Sixteen Patience Blocks

When George Mwinnyaa was five his father passed away, leaving seven widows to support themselves and their children. George’s mother struggled to feed him and his six siblings, but she made sure they always attended school. “My mom knew,” he says, “Education is more important than food.” George’s school in Ghana had no library, gymnasium, cafeteria, or even electricity. At the end of his senior year his test scores were not high enough for admission to Ghana’s public universities. Instead, he earned a community health worker certificate. George later met and married a Peace Corp volunteer, and they moved to Nevada. He worked as an elementary school janitor while he attended a community college. In 2015 Johns Hopkins offered him a full scholarship. This spring he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in public health studies. “In America,” George says, “I have learned dreams can turn into an unexpected reality.”

Tic Tac Toe

Quilts Etc. chose today’s block to honor Danica Sue Patrick, professional stock car racing driver, model, and advertising spokeswoman. Here are few short quotes from 5’2”, 100 pound Danica: “No one wants to hear my perspective on politics, but I think honestly as you get older, you get more interested in it.” “Take those chances and you can achieve greatness, whereas if  you go conservative, you’ll never know. I truly believe what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Even if you fail, learning and moving on is sometimes the best thing.” “Girls need to know two things: that they can be WHAT they want, and they can be WHO they want. I was raised to be the fastest driver, not the fastest girl.”

Nine Patience Blocks

On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution which stated: “Resolved, that the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” Until this time, the flag had thirteen red and white horizontal stripes, but in the northwest corner was what we call the Union Jack. It’s probably just a weird coincidence, but June 14 is also the anniversary of California's Bear Flag Revolt. On this day in 1846, thirty-four settlers arrested the Mexican general in Sonoma, and declared their new “Bear Flag Republic” an independent nation. A flag emblazoned with a star (a nod to the lone star flag of Texas) above a grizzly bear was raised as a symbol of their independence from Mexico. When California became a state in 1850, it kept the bear and star.

Swing in the Center

I had several wonderful teachers, but some left more of an impression than others. Much of what I know about rehearsing and performing as an accompanist I learned while working with my high school choir teacher, Mr. Jones. He’s also the reason I know how to lead an orchestra from the piano, but that’s a story for another day. During my senior year, I regularly went with him to all the area elementary schools to lay the seeds of future high school choirs. He was disappointed that I didn’t yet have a driver’s license. He thought I’d make a great race car driver. I was so tiny, he said, they could build a small roll cage for me making a lighter, more powerful car. I had him explain what a roll cage was, and immediately lost all interest in racing. Mr. Jones was ahead of his time. The very year I graduated, Shirley Muldowney (at 100 pounds) won the National Hot Rod Association championship. 

Four Patience Blocks

“My husband and I were invited to a gathering of many experienced Church leaders. A new presiding officer had recently been called, and at the end of the meeting a difficult and contentious question was asked. His response was something like this: ‘Brother, I don’t know the answer, but I’ll tell you what I do know. I know God is our Eternal Father. I know Jesus is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. I know Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. I know the Book of Mormon is true and contains the fullness of the gospel. I know we have a living prophet today who speaks for the Lord. I don’t know the answer to your question, but these things I know. The rest I take on faith. I try to live this simple statement of faith I learned from Marjorie Hinckley: first I obey, then I understand.’” – Linda K. Burton

Ohio Star Surrounded

Benjamin Franklin became interested in electricity in the mid-1740's, when very little was known about the topic. He spent the better part of a decade conducting various electrical experiments. He coined a number of electrical terms we use today, including battery, conductor and electrician. Franklin is also credited with the invention of the lightning rod, which is used to protect buildings and ships from lightning strikes. As the story goes, on the tenth of June 1752, Benjamin Franklin and his son William flew a kite from a spire atop Christ Church in Philadelphia during a thunderstorm. The kite was not struck by visible lightning, but a charge was collected in a Leyden jar (essentially a very early form of capacitor), enabling Franklin to demonstrate that lightning was electrical. 

Three Inch Patience Block

In 1890 one of the first hydroelectric generators was built at the mouth of Ogden canyon. A development like that will inevitably lead to others. It wasn’t long before there was a hotel here, trolley service from the valley below, a grand ballroom, and a swimming pool fed by hot mineral springs. In the 60’s there was an eighteen-lane bowling alley. Today the hotel, the ballroom, the pool and the bowling alley are gone. In their place is Rainbow Gardens which houses My Heritage Fabrics, Ballroom Boutique (Utah’s largest gift shop), Planet Rainbow (where you can buy a singing bowl or have a psychic reading), and The Greenery Restaurant. If you go, I recommend the Crab Louie or the Benedict Arnold, but not the Chicken Penne Pesto. I also recommend grabbing half a dozen Mormon Muffins for the road.