Kitty Cat

Sparrow

 

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