Four Chain Blocks

 

Forty-Nine Flags

 

I read Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island in my early teens. It left me with a burning desire to become a pirate. I knew this career might mean I’d end up with an eye patch, a peg leg or a hook. But those were small concerns compared with the promise of treasure and the lure of the open sea. Alas, my buccaneer dreams never saw fruition. Maybe I was just born too early. Since the fall of 2011, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has offered a pirate certificate for undergraduate students who complete specific physical education courses, including archery, fencing, pistol shooting, and sailing. MIT is quick to point out the certificate is not a stand-alone credential and does not grant license to engage in piracy or related activities. The pirate program has a waitlist, but well over 300 students and alumni are already proud recipients. Matt Damon received an honorary certificate after the movie, The Martian.

Spring Checkerboard

 

If you’ve read Cheaper by the Dozen, or seen the 1950 movie, you know about Frank Gilbreth. But you don’t know Lillian’s story. Lillian and Frank were married in 1904. Together, they raised a dozen children. They also pioneered a field that is now known as industrial and organizational psychology. They studied how people do things in the workplace, and formulated ways to make work more effective. Frank’s focus was on mechanics; Lillian’s was on people: fatigue, error and human behavior. Frank died of a heart attack in 1924, leaving Lillian to support twelve children. Their clientele, assuming Frank was the brains of the operation, disappeared. So, Lillian turned her attention to productivity in the home. Lillian interviewed thousands of housewives to understand their needs. She invented the foot-pedal trash can. She rearranged refrigerator shelving to make it more ergonomically efficient. She designed the “kitchen work triangle” – stove, sink and fridge – still used in homes today.

Sparrow Block

 

Perks of being over fifty:

Kidnappers aren’t generally interested in you.

In a hostage situation, you’re likely to be the first one released.

No one expects you to run anywhere.

You no longer see speed limit signs as challenges.

If people call you after 8:00 p.m., they ask, “Did I wake you?”

People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.

There’s probably nothing left to learn the hard way.

The things you buy now will probably not have time to wear out.

You can eat your supper at 4:30 p.m., and no one questions it.

Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the National Weather Service.

Your secrets are safe with your friends, because they can’t remember them either.

Garden Charm

 

“A testimony is not given for temporary use. This gift from our loving Heavenly Father is meant to be eternal because the giver is eternal. A testimony should not have an expiration date. It should not weaken or diminish because something in my life has changed or something in the world has changed. It should get stronger because, like the servant’s talents in the parable of the talents, my testimony is a gift to be multiplied—not buried. Looking back on the difficult days of testing and persecution I went through as a child has helped me get to the place where I now know for myself. I not only believe, hope, or trust, even though these are significant particles of faith on the pathway to a sure witness. I commend you for making your own way by asking questions, studying, praying, fasting, and pondering. Please don’t stop. It is worth every effort to pursue this path to testimony.” – Elder Kevin G. Brown

Chain Block

 

Today’s story is about an interesting woman – Oberon Sinclair. Until I discovered her, I’d only known Oberon as king of the fairies in Midsummer Night’s Dream, the last name of the actress who starred in the REAL Wuthering Heights, and Uranus’ outermost moon. Oberon Sinclair is a publicist. Apparently, one morning in 2011 she woke up and said, “I think I’ll get everyone to eat kale.” Until she did, I don’t think anyone ate kale. Ever. Remember when Pizza Hut was a dine-in restaurant with a salad bar? Kale was the decorative green cardboard stuff they crammed between the ice and the actual food. Ms. Sinclair invented the non-existent “American Kale Association.” Now suddenly it’s posh to nosh kale. It went from an inedible weed to a luxury superfood. People whip it up in smoothies. They bake crispy kale chips. They sneak kale into salads, muffins, and omelets. Amazing what the right PR campaign can do.

Thirty-Six Flags

 

The game of backgammon has been around for nearly 5000 years. It’s one of the world’s oldest games, and is believed to have originated in Mesopotamia. During the 16th century, the Catholic church banned the game, which instantly made it much more popular. People played in secret, and made foldable boards that could hide in plain sight. The name of the game may refer to the fact checkers can be “sent back,” or it may come from some very old words meaning, “game on a table.” The twenty-four points on the backgammon board represent twenty-four hours in a day, while thirty checkers (fifteen for each player) represent the thirty days of the month. Famous people who’ve loved playing backgammon include Lucille Ball, Omar Sharif, Hugh Hefner, Taylor Swift, Leo DiCaprio, Kiera Knightley, Chris Rock, and Toby MacGuire. I learned to play while I was still in my teens, and seldom go twenty-four hours without a game.

Kitty Cat

 

Quilt Etc. in Sandy did a block-of-the-month class the first Saturday every month. They started in 2003, but I didn’t join until the following year. I made every block, even while we lived overseas. I’d still be at it, if COVID hadn’t killed it in 2020. I was happy to find the Riley Blake Designs Block Challenge in 2001. There were free downloadable patterns for 16 blocks per year, all of them ten inches finished. There was a pattern for completing each sixteen-block quilt, but I was usually happier to design my own settings. The sampler quilts I made over the past five years were beautiful. The block challenge didn’t quite replace Quilt Etc.’s monthly classes, but almost. Until this year. I’ve been unhappy with all the blocks in the 2026 challenge. They’re uninspired and uninspiring. They’re unnecessarily busy, and the colors bicker with each other. They lack elegance, and I don’t know how to fix this.

Center Pieces

 

“How do we become and help one another become devoted disciples of Jesus Christ? We minister to the one. Ministering in the Savior’s way involves compassion, kindness, patience, and love without judgment. As we minister to the one, we invite the one to come unto Christ and to worship in the house of the Lord to receive of His redeeming power. In other words, we help one another become devoted disciples as we minister to the one in ways that lead to the house of the Lord. We learn from Jesus Christ the power of ministering to the one with love and without judgment. You remember the Samaritan woman at the well. This woman may have felt unimportant, alone, discouraged, and unseen. She may have felt she did not belong. Yet she was one of the first to whom Jesus Christ declared He was the Messiah. To Him, this woman was a daughter of God.” – Elder Peter M. Johnson

Eight Dancing Stars Plus One

 

The third Saturday of March is National Quilting Day. This year, it’s today: Saturday March 21. National Quilting Day is set aside to appreciate quilters, their skills, and the art of quilting. The holiday was the brainchild in 1992 of the National Quilting Association. Before it became known as National Quilting Day, it was called “Quilter’s Day Out,” founded by the Kentucky Quilting Association. Although it’s called “National,” this is really a global event, involving workshops, trunk shows, and the sharing of stories behind generations of handmade quilts. You can celebrate by visiting a quilting museum, or any museum where quilts are on display. You can share photos and stories of the quilts handed down in your own family with younger family members or on social media. You can sign up for a quilting class, air out the quilts in your cupboard, or rotate the quilts in your home. Or simply spend the day sewing. I won’t judge.

Twenty-Five Rail Fence Blocks

 

Ten Scientifically Proven Ways to Make Yourself Happier:

Spend money on other people. The happiest people are givers.

Try something new; a new route, a new hobby, a new passion. Shake things up.

Expose yourself to more blue. The color blue boosts confidence and cuts stress.

Stop defending your point of view. Even if you convince the other guy (and you won't) it won’t make you happy.

Go to church. People who attend regularly are more contented and more stable.

Sleep at least six hours at night.

Slash your commute to 20 minutes. Find a job near home or a house nearer work.

Make sure you can count at least 10 friends. Real friends, not just the facebook variety.

Fake it until you make it. Smile. It really will make you feel better.

Find yourself a romantic relationship. If you’re already in a relationship, simply add more romance. – from Meredith Galante of Business Insider

Yellow Bloom

 Brown Butter Banana Bread Cookies

 

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup mashed ripe banana

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips

 

Place butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until butter melts and turns golden brown. Pour into bowl and let cool 10 minutes. Stir in banana and sugars. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Scoop dough onto a lined baking sheet. Bake at 350F 10 to 12 minutes until edges are golden. Cool on pan a few minutes before moving to baking rack.

Four Cake Stands

 

Oddly specific life tips:

Live east of your job. Driving into the sun both ways will mean you start and end your day with a headache.

Befriend security, housekeeping, maintenance and IT techs. Find those who serve and learn to serve them back.

If you can read a recipe, you can cook. Find recipes you like and cook them. Eat out as little as possible.

Develop the habit of reading every day: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays, everything.

Remember you’re your oldest, truest friend. Don’t miss out on things because you have no one to do them with. Get comfortable attending movies alone, dining alone, traveling alone.

If it won’t matter in five years, don’t dwell on it more than five minutes.

Show up for parents with a new baby, people dealing with illness, people mourning a loved one. Bonus points if you bring a homemade meal. If there’s a funeral, try to attend.

Green Bow Tie

 

I haven’t had a professional manicure in over a decade. I was never a regular customer; I’d go in from time to time if I needed a morale boost or wanted to look particularly nice. But the last time I had a mani-pedi, the salon’s proprietor used a razor to remove a callous on my heel, and it bled for three days. Maybe someday I’ll have the guts to go back. Meanwhile, I manage well enough on my own. I have all the tools I need: a decent set of nail clippers, a nail file, a buffer, cuticle oil, and an orange cuticle stick. I don’t generally wear nail polish, and I keep my nails very trim. With all the things I use my hands to do, long nails and nail polish would just be a nuisance. I even make my own exfoliant scrub: half a cup of sugar (white or brown), three tablespoons of olive oil, and two tablespoons of honey.

Turning Point

 

“God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh to declare repentance. Jonah promptly heads the exact opposite direction. As he sails away from his calling, a ship-wrecking storm develops. Certain his disobedience is the cause, Jonah volunteers to be thrown overboard. This calms the raging sea, saving his shipmates. Miraculously, Jonah escapes death when a great fish swallows him. He languishes in that dark, putrid place three days, until he’s spit out on dry ground. He then accepts his call to Nineveh. Yet, when the city repents and is spared destruction, Jonah resents the mercy shown his enemies. God patiently teaches Jonah He loves and seeks to rescue all His children. Jonah provides a vivid testimony: in mortality, all are fallen. Here on earth, weeds grow, strong bones break, and all come short of the glory of God. But this mortal condition is essential to the very reason we exist: that we might have joy!” – Elder Matthew S. Holland

Six Dancing Stars

 

Ian Fleming described his James Bond as a tall man, and most of the actors who’ve played the fictional agent fit that description. Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, and Pierce Brosnan were all six feet and two inches. Roger Moore was half an inch shorter. David Niven was 5’ 11” and Daniel Craig is five foot ten. When “You Only Live Twice” was filmed, Toyota produced two custom-built 2000GT Roadster convertibles, because without the open top, Sean Connery couldn’t fit in the hard-topped version. At least one of these two cars is in someone’s private collection. If you want a chance to see it, it will be on display later this month at the Peterson Automotive Museum in L.A. Incidentally, most famous non-Bond creation was about a racecar with a life of its own: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. And the fellow who wrote the screenplay for “You Only Live Twice” was children’s author Roald Dahl.

Twenty-Five Flags

 

The Niantic was one of the first whaling vessels to bring gold-seekers to Yerba Buena (later named San Francisco). The ship was run aground and abandoned during the gold rush, where it was repurposed as a storehouse, saloon, and hotel until it was ultimately destroyed in an 1851 fire. The Niantic was rediscovered in 1978 during excavation for the Mark Twain Plaza Complex near the Transamerica Pyramid – six blocks from the current waterfront. At least forty and as many as sixty ships lie under the buildings, streets and sidewalks of San Francisco. The Euphemia, a ship once used as a jail, was found in 1921 under Battery and Sacramento Streets. The whaling ship Candace was excavated under Spear and Folsom streets in 2005. The General Harrison located under 425 Battery Street at Clay, was discovered in 2001. Archeologist James Delgado calls the area “a site that to the rest of the world is a Pompeii; a gold rush Pompeii.”

Half a Dozen Song Birds

 

You probably remembered to set your clocks ahead Saturday night. I hope you replaced your smoke/CO detector batteries while you were at it. This is also a good time to switch fans from winter mode (pulling air upward) to summer mode (pushing it down). Now’s a great time to rotate or flip your mattress so it wears more evenly. At least check to see if your mattress needs replacing. You should replace your toothbrush every three months. If you haven’t done that, replace it now. Unless you live in Texas, you probably haven’t used your A/C yet. You’ll want to replace the furnace filter before you do. It’s hard to remember tasks that don’t happen daily, weekly or monthly – like cleaning trash bins and pet dishes, washing pet toys and the hat you wore all winter, or buying new underwear. Take advantage of this biannual reminder to get these jobs done.

Pink Bloom

 

Have you ever whipped cream by hand? It takes more time and energy than you’d expect. Once you’ve made it, you have to use it right away. It can’t be frozen or refrigerated and used later. This was the sort of problem William H. Mitchell found fascinating. To solve it, he invented a concoction of water, hydrogenated vegetable oil and sweeteners that you know as Cool Whip. One of Mitchell’s first inventions was in answer to a tapioca shortage during World War 2: a grain starch/gelatin mixture soldiers called “Mitchell’s Mud.” Early astronauts complained about metallic-tasting stored water. To improve the flavor, they used another Mitchell invention: sugar, orange coloring and vitamin C branded as Tang. In the 50’s, Mitchell looked for a way to combine carbon monoxide with Kool Aid and invented Pop Rocks. The explosive candy didn’t hit the market until 1975, so for several years, only his immediate family enjoyed them.

Four-Leaf Clover

 

Salt Lake has been the capital of Utah since 1856. It’s hard to imagine it anywhere else, but it hasn’t always been this way. The original territorial capital was Fillmore, chosen in 1851 for its central location. Brigham Young favored the idea of St. George for the capital of his proposed state of Deseret, as it was mid-point between Salt Lake and the southernmost city, San Diego. What may surprise you more is the capital of the U.S. hasn’t always been Washington, D.C. During the Revolutionary War, Continental Congress was a moveable feast, meeting in secret to avoid capture. George Washington was inaugurated in New York City, our first capital. Philadelphia served as capital for a decade, while the current capital was under construction. After the Civil War, there was a serious push to move the capital to a more central location: St. Louis, Missouri. I often wonder what our country would be like if they’d succeeded. 

Tulip Toss

 

“To all of you who serve, and especially to the over 4,000 young service missionaries, we love you! If teaching missionaries are the Lord’s mouth, then service missionaries are the Lord’s hands. Each of you is vital to the gathering of Israel. President Nelson taught ‘anytime we do anything that helps anyone to make and keep their covenants with God, we are helping to gather Israel.’ You service missionaries gather Israel in so many ways, and your service changes lives. Often you don’t know who the beneficiary of your service is, but God knows. Always remember that inasmuch as ye serve one of the least of these, ye serve Him. We hear your voices as you volunteer at Church call centers; we see your smiles as you help in community organizations; and we feel your light as you serve in temples. You feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and give drink to the thirsty.” – Elder James E. Evanson

Four Maple Stars

 

When I first came across the story of the eleven nuns of Nowogródek, I was sure it was fiction. I take everything I read on the Internet with a grain of salt. There was a time when stories published works carried the reputation of the publisher. But the Internet allows publication without risk. And AI makes the spread of lies ubiquitous, even expected. But, after some research, I’ve come to the conclusion this actually happened. The Nazis arrived in Nowogródek, Poland in 1941. They executed 9,500 Jews and sent 550 to labor camps. In 1942, they executed 60 more townspeople, including two Catholic priests. The following year, 120 men were arrested and slated for execution. Their wives and mothers pled the nuns for help. The nuns prayed, “If sacrifice of life is needed, accept it from us.” Shortly thereafter, the nuns were rounded up and shot. The 120 men targeted for death survived the war.

Sixteen Flags

 

I think we’ve all heard of Steve Jobs. The entrepreneur co-founded Apple in his parents’ garage in the 70’s and died from pancreatic cancer in 2011. He was known for a demanding, perfectionist approach, and for the custom-made black mock-neck shirts, Levis 501 jeans and New Balance sneakers he wore regardless of the occasion. Most people are familiar with his partner, Steve Wozniak. The “Other Steve” is seventy-five now. He still gets a $50-per-week salary from Apple, but he gave away most of his original Apple stock and his primary income is from speaking engagements. Far fewer of us have heard of the third co-founder, Ronald Wayne. Wayne was working for Atari when he met Jobs and Wozniak. Jobs suggested a partnership with 45% for each of the Steves, and 10% for Wayne, who would act as a tie-breaker. Wayne sold his share for $800 in 1976. Today, his 10% stake would be worth $400 billion.

Four Song Birds

 

It all began August 25, 1835. The New York Sun published a series of six articles – with pictures – reporting the discovery of life on the moon. They were attributed to a well-known astronomer, Sir John Herschel, and his fictitious collaborator, Dr. Andrew Grant. According to the articles, the pair had used a revolutionary new telescope – 24 feet in diameter – to observe the surface of the moon with more clarity and detail than ever before. They reported seeing lush vegetation and vast oceans on the moon, as well as many fantastic inhabitants: unicorns, large beavers that walked upright on their hind legs, and humanoids that flew about on bat-like wings. Many readers believed the articles, including several respected scientists. On September 16, the Sun revealed the whole thing was a hoax. In the meantime, they’d temporarily increased the newspaper’s circulation, and permanently damaged our collective respect for serious journalism.

Forty-Nine Echoes

 

History is weirder than you realize.

Abraham Lincoln was a twelve-year-old growing up in a cabin on the frontier when Napoleon Bonaparte died.

Joseph Stalin, Sigmund Freud, Josip Broz Tito, Leon Trotsky, and Adolf Hitler walked into a bar. Well, not really. But it could have happened, because they all lived in Vienna in 1913.

In 343 BCE, King Philip II of Macedon hired the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle to educate his thirteen-year-old son. That son would grow up to be Alexander the Great.

The first Egyptian pharaoh ruled around 3150 BC. Woolly mammoths lived on Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean until about 4,000 years ago. So, there was a time when pharaohs and mammoths both lived on Earth.

Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452; a year after the birth of Christopher Columbus.

Oxford University was founded in 1249; the Aztec Empire crumbled in 1545. So, both existed for 296 years.

Four Woven Hearts

 

We have Sunday dinner together as a family every week – all sixteen of us. We’ve been doing it for years. When one of us celebrates a birthday, for dessert we do the light-a-candle, sing-a-song, blow-it-out thing. For the past several months, I’ve let the one with the birthday select the dinner’s menu. I don’t know if everyone appreciates the opportunity to choose. But maybe it gives everyone a glimpse of the mental effort involved in a weekly family dinner. My own birthday is about a dozen weeks away. I’ve been thinking about what I want for Sunday dinner, and I keep leaning toward Brazilian churrascaria: grilled pineapple, pão de queijo, boiled quail eggs, fried bananas, etc. My grocer doesn’t carry quail eggs. I found several for sale online. But they’re not for eating; they’re for hatching. Hmm. If I buy the hatching kind, I might eventually get more quail eggs, right?

March Door Banner

 

“’Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.’ The key question in this inquiry by the Lord is “Lovest thou me more than these?” We show love to the Lord when we put Him above ‘these.’ ‘These’ can be anyone, any activity, or anything that displaces Him from being the most important influence in our lives. There will never be enough time in a day, a week, a month, or a year to get done all we want or need to accomplish. Part of the test of mortality is to use the precious resource of time for what is most important. President Russell M. Nelson said, ‘The question for all of us is the same: Are you willing to let God be the most important influence in your life?’” – Elder Steven C. Barlow

Maple Star Variation

 

When I think of Mary Steenburgen, I think of Time After Time (1979), One Magic Christmas (1985), Back to the Future III (1990), and Elf (2003). I’d seen some of her work since then, but none of it left as big an impression as those four movies. Last week I learned at age 54 the Oscar-winning actress had undergone what should have been an unremarkable surgery on her arm. When the general anesthesia wore off, she heard music in her head. They were tunes she’d never heard before, and they never stopped. At first, it was debilitating. She couldn’t focus. Acting was next to impossible. Mary called a musician friend and asked for help transcribing the music she was hearing. That summer she wrote hundreds of songs. In 2019, She won best original song for "Glasgow (No Place Like Home)" in the movie Wild Rose. Mary Steenburgen is living proof we’re never finished becoming who we are.

Nine Flags

 

Shortly after World War II, many places in the U.S. experienced a housing boom. McCall, Idaho was one of these places. The trouble was McCall was also dealing with a beaver boom. Beavers toppled newly planted orchards and built dams which flooded new basements. When beavers set up housekeeping in the wilerness, they improve the ecosystem. When they move into subdivisions, they can be terrible neighbors. So, Idaho Fish and Game decided to move 76 beavers to the back woods. By dropping them from a plane. They built special beaver parachute boxes designed to securely land the semi-aquatic rodents and burst open, so they'd essentially hit the ground running. Their test “pilot,” nicknamed Geronimo, was safely dropped so many times, he actually liked it and would waddle back to his beaver box for another ride. All but one of the 76 urban beavers were relocated without incident to the Chamberlain Basin, where their descendants are probably still redecorating. 

Song Bird

 

More thoughts on motherhood:

“Kids humble us. The other day on the flight home, Olympia insisted on running up and down the aisle. When I finally got her to sit still, she threw up all over me.” – Serena Williams

"Twelve years later the memories of those nights, of sleep deprivation, still make me rock back and forth a bit. You want to torture someone? Hand them an adorable baby they love who doesn't sleep." – Shonda Rhimes

“Motherhood is tough. If you just want a wonderful little creature to love, you can get a puppy.” – Barbara Walters

"Becoming a mom to me means you’ve accepted for the next 16 years of your life, you’ll have a sticky purse." – Nia Vardalos

"Sleep at this point is just a concept, something I'm looking forward to investigating in the future." – Amy Poehler

“When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they’re finished, I climb out.” – Erma Bombeck.

Forty-Two Echoes

 

More work than most slow cooker meals, but worth it.

 

Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken

 

1 1/2 pounds chicken, cubed

3 tablespoons oil, divided

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons hoisin

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon grated ginger

6 dried red chili peppers

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 zucchini, cubed

1/3 cup peanuts

 

Heat half the oil over medium-high heat; brown chicken. Place in slow cooker with dried chilies. Combine water, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, garlic, and ginger in bowl. Stir until combined. Pour over chicken and peppers in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Whisk cornstarch into 2 tablespoons water; add to chicken. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté pepper and zucchini in remaining oil. Add peppers, zucchini and peanuts to slow cooker and stir. Serve over hot rice.

Woven Heart

 

The butterfly effect is a way to describe how small events can have far-reaching and unexpected consequences. It was made popular by Edward Norton Lorenz, a meteorologist who discovered rounding a single variable in a weather simulation (like from 0.506127 to 0.506) produces a completely different forecast. In 1990, the Mars Climate Orbiter crashed because one NASA team used imperial calculations while another team used metric. Why is the US not on board with the metric system? Blame it on pirates. In 1779, the newly United States used different weights and measures, complicating interstate trade. Thomas Jefferson arranged for scientist Joseph Dombrey to bring examples of the new metric system from France. A storm blew Dombrey’s ship off course and into the hands of privateers in the Caribbean, where he died. Without this precious cargo, Congress refused to adopt the new system. Was the storm that doomed Dombrey caused by a butterfly’s flapping wings? I guess we’ll never know.

Square Knot

 

“The Savior invites all to serve him with all your heart. When we choose to do each thing the Lord has asked us to do—such as keeping the commandments, partaking of the sacrament, worshipping in the temple, and serving others—with a sincere heart and with real intent, each act of service and worship becomes a powerful spiritual experience that strengthens our faith and testimony and fills our hearts with joy and love for God and our fellow man. The prophet Alma’s question still echoes today: ‘Have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?’ Brothers and sisters, I invite you to give your whole heart to the Savior today. Let each act of worship and service be sincere and intentional. Set aside the distractions of the world and strive to have meaningful time for the Lord every day of your lives.” – Elder Ronald M. Barcellos

Five Dancing Stars

Just before he was hanged, French aristocrat and Royalist Marquis de Favras read his death warrant. According to Victor Hugo, his last words were, “Permit me to point out that you have made three mistakes in spelling.” François-Marie Arouet was a French Enlightenment writer who went by the nom de plume Voltaire. He was often critical of religious dogma. As he lay on his death bed, his priest asked if he rejected Satan. “My good man,” Voltaire exclaimed, “now is not the time to make new enemies.” As Spanish Prime Minister Ramón María Narváez lay dying, he was asked if he forgave his enemies. “I don’t need to forgive them,” he replied, “I’ve had them all shot.” In November, 1900, Oscar Wilde was ill and impoverished in a hotel in Paris. Unhappy with his surroundings, he declared, “This wallpaper is killing me. Decidedly one of us will have to go.” 

 

Four Flags

 

The first week in January, I saw an article about the Quilts of Valor 2026 National Block Drive, and the block they chose for this year: the Echo block. I read about the blocks they hope to receive and thought, “I can do that.” Within days, I was tearing into my stash for red, white (or off-white) and blue prints. I love scrappy quilting projects. Rediscovering prints I used years (or even decades) ago brings back lovely memories. They do tend to make my sewing room look like the aftermath of a hurricane, but the results are just dazzling. I was midway through this indoor storm when our quilt guild announced this year’s project: a scrappy top filled with these red, white and blue American flags; one for each state in the union. The QOV project will be donated to a veteran, and the flag quilt will commemorate the semiquincentennial. I can do that.

Four Small Stars

 

Thoughts on motherhood:

“When your children are teenagers, it’s important to have a dog so someone in the house is happy to see you.” – Nora Ephron

“It’s not easy being a mom. If it were, fathers would do it.” – Betty White

“It just occurred to me the majority of my diet is food my kid didn’t finish.” – Carrie Underwood

“No one told me I’d be coming home in diapers, too.” – Chrissy Teigen

“If you aren’t yelling at your kids, you’re not spending enough time with them.” – Reese Witherspoon

“My sister said once, ‘Anything I don’t want Mother to know, I don’t even think of, if she’s in the room.’” – Agatha Christie

“I’ve been married fourteen years and I have three kids. Obviously, I breed well in captivity.” – Roseanne Barr

“Like all parents, my husband and I do the best we can, hold our breath, and hope we set aside enough money to pay for our kids’ therapy.” – Michelle Pfeiffer

Three Dozen Echoes

 

Squash Alfredo

 

1 large spaghetti squash

2 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper to taste

4 tablespoons cream cheese

1 cup mozzarella

1 cup baby spinach

 

Preheat oven to 400F. Fill a baking sheet with about an inch of water. Cut spaghetti squash in half crosswise, scoop out the seeds. Place cut side down in the prepared baking sheet and bake until tender, about 45 minutes. Use a fork to pull apart the strands of squash and set half of them aside. Season squash halves with salt and pepper, and then add butter, cream cheese and half the mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add spinach and reserved spaghetti squash; top with remaining mozzarella. Broil for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. Makes 2 generous servings.

Tiny Green Nine-Patch

 

I’ve been a quilter since 2004. My first quilt was a sampler made with civil war reproduction prints. I keep it near my front door, to remind me of how far I’ve come. As with any endeavor, there are inherent risks. I have several friends who’ve sliced themselves badly with rotary cutters. I haven’t done that, at least not yet. I know more than a few quilters who’ve machine-stitched right through their own fingers – another experience I hope to avoid altogether. On occasion, I’ve mishandled hot irons, but never so badly to need anything more than an ice cube and a little aloe vera. For me the real danger is needles and pins. I don’t seem capable of handling either without repeatedly stabbing myself. It happens frequently while I’m piecing tops, and every single time when I hand stitch binding. I guess you could say blood sweat and tears have gone into every quilt I’ve made.

Ombré Dash

 

“Listening to and acting on the words and invitations of the prophets and apostles can fill us with hope, confidence, and strength, resulting in our faith becoming unshaken. I have learned that a desire to be reconciled to God must be accompanied by a desire to repent. Repenting and experiencing the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ lead to unshaken faith. Unshaken faith leads to a desire to always be reconciled to God. This is a circular, or iterative, pattern. Brothers and sisters, I invite you to be reconciled to God through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I testify that making and keeping covenants makes our connection to the Savior strong, thereby avoiding becoming ripe for destruction. I testify that this reconciliation to God, through Jesus Christ’s Atonement, leads to unshakable faith.” - Elder Kelly R. Johnson

Tender Heart

 

"To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides." —David Viscott

"I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you." —Roy Croft

"Where there is love there is life." —Mahatma Gandhi

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." —Dr. Seuss

"The best thing to hold onto in life is each other." —Audrey Hepburn

"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." —Emily Brontë

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." —Lao Tzu

"I have, for the first time, found what I can truly love. I have found you." —Charlotte Bronte

"Love is friendship set to music." —Joseph Campbell

"My soul and your soul are forever tangled." —N.R. Hart

"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." —Aristotle

Flag Block

 

The first Friday of the year that falls on the thirteenth day of the month is “National Blame Someone Else Day.” This is a holiday you can really get behind. If anything goes wrong today – and let’s face it; something ALWAYS goes wrong – all you have to do is point the finger of blame at someone else. No matter what brainless thing you did today, you can find someone to take the fall. This holiday was created in 1982 by Anne Moeller from Clio, Michigan. Anne’s alarm clock failed on the morning of the first Friday the 13^th of the year, setting off a domino effect of bad luck. If you’re having trouble finding a suitable target for your blame, typical scapegoats include your children, your siblings, your spouse, your neighbors, your co-workers, the weather, or faulty technology. The only downside of this holiday is while you’re laying the blame elsewhere, someone else might also blame you.  

Four Tilting Valentines

 

The average steam iron lasts about seven years. If you buy a reliable brand, empty the reservoir after use and periodically descale it, your iron might work a bit longer. If you use it daily (as I do) you can expect it to fail sooner. I’ve run through my fair share of irons. They all serve me well, and then one day they just stop heating up. Until this week. My seven-year-and-one-month-old Rowenta iron, which used to make a soft “bink” sound when it turned on and a “pop” when it turned off, suddenly began saying “bink-pop-bink-pop-bink-pop” until I unplugged it. I waited a few minutes, plugged it in again, and the same thing happened. I replaced it with an identical model, but it cost almost exactly twice what I paid for the old one. Rowentas are made in Germany, so it could be tariffs. Or inflation. Probably both.

Thirty-Five Echoes

 

When Edgar McGregor was a teenager, he joined in the Fridays for Future school strikes inspired by Greta Thunberg. He looked for ways to make a difference in his own community. In May 2019, Edgar toted a five-gallon bucket and a pair of gloves into Eaton Canyon, a popular hiking spot near his home. He figured he could single-handedly clean up the canyon in a week or two. He pulled out bottles, cans, old tires, cell phones, and cigarette lighters. After two weeks, he’d only scratched the surface. Edgar kept at it every day for nearly two years, through 117-degree summer days, snowstorms and a pandemic. Edgar, who has autism, found satisfaction in the rhythm of the work and the beauty of his surroundings. He intended to return and continue keeping the park clean on a weekly basis, but the 2025 Eaton Fire and the subsequent closure of the park may have interfered with his plans.

Ribbon Star

 

Greek Orzo Salad

 

1 1/4 cup orzo pasta

15 ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 1/2 cups cucumber, chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted

4 ounces feta, crumbled

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice + lemon zest

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon Dijon

1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

 

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice with zest, honey, Dijon and seasoning. Stir in drained garbanzo beans. Marinate at least 10 minutes. Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water; shake dry. Toss with vegetables, feta and garbanzo mixture; serve.

Tilting Heart

 

“Your proving and strengthening may not look like Moroni’s or Jacob’s or the Prophet Joseph’s. But it will come. It may come quietly, through the trials of family life. It may come through illness or disappointment or grief or loneliness. I bear witness that these moments are not evidence the Lord has abandoned you. Rather, they are evidence He loves you enough to refine and strengthen you. If we remain faithful in our service, the Lord will refine us. He will strengthen us. And one day we will look back and see that those very trials were evidence of His love. We will see that He was shaping us to be able to stand with Him in glory. As the Lord’s Apostle Paul stated at the end of his own life, ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.’” - Elder Henry B. Eyring

Thirty Echoes

 

We’re warned by those who work with the homeless not to give cash to panhandlers. They say the money won’t go to food or shelter. It just fuels whatever addiction put them there in the first place. But what if you donated a lot of money – enough to really make a difference? That’s the question the documentary “Reversal of Fortune” tried to answer in 2005. They handed $100,000 to Ted Rodrigue, a man who lived under a bridge and recycled beverage containers to buy food, beer and cigarettes. His first purchases were a new bicycle and an amusement park trip. Then he rented a motel room. Ted’s family learned about his windfall and invited him to come for a visit. They encouraged him to find a job and invest his money, but he was only concerned about the NOW. Within six months, the money was all gone and Ted was back under the bridge, dumpster diving for bottles and cans.  

Four Valentines

 

Two weeks ago, Heather and I watched Lady and the Tramp as we drove to the hospital and back. At the end of the film Jock (a Scottish terrier) and Trusty (a bloodhound) chase the dogcatcher’s wagon through a thunderstorm. The horses are spooked and the wagon overturns, injuring Trusty. Jock finds his wounded friend and howls. I’ve seen the movie dozens, maybe hundreds of times. But this time I thought, “That’s dumb. Scotties don’t howl.” A day or two later, I heard an odd, melodic sound in the back garden. I opened the door and caught Lassie howling. There was an emergency vehicle passing by two blocks away, and she was singing along with the siren. I’ve since been told Lassie sometimes howls when she thinks she’s home alone. I looked it up. According to Google, some Scotties may howl when they’re excited, when they hear a high-pitched sound, or to express separation anxiety. 

Starry Bloom

 

This is not the future Saturday morning cartoons prepared me for. I really expected by this point in my life, I’d be living – or at least vacationing – on the moon. Or maybe Mars. I’d have an ultra-modern home with 360-degree views, like the space needle. I thought I’d be zipping here and there in my own personal rocket ship. And I KNEW I’d own a robot: like Rosie on the Jetsons. She’d keep my house clean and tidy, do the dishes and laundry, and maybe remind me of tomorrow’s haircut appointment. Well, I DO own a robot vacuum. It’s a tossup whether he’s working for me or I’m working for him. And maybe he's sharing my data with China. Ten-year-old me would have thought robots calling me on my phone would be cool. It isn’t. Now we have artificial intelligence eliminating human jobs, making us doubt EVERYTHING, and making the price of electricity skyrocket. Not what I signed up for.

Twenty-Five Echoes

 

A 90-year-old couple are having trouble remembering things, so they visit their doctor. After a check-up, the doctor says they’re physically fine. He suggests they may want to start writing important things down so they won’t forget them. Later that evening, they’re both watching television. The husband gets up, and his wife says, “Where are you going?” “To the kitchen,” he replies. “I thought I’d like some ice cream.” “Could you bring me some, too?” says his wife. “Sure,” he answers. “I’d like strawberries and whipped cream on top,” she says. “Maybe you should write it down so you won’t forget.” “I don’t need to write it down!” he barks back, and he leaves. A few minutes later, he returns with a plate of fried eggs and bacon. His wife looks at the plate and exclaims, “See? I SAID you should have written it down! You’ve forgotten my toast!”

Valentine Heart

 

Mark Twain once said, “If you don’t like our weather, just wait a few minutes.” I actually prefer George Carlin’s quote, “The weather will continue to change on and off for a long, long time.” So far, our winter has been remarkably mild. But that could change on a dime. If you hear the words “winter storm warning,” make sure all your devices are charged and your gas tank is full. Check flashlights and spare batteries. See that you have at least three days of non-perishable food that doesn’t need cooking. Fill bottles and tubs with water. Fill your freezer with ice. Bring pets indoors. If the power goes out, use flashlights, not candles. Unplug sensitive electronics. Close curtains to retain heat. Make sure your neighbors are okay. When the power comes back on, check for frozen pipes. Toss any spoiled food, and gradually plug your devices in again.