Rocky Mountain Chain

 

“Each of us is carrying a metaphorical backpack. We carry the burdens of living in a fallen world. Our burdens are like rocks in the backpack. Generally, there are three kinds: Rocks there of our own doing because of sin. Rocks in our backpack because of the poor decisions, misconduct, and unkindness of others. And rocks we carry because we are living in a fallen condition. These include the rocks of disease, pain, chronic illness, grief, disappointment, loneliness, and the effects of natural disasters. I joyfully declare that our mortal burdens, these rocks in our figurative backpack, need not feel heavy. Jesus Christ can lighten our load. Jesus Christ can lift our burdens. Jesus Christ provides a way for us to be relieved of the weight of sin. Jesus Christ is our relief.” – President Camille N. Johnson

Houses and Trees

 

Insulting people is a lost art:

"He had delusions of adequacy." – Walter Kerr

"I’ve never killed a man, but I’ve read many obituaries with pleasure." – Clarence Darrow

"I didn't attend the funeral, but sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." – Mark Twain

"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." – Oscar Wilde

"I feel miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." – Stephen Bishop

"He’s a self-made man and worships his creator." – John Bright

"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." – Irvin S. Cobb

"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." – Forrest Tucker

"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." – Mae West

"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." – Oscar Wilde

"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening.  This wasn't it." – Groucho Marx.

"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." – Winston Churchill

Farmhouse with Border

 

Sampler quilts are tricky. Even if the blocks are the same size, have identical symmetry, or use coordinating fabrics, they may not all “like” each other. Finding a way to tie them all together can sometimes take some doing. When I made the first few blocks you see here, I had no master plan. They were an experiment, and it didn’t matter that the pink, green and black prints were way out of print, or that the white tone-on-tone background was from a different manufacturer. You can’t see from this photo, but I was lucky to find a border print that EXACTLY matches the background, with black leaves instead of white. Another thing you can’t see is the dark green is covered with words, like: “Always tell the truth” and “Just be yourself.” The backing is also covered with words: “Carpe diem” and “Today is a new day.” Sampler quilts ARE tricky. My favorite kind of tricky.

One Dozen Houses

 

“I have finally mastered what to do with the second tennis ball. Having small hands, I was becoming terribly self-conscious about keeping it in a can in the car while I served the first one. I noted some women tucked the second ball just inside the elastic leg of their tennis panties. I tried, but found the space already occupied by a leg. Now, I simply drop the second ball down my cleavage, giving me a chest that often stuns my opponent throughout an entire set.”

“Given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it... live it...and never give it back. Stop sweating the small stuff. Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what. Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.” – Erma Bombeck

Crazy Anna

 

Richard Elliott had been told his cancer was in remission. Emboldened by the news, he quit work and bought an old narrow boat – a recreational vehicle designed to sail the UK’s canals – and set about restoring it. It was tons of work, but Richard had time, or so he thought. Then the cancer returned, and doctors said there was nothing more they could do. Richard and his friend Del finished the boat in two weeks, and set about fulfilling Richard’s dream: to cross the English Channel to France. It was completely mad. Narrow boats are long and shallow, meant for canals where you’re never more than a few feet from shore, there are no waves and you can’t get lost. Somehow Richard and Del made it. Richard explored French canals a few weeks, before cancer ended his holiday. I wonder if he was inspired by reading “Narrow Dog to Carcassonne,” by Terry and Monica Darlington, who did it first.

Nine Houses

 

Our first home together was a daylight basement apartment with one bedroom. We managed the large apartment complex to pay the rent. Our landlords later moved us to the second floor, because it had air conditioning and I was very, very pregnant. When the second baby came, we moved to a two-bedroom apartment with only a dozen units to manage. After graduation, we rented a townhome. No one lived above or beneath us, but our neighbor’s alarm still woke us early every morning. The first home we owned was a one-story with an unfinished basement and no garage. The second was the same, except it had a two-car garage. We were thrilled to choose cupboards, countertops, flooring, etc. for the next house, but the contractors ignored many of our choices. Our English home was by far the best constructed. Of all nine addresses, we've called this one "home" the longest of all – eighteen years next month!  

Butterfly

 

“Much like the Nephites in 3 Nephi 11, we need Jesus Christ. What would it be like to hear the Lord’s personal invitation: ‘Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet.’ When Christ physically visited the Nephites at their temple, His invitation was not to stand at a distance and look upon Him, but to touch Him, to feel for themselves the reality of the Savior of humankind. How can we draw close enough to gain a personal witness of Jesus Christ? While we may not enjoy the same physical proximity as those who walked with Christ during His earthly ministry, through the Holy Ghost we can experience His power every day! As much as we need!” – President Bonnie H. Cordon

Six Houses

 

It was a hot, dry (for England) summer in 1984. July 9, forks of lightning lit the night sky, but there was no rain. In the wee hours of the morning, York’s divisional fire commander awoke to the sound of his phone ringing. York Minster, one of the world’s most magnificent cathedrals, was burning. 114 firefighters from across North Yorkshire rushed to rescue the edifice which had been standing since the 7th century. Unable to save the roof, they decided to bring it down to preserve the walls. Repairs to the Minster were completed four years later at a cost of £2.25 million. Some locals feared the fire was God’s retribution for the consecration there three days earlier of the Bishop of Durham, who claimed not to believe in the resurrection of Christ. But the official report cited lightning as the cause. Which begs the question: what else would the wrath of God look like?

Propeller

 

I love slow cookers, especially in the summertime. They manage to cook the food without cooking the whole kitchen. We cut this dish in half and served four adults, so I’m sure the full recipe will feed twice that many. It was delicious over casarecce with a nice Caesar salad.

 

Slow Cooker Zesty Italian Chicken

 

4 or 5 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

10 ounce can cream of chicken soup

1 envelope zesty Italian dressing mix

8 ounces cream cheese

1/3 cup milk or chicken broth

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan

 

Coat inside of slow cooker pot with cooking spray; add chicken. Dump remaining ingredients in pot. Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours. Shortly before serving, shred chicken and return it to pot. Stir with wooden spoon. Serve hot with pasta, rice, baked potatoes or a tossed salad. 

Four Houses

 

Some of you won’t believe this, but it doesn’t cost more to drive with your gas tank between full and half-full than it does to drive with the needle between empty and half-empty. In fact, it could actually cost you less to maintain a full gas tank. One reason is condensation. A tank half-full of gas is also half-full of air. In warm weather, moisture in the air condenses and drips into the gas. It sinks to the bottom and gets pumped into the engine, eventually causing corrosion. In cold weather, the moisture freezes and causes even more trouble. Another reason to maintain a full gas tank is debris. The more air in your tank, the more dust and other pollutants. The most obvious reason is an emptier tank is more likely to run out of gas; maybe at an inconvenient time, when you’re already running late, in heavy traffic, in bad weather, in some dodgy neighborhood or miles from the nearest gas station.

Flying Kite

 

“‘Everyone must leave something behind when he dies,’ my grandfather said. 'A child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall built or a pair of shoes made. Or a garden planted. Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die, and when people look at that tree or that flower you planted, you're there. It doesn't matter what you do,' he said, 'so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that's like you after you take your hands away. The difference between the man who just cuts lawns and a real gardener is in the touching,' he said. 'The lawn-cutter might just as well not have been there at all; the gardener will be there a lifetime.'” – Ray Bradbury

House

 

Al Capone was born in Brooklyn, the son of immigrants from Naples. According to the stories, when he wasn’t busy with gambling, prostitution, bootlegging, bribery, narcotics, robbery, racketeering, murder and tax evasion, this was his favorite passion:

 

Walnut Spaghetti ala Capone

 

1 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente and drained well

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup Italian parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 pinch kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

 

Heat oil in a saucepan over low heat. Add garlic and nuts; cook on low until garlic darkens. Add parsley, red pepper and al dente spaghetti. Toss until well covered. Add salt and pepper and serve immediately. Some of the recipes I’ve seen recommend garnishing with shaved parmesan and chopped tomato.

Five-Patch Star

 

“Regardless of the size, scope, and seriousness of the challenges we face in life, we all have times when we feel like stopping, leaving, escaping, or possibly giving up. But exercising faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ, helps us overcome discouragement no matter what obstacles we encounter. Just as the Savior finished the work He was given to do, He has the power to help us finish the work we have been given. We can be blessed to move forward along the covenant path, no matter how rocky it becomes, and eventually receive eternal life. As the Prophet Joseph Smith said, ‘Stand fast, ye Saints of God, hold on a little while longer, and the storm of life will be past, and you will be rewarded by that God whose servants you are.’” – Elder Carl B. Cook

Half a Dozen Pines

 

Here’s the mid-July update on our little garden. The beets and white onions are thriving. The Romaine hasn’t died. Yet. We’ve already harvested a dozen small tomatoes and one huge bell pepper, with more of both on the way. The strawberry plants have provided fruit for several smoothies and one batch of ice cream, but most berries were eaten al fresco, one by one. Last week Heather and I enjoyed tall glasses of mint limeade. This week we’ll try some of our mint in ice tea. I’m glad the mint’s in a clay pot instead of the ground. Mint always seems to grow to fit the available space, even if it has to crowd everything else out. Somehow, the turnips and yellow onions never sprouted. But something came up in the middle of a turnip row that might be a volunteer tomato plant, or a clever weed. We decided to let it live until we know more. 

Modern Farmhouse Sampler

 

The fabric chosen for the 2022 Utah State Fair Quilt Competition was a pale green with tiny green leaves scattered everywhere. In September 2021, when I learned what the fabric would be, I ordered a fat quarter bundle of the entire line – one 12”x22” piece of each of the more than two dozen prints from the line: Modern Farmhouse by Simple Simon & Company for Riley Blake. They were mostly florals and large ginghams in green, pink and black. I expected to use them in my challenge quilt, but I didn’t. Instead, I employed them making the twelve blocks from the 2022 Riley Blake Quilt Block Challenge, and then the twelve blocks from 2023. I added a dozen of my own favorite blocks – including Raven Chase, Hope of Hartford, Chickadee, and Butterfly. Now, all 36 blocks are together, waiting for a 4” border, a back, and binding. In a few months, this will be a hand-quilted masterpiece!

Four Pines

 

September 21, 1915 there was an auction at the Palace Theatre in Salisbury, England. Cecil Chubb’s wife sent him there hoping he’d bring home a set of chairs or some curtains. Instead, the 39-year-old barrister bid on 30 acres of land. The bidding opened at £5,000. Cecil’s was the third and last bid at £6,600. At first, Cecil said it was just a whim. Later, he told reporters he’d bid on the property to keep it from falling into foreign hands. Cecil had just bought Stonehenge because he was afraid someone would charge an exorbitant fee to see the stones, or maybe even cart them away. Cecil donated his purchase to the Crown stipulating it be maintained in its present condition, and the visitor’s fee not exceed a shilling. For his generosity, Cecil was awarded a baronetcy. Hopefully his wife found being called “Lady Mary Chubb” adequate compensation for the chairs or curtains.

Sixteen Four-Patch Blocks

 

I was playing “Unforgettable” at the hospital some weeks ago, and a passerby stopped to listen. He asked if I ever sang while playing, and I answered, “Not if I can help it.” He told me Nat King Cole was originally a jazz pianist. He was hired by a nightclub, and when he showed up, the manager asked what he’d be singing. He replied that he was a pianist, not a singer. And the manager said, “If you don’t sing, you don’t have a job.” The fellow looked me in the eye and said, “Can you imagine? What if no one ever forced Nat King Cole to sing?” I looked for online evidence this story’s true. Nat King Cole’s mother taught him to play piano. His first performance was “Yes We Have No Bananas” at age four. But the nightclub manager who insisted on vocals might be a myth. Either way, I’m still not singing while I play. 

Pine Tree

 

Wilbur Snapp was a WWII veteran who never learned to read music. He taught himself to play organ by ear when he ran a music store in Ohio. After he retired, Wilbur moved to Florida and began playing the organ at Jack Russell Baseball Stadium in Clearwater. On June 25, 1985, an umpire called an out against the home team, the Clearwater Phillies. The crowd objected, and Wilbur broke into a rousing rendition of “Three Blind Mice.” The ump was not amused. He threw his arm up, and Wilbur became the only ballpark organist to ever be ousted from a game. He stepped away from the keyboard and spent the rest of the game making balloon animals – mice, of course – for fans. Wilbur continued working as ballpark organist until 1997, when the stadium switched to recorded music. He happily signed autographs for anyone who asked, “Wilbur Snapp, Three Blind Mice Organist.”

Nine Four-Patch Blocks

 

“Some of you, perhaps many, are not feeling the peace the Lord promised. You may have prayed for personal peace and spiritual comfort. Yet you may feel that the heavens are silent to your pleading for peace. There is an enemy of your soul who does not want you and those you love to find peace. He cannot enjoy it. He works to prevent you from even wanting to find the peace the Savior and our Heavenly Father desire you to have. Satan’s efforts to sow hatred and contention all around us seem to be increasing. Yet there is reason for optimism: it is that the Light of Christ is placed in every newborn child. With that universal gift comes a sense of what is right, a desire to love and be loved. There is an inborn sense of justice and truth in every child of God as he or she comes into mortality.” – President Henry B. Eyring

Star in a Star

 

Apple Walnut Salad

 

1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and coarsely chopped

1 large Gala apple, cored and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup golden raisins (Dried cranberries work well, too.)

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon orange juice

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (It’s more work, but totally worth it.)

 

In a large bowl, combine apples and raisins. In a smaller bowl, stir together yogurt, sugar and orange juice. Pour the juice mixture over the fruit and toss to combine. Chill for at least an hour. Right before serving, add walnuts and toss again.

Ten Snails' Trails

 

In 1859, an Australian settler named Thomas Austin imported twenty-four live rabbits from his native England. Thomas was fond of British-style hunting parties, but his sprawling Melbourne estate didn’t contain game in sufficient numbers for that kind of entertainment. Thomas wasn’t the first European to bring rabbits to Australia, and he wasn’t the last. But geneticists claim the rabbits that continue to cause ecological damage on the subcontinent are descendants of the two dozen he released on his land. In England, wild rabbits can be spotted nibbling on the edges of lawns near dusk. Stoats, buzzards, polecats, red foxes and humans find them quite tasty. But in Australia, they have very few predators. Within three years, Thomas’ twenty-four rabbits had become thousands. Australia has suffered through several rabbit plagues since, where the fast-breeding bunnies have obliterated local flora and pushed out the fauna. They’ve even contributed to large-scale soil erosion. 

Four Four-Patch Blocks

 

When we last visited the county courthouse, we saw several people lined up to change their names. I was surprised, but maybe I shouldn’t have been. It seems in fashion – especially where we live – to give babies unique (that’s code for made-up) names. They take a perfectly serviceable name and misspell it, turn it backwards, or insert a random apostrophe. They’re dooming innocent offspring to a lifetime of spelling their name to everyone they meet. Worse, that “unique” name could hold them back for years, keeping them from getting a scholarship, a loan or a job. Non-traditional names carry a negative cachet. They “sound” like they come from a low socio-economic background, and can lead others to draw very unflattering conclusions. If you’re naming a baby, think about what it would be like to be stuck with that name for a lifetime. Then go with a nice Olivia, Emma, Ethan or Noah. 

Nine Snails' Trails

 

In 1988, a man named Patrick Quinn appeared on the TV game show Super Password and won $58,600 – close to $150,00 in today’s money – over the course of four days. Impressive, except “Patrick Quinn” was really Kerry Ketchum, a wanted fugitive with several outstanding warrants for fraud, including staging his wife’s death to collect $100,000 in insurance. Kerry planned to use his winnings to fund a new life under another assumed name, but it was NBC’s policy to cut a check after the program had aired. Sure enough, some of the people who watched the show had been conned by Ketchum, and recognized his face. When he showed up to collect his money, the FBI was waiting for him. While serving time for fraud, Kerry sued NBC for his winnings, plus a million in damages. His case was thrown out. While he HAD actually won the game honestly, he’d voided his contract by doing so with a fake name. 

Northern Star

 

One of the residents in a nursing home where I do sing-alongs told me there aren’t enough good patriotic songs. So, he wrote his own. He gave me a copy for free, and it’s worth every penny. He might have saved himself the trouble. There are lots of great songs out there. Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order:

America the Beautiful – Katherine Lee Bates, 1895

God Bless the U.S.A. – Lee Greenwood, 1983

This Land is Your Land – Woody Guthrie, 1984

Columbia, Gem of the Ocean - Thomas A'Becket, 1843

My Country ‘Tis of Thee – Samuel Francis Smith, 1831

God Bless America – Irving Berlin, 1938

You’re a Grand Old Flag – George M. Cohan, 1906

I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy – George M. Cohan, 1904

Surfin’ U.S.A. – Chuck Berry and Brian Wilson, 1963

California Dreamin’ - John and Michelle Phillips, 1965

Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver, 1970

Philadelphia Freedom – Elton John and Bernie Taupin, 1977

Happy Independence Day!

Four-Patch Block

 

“We believe in Christ. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we worship Him and follow His teachings in the scriptures. Before the Fall, our Heavenly Father spoke directly to Adam and Eve. Thereafter, the Father introduced His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior and Redeemer and gave us the command to hear Him. From this direction we conclude that the scriptural records of words spoken by ‘God’ or ‘the Lord’ are almost always the words of Jehovah, our risen Lord, Jesus Christ. We are given the scriptures to direct our lives. As the prophet Nephi taught us, we should ‘feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.’” – President Dallin H. Oaks

Five Snails' Trails

 

If you love the coleslaw at KFC, this one’s for you. I just have two bits of advice. One, don’t skimp on the chopping. If your vegetables don’t look like confetti before adding the dressing, you won’t be happy with the results. Two, don’t swap ingredients, especially buttermilk. You can use regular milk and lemon juice as a substitute when baking, and the results won’t be awful. But for this recipe, use real buttermilk or skip the whole thing.

 

Better than KFC Slaw

 

1 head cabbage, finely chopped

1 large carrot, shredded

2 tablespoons onion, minced

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup milk

2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

 

In a large bowl, mix together milks, mayo, sugar, lemon, vinegar, and seasoning. Add onion, carrots and cabbage. Toss to thoroughly coat. Cover and chill at least two hours.