Nine Butterflies

 

Bobbi Gibb wanted to run in the Boston Marathon in 1966. Officials rejected her application, saying: “Women are not physiologically able to run a marathon. We can’t take the liability.” Bobbi hid in the bushes, waiting for the race to begin. When half of the runners had passed her, she jumped in. Bobbi wore boys’ shorts and sneakers, a bathing suit, and a hoodie. “I knew if they saw me, they’d try to stop me,” she said. “I thought I might be arrested.” It didn’t take long for fellow runners to realize she wasn’t male, but no one called the police or ran her off the road. Instead, they offered their protection. When Bobbi shrugged off her hoodie, the crowd erupted – not in anger, but in joy. Massachusetts Governor John Anthony Volpe met Bobbi at the finish line to shake her hand. The first woman to run the marathon had just finished in the top third.

Twenty-five Louisiana Blocks

 

Holly leaves and holly berries are everywhere this time of year. Holly’s an evergreen: a symbol of eternal life. The scarlet berries symbolize the blood Christ shed for us, and the spiny leaves stand for His crown of thorns. Several of our British neighbors had European holly in their gardens. I noticed the very tall trees had smooth, elliptical leaves up top, while the lower branches had vicious, spikey leaves. I wondered if the smooth leaves might be some kind of herbaceous parasite. As it happens, I was witnessing an example of heterophylly: the ability of some plants to simultaneously develop different types of leaves. Nearer the ground, where animals might munch (or school children may molest), the sharp leaves threaten anyone getting too close. Up higher, gentler leaves grow out of reach. It’s actually a molecular response to being damaged. If you could change your DNA when threatened, what would you become? Me, I’d be a bear.

Nine Chain Links

 

Until fairly recently, Christmastime meant LOTS of deliveries by UPS and USPS. As I was the only one on my street at home during the day, I was usually the one who’d sign for packages, while notes were posted on recipients’ doors, telling them where to find them. Now, most deliveries come in Amazon Prime vans. No one EVER rings a doorbell. They drop parcels on the doorstep, snap a photo with their cell phones, and drive off. The other night I was dog-walking and ended up in front of one of these vans. Fully half my neighbors got Amazon deliveries that night, so even with my pooches investigating every lamp post and hydrant, we made better time than the van did. It ended up being extremely convenient, as his headlights made my doggie bag duty super easy. I wonder if there’s a way to deliberately walk the dogs just ahead of a delivery van again tonight.

Two Dozen Wonky Cabins

I send John to the store with shopping lists. He loves to shop and I don’t, so it’s a win-win situation, most of the time. In November, I wrote “French bread” on the list, thinking I could cut the loaf in half lengthwise for garlic bread. He came home with a loaf of sourdough, thin-sliced. This was the only thing I could think to do with it. For the record, the croutons were delicious. And I’m learning to make more specific lists.

 

Sourdough Croutons

  

1/3 cup butter, melted

 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

 1 teaspoon olive oil

 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

 6 slices sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

 2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

 

Combine butter, seasoning and oil in a large bowl. Add bread cubes and Parmesan; toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 300F until lightly toasted; about 20 minutes. Store in an airtight container. Serve over tossed salad or soup.

Four Butterflies

 

“King Benjamin told his people in the Book of Mormon, ‘I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are diverse ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them.’ King Benjamin went on to say, ‘But this much I can tell you, … watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of … our Lord, even unto the end of your lives.’ Is it wrong to have rules? Of course not. We all need them every day. But it is wrong to focus only on rules instead of focusing on the Savior. You need to know the whys and the hows and then consider the consequences of your choices. You need to put your trust in Jesus Christ. He will lead you the right way. He is your strength.” - Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Home to Roost

 

In three weeks, I’ll have maintained this blog twelve years. It started as a one-year challenge, to improve my piecing and writing skills. When I look back at my quilts from a dozen years ago, I see a definite change for the better. Writing isn’t so easily evaluated, but I’ve tried to stick to my original design. I wanted this blog to be different from what I see on the Internet. I make an effort to be concise; each post can be read aloud in under sixty seconds. It’s always been my goal to be helpful, interesting, enlightening, and positive. There is so much negativity out there, it feels so wrong to add to it. I strive to keep the grammar and spelling above reproach. Above all, I try to make sure it’s TRUE. Every story shared here goes through rigorous fact checking. And I try not to make this all about ME. Usually.

Twenty Louisiana Blocks

 

Last week, my granddaughter said, “I’m four now, Nana. That means I’m old enough to cook.” She’s been making imaginary food for us well over a year. It may be time to let her try the real thing. I’ve got an apple corer/slicer, so if I peel the apples, she can probably tackle this:

 

Slow Cooker Apple Cobbler

 

6 cups apples, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 box yellow cake mix

1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

 

Spray slow cooker (we use a casserole-shaped cooker) with cooking spray. Add apple slices, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; toss. In large bowl, mix cake mix with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until it's the size of small peas. Dump atop apple mixture. Cover; cook on high 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until fruit is bubbly. Serve hot with sweet cream, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.