Susie Q

Many years ago – it may be as much as a decade – I won a fat quarter bundle at the Utah Shop Hop. It was a collection of near-solid prints in every color of the rainbow called Elements by Mark Lipinski for Northcott fabrics.  These prints were designed as “blenders,” to be individually pressed into service in quilts where they’d simply blend in unnoticed. For a while, I thought that’s what I’d do with them. Once or twice I almost cut into the bundle while I was planning a state fair challenge quilt. But the more I looked at the prints, the more I became convinced they belonged in a single quilt where their jewel-like colors could shine. They’re finally about to fulfill their calling. This will be a sampler quilt (of course), a modern twist on some very old traditional blocks. I’ve just a handful of blocks and a border or two to go. I can hardly wait to show you!

Checkerboard

I resolved years ago never to give money to beggars when they ask for a handout. (It’s more PC to call them “homeless,” but I don’t KNOW they’re homeless. They ARE begging.) If they ask for food, though, I’ve committed to help. I’ve never regretted making or keeping that commitment. Recently a McDonald's customer in Myrtle Beach invited a homeless man into that establishment to offer him a meal. He was shocked to hear the employees order the homeless man out. When police arrived the good Samaritan objected loudly. He recorded the event as he and his benefactor were escorted out. The resulting video quickly went viral, and a predictable backlash ensued. In their own defense, the McDonald's says this particular homeless man has caused trouble there numerous times. It’s good to remember there really are at least two sides to every story. And that Mickey D’s sells takeaway.

Sixteen Lozengers

This is an old joke, but I thought it might make you smile: A man wanted to become a monk so he went to the monastery and talked to the head monk. The head monk said, “You must take a vow of silence and can only say two words every three years.” The man agreed and after the first 3 years, the head monk came to him and asked, “What are your two words?” “Food cold!” the man replied. Three more years went by and the head monk came to him and again asked for his two words. “Robe dirty!” the man exclaimed. Three more years went by and the head monk came to him and said, “What are your two words?” “I quit!” said the man. “Well,” the head monk replied, “I’m not surprised. You have done nothing but complain ever since you got here!”

Four Echoes

“Petitioning Heavenly Father for the blessings we desire in our personal lives is good and proper. However praying earnestly for others, both those whom we love and those who despitefully use us, is also an important element of meaningful prayer. Just as expressing gratitude more often in our prayers enlarges the conduit for revelation, so praying for others with all of the energy of our souls increases our capacity to hear and to heed the voice of the Lord. We learn a vital lesson from the example of Lehi in the Book of Mormon. Lehi responded in faith to prophetic instruction and warnings concerning the destruction of Jerusalem. He then prayed unto the Lord with all his heart, in behalf of his people. In answer to this fervent prayer, Lehi was blessed with a glorious vision of God and His Son and of the impending destruction of Jerusalem. The vision came in response to a prayer for others.” - Elder David A. Bednar

Four Lozengers

When we lived in upstate New York, I occasionally heard the word, “lozenger,” meaning a medicated drop meant to soothe sore throats and quell coughing. We lived in a college town, but the people I heard using this word weren’t teachers or students. They were usually elderly and (I assumed) less well-educated. I’d heard these same people mispronounce other words and simply thought they meant to say “lozenge.” More recently I heard the word in northern England. These people saying “lozenger” there were blue collar workers: plumbers, removers, joiners, or postmen. I thought it odd that folks with thick Yorkshire accents would mispronounce this word exactly the same way that bucolic New Yorkers did. When it turned up again in an Australian quilt book – spelled out for all the world to see – I decided to do a bit of research. As it happens, “lozenger” isn’t a mispronunciation at all. The word, R included, is very, very Old English.

Greek Cross Variation

I’m a sucker for antiques. When washboards, treadle sewing machines, butter churns or blue-and-white china are used to dress up a shop or a restaurant, I’m always more interested in them than what the establishment is actually selling. The quilt pictured below was hanging a week ago in a corner of the Pioneer Mercantile in Frontierland. The whole affair is more than a little wonky, and the way it was tied and mounted actually make it more so. I’m guessing that was done intentionally, for a more rustic effect. What attracted my attention was the blocks themselves. I have several books full of block patterns, but this one doesn’t seem to be in any of them. The nearest match I could find was a Greek Cross like the one I posted nearly five years ago: http://mombowe.blogspot.com/2013/05/greek-cross.html . If you happen to know the real name of this block, I’d love to hear it.

25 Propellers

Today is the last day of Purim: a two-day celebration which begins at sundown on the fourteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month of the Jewish calendar. It commemorates the happy outcome of the account of Esther, Mordecai, Haman and King Ahasureus in Persian in the fifth century B.C. If you’re not familiar with the tale (or if you knew it once and have since forgotten) you really should look it up. It teaches that each of us has the power to effect positive change, regardless of our lot in life, if we will just have the courage to stand up. It also serves as a powerful warning to those who would have us fear, hate and abuse people who are different from ourselves. Purim is celebrated with food (of course), gifts, donations for the poor, and with a retelling of the story of Esther.