Cake Stand

 

“My mother used to say, ‘The older you get, the better you get. Unless you’re a banana.’” ― Betty White

“We’re always the same age inside.” ― Gertrude Stein

“You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.” ― George Burns

“With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.” — William Shakespeare

“Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be.” ― Robert Browning

“Having a birthday is like reaching a higher peak on a mountain. Pause to admire the view; reflect on how far you have come.” — Richelle Goodrich

“The great thing about getting older is you don’t lose all the other ages you’ve been.” — Madeleine L’Engle

“You’re never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” ― Les Brown

“There are 364 days when you might get un-birthday presents, and only one for birthday presents, you know.” — Lewis Carroll, “Through the Looking Glass”

Meet in the Middle

“I call them Indians because it’s what they are. There’s nothing wrong with the word Indian. The word doesn’t derive from Columbus believing he’d reached ‘India.’ India wasn’t even called that in 1492; it was known as Hindustan. The word likely comes from Columbus’s description of the people he found here.  In his written accounts he called the Indians, “Una gente in Dios.” In God. In Dios. Indians. It’s a perfectly noble, respectable word. As far as calling them ‘Americans’ is concerned, do I even have to point out what an insult this is? We steal their land, kill millions of them, destroy their cultures, herd the survivors onto the worst land we can find, and now we want to name them after ourselves? I’m glad Indians have casinos now. It makes me happy to see dimwitted white people losing rent money to Indians. Maybe they’ll get lucky and win their country back.” – George Carlin

Nine Log Cabins

 In 1973, psychologist David Rosenhan at Stanford University ran an experiment. Rosenhan went to one of twelve mental hospitals along with eight other mentally healthy people. The “patients” were to report they were seeing hallucinations. Once admitted, they were to act completely normal. No one at any of the hospitals were told about the experiment. Within a week, all eight “patients” were diagnosed with either schizophrenia or bipolar issues and were given antipsychotic medications. The results of the experiment were published, challenging the validity of diagnosing psychiatric disorders. The hospital, understandably alarmed, asked Stanford to repeat the experiment. Stanford agreed and promised to send eight more “patients” over the next five weeks. At the end of the five weeks, the hospital called Stanford to inform them they’d found every one of the eight people who were only faking mental illnesses. Stanford replied that they hadn’t actually sent any fake patients after all.

Town Square

 

Victor Gruen (1903-1980) was an Austrian architect best known for designing the first shopping malls.  Victor fled for the United States in 1938, when Germany annexed Austria. He arrived, as he said, “with an architect’s degree, eight dollars, and no English.” Victor wanted to design and build communities: all-inclusive spaces which incorporated shops, housing, eateries, office space, museums, schools, gyms, hospitals and public parks, all within walking distance of each other. Victor hoped to make automobiles a lot less necessary. He designed the first suburban open-air shopping facility called Northland Mall near Detroit in 1954. His original design was never fully realized (Northland Mall was meant to have apartments, schools, medical facilities, a park and even a lake, none of which were built) but shopping malls were insanely popular worldwide for several decades. Maybe, if we’d actually followed Victor’s complete plans, they would still be viable today.

Red Pinwheel

 

May 27 is Sunscreen Protection Day. It’s an excellent time to review how well you’re preventing damage to your skin from the sun’s rays. It’s lovely to be done (for now) with the ice and snow of winter, and it’s great to enjoy the great outdoors without coats, mittens and boots. But it’s important to remember ultraviolet rays can pose a serious risk to your health. To avoid sunburn, skin cancer, sun spots and premature aging, liberally apply a sunscreen with a high SPF rating. If you’re especially fair, consider clothing and hats that block UV rays. You might even employ a parasol.

Bonus: Opticians recommend wearing sunglasses with 100% UV protection whenever you’re outside in the daytime, regardless of the time of year. On cloudy days UV rays go right through the clouds. On winter days, the rays hit your eyes coming down, as well as reflecting back up from the snow.

Twenty LeMoyne Stars

 

“We’re grateful to be on earth when the Church is increasing in numbers and influence, but more importantly in the hearts and lives of its members. We are known as disciples of Jesus Christ. We share our testimonies of Him, His Church, His ways, and His covenant path. We’re His people, and He is our Savior. I marvel at what President Nelson calls the ‘majesty of this moment’ and express profound gratitude to the Lord for His work. I encourage us to stand tall as His disciples, eyewitnesses of the fulfillment of prophecy, both ancient and modern. Remember the words of Joseph Smith: ‘No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.’” – Elder Ronald A. Rasband

Our Editor

 

In 1893, Arthur Conan Doyle “killed” his most famous fictional character, Sherlock Holmes. When the issue of The Strand magazine with Holmes’ death hit newsstands, it sparked the first ever fan riot. 20,000 subscribers immediately cancelled their subscriptions. Readers sent hate mail to the author. Heartbroken Swiss fans erected a memorial at Reichenbach Falls, the site of Holmes’ demise. Fans went about wearing black armbands, as if they’d lost a dear friend or family member. In a gross miscalculation, Doyle assumed the great detective was merely a distraction for himself and his readers; a roadblock preventing the success of his more “serious” historical fiction. Doyle claimed, “I feel towards him as I do towards paté de foie gras, of which I once ate too much, so the name of it gives me a sickly feeling.” When Holmes was finally resurrected in 1901 with The Hound of the Baskervilles, sales broke records. And Doyle received a knighthood.

Beads on a String Top

 

This year our quilt guild’s encouraging us to pull quilts from our own stashes. It’s a terrific idea. Those of us who’ve quilted a while usually have much more fabric than we know what to do with. There’s cotton we bought when it was on sale, without a clue what to do with it. There are the prints we LOVED in the store and couldn’t leave without. There are kits other quilters gave us when they were cleaning house. There are scraps from previous projects. When you remember how much these lovely cottons cost, it’s hard to toss even tiny crumbs. I found this pattern online, promising to be a “stash-buster.” I had SO MUCH FUN digging through my hoard looking for just the right colors. Now the top is finished and ready to be quilted, my stash doesn’t look a bit smaller. Maybe if I made a dozen more of these. . . 

Four Log Cabins

August 19, 1961 a Volvo PV544 was parked by the telephone exchange building at Fiskaregatan (It means Fisher Street), near the South Harbor in Lysekil, Sweden. The driver didn’t notice the parking lot was sloped toward the sea and failed to use a handbrake. The car began to roll slowly downhill, gradually picking up speed. After passing a shipment of herring barrels, it crossed the Södra-Hamngatan (Swedish for Southern Harbor Street) and crashed into the bow of the submarine HSwMS Bävern (The name might mean “Beaver,” but my Swedish is rickety) which was docked at the pier. The driverless Volvo didn’t fall into the sea. Instead, it came to rest with its front bumper on the submarine’s bow and its rear wheels on the pier. The front end of the car was mangled, and the submarine's rail was dented. No one was hurt. And that’s the only collision ever recorded between an automobile and a submarine.

 

A Bright Spark

 

During the filming of The Mandalorian TV series, the production team hit a snag. They needed more stormtroopers than they had costumes for. Instead of rushing to build additional suits, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni turned to a dedicated Star Wars fan group called the 501st Legion. The 501st is a global fan organization known for accurate replicas of Star Wars uniforms. Members recreate detailed outfits from the franchise which they wear to conventions, hospital visits and charity events. When the production team reached out, the local 501st quickly responded. Some of their costumes were even more accurate than the studio pieces. For the fans, it was a chance to show off their art and to appear in a real Star Wars production. They were able to help the show stay on budget and on schedule. Best of all, they went from merely watching the story to helping bring it to life.

Dragon's Head

 

Born July 24 1897, “Millie” was named after her grandmothers who were both Amelias. The neighbors called her a tomboy, as she climbed trees, collected crawling creatures, and preferred wearing bloomers to petticoats. During World War I, she became a volunteer nurse’s aide, dispensing medications and preparing food for wounded soldiers. When the Spanish Flu pandemic hit, Amelia was infected. She was left with sinus problems that never really went away. She began taking flying lessons in 1921. In 1923, she became the 16th woman in the U.S. to be issued a pilot's license. Amelia Earhart set off from Newfoundland May 20, 1932 to become the first woman – and the only person since Lindbergh – to cross the Atlantic alone. As she attempted to circumnavigate the globe, Amelia was lost July 2, 1937. There are two days named Amelia Earhart Day: her birthday and today, the date she began her transatlantic flight.

Yellow String Block

 

“Zusya was a renowned teacher who began to fear as he approached death. His disciples asked, ‘Master, why do you tremble? You’ve lived a good life; surely God will grant you a great reward.’ Zusya said: ‘If God says to me, Zusya, why were you not another Moses? I will say, because you didn’t give me the greatness of soul you gave Moses. If I stand before God and He says, Zusya, why were you not another Solomon? I will say, because you didn’t give me the wisdom of Solomon. Alas, what will I say if I stand before my Maker and He says, Zusya, why were you not Zusya? Why were you not the man I gave you the capacity to be? That is why I tremble.’ Indeed, God will be disappointed if we don’t rely upon the merits, mercy, and grace of the Savior to magnify the God-given abilities we’ve received.” – Elder Dale G. Renlund

Sixteen LeMoyne Stars

 

I made the first of these blocks in 2011. I’d bought a pre-cut kit at a quilt show, thinking they’d be easy to stitch together. They weren’t. After some seam ripping (and cursing) I got the first block looking acceptable. I took a photo and stuffed it into a bag with its unfinished siblings. Then we moved, and the bag ended up in the bottom of a box for years. Eventually, I rediscovered the kit and pieced several more blocks. Somehow, I ended up with an odd number of stars – too few for a bed quilt, too many to throw out. They got packed up again. I was gifted a few more block kits, but then I couldn’t find my original set. Last week, as I was searching for my wonky log cabin blocks (How did I lose all 49?) I located the gifted kit AND the original blocks. Now, if I can just find those log cabins.

Violet String Block

 

Nigel Richards was born and raised in New Zealand. He was awarded a university scholarship, but chose not to attend. Instead, he moved to Malaysia. Nigel started playing Scrabble in high school. He became a world Scrabble champion in 2007, an accomplishment he repeated in 2011, 2013, 2018, and 2019. He was (and still is) the first-ever English Scrabble player to win the world title more than once. In 2015, after spending nine weeks memorizing the French Scrabble dictionary (roughly 400,000 words) Nigel won the French World Scrabble Championship. He won it again in 2016 and 2018. In 2024, Nigel accomplished a similar feat by mastering the Spanish Scrabble dictionary and winning the Spanish-language World Championships. Nigel speaks neither Spanish nor French. I always assumed winning at Scrabble was a reflection of language skill. While it definitely involves expertise with words, mastery is also mathematic – requiring strategic tile placement and point scoring. 

Crayola Log Cabin

 

In 1889, Édouard Michelin and his brother André Michelin were running a farm implement business in France. One day, a cyclist stopped by with a pneumatic tire that needed repair. The repair took a couple of days, in part because tires in those days were glued to their rims. Édouard came up with a better way – a removable pneumatic tire – which the brothers patented. Before long, they owned rubber plantations in Vietnam and were supplying tires for all sorts of vehicles. In an attempt to get people to wear out their tires faster (and need to buy more) Michelin published guidebooks, providing directions to hotels, gas stations, garages, and especially restaurants. Eventually, they started adding star ratings to their guides. One star meant an eatery was worth a stop; two meant it was worth a detour. Three stars meant the place was worth a separate trip. Michelin invented gastronomic tourism to make us burn more rubber.

Give It a Whirl

 

Here's another elephant story: Tuffi, a female Asian elephant born in 1946, was part of a publicity stunt gone wrong in West Germany in 1950. Franz Althoff, whose enormous circus bore his name, planned to advertise his show by having his young elephant ride the suspended monorail train in Wuppertal. He invited several journalists and photographers, so the ride would be well-documented. But the motion of the carriage was frightening, as were the push and noise of the crowd. Tuffi reacted, broke through the side of the rail car and fell ten meters into the Wupper River. She wasn’t badly hurt, but several journalists were banged up, and one camera destroyed. Somehow, not a single one of the photographers captured a shot of the fall. Even today, three-quarters of a century later, you can buy postcards with a picture that looks like an elephant falling from the suspended train. But it’s merely a photomontage – one image superimposed on another.

Coffin Star

 

“He’s 1,100 pounds of baby fat, eats too much and too often. The only reason he doesn’t eat more is he’s too busy sleeping. He only does what he wants to do, exactly when he wants to do it. He lays against the back of the starting gate like he’s in a hammock in the Caribbean. When he finally does get out of the gate, it takes him forever to find his stride.” – Lucien Laurin, Secretariat's trainer

Secretariat was an unusual horse. His heart was three times the size of an average horse’s heart, giving him a huge advantage. He had a wider stride than most racehorses. He was the ninth winner of the triple crown, and still holds the record for speed in all three races. This year’s Kentucky Derby was all about Secretariat, though he’s been dead thirty-six years. You see, every one of this year’s competitors descended from the world’s greatest racehorse.

Teal String Block

 

“The Lord entrusts today’s bearers of the priesthood of Aaron to do very much the same things they did anciently: to teach and to administer ordinances—all to remind us of His Atonement. When deacons, teachers, and priests help with the sacrament, they receive its blessings just like everyone else: by keeping the covenant they make as they individually partake of the bread and the water. But in the performance of these sacred duties, they also learn more about their priesthood roles and responsibilities. The Aaronic Priesthood is called the preparatory priesthood partly because its ordinances allow them to experience the weight and the joy of being on the Lord’s errand, preparing them for future priesthood service, when they may be called upon to minister in unforeseeable ways—including pronouncing inspired blessings in times when hopes and dreams, and even life and death, hang in precarious balance.” – President Steven J. Lund

Spinning Spools

 

I’m not really a fan of public art. Quite often, it’s only art because the artist says it is. It seldom actually improves the scenery, and often begs to be graffitied. But there are exceptions. November 2, 2020, a Dutch metro train broke through the end of an elevated track in the Netherlands. Instead of crashing to the ground thirty feet below, the train was caught and held aloft by a massive sculpture of a whale’s tail. The tail was one of a pair, installed in 2002 near the De Akkers train station in Spijkenisse, just outside of Rotterdam. Officials weren’t really sure what caused the partial derailment. There was damage to the track, the train and the sculpture, but there were no human casualties. As it happened, the driver was the only person aboard at the time of the accident. The best part of the story? The artist named his piece: “Saved by the Whale’s Tail.” 

Red String Block

 

You've probably heard this before. It may be time to hear it again:

First, they came for the Communists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Communist

 

Then they came for the Socialists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Socialist

 

Then they came for the trade unionists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a trade unionist

 

Then they came for the Jews

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Jew

 

Then they came for me

And there was no one left

To speak out for me

 

-          Adapted from the work of German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)

Thirteen LeMoyne Stars

 

John has a temporary crown for couple of weeks, so soft foods are the order of the day. He’s also trying to limit carbs, so planning meals is tricky. I’ve found a few recipes that should keep us all satisfied.

 

Cream of Mushroom Soup

 

1/4 cup unsalted butter

5 cups chopped mushrooms

1/2 cup onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

32 ounces chicken broth

2 cups heavy cream

4 ounces cream cheese

2 tablespoons sherry (I skipped this, and it was fine. If you use cooking sherry, omit the salt.)

 

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring, about 10 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and thyme. Stir in broth, cream, and cheese. Reduce to a low simmer. Add sherry and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until cheese dissolves, about 45 minutes.

Round of Applause

 

Symptoms of altitude sickness can include headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, and shortness of breath. In severe cases, it can lead to slurred speech, cyanosis, coma and even death – not something to take lightly. It isn’t generally a concern below 8,000 feet, but the risk increases significantly above that height. Last week, a Chinese student living in Japan decided to climb Mt. Fuji, a 12,388-foot Japanese stratovolcano. He started to feel the effects of altitude sickness and knew he should descend. But he’d lost his crampons (spiked devices attached to boots for traction) and found himself stuck. He had to be airlifted to safety. Days later, he returned to retrieve his cell phone. He got sick again, and had to be rescued twice in five days. Over 200,000 people climb Mt. Fuji every year, but most do it between July and September, when the trails are officially open, medical facilities are available, and rescue is easier.

Eccentric Star

 

Jenny was a wild Asian elephant born in Sumatra in 1972. She was captured as an infant. While still very young, she spent a winter in a circus that also owned an older elephant named Shirley. At twenty, Jenny was sent to Illinois for breeding. An incident with a bull elephant left her with an injured leg that never healed properly. In 1995, 20/20 did a piece about captive elephants which showed Jenny living in poor conditions, ill and underweight. The following July, she was moved to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, becoming the third elephant there. Three years later, a new elephant joined the sanctuary. Twenty-three years had passed, but Jenny and Shirley recognized each other instantly. For the next seven years, the two elephants were inseparable. The Elephant Sanctuary is home to a dozen pachyderms, though Jenny and Shirley are gone. If there’s a Heaven for elephants, Shirley and Jenny are probably there side by side.

Orange String Block

 

“As you bind up the wounds of those in need, the Lord’s power will sustain you. His arms will be outstretched with yours to succor and bless the children of our Heavenly Father. Every covenant servant of Jesus Christ will receive His direction from the Spirit as they bless and serve others for Him. Then they will feel the Savior’s love and find joy in being drawn closer to Him. I am a witness of the Resurrection of the Lord as surely as if I had been there with the two disciples in the house on Emmaus road. I know He lives. This is His true Church—the Church of Jesus Christ. We will, on the Day of Judgment, stand before the Savior, face to face. It will be a time of great joy for those, in this life, who have drawn close to Him in His service and can eagerly anticipate to hear His words: ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant.’” – President Henry B. Eyring

Snail's Trail

 

There are at least a dozen songs or poems in The Hobbit. The first time I read this book, I was a teenager with very little patience for Tolkien’s poetry. Most of the ditties didn’t move the story forward (a must for songs as far as I’m concerned) and they simply didn’t captivate me the way the prose and pictures did. One I found most annoying was “Old Fat Spider Spinning in a Tree.” Bilbo sang this to irritate and distract the Mirkwood spiders who were planning to make a meal of his dwarf friends.

Old fat spider can’t see me!

Attercop! Attercop! Won't you stop,

Stop your spinning and look for me?

It was many years before I learned attercop wasn’t just a word Tolkien had invented. But it was an Old English word for spider, literally meaning “poison-head.” Of course, the word was familiar to Tolkien, a professor of Old and Middle English. 

Marigold String Block

 

There were no squirrels at our last house. There were deer, raccoons, and all manner of water fowl, but no squirrels. Oddly, we saw squirrels a few blocks in every direction, just none in our neighborhood. At this house, there are squirrels. Every. Single. Day. Sometimes up to six at a time, they scamper across the lawn and along the fences. They climb up and down trees. They run over the rooftop. They help themselves to acorns and tulip bulbs. They’re VERY interested in our bird feeders. The other day, I learned squirrels are omnivores. They’ll eat insects (Yay!) and roadkill (Ew!). They’ll hunt and devour voles and mice. When hungry, they’ll break into bins for discarded food. Small snakes and lizards are occasionally on the menu, as are smaller squirrels. Suddenly, squirrels aren’t adorable creatures with fluffy tails any more. They’re starting to look more like Monty Python’s Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog.

May Door Banner

 

The Celts had a holiday on the first of May called Beltane. They celebrated fertility and renewal with bonfires, baskets, Maypoles and flowers. Ancient Rome had several festivals in May, including Maiuma, honoring Bacchus and Venus. Over the years, many cultures have similar celebrations at this time of year. In Chicago on May 3 1886, there was a rally at Haymarket Square in support of workers striking for an eight-hour work day. When police tried to stop the rally, two workers were killed and many injured. The following day, as people gathered in the same place in protest, someone threw a bomb into the crowd. This time, seven police and four civilians were killed. For a time, the US set aside the first of May to commemorate the struggle to improve conditions for workers. Though our country now celebrates Labor Day in September, much of the rest of the world observes International Workers’ Day today.