Italian Revival

 

Someone suggested it may be time to retire the expression, “avoid like the plague,” because it’s clear “humans don’t do that.” They may have a point. We seem to go out of our way to avoid going out of our way. We won’t wear masks; they’re too tiresome. We should have been using soap and hand sanitizer all along, but many of us weren’t and still don’t. Rather than call in sick, stay home and get better, we drag ourselves, coughing and sneezing, to work, to church, the store or the movies. We prefer sending sick kids to school over staying home with them. We patently ignore floor markings reminding us to social distance. And vaccines? If there’s a chance it will be inconvenient or uncomfortable, we can’t be bothered. I’ll paraphrase two different authors here: your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins. And if you’re not part of the solution, you’re probably the problem.

Crystal Star

 

I have several friends who’ve been movie extras. I’ve often thought it might be fun to try it myself. I understand there’s a lot of waiting involved, and there might not be much pay. But I’d love to point at a crowd scene and say, “See that? That’s ME!” That’s why I love the story of Layla Sarakalo. Layla was a San Franciscan who woke up one morning to find her car had been towed. She’d missed the signs warning that Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was to be filmed in her neighborhood. She needed money to bail her car out, so she signed up as an extra. She was supposed to pass Chekov and Uhura as they asked for directions to “nuclear wessels.” The extras were to stare and walk on, but for some reason, Layla answered them instead. Film makers decided it was good, spontaneous stuff, and kept it in. Funniest scene in the movie.

Small Forest

 

Last weekend, on our way through the produce section, we stumbled upon two shopping carts full of freckled bananas with a sign saying, “FREE! Take some!” So, we did. The first nine became loaves of banana bread. We polished off a couple at breakfast the next day. A few were strawberry/orange/banana smoothies. The rest could be:

 

Banana Ice Cream

 

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

3 to 4 VERY ripe bananas

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

 

Whisk together milk, sugar, and nutmeg until sugar dissolves. Thoroughly mash bananas, then stir into milk mixture. Chill banana/milk mixture at least an hour. Add whipping cream and vanilla; stir well. Pour mixture into ice cream maker and churn about half an hour. Ice cream may be eaten immediately, or cured in freezer at least half an hour.

Three Inch Eccentric Star

 

9.4% of U.S. households rent a storage unit.

Most self-storage renters live in homes with a garage and basement.

One quarter can’t park in their own garage.

Half of us claim the garage is our most disorganized space.

The median home is 2,355 square feet (1,500 square feet in 1970; 983 square feet in 1950).

 32% of women own more than 25 pairs of shoes.

Most Americans are overwhelmed by their clutter, but have no idea what to do about it.

Americans collectively spend $2.7 billion dollars every year replacing stuff they can’t find.

We spend an average total of 2.5 days a year looking for misplaced stuff.

People are more productive, less irritable and distracted in a clutter-free space.

Folks who sleep in cluttered rooms are more likely to have sleeping problems.

People in cluttered spaces are more likely to make poor eating choices.

Those with extremely cluttered homes are 77% more likely to be overweight.

Lodgepole Pine

 

If you were curious about the voyage of the sailing ship Brooklyn – I certainly was – here’s a little more of the story: Eleven passengers and one crewman perished during the trip. They’d hoped for fresh milk along the way, but the cows they brought didn’t last long. Both were killed during the first violent storm. They’d planned to stop for fresh food and water at Valparaiso, Chile, but were prevented by another storm. Instead, they paused at the Juan Fernández Islands, where Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe was set. They passed the long hours reading 179 volumes of the Harper’s Family Library. When they arrived in California, they nearly tripled the size of the town that would become San Francisco. Theirs was the first wheat crop in the area, the first school, bank, library, post office and newspaper. The journey of the Brooklyn is believed to be the longest religious sea pilgrimage in recorded history.

3" Blue/Green Cake Stand

 

“The magnificent and incomprehensible effect of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is based on God’s love for each of us. It affirms His declaration that the worth of souls – every one – is great in the sight of God. In the Bible, Jesus Christ explained this in terms of our Heavenly Father’s love: ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ In modern revelation, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, declared that He ‘so loved the world that he gave his own life, that as many as would believe might become the sons of God.’ Is it any wonder, then, that the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ concludes with the teaching that to become perfect and sanctified in Christ, we must love God with all our might, mind and strength? His plan motivated by love must be received with love.” – President Dallin H. Oaks

Sailboat

 

When we think of Mormon pioneers, the image that generally comes to mind is oxcarts and handcarts. But many early converts began their westward journey with a trip over water. February 4, 1846 – which happens to be the same day the builders of Nauvoo were driven out – 238 men, women and children boarded the three-masted sailing ship Brooklyn in New York harbor. A 24,000-mile sea voyage lay before them, around Cape Horn and north to San Francisco, which at the time was called Yerba Buena. They endured extreme weather, both tropical and antarctic. They suffered from storms and sickness. They shared unbelievably cramped quarters with crates of chickens, two cows and forty pigs. But they landed in California months before the overland pioneers arrived in what would become Salt Lake. And for a time (until the gold rush changed everything) most of the settlers in California were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

3" Red/Black Cake Stand

 

John has a lovely Traeger grill that we’re slowly learning to use. It seems to behave more like an outdoor oven than a grill. It makes wonderful pizza, and last Sunday, we used it to make:

 

Steak and Veg

 

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic crushed

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup cherry tomatoes

2 carrots sliced

1 red bell pepper cut into strips

1 red onion cut into strips

2 cups broccoli florets

1 pound sirloin

salt and pepper to taste

 

Preheat oven (or Traeger grill) to 400F. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, olive oil, and seasoning. Spread vegetables over sheet pan. Drizzle with half the butter mixture. Bake about 15 minutes. Move vegetables aside and lay meat on pan. Drizzle with remaining butter mixture. Continue cooking about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until steak is done.

Patchwork Place

 

“I'm admitting young healthy people to the hospital with very serious COVID infections. One of the last things they do before they're intubated is beg me for the vaccine. I hold their hand and tell them I'm sorry, but it's too late. A few days later when I call time of death, I hug their family members and tell them the best way to honor their loved one is to get vaccinated and encourage everyone they know to do the same. They cry. They say they didn't know. They thought it was a hoax. They thought it was political. They thought they wouldn't get as sick. They thought it was ‘just the flu.’ But they were wrong. They wish they could go back, but they can't. They thank me and they go get the vaccine. I go back to my office, write their death note, and say a small prayer that this loss will save more lives.” - Dr. Brytney Cobia, Grandview Medical Center

Whirling Square

 

Like many students during World War II, Barbara Stanley dropped out of high school because she was needed elsewhere. Her sister’s husband left to go to war, so Barbara left Salt Lake’s West High School to help her sister with her kids. She was twenty-three when she herself got married. She didn’t intend to have a big family of her own. She wanted to teach physical education. “I was tired of tending,” Barbara said. But she ended up raising seventeen children. “It just happened,” she explained. Barbara is ninety-two now, and one thing she’s always regretted is that she never earned her high school diploma. This year her granddaughter, Sheri McFarland, reached out to West High’s administrators to see if they could rectify the situation. Last month, Barbara’s diploma arrived in the mail. “Oh, my goodness, it’s gorgeous,” she said. “Now can you take me to the prom?”

Double Cross

 

It happened almost exactly a year ago. I’d washed my aluminum cup and straw and left them to dry on the counter overnight. The next day I filled the cup, put in the straw and took a sip, and found an earwig had crawled into my aluminum straw during the night. It took me a LONG time to get around to using that cup and straw again. When I did, for months I was in the habit of checking to see both were earwig-free. But I didn’t toss them out. The cup is very well insulated. It’ll keep tea hot and ice water cold for several hours. And I love using a cup and straw that won’t contribute to the plastic waste in landfills or waterways. I guess at some point, I’d stopped checking, because just yesterday IT HAPPENED AGAIN! Where are these earwigs coming from? Why can I never see them until I have one in my mouth?

Our Editor

 

“Mortal life is inherently unfair. Some people are born in affluence; others are not. Some have loving parents; others do not. Some live many years; others, few. And on and on and on. Some individuals make injurious mistakes even when they are trying to do good. Some choose not to alleviate unfairness when they could. Distressingly, some individuals use their God-given agency to hurt others when they never should. My heart aches for those who face such unfairness, but I declare with all my aching heart that Jesus Christ both understands unfairness and has the power to provide a remedy. Nothing compares to the unfairness He endured. It was not fair that He experienced all the pains and afflictions of mankind. It was not fair that He suffered for my sins and mistakes and for yours. But He chose to do so because of His love for us and for Heavenly Father. He understands perfectly what we are experiencing.” – Elder Dale G. Renlund

Red Cross

 

Why should you donate blood? The first and most important reason is it can save lives. If you knew you could do something today that could save someone’s life, you’d do it, right? Donations are needed for trauma patients, surgeries, transplants, chronic illnesses, blood disorders and cancer. As it happens, fewer than ten percent of those eligible to donate actually do. The most common cause for being turned away from donating blood is low hemoglobin. If you’ve ever been deferred for this reason, it might help to incorporate more foods high in iron in your diet, like spinach, lentils, beans, and nuts. Donating blood takes very little time. From start to finish, donating blood will only take about an hour of your time, with only about ten minutes of that time being the actual donation. There’s surprisingly little pain involved – a small price to pay, considering the reward is the chance to make a significant difference in someone’s life.

Patriotic Star

 

This summer has already been the hottest I can remember. We’re in no mood to use the oven, and even the idea of a hot meal has lost all its appeal. Instead, we’re enjoying smoothies, fresh fruit, and salads. Lots and lots of salads.

 

Tuna Pasta Salad

 

8 ounces penne

7 ounces solid white tuna in water

One small onion, diced

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

12 ounces frozen peas

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 cup thick cut shredded cheddar

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Prepare pasta as package directs – to al dente. Rinse and drain. Add pasta, onion, cucumber, tomatoes and peas to a large bowl and gently toss. In a smaller bowl, combine mayonnaise and lemon juice. Add to large bowl with cheese, salt and pepper. Stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

Three Inch Ohio Star

 

I had a few friends in high school who wore big afros – the kind you could easily lose pencils in. But back then, big hair was so popular, they didn’t exactly stand out in the crowd. I’m guessing a “do” like a lion’s mane would turn a few heads today. That’s the kind of hair 17-year-old Kieran Moïse was famous for. Kieran had been cultivating his ‘fro since childhood, and it had grown to 19 inches. Kieran is ready to enroll at the United States Air Force Academy, which means, of course, all that hair has to go. Kieran decided to donate his tresses to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and Michigan-based Children with Hair Loss, a nonprofit that provides human hair wigs free of charge to kids and young adults suffering from medical hair loss. In addition, Kieran raised $19,000 to help families dealing with cancer. 

Mondo Condos

 

We had garlic bread with a big Caesar salad for Sunday lunch. Too hot for the oven, so we toasted sliced bread first, then spread this on top:

Garlic Butter

 

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

5 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1 tablespoon parsley, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

 

With a stand mixer, beat the butter until soft. Add remaining ingredients and continue beating until well combined. Scoop into a sealed jar and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. May also be kept in the freezer for up to a year. It’s helpful to store it in smaller quantities for easy usage. If you want garlic bread, slice a baguette lengthwise and spread garlic butter generously on both cut edges. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

Riley Blake Bock Challenge

In late January, my mother, brother-in-law and I had been vaccinated against COVID-19, but most of the family had not. My calendar was fully of things like, “Full Moon,” and “National Puzzle Day.” It was too cold for outdoor picnics or sing-alongs, and I missed attending church and quilt classes in person. Fast-forward half a year, and so much has changed. Most people in my circle have either had the vaccine or the disease. It’s too hot to do ANYTHING outside. My calendar’s packed with events involving other people and places. Church looks completely normal; terrifying when you remember more than a quarter of us (and all small children) are still unprotected, and the most prevalent strain is both easier to catch and more likely to make you seriously ill. I still miss block-of-the-month classes, which is why this block challenge had been such a blessing. Nearly every week, it’s given me something to look forward to. And I’m grateful.

Four Cabins

 

“Prophecies of a literal gathering of the long-dispersed tribes of Israel to the lands of their inheritance are found throughout the scriptures. The fulfillment of those prophecies and promises is now underway with the gathering of the covenant people into the Church, the kingdom of God on earth. President Nelson explains, ‘When we speak of the gathering, we are simply saying this fundamental truth: every one of our Heavenly Father’s children … deserves to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.’ The Lord commands members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to ‘arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations; that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.’” – Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Thirty Irregular Nine-Patches

 

“Things to remember as you conquer the world:

Moses gave us the Ten Commandments, not the Ten Suggestions.

Habits, good or bad, are first like cobwebs, then like chains.

There is no right way to do a wrong thing.

Don’t be a legend in your own mind.

Don’t be a self-made man who worships his creator.

Be kind; everyone is fighting a hard battle.

Everyone is special, but no one is special.

Even Moses said after seeing the creations of God, ‘Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed.’

It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.

If you always tell the truth, you don’t have to remember what you said.

Honesty is the only policy.

Don’t pray on your knees on Sunday and prey on your neighbor the rest of the week.

Excellence is not an act but a habit.” – Shayne M. Bowen

Little Cabin

 

July fourth in 1850 had been unusually hot. President Zachary Taylor attended festivities at the newly dedicated grounds where the Washington Monument would be built. Witnesses said he ate an awful lot of sweet cherries, washed down with iced milk. When he returned to the White House, he drank several glasses of water. For the next four days, the president suffered from what many people believe was cholera, although it may have been food poisoning or typhoid fever. On July 9th, Taylor became the second president to die in office. Zachary Taylor is a bit of a puzzle to contemporary scholars. He owned several slaves; some inherited and some purchased. He even brought slaves with him to the White House. (They slept on the top floor, which at the time could only be reached by climbing a ladder.) But he strongly opposed the spread of slavery to the new U.S. territories, and worked very hard to keep the union intact.

Old Kentucky Home

 

It was the Christmas holidays, and art historian Gergely Barki was trying to entertain his bored daughter. He switched on a ten-year-old movie – Stuart Little – and half-heartedly watched with her. He was suddenly much more interested when he spotted an art deco painting used as a prop in the film. It was Hungarian artist Róbert Berény’s Sleeping Lady with Black Vase, a work that has been lost since 1928. The painting was donated to a San Diego charity auction in the early 1990’s. It sold for $40. After that, it was picked up by an assistant set designer in Pasadena for about $500. When Barki tracked the set designer down, the painting had been hanging in her bedroom for about a decade. It has since been authenticated and sold for $285,700. Hugh Laurie, who appears in Stuart Little, admitted to feeling “a little hurt to discover the foreground performances couldn’t hold the attention, but still, what an honor.”

Crazy Ann

 

Last week, everyone was in an uproar over another athlete who didn’t stand at attention during the national anthem. There’s so much about this I don’t understand. I don’t know why we pay attention to the political views of athletes. If you listen to interviews on sports shows, you’ll quickly realize these people don’t get paid big bucks for what they THINK. I don’t get why we play the national anthem at sporting events in the first place. I don’t understand why The Star-spangled Banner is our national anthem. It’s impossible to sing well. Its author was a slave owner, and it’s hard to see the words of the third verse as anything but racist. It’s not about America; it’s about bravery in one horrific battle. There are so many far better choices. America (My Country Tis of Thee), America the Beautiful, God Bless America, This Land is Your Land, and I’m Proud to Be an American come to mind.

Checkerboard Star

 

Today’s block is the last in the Riley Blake Designs 2021 Block Challenge. After more than four months of wondering and guessing about the finished quilt, I’ve finally seen the setting pattern. It’s meant to be a square quilt, about 62” on each side. Between the sixteen blocks are triple sashing in cream and curry, with irregular chive, curry and cream nine-patches as the cornerstones. When I bought this fabric in February, the shop had run out of the cream-colored solid. I was eager to get started on my blocks, and didn’t want to wait until new bolts came in. As a result, my blocks all have white backgrounds. But I’m still a bit puzzled. Even with all the “extra” blocks I’ve made, I still have lots of leftover fabric that isn’t chive, curry or white. I'm not sure what my finished quilt will look like, but I do know this: it will be absolutely unique.

Lori's Flag

 

“As the early Apostles followed Jesus Christ and heard Him teach the gospel, they witnessed many miracles. They saw that the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. Miracles, signs, and wonders abound among followers of Jesus Christ today, in your lives and in mine. Miracles are divine acts, manifestations and expressions of God’s limitless power, and an affirmation that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus Christ, who created the seas, can calm them; He who gave sight to the blind can lift our sights to heaven; He who cleansed the lepers can mend our infirmities; He who healed the impotent man can call for us to rise up with ‘Come, follow me.’” – Elder Ronald A. Rasband

Peaceful Hours

 

July third is “Eat Beans Day.” That might mean French-cut green beans with butter, a beef and black bean stir-fry, refried beans with cotija, barbecue baked beans, or any of a number of interesting bean dishes. But because I’m invited to a day-before-the-fourth picnic, I’ll bring this:

 

Four Bean Salad

 

1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) green beans, drained

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) yellow wax beans, drained

1/4 cup red or green pepper, minced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

 

At least a day before serving, combine all four beans, pepper and onions in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Pour over bean mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight, stirring several times. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Sparkler Block

 

Eighty-five percent of wildfires are human-caused. The good news is that means most are completely preventable. Here’s how to help:

Make sure your campfire is completely extinguished. Douse it until it’s COLD. Better yet, find a safer way to cook while camping.

If fireworks are allowed where you are, have a bucket of water or fire extinguisher handy. Or enjoy a professional display instead.

Don’t park your car over tall grass or weeds. Never allow gasoline or motor oil to spill on grass or other vegetation.

Wildfires can be sparked by dragging tow chains. Even driving around on underinflated tires can start a fire.

Cigarette butts are the most littered item, and they can easily cause wildfires. Always dispose of cigarette butts and spent matches in a cup of water or a closed, fireproof container.

 This past year we’ve seen so many people refuse to do the right thing to protect themselves or others. Don’t be one of them.

Double Sawtooth Star

 

Word of the Day: Paraprosdokian: a statement with an unexpected ending. Here are some of my favorites:

I've had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it. – Groucho Marx

He taught me housekeeping. When I divorce, I keep the house. – Zsa Zsa Gabor

When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them. – Rodney Dangerfield

My husband doesn’t like trash lying around the house. He can't stand the competition. – Phyllis Diller

I have the heart of a small boy, in a jar on my desk. – Stephen King

Death is caused by swallowing small amounts of saliva over a long period of time. – George Carlin

The accountant is shy and retiring. He's shy a quarter of a million. That's why he's retiring. – Milton Berle

Half of all marriages end in divorce. And then there are the really unhappy ones. – Joan Rivers

Gravity is a contributing factor in 73% of all accidents involving falling objects. – Dave Barry