Sashing and Cornerstones

She dug the plot on Monday – the soil was rich and fine,

She forgot to thaw out dinner – so we went out to dine…

She planted roses Tuesday – she says they are a must,

They really are quite lovely – but she quite forgot to dust.

On Wednesday it was daisies – they opened up with sun,

All whites and pinks and yellows – but the laundry wasn’t done…

The poppies came on Thursday – a bright and cherry red,

I guess she really was engrossed – she never made the bed…

It was violets on Friday – in colors she adores,

It never bothered her at all – all crumbs upon the floors

I hired a maid on Saturday – my week is now complete,

My wife can garden all she wants – the house will still be neat!

It’s nearly lunchtime Sunday – and I cannot find the maid,

Oh no! I don’t believe it!

She’s out there with the spade!

-          Author Unknown

Old Windmill

Tuesday our family saw Toy Story 4 on the big screen. It’s a wonderful movie, and sharing the experience with the people we value the most only made it sweeter. The movie is a reminder of how important toys can be. Children learn by playing, and the right toy can improve hand-eye coordination, self-esteem, brain development and even social skills. Most toys are useful when they fit a particular stage, and they’re discarded when they’re outgrown. Now and then a toy becomes a friend – someone you never want to leave behind. Smokey the Bear was this kind of toy for me. When he was new, he had a plastic shovel and a hat with an elastic chin band. He used to have a belt with his name in block letters and a silver badge. Most of his hair has been loved off and his stitched-on mouth is gone. But he’s still here. Do you have your own “toy story?” I’d love to hear it.

Another Castle

For starters, it’s not called “Cinderella’s Castle.” If you think about it, you’ll realize the castle didn’t belong to the lady with the glass slipper. If anything, it should be “Prince Charming’s Castle” or maybe “Henri’s Castle,” as a few more recent films actually took the trouble to name Cinderella’s dance partner. If you want to avoid annoying cast members, you’ll call it “The Cinderella Castle” without an apostrophe or an S. It’s easily the tallest structure in the Magic Kingdom, but it looks even bigger because of the use of forced perspective; each level is a bit smaller than the one below it. Designers drew inspiration from several European castles, most notably Neuschwanstein in Bavaria. If a cast member ever asks you how many bricks were used in the construction, here’s a tip: it’s a trick question. It has a concrete foundation, a plaster and fiberglass body and a steel beam skeleton. But no bricks.

Millie's Favorite

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup ice water

1/2 cup sugar

4 cloves garlic

2 pints grape tomatoes

1 English cucumber, thinly sliced

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

kosher salt to taste

Bring vinegar and sugar to a boil in small sauce pot. Lower heat and simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved, set aside to cool. Add garlic and ice water. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise and place in large bowl. Place cucumber and onion slices in a bowl with tomatoes; toss with vinegar mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour. Serve chilled as is or on a bed of lettuce.

Twenty-five Quail's Nests

Jon Crosetto, 64, was an avid outdoorsman. He loved hiking, biking, snowshoeing, ice hockey and RC planes. Wednesday, April 24, Jon left his Eatonville, Washington home to go geocaching. He took his dog Daisy along, but somehow neglected to tell anyone where he was going. When Jon failed to return by nightfall, his wife Candice checked his computer’s search history. Jon seemed to be interested in geocache sites in the Evans Creek area. Searchers located Jon’s car the following afternoon, and not long afterwards they could hear Daisy barking. An undiagnosed heart problem had taken Jon’s life, but his faithful dog never left his side. Jon’s obituary asked for donations for the Tacoma Mountain and Pierce County Search and Rescue volunteers. They weren’t able to save Jon, but with Daisy’s help, they did bring him home.

Christmas Red Birds

“My dear brethren, you were chosen by our Father to come to earth at this crucial time because of your premortal spiritual valor. You are among the finest, most valiant men who have ever come to the earth. Satan knows who you are and who you were premortally, and he understands the work that must be done before the Savior returns. And after millennia of practicing his cunning arts, the adversary is experienced and incorrigible. Gratefully, the priesthood we hold is far stronger than are the wiles of the adversary. I plead with you to be the men and young men the Lord needs you to be. Make your focus on daily repentance so integral to your life that you can exercise the priesthood with greater power than ever before. This is the only way you will keep yourself and your family spiritually safe in the challenging days ahead.” – President Russell M. Nelson

Fairy Tale Castle

When Walt Disney and his wife toured Europe, they learned the biggest castles were built to intimidate foreign enemies and local peasants alike. Walt always said that’s why the Sleeping Beauty Castle was so tiny – to be more friendly. I suspect the truth has more to do with the size of the orange grove he’d purchased and the number of things he wanted to pack into it. The smallest of the Disney park castles, this almost 2-dimensional edifice really serves one purpose: to obstruct the view of Fantasyland until guests have actually entered. It’s what theater folk call a “big reveal.” The castle was undergoing refurbishment during our last visit; the whole thing was literally under wraps. The 64-year-old icon got a sparkling new roof and a fresh coat of paint. The pinks at the bottom are warm and golden, gradually moving to cooler, bluer shades near the top. It’s one of many clever ways employed to make this tiny castle seem magically bigger.

Christmas Puzzle

Caesar salad’s a big hit at Sunday dinner, for everyone except Grandad. If I serve potato salad, Heather and I will be eating the leftovers for lunch all week. Clearly not everyone loves broccoli sunshine salad, Cole slaw, spinach salad, or carrot/raisin salad. But this one is a universal hit. Maybe because, aside from the tomatoes, there’s nothing remotely healthy about it.

Family-friendly Pasta Salad

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Fresh ground pepper to taste

17 ounces gemelli, cooked and drained

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

10 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

8 ounces sharp cheddar, cubed

3 scallions, thinly sliced

24 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Whisk together the first five ingredients to make a dressing; set aside. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour. Serve cold.

Four Tall Trees

When you are 80 years old and your beauty rises in ways

your cells cannot even imagine now and your wild bones grow 

luminous and ripe, having carried the weight of a passionate life.

When your hair is aflame with winter

and you have decades of learning and leaving and loving

sewn into the corners of your eyes

and your children come home to find their own history in your face.

When you know what it feels like to fail ferociously

and have gained the capacity to rise and rise and rise again.

When you can make your tea on a quiet and ridiculously lonely afternoon

and still have a song in your heart

Queen owl wings beating beneath the cotton of your sweater.

Because your beauty began there beneath 

the sweater and the skin, remember?

This is when I will take you into my arms and coo

YOU BRAVE AND GLORIOUS THING you’ve come so far.

I see you. Your beauty is breathtaking."

- Jeannette Encinias

Arrant Red Birds

Quilt Etc. called today’s block, “Mark Twain,” because the book we’re reading in our first Saturday block-of-the-month class is Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It took me a while, but I eventually found the original name of this rather obscure and complicated quilt block: “Arrant Red Birds.” The last two-thirds of the name make perfect sense to me. The configuration of small and large triangles in each corner are reminiscent of a simpler, more traditional quilt block called, “Birds in the Air.” I’d never run across the word “arrant” before, so I had to look it up. In 1300’s England, the word used to mean “wandering” or “vagrant.” Later it took on more definitions, like “unmitigated” and “notorious.” It occurs to me that these are all words that Mark Twain would happily have applied to himself. And to his imaginary friend, Huck.

Twenty Quail's Nests

Thirteen-year-old Blake Ockleston and his friend, Daniel Coyle-Smith (also thirteen) were out playing Pokémon GO in New Lynn, a suburb in Auckland, New Zealand. They noticed an elderly man having trouble negotiating a series of crosswalks. The man had a rolling walker with a seat, but it didn’t seem to be enough. The two boys suspended their hunt for Pokemonsters so they could help. They each took an arm, but they were only halfway through the first crosswalk when the light changed. Daniel stopped traffic so they could clear the first intersection. Then the boys had the man sit in his walker as they pushed him to his destination, the train station. Once there, they asked a security guard for help. The hero of this story might just be the publisher of Pokémon GO. If these boys weren’t out playing the mobile game, they’d have been in their moms’ basements, of no use to anyone.

Four Indian Puzzles

“My beloved brothers and sisters, with the exciting new emphasis on increased gospel learning in the home, it is crucial for us to remember that we are still commanded to go to the house of prayer and 'offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day.' In addition to making time for more home-centered gospel instruction, our modified Sunday service is also to reduce the complexity of the meeting schedule in a way that properly emphasizes the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper as the sacred, acknowledged focal point of our weekly worship experience. We are to remember in as personal a way as possible that Christ died from a heart broken by shouldering entirely alone the sins and sorrows of the whole human family.” - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Sixteen Quail's Nests

“You can tell what was the best year of your father’s life, because they seem to freeze that clothing style and ride it out.” – Jerry Seinfeld

“Having children is a lot like living in a frat house. Nobody sleeps, everything’s broken, and there’s a lot of throwing up.” – Ray Romano

“Me and my dad used to play tag. He’d drive.” – Rodney Dangerfield

“Some of the greatest lies every told by your children: ‘I forgot,’ ‘I’ll pay you back,’ and ‘It was like that when I found it.’” – Bill Cosby

“I gave my father $100 and said, ‘Buy yourself something that will make your life easier.’ So he went out and bought my mother a present.” – Rita Rudner

"Father’s Day is important because, beside being the day on which we honor Dad, it’s the one day of the year that Brookstone does any business.” – Jimmy Fallon

Indian Puzzle

Almost four years ago I posted a photo of a block I’d just finished with a similar design and identical name to today’s: https://mombowe.blogspot.com/2015/07/indian-puzzle.html . Indian Puzzle was first published in the Kansas City Star. Other papers offered quilt patterns in the early 1900’s, but Kansas City Star was the first to put the whole pattern – templates and all – in the “women’s” section. Instead of mailing in a nickel all you had to do was clip the pattern out of the paper. In fact, quilters could make money on the deal. Between 1928 and 1961, readers submitted quilt patterns to the Kansas City Star. If a pattern was accepted for publication, the contributor would earn $1.50. That doesn’t sound like much now, but adjusted for inflation it would be nearly sixteen dollars. I don’t know who designed today’s block, or whether the name refers to Asian or American Indians. But I think I know why she called it a puzzle.  

Thirteen Quail's Nests

Jake Jacobs came to England from Trinidad as part of the American forces stationed near Lancashire during World War II. He met Mary while serving there. After the war, when Jake returned to Trinidad, he and Mary corresponded. A few years later he moved back to England to get better work.  “He asked me to marry him when I was only 19,” says Mary. “My father threw me out, and I left with only one small suitcase.” Her father’s objection wasn’t her age; it was that Mary is white and Jake is black. It was a sentiment shared by nearly everyone they met. No one wanted to hire Jake, and no one would rent them a flat. But they persevered, and last year they celebrated their 70^th wedding anniversary. “I feel so fortunate to have met and married Mary,” Jake says. “Nowadays I tell young black people they have no idea what it used to be like.”

Nine Pineapples

In 2016, Becca Bundy’s one-year-old daughter suffered a seizure. She called for help and volunteer fire fighter Bill Cox came to the rescue. Two years later, Becca spotted Bill as he tended bar in Cook, Minnesota. He was wearing a bright green shirt that said, “My name is Bill. I’m in end stage kidney failure. I’m in need of a kidney.” Becca’s first thought was this might be the perfect way to thank the man who’d been there when her little girl needed help. She tested positive as a tissue match, and Becca donated one of her healthy kidneys to Bill in February. Today 66-year-old Bill is free from dialysis and enjoying retirement with his wife, Terry.  They’re making plans to host Becca, her husband and their four daughters on their boat later this summer.

Nine Quail's Nests

When a luthier chooses wood for a violin, he generally uses maple for the back and ribs in part because the dramatic stripes or “flame” will give the finished product greater value. I’ve read zebras benefit from their stripes because the vivid black and white patterns deter biting flies and not, as I was taught, because they dazzle predators. Apparently, scientists still believe tigers’ stripes make them more effective carnivores. Maybe that’s because no one wants to get close enough to tigers to see if biting flies are also avoiding them. People are striped, as well. We’re all covered with very subtle V-shaped patterns on our backs, S lines on our chests and sides, and whorls on our heads. Most of us will never see our own stripes unless we have a skin disease or spend time under ultraviolet light. I do wish human stripes were more visible, if only because it might give us a break from gnats and mosquitoes.

Twenty-five Courthouse Steps

“President Gordon B. Hinckley introduced ‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World’ with this statement: ‘With so much of sophistry that is passed off as truth, with so much of deception concerning standards and values, with so much of allurement and enticement to take on the slow stain of the world, we have felt to warn you.’ Our Father’s plan encourages a husband and wife to bring children into the world and obligates us to speak in defense of the unborn. If we pick and choose what we accept in the proclamation, we cloud our eternal view, putting too much importance on our experience here and now. By prayerfully pondering the proclamation through the eye of faith, we better understand how the principles are beautifully connected, supporting one another, revealing our Father’s plan for His children.” - Elder Neil L. Andersen

Four Quail's Nests

We were at K & H Quilt Shoppe in Kaysville, our penultimate stop in the Utah Shop Hop this year, when we noticed a display of bolts with black, silver and gold quilt fabric. They were Moda’s BEE Joyful line, meant to coordinate with their BEE Creative and BEE Inspired prints. I hadn’t paid much attention to the other two lines, but something about these florals, butterflies, honeycombs, bees and skeps (dome-shaped bee hives made of woven straw) was just so appealing. I snagged a charm pack (a stack of 5” squares) and have been playing with them ever since. Some of the prints are full of gentle suggestions: “Bee happy, bee humble, bee true, bee kind, bee caring, bee original, bee you.” It reminds me a bit of President Gordon B. Hinckley’s 2000 talk about the 6 B’s for youth. I’m not sure what these little blocks will become, but it’s bound to bee delightful.

Four Pineapples

Ashley Jost bought a paperback self-help book at Target. “Girl, Stop Apologizing” by Rachel Hollis turned out to be even more helpful that Ashley had expected. When she got the book home and opened it up, a five-dollar bill fell out. Inside was this note, “To the person who buys this book: I am having a tough day. I thought maybe I could brighten someone else’s with this little surprise. Go buy a coffee, a doughnut or a face mask. Practice some self-care today. Remember that you are loved, you are amazing, you are strong. – Lisa” Ashley decided to share her happy surprise on Twitter, where it has inspired others to pay it forward. “In that moment,” she says, “I didn't necessarily need the pick-me-up, but I felt obligated to share it, and I'm hearing back from people who did. The ripple effect is pretty incredible.”

Quail's Nest

In December 2017 I shared a tale of two friends – septuagenarians Alan Robinson and Walter Macfarlane – who discovered they're actually half-brothers. At the time I thought their situation was pretty unlikely; first that brothers could be separated without any knowledge of one another, second that they should somehow find each other and become buddies, and third that they discover they're siblings. Then last week I happened upon a very similar story. Tricenarian (thirtysomething) Walt Gordy was diagnosed with lymphoma five years ago. He underwent treatment and nine months later was declared cancer free. He began to wonder if he was at risk for other health problems, so he turned to genetic testing service 23AndMe. That’s when Walt found out his best friend, Mark Tolson was also his half-brother. They’d both grown up as only children wishing for siblings. I suppose as recreational genomics becomes more popular we can expect to see more stories like this.

Pineapple

Though a decade earlier they were almost unheard of, by 1940 they may have numbered in the thousands in Utah alone: houses without a ground floor. These “Hope Houses” had three to six cozy rooms underground with a roof where the main floor ought to be. Projecting above the roof in the rear was a covered stairway leading down from a small vestibule where the owner could remove his boots. They were a rare sight within city limits, where rental space was available and where ordinances might be prohibitive. But for rural land owners unwilling (or unable) to go into debt for a traditional house, they were a practical solution. All were built with plans for a ground floor when times were less tight. Many Hope Houses were eventually finished. Many were demolished without ever meeting their full potential. Every now and then you’ll run across an underground house that’s still waiting for its main floor, nearly eight decades later.

Cinderella's Carraige

I learned something new last week. I found a bathtub stain that wouldn’t budge with just elbow grease. I went after it with a scrubby sponge and bleach, but it was still there. That was odd. Stranger still was the fact that I couldn’t SMELL the bleach. I investigated online, and found this: “When Clorox Bleach is stored between 50°F and 70F° and away from sunlight, it will maintain label strength of the sodium hypochlorite active for up to 6 months (at this point hospitals should replace it).  After 6 months it starts breaking down into salt and water, but it will still work well for the home consumer up to a year.  Since it’s always diluted before use, you can just use a little more.  Beyond a year, it should be replaced because the rate of decomposition into salt and water speeds up, which is a big part of why it’s environmentally friendly.”

Indian Maize Variation

“Restoration of the gospel started with a humble question pondered in a humble home, and it can continue in each of our homes as we continue to establish and practice gospel principles there. This has been my hope and my deepest desire since I was a little boy. You’ve all had glimpses of such homes. Many of you have, with the Lord’s help, created them. Some have tried with full heart for that blessing, yet it has not been granted. My promise to you is one a member of the Quorum of the Twelve once made to me. I’d said to him that because of choices some in our extended family had made, I doubted we could be together in the world to come. He said, ‘You’re worrying about the wrong problem. You just live worthy of the celestial kingdom, and the family arrangements will be more wonderful than you can imagine.’” – President Henry B. Eyring

Sixteen Courthouse Steps

“If I had my life to live over, I’d have waxed less and listened more. Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy and complaining about the shadow over my feet, I’d have cherished every minute of it and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was to be my only chance in life to assist God in a miracle. I’d have invited friends over even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded. I’d have taken time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth. I’d have sat cross-legged on the lawn with my children and never worried about grass stains. I’d have eaten less cottage cheese and more ice cream. I’d have gone to bed when I was sick, instead of pretending Earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for a day. When my child kissed me impetuously, I wouldn’t have said, “Later. Now, go get washed up for dinner.’” – Erma Bombeck