Log Cabin

 

Vernon, Florida used to be fairly prosperous, when gopher tortoise shells were in demand, and steamships traveled up and down nearby Holmes Creek. Eventually, laws were made protecting the gopher tortoise. Steamships disappeared, replaced by trucks and trains that came nowhere near Vernon. Sometime in the 1950’s, someone in town accidentally lost a limb and received a hefty insurance payout. A lot of his neighbors took notice. For the next decade or so, Vernon became insurance scam central. Some used axes or saws to maim themselves for money, but most resorted to firearms. One claimed he’d shot his hand while aiming at a hawk. Another said he’d shot his foot, which he’d mistaken for a squirrel. In the 50’s and 60’s, Vernon's 500 residents accounted for two thirds of the country’s dismemberment claims. Their scams worked for two reasons: the limbs in question WERE missing, and juries couldn’t believe people would deliberately hurt themselves for cash.

Rambling Rose Garden

 

Lindsey Sanders and her husband hadn’t been at Las Vegas’ Excalibur Hotel and Casino long when they started noticing something odd about their room. They’d return to find personal items knocked off the bathroom counter. There was a puddle of what looked like urine on the shower floor. Late at night, there were odd noises. The third night, Lindsey’s husband walked into the bathroom and flipped on the light. “There’s a cat in here,” he said. The couple called the front lobby, and security was dispatched to their room, armed with a dog leash. The men tried to tackle the grey tabby, who disappeared into a 3” gap under the sink. They had to dismantle the sink to pull it out. The kitty was eventually reunited with its owner, who’d stayed in that very room six days earlier. The most interesting part of the story? The Excalibur charges a $50 fee to guests with dogs. But cats are not allowed.

Amish Star

 

“On the path of forgiveness and healing lies a choice to not perpetuate unhealthy patterns or relationships. To all within our influence, we can offer kindness for cruelty, love for hate, gentleness for abrasiveness, safety for distress, and peace for contention. To give what you’ve been denied is a powerful part of divine healing possible through faith in Jesus Christ. To live in such a way that you give, as Isaiah said, beauty for the ashes of your life is an act of faith following the supreme example of a Savior who suffered all that He might succor all. Joseph of Egypt lived a life with ashes. He was hated by his brethren, betrayed, sold into slavery, wrongly imprisoned, and forgotten by someone who’d promised to help. Yet he trusted in the Lord. The Lord was with Joseph and consecrated his trials to his own blessing and growth—and to the saving of his family and all Egypt.” – Kristin M. Yee

Jack in the Box

 

In many cultures, it’s frowned upon (sometimes even illegal) to marry a close cousin. But this doesn’t mean it never happens. J.S. Bach’s first marriage to his second cousin was arranged by their family. Edgar Allen Poe married his first cousin when he was twenty-seven and she was thirteen. H.G. Wells’ marriage to his first cousin lasted only three years. Charles Darwin studied the effects of inbreeding, but it didn’t stop him and his first cousin from marrying and having ten children together. Albert Einstein’s wife Elsa was his first cousin on his mother’s side, and his second cousin on his father’s side. Jerry Lee Lewis was twenty-two when he married his thirteen-year-old first cousin; a move that damaged his career. On the other hand, marrying a distant cousin carries no stigma at all. Kevin Bacon and his wife, Kyra Sedgwick, discovered they were ninth cousins once removed on the PBS series, “Finding Your Roots.” 

Windmills

 

Every Friday, Heather and I go to the hospital in Murray. I play the piano in the lobby, while Heather greets everyone who passes by. Then we hit the cafeteria before heading home. There are dozens of eateries within walking distance, and dozens more on the way home. We almost always choose lunch at the cafeteria. It’s THAT good. Last week, we had barbecue brisket sandwiches, with pickled red onion piled on top – a delightful pop of color and flavor.

 

Pickled Red Onion

 

2 small red onions

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon peppercorns

2 cups white vinegar

2 cups water

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons salt

 

Thinly slice onions and place into 3 10-ounce Mason jars. Add garlic and peppercorns to each jar. Heat remaining ingredients in saucepan, stirring, until salt and sugar dissolve. Pour over onions in jars; cool. Place lids on jars and refrigerate overnight. Will keep in fridge up to 2 weeks. 

Cheerful Churn Dash

 

Karl Paulnack, currently the Dean of the Ithaca College School of Music, was previously the Director of the Music Division at Boston Conservatory.  In a welcome address he gave to the parents of an incoming Freshman class at BC (and in an address to the students as well) he said: “If we were a medical school, and you were here as med students practicing appendectomies, you’d take your work very seriously because you would imagine that some night at 2:00 a.m. someone is going to waltz into your emergency room and you’re going to have to save their life. Well, my friends, someday at 8:00 p.m. someone is going to walk into your concert hall and bring you a mind that is confused, a heart that is overwhelmed, a soul that is weary. Whether they go out whole again will depend partly on how well you do your craft.”

Card Trick

 

Last week, my mother and I discovered an avid quilter at the furniture store. (Somehow, we quilters just seem to gravitate to each other.) We shared quilt photos on our phones, and she asked if I had tricks for getting seams to come out right. I have dozens. Here are a few:

Aim for accuracy in cutting; use good rulers and templates.

Perfect a scant 1/4" seam. I use a quilter’s pressing foot with a guide.

Finger-press first, then use a DRY iron. Steam will always skew your project.

Wear good reading glasses, even if you don’t need them for anything else.

Have plenty of clear, bright light in your work space.

Plan the direction your seams will be pressed, so they’ll “nest” together like puzzle pieces.

If at all possible, swirl press wherever four corners meet.

Pin, pin, pin. When in doubt, pin more.

When you’ve pressed a finished block and it’s perfect, cool it under a weighted ruler.