Thirty-six Pinwheels

 

So many of my well-meaning friends have tried to share with me lists of local businesses I should support because they’re run by Asians or blacks or women. I know they’re trying to be helpful, but it seems a bit demeaning to me. It feels like there’s an unspoken message here; that these businesses have no hope of succeeding without my charity. I’d far rather have a list of companies striving for excellence: contractors who show up on time and actually get the job done; mechanics who charge what they said they would; and clean restaurants with better cooking than my own. Those are the establishments I want to support. If it just so happens their owners have ancestors from Singapore, or their skin has a bit more melanin than mine, or they have two X chromosomes, fine. Choosing to do business with someone because of their ethnicity or gender feels just as wrong as choosing not to.

Snowball Flower

 

I haven’t done tons of curved piecing. My first attempt was a Turkey Foot block in 2011. It wouldn’t lie flat, and deserved its place in the rubbish bin. There was a small Winding Ways quilt I finished in 2012. In 2016 my state fair challenge quilt had curved piecing. I liked it a lot more than the judges did. Last September I did a block called “Walking in Circles.” It turned out well, but never made it into the finished quilt. Today’s block was named “Snowball Flower” by a pattern distributor called Old Chelsea Station, very likely during the 1930’s. It came to me in an Australian quilt pattern by Sue Daley: “Freshly Picked.” Most of the prints I’m using are from her line, “Paper Daisies” for Riley Blake, which is very, very local. This attempt is a bit wonky. It was designed to be hand-pieced, but I’m determined to use my machine. Maybe I’ll improve with practice.

Where to Go?

 About two months after the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, they held their first conference: June 9, 1830. Joseph Smith wrote, “Our numbers were about thirty, besides whom many assembled with us, either believers or anxious to learn. Having opened by singing and prayer, we partook of the emblems of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We proceeded to confirm several who had been baptized, after which we ordained several to various offices of the Priesthood. Much exhortation and instruction were given, and the Holy Ghost was poured out upon us.” The church still holds conference twice a year, in early April and October. The sacrament is no longer part of these gatherings (in fact, GATHERING hasn’t been part of the gatherings since autumn, 2019), but they are still rich in exhortation, instruction and the influence of the Holy Spirit. I eagerly await next week’s messages of hope and peace.

Four Dozen Churn Dash Blocks

 

You’ve probably never heard of Amanda Bagley. Even in Murray, Utah, there are no streets or libraries or parks named for her. But if you grew up in the Salt Lake valley, there’s a really good chance that you or your parents or grandparents owe her a debt of gratitude. A century ago, much of this valley was small farming or mining towns. Most mothers gave birth at home, not because they chose to, but because they had no other option. As president of the Cottonwood Stake Relief Society, Amanda witnessed first-hand the tragedy of mothers and babies lost when access to the proper care could have saved them. She and her counsellors went to the presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to ask for support for a maternity home. Hundreds of people were born at the Cottonwood Maternity Hospital between 1924 and 1963.

Windmill

James Doohan was Star Trek’s second-oldest cast member. (DeForest Kelley beat him by five weeks.) When he auditioned for the Enterprise’s engineer, he tried several accents. Gene Roddenberry asked him which accent he preferred, and Doohan replied, “In my experience the best engineers are Scotsmen.” So, he became Montgomery Scott, named for Doohan’s grandfather. “Scotty” inspired countless fans to become engineers, including Astronaut Neil Armstrong. He once received a letter from a fan, confessing she was suicidal. He called her and said, “I'm doing a convention in Indianapolis, and I want to see you there.” He arranged to meet her at every convention for the next three or four years – maybe 18 conventions. Eight years later he received another letter from her: “I want to thank you so much for what you did for me. I just got my master's degree in electronic engineering!” Doohan always said it was the best thing he ever did.

Starburst

 

At twenty-three, Tina Fey was working at the YMCA. Oprah was fired at twenty-three from her first reporting job. At twenty-four, Stephen King was a janitor living in a trailer. At twenty-eight, J.K. Rowling was a single parent on welfare. At thirty, Harrison Ford was a carpenter and Martha Stewart was a stockbroker. Julia Child released her first cookbook at thirty-nine and got her own cooking show at fifty-one. Vera Wang failed to make the Olympic figure skating team, didn’t achieve Editor-in-Chief at Vogue, and designed her first dress at forty. Stan Lee didn’t release his first big comic book until age forty. Alan Rickman gave up his graphic design career to pursue acting at forty-two. Samuel L. Jackson got his first movie role at forty-six. Morgan Freeman landed his first major role at fifty-two. Whatever your dream is, if you’re still breathing, it isn’t too late to achieve it. You aren’t a failure just because you haven’t succeeded yet.

Twenty-five Pinwheels

 

It’s been three weeks since Dr. Seuss’ birthday. I’ve had plenty of time to read Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ statement announcing the six books it has ceased printing: And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street (1937), McElligot's Pool (1947), If I Ran the Zoo (1950), Scrambled Eggs Super! (1953), On Beyond Zebra (1955), and The Cat’s Quizzer (1976). I’ve also re-examined all six, and come to my own conclusions. For the other four, I think the publisher made the right decision; no one will miss them. But McElligot’s Pool and If I Ran the Zoo were Caldecott honor books. The American Library Association declared their excellence when they were first published. Caldecott books are generally published FOREVER. If I Ran the Zoo has one offensive illustration, and I can find nothing insensitive about McElligot’s Pool. Wouldn’t it have been better to print these two with a disclaimer like the one Disney uses for Dumbo and Peter Pan?

Yottsu Masu (Four Square Measures)

 

I’ve been seeing a lot of meatless meat lately, in restaurants and stores. While I think it’s great that people who have trouble with meat – physically or ethically – have more choices, I hesitate to endorse it for everyone. I’m not a big fan of fake food. Artificial sweeteners, fat substitutes, dairy-free milk, and the like all seem like great ideas until you look a little closer. If you’re worried about how your diet affects the environment (and you probably should be) there are good choices you can make that don’t include super-processed plant-based “meats.” You can choose proteins that require fewer resources than beef, like poultry, eggs or seafood. You might select recipes that stretch meat, like a stir-fry or stew instead of a steak. You can add a few meatless meals to your weekly menu, like fettucine Alfredo or a hearty black bean soup. But if you really want to save the planet, try this: just stop wasting food!

Sixteen Pinwheels

 

“My message today is that even though this pandemic is not what we wanted or expected, God has prepared His children and His Church for this time. We will endure this, yes. But we will do more than simply grit our teeth, hold on, and wait for things to return to the old normal. We will move forward, and we will be better as a result. In a way, we are seeds. And for seeds to reach their potential, they must be buried before they can sprout. It is my witness that though at times we may feel buried by the trials of life or surrounded by emotional darkness, the love of God and the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ will bring something unimaginable to spring forth.” - Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Four Checked Squares

 

I’ve seen it called a puff oven pancake, or German pancake, but my favorite name for this dish is Dutch baby. Plop two tablespoons of unsalted butter into a pie plate and stick it in the oven as it preheats to 400F. While the butter’s melting, whisk together two eggs, half a cup of flour, half a cup of milk, and a dash of salt. Open the oven door and swish the butter around to coat the pie pan. (Wear an oven mitt! That sucker’s HOT!) Pour the batter into the pie pan and close the oven door. Twenty-five to thirty minutes later, it will have magically turned itself into a tall, golden, crunchy, delicious bowl! We fill this bowl with fresh berries, sliced bananas and walnuts, apple pie filling and whipped cream, you name it. There’s usually enough to split two or three ways, but if you want to eat the whole thing by yourself, I won’t judge.

Ocean Waves

 

I’ve always thought it would be a good idea if appliances could warn you a couple of weeks before breaking down. It would give you time to prepare. If you knew the washing machine was going to go on the fritz in a week or two, you’d wash all the sheets first, right? If the dryer was about to fail, you could hang a clothesline in the back yard, and maybe not get quite so many towels dirty. And if the dishwasher was due for a breakdown, you could invest in rubber gloves, scrubby sponges, and Palmolive. Or maybe paper plates and plastic flatware. Our 3-year-old dishwasher lost a pump two weeks ago. The repairman said that hardly ever happens. Then he said our pump is on back order. “It’ll take about a month to get here,” he said, “Unless it takes three. It hardly ever takes three months.” Maybe it’s time to invest in Palmolive.

Kasuri Triangle

 

Hannah Wilcock didn’t see it happen, but she heard a dull thud Sunday night, February 28. She looked out the window, but it was too dark to see anything. The next morning Hannah and her family found something dark had splatted on the drive. “My original thought was, ‘Has someone been driving around the Cotswolds lobbing lumps of coal into people's gardens?’” It was a rare meteorite made of carbonaceous chondrite. Meteorites like this have been known to contain amino acids - ingredients for life. It had traveled at 17km per second, lighting the skies over much of Europe, to land in the Wilcock’s driveway. Almost 300 grams of it survived the fiery trip and were recovered. Scientists from The Open University, Imperial College London and the Universities of Glasgow, Manchester, and Plymouth will be studying this new find. Most meteorites come from asteroids; leftover building blocks of the solar system that can tell us how planets like ours formed.

Nine Pinwheels

 

Irish Soda Bread

 

4 cups flour

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened, plus an extra 1/4 cup for later

1 cup buttermilk, plus an extra 1/4 cup for later

1 egg

 

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease baking sheet. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and butter. Stir in 1 cup buttermilk and egg. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead. Form dough into a round and place on baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an X into the top of the loaf. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean; about 45 minutes. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.

Lightning Spiral

 

When one door shuts and another opens, you’re in prison.

The older I get, the earlier it gets late.

If I say, “The other day,” it means some time between yesterday and fifteen years ago.

I had my patience tested. I’m negative.

If you lose a sock in the dryer, it comes back as a Tupperware lid that doesn’t fit any of your bowls.

If you’re seated in public and a stranger sits down beside you, stare straight ahead and ask, “Did you bring the money?”

If you ask what I’m doing today and I say, “Nothing,” it doesn’t mean I’m free. It means I’m doing nothing.

I finally got eight hours of sleep. Took me three days, but whatever.

I hate when a couple argues in public. I missed the beginning and don’t know whose side I’m on.

If someone asks what you did over the weekend, squint and ask, “Why? What have you heard?”

Four Pinwheels

 

“Mothers, cherish that role that is so uniquely yours and for which heaven itself sends angels to watch over you and your little ones. Yours is the work of salvation, and therefore you will be magnified, compensated, made more than you are, better than you are, and better than you have ever been. May I say to mothers collectively, in the name of the Lord, you are magnificent. You are doing terrifically well. The very fact that you have been given such a responsibility is everlasting evidence of the trust your Father in Heaven has in you. He is blessing you and He will bless you, even—no, especially—when your days and your nights may be the most challenging. Rely on Him. Rely on Him heavily. Rely on Him forever. And press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope.” – Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Double Hourglass

 

It’s that time again. Unless you live in Hawaii or Arizona (or some other sensible place that doesn’t observe Daylight Saving Time), you’ll want to turn your clocks forward one hour tonight. I won’t have to reset ALL my clocks this year. My cell phone will reset itself sometime during the night. I have a clock in the basement that uses radio frequency to adjust itself. And the clock in my car, which has been wrong since last November, will suddenly be right again. I just have to get used to KNOWING it’s right, which may prove even harder than resetting it. 33 states have recently passed laws to make DST a permanent thing. Utah was one of them. But for it to go into effect, four other “western” states would have to join in. And the federal government would have to approve. I guess I’m not holding my breath.

Sawtooth Star

 

“None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an afterthought. Eat the delicious food. Walk in the sunshine. Jump in the ocean. Say the truth you're carrying in your heart like hidden treasure. Be silly. Be kind. Be weird. There's no time for anything else.”

“Don't ever let anyone tell you that fairy tales aren't real. I drink a potion made from magic beans every day, and it brings me back to life.”

“Note to self: All you have to do is show up. Be late. Be scared. Be a mess. Be weird. Be confused. Just BE there. You'll figure out the rest as you go.”

― Nanea Hoffman

Manji

 

I learned something new last week. Octopuses don’t have tentacles; they have arms. What’s the difference? Tentacles tend to be longer, and they have suckers only on the clubbed ends. Octopus arms are stronger, shorter, and have suckers along their entire length. Tentacles generally come in pairs, and are used primarily for feeding. Some cephalopods, like squids and cuttlefish, have eight arms and two tentacles. A nautilus can have up to 90 tentacles. The paper nautilus – or argonaut – is actually an octopus. The female of the species produces a thin, papery “shell” after mating. She lays her eggs inside, squeezes her body in, and fills it with air from the surface. Then she seals the entrance and bobs about in her bubble until the eggs hatch. And there’s one other thing: the plural of the word “octopus” is “octopuses,” not “octopi.” Using the “I” suffix for a plural noun is only for Latin words, like “cactus.” “Octopus” is Greek.

Mrs. Lloyd's Star

 

Some time ago, I accidentally drowned a TV remote. I’d been watching The Great British Baking Show while doing physical therapy exercises in the jacuzzi. (The warm water extends range of motion, and the show distracts from the pain. The only drawback is I’m always hungry for sticky toffee pudding, Bakewell tarts, and Victoria sponge.) When I was done, I shut the hot tub lid. I heard a plop and realized the remote that had been on the lid was now in the water. I retrieved it, opened it up and dried it inside and out. Good as new! Generally speaking, though, electronics don’t react well with water. In September, Fatemeh Ghodsi of Vancouver was paddle-boating on Lake Harrison when her iPhone went overboard. A lost cause, right? But six months later, a couple diving for sunken treasure discovered it. They got Fatemeh’s number from the sim card and returned her phone. The most amazing news? It still works!

Silk Blossom

 

An old man was eating at a truck stop when three bikers walked in, spoiling for a fight. The first stepped up to the old man, pushed his cigarette into the old man’s pie and then took a seat at the counter. The second walked up to the old man, spit into his glass of milk and then sat down beside the first biker. As the third biker passed the old man's table, he reached out and flipped over the pie plate. Then he went to sit with his two friends at the counter. Without a word of protest, the old man paid his bill and quietly left the diner. A short time later, one of the bikers said to the waitress, “Humph, he wasn’t much of a man, was he?” The waitress replied, “He isn’t much of a truck driver either. He just backed his rig over three motorcycles.” – Borrowed from a friend of a friend

Stella

 

“The Savior of the world understands our mortal limitations, for He teaches us how to feel peace and calm even when winds blow fiercely around us and billowing waves threaten to sink our hopes. Waves of fear distract us, causing us to forget God’s goodness, leaving our perspective short-sighted and out of focus. Yet it is in these rough stretches of our journey our faith can be not only tried but fortified. Regardless of circumstances, we can intentionally make efforts to build our faith in Jesus Christ. It is strengthened when we remember we’re children of God and He loves us. Our faith grows as we experiment on the word of God with hope and diligence, trying our best to follow Christ’s teachings. Our faith increases as we choose to believe rather than doubt, forgive rather than judge, repent rather than rebel. Our faith is refined as we patiently rely on the merits and mercy and grace of the Holy Messiah.” – Lisa L. Harkness

Nine Stones

 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of the feta pasta that’s taken the Internet by storm. It’s one of the most grateful recipes I’ve ever run across. You start with a block of feta cheese and a 2-pint container of cherry or grape tomatoes. Bake them in an olive oil-coated casserole at 400F for 30-40 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and the cheese is golden. Meanwhile, cook 10 ounces of dry pasta to al dente according to package directions; drain and set aside. (We love farfalle, but almost any interesting shape will do.) Remove casserole from oven (set it on a dry towel) and add 3 smashed cloves of garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a few fresh basil leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cooked pasta and serve hot. My secret: I reserve half a cup of the pasta-cooking water to add at the very end. 

Modified Churn Dash

 

I’m not one to waste money on unnecessary expenses. I don’t use credit cards, so I don’t pay interest. I don’t smoke. I don’t drink alcohol, coffee or even soda. (Honestly, how do people afford that?) We eat out twice weekly, and don’t add delivery service payments to our bill. It’s been nearly seven years since my last mani-pedi. My one splurge is a monthly cleaning service. We declutter before their visit, so the house doesn’t look like an episode of “Hoarders.” When they arrive, we put pets in their kennels and get out of their way. An hour or two later, we return to a spotless house! There have been a few mishaps. Once, a new girl used a razor to remove a dried spill from a dishwasher door. Another scratched a shower enclosure with steel wool, and one of them knocked over a lamp. Yesterday, they accidentally unplugged my hydroponic garden. I don’t care. It’s all still worth it.

Nine-Patch

 

This is another clean-the-closet project, or at least the beginning of one. Some two or three years ago, during the Utah Shop Hop, we walked into Village Dry Goods in Brigham City. Someone came by carrying a basket of little fabric bundles and handed one to each of us. When the shop hop was done, I had two of these little bundles – one in cardinal prints and the other in oyster. Not knowing what to do with them, I tucked them away. Late last winter I pulled them out again and decided the prints would go well with two Japanese block pattern books from 2012. Those patterns are all for 9” blocks, and I estimate there's enough material here to make only nine or ten of them. I have no idea how to set them, or where to look for fabric to set them with. But they should keep me occupied for a week or two.

Forty-two Churn Dash Blocks

 

Yesterday was Read Across America Day; created by the NEA in 1998 to encourage children to read. They chose March 2 because it’s the birthday of Dr. Seuss, who taught us all to read and to love reading. Two decades ago, school kids celebrated by eating green eggs and ham, and by wearing red-and-white striped top hats. These days, Dr. Seuss is quietly disappearing from his own birthday. The reason is some of his books are tainted with racist, insensitive images. I’ve read them, and can testify it’s true. There are depictions of Asians with slanted eyes, and the cat in the hat may be (gasp) Black. I hope this won’t lead to censoring his work. By today’s standards, everyone is racist, especially people born over a century ago. I suspect the adults trying to cancel Seuss now first learned about equality, acceptance and inclusion by reading The Sneeches and Horton Hears a Who.

The Chalet

 

We moved here from Idaho in the late 80’s. Back then, much of the area was cornfields and poultry farms. There were some fairly new residential neighborhoods springing up with vinyl fences, paved roads, and sidewalks. It was fun to explore on foot or on my bike. I remember passing a cul-de-sac with a yellow sign at the mouth saying, “Dead End” and another beneath it, saying “Deaf Child.” Presumably it was put there to warn drivers to watch for a small boy or girl playing in the street who might not hear cars coming. Four years later we outgrew our little house and built a larger one about a mile to the southeast. Fourteen years after that, it was time to downsize. We bought a smaller home less than a mile west, and we’ve owned it ever since. It’s been nearly thirty-five years now, but that “Deaf Child” sign is still there. That must be one seriously old kid.

Pinwheel Star

 

“Angels are needed, right now; angels who are willing to leave their comfort zone to embrace them; people who are so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind to describe them. Brothers and sisters, I believe in angels! We are all here today, a giant army of angels set apart for these latter days, to minister to others as extensions of the hands of a loving Creator. I promise that if we are willing to serve, the Lord will give us opportunities to be ministering angels. He knows who needs angelic help, and He will put them in our path. The Lord puts those who need angelic help in our path daily. I am so grateful for the many angels that the Lord has put in my path throughout my life. They were needed. I am also grateful for His gospel that helps us to change and gives us the chance to be better.” - Elder Carlos A. Godoy