up and read it....I'd say it seldom is followed through on.

I'll keep buying books on both my Kindle and actual books.

I love rooms with bookshelves lined with books; libraries I believe they used to be called. There is something comforting in having row upon row of books at my disposal, and I do.

I have how-to books, something that is rare these days with the invention of Google and Wikipedia. You can search the internet and get an answer to any question, you can even go to YouTube and see how it is done....but I still like my books. 

Fortunately, we don't have to make a definitive choice yet, and I'm hoping I'm long gone when that day comes because I wouldn't want to. So in the meantime, I'll have the best of both worlds.

Quilting........an inherited trait.....obviously.

Back during the depression when my Grandparents were raising 7 children on a farm in south central Kansas, my Mother was around 9 or 10 years of age. She made some quilt blocks. I'm thinking that this is something her Mother probably gave her to do to keep her occupied and busy. That would have been around 1928 or 1929.

When we were preparing to move mother, we discovered them in a box. Mother's reaction, "Oh, those are so old, you probably should just throw them out." I did not.

Mother has been gone almost 9 years, and I found those blocks when I was going through fabric several months back.

Things have changed a great deal in the quilting world since Mother was a little girl, and many, many quilts are being made out of what used to be deemed "unsuitable" fabrics. With the advent of stabilizers; a type of interface you iron on that gives the too thin, too stretchy, fabric stability, quilts are being made out of satin, silks, tee shirts, etc.; even very thin frail muslin.

I knew I could make a little quilt with them, even though I knew it would be strictly ornamental, a keepsake.

Here is the finished result.

I'm thrilled with it, and plan to hang it in my office.

Milestones and Markers

Two weeks ago we were invited to attend a birthday bash for my aunt who turned 94. I told Roger that when we get to be that old birthday celebrations become as important again as when you were 4; a huge milestone on both ends of a life.

But what about the in between? What milestones do we mark and how.

A year ago at this time we were in a whirlwind of recovery from a divorce, and the shock and awe of a grandchild who, like the Christ child’s, untimely existence and appearance was rocking our world. I attempted to make sense of it all, and was literally grasping in prayer for guidance, and help not only for Roger and me but for our children. I, as usual, had to keep my hands busy. A baby. What do I always do when there is the announcement of a baby? I make a quilt.

But this quilt would have to be special; after all it was going to be for our first grandchild.

During the time I stitched and sewed, I prayed. I hoped, I wished, and I cried out to God with every stitch asking that my prayers give way in the faith that God would see us through such a tumultuous time in our family.

Creativity is something that brings peace into my life. There is no better balm than when I am busy thinking about something else, and doing something when I feel I can do nothing.

I finished it yesterday, and Samuel received it on his first Christmas.

When I shook it out after sewing the last stitch and looked at the finished project, I cried because I remember where I was this time last year, emotionally, physically and spiritually. That quilt is a reminder of answered prayer, healing, restoration, and the joy that is ours. But most of all it is a reminder of God’s tender mercies. A milestone documented in a marker with a verse to remind us all that with every wish that was made, that with every prayer that was uttered, God has been faithful to stay with us, bring us through, reminding us of His compassion and mercy; His tender loving care.

The homemade kind.........

They say necessity is the mother of invention. In the case of our past Christmas’s, lack of funds was usually the mother of invention, but for what we have because of it, I wouldn’t trade it for all the money in the world.

I have my tree up, something that takes me a couple of days to do, the assembly and lights one evening, and the decorations another day. I enjoy the entire process, but with two new members in our family this year, things that haven’t been noticed in years have been recognized and needed explanation. It made me realize the time that I have spent over the years, usually out of necessity, making our Christmas ornaments, and gifts.

I would see pictures in magazines of opulent Christmas trees covered in ornaments, and when we would get our tree each year, it always seemed so sparse in comparison. There wasn’t money to buy fancy ornaments, so I went the home made route with what else…..fabric. Handmade ornaments were purchased as flat pieces of fabric, cut out, sewn, stuffed, and stitched shut, and hung on the tree.
Other times it was with wood and paint.






These were all along with the ones made at church and school to take home to Mom and Dad.

When Audrey was 5 and Nic was 3, ready to turn 4 the Cabbage Patch Doll craze was on, of course Audrey wanted one, but as hard to come by as they were, and at $300 each there was no way. Once again fabric and kits came to the rescue. I remember staying up late after they were both in bed asleep making two “knock off” Cabbage Patch Dolls; a boy and a girl, Gilbert and Glory. They had complete wardrobes, the little girl doll even had a dress and pinafore that matched a dress and pinafore that I made for Audrey.

































Not to leave Nic out, each of the kids got a robe, made by me that year. Nic’s was a quilted plaid, with a roll collar and double breasted—he looked so cute, and Audrey’s was a flannel quilted one much like the one I had. Our home at the time was a big old drafty refurbished school house, so keeping everyone warm was a priority. Footy, blanket sleepers and quilted robes were just the ticket.

I've always made homemade baked goods to give to friends, and Roger always receives a full recipe of his Mothers Date Bars, all for himself—but he always shares.

When we were homeschooling the kids were right in the thick of it. We made cookies, candy, Chex Party mix, and homemade bread, filling plates and jars, and decorating the bags they were delivered to the neighbors in.

It was all a lot of fun. And the expression on peoples faces, especially those of my family when they received a “handmade” gift was never one of disappointment; they were always thrilled.

I still enjoy the process of Christmas, mostly because the process involves doing it all for someone else. After all--that is what it is about isn't it?

My entertainment

There is no end to the entertainment at my house these days............




BECAUSE...................





(it says "I do all my own stunts")

The Trip part 2.........the delivery

My trip to Washington held wonderful times, the first being the visit to Leonard in his wonderful setting practically within a stone’s throw of Puget Sound.


When I left his house on Sat. and flew to Kenniwick, the culmination of many months of work was about to come to a wonderful conclusion.

I am the kind of person that when life seems to be spinning out of control, I usually grap for the first thing to hang onto that will give me some semblance of order back. When my sister-in-law died suddenly 21 years ago and I watched helplessly as my brother in law began life as a single father with three small children. To stay that feeling of helplessness, and sorrow, I tackled the entry way in our old school house home, texturing the walls, painting, and staining them (I was way ahead on faux finishes), all in the hopes that the uncontrolled feeling of life being altered in such a radical way would be brought under some form of control.

I’m sorry to say, I haven’t changed much in that regard in all these years. When Mother died two years ago, after three and a half years of almost daily care, I was lost. We got Miss Lily, and she has been a buddy, but I needed something productive to do, I needed to feel like I was "doing something".

My sister Alane and her husband had made Roger and I a generous gift upon Mothers passing as a thank you for the time I had spent in those years of care giving; it was greatly appreciated, and a wonderful surprise. One day while in a thrift store, I found a north woods embroidery pattern. I immediately thought of Alane and Steve’s wonderful cabin in the woods in NE Washington. I would buy the pattern and make them something as a thank you. I did buy the pattern and began the project that was the catharsis to my healing process.

As the work progressed I knew there wasn’t any way that I was going to be mailing this gift to my sister and her husband—no it had to be hand delivered and while in WA I had the joy of seeing their faces when they opened the package.







After tears and hugs, (yes we had a group hug), it was studied and gently folded and will cover them with our love every time they are at the cabin curled up in front of the fire.


My travels were purposeful, and I came home feeling healed and rested. The best kind of trip to take.

Winter Activities

Besides feeding birds, and cooking my brains out during the winter when I can't get outside to plant flowers and mow acres of grass, I make quilts. This fall and winter we have had four babies expected among our family and friends, so I have made 4 baby quilts, and 12 receiving blankets for all those wee ones. Some I tie, but the last one I hand quilted. It turned out really well. I embroderiered the blocks too. The receiving blankets are just flannel that I bind the edges somehow and finish, but EVERY girl I give them to comments on how much nicer they are than the boughten ones as they are larger, and swaddle better...such a nice compliment to know my efforts are making some tiny one warm and secure.