Lickety Split

I made today’s 18x24" quilt top in a single afternoon, while John took Heather to see “Playing with Fire” at the dollar theater. The pattern is part of Kim Diehl’s “Simple Whatnots” miniature quilts, collection eight (I believe collection nine comes out some time this month). So far, I’ve made sixty (!) tiny quilt tops either from Kim Diehl’s patterns or from scraps leftover from her kits. Most of those tops have already been quilted and bound, because it’s cheap and easy to finish a quilt that less than 30” square. Several of them have been given to family and friends, because if I didn’t spend a ton of time and money on a quilt, I won’t fret that it may end up as a dog’s bed. And several more are scattered through my house as wall hangings, table toppers or doll blankets. Because I just love these adorable little quilts.

Thirteen Grandma Stars

Triangles and Squares

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a lay ministry. The sermons you hear in our chapels are delivered by people who won’t be fired if the congregation doesn’t like what they hear. I’ve attended dozens of Sunday services in other denominations, and it seems to me this one difference makes our meetings fresher, more meaningful and more eclectic. Just a few weeks ago I was surprised and delighted to hear Rumi (a 13th-century Persian poet) quoted from an LDS pulpit: “Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.”

Purple Table Runner

THINGS YOU’LL NEVER, EVER REGRET:

Praying for someone else

Putting down your phone

Listening without interrupting

Visiting your grandparents

Reading the scriptures

Being kind on social media

Investing in memories

Refusing to hear or spread gossip

Feeling and showing gratitude

Buying lemonade from a child

Taking the higher road

Catching fireflies with your kids

Forgiving others

Forgiving yourself

Doing that thing that scared you

Giving a compliment

Drinking more water

Saying “I love you”

Wind Spinner

IN MY SEWING ROOM, THOU SHALT NOT:

Ask when it will be finished

Cut anything with my fabric scissors

Request that I hem your pants

Speak to me when I have a seam ripper in hand

Tell me I have too much fabric

Push buttons on my sewing machine

Bring me your clothes to iron

Pull on any loose threads

Wonder aloud why I’m still in my pajamas

Come looking for food. This is not the kitchen!

Four Brave New Worlds

This advice used to hang on the wall at the place where we rent our daughter’s oxygen equipment. It’s not there right now, as they’re in the process of remodeling. In fact, the wall itself is completely gone. But by a happy coincidence, I took a photo so I wouldn’t have to rely on my own memory.

TIPS FOR SLEEPING WELL:

Set the tone for sleep by completing housework, bills and other activities several hours before bedtime.

Get out of bed if you don’t fall asleep within twenty minutes.

Midday naps may interfere with a good night’s sleep.

Avoid alcohol, especially before bedtime.

Keep your bedroom dark, quiet and relaxing.

Avoid caffeinated beverages, especially in the afternoon and evening.

Try to maintain the same sleep/wake schedule every day, including weekends.

Complete any exercise four or more hours before bedtime.

Have a light snack before bed, not a heavy meal.

Don’t fall asleep with the television on.

Gale Force Winds

There are only two northern white rhinos left on the planet, and they’re both females. Sudan, the last male of this subspecies died last year, leaving just his daughter and granddaughter, Najin and Fantu. Veterinarians in Kenya were able to harvest five eggs from each female. In August, Italian scientists successfully fertilized seven of them with sperm that had been collected from two males – Suni and Saút – who have since died. Northern white rhinos, also known as northern square-lipped rhinos, have hairier ears and smaller bodies than their nearest relatives. They roamed the grasslands in central and eastern Africa before poaching and loss of habitat drove them to functional extinction. Surrogate rhino moms would be required, and it’s still an enormous long shot, but there’s a chance that someday there will be a new generation of northern white rhinos on the scene. Hopefully that will happen while Najin and Fantu are still around to show them how to BE northern white rhinos.